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LA Country School Reopening Updates 07.28.2021

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LA Country School Reopening Updates 07.28.2021

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SMMCTA Board & Rep Council Meeting Calendar for 2021-2022

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SMMCTA Board & Rep Council Meeting Calendar for 2021-2022

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10 Minute Meeting May 2021

Cheers to all for surviving this school year! You did a great job in a difficult situation.

Election
Elected to our Executive Board for the 2021-2023 term are -

Jenny Lipson (Grant) for Secretary

Shelly Ehrke (Lincoln) represents middle schools

Erin Haendel (SMASH) represents elementary schools.

Congratulations and thanks to all who participated in our election.

Admin Surveys
It is important to hear your voice on how your site administrators are doing. The more people who participate the greater the attention from the district. We need you to complete them by May 31. If you do not have a link, please check with your FAC or Site Rep, or you can contact us at smmctamembers@smmcta.com

Next school year
The District intends to bring all students back to the classroom for the 2021-2022 school year, with in-person teaching as the default. There will likely be an option of an online academy in secondary or Independent Study as defined by Ed Code for those families who wish to continue in distance learning. Elementary might have a few openings for DL teachers, but this will not be determined until the beginning of August.
Negotiations
The team bargains on May 26 th and on June 4th to discuss opening next year. Our contract expires on June 30, as do the MOU's. As these are tenuous times, we recommend negotiating a one-year contract opening up only salary and benefits to put in place the one-tier health plan. The team negotiated 11 MOU's in the past year.

District
At this time our student population has declined. The district intends to maintain our staff and NOT do layoffs. They believe the ratio will adjust with the number of retirements and resignations and we will not have to do involuntary transfers from school to school. As a result, this may mean changes in grade-level assignments in Elementary. These are called reassignments and are NOT based on seniority. It is up to the site administrator to make the final decision. Please read "Article X. Transfers and Reassignments" in our contract for details.

Covid Testing
Antigen testing has begun at site and PCR testing is available by appointment at JAMS and MES.
For staff - click here for an appointment
For students - click here for an appointment

Payroll
We will receive our last check on July 1. That is a larger check as deductibles are collected ten times per year, and this is our eleventh check. The $2,000 "hero pay" addition we negotiated will be sent in a separate check on July 5.

BOE Recall
SMMCTA does not support the school board recall. While we do not agree with every action the board has taken, we are adamantly opposed to any group claiming malfeasance and corruption without presenting any facts. We are opposed to the city and district spending hundreds of thousands of dollars that could be better spent at the service of our students and residents. We urge you to join us in stopping this recall and add your name to ours. (You do not have to be a resident of Santa Monica to sign " Stop the Recall".)

SMMCTA
We expect changes from the district, the state, and LADPH throughout the summer break. We will continue to share updates with you as we receive information. You can find these on our website and padlet.

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10 Minute Meeting May 2021 Cheers to all for surviving this school year! You did a great job in a difficult situation. Election Elected to our Executive Board for the 2021-2023 term are - Jenny Lipson (Grant) for Secretary Shelly Ehrke (Lincoln) represents middle schools Erin Haendel (SMASH) represents elementary schools.

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Certificated Results of the SMMCTA Executive Board Election for 2021-2023

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Certificated Results of the SMMCTA Executive Board Election for 2021-2023

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SMMCTA Results for EBoard Election 2021-2023

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Please add your name!

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LA County Health School Reopening Protocols 04.28.2021

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LA County Health School Reopening Protocols 04.28.2021

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Register for a COVID test here.

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Register for a COVID test here.

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SMMCTA is opposed to Malibu Unification as it's currently proposed. 

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SMMCTA is opposed to Malibu Unification as it's currently proposed. 

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Malibu Unification Meeting on Saturday, April 17th @ 9:30 a.m.

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Malibu Unification Meeting on Saturday, April 17th @ 9:30 a.m.

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County Commission Malibu Unification Meeting TOMORROW, Saturday, April 17th, 9:30

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Dear Members, Tomorrow, Saturday, April 17 th, 2021, at 9:30 a.m., the County Commission will hold a public hearing to consider a proposal from the City of Malibu to form Malibu Unified School District (USD) out of territory in the Santa Monica-Malibu USD. The Santa Monica-Malibu Classroom Teachers Association opposes Malibu's current petition to secede from SMMUSD.

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Walk Thru Guidelines and Spreadsheet for SMMUSD reopening. 

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Walk Thru Guidelines and Spreadsheet for SMMUSD reopening. 

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Addendum 11 - Full Reopening, Conceptual Agreement 

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Addendum 11 - Full Reopening, Conceptual Agreement 

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SMMUSD Ventilation Questions Answered Report 

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SMMUSD Ventilation Questions Answered Report 

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SMMCTA Ventilation questions 032321 final

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The more people travel, the more interactions people have. The more interactions people have with people outside of their household, the greater the risk of getting and spreading COVID-19. Travel (especially by shared conveyances such as air, bus, or rail travel) can not only put the traveler at risk but also all members of the community if the traveler spreads COVID-19 to others after returning to Los Angeles County.

Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 during this pandemic.

As Los Angeles County continues to grapple with its COVID-19 cases and given the prevalence of COVID-19 in many states and countries, persons arriving in Los Angeles County (LAC) from other states or countries and LAC residents returning from other states or countries could introduce new sources of infection, including new strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, into Los Angeles.

Despite recent decreases in the current COVID-19 surge of cases and hospitalizations and given the new daily cases and hospitalizations remain high, it remains imperative that LAC residents continue to take steps necessary to curb the spread of COVID-19 and contain new sources of infection. The County of Los Angeles is issuing the following guidance for travelers:

Non-Essential Travel

1. Los Angeles County residents should continue to avoid all non-essential travel and stay within 120 miles from their place of residence, unless they are traveling for essential purposes. Avoiding travel reduces the risk of virus transmission, including by reducing the risk that new sources of infection and, potentially, new virus strains that are now present in California. "Non-essential travel" includes travel that is considered tourism or recreational in nature. "Essential travel" is travel associated with the operation, maintenance, or usage of critical infrastructure or otherwise required or expressly authorized by law (including other applicable state and local public health directives), including work and study, critical infrastructure support, economic services and supply chains, health, immediate medical care, and safety and security.

2. All non-essential travelers from other states or countries are strongly discouraged from entering the County of Los Angeles and need to self-quarantine as set forth in Paragraph 3.

3. All persons arriving in or returning to the County of Los Angeles from other states or countries, must self-quarantine for 10 days after arrival, except as necessary to meet urgent critical healthcare staffing needs or to otherwise engage in emergency response. Additionally, this does not apply to individuals who routinely cross state or country borders solely for the purpose of essential travel.

Quarantine Requirements

If you do travel into Los Angeles County from outside of California, you need to self-quarantine for 10 days after you arrive and must limit your interactions to people in your household/people with whom you live. If you travel into Los Angeles County solely for essential work purposes, you need to still self-quarantine outside of your work for 10 days and ensure you do not mix with others outside of those necessary to conduct your essential work.

Guidance on Safer Essential Travel

If you routinely cross state or country borders for essential travel, you must still comply with all requirements related to wearing face coverings and maintaining physical distancing to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

Upon returning from essential travel outside of California, you are strongly encouraged to self-quarantine if you engaged any of the following activities that place you at a higher risk of contracting the virus that causes COVID-19:

You interacted for more than 15 minutes within six feet of someone outside your household when you or the other people around you were not wearing a face covering at all times;

You were indoors, including on a shared conveyance, such as a plane, train or bus, and either you or those around you were not wearing face coverings at all times; or

You interacted for more than 15 minutes within six feet of someone-either with or without a face covering-who was experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or who began to experience symptoms of COVID-19 within 48 hours of your interaction with them.

If you MUST travel, plan ahead:

Know how widespread COVID-19 is in the area you must travel to. For cases in the last 7 days by state, see https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#cases_casesper100klast7days. For the risk assessment level for COVID-19 by country, see https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/map-and-travel-notices.html.

Find out where you can be tested if you develop symptoms of COVID-19 during your trip. For a list of symptoms, see http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/about-covid.htm.

People at high-risk of severe COVID-19 should be particularly careful about traveling, including:

People who are older, smoke or are overweight

Pregnant women

People with certain medical conditions like diabetes, heart problems, COPD, cancer, weakened immune systems, and sickle cell disease.

See CDC webpage on People at Increased Risk for more information on who is at high risk of severe COVID-19.

Avoid travel to the extent possible if you will be traveling with someone who cannot wear a mask consistently, including children under 2 years old who should not be wearing face masks due to risk of suffocation.

DO NOT travel if you are sick. You could spread COVID-19.

If you have COVID-19 symptoms (see ph.lacounty.gov/covidcare), get tested and wait for a negative test result before you start your trip.

A negative test should not be interpreted as a safety clearance for traveling or for engaging in other high-risk activities or with others indoors, without wearing a face covering/mask, and without practicing physical distancing. These tests assess for virus in your body the moment you were tested; you may actually have COVID-19 that won't show up on a test until later that day or in subsequent days, and a negative test might create a false sense of security.

If you MUST travel, reduce your risk.

Wear a face covering/mask and stay 6 feet or more away from people you do not live with, including family members you do not normally live with.

Avoid spending time indoors with people you don't normally live with, including family members, to the extent possible. The risk of getting COVID-19 is generally much greater indoors than outdoors because the virus that causes COVID-19 can travel in the air more than 6 feet and collects indoors and in enclosed spaces. If you must spend time indoors, choose a larger room that is well-ventilated or where windows and doors can be opened, and wear a face mask at all times.

Try to limit the number of people you interact with. For example, if you are traveling for work or you must travel to care for family, avoid in-person interactions with neighbors or friends.

Don't share vehicles with people you don't live with. Vehicles are small enclosed spaces where COVID-19 can spread easily between people. If you must share a vehicle, try to ride with the same people each time, 1) make sure everyone wears a facemask, 2) open the windows, and 3) maximize outdoor air circulation as much as you can.

Avoid meals, drinks, or gatherings with people you don't normally live with, including family members. Eating and drinking together is higher-risk because people must take off their masks to eat or drink, are more likely to touch their mouths while eating, often sit within 6 feet of each other, and talk while eating, creating more respiratory droplets or small particles. If you do have a meal or private gathering, it must 1) be limited to one or two other households with a maximum of 15 people, 2) be held outdoors only, and 3) be limited to two hours or less, and 4) follow the Social (Physical) Distancing requirements of the County Order Section 3a. It is safer for people in different households to sit outdoors at least 6 feet apart and to wear masks when they are not actively eating or drinking (such as when talking).

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The more people travel, the more interactions people have. The more interactions people have with people outside of their household, the greater the risk of getting and spreading COVID-19. Travel (especially by shared conveyances such as air, bus, or rail travel) can not only put the traveler at risk but also all members of the community if the traveler spreads COVID-19 to others after returning to Los Angeles County.

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March 2021 Ten Minute Meeting and Update. 

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March 2021 Ten Minute Meeting and Update. 

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1. We are hoping to come to a conceptual agreement on Addendum 10 today for secondary return after break. We expect that we will need to have an emergency rep meeting this week to vote on it.

2. On Thursday we will meet with the district to see and negotiate their proposal not yet presented.

Shelly Ehrke was elected by acclimation of the Rep Council to fulfil the remaining three months of Middle School Seat of the Executive Board. Thank you Shelly for doing this important work!

The following seats are up for election for the 2021-2023 Executive Board.

There is a meeting once a month during the school year, with the occasional emergency meeting and email communication. The position also includes a small stipend. Please consider serving in this important leadership position.

We have changed the deadline for candidate declarations and statements. Now they must be turned in by April 26 th before 3:00 PM. Candidates will be given a chance to speak at the Rep Council Meeting. We will conduct our election online thru Simply Voting. Timeline updates and candidate statements will be posted online.

Website
We frequently update our website to include information about SMMCTA, our MOU, and subsequent addendums, information on the upcoming SMMCTA election, safe school information, the forms for accommodation needs, PPE requests, etc. If you are interested in being a part of our communication committee, please email us at smmctamembers@smmcta.com

www.smmcta.com
https://padlet.com/smmctamembers/20pzd91sp3dac47u

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March 10 Minute Meeting, New Distancing Guidelines, Updates

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We are hoping to come to a conceptual agreement on Addendum 10 today for secondary return after break. We expect that we will need to have an emergency rep meeting this week to vote on it. On Thursday we will meet with the district to see and negotiate their proposal not yet presented.

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Our Questions, Suggestions & Concerns Padlet 

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Our Questions, Suggestions & Concerns Padlet 

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There will be a meeting on March 12th at 3:30 to discuss returning to campus.

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Addendum #9 "Hybrid Model" Agreement to the MOU 

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Addendum #9 "Hybrid Model" Agreement to the MOU 

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Dear Members,

As daily Covid-19 cases have decreased rapidly and our staff now has access to the vaccine, there is increased, unrelenting pressure from the community, along with directives from the Governor's office, about a quick return to some on-campus learning for TK-5. Late last week, the BOE and SMMUSD administration asked SMMCTA to return to the bargaining table to discuss changes to our MOU and addendums, (the latest, #8, outlined the parameters of the Distance Learning + on our campuses.)

Yesterday (Tuesday, March 2 nd) and today (Wednesday, March 3 rd, the bargaining teams have met and have engaged in detailed discussions about the elementary model for learning before and after Spring Break. At the core, the district is pushing for a hybrid model for in-person learning. The re-opening of Addendum #8 was inevitable (as it was part of the agreement that we would meet to evaluate), however, the return to negotiations has happened sooner than anticipated or agreed upon.

We feel the ramp-up to hybrid is inevitable. In LA County, except for LAUSD and Burbank, all elementary schools have returned to in-person learning in a hybrid model. The intensity of political pressure on the district to do what most other small and medium districts locally and nationally are doing (hybrid) would lead them eventually to impose hybrid one way or another.

By bargaining with the district, we seek to minimize in-person instruction in the "plus" model and maximize planning and prep time once a hybrid schedule goes into effect after the break. We have also requested additional health and safety protections, worked to protect the learning and community continuity for any students who remain in Distance Learning, and for additional supports for members as part of any transition to hybrid learning.

We will meet again tomorrow (Thursday, March 4 th) to continue to negotiate terms that would provide the best learning model for our members and our students. Dr. Drati and the BOE are in a hurry to reach an agreement before the BOE meeting tomorrow at 4:30. It is in our best interest to find agreement before Dr. Drati has a chance again to control the narrative of our desire for a safe return to campus.

Responding to member concerns, SMMCTA Executive board voted to change the ratification practices to allow the elementary rep council to vote to ratify or reject the agreement, as this will only affect TK-5. This is a change from past practice in which the Executive Board voted on ratification of pandemic era addenda. ELEMENTARY SITE REPS - We may need to hold an emergency meeting Thursday afternoon, March 4 th, to vote on changes. Please check your emails for updates.

SMMCTA leadership works to improve communications to and from unit members by holding monthly open meetings for members as well as special sessions open to all members (before the vote to ratify agreement number 8, and on March 1 to discuss reopening of negotiations for a possible Addendum #9).

This is where we are in the process - SMMCTA Bargaining Team

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Negotiations Update and SMMUSD Vaccinations at Saint Johns

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Dear Members, As daily Covid-19 cases have decreased rapidly and our staff now has access to the vaccine, there is increased, unrelenting pressure from the community, along with directives from the Governor's office, about a quick return to some on-campus learning for TK-5.

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Incidence and Secondary Transmission of SARS-CoV-2Infections in Schools 

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Incidence and Secondary Transmission of SARS-CoV-2Infections in Schools 

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Information from our March 1st Meeting

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Clusters of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Elementary School Educators and Students in One School District — Georgia, December 2020–January 2021

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Clusters of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Elementary School Educators and Students in One School District — Georgia, December 2020–January 2021

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From our March 1st Meeting

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Urgent Communication Regarding TK-5 Campus Reopening

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Urgent Communication Regarding TK-5 Campus Reopening

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As you are aware, conditions are changing at a break-neck speed. With the decreasing infection rate and vaccines available for teachers, now is the time to push for a safe return to in person instruction with the right safeguards in place.

Vaccines are now available for teachers beginning March 1. The district has rolled out a vaccine plan with St. John's Hospital; SMMUSD employees already working on site and elementary staff are being prioritized. You will have received the SMMUSD Vaccine Plan Friday, 2/26, attached here. If you are able to get the vaccine another way, please take advantage of that (e.g., CVS, Walgreens, Kaiser, My Turn.)

LADPH Reopening Protocols for K-12
The metrics and guidelines have been changing. Here is the latest update from LADPH on Friday.
Note the yellow highlighted changes from 2/11 to 2/18.

Beverly Hills School District
One of our comparable districts had a ratified agreement with its Board. Last week, its BOE mandated that its members go back to work. In their agreement, they were going to return to in-person hybrid when rates were at 10/100,000 for a ten-day period. Penny Sevoian, our CTA Staff person, and the CTA's legal team have filed an injunction and an unfair labor practice. As of now, we do not know the outcome of the filings. This is the situation we are trying to avoid.

SMMCTA Negotiations
Our team will meet with the District on Wednesday, March 3rd and Thursday, March 4th, to address the changing metrics. We will continue to bargain for the impacts of Covid-19 and the safety and health of our members, students, and community. We anticipate the District will request a hybrid return after Spring Break for TK-5, and we are supportive of this as long as all health and safety issues are addressed. We would support a hybrid program in which teachers have (at most) two stable cohorts of students (e.g. morning and afternoon in-person cohorts) and NO live streaming for elementary students. We also want to ensure there is support and continuity for students and families who may choose to remain in Distance Learning.

In response to recent concerns raised by members, the Executive Board has adopted a new procedure for ratification of a possible negotiated agreement for a TK-5 hybrid return. Such an agreement will be voted on/ratified by the SMMCTA elementary school rep council, which will most likely take place this week. Issues include the following:

Health and Safety Concerns

1. Ventilation and HVAC - Provide information to members related to HVAC compliance specific to their individual sites and workspaces.

2. Cleaning and hygiene - resources, schedules, and support need to be defined (in alliance with SEIU).

3. Increased COVID-19 testing.

4. Compliance monitoring - Implement systems to ensure protocols are followed, problems reported, and issues are corrected.

5. Occupational safety and epidemiology consultants - to work with the district and across sites to provide recommendations and information.

SMMCTA Meeting - Monday March 1, 2021
At our meeting on Monday, March 1, we will first meet with scientific experts regarding health and safety with time allotted for questions. Afterwards, elementary school teachers are invited to stay to discuss reopening TK-5.
This meeting is open to all members.

We understand how much time and effort you have all devoted to DL Plus, so we are trying to figure out how to provide the time you will need to prepare to open your classrooms to welcome students.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at smmctamembers@smmcta.com

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Urgent Communication from SMMCTA regarding TK-5 Campus reopening.

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As you are aware, conditions are changing at a break-neck speed. With the decreasing infection rate and vaccines available for teachers, now is the time to push for a safe return to in person instruction with the right safeguards in place. Vaccines are now available for teachers beginning March 1.

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The purpose of this Reopening Intake Form is to provide employees who believe they have a valid reason for not returning on-site/in-person to provide Human Resources with the information necessary for the District to consider your request.

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Credentials for our March 1st Meeting

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Parents and the community have asked what is needed for a return to in-person learning. Here are our main talking points. Write to the BOE and speaking at the BOE on Thursday, March 4
th, to express our desire to return safely with these assurances. Ventilation and HVAC - As every site in the district is different, a generalized report is insufficient.For example, classroom A needs to keep its windows open and class B doesn't, how will we know? We need transparent reports by site and classroom by an external occupational ventilation specialist.

1. Cleaning and hygiene - resources, schedules, and support need to be defined (in alliance with SEIU).

2. Surveillance (as required by LACDPH) and screening testing

3. Compliance monitoring - What systems will be used to ensure protocols are followed, problems reported, and who is responsible to respond and correct?

4. Expert health and epidemiology consultants to work with the district within and across sites for recommendations and information.

The following seats are up for election for the 2021-2023 Executive Board.

Candidate declarations and statements must be turned in by March 26 th. Campaigning takes place March 27 th - April 26th th, (candidates will be given a chance to speak at the Rep Council Meeting. Voting opens on April 27 th through Simply Voting. A full timeline can be located here, and on our website and padlet.

Website
We frequently update our website to include information about SMMCTA, our MOU, and subsequent addendums, information on the upcoming SMMCTA election, safe school information, the forms for accommodation needs, PPE requests, etc. If you are interested in being a part of our communication committee, please let us know.
www.smmcta.com
https://padlet.com/smmctamembers/20pzd91sp3dac47u

Negotiations

1. We have ratified Addendum 8 In our next round, we will also be asking (again) for time to arrange classrooms in elementary.

2. Elementary schools hope to open in distance learning after staff has had 15 days of access to the vaccine.

SMDP
The Santa Monica Daily Press is conducting a " reopen SMMUSD" poll. Please take it here. We need your voice! It only takes a couple of minutes. Ask your IA's and paras to take it too.

Accommodations
The rules on this have changed as FFCRE expired at the end of 2020. That law allowed for accommodations for family members being cared for at home. For those who have applied for accommodations because of family members, approval will depend on whether or not your school has a job for you online, if not, you may be asked to return to work in person. In that case, you may apply for an FMLA leave, which uses your sick days and once exhausted is not paid, or a personal leave which is also unpaid.

Room reopening - Make sure your site schedules meetings with your admin to discuss how the room will need to be set up and that arrangements are being made to move furniture. If it is important to you, make sure to get on the schedule for assistance. You should not be doing this on your own time.

General
We are happy to see a downward trend in the numbers, but we are still dependent on each other and our community to follow all health precautions. If you are working on-site, please be sure that everyone follows the guidelines by having everyone on campus sing in AND COMPLETE THE SCREENING PROCESS (including us). Stay masked! Do not remain in closed rooms for more than 15 minutes. Do not congregate in one room with each other no matter how tempting. If there are any questions regarding health protocols, please contact your nurse. If you observe any issues, please fill out this form and forward it to your site admin and me. SMMCTA PPE/Protocols Requests (google.com).

HERE IS A PDF OF THE FEBRUARY 2021 10 Minute Meeting

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February 10 Minute Meeting, March 1st General Membership Meeting

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Parents and the community have asked what is needed for a return to in-person learning. Here are our main talking points. Write to the BOE and speaking at the BOE on Thursday, March 4 th, to express our desire to return safely with these assurances.

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LA County Covid Vaccination Announcement 

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LA County Covid Vaccination Announcement 

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Food and Agriculture

Education and Childcare

Emergency Services and First Responders

With very limited vaccine supply and uncertainty on timing for increased production, a realistic and carefully developed plan for expanding vaccination availability to these additional sectors is being executed. We appreciate your patience as we roll out this next phase.

Registration is required for a vaccine appointment. Please prepare to show proof of identification, and proof of employment in a qualifying sector within Los Angeles County. Registration and a list of eligible identification is available at vaccinatelacounty.com. Vaccinations are free and providing immigration status is not required.

Food & Agriculture
Department of Public Health plans to partner with employers and employee organizations along with trusted sources for these groups, like unions, workplace leaders, community leaders and community-based organizations.

Those who are eligible in this category:

Food service workers

Food manufacturing

Grocery store workers

Grocery store workers (without pharmacies)

Animal agriculture workers including those involved in Vet health

Veterinarians

Food and Agriculture-associated Port and transportation workers

Education & Childcare
Many school districts have partnerships and capacity to create their own PODs to vaccinate their workforce. Independent and parochial schools will be partnering either with their school districts or will have reserved appointments at county PODs for their workforce.

Those who are eligible in this category:

Teachers (K-12, Preschool)

Support staff (K-12, Preschool)

Childcare

Independent Schools

Junior Colleges

Colleges & Universities

Emergency Services & First Responders
For the Emergency Services and First Responders sector, agencies, including the courts and correctional facilities, will be partnering with fire departments, police departments, the Department of Public Health, the Department of Health Services and local hospitals to vaccinate their workforce.

Those who are eligible in this category:

Police/law enforcement officers

Emergency Management, Search and Rescue, Emergency and public safety communication centers, EOCs

National Security

Maritime and Aviation Response (TSA)

Corrections officers and workers

Courts/Legal Counsel & Prosecution

Campus and school police

Rehabilitation and Re-entry

Federal law enforcement agencies

Police, Fire and Ambulance Dispatchers

Security staff to maintain building access control and physical security measures

DCFS, APS (workers physically responding to abuse and neglect of children, elderly and dependent adults)

Nearly 400 sites in L.A. County are administering the vaccines, including federally qualified health clinics, pharmacies, hospitals, and large capacity vaccination sites.

Check VaccinateLACounty.com or follow @LAPublicHealth on social media for more information on when and where people in these sectors can get vaccinated.

Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus:

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Announcing COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility for Phase 1B Tier 1

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Food and Agriculture Education and Childcare Emergency Services and First Responders With very limited vaccine supply and uncertainty on timing for increased production, a realistic and carefully developed plan for expanding vaccination availability to these additional sectors is being executed. We appreciate your patience as we roll out this next phase.

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Building capacity, strengthening the profession

Featured Resource:

CTA IPD Distance/Hybrid Teaching Guide

A Message from CTA President, E. Toby Boyd

" I 'VE NEVER BEEN happier to change the calendar in my life.

2020 was a trying year, especially for educators. Forced suddenly from our classrooms by an invisible enemy that threatened all our lives, we adjusted on the fly to a new learning environment (as educators and parents), organizing remotely to defend the health of our school communities and fighting to ensure classrooms physically reopen #OnlyWhenItsSafe."

Navigate professional learning by Focus Area

We asked our members what distance learning topics they needed the most support with. We then found practitioners with experience in those topics and invited them share their expertise directly through virtual professional learning sessions. It's as simple as that, teachers helping other teachers. These sessions, and other resources, were curated within four Focus Areas and are accessible through the links below.

Featured Professional Learning

Distance Learning Tools-Primary

Susan Stewart

Distance Learning Tools-Secondary

Kristan Morales

Distance Language Learning

Efraín Tovar

Distance Learning in the Context of COVID

Adam Ebrahim

Trauma-Informed Distance Learning

Will Henson

Intervention in the Context of COVID

Erika Isomuran

Sandhya Raman

Aubrey Hamak-Jimenez

When educators and allies raise our voices together, anything is possible. This is how we win the public education every student deserves.

Urge senators to support the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

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Stay up-to-date with all the latest California teachers news, events, and member benefits.

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Distance Learning Support - California Teachers Association

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Building capacity, strengthening the profession CTA IPD Distance/Hybrid Teaching Guide " I 'VE NEVER BEEN happier to change the calendar in my life. 2020 was a trying year, especially for educators.

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City of Santa Monica Housing Survey 2021

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City of Santa Monica Housing Survey 2021

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Online Research with Surveys and Polls | SurveyMonkey

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Conduct and analyze online research projects on your own with a survey or poll from SurveyMonkey. Check out our templates and types and get started for FREE.

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Gmail is email that's intuitive, efficient, and useful. 15 GB of storage, less spam, and mobile access.

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For 2021 Election Cycle

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For 2021 Election Cycle

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LA TIMES - Elementary Schools are cleared to open in Los Angeles

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LA TIMES - Elementary Schools are cleared to open in Los Angeles

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Los Angeles County elementary school campuses are cleared to fully reopen for the first time in nearly a year because of dropping coronavirus rates, health officials confirmed Monday night.

County Supervisor Janice Hahn tweeted out the news before the official confirmation, with a celebratory tweet in the late afternoon: "L.A. County has officially reached the State's threshold for reopening elementary schools. Starting tomorrow, schools can reopen" if they have submitted and posted the necessary paperwork with county and state officials.

"This is what we have been working towards," Hahn added.

The milestone will not result in an immediate reopening of campuses in Los Angeles Unified, the nation's second-largest school system. District officials and the teachers union are in negotiations over what a return to campus would look like - and it isn't clear that either side is ready for an immediate resumption of in-person instruction.

Hahn's announcement was based on communications between her office and county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer. Hahn also has been monitoring improving health statistics closely.

The county had to maintain the coronavirus metrics for five consecutive days, which happened as of Monday. The key threshold is a seven-day average of daily coronavirus infections below 25 cases per 100,000 residents. On Monday, the official daily rate - which is adjusted based on the number of tests - was at 20 cases per 100,000, according to Liz Odendahl, Hahn's director of communications.

Both the state and local health departments confirmed what the county department called "encouraging news."

"We are informing Los Angeles County schools tonight via an emailed letter that we expect to announce we have reached this threshold effective Tuesday, February 16," the county health department said in a statement. Elementary schools that have already submitted or posted necessary forms can open this week.

The stunning turn of events capped a day of developments related to campus reopenings.

First, efforts to prioritize L.A. County school staff for COVID-19 immunization took a step forward with the announcement from the L.A. Unified School District that the first vaccination site based at a Los Angeles school will open this week.

Then, school leaders and their supporters - mostly from private schools - organized a demonstration urging the immediate reopening of campuses.

The location for the L.A. Unified vaccinations will be the Roybal Learning Center, just west of downtown Los Angeles, with a scheduled opening Wednesday. Those eligible for immunization will be school district staff age 65 and older and district employees currently working at coronavirus testing and vaccination sites, "consistent with current public health rules," said L.A. schools Supt. Austin Beutner in his weekly broadcast remarks.

Although school nurses of any age, and people 65 and older - whether or not they are school employees - have been eligible to receive vaccines elsewhere, the effort at Roybal is the first within L.A. Unified to target school employees. Overall, vaccine doses remain in short supply and it's been difficult for many of those eligible to book appointments.

As of Monday, district officials were not certain how many vaccinations would be available this week at Roybal. Participation is by invitation only - and will do little to speed the reopening of campuses that enroll about 465,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

In-person instruction has been unavailable to the vast majority of about 1.5 million students in public and private schools countywide since March 2020.

The growing impatience of many families and school leaders over shuttered campuses was expressed Monday in a car caravan demonstration downtown and a news conference, which involved mainly private school leaders.

"We're all here today because of children ... children who do not have lobbies, children who do not have unions, children who need parents and adults to advocate on their behalf," said Paul Escala, superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. "The kids can't wait."

The Archdiocese has been gradually reopening about 60 of its 188 L.A. County schools through previously approved waivers for students in transitional kindergarten through second grade. The vast majority of some 70,000 students remain at home.

Viewpoint School, a nondenominational private academy in Calabasas, also has partially reopened through an early elementary waiver.

"K-12 schools have shown that we have the skill to open schools now," said Head of School Mark McKee. "Now all we need is the will," he added referring to public officials.

Also speaking at the news conference were a Los Angeles public school parent, two prominent pediatricians, representatives from other Christian schools and a spokesman for 24 Orthodox Jewish day schools.

Standing in for students was Sophia del Rey, 18, a senior at Village Christian School in Sunland.

"I'd be willing to wear a mask," del Rey said. "I know my friends would be willing to wear masks. We're really tired of doing school from home. I know so many of my friends who have really gone into therapy since the pandemic has started because of the amount of anxiety and stress that they have. I know that I've stayed up till 2 a.m. to reteach myself a lesson because I didn't get to learn it in person at school."

Supporters in a car caravan honked incessantly as they circled the block around the county Hall of Administration. Some vehicles bore placards or painted messages such as "No More Zoom," "Let Me Go Back to School" and "Beutner Resign," while children waved from sunroofs.

Beutner, in his weekly broadcast remarks, had noted that state guidelines do not yet allow for a full reopening of any campus in L.A. County. But that was only as of Monday morning.

Both Beutner and the demonstrators praised new guidelines on schools from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and called for consistent directives at all levels of government.

Those at the demonstration, however, said they see the new CDC guidance as justification for an immediate return to campus, and sentiment was strong to open campuses at all grade levels. That does not appear to be Beutner's view.

Parents are sharply divided over the issue, while unions representing school employees point to gaps in the research around school safety and the deadly toll the pandemic has taken on low-income minority communities.

Beutner, who has called for using schools as inoculation sites, referred to vaccines for school staff as a "critical piece" of reopening. He has said that it would take about 25,000 immunizations to open the district's elementary schools - once it is otherwise safe to do so. Union leaders have demanded vaccinations as a prerequisite for reopening.

Neither state nor federal guidelines specify vaccines as essential for safe operation of campuses, provided that other comprehensive safety measures are carried out, a point emphasized at the rally.

"We believe that teachers should be prioritized in the vaccination schedule," said car caravan organizer Village Christian Head of School Tom Konjoyan. "We also know that the vaccinations are a major problem in the state of California, and we don't think schools should stay closed until they figure out how to vaccinate everybody. We think we can do it safely."

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L.A. County elementary schools are cleared to fully open

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Los Angeles County elementary school campuses are cleared to fully reopen for the first time in nearly a year because of dropping coronavirus rates, health officials confirmed Monday night. County Supervisor Janice Hahn tweeted out the news before the official confirmation, with a celebratory tweet in the late afternoon: "L.A.

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SMMCTA Negotiations information and credentials to our meeting.

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We write to share with you information relating to a conceptual agreement that has been tentatively agreed to by our bargaining team and the District. This agreement will become operational if and when it is ratified by the SMMCTA Executive Board.

The procedure for ratifying addenda to our MOU since the beginning of the pandemic has been through approval by our Executive Board. CTA recommends consistency of process, and since no motion was made at or near the beginning of the process of negotiating this addendum (The DL Plus addendum #8), we will continue with the procedures in place.

SMMCTA is committed to accountability and transparency and that member engagement is critical. Our SMMCTA president has called an emergency forum for our members prior to the ratification vote. This will be on Wednesday, February 17th, 2021, at 4 PM.
At this forum, our bargaining team will present the agreement and provide context to better understand its provisions. There will also be a Q and A session during which members may ask questions of the bargaining team and/or the Executive Board. There will also be an open comment session, where members may express their perspectives on the agreement prior to a vote. The Executive Board will vote to either approve or reject the agreement.

Please find attached the conceptual agreement as well as the results of our recent survey.

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SMMCTA Negotiations Team will discuss the TENTATIVE Addendum (#8, Distance Learning Plus) to our MOU.

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We write to share with you information relating to a conceptual agreement that has been tentatively agreed to by our bargaining team and the District. This agreement will become operational if and when it is ratified by the SMMCTA Executive Board.

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Survey Results for "Would You Return To School if..." 

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Survey Results for "Would You Return To School if..." 

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MOU Addendum 8 "Distance Learning Plus" 

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MOU Addendum 8 "Distance Learning Plus" 

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Feb. 17th, 2021

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Educators Announce Plans For Safe Return To Schools. 

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Educators Announce Plans For Safe Return To Schools. 

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In the ongoing fight to protect public health, and in the absence of a feasible approach from state leaders, CTA and our partners in public education charted a path to in-person instruction in a new proposal released yesterday.

In a collaborative effort to return to classrooms as soon as possible, the coalition of education labor groups released the Classroom Learning and Safe Schools for Employees and Students (CLASSES) plan, which outlines the steps needed to physically return to schools safely. With COVID-19 still spreading uncontrolled across the state, the CLASSES plan takes a holistic approach to physically returning to schools that includes addressing the risk of community spread to ensure the safety of students, educators and their families.

"Our goal is to welcome all of our students back to classrooms in a way that keeps everyone safe," CTA President E. Toby Boyd said. "The pandemic is still out of control, which is why we need a phased approach that includes multi-layered mitigation strategies and considers community conditions to ensure our collective health."

The plan was developed by CTA, California School Employees Association, California Federation of Teachers, Service Employees International Union, and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 57-representing nearly the entire public education workforce. As the coronavirus continues to mutate and threaten our communities with new variants that are more contagious and possibly more lethal, educators are committed to finding a path to return to in-person instruction that is safe for the entire school community: students, staff and families.

"California's decisions today will determine community COVID-19 conditions, health equity and the safe operation of schools to provide in-person instruction and services to students and families," the plan states. "Reopening schools for in-person instruction will involve substantial implementation, but together we can get students back to school campuses."

The CLASSES plan is a summary of educators' and school employees' shared concerns and ideas around physical reopening to come to an agreement with elected leaders on how best to safely do so, and is not intended as a counter to Gov. Gavin Newsom's Safe Schools for All plan.

"We know first-hand there is no equal to in-person learning and we want to be back in the classroom with our students as soon as safely possible," Boyd said. "We look forward to working with the governor and legislators on finding a solution that safely reunites our members with their students."

Prioritizing and Phasing Vaccinations is Key

To physically reopen schools, the plan calls for all employees reporting in person to be provided the opportunity to be vaccinated before students return to campus. The plan outlines prioritizing vaccinations for educators who are already working in person at school sites, especially those in school communities most impacted by the pandemic. The CLASSES pathway proposes a phased approach that starts with those who are currently working on campuses and adds others as they report to campus.

"The state must prioritize vaccinations for all educators already working on campuses and ensure all employees required to return are provided the opportunity to be vaccinated before students physically return," Boyd said. "We look forward to working with the governor and legislators on finding a solution that safely reunites our members with their students."

Multiple Mitigation Measures Needed to Protect Health

The CLASSES plan calls for a multi-layered approach to provide safe conditions for students and staff returning to in-person learning, specifically outlining the following strategies critical to reopen safely and protect the health of students, educators and their families:

Prioritization for students in need - Phased approach: In-person instruction should be phased in starting with lowest grades and struggling students.

Asymptomatic Testing - Testing is an essential layer of the mitigation strategies. Early identification and isolation of COVID-19 cases without symptoms through regular testing helps prevent outbreaks by checking if the mitigation strategies are working and improving understanding of infection risks in schools. In addition to symptomatic testing and response in all districts, the plan calls for asymptomatic PCR testing of all staff and students every week for schools in the Purple Tier, bi-weekly asymptomatic PCR testing in the Red Tier and monthly in the Orange Tier.

Health/Safety Standards - In addition to the latest guidance from the California Department of Education and the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards from Cal/OSHA, there are several areas that require further development to safely reopen schools for in person instruction, including cleaning standards, physical distancing and masking requirements and appropriate ventilation.

CLASSES also calls for COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave to prevent the virus from needlessly spreading in work environments. The Legislature must take immediate action to expand emergency paid sick days and paid family and medical leave protections to ensure workers can utilize this time before exhausting their personal paid leave.

These mitigation strategies will take significant resources to carry out and protect school communities. While Gov. Newsom has called for record Prop. 98 education funding next fiscal year, that money is intended for instructional purposes, not pandemic response measures. The CLASSES plan calls for the use of discretionary federal funds or general fund money to pay for these necessary health and safety improvements, as well as the use of an equity-based funding formula to mitigate the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 in Black and Latino communities.

Community Health Concerns: Purple Tier is Not Safe for Return

No matter how safe we make our schools, the risk of students and staff bringing exposure into the school increases when effective multi-layered mitigation measures are not implemented in their communities. Therefore, the CLASSES plan calls for no new in-person instruction for schools in the state's Purple Tier for COVID-19 risk. For the Red and Orange tiers, school districts should be permitted to open with the mitigation measures noted above, but not required to do so. In the Yellow Tier, the plan calls for districts to be required to open with the mitigation strategies.

Districts that are already open should be required to meet all the plan's mitigation measures, including asymptomatic testing minimums for staff and students in order to protect the community and prevent the "yo-yo effect" of schools opening and closing. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disproportionately impact Black, Latino and Pacific Islander communities, the plan also calls for the state's Health Equity Metric to be integrated into decision-making regarding in-person instruction to ensure improved conditions for communities and families hardest hit by COVID-19.

Focusing on Enforcement, Accountability and Transparency

In order for the guidance and standards to be successful in protecting our school communities, they must be enforced. When school districts are held accountable for these standards, students, parents, and employees have assurances that campuses are prepared for students to return.

"We encourage the Legislature and governor to ensure the appropriate agencies have the resources necessary to enforce these protective measures," the plan states. "Just like school employees are held accountable for our work in supporting students, districts must be held accountable for protecting students and staff."

Additionally, the plan calls for districts to follow California Department of Public Health guidance to develop COVID-19 safety plans and report information related to how instruction is being delivered.

"Without this information, students, parents, employees, and communities are blind to what is going on in their communities and across the state in terms of districts' COVID-19 response," the plan states. "The state must implement appropriate enforcement of these reporting requirements and immediately publish this data on schools.covid19.ca.gov to ensure the availability of this information to all Californians."

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Educators Announce Plan for Safe Return to Schools - California Teachers Association

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In the ongoing fight to protect public health, and in the absence of a feasible approach from state leaders, CTA and our partners in public education charted a path to in-person instruction in a new proposal released yesterday.

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SMDP - SMMUSD will open to the fullest extent. 

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SMDP - SMMUSD will open to the fullest extent. 

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As L.A. County approaches the new case count threshold for elementary school reopening, SMMUSD is working with the Santa Monica-Malibu Classroom Teachers Association and SEIU to reach an updated agreement for in-person programming.

Under new regulations from Governor Newsom, schools can reopen TK through Grade 5 when County case counts reach 25 per 100,000 residents - with or without a teachers union agreement.

L.A. County is on track to pass this threshold in the coming weeks, however Superintendent Ben Drati does not currently intend to reopen for live instruction without agreements in place. The district currently offers some in-person services to special education, English learners and other groups.

"I don't want to have to do what Chicago did. That is no good for anyone," said Drati. Chicago Public Schools cancelled their reopening plan on Jan. 26 because their teachers union refused to send its members to work and the two parties are currently engaged in an acrimonious dispute.

Instead Drati is working closely with school administrators, teachers, and parents to develop site specific plans in the next two weeks for as much in-person programming as can be agreed upon within the 'Distance Learning Plus' framework.

Students will have the opportunity to come to campus for in-person instruction, labs, physical education, art programs, social emotional and extracurricular activities. The frequency per week may vary by school.

"The principals are working feverishly with their school site communities to develop these plans," said Drati. "Some schools will have activities or instruction one or more days per week. Smaller schools are more nimble, meaning they can rotate students faster, whereas the schools with higher enrollment have more of a challenge."

Drati is also developing a partnership with Saint John's Hospital for staff vaccination clinics as soon as they become eligible. L.A. County Department of Public Health predicts that this will begin in February and all teachers and staff will be offered at least one dose by the end of March.

"Teachers are looking out not only for the health of our members, but for that of our students and community. We know how hard this is for everyone, but the health and safety of every person that walks onto a campus should be our number one priority," said SMMCTA President Sarah Braff. "Getting the vaccine into our teachers and staff would make efforts to return possible, by giving staff the opportunity to review the safety plans and procedures."

Once teachers and staff are vaccinated, SMMUSD intends to scale up distance learning plus to include additional in-person instruction and activities following all safety protocols. For grades 6 through 12 this requires the County reach a case count of seven or less per 100,000 residents.

For some parents this is not soon enough. A coalition of community members have launched Open Up SMM Schools - a campaign calling on the District to reopen as much as they are allowed to in accordance with scientific advice.

"Our community - teachers and administrators as well as parents and families - is growing increasingly bewildered at the reluctance of our district leaders to formulate a reopening plan in accordance with clear scientific advice and the urgent needs of our students," said Harriet Fraser, parent and doctor, and one of four coalition co-founders. "We need a unified voice pushing for science and reason to win out over fear and division."

The District is well aware of the campaign and Drati meets regularly with the parent leaders and other concerned community members.

Drati also meets frequently with the Santa Monica-Malibu Classroom Teachers Association and SEIU and is working to develop an updated reopening agreement within the next two weeks.

"I have the vantage point of being in a room with teachers who are fearful. I also have a vantage point of being with parents who are fearful," said Drati "We understand and are listening to all stakeholders and I hope that for our humanity we can find a way to move forward and I am confident that distance learning plus with the flexibility to ramp up is the way."

Clara@smdp.com

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SMMUSD will open to the "fullest extent possible" under pending union agreements - Santa Monica Daily Press

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As L.A. County approaches the new case count threshold for elementary school reopening, SMMUSD is working with the Santa Monica-Malibu Classroom Teachers Association and SEIU to reach an updated agreement for in-person programming. Under new regulations from Governor Newsom, schools can reopen TK through Grade 5 when County case counts reach 25 per 100,000 residents - with or without a teachers union agreement.

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This new website for school administrators, staff, and parents outlines the funding, testing, and safety measures the state offers to support safe in-person instruction for California’s kids.

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While we are happy to see a downward trend in positive COVID-19 cases, everyone still needs to follow all health precautions. If you work on-site, make sure everyone on campus signs in and COMPLETES THE SCREENING PROCESS. We all need to stay masked. Do not congregate in one room with other adults no matter how tempting. And above all, do NOT come to school if you are ill. ( Here is the district COVID safety plan. There is also a dashboard of those testing positive or on quarantine by site on the district website.)

If there are any questions regarding health protocols please contact your nurse. If you observe issues please fill out this form and forward it to your site admin and me. SMMCTA PPE/Protocols Requests.

REOPENING SCHOOLS
Some staff and students have returned to provide in-person learning opportunities. This currently includes SPED phases 1 & 2 & ELL. SPED phase 3 may open in some form after February 1 st.

We are not expecting TK-6 as a whole to open until we are in the red and/or we are all vaccinated. However, changes at the state level could push this timeline forward.

DL PLUS
Teachers and admin were given the difficult task of defining and crafting a schedule to allow students to return to school for two (2) experiences per week when we are in the red tier and/or vaccinated. We are also including parents in some of the discussions.
INSTRUCTIONAL
We need to communicate with students, parents, and our co-workers our belief in science AND our desire to return to school. There is a lot of misinformation spreading about why we haven't returned to school, so it is especially important to have teachers at site PTA meetings to share our voices. Otherwise, we will shoulder the blame for why schools are not re-opening.

OTHER

As students are not required to attend and not all students will be able to join in, we encourage enrichment and support activities but understand these will vary from site to site. This means we need to balance the needs of students, what we can offer at each site, and what is equitable to both students and educators. This includes recognizing the schedules of SPED students and teachers.

Negotiations updates will now be available on our website (and padlet) in the day following our most recent meeting. Many of our updates and general information are now in SMMCTA's Padlet's post-it note format. You can also access this from our website.

Shelly Ehrke and Liz Cowgill attended our CTA State Council and created a presentation for our of all of our members and what was discussed and actions to take. You can click HERE for the link and it is also available on our website.

Our general membership meeting will be Monday, February 1 st, 2021, from 3:30 to 5:00. Please present with your name and school site so we know who you are in the waiting room. All of the credentials are available here.

https://zoom.us/j/9120098982?pwd=ZS92bHpXelgxMjZmUXRDdkhNNFp0dz09

To revise and update the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP), the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, in collaboration with the California Department of Education and the Region 15 Comprehensive Center (WestEd), convened a group of diverse individuals to serve as part of a work group to provide recommended revisions/updates to the current CSTP. The work group includes members who are California P-12 teachers, induction program coordinators and directors, induction program mentors, administrators, and university faculty. This is the opportunity for stakeholders to provide feedback to the work group. To participate in this survey, please click here.

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Negotiations Update, Ten Minute Meeting, General Membership Meeting

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While we are happy to see a downward trend in positive COVID-19 cases, everyone still needs to follow all health precautions. If you work on-site, make sure everyone on campus signs in and COMPLETES THE SCREENING PROCESS. We all need to stay masked. Do not congregate in one room with other adults no matter how tempting.

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General Membership Meeting on February 1st, 2021 @ 3:30 

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General Membership Meeting on February 1st, 2021 @ 3:30 

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Shelly and Liz Report on CTA State Council 

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Shelly and Liz Report on CTA State Council 

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Please see the progress we made at our last meeting.

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SMMUSD Distance Learning Substitute Teaching Sept 2020

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SMMUSD Distance Learning Substitute Teaching Sept 2020

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CTA RA DELEGATE CANDIDATE FORM. Deadline to submit 01.29.21

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CTA RA DELEGATE CANDIDATE FORM. Deadline to submit 01.29.21

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12/17/2020

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Email  with questions or concerns - The website is below.
smmctamembers@smmcta.com
smmctapresident@smmcta.com

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Comments from SMMCTA Reopening Survey

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Covid-19 Tool kit

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Welcome

As steps are taken to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the community, the safety of students, teachers, administrators, staff and families are front of mind for us. We recognize that elementary, middle and high schools are critical components of communities and have tremendous impact on the health, growth, and development of students and the overall well-being of families. This COVID-19 Transitional Kindergarten to 12 th Grade (TK-12) Education Toolkit is designed as a resource help you prepare for and respond to the needs of the education community in the context of to COVID-19. The toolkit includes protocols (documents which detail specific requirements for prevention of COVID-19 spread), guidance documents applying general prevention principles to specific educational circumstances, templates to use in carrying out your role in prevention and answers to frequently asked questions for the education setting as well as selected resources from local, state and national sources. The toolkit should enable you to manage community mitigation at your site and report COVID-19 cases if and when they occur at your educational organization.

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Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

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Welcome As steps are taken to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the community, the safety of students, teachers, administrators, staff and families are front of mind for us. We recognize that elementary, middle and high schools are critical components of communities and have tremendous impact on the health, growth, and development of students and the overall well-being of families.

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April 1, 2020 to Dec 31, 2020

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July 2020

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November 6, 2020

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October 23, 2020

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October 15, 2020

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September 24, 2020

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#3 Elementary Pupil Free Day - Nov. 2020

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#3 Elementary Pupil Free Day - Nov. 2020

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September 25, 2020

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October 2, 2020

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September 15, 2020

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#3 July 16, 2020

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- COVID 19 statement from SMMCTA Executive Board -

"As leaders of the SMMCTA, we recognize that the safest way to return to school is to follow the guidance of scientific experts. According to recent LA County DPH data, we are not ready to open schools as cases increase. Currently, there are not enough tests available to meet the growing need. In order to reopen schools safely, we need to have access to on-demand testing and also have declining infection rates in the community. Schools in Los Angeles County are not yet ready to open. And when schools reopen, we need to follow the most current protocol and guidelines from our local and state health authorities."

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"As leaders of the SMMCTA, we recognize that the safest way to return to school is to follow the guidance of scientific experts. According to recent LA County DPH data, we are not ready to open schools as cases increase. Currently, there are not enough tests available to meet the growing need.

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#2 July, 8 2020

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The Santa Monica Malibu Classroom Teachers Association represents the employee groups:

Child Development Teachers, Early Childhood Teachers, K-12 Teachers, Speech/Language Pathologists, Counselors, Librarians, Adult Education Teachers, Substitute Teachers, Nurses and other non-administrative positions within the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District.

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The Santa Monica Malibu Classroom Teachers Association represents the employee groups: Child Development Teachers, Early Childhood Teachers, K-12 Teachers, Speech/Language Pathologists, Counselors, Librarians, Adult Education Teachers, Substitute Teachers, Nurses and other non-administrative positions within the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District.

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#1 June 29, 2020

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- A message from president sarah braff -

Please Attend! Town Hall Meetings to Present Potential Models for Reopening Schools
We need to hear what both our families and staff are feeling and thinking. We need to work together with open minds to figure out what will work for all during this pandemic. SM elementary school community members June 30 at 6 p.m. SM secondary school community members July 1 at 6 p.m. Malibu school community members July 7 at 6 p.m.
The agendas for these three town hall meetings will be posted on the district's website. The Zoom link for each meeting will be posted at the top of that date's agenda.

See the email from Gail Pinsker, Community & Public Relations Officer, here.

Construction Update: HVAC Postponement

From Carey Upton, Chief Operations Officer:

"We need to postpone the modernization projects scheduled to begin this summer at Lincoln
Middle School, Grant Elementary School and Muir Elementary/SMASH..."
See full letter here

About Us

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A message from president sarah braff - We need to hear what both our families and staff are feeling and thinking. We need to work together with open minds to figure out what will work for all during this pandemic. SM elementary school community members June 30 at 6 p.m.

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November 2020

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June 2020

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Safe Return To School Survey Results and information.

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"I can't wait to get back on Zoom!" - is a sentence few parents ever expected their child to say, but through hours of extra work, outside-of-the-box lesson planning, and personal sacrifice, teachers at SMMUSD have magically conjured this impossible utterance.

From teaching about animal life cycles while living on a farm, to live cooking demos, and bedtime story read alouds, teachers across the District have gone above and beyond to engage students through distance learning.

"I was brainstorming all summer, how am I going to make it so when they leave they're going to go 'I love second grade, I love my friends, this was the most fun, I can't wait to wake up in the morning!'," said Laura Meshel, a 2nd grade teacher at Grant Elementary School.

Meshel looked closely at the second grade standards which included many lessons about animals and came up with a plan. Leveraging her ability to work remotely, Meshel spent a month with her family in Idaho teaching from a farm.

"They got to see their teacher ride a horse, visit cows, feed chickens, and pet the two most adorable goats. They were asking very deep questions because it was almost like being there because they were watching their very own teacher. It was really amazing," said Meshel.

Erin Haendel, a 5th and 6th grade teacher at Santa Monica Alternative School House, found ways to take advantage of the distance learning from the comfort of her home. She started cooking lessons that incorporate math and geography concepts and hosts optional bedtime story read alouds once a week.

"I like to think of what we can make use of now that we are at home that is a positive. I thought well we're all at home with our kitchens, so that's how I thought of doing cooking," said Haendel. "It was the same with the read aloud and I think it's a special way to connect out of school hours. Kids come in their PJs with their stuffed animals and we get to read together."

Haendel has found that students love the interactive element of cooking demos and has been delighted by how many students look forward to her optional sessions, including a current affairs discussion bright and early on Friday mornings.

"It's fun because you get the kids who are really into politics or Black Lives Matter and we have great debates at those times, because it's kids who really care to come at 7:30 a.m. with their breakfast," said Haendel.

While most teachers were apprehensive about teaching an entirely remote semester, many have discovered that with enough creative thought the majority of classroom activities can still be accomplished.

"We're adapting, we're trying different strategies, so nothing has been a lost cause. For example, I normally do a pilgrim simulation and it's all teamwork for a month. I was thinking how on earth are we going to do that, but we managed to make it work with breakout rooms," said Stacy Harris, a 2nd grade teacher at Webster Elementary School.

By using Zoom breakout rooms for students to collaborate and pre-filming pilgrim pantomimes with her teaching assistant, Harris has been able to recreate an interactive simulation where students learn about history of the pilgrims, practice writing journal entries, and develop social emotional skills.

These successes don't come without their challenges. Teachers across the board are putting in extensive work on their own time without any additional compensation.

"I definitely spend at least one full day if not one and a half days on the weekend in front of my computer planning lessons, designing them and uploading them all," said Harris.

"I swear, I think I'm working three times as much. I am so tired, but I love my class so much," said Meshel. "But everybody's doing it, I'm not just talking about me, everybody is doing really cool unique stuff. We all work together on ideas and it's really inspiring."

As the semester winds to a close, teachers are looking forward to a well deserved break after months of overtime efforts to engage their students.

Clara@smdp.com

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Superstar teachers put heroic time and effort into distance learning - Santa Monica Daily Press

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"I can't wait to get back on Zoom!" - is a sentence few parents ever expected their child to say, but through hours of extra work, outside-of-the-box lesson planning, and personal sacrifice, teachers at SMMUSD have magically conjured this impossible utterance.