The HEA Bargaining Team met with the School Committee again this evening to discuss the many questions raised and obstacles identified in proceeding with the transition to full in-person learning this spring. We are still wondering exactly how the School Committee is able to conclude that all classrooms have adequate ventilation to operate schools safely at the increased capacity. The District has committed to conducting additional air quality tests once the transition is complete to determine if this is actually true. What we don’t know yet is how the School Committee plans to respond if the results do not support their assertions. The School Committee said they’d discuss the issue and get back to us.
Members continued asking Dr. Marotta and her team questions to help us understand what to expect during the next several weeks. They all were very attentive to our concerns and willing to provide us with whatever answers they could. The Administration still was not able to identify to us exactly what changes will be made at each building and grade. We were told we could expect some specific information by the end of this week. We had hoped for much of this information today, which leaves us as concerned today as we were last week that this transition will be quite stressful and disruptive, particularly on elementary school teachers, specialists, and other service providers who will be impacted the most.
At yesterday’s all-member meeting we conducted some polls to see how building administrators were engaging educators in this process and how confident educators feel about the District’s readiness for the upcoming transition. Please take just a few minutes to complete this survey for us now. We are asking all members, even those that attended last night, to complete this survey, as we know some answers may have changed after elementary schools held building-based curriculum meetings this afternoon.
If you’d like to join the bargaining team on March 31st (4:30pm) as an observer please reach out to Anthony Parolisi (anthonyparolisi@gmail.com) by Tuesday, March 30th at 5:00pm. We also scheduled an additional session, if necessary, for April 1st at 4:30pm.
In Solidarity,
Mandy Breton and Emily Boulger
Bargaining Team Chairs