Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1360078
T W I N R I V E R S : Historic safety pact After nearly six months of nego- tiations, Twin Rivers United Educators in North Sacramento reached an agreement that ade- quately addresses COVID-19 case rates, safety mitigations and vaccines to return to in-person instruction in early April. The memorandum of understanding includes safety mitigation standards ensuring proper ventilation in every classroom, social distancing, and ongoing free COVID testing. "Despite buildings being closed for 12 months, educators never stopped teaching and students never stopped learning through a comprehensive dis- tance learning model," says TRUE President Rebecca LeDoux. "As we begin this new phase, educators can safely return to in-person instruction and continue to support our students." M A RY S V I L L E : Marathon hearing leads to agreement A 30-hour fact-finding hearing in late Febru- ary ended with an agreement that provides guidelines for Marysville Unified Teachers Association educators in Yuba County as Marysville Joint Unified moves from distance learning to in-person instruction. Teachers, administration and the school board agreed to collaboratively address the challenges with a student-centered focus that honors the contri- butions and hard work of teachers and all school sta™. O A K L A N D : Agreement for equity- based return After lengthy bargaining, Oakland Education Association reached an agreement with Oakland Unified that sets out how educators will return to school campuses for in-person instruction. The return to classrooms will be phased, with grades PK-2 and priority students at schools starting March 30, and in-person instruction expanding through fifth grade and at least one secondary grade starting April 19. Campuses will operate at a limited capacity due to public health guidance to maintain physical distance and small, stable cohorts. Families will be able to keep their students in distance learning if they prefer. The agreement includes important safety measures aligned with public health guidance for sta™, students and families, including ventilation, PPE, and testing and contact tracing for students. "After weeks at the bargaining table, our tentative agreement is one based on science and safety, and that meets the unique needs of our school com- munity. Recognizing that communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, we agreed on an equity-based model that prior- itizes the distribution of resources to those communities," says Chaz Garcia, OEA's second vice president and bargaining chair. " The pandemic has exacerbated a lot of the problems we have been battling with for decades. We knew that disinvesting will only put us back at square one." C E N T R A L : Standing together for safety Central Unified Teachers Association in Fresno County reached an agreement on return- ing to in-person instruction in mid-April that prioritizes safety for students and educators. The agreement includes comprehensive safety provisions, including all PPE being provided by the district, HVAC filtration, and social distancing requirements. Grades TK-6 will return April 12 (after all CUTA members have had the oppor- tunity to be vaccinated), while grades 7-12 will return no sooner than April 19. "I can say with confidence we will be returning in the safest environment possible for our students and educators," says CUTA President Judee Martinez. 42 cta.org Advocacy