For the safety of our students, staff, and community, DEA is requesting, based on recommendations from county and state health officials, for our DUSD Superintendent to:

1) Set a phased-back virtual-learning approach for 2-3 weeks after Winter Break 2020-21;

2) Immediately create a district COVID-19 task force to inform district leadership, with the involvement of administrators, educators, parents, and community members.

Our superintendent, Dr Quinn Kellis, was authorized by our governing board on March 14, 2020, during the Emergency Special Meeting, in item C1 motion, to “take additional actions as necessary, including extending the dates of closure.” With DEA’s recommendation, Dr Kellis did bring to the board on December 14, 2020 the need for coverage of paid leave for up to 80 hours for a staff member’s positive COVID- test result. Thankfully, this was passed by our governing board.

The data dashboards for both Maricopa County and the state of Arizona (which were used by our District during the Regular Board Meeting, item I4 on August 26, 2020 to first continue remote-learning past the original Aug 17 return date, to October 19, 2020, but with the ability to return to in-person instruction before that, based on benchmark data) recommend a full return to virtual instruction. Unfortunately, our district’s COVID-19 dashboard relies on self-reporting by parents and school nurses as the primary investigators, focusing only on reported, ”active” positive cases. Research suggests that the virus does not seem to spread much within schools when they require masks, urge social distancing, have good ventilation and when community spread is low. However, in our district boundaries, the Maricopa County School’s COVID-19 Dashboard & Guidance shows all three metrics have been in RED for the past 3 weeks, which is at the substantial risk level.

Other data shows that this week, Arizona set new records with hospitalizations (over 90% ICU and in-patient beds full), ventilator usage, and ER visits related to COVID-19. Recently, the US Coronavirus Task Force ranked Arizona top in hospital admissions per 100 beds. With the longer Winter Break, which includes more holidays within it, further community spread is expected to accelerate from higher levels of traveling and large gatherings, even with CDC recommended mitigation measures suggested.

Another concern is the new COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7, with estimates of 50-70% higher transmissibility, especially as studies are looking into its ability to spread more through children. Pediatric studies are ongoing, including the risk factors for children. Long-term implications affect a number of children, as well as adults, which should not be overlooked with the larger focus on risk of death only.

Several vaccines are in process of distribution. Maricopa county COVID-19 Vaccine website shows it is readying to transition from groups in 1a to starting priority groups in 1b, which includes teachers as essential workers. Receiving this vaccine will be another layer of protection with our current mitigation strategies. Educator demographics show as many as 1 in 4 are at risk of having severe illness from COVID-19.

The essential workers category for teachers means that we will NOT be required to quarantine when considered being a direct contact to a known positive case. Educators will no longer be able to teach remotely from home until it is known they are not positive themselves. We are risking spreading the virus before we are even aware that we have it to our students and our co-workers (asymptomatic/presymptomatic spread), since mitigation protocols reduce spread, as opposed to prevent it.

The previous FFCRA had covered the time off to take care of dependents when they were ill or quarantined as well, which continues to be an issue for educators who will be put into this position. What our district is proposing is that students/children need to quarantine as direct contacts and as a positive case, but their staff parents will need to use their own leave time or go unpaid in order to stay home to care for them. Staff shortages, exacerbated by staff quarantines and absences, put stress on co-workers, and detrimentally affect students. It needs to be considered as a possibility that our educators will look to work for districts whose decisions align more with their needs, than Dysart’s.

In our times of need and greatest anxiety, it is important to work together to find solutions that can be addressed as a whole, both for short-term safety and long-term functioning. The welfare of the students and staff in DUSD should be the focus, so that in-person instruction can resume consistently and safely for all. A phased-back return for 2-3 weeks will ensure that the holiday spread is minimized and the welfare of the community and staff are being continuously addressed through a task force, during this ongoing pandemic.

If you agree with these two requests, please sign to support this letter campaign.

Thank you, from the DEA Executive Board