Dear PPS Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero and School Board,

Current PPS Covid safety guidelines are full of holes, leaving students, staff, families, and community at great risk of contracting and spreading Covid 19, especially as we take on the delta variant.

With some changes to PPS guidelines for quarantine, testing, distancing, masking, equity, and programming options, we can do much better to keep us all safe. These plans can and must be changed. For these reasons, our demands are as follows:

#1- CDL, Hybrid, and Cohorting: Comprehensive Distance Learning (CDL) for all families and educators who want it, and cohort size caps at all grade levels
We demand:
- Safe options for families to choose from, including comprehensive CDL and hybrid
- Class size caps of no more than 20 for cohorting at all grade levels
- VIABLE CDL options for all families who want it, whether or not families have the means to provide a parent coach, including Dual Language programming, Special Education (Learning Center and Self-Contained), and English as a Second Language
- A guarantee that students will keep their placement at their current school if they choose online learning

#2- Equity and Community Partnership: BIPOC families and students at the table for all decision making and transparent communication
We demand:
- That PPS provide multilingual outreach and communication on the dangers of the delta variant and risks of returning in-person with regularly updated information so families can make informed decisions concerning the health, safety, and education of their children.
- That BIPOC families are included at every level of decision making
- That BIPOC students/families and staff are at the bargaining table for all bargaining sessions on Covid safety between PPS and PAT.
- That PPS clearly communicates to all families what their viable options are for schooling in the fall with ample time for families to decide what to do.
- That PPS, PAT, and BIPOC students, families and staff collectively create plans for lunch periods, nap times for pre-k, passing times in hallways, specials in elementary, and cohorting and that PPS communicate those plans to all families and staff, multilingually

#3- Covid 19 Testing: Robust, routine Covid testing for students, staff, and families
We demand:
- That per CDC recommendations, PPS will conduct rapid testing weekly. Testing should begin one week before school starts
- That Covid testing is OPT-OUT rather than opt in for all PPS students and staff
- That any student, staff, or family member who asks for a rapid test will receive it for any reason, and they don’t need to be in school showing symptoms to get it
- That each school building have a full-time certified nurse who will administer Covid tests
- One or more full-time social worker per building to help support families impacted by Covid
#4- Isolation and Quarantine:
- Any positive case will result in a minimum 10-day quarantine from the day of test result
- Minimum 10-day quarantine and whole cohort testing for any cohort with a Covid case, regardless of vaccination status
- Transparent and timely communication from PPS to anyone exposed

#5- Physical Distance and Masking:
- Mandatory minimum of 3 feet distancing for students, staff, and anyone in the building
- Masks for students and staff that prevent/minimize spreading or inhaling the microscopic aerosols that spread COVID-19, such as an N95
- Outdoor eating and as many opportunities for outdoor learning as possible with minimal 3 feet distancing and staggered eating times. For each school building, PPS will provide funding for canopies or other covered spaces, outdoor tables, and adequate number of paid staff to supervise outdoor meal time and activities.

Sincerely,

Mxm Bloc
Portland Caucus of Rank and File Educators (PCORE)