TVEA Spotlight

Good Evening TVUSD Governing Board and District Cabinet,

Effective and Ongoing Two-Way Communication is always paramount, yet never more important than right now given the common circumstances we are all working with throughout the district.

I am pleased to share that TVEA and TVUSD have been committed to working collaboratively and will provide a few examples tonight.

A Joint Communique was developed and sent to our TVEA members last Friday which addressed protocols for the Special Education Learning Hubs. In addition, a flexible model for Special Education Assessments providing options beyond Standard In-Person Assessments was shared.

Later tonight you will consider action on a TVEA/TVUSD Memorandum of Understanding, regarding a loosening of qualifications for TVEA bargaining unit members to gain eligibility for the Retirement Medical Bridge Benefit.

Finally, we look forward to participating in a TVUSD/TVEA “Joint Cabinet/Meet and Confer” next Monday afternoon. Dr. McClay and I have been working on initiating such a session with our teams in which five members of the TVEA Executive Board will join the TVUSD Executive Cabinet for focused discussion. We hope in meeting within the first month of the Spring Semester, it is an ongoing event every semester.

Pedaling back to the Special Education Learning Hubs, I had hoped to have the chance last week at the Board Workshop to commend the district on their announcement to not reopen the hubs before January 25th. The Joint Communique I previously referred to shared there would be a TVUSD update to employees by tomorrow, January 20th which we look forward to.

It is indeed highly unfortunate that we are in a place that some of our students with arguably the greatest needs cannot be provided In-Person Services.

Yet the reality is that COVID-19 has diffused across our district and employees who are in close contact indoors with fellow staff and students are at an extremely high risk.

In fact, TVUSD reported to the community and employees last Friday January 15th that in the last fourteen days there had been thirty-eight (38) TVUSD reported COVID 19 Student cases and ninety (90) reported TVUSD COVID Staff cases. These ninety staff cases are noted at twenty-four (24) of our twenty-six (26) current school sites plus two District departments.

The lingering pandemic has placed immeasurable challenges on our students, parents, and staff. Yet returning selected staff and students to a clearly dangerous situation while we are stuck in a “Deep Purple Tier Status” will only harm people and their families further.

You were judicious in your operational decision-making in this area coming out of Winter Break, and I urge you to continue to use caution and restraint moving ahead.

Thank you.