Sisters and Brothers,
The public health data continues to improve, though it appears that progress has slowed in the past week. The average daily incidence rate has dropped from 26.9 per 100,000 residents a week ago to 25.9. Similarly, Haverhill’s positivity rate is lower this week from 4.48% to 4.25%. Once this rate drops below 4%, Haverhill will be considered in the “yellow” range.
This week, Haverhill Public Schools has 15 staff on quarantine as close contacts, 6 who are out due to becoming infected with the coronavirus, and 5 more who are presumed positive with symptoms. There are currently 56 students identified as close contacts, 31 students with the coronavirus, and 16 more presumed positive. As of last night, half of the 132 pools tested on Tuesday had returned with 4 positive pools requiring follow up testing.
Earlier this week, under immense pressure from educators across the state and eventually President Biden himself, Governor Baker finally relented and has authorized vaccinations for all public school staff, even those who live outside of Massachusetts. Unfortunately, the Baker Administration has continued to reject the MTA/AFT-MA “Last Mile” distribution plan developed in collaboration with the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Nurse’s Association. As a result, educators are still forced to compete for extremely limited appointments, available now through pharmacies participating in the federal vaccination program, such as CVS, or through other state-approved distribution sites beginning on Thursday, March 11th. With assistance from state representative Andy Vargas, the district was able to secure access to some appointments at the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center in Methuen, but over 200 appointments were booked within 10 minutes of her sharing the link with all staff.
While we continue to push the administration to allow for on-site vaccinations, HEA members are doing all they can to support one another and provide assistance with booking an appointment. Dana McNamara (Tilton Lower), a member of the JSCRT has created an incredible document, “Tips and Tricks – COVID Vaccine in MA” to help you navigate the complicated system for either yourself or a loved one.
The JSCRT also discussed how to proceed with plans to return more students to in-person learning. While we expect Commissioner Jeff Riley to receive permission from the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to force districts to end hybrid learning, the team which consists of parents, administration officials, and school committee members agreed that without more detailed guidance from the state about what districts can and can’t offer with regard to hybrid or remote learning, making any plan, much less one to return all students to full in-person learning by the start of April is not yet feasible. At the same time, the School Committee has reached out the Association to reopen our current Memorandum of Agreement and negotiate over these new proposed working conditions. The Massachusetts BESE meets today at 2:00. The meeting is live-streamed (link to live stream is in the meeting agenda), though if you are unable to watch (all of us who don’t work at the High School) the video is posted online afterward.
Once we’ve agreed upon some dates to begin these important conversations with the district, the Executive Committee will ask for rank-and-file members to join us on this bargaining team. If you’d like to participate, please reply to this email and let me know.
In Solidarity,
Anthony
Anthony J. Parolisi
President
Haverhill Education Association