 Many decisions were made and shared during the Granite District School Board meeting on Tuesday, July 14. The final decision by the school board (Todd Zenger, dissenting vote) is for the District to re-open schools for all students who wish to attend in-classroom instruction and provide an online option for families who choose to keep students at home. The specific details of the District’s plan which will be sent to the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) by August 1 can be found on this weblink: file:///U:/COVID-19/REOPENING%202020/July-14-2020-School-Reopening-Requirements-Template-.pdf.
Some of the questions GEA posed in its July 12th letter to the school board members and the superintendent were addressed. We also met with assistant superintendents on Wednesday, July 15, to discuss the plan and how to move forward. Your AdvoCats have been included in regularly meetings with the top leaders of the District to ensure educator voices are heard and their issues addressed. The biggest question educators have is “how can we change the board decision to open schools fully next month.” Unfortunately, this plan to re-open schools will not change at this time. Should the state governor and legislature give direction to the Utah School Board of Education to move to school dismissal, or a hybrid model, actions would be different. For now, the board is under political pressure to open schools fully, and are also concerned about the families in the District who are struggling economically, students who are unsupervised at home, and the large population of students (over 60%) who are dependent on schools for daily nutrition. The school board has expressed their concerns for the health and safety of District employees and is giving direction to the District to mitigate risk as much as possible. Many educators have written letters of concern to board members and the superintendent. GEA encourages this direct contact with District leaders as well as with your GEA leadership and AdvoCats. Social distancing in the classroom will be a challenge with the class sizes in Granite. While the District is asking school principals to create a safe plan for their schools, there will still be less than six feet distance between students in most cases. GEA requested some type of plexiglass surrounds for student desks and tables, and the District facilities director is investigating options. Hospital grade masks and face shields have been purchased for educator safety in the classroom. If you don’t receive adequate PPE for your needs, please contact your principal and/or GEA. We encourage school leadership teams to include the GEA representative in the discussions you’re having with your principal so that we have a collective voice in how the school will manage facilities, processes, sanitation, temperature taking, recess and lunch transitions, relocatable units, et al. A few other places GEA has been able to make a difference is with workload concerns. Educators have said that, if we are on a normal schedule, working two modalities in tandem is not possible. GEA leadership and your AdvoCats agree. The District has heard our concerns and is trying to work through a solution at the elementary level where high-risk educators may coordinate with their school principal to arrange to be a distance-learning only educator. The specifics of this plan are fluid, but the intent is for each grade level or split grade levels will have an educator working entirely with online curriculum. These educators would be in the school building, but working in a private space. This will free educators who are teaching in-class from the necessity to teach and plan for both modalities. We are hoping strong collaboration at the school level and between colleagues and their principal will help make this possible. At the secondary level, the District also acknowledges that teaching two modalities is a lot to ask of individual teachers. GEA is working with the District to provide options for additional preparation time, such as having one day, preferably Friday, scheduled without students in the building. This day will allow educators to work with students who are distance learning, as well as have time to create online lessons for the upcoming week. Any plan for schedule changes will need to be approved by the school board, but GEA is confident the board will see the necessity for this adjustment. Sanitation is a big concern and we are working on the practicalities of this in the classroom. Currently, the plan is that each student will be given a microfiber cloth to clean their workspace. Educators will be provided with the necessary cleaning solution. These cloths will be gathered daily for cleaning, as well as the student masks. EDUCATORS ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR TAKING THESE HOME TO WASH. In fact, we discourage any educator from taking contaminated materials home at the risk of infection. The District will provide the cleaning either on-site or via a laundry service. Air filtration systems in all the buildings will be upgraded with higher grade filters and increased air circulation. Relocatable classrooms will have upgraded filters in their individual air filtration systems. Where possible, portable water stations will be provided outside for the use of students and educators in relocatable classrooms. The custodial and facilities teams have been working very hard this summer to address areas that risk contamination. Issues around how to accommodate educators assigned to work with special needs students are being reviewed and discussed. The Utah School Nurse Association has provided guidance to districts statewide on how to safely reopen schools. We encourage everyone to review the guidance because it provides important information. Educators on leadership teams and GEA representatives should use this as a guide when planning with your principal. Some areas addressed are how to care for students with asthma, diabetes, and those that require G-tube feedings, catheterization and tracheostomy care, etc. If you are a special educator and believe your safety is not being addressed, please contact your principal and/or GEA. Finally, because we understand that we have not answered all the questions educators have, GEA is working with the District to provide an online FAQ (frequently asked questions) which will be updated daily to respond to concerns. Send your specific questions to GEA and we will work with the District to find answers and include them in the online FAQ as much as possible. If you have a question, be assured there are several more who are wondering the same thing. This FAQ is an effort to keep the District current on issues that arise as the process and procedures for school opening shift and change by the day. Thank you for your patience and continued support of your GEA leaders as we navigate these chaotic waters on your behalf. Working collaboratively takes time and doesn’t pack the same punch as a staged walk-out, but GEA is convinced that more is achieved by dialogue and negotiations. Our years of successful negotiations and relationship building with the District board and administration has provided one of the best professional agreements, salary and benefits, and working conditions in the state for Granite educators. Utah state law does not provide protection for public school employees who strike or walk-off the job in protest. As a right-to-work state any strike action would be considered “job abandonment” and subject to immediate termination. While GEA won’t discourage anyone from exercising their 1st amendment rights to speak and protest, we continue our collective focus on finding workable solutions for the whole of GEA members, especially the most vulnerable. Remember, you ARE GEA, and your voice and support helps make us a stronger professional association! If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at the GEA office (801) 266-4411, or by email.
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Yesterday GEA sent the following letter to the Granite School Board and Superintendent Martin Bates. Our intent was to alert them to the concerns of teachers. At tonight's school board meeting, a plan for next school year will be finalized. We STRONGLY encourage you to listen in on the meeting.
Follow this link to the Granite School District website for access to the meeting online: https://www.graniteschools.org/bulletin/july-14-board-of-education-meeting/ If you have not contacted your school board member or Dr. Bates regarding your concerns, please do so before 5pm TODAY! Dear President Winder and Dr. Bates, GEA is writing today to express concerns with the plans the district board and administration are making for the upcoming 2020-21 school year. While we have been meeting with you and discussing educator concerns throughout the summer, we feel obligated to outline some of the pressing issues GEA members are bringing to our attention. The current plan to begin the year, August 24, with all students attending full-time, five days a week is aggravating any safety measures that might be in place. Having 30+ students in a classroom with a lack of ventilation, air circulation, space to distance, etc. has teachers fearful of their health and safety. Some of the concerns they have are as follows:
According to the basic CDC guidelines for reopening schools: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/Schools-Decision-Tree.pdf we believe the district is not prepared or able to meet the first guidelines of maintaining safety by addressing how students and staff will be monitored prior to entering a school building, and where they will be held if they show a fever or any of the symptoms related to COVID-19. We know that parents will send their students to school with a dose of medication and a hope that they can get through the day even while being ill. What is the plan to ensure these students are not intermingling with the population at large? Also, the district has not addressed high-risk personnel in the teaching staff. At least a third of our teachers are at high-risk and while they are able and willing to work from home, they are being told this is not an option. There needs to be a remedy for their continued service other than leaving the district. The Utah State Board of Education lists the following requirements to LEAs when planning for reopening:
GEA believes this calls for more consideration of teachers who are high-risk to work online or be re-assigned during this time when COVID-19 cases are escalating in the state. Suggesting that these career teachers choose between their long careers at Granite or their health or life is not meeting the basic requirements the state outlines. We cannot afford to lose our most experienced teachers due to the lack of options for online teaching. GEA is asking the district board and administration to consider these basic needs:
Michael McDonough, GEA President  Pressure is building as we move closer to the beginning of the 2020-21 school year. Tuesday’s (July 7, 2020) Granite District School Board meeting created relief for some as we heard GSD Board President Karyn Winder ask district administration questions about employees’ health and safety. These concerns were echoed by other board members and made the educators listening in grateful that the messages they have been sending to the district administration and board members were being heard. The meeting also created many more questions and concerns for educators as the plan to move full steam ahead in opening schools next month was shared. Granted the district shared some protocols, but none of what was shared felt like it would answer the immediate questions educators continue to have. Mike McDonough, President of the Granite Education Association, was also on the call to monitor the responses from the district and board since he and other GEA staff and leaders have been petitioning both parties to acknowledge educator concerns (and by “educator” we mean all GEA members who instruct and support students). What we do know for certain is that plans have not been finalized. We still have time to affect change, and GEA will continue to work with the district to that end. Also, we know that the specific concerns, such as crowded classrooms, hallways, cafeterias, outside school equipment, online instruction, hygiene and sanitation processes, etc. will all be decided at the school building level. Principals will have the charge of taking a finalized district-wide plan and making it work in their school communities. They will not be doing this alone, but depending on school leadership teams, and building professional committees to lead out on the day-to-day guidelines for safety. Here are some of the many protocols the individual schools (principals and educators) are required to address per the Utah State Board of Education:
One of the biggest questions GEA is receiving from members right now is about leave benefits in this pandemic environment. We posted a blog which addressed leave as presented by the district which included all the leave options available to employees via the professional agreement. Many are asking, “what if I don’t have enough accumulated sick days?” or “what if my child(ren) are ill and need(s) to quarantine for 14 days? The health department alphabet soup (CDC, Utah Health Department, USBE) all require plans for high risk employees. Here’s how the USBE defines high-risk individuals: “people 65 years and older, people who live in a nursing home or long-term care facility, people of all ages with underlying medical conditions, including lung disease or moderate to severe asthma, people who have serious heart conditions, people who are immunocompromised (many conditions can cause a person to be immunocompromised, including cancer treatment, smoking, bone marrow or organ transplantation, immune deficiencies, poorly controlled HIV or AIDS, and prolonged use of corticosteroids and other immune weakening medications), people with severe obesity, diabetes, chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis or liver disease.” If you believe your situation is described above, contact Berkley King, HR Benefits Director, at Granite School District AND contact GEA. In addition to your contractual leave benefits, the Family First Coronavirus Response Act provides federal benefits as well:
We will get through this together. Student success is at the heart of everything we do in public education. An educators’ well-being (mental, emotional, physical) is at the heart of everything GEA does for members. Together we will balance the ups and downs of the next school year. Finally, here is a chart from the CDC which outlines the necessary protocols for school districts re-opening.  Dear GEA members,
Here at the GEA office, Star, Cindy, and I have heard from many, many members with concerns about the district’s plan for re-opening schools next month. Due to the volume of the emails, and because we have all been spending time communicating with the district, we have not been able to respond to each email as quickly as we like to. I apologize if this has made you feel like GEA was not hearing you. This message is from Star and Cindy as well. I want to assure you that your messages are being heard. GEA is not sitting on the sidelines, we are advocating teachers concerns, issues, worries, and needs daily. We continue to try and influence the district to put in place all measures needed for teacher safety. I know many of you tuned in to the school board meeting on Tuesday. As we listened, it was clear that our messages to school board members were affecting the discussion. Thank you to those of you who reached out to share your concerns. We have been in contact with Board members since that meeting. At that meeting, a 2-step process was outlined. First, the district’s plan will be approved and sent to the state. Second, each school will be asked to create a school plan. Once the district sends guidelines to principals, teachers will then have an opportunity to give input on the specifics of how that plan will work in their school. So now is the time to reach out to your principal and ask to be involved in that discussion. Let the principal know that you want to have a voice in what your school plan will look like. I hope that you saw the press release that UEA Pres. Heidi Mathews sent out yesterday. https://myuea.org/Articles/uea_press_release_teachers_are_concerned_school_safety_plans_do_not_go_far_enough_to_protect_students_and_school_staff.aspx GEA stands behind this message. And we are having an effect statewide. The Governor’s press conference today indicated that there will be specific mask requirements for all schools going forward. District plans, and school plans, will have some leeway in implementing the directive, but your message that students should be required to wear masks is being heard. Your concern about having to prepare lessons for both online and in-person teaching has also been heard, and we are in conversation with the district to advocate for prep time. Thank you for staying involved. Continue to send us your questions and concerns. Thank you for your patience as we all work together on this evolving situation. And finally, thank you for belonging to GEA. It is your membership which gives our collective voice the influence it has. Michael McDonough, GEA president Star Orullian, GEA Executive Director Cindy Formeller, GEA Uniserv Director Dear Teachers,
I have received many thoughtful and thought provoking notes and emails from many teachers – I’m truly grateful for these. I suspect many more of you have similar concerns and questions so I want to communicate to all of you directly. Because answers tend to generate new questions, my response email might seem lengthy, I apologize. First and foremost, I am truly heartened that the vast majority of teachers who’ve contacted board of education members and me, have expressed their love for the kids they teach and for their profession. I think we all know that teaching is the most honorable of all professions. We’ve always claimed to be crucial and I believe the public in general recognizes that reality more today than ever before. No one asked for this pandemic, it’s impacting everyone. I have personally lost people close to me due to the virus and you surely have as well. Yet despite the pandemic, we have a mission to accomplish, a mission that is greater than me or any individual or personality. I am optimistic about success and about the future and my optimism comes directly because of the people who make up Granite School District. We have the best and the brightest in our ranks and I sincerely honor each of you and all of them for their service. To this point, I’ve attached the Utah specific guidance school districts have received regarding reopening (note that the USBE document says “Draft,” the Governor has since approved it). I encourage you to look those over – principals have had these documents for several weeks and are preparing school specific plans with their leadership teams accordingly. In the Governor’s briefings he, and state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn, have emphasized several times and in different ways, the crucial role schools play in our communities and society. They have alluded to other experts, including the American Association of Pediatrics. One segment from the AAP that I’ve seen referred to multiple times is the following: The AAP strongly advocates that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school. The importance of in-person learning is well-documented, and there is already evidence of the negative impacts on children because of school closures in the spring of 2020. Lengthy time away from school and associated interruption of supportive services often results in social isolation, making it difficult for schools to identify and address important learning deficits as well as child and adolescent physical or sexual abuse, substance use, depression, and suicidal ideation. This, in turn, places children and adolescents at considerable risk of morbidity and, in some cases, mortality. Beyond the educational impact and social impact of school closures, there has been substantial impact on food security and physical activity for children and families. (Emphasis in the original) One doesn’t have to listen to the Governor, Dr. Dunn or State Superintendent Dickson very long to recognize that our public education system plays just as crucial a societal and community role in our realm as do hospitals in their realm. As I have listened to their statements and read the materials they present, the conclusion is unavoidable that we have (at least) a threefold responsibility: First, academic; second, nutritional; and third, child care/welfare. The third responsibility has really struck home the last few years – look at the AAP statement and think of new state laws regarding child abuse identification training for all school employees and the statement in the USBE reopening document to “consider financial hardships and alternative childcare arrangements for single parent families or for families in which both parents must work outside the home and strain on childcare capacity.” Whether it was part of our teacher preparation programs or not, we serve the community in filling these three roles and are, consequently, as essential an industry as any hospital. A number of letters we received encouraged the mandate of face coverings for children, something the state board and several local boards of education had considered but not adopted. Our board directed me to develop and bring a recommendation to that effect – requiring face coverings for children at all school functions or activities when a 6 foot distance between attendees could not be sustained – for the board meeting next Tuesday. It was prepared and was on the agenda when the Governor issued the same directive making our action moot. Consequently that will not be an action item on next Tuesday’s agenda. Following face coverings, the second most emphasized point was the burden associated with giving parents an option (against the recommendation of the AAP, but within the rights of parents to direct the education of their children) to have their children participate in school via distance learning. In fairness, the burden lies less in giving parents that option, but in assuming that teachers would provide that service alongside face-to-face instruction. The explanation has some subtleties so please forgive me adding this context. School districts receive the vast majority of their funding from the state based on the average daily membership of students in the district. When there are more students, district receive more funding, when there are fewer students, funding is reduced. Consider an elementary school with around 550 students. Based on the state funding we receive, the district allocates one full time equivalent, conceptually one teacher, for every 27.25 students. In the spring, schools receive their projected student count, and hire accordingly. So our school has hired 20 teachers for the fall of 2020. We come to the first day of school and let’s say a third of the parents decide not to send their kids. Our surveying of parents suggests that a third is probably the worst case scenario, we expect, especially given the Governor’s face covering order, that 10-15% will not attend face-to-face. But let’s say a third. What do we do with 7 extra teachers? This wouldn’t be a regular “fall surplus” where other schools have increased in enrollment and need those teachers, we expect that most if not all schools will be “down” students from their projections. The average total cost of a teacher, with retirement and benefits, approaches $80,000 now. That is a larger dollar amount, $560,000, than a 550 student school receives in Trust Lands and TSSA dollars. The scenario could well necessitate a reduction in our teacher force. Remember, fewer kids means reduced funds means loss of teachers – we don’t want this. The easy answer is to assign those 7 teachers to teach all the distance students in the school. Let’s take this in one more level. Our school has a 5th grade with 90 students, three teachers, 30 kids per teacher. Since we are assuming a third, two teachers have face-to-face kids, 30 each, and one teacher has 30 kids, all distance. Here is where the problem lies with this model. What happens when there is a flare up in the third week of school and 20 in-person parents decide to go distance. Now the distance teacher has 50 students and the face-to-face teachers 20 each – assuming the kids left both classes in even numbers. Or, what if 20 of the distance families decide that having the kids at home is too difficult and send their students back to school. Now the face-to-face teachers have 40 each, and the distance teacher 10. This suggests that this “designate distance teachers” model only works if we are prepared to tell parents that they can’t change their minds, in effect, telling them that they are making an irrevocable decision about modality. In fact, we will explore with our board of education whether to require parents of elementary students to make a commitment – by quarter – for one modality or the other in our elementary schools. This would allow us to deploy our teachers as either face-to-face teachers or distance teachers. It reduces some flexibility for families but eliminates the dual modality planning requirement for elementary teachers. Now, why am I distinguishing elementary and secondary? The vast majority of secondary teachers have a planning period each day – elementary teachers get a couple of hours on Friday. The number of “preps” for secondary teachers is less than the 11 for every elementary teacher. Secondary teachers teach a subject, elementary teachers teach all 11. We’re going to spend more time with our secondary folks regarding tools and planning, but the current pinch point is the planning burden of teaching in a dual modality on our elementary teachers. We will move to the secondary realities next. Please recognize that while principals have had materials and direction for several weeks, site specific (that is, situation specific) plans have understandably not yet been completed. Principals are working with their leadership teams, and even inviting parents where possible, to address the unique needs and realities of their local communities. This is the right time and the right place for teachers to be involved and voice their concerns and opinions, please do so! I feel to address something that came up in several letters as well. Many people listened in to the board meeting earlier this week and mistakenly believed they were hearing decisions being made rather than information being received. Board members asked, and I answered (some of the answers may have come from my staff members, but I take full responsibility for all of those) questions about employment and liability. I trust you understand that as elected officials the board of education has a fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers of Granite School District and to not ask those questions – and for me to not answer those – would have been a breach of those fiduciary duties. I truly apologize to those who felt devalued, objectified or unappreciated by the discussion, it was never the intent to be callous and the bottom line management discussion does not reflect how we feel about or think about our employees. While long, very long, I hope this has been helpful. We are listening and we are responding, although not always in the way others might wish. Thanks, Martin  Information is power. Take a look at this FAQ below published by Granite School District to address employee leave issues with regard to COVID-19. There are some great links if you would like additional information from the state health department. If you have any questions about these items, send GEA a message in the comment section or email any one of us for a personal reply. June 29, 2020 COVID-19 EMPLOYEE LEAVE GUIDELINES AND FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS What are the Symptoms of COVID-19? Please click on the link for the latest symptom updates with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html Employees who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or have been exposed to COVID-19 should NOT be at work and should be tested as soon as possible. COVID-19 testing locations can be found at https://coronavirus.utah.gov/testing-locations/. Employees should notify supervisors as soon as possible. Who is identified as High-Risk? Please click on the link for the latest High-Risk updates with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-at-higher-risk.html Are High Risk employees required to work on-site? All employees are required to work on-site, unless directed otherwise by supervisors. However, all employees should adhere to social distancing (ideally 6+ feet), wash hands often, and use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). High Risk employees may contact Berkley King, Benefits Manager, for assistance with appropriate personal protective equipment. Berkley King may be reached at bdking@graniteschools.org. What leave could I apply for if I am identified as a High-Risk individual, but I do not qualify for FFCRA Leave?
What leave could I apply for if I am caring for someone identified as a High-Risk individual?
What leave could I apply for if I have been exposed to COVID-19?
What leave could I apply for if I am experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and seeking medical diagnosis? Employees who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should NOT be at work and should be tested as soon as possible.
What leave could I apply for if I test positive for COVID-19? Employees who test positive for COVID-19 and have been told to self-isolate by the health department or a medical provider, are required to self-isolate for fourteen (14) days or until the employee tests negative for COVID-19.
What leave is available through District policy for contract eligible employees? District policy provides the following benefits to eligible contract employees:
Granite School District does not extend unauthorized leave. Failure to be on approved leave may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination. In addition, each employee is expected to follow the “call-in” procedure when absent from work. If you have any questions regarding the “call-in” procedure, please contact your supervisor or principal. Employees who make application for leave options, as outlined above, must communicate with immediate supervisors and the Granite School District Benefits Office. Furthermore, employees making a request for a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADAAA), or have questions regarding the contents of this letter, should contact Berkley King, ADAAA Coordinator at (385)646-4222 or bdking@graniteschools.org.   Someone told me, “I can’t bear to hear the word “unprecedented” one more time,” so we’re going to work with “unpredictable.” These are indeed unpredictable times. GEA has received many calls and emails of concern from members regarding the beginning of the 2020-21 school year. The rush to move to distance learning in March of this year caused anxiety, fear, frustration, and exhaustion. Teachers pulled a hat trick by not only moving from having in-classroom instruction to online, but also creating community, fun, and endless calls and emails to students and parents. Many of you have said that you spent many more hours in distance learning (not just the instruction piece) but the countless calls and questions from students which reached into late in the evening. Now, as the coronavirus hovers over our communities, our thoughts turn to what happens when school starts in August? THAT is the big question.
District administrators have been working very hard to strategize around these unpredictable times. Dr. Bates has announced in both writing and verbally, that the District’s plan of action will be based on the CDC guidelines which go to the state government, and then is shared by Governor Herbert for action. What happens when even the government is confused about what to do about school attendance in the fall? We create an “umbrella of precautions to prevent insecurity” “The future is only grim because people see it that way. It's unpredictable. Life is a summer storm of insecure thoughts. There's an umbrella of precautions to prevent insecurity, but it doesn't always keep the rain out of your face.” ― Julian Winters, Running With Lions Your AdvoCats have been at the table during all District planning; continuing to ensure your voice is in the room and your rights are protected. This planning is a moving target and may change as quickly as the number of positive COVID-19 cases do each day. Following are some of the most common questions we have received from GEA members: Will teachers be expected to teach both online and in the classroom? The short answer is “yes.” The District has announced that it will take cues from the state health department on what is appropriate for school re-opening and there will be a balance of both distance and in-person instruction. In order to maintain physical distancing, the District is suggesting a hybrid schedule of student in-classroom attendance. Students with last names starting with A-L will attend in classroom on Monday and Wednesday. Students with last names starting with M-Z will attend in classroom on Tuesday and Thursday. Teachers will record their classroom instruction on these days and broadcast to the students, via Google Meet or Canvas, who will be “attending” from home online. Details for this plan were rolled out at the School Board meeting last week. For further details you can access the following links: Administrative presentation to the Granite school board, and the YouTube video of the meeting (note that this discussion begins at the 1:02 timeline). In order to balance out the time it will take to create online instructional materials and prepare for each week, Friday’s will be days when teachers have time to plan, coordinate, and create what is necessary for the upcoming week. GEA continues to argue for increased planning time so as to accommodate all that they are being asked to do this year. Will teachers receive training and/or instruction for online instruction? In May the District sent a survey to all teachers regarding their top needs for planning for the 2020-21 school year. The results show that the top three needs are:
These needs have been the action the District has taken this summer to provide these and other resources for teachers. Beginning on August 13 – August 21 teachers are expected to return to work and, as negotiated, these days will be divided between 2.5 days for time in the classroom to prepare for the new year, and the other days will be shared with faculty professional development and online instruction, etc. The presentation link above will show the format outlined in detail. GEA closely followed the planning and preparation of these days and the District collaborated with GEA to ensure the contractual language was followed. A survey was sent to parents regarding their preferences for returning to school, why didn’t we (teachers) have the option to submit our preferences? The District, as the employer, will determine the working guidelines based on scientific evidence, Utah State Board of Education guidelines, state risk management, and governmental mandates and suggestions. The survey in May was a way for the District to hear what teachers need to be successful in their work. The safety, health, and wellbeing of teachers has been strongly advocated by GEA in collaboration with legal counsel. We will protect teacher rights and working conditions and heavily rely on the collaborative and respectful working relationship we have with the District. What happens if we come back to school, and there is a positive case (of COVID-19) in my classroom or in the school? If we are to return in August full-time or in some hybrid manner, all precautions will be in place to maintain a safe and sanitized learning environment. Temperatures of students and staff will be taken prior to entering the building, custodians will daily deeply sanitize the entire building each day, air ventilation will be available where necessary, etc. Precautions will be in place for six feet of physical distancing, and the District will have masks available for every employee and student. However, infection will likely happen, and when this does, the school (like what occurred with Hunter High last spring), or the classroom(s) involved will close and students and teachers will isolate at home for the necessary 14+ days. The District will be nimble in making decisions to avoid the spread of infection. If I am quarantined, will this affect my accumulated sick leave? Should there be a mandatory school or classroom dismissal, or closure, employees will be placed on paid administrative leave. If the school is not mandatorily closed, your sick days may be used if you personally or a family member are ill, as per the contract. There are leave days available through the federal CARE Act, which allows up to ten days of paid leave for reasons of COVID-19 infection. This leave will supplement the leave provided by our contract. You also have unpaid leave under the Family Medical Leave Act that is available. Any concerns or questions about leave, GEA will handle on a case-by-case basis, so keep us close. I am worried about the lack of substitutes if I need to be home or become ill. Without a doubt, substitutes will be scarce this year. Each school building will navigate the best way to handle these situations. This issue is still being discussed and worked through. GEA leadership is in discussions with the District to resolve this pending issue. Can we make wearing face masks mandatory? This question is before the Utah State Risk Management team of attorneys. Dr. Bates suggests that likely, the District will be given the option to mandate masks, but how this would be monitored and the remedy if employees and students refuse to comply is a bigger question. We will need to count on the good sense and responsibility of the student and staff body. In closing, let us reiterate; the best laid plans may change in a moment depending on the viral nature of COVID-19 and mandates from the government for state or counties. Everything is in flux and planning for each eventual possibility is near impossible. Please continue to share your questions and concerns, and GEA will be diligent in passing these on to the District. Our main concerns are your health and the health and well-being of students. GEA is navigating the rough waters with you and we’re all keeping our heads above the water…barely!  An Educator’s Right to Speech
The brutal killing of George Floyd in Minnesota ignited a powder-keg of protests around the world. The arrogance of the police officer who kneeled on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, in broad daylight, while people filmed, and Floyd cried out for his mother has exposed this nation’s history of racism. Many of us in Utah have been actively involved in peaceful protests. Current events bring home the much needed work around racial justice in our communities and schools. GEA has been at the forefront of human and civil rights issues in our District. GEA members have been meeting over the years to learn about the concerns teachers and students of color have in our schools and stand together to speak out for change. These active members have created training around trauma-informed schools, racial justice, and support for our LBGTQ community members. If you are interested in finding resources on Human and Civil Rights, click this link to GEA’s website: https://www.gea-ut.org/human-and-civil-rights.html The role of your AdvoCats through this is to offer the best advice for teachers who choose to be on the front lines of protesting. Following are some guidelines we would like to share as you make the decision to join a protest.
GEA supports the right of everyone to protest lawfully and respectfully and will simultaneously protect your employment as a GEA member and employee with Granite District. Don’t forget to wear a mask, remain 6 feet from the nearest protester, don’t touch your face, and carry sanitizer!  The GEA Political Action Committee makes recommendations in Granite-area races based solely on educational issues. No member’s dues dollars are ever spent on political campaigns; instead we rely on voluntary contributions to the PAC to help elect education-friendly candidates. Please make sure that your voice is heard – please vote. Recommendations of the UEA PAC can be found here: https://myuea.org/issues_action/elections.aspx The GEA Political Action Committee recommends the following candidates: Granite District School Board Recommendations
House District Recommendations
School Board District 2 https://www.facebook.com/StarforGraniteDistrict2/ School Board District 1 Julie Jackson: https://votejuliejackson.com/ Max Chang: www.maxputskidsfirst.com House District https://www.voteclare.com/ https://www.mikewinder.com/ http://www.liz4utah.com/ https://karenkwanforutah.com/ https://house.utah.gov/rep/WHEATMA/ https://carolmossforhouse.com/ https://www.votecraighall.com/ http://electdunnigan.com/ Would you like to contribute? You can send a check along with the GEA PAC contribution form below. Please mail to GEA Political Action Committee, 875 E. 5180 S. Ste #1, Murray, Utah 84107.  PAC Contribution Form
Download File "In Memory of a Life so beautifully lived... a Heart so deeply loved" - Author Unknown We share in this time of grief, but also share in the love and memories of Norma Jean Dye Phipps, Former GEA President. "Norma was a teacher beginning her career in 1952 in eastern Kentucky. She was the first female school bus driver in the area. She taught summers at Indian Community Schools. She taught 5th grade at Woodrow Wilson Elementary and Twin Peaks Elementary. She served as president of Granite School District Teachers Association, and was the chief contract negotiator for the teachers for several years." Read the full obituary here >>  The Memorial Service will be held on Friday, June 12 and will be available to watch online by going to Norma's obituary page at HolbrookMortuary.com
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Disclaimer: The publication of the Granite Education Association Web site is made available on the Internet as a service to the membership of GEA.
It is not an official site of Granite School District, nor does it represent the opinion of GSD and/or its School Board or Administration.
It is not an official site of Granite School District, nor does it represent the opinion of GSD and/or its School Board or Administration.