Sign this petition to REOPEN LESD#79 SCHOOLS WHEN IT'S SAFE!

Litchfield District Education Association would like to formally request that the Litchfield Elementary School District commit to putting the safety of staff and students first before reopening for the 2020-2021 school year.  On July 13, 2020, the Arizona Department of Health’s Coronavirus Dashboard detailed a total of 123,824 confirmed cases with 2,245 total deaths. As educators, we are trying to process that every number in this statistic was someone's mother, father, sister or brother all while trying to make reopening school plans.  With this surge in numbers, the L.D.E.A. formally asks that LESD#79 put the safety of our staff and students first by committing to Distance Learning for the first quarter, provide job security, and provide equitable working conditions.  
 
Science Based Return
We ask that LESD#79 commit to Distance Learning for the first quarter and reopen based on scientific data that shows a consistent four-five week decline in new COVID-19 cases. According to the Roadmap for Reopening Schools, Distance Learning should be used when “there is substantial local/community cases of COVID-19”. Dedicating a full quarter provides safety and will also provide consistency for staff and students to shift from the Survival Brain State to the Executive Brain State where academic success can be achieved.  The following districts have already decided to Distance Learning for the first quarter: Alhambra, Cartwright, Phoenix Union, and Phoenix Elementary.

Staff Position & Pay Security
We ask that LESD#79 make a commitment to pay all classified & certified staff without RIFs, furloughs, or cuts and provide alternative opportunities for employees at risk.  We also ask that the district provides its best efforts in returning the at-risk employees back to their pre-pandemic position once the risk has dissipated.

We ask that LESD#79 communicates to all PreK – 8th grade staff teachers before parents, include staff in the decision-making process, and provide scenario details before requiring staff to commit to a scenario.

Teacher’s Working Conditions are Student’s Learning Conditions
We ask that LESD#79 make a commitment to allow staff to choose to work from home or their classroom while distance learning. On July 10th, Arizona Governor Ducey said, “You Are Safer at Home” and Dr. Christ, the Director for the AZ Dept. of Health Services explained, “the more time that you spend with people who are not in your household and the more time that you spend indoors, in close proximity with those people, increases your risk for the transmission of the virus.”  We have also learned that Mrs. Byrd, an Arizona teacher, died after contracting COVID-19 while teaching on-line classes while on campus. Provide our staff with an option to work/train from home.

While teaching at home, our teachers deserve to have a voice in what Distance Learning requirements will look like.  For example, the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards says that elementary students should have 1-2 hours a day of online instruction and middle school students 2-3 hours.
 
We appreciate your continued effort to support public education and our community.  We look forward to working together to create the safest environment to allow for academic growth.  
 
Respectfully,
 
LDEA President Kandie A. Reyes
LDEA Executive Board & Members
of The Litchfield District Education Association, AEA
LDEAredfored@gmail.com

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