DCPS Employee Return to In Person Work Guidance
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Anonymous
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This document was sent out today, with a form to share your intent by July 10. WTU quickly followed with an email to not submit yet. I have no idea what to do as I really want to be in person, but don’t trust any promises of PPE/supplies or enhanced cleaning. It’s not like once I show up and any of that isn’t happening I can just back out, I’ll have to use my own leave.
It’s a 4 1/2 page document so I’ll paste highlights: DCPS will implement a hybrid learning model for the 2020-21 School Year (SY) that will include continued virtual instruction and in-person instruction for a portion of our students. DCPS will continue to ensurethe safety of school-based employees who report to work in-person. All employees who report to work in-person will be provided with a daily supply of disposable face masksat no cost to the employee. Additionally, staff will be provided with a full supply of hand sanitizers and cleaning supplies to maintain their workspaces Daily Health Screening DCPS will implement a daily health screen for all students and staff entering DCPS buildings. Employees will complete this screening through a self-assessment that needs to occur before arrival daily. A team of screening facilitators will monitor screening results to ensure appropriate follow up occurs. An individual with any of the following symptoms will be instructed to not enter DCPS buildings, to isolate immediately, and call their healthcare provider: • Fever (defined as 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit); • Chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; • Fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache; or New loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea, or otherwise feeling unwell. If a student or staff member develops any of the symptoms above during the course of the school day, DCPS will have a designated physical location and a process in place that allows the individual to isolate until it is safe to go home and seek healthcare provider guidance. Enhanced Cleaning Routines Schools will undergo daily cleaning at the end of each day and deep cleaning based on a prescribed schedule. |
Anonymous
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This agreement was very concerning... not to mention the opacity in their statements including “ desks will be separated and forward facing” ummm. No guarantee on how far apart, eh? It’s that kind of fuzziness that inspires a vote of no confidence in my opinion.
There was sent urgently with a very fast turnaround requirement, followed by a union letter and text imploring us not to sign. OP. Do not sign this yet! |
Anonymous
| .... and self assessment? Really? You think parents who send their kids in with fevers, ringworm and lice are going to tell the truth? You’ve got to be kidding |
Anonymous
| OP here, I’m also really curious what our requirements are to even check our email during the summer. My school sends an update every few weeks but I’m not regularly checking my email. |
Anonymous
The self-assessment is for teachers at least per the OP. |
Anonymous
I can't wait to see how this plays out. I'm always going back and forth with the nurse and our administration about what to do with sick students. Principal tries to get us to allow them to just hang out and lie down in our classrooms instead of enforcing pick up by parents-that's not going to fly anymore (it never should have). |
Anonymous
My bad. I just reread it. I hope they don’t ask parents to assess their kids though I kind of think they will! |
Anonymous
| Teachers and parents need to join forces on this. Teachers are the most valuable resource in DCPS and parents that care about the schools shouldn’t let DCPS Central and Bowser grind up and spit out the teachers. |
Anonymous
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The American Academy of Pediatrics says kids should be in school full time this fall. They say problems associated with kids being out for so long is worse than the risk of coronavirus.
Maybe we should listen to the doctors? |
Anonymous
This is unfair as usual to teachers who teach in the poorest schools as those parents are less able and likely to be able to self-isolate if sick, have anyone to provide child care if the parent has to go to work, work in a job that does not provide child care, and if a language learner may not even have health insurance. |
Anonymous
Yes that's true, but that does not address how schools set-up for the situation. A gym in VA had to close after just reopening because one person, just one person, got Covid! Think about that, the contact tracer had to contact all the people that person had been in contact with in the past 2 days. I worked in PG and 2 teachers died in my school, stories were in the Washington Post. How did they get it, who knows! They died the week after the school district closed and within a couple of days of each other! |
Anonymous
So, you have a choice? What if the school gets shut due to a Covid outbreak do you then have to use your leave if you yourself don't actually have it but have to self-isolate or caught it from the school? |
Anonymous
X100. I mean, I feel like my elementary school kid has a cough or sore throat 75% of October through March in a regular year. That’s part of having a get my youngster in school. If everyone needs to stay home when they have either of those and just those symptoms, people are either going to start lying or school will be way more empty than anticipated. It’s not practical |
Anonymous
That’s one of my questions. I’m not sure we have a choice—I couldn’t get the intent form to open so I’m not sure what it says. But if they don’t follow through on what they say, or my class needs to self isolate, I’m not using my leave to do so. If there’s an option to do remote teaching that’s probably what i’ll do, if only because there are too many unanswered questions. |
Anonymous
| I can’t open the intent to return letter, what does that say? Just that we will return to whatever they decide? |