Reply to What time is Duran's announcement today?

Forum Index » VA Public Schools other than FCPS

Reply to "What time is Duran's announcement today?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We’re in the upper elementary group, so lessons will be concurrent.  We chose distance learning rather than hybrid and I’m secretly hoping my kid’s teacher will remain virtual (medical exemption?) and the classrooms will have monitors. Is that possible, or will it only be in extraordinary circumstances where some sort of waiver is granted?  Would they notify parents in advance?[/quote]

It’s possible, but highly unlikely.  APS supposedly is taking a very strict approach to ADA accommodations now.[/quote]

APS should follow the law, period.  As long as it’s doing that, no one should complain.[/quote]

I don’t know the laws around ADA but it APS seems to be denying most people that apply. The classroom monitor thing that fcps is doing seems to be less common in APS because fcps approved way more ADA requests.[/quote]

A bit backwards in reality. APS tried to hire monitors to provide those accommodations, but didn't get enough..thus they started denying requests.  They actually claim they gave them, but said: "you are provided the short-term telework accommodation until students return to school"  and.."extending your accommodation will harm the organization when students return"

Teachers who have had transplants, or are currently receiving chemo, have been denied.  Vaccinations might mean some people with legit CDC high-risk from Covid health issues, might be okay returning, but others either won't be despite vaccine, or can't get vaccine due to their health issues.[/quote]

Honest question—do you know this firsthand?  The person/people currently receiving chemo should be maybe on medical leave anyway...But it would surprise me if they denied someone post-transplant (and also, would be surprised if there are a large number of APS teachers who are transplant recipients).  For the “CDC high-risk” folks, I understand the concern but, to be fair, having hypertension or a high BMI are not disabilities and if they were, we really should be picketing outside of every grocery store in the land bc I promise you people are working there every day who are also in CDC high-risk categories.  But I am concerned if APS is denying WFH to employees going through cancer treatment. [/quote]

an essential job function of teachers is teaching in person.  Prior to the pandemic nobody would have thought differently.  The idea that students could be in person and a teacher could be broadcast into the classroom, as a regular way of doing business, is, quite frankly, absurd.  Sure- there have been classes taught like this, e.g. when there was not enough enrollment to justify a teacher, and the school uses a distance method for a teacher in another area-- but those are classes that the students opt into, and the benefits are more than the downside.

The ADA simply does not require an employer to redefine the essential functions of the job- it requires an employer to provide accommodations that allow a person with a disability to perform the essential functions of their job.   Yes, the ADA would most likely require leave as an accommodation, but  not 'teaching remotely.'   I'm surprised that any of these requests are being approved.  Approving even one puts the school system at risk  b/c then the school system has in fact started to lose the principle that teaching in person is an essential function.  [/quote]

You've hit the nail on the head. When teachers applied due to the high risk CDC issues like being a transplant recipient, they did so using the CARES act.  They were approved at that point. When the CARES act funding ended on 12/31, they were told (know this first hand), they just had to submit previous doctor note/medical stuff.  Then, APS decided it was via the ADA. Well, the ADA doesn't as you say specify telework as an option in their little boxes of what can be done in a workplace.  Thus, folks were denied.  Some are appealing and now using those ADA forms plus lots of doctor info, but APS was a bit Orwellian when they said, "teachers did receive telework accommodations... until students return" and Kafkaesque when they said what was used for the CARES act was fine, until it wasn't and they used the ADA without telling the teachers to send the ADA forms in. I will honestly use the letter I received to share how both were done LOL with my students, in the future. [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics