Prior to the Wake County Board of Education vote on return to in-person instruction, Wake NCAE stated in this open letter to the Wake County Board of Education that remote instruction is the safest and least disruptive to student learning, and that when students do return to in-person instruction, they will need time to practice the routines and protocols that must be strictly adhered to for the safety of all. Four days of practice is not enough time for all of our children to be independently able to participate safely in a full classroom environment. Additionally, we requested that any employee working in a space that does not allow for social distancing be provided a mask that protects the wearer such as an N95 mask.

On September 29th, the Wake County Board of Education voted to approve a reopening plan that puts students back in school buildings on the following schedule:

• October 26th - Students in regional programs within the Special Education Department and grades PreK-3rd will return to in person instruction in Plan B which is a three week rotation of cohorts of small groups of students. Each student will attend school in-person for one week during this time.
• November 9th - Students in grades 6th-8th will return to in person instruction in Plan B which is a three week rotation of cohorts of small groups of students.
• November 16th - Students in 4th and 5th grades will return to in person instruction in Plan B which is a three week rotation of cohorts of small groups of students. Students in PreK-3rd grade will return to full in-person instruction.

As the employees that do this work, it's vital that we have say over the terms and conditions of our work. Our Safety, Our Say is more than a slogan, it should be our practice. Once you have

read our open letter, please take a moment to fill out our survey and let us know how you feel to better inform steps we take going forward.While overall results of the survey will be made public, all respondents and identifying information will be kept confidential.