D.-2 21-0804 Approval by the Board of Education of Tentative Agreement as Agreement Between the District and the Oakland Education Association Regarding Impacts and Effects of Reopening Schools in Spring of 2021.
What is the point of the tentative agreement if the teachers are still actively refusing to return to school? The teachers who are ignoring the science and being guided by fear are actively harming their students by continuing to shun full time in person learning options for their students. If your doctor treated you only with Hydroxychloroqine for a COVID-19 infection rather than the current data based treatments, you would die and they would get fired. Why are the teachers who refuse to return, allowed to remain rooted in old non-science based ideas without consequence? This has been unacceptable for 5 months now.
It is disappointing to see the failure of asking teachers to volunteer for March 30. The board of education and OUSD need to assert leadership on behalf of the kids. PLEASE immediately follow the 3 foot distance recommendations. Oakland is now in the Orange Tier, and we have learned that vaccinated people cannot carry the virus. There is NO reason for OUSD not to offer more than 5 hours/week like many other nearby districts.
The poor outcome of the negotiations with OEA is why parents are angry, and are losing confidence in OUSD. Many have left or are making plans to do so. Please commit to five full days in the fall and communicate that leadership commitment.
OUSD needs to take a firm stance and announce a full time reopening plan for the fall NOW. With Oakland and Alameda county moving into the orange tier, teachers being prioritized for vaccinations and the loosening of CDC guidelines, there is no excuse why this shouldn’t be happening. Additionally, OUSD needs to educate all Oakland families about the science and the safety behind reopening so everyone is getting the same scientific information at once. Close the knowledge gap amongst the community so everyone understands that a reopening plan is safe and based on science, not politics.
In light of the new orange tier reached recently in Alameda County, and the fact that the CDC said that vaccines work to curb asymptomatic spread of Covid, and that desks can be spread 3 feet apart now, I urge you to consider not only reopening all of the K-6, but the 7-12 as well. Berkeley High School is going back to two days per week soon, with their large size of 3500 students (bigger than any other schools in Alameda County, I believe). If they can do it, anyone can! They have a very diverse population as well, and although it is a smaller district, Berkeley High is huge, and they are able to make it work for their students in-person. Do not hold everyone back just because some families aren't ready to return. Those families can continue distance learning. Let the families who are really suffering return now. It is time and it can be done safely per the copious CDC data on reopening. Also, we need a normal school schedule for the fall. Most kids will be vaccinated by then!
My son's first day of Kindergarten is tomorrow. We are grateful to his Kinder teacher who opted in and the OUSD and the amazing staff at JM for making it happen. However, 5 hours a week of school total isn't doing anyone any favors. Children thrive on routine, consistency and predictability. Oakland is now in the orange tier, the CDC has confirmed vaccinated people cannot carry the virus. Berkeley, Piedmont, San Ramon, Pleasanton and Albany are exhibiting that more hours can be done in a safe way. Especially now that CDC guidance is for 3 ft of social distancing. IF OUSD cannot provide full time school for all in the fall, then sadly we will leave the city, taking our dollars, volunteer hours and commitment with it.
I am disappointed that the current agreement with OEA will result in just 5 hours of in person learning for my third grader. This schedule does not reflect the science that supports the safety of in person learning with the PPE and protocols that OUSD has guaranteed. This is the absolute bare minimum that can be offered to students and it reflects a bare minimum interest for the well being of our kids. It also does not reflect the CDC, California and Alameda County health guidelines that advise that three feet of distance between students is safe. It is unconscionable that more in person learning cannot be offered when teachers have now been prioritized for vaccination, even where the science did not require it for safety. Distance learning remains a subpar option for many students and families. Stop the excuses, do your duty! Students must be allowed to return, if their families choose, to 5 days of in person learning per week.
Please provide an in-person learning option for full-time, 5 days per week. Rates are dropping, vaccinations have been provided, we are moving into the Orange Tier, the CDC reduced social distancing to 3 ft. All signs indicate, we are out of the woods. We don't need to spend limited funds on deep cleaning and plastic partitions that are not being required or recommend by the CDC. We have lots of other more pressing needs for those funds. Please announce a full-time plan for the Fall. Parents need to be able to plan schedules as more workplaces start to re-open, and this constant state of flux is extremely stressful and difficult to manage. Thank-you for your consideration.
Asking teachers to ‘volunteer’ on 3/30 was a failure. OUSD should immediately follow the 3 feet distancing and allow for more in person learning come April 19. Oakland is now in the orange tier and the CDC confirmed that vaccinated people cannot carry the virus. There is absolutely no reason not to offer more than 5hrs/wk this spring like nearby school districts. Why are ousd students getting a worse deal than Berkeley, Piedmont, San Ramon, Pleasanton, Albany? The poor outcome of the negotiations with OEA is why parents are angry, losing confidence in ousd, and anxious that kids will not be in person 5 full days in the fall.
What is the point of the tentative agreement if the teachers are still actively refusing to return to school? The teachers who are ignoring the science and being guided by fear are actively harming their students by continuing to shun full time in person learning options for their students. If your doctor treated you only with Hydroxychloroqine for a COVID-19 infection rather than the current data based treatments, you would die and they would get fired. Why are the teachers who refuse to return, allowed to remain rooted in old non-science based ideas without consequence? This has been unacceptable for 5 months now.
It is disappointing to see the failure of asking teachers to volunteer for March 30. The board of education and OUSD need to assert leadership on behalf of the kids. PLEASE immediately follow the 3 foot distance recommendations. Oakland is now in the Orange Tier, and we have learned that vaccinated people cannot carry the virus. There is NO reason for OUSD not to offer more than 5 hours/week like many other nearby districts.
The poor outcome of the negotiations with OEA is why parents are angry, and are losing confidence in OUSD. Many have left or are making plans to do so. Please commit to five full days in the fall and communicate that leadership commitment.
OUSD needs to take a firm stance and announce a full time reopening plan for the fall NOW. With Oakland and Alameda county moving into the orange tier, teachers being prioritized for vaccinations and the loosening of CDC guidelines, there is no excuse why this shouldn’t be happening. Additionally, OUSD needs to educate all Oakland families about the science and the safety behind reopening so everyone is getting the same scientific information at once. Close the knowledge gap amongst the community so everyone understands that a reopening plan is safe and based on science, not politics.
In light of the new orange tier reached recently in Alameda County, and the fact that the CDC said that vaccines work to curb asymptomatic spread of Covid, and that desks can be spread 3 feet apart now, I urge you to consider not only reopening all of the K-6, but the 7-12 as well. Berkeley High School is going back to two days per week soon, with their large size of 3500 students (bigger than any other schools in Alameda County, I believe). If they can do it, anyone can! They have a very diverse population as well, and although it is a smaller district, Berkeley High is huge, and they are able to make it work for their students in-person. Do not hold everyone back just because some families aren't ready to return. Those families can continue distance learning. Let the families who are really suffering return now. It is time and it can be done safely per the copious CDC data on reopening. Also, we need a normal school schedule for the fall. Most kids will be vaccinated by then!
My son's first day of Kindergarten is tomorrow. We are grateful to his Kinder teacher who opted in and the OUSD and the amazing staff at JM for making it happen. However, 5 hours a week of school total isn't doing anyone any favors. Children thrive on routine, consistency and predictability. Oakland is now in the orange tier, the CDC has confirmed vaccinated people cannot carry the virus. Berkeley, Piedmont, San Ramon, Pleasanton and Albany are exhibiting that more hours can be done in a safe way. Especially now that CDC guidance is for 3 ft of social distancing. IF OUSD cannot provide full time school for all in the fall, then sadly we will leave the city, taking our dollars, volunteer hours and commitment with it.
I am disappointed that the current agreement with OEA will result in just 5 hours of in person learning for my third grader. This schedule does not reflect the science that supports the safety of in person learning with the PPE and protocols that OUSD has guaranteed. This is the absolute bare minimum that can be offered to students and it reflects a bare minimum interest for the well being of our kids. It also does not reflect the CDC, California and Alameda County health guidelines that advise that three feet of distance between students is safe. It is unconscionable that more in person learning cannot be offered when teachers have now been prioritized for vaccination, even where the science did not require it for safety. Distance learning remains a subpar option for many students and families. Stop the excuses, do your duty! Students must be allowed to return, if their families choose, to 5 days of in person learning per week.
Please provide an in-person learning option for full-time, 5 days per week. Rates are dropping, vaccinations have been provided, we are moving into the Orange Tier, the CDC reduced social distancing to 3 ft. All signs indicate, we are out of the woods. We don't need to spend limited funds on deep cleaning and plastic partitions that are not being required or recommend by the CDC. We have lots of other more pressing needs for those funds. Please announce a full-time plan for the Fall. Parents need to be able to plan schedules as more workplaces start to re-open, and this constant state of flux is extremely stressful and difficult to manage. Thank-you for your consideration.
Asking teachers to ‘volunteer’ on 3/30 was a failure. OUSD should immediately follow the 3 feet distancing and allow for more in person learning come April 19. Oakland is now in the orange tier and the CDC confirmed that vaccinated people cannot carry the virus. There is absolutely no reason not to offer more than 5hrs/wk this spring like nearby school districts. Why are ousd students getting a worse deal than Berkeley, Piedmont, San Ramon, Pleasanton, Albany? The poor outcome of the negotiations with OEA is why parents are angry, losing confidence in ousd, and anxious that kids will not be in person 5 full days in the fall.