Greene risk your life or talk to HR (draft)

That was my take away from the latest flowery letter she sent today. You know there was a time I liked and even appreciated her letters of inspiration but that stopped when she said, her risk you and your family's life or check into other options. I have included the letter so you can make your own judgment.

Every time she sends one of the emails I kind of feel responsible. She was hired in June and it was six weeks and she still hadn't reached out to the staff so I sent her chief of staff the letter below.

 

It was nice talking to you at the meet and greet the other day.

I saw this on Facebook, posted by a teacher

I don't know why the new superintendent is leaving me with flat emotions, but I'm not feeling it, not yet. She needs to address teachers and support staff and soon.

I know she had that great speech at UNF and much of the media covered it but I cant't help but think a hello note could go a long way especially for those teachers who may not have seen the coverage. 

I would also suggest in the note a pledge to meet with teachers to both listen to their ideas and their concerns.

Just some thoughts.

Thanks and have a great day

Chris Guerrieri

It wasn't long after we got our first email and we have been getting them ever since and like I said I have often appreciated them but that appreciation stops when risking my and my family's lives start. 

Here is her letter

Dear Team Duval,

We continue to fight against COVID-19, but the challenge for us is much bigger than it is for most. Like so many in our community, we continue to fight the spread. However, this is a battle none of us can win alone. Together, we must unite to keep each other and our students as safe as possible. Together, we must rise to meet the needs of 130,000 children, a generation of students enduring an unprecedented disruption in learning. We do not yet know the enormity of this challenge, but my hope is that each of you will join me in the simple and confident refrain, challenge accepted.

As an employee, you are the foundation of our system. Through your tireless and unrelenting commitment to this profession, we accomplish seemingly unachievable outcomes for our students and their families. For so many of these children, we know that our schools, our teachers, and our staff are their only chance for educational success and all that comes with it. COVID-19 has had its impact on our lives in many different ways.  For many families this has taken the form of lost jobs, income, and other services.  There could be many other adverse impacts, and that is why our work is so important.  We must be resilient, courageous, and increasingly innovative to find ways to keep students achieving at a high level, even under the challenges of this pandemic. But in doing so, we must properly invest in resources to ensure our teachers and employees are protected and safeguarded while we fight for our students.

We must not let COVID-19 defeat us in our mission.

I have reminded myself of that exhortation every morning since mid-March when the early stages of the pandemic disrupted all of school and all of life. Every day since then, I have woken up, done my medical assessment, and made my way to the office continually reminding myself – I got this. Now, I pack a pile of face coverings, I remind my family to cover up and keep their hands clean, and I pray for them and my 80-year-old mom. I am not immune to the anxiety and fear for how this disease might impact my family. 

These are not mere words, but rather, the heart-wrenching process I engage in each day. I know you do, too.

It pierces my heart when I reflect on all the emails I have received and stories I have heard about how COVID-19 has impacted your lives. Your notes and your comments do not fall on deaf ears. I tell you all the time that you are the reason this district has achieved so much, and I search every day for a path forward that would insulate all of you from the impacts of the virus. There is no perfect path in this pandemic, but we will continue to work on the best available options to meet as many needs as possible.

With no perfectly right answer in an era none of us expected, we all must make the decision of how we will approach this battle. When school begins under the new plan, I will be in buildings. I will be in classrooms. I will be in a face covering. I will wash my hands, and I will keep my distance. That is my “right” answer. You may arrive at a different conclusion for your circumstances, and please know, whatever you choose is perfectly acceptable. We all must make difficult decisions. If you are struggling with making the decision that is right for you, I urge you to speak with our HR department or your supervisor to learn what options may be available to you.

After months of dialogue, consultation, thousands of emails and survey responses, guidance from all corners of the medical community and a wide range of constituency groups, here is a brief overview of how the district will proceed. The details and the full plan are available on our website.  

We will open school on Aug. 20. Teachers will come back for pre-planning on Aug. 12. This will give us more time to prepare our facilities and an additional day of planning and professional development for teachers.

1. Elementary Schools: Elementary schools will open with three attendance options: face-to-face for the full week in our school buildings, full-time Duval HomeRoom, or enrollment in Duval Virtual Instruction Academy. Teachers who prefer to teach fully online through Duval HomeRoom can apply for those roles through Human Resources. Full details have been emailed to you. The deadline to apply is July 31. Staffing will be based on the number of students and families that choose Duval HomeRoom as their option.
2. Secondary Schools: Secondary schools will also have three attendance options to begin the school year: a “bridge” model that includes face-to-face and online, fully online through Duval HomeRoom, or Duval Virtual Instruction Academy. Under the bridge model, students will attend school on some days of the week and learn at home on the other days. On Sept. 14, all students in the bridge model are expected to return to school five days a week. We will evaluate this strategy around Labor Day with an understanding of how pandemic data has changed at that time. Instructional decisions for Duval HomeRoom will be made at the school and will be based on student demand and scheduling.
3. ESE Students: Students with exceptionalities have various, similar options for in-school and at-home learning.

The district is extending the deadline for Duval HomeRoom registration to enable all families who desire this option to work through the registration process. The new deadline is July 31.

We are taking extensive measures to increase cleaning and sanitization, to provide classrooms with PPE, and to take other measures to mitigate the spread. These measures include:

• Purchase of face coverings for all students and staff, and face shields for K-2 and ESE students
• Availability of hand sanitizer in every classroom
• Availability of gloves for every classroom
• Application of antimicrobial surface protectant to all high-contact common surface areas in secondary schools then progressing to elementary schools until all schools are treated 
• Desk shields installed in all grade 3-8 classrooms 
• Plexiglass screens for secondary schoolteacher desks
• Multiple non-contact thermometers for every school
• The district’s cleaning service will implement cleaning and sanitization procedures focused on keeping high-touch surfaces sanitized throughout the day to supplement antimicrobial application
• The district is also increasing its contingent of school-based nurses to perform contact tracing and other services

Although we have already implemented many safeguards and others are in process, we will continue to research additional options for keeping our employees and students safer at school. Many more details are on the back-to-school website.

  

Human Resources (through “Post Office”) has sent all employees an extensive email and documentation regarding the options available to you. Again, we must all evaluate our personal circumstances relative to the pandemic and make our personal decisions. As we prepare to open our doors physically and virtually to this generation of students, I am hopeful that each of you finds the place on our team that is right for your situation. Within the imperfect environment of this pandemic and all its known and unknown effects, we face one of the most challenging eras of public education. It is with my knowledge of your capabilities and dedication to our students that I am able to confidently say, challenge accepted.

Together, we’ve got this.

Kind regards,

 
She says she cares but if she did she wouldn't be making the choice to send us back, that would not be her default. She says she cares but she is asking us to risk our lives and our jobs. She says she cares but at this point it would be better she showed us than told us.