4.20.20
LFT Monday Memo
April 20, 2020
LFT Monday Memo:
Welcome back. We hope you all had nice and restful Spring Break. Please stay safe out there!
NEW BUSINESS:
LFT SITE Representatives’ Meeting 04/8/2020 3:30pm via ZOOM due to COVID-19 school closure.
Roll Call: LH, FILL, HAP, MIG, LVMS, Ruth, LHS, LC, CHS, LB, BV, CV, VMS, Map, Bob (bold in attendance)
The LUSD School Board meeting on 4/7 was attended by several unit members. The LUSD School Board of Education and Administration appreciate what we are doing. They each expressed sincere appreciation for all staff and what is being done during the COVID quarantine.
LFT received a proclamation for all the work we do. The week of May 4 will be Certificated Appreciation Week. The LUSD School Board of Education are proud of the dedication and hard work displayed here in Lompoc.
As a reminder if you wish to speak at any LUSD Board of Education meeting, the link to request an opportunity to address the Board will be posted on the LUSD website. Just so you know, the Zoom password last meeting went up on the website approx. 15 minutes before meeting began. Future Board Meetings are May 12th and May 26th.
A message from our Nurse: As of March 28 there were two COVID patients in Lompoc’s Hospital, as of April 8 there were 13. Several patients are on ventilators. This is very – very serious. Do not get complacent. Continue masking when you are out, wearing gloves, etc. The cases will spike in the next two weeks. We are about a week or two behind New York, and have not hit our peak yet. Many prisoners are also coming in to Lompoc’s Hospital, and they have not hit their peak yet either. PLEASE continue to take this very – very seriously and be safe.
ZOOM: LFT have shared concerns with the District, and they have responded. You may have seen the updated LUSD website with all things COVID and school closures.
Ian Trejo is the point person for ZOOM and other district tech issues. Issues with ZOOM can be put on the IT Help Desk, just as other technical issues are. ZOOM FAQs were made available on the Google shared doc. This document was shared in a District email by Bree Valla on Monday 4/6/20. – It is now on the newly updated LUSD website as well.
Helpdesk—Staff can put in helpdesk requests on behalf of a parents. IT are available to help parents as well as teachers. Please email or call ITS for assistance as needed.
As a reminder: Administrators should be notified if students are acting inappropriately during ZOOM. Inform your administration of situations you may be concerned about just as you would during ‘normal’ instructional periods.
Reps shared concerns that parents will not let their kids join a meeting if it is being recorded. That is a parental right. However, those students can go watch the recorded lesson missed on the Google Drive/Classroom if that is what they prefer to get targeted instruction.
Elementary teachers shared their successes recording ELA and Math lessons and posting them on the Google Classroom for kids not in attendance during actual Zoom times. Those absent students can see the lesson posting at an alternate time. Teachers have also shared they have been reaching students/parents with questions and help via phone, Dojo, Zoom, email and using other ways- like Google Voice.
Teachers have been handling the ZOOM platform in different ways based on students’ age and abilities.
LFT high school representatives shared an extensive list of procedures used for each period of each day and tutored to other LFT Reps on how they are managing ZOOM security. Having our colleagues to lean on really has helped our membership. Thank you for collaborating in this new educational frontier to help each other and our students’ learning and progress.
OLD BUSINESS AND REMINDERS:
When working please continue to do all you are doing remotely to assist your students and families.
Use the 3.19.20 COVID MOU as a reference for current contractual language. In summary, be reachable remotely at all times during the professional day; use Frontline if you are not available; follow the directives from your District and /or site administrator to the best of your ability under the circumstances; collaborate with teams and administration via zoom and other remote ways; expect a learning curve; and know we can do this!
Also if you need accommodations and need an ‘Interactive Process’ please contact. Ms. Valla in HR. ‘To help determine effective accommodations, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), recommends that employers use an “Interactive Process,” which simply means that employers and employees with disabilities who request accommodations work together to come up with accommodations.’
LFT Timeline:
- Mondays- LFT Monday Memo will be delivered via District emails
- Tuesdays- LFT negotiating team’s Zoom meetings
- Wednesdays- LFT Site Representatives’ Zoom Meeting 3:30 weekly
- Please if you have a site concern/ question please email your Site Rep., before the meeting
- Thursday’s- LFT Executive Board meetings as needed
- Friday’s CFT’s Tele-Town halls on Facebook live
LFT’s Website:
LFT’s website can be found at https://lompocfederationofteachers.org/ Please use this a resource for union-related information. Thank you
LUSD District Communication:
Please check the District Website and your District emails throughout the professional day.
LFT Officer Elections:
Elections will be in May. If you are interested in running for any position on the LFT Executive Board please contact Carolina Allen at allen.carolina@lusd.org
Positions are: President, Treasurer, Secretary, VP Elementary, VP Junior High School, VP Senior High School, VP Special Education and VP Membership
CFT Union Scholarships:
If you have a dependent who is currently an undergraduate at a 2- or 4-year college, he/she is eligible to apply for a scholarship though the California Federation of Teachers. The application period opened on January 15, 2020 and closes on June 15, 2020. For more information and a link to the online application, go to cft.org and click on union benefits/scholarships. Please note, that if your dependent received a CFT scholarship as a high school senior, he/she is not eligible to apply. This does not apply to recipients of our local LFT scholarship.
Have a great week,
Lodene Blair
LOMPOC FEDERATION OF TEACHERS 