Public Statements

“Honesty is the 1st chapter in the book of wisdom."

- Thomas Jefferson to Nathaniel Macon, January 12, 1819¹.

We, the Executive Board of the Newport Mesa Federation of Teachers, because of our sense of duty, are compelled to speak plainly and openly on the ill planned and experimental hybrid model, its failed implementation and operation, and the imminent danger it has created. We cannot in good conscience remain silent and cannot continue to operate behind the façade of success that is being presented to the good people of this community. With Orange County’s recent move back into the purple tier², the impending holiday gatherings, coming and going of students and families to out of state and out of country travels, we must be realistic and implore district leadership to display intelligence, and bravery by admitting the hybrid model is not working and immediately declare the return to distance learning following the Thanksgiving break.

The current state of the hybrid is a complete and utter failure. The risks far outweigh any of the intended benefits. It is not working on any level:

Not from a health and safety standpoint.

Not from a socio-emotional standpoint.

and not from an educational standpoint.

Despite the messages being communicated to families and to the Board of Education, the members of this union know the reality. Secondary students are not observing social distancing during passing, lunch and coming to and from campuses. Mask wearing does not occur when these students are outside the watchful eyes of their teachers in the classroom. Many of them are not properly wearing face-covering and perhaps, most egregious, the so called COVID Dashboard on the district does not accurately reflect the risk in this community.

The hybrid model is a literal accident waiting to happen. We have set our students up for failure, sickness, and heartache by characterizing the return to campus as being a safe place both physically and emotionally. How can we expect students to navigate this mixed message when the hybrid plan was touted as a reprieve from isolation and yet expect them to resist normal impulses-putting them in an environment ripe with temptation?

In the last weeks, teachers have become increasingly alarmed at the inability of the school district to make good on its promise of maintaining a clean, safe, and secure environment. There are countless issues with:

cleaning

lack of cleaning

use of chemicals

unsupervised students

visitors to campuses

construction workers

food sharing

travel to and from campus

unmasked congregations in vehicles

and uninvestigated, unexplained student absences followed by unquestioned returns to the classroom.

Although the protocols for contract tracing appear to be following the recommended standards, they fall dangerously short and are misrepresented by a dashboard compiled with information gathered through a flimsy, flawed, haphazard process. The data collection ignores basic common sense. It does not reflect the reality of what teachers are seeing and hearing from their students about the number of cases and number of students living in families with quarantined and close contacted individuals.

We respect the precarious situation and untenable circumstances all school boards have been placed in by state and local government agencies and we do recognize your efforts to comply with their recommendations; however, we also recognize these are recommendations and not mandates and therefore, urge you to exercise your common sense and duty to go above and beyond to protect your people.

It is imperative: District leaders must demonstrate leadership during this unprecedented global pandemic. Your decision will be your legacy. And we hope it will not haunt you in the years to come. In the words of Theodore Roosevelt, “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.”

It is time to do the right thing. Return your people to distance learning.

In safety and unity,

Tamara Fairbanks, NMFT President

Sara Auwater, NMFT 1st VP

Sandee Gordon, NMFT Elementary VP

Kimberly, Claytor, NMFT VP of Intermediate School

Elizabeth Fisher , NMFT VP of High School

Tim Mcfadden, NMFT Treasurer

Jennifer Taylor, NMFT Secretary

Britt Dowdy, NMFT Past President

Nicholas Dix, NMFT Executive Director

1. Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826, and 2Paul Leicester Ford. The Writings of Thomas Jefferson. New York [etc.]: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 189299.

^2.Tadayon, Ali. “Quick Guide: What California's Color-Coded County Tracking System Means for Schools.” EdSource, EdSource, 16 Nov. 2020, edsource.org/2020/quick-guide-what-californias-color-coded-county-tracking-system-means-for-schools/639357.

School Board Statements September 10, 2020

Reopening -Hybrid

We are not in agreement with the proposed start date and the level 2 model recommendations presented during this agenda. Although we have had several discussions, we still have outstanding questions that are related to the implementation of these models. During our conceptual discussions we were not given the full information about the measures that the district is willing to take in order to preserve the lives of our employees with a virus that is transmitted by air.

Since we know this is transmitted by air, we need to address the fact that only some of our schools are equipped with the standard MER 13 filters while many are equipped with Mer 9a. We need to address why the district lacks information in following a 24 hour cycle for the air conditioning or a fresh air mode cycle to air ventilation that is recommended in many industries.

The instruction during a half day model is not as efficient as a full day model. It offers less quality instruction, offers less opportunities for sanitation, and provides only a surface level of in person connection. The time that is utilized to connect with parents and students and aid with technical issues, will be traded in for modifying curriculum. The safety considerations on the insufficiency of instructional materials, how to handle instructional materials, and how to deal with the travel of portable materials from home to school need to be answered.

This is a very difficult issue, our workforce is divided between the safety that is afforded to continuing and furthering instruction versus returning to a place with the uncertainty of safety and protection while having a face to face opportunity to see our students.

We want nothing more than to see our students in person, but the lack of information on safety and instruction demonstrates to us that NMUSD is not ready for reopening. We urge you school board to delay reopening until we actually have the safety measures in place and can provide students with a school model that will maximize instruction and keep them safe.

Elementary Waiver

Dear Trustees,

As a union, NMFT has been blamed for not endorsing an elementary waiver. The truth is, NMUSD is not ready. Since April we have been asking for clear and focused protocols regarding the safety measures the district is willing to make in order to keep our kids and employees safe. The answers we have received were vague and incomplete.

As an educator, I uphold the tenets of my profession and promise to never put a child in harm’s way. I stand by that as a teacher and as a union leader. I don’t want to place a child in a position to breath in a place where the air may not be clean, I don’t want to place a child in a circumstance where the desks may not be clean, I do not want to isolate a child with a clear barrier isolating him/her from their friends unless it is the best thing for them, I do not want a child to bring anything home to their family or my family because one person decided they did not care about anyone else’s health.

Our members have been moving mountains to educate the best way possible. Even as they are being berated and screamed at by people for not teaching in person, they stand steadfast doing the best for their students anyway. As they steadfastly do their job, NMUSD needs to do the maximum for our safety if they wish to come back early.

We want a safe place to work. If I know the safety protocols at the Apple store and the DMV, then NMUSD should display the safety protocols of our school. It should not be less than that. As a union that stands for quality instruction, a safe environment, and a quality workforce, let’s focus on getting your kids back the safest way possible when ALL measures are in place and clearly identified. Let’s create a plan that allows us to remain at Level 2 once we get there.