Hi everyone, we have received over 1200 signatures on this petition. Thank you all for your advocacy! You have made a difference.
We would like to thank the 4th Estate (the Media!) for uplifting the voices of the teachers and staff in SFUSD. Because of you, educators in SF were heard and the following progress was made the week of 1/10/22:
- 10 KN95 masks per staff member were delivered to some sites
- Surgical masks were delivered to site for students
- Rapid testing for students and staff at some sites
- Increased testing sites and opportunities
- Partnership with the Excelsior Collaborative for morning
- Rapid Antigen Testing in front of school sites.
Related news: This week, Governor Newsom is pushing for legislation for CA workers to get 10 days paid COVID sick leave. If this passes, educators will get 10 paid COVID sick days (hopefully in addition to the five paid days the district already offered)
However, we still have a long way to go, and we need a #2WeekPause to flatten the curve. Here are some things we need in our schools:
- Staff each got a one box of 10 KN95 masks. Many sites did not get KN95 masks. We need daily disposable masks for all staff for the whole year.
- We need daily disposable KN95 for all students in appropriate sizes with clear instructions for proper fitting.
- Access to rapid tests for all students and staff at each site.
- Additional nurses onsite to help with COVID diagnoses and contact tracing
- Local contact tracing and parent notification support for Admin
- We need a payroll slot for The Standard Disability Insurance. This disability insurance does not restrict for pre-existing conditions.
- Every SFUSD student needs a one to one chromebook.
The majority of classroom teachers are already doing hybrid because half of our students are home (and it is a different half each day). We have had no support, training, or extended hours to learn how to do this.
What what do not want:
- We do not want to hear “there are no more tests” because neighboring districts have plenty and they are passing them out weekly.
- We do not want to hear students are learning more in in-person schools during the Omicron surge when half of them are at home with no access to a teacher while they wait on extremely delayed test results.
- We don’t want to hear that a 2 week pause with remote learning is not an option when that is what families, staff, and students are asking for
- We don’t want to hear that some schools are fully staffed and attended when we know that is not possible during this pandemic. Especially IF regular student and staff COVID testing is done weekly and with fidelity.
- We don’t want to hear students are able to keep up in class while schools are open when all students do have one-to-one chromebooks.
We know that our union, UESF, will be working hard in the coming days to get us all of the things that we want and NEED. Today, 1/13/22, is the District’s self-imposed deadline to respond to the last bargaining session between UESF/ SFUSD on 1/6/22, the day of the historic SFUSD Teacher Sick Out for COVID Safety.
Finally, we would like to thank the media who made it impossible for SFUSD to ignore teacher and staff collective concerns about high quality COVID safety in San Francisco schools. You have made a difference.
KRON
KIQI
KPFA
Thank you,
Rori, Susie, & Greg