Letters From ASD Staff to the Community
"I work for ASD, as a special education preschool teaching assistant. I have been with ASD for over 20 years. I'm 3 years away from my earliest retirement, and I have more than one "high risk" for an adverse outcome should I contract Covid. I have been socially isolating since March, along with my husband who is retired, 7 years older than me and also has a high risk. We do online groceries and either pick them up or get delivery. We go to the doctor and dental appointments. We do not socialize or eat out. My younger adult daughter, who shares our home (renting downstairs) moved out because she works with the public and did not want to put us at risk. My older daughter and 14 month old grandson are in our tiny bubble. For now. She works for ASD as well with elementary special ed students and we aren't sure once we get back to school how to proceed. We have both worked diligently to make our students and families successful with our online learning platforms.
I did not comment on your post, because our administration has made it clear they are watching. I belong to a FB group "Alaskan Educators for a Safe Return" and I know there are (at least) two staff members from my school who have joined who publicly are all for going back and who don't like masks. They are there only to observe and report. I've been instructed (in a staff meeting) to be cheerful about going back and watching what I say on social media so as to not appear negative.
That said, many of my co-workers do feel very negative about the return and do not trust Dr Bishop. She talks about suicides, and negative effects on kids without providing data on it. She dismisses concerns brought by staff. We found out the same morning she made the announcement to the public after we were all called into staff meetings the night before. This only happened because staff have continually been asking to be included and informed after only hearing of major news and changes when the public was notified. Leading to parents sometimes knowing before staff about changes. Imagine being on zoom sessions with kids and having a parent ask you about some information the district sent them....and not you.
I love my job and the impact it has. I agree that especially for special education students, online instruction is difficult and nowhere near what we had in the classroom. But this is a global pandemic. The risks and consequences are death and long term impairments. Our community is divided over the simplest precautions. Parents who take the virus seriously and who are practicing safety most likely won't be returning their kids. But the children of vocal covid deniers and anti maskers will come as they make up a large percent of those pushing for a return to in person.
Meanwhile, the district has abandoned their planned 3 tiered and well defined route back for the new matrix. The one which as of today shows the number of new cases per 100,000 as >200 (the actual figure is 496!!) for the highest risk of transmission in schools. The percent change category is 4.4%, higher risk, the existence of community spread? YES. higher risk. Yet when Bishop refers to this plan, and in our training they refer to medium risk return.
Also note the magic "YES"in the category "implements ALL 5 strategies correctly but inconsistently" referring to Bishops magic mitigating factors, a key point she likes to talk about. BUT....in my preschool class, this category will be a solid "Higher risk" in which only 1-2 strategies are implemented correctly and consistently. I imagine this will be the case in many of our elementary special education self contained classrooms as well.
Factor 1: Students will be required to wear masks consistently and correctly. Yet many of my students due to their disability and developmental stage cannot or will not wear a mask at all, much less correctly.
Factor 2: Social distancing to the largest extent possible. In my room that means NONE. We do not sit at desks all day. Many of our students require close physical support from the adults, and they play together. Closely. There is no adequate way to prevent this, and why would we want preschoolers in that environment if it were possible? (Dr Bishop was asked directly about the 6 foot distancing at the school board meeting last night said yes, that was the goal. The 3 foot distancing is barely possible in most classrooms, and she knows this. Teachers have told her).
Factor 3: Hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette. I don't know if you have spent any time around preschoolers or toddlers (which is the more accurate age stage of some of our students) but hygiene is not what they are known for. We work on this all the time in a regular year, but the reality is these little ones are some of the least able to do this.
Factor 4: Contact tracing. I felt ok about this until I read the new CDC information about who is now considered a "close contact". In this Washington Post article, (washington post cdc article) Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security noted noted that the new guidance “will be difficult for contact tracing programs to implement, and schools and businesses will have a difficult time operating under this guidance."
Factor 5: Cleaning and Disinfection This will be happening. This will be happening a lot. Our students will be required to wash their hands, an activity that takes assistance and supervision before and after every new activity, center, eating, changing locations in the room, and the staff will additionally be required to do daily sanitation tasks in the classroom that will be time intensive. All materials that cannot be easily sanitized are to be removed. There will be no dress up clothing, no beanbags for reading. Blocks are questionable. Kids will require individual materials not to be shared (crayons, scissors, glue, playdoh).
I cannot even imagine how this class environment will look and operate. Especially for our kindergarten students who will be at a desk except when at recess. That is not developmentally appropriate. Recess will also be controlled. Grade level groups only, and class groups assigned to specific areas at our school at least. It may be different elsewhere because every school has to come up with its own plans on how to do things. So hopefully their principal is on the ball.
Bishop also made a comment last night that staff has choices. Really? Unless you have an ADA accommodation there is no choice. Were that granted, it is made clear that you might not be returned to your school or same position after. Many of us are deeply connected to our schools. I have been at mine my entire career with ASD. We were given a handout that states that long term leave approvals are "unlikely." My principal also said we had a choice. Which means we could quit. And live on what? It took years for my family to finally be able to buy a house, and we still have a mortgage. My principal earns more than twice the combined income of me and my husband. The lovely teacher I work with earns 3 times what I do, and I am at the top of my pay scale. I am 3 years from retirement and these last few years count the most toward what will already be a slim retirement, which I already wasn't sure I could afford to take. My health insurance is tied to my job. I honestly feel I have NO choice. I worry for my fellow staff members, for our students, for the families who have no choice but to send their kids back once we open. I pray no child brings home covid to their grandmother, or compromised family members. \
I know this was a long rant. Thank you for trying to look into this further. I DO NOT understand how this decision, with our rising numbers, is ok. Bishop likes to point out that "Matsu opened," "New York opened." Yes, and now that their numbers are rising they are having more problems. She also kept pointing out in school board meetings that doctors, hospitals and restaurants are OPEN. My doctor has patients spaced out so there are never more than 2 to 3 people in a huge waiting area. The doctor and the patient must be masked in exam rooms. Hospitals still have strict restrictions on capacity and visitors. Restaurants are not operating at 100% and have been the source of many issues. And most tellingly, are 20 to 30 people gathering in a small room for 5 or 6 hours a day, 5 days a week at those places? No.
I am so stressed that most nights I can barely sleep, a complaint made by my 4 closest co-workers as well. We all do the same job, we do it well. We aren't there because we love money. We love working with our kids. But we also have families. I want to be there for the miracle grandchild who we never thought we'd get. I am terrified of becoming a picture on the wall for him. "That's your Grandma....you loved her, but you don't remember her. She died when you were a year old. She loved you so much. But she got covid at school and she died""
"I saw on your page that you were wondering what teachers are thinking. In last nights School Board meeting, member Starr Marsett made it a point to scold teachers for voicing concerns on social media. Ironically, she said we should be messaging the school board and our principals. My principal tells us that she knows the school board never responds to any email. So in answer to your questions on your page—- most teacher do not want to go back yet. To do this 1 month before winter break and just one week before Thanksgiving seems irrational.
There is literally no reason to rush this when our numbers (and those on ASD's own website) clearly state we are at the highest risk of transmission category in schools. They are willing to have a student or staff member die because it’s not their lives.
I’ve messaged the mayor's office as well and heard nothing. I did however hear back from 3 assembly people. It’s easy to make decisions when you aren’t the ones going back. We’ve been told to distance our kids 3 feet apart— there’s nothing about this that’s safe."
