Thread by @PPSSFBoardWatch

@FaauugaMoliga talking on support of equitable services & staff for Hawaiian & Pacific Islander students with a focus on addressing the academic disparities among Samoan students through a pre-k through 14 pathway rooted in Samoa Aganuu indigenous practices #BoardWatch

Learn more here: go.boarddocs.com/ca/sfusd/Board…
#BoardWatch

Public comment: In support of this resolution. This would be historical for the NHIP community #BoardWatch

@stevoncook thank you @FaauugaMoliga for what you have done #BoardWatch

Student delegate: Make sure to include student leaders and allow for students to connect with other student leaders at other schools #BoardWatch

Now moving onto a special item on the Learning Continuity Plan that must be adopted by every school district in CA. #BoardWatch

Here are the slides. The slides give an overview of stakeholder feedback on the plan. #BoardWatch go.boarddocs.com/ca/sfusd/Board…

These are all of the stakeholder comments/feedback and responses from SFUSD #BoardWatch go.boarddocs.com/ca/sfusd/Board…

Public comment on this item: appreciated comment from parent earlier about English learners who need more support. There are more funds for learning loss for these students, how are these funds getting to sites? #BoardWatch

Public comment: speaker (through translation from Spanish) wonders what resources are for students who are English Learners and also have an IEP?

Comment from Commissioner Collins: will not vote for this because families are being denied access to assignments which is illegal. CDE says we are supposed to approve, saying parents have access to communication from district is not true. #BoardWatch

Collins: this is not just a technical issue, but an operational issue in terms of policy that SFUSD is telling teachers about uploading assignments. Sanchez: this may be a conversation we need to have with labor partners #BoardWatch

Collins: now that we are in distance learning, I can't walk into a classroom and ask to look at a text book. I am being denied my rights. Want to hear from legal counsel about this. Especially considering the HS students are being graded this fall. #BoardWatch

G Counsel Houck: we don't disagree with your assertion, but what we are struggling with is that you are asking for a particular type of communication, and there is no law requiring a particular type of communication. #BoardWatch

Commissioner Moliga: didn't see anything in the LCAP around specific services related to learning loss for youth in public housing. #BoardWatch

Oh no! Just got distracted by life and missed the vote. I heard a couple of no's but assume it passed? Now onto the Fall Learning Plan presentation! #BoardWatch

Here are the slides: go.boarddocs.com/ca/sfusd/Board…

These first slides are mostly recap. Here are the recommendations based on work-groups and town halls. #BoardWatch

Developed an MOU with labor partners (educators) and that included options to work from school sites. Have 10 work locations. #BoardWatch

New color-coded list issued by state, based on number of cases and positivity rates. (also learned Sup Matthews is color-blind). #BoardWatch

There is a decision tree for reopening schools. All boxes need to be yes for in-person instruction in small groups @boardwatch

Safety Measure: health check every day, need to take a learning module on safety measures, plan for possibility of repeated closures, plan to test all staff every two months. Not sure if this state guidance is robust enough #BoardWatch

Don't yet have testing plan in place but beginning to work with Kaiser on this. #BoardWatch

Here is a laundry list of safety protocols that need to be in place #BoardWatch

According to the Superintendent, many of these things (on slide attached) are done or in progress

These are also being worked on. Even if students don't return until Jan, want to make sure these things are being put in place now. Supe repeats refrain "if any of these things is 'no' we will not resume in-person operations." Focus is on safety #BoardWatch

If all of these are met, can resume Hybrid "2a" that would be about 1000 students potentially #BoardWatch

2B is for 2500 to 10-15K students. #BoardWatch

These are students who would be added in phase 2B #BoardWatch

Just a reminder, the slide deck is linked at the start of this item, too fast for me to keep up and capture all the slides! #BoardWatch

Public comment is starting now. First comment: Behavior analyst with SFUSD appreciates the presentation and explanation of the complexity of making a plan to return. Would be great if there was a way that the public could understand where we stand in progress towards readiness

Comment: we have a child with an IEP, can we do more contact tracing and maybe not shut down all the schools? #BoardWatch

Comment: noticed how often Dr. Matthews has emphasized safety, but SFUSD doesn't seem to be considering outdoor schools #BoardWatch

Comment cont. Whole presentation seems to be geared towards not reopening, like everything is an obstacle that can't be overcome. There are many parents who would be interested in helping to make this happen. Money spent on tech could be used to bring kids back. #BoardWatch

Comment: parent of students at Sunnyside, feel that Dr. Matthews is not expressing the significant interest in in-person learning that was expressed at town halls #Boardwatch

Comment: Susan Soloman from UESF agree that union and district have to be prepared for when schools open. Have 2 bargaining sessions this week. Very few people prefer crisis distance learning, it is difficult for parents, students, and educators, but looking at health and safety

Comment cont. Vital to vote on Prop 15 (State) and on Prop J (city) to bring funding to schools. #BoardWatch

Comment: although distance learning isn't ideal, it is ideal right now while we are still in crisis learning and still dealing with the pandemic. Have been hearing that there is a l to of support needed for families, like tutoring or supports for after school time #BoardWatch

Comment: parent of students at Jefferson is a proponent of school outside and also suggest donating to SPARK sf sparksfpublicschools.org #BoardWatch

Comment: need to start talking to parents now about what it means to reopen schools. We can't have outdoor schooling if it is rainy season. Need to look at air quality in the buildings to make sure we have MERV ratings of at least 11. #BoardWatch

Comment: teacher says that she does not like distance teaching, but if go back to early put the health of students, parents, and teachers at risk #BoardWatch

Comment: health risks are not the same throughout the city. Rates are higher in tenderloin. Also the teacher sites available are not equitably placed across the city. Should look at returning to school through an equity lens. #BoardWatch

Comment: concerned about actual preparation. Need to make a lot of changes. Safety is key. I love children and teach them and will come on board and help you. Need everyone educated #BoardWatch

Comment: parent of a third grader points out that death rate is lowest in the country. If DPH says it is safe to reopen, hope SFUSD follows the science like they have been saying. Parents are getting crushed right now and not feeling supported. #BoardWatch

Comment: parent stands in full solidarity with teachers. Appreciate district following all the health guides to the letter. #BoardWatch

Comment: special ed teacher says distance learning is awful but going back now is also awful. Reach out to your teacher, work with them, they want to work with you. #BoardWatch

Comment: teacher at Redding ES says there needs to be a step first where teachers come back without students. I teach because of the young people. The most people can do is vote in Nov. #BoardWatch

Comment: on behalf of CAC happy to see mod/severe students in special ed are priorities. Many of these kids have severe needs and are immuno-compromised. What happens if 1/2 class comes back? How does teacher deal with that? #BoardWatch

Comment cont. Not sure why there haven't been meetings of the stakeholder work groups about this plan. #BoardWatch

Commissioner Norton: hear all the parents who came out, cannot imagine what it is like to try to work and educate young children. We have to proceed in a measured and careful way. #BoardWatch

Commissioner Lopez: ultimately have to understand the risk implied in asking teachers to come back. Its a matter of life and death. Think SFUSD has gone "above and beyond" in enhancing distance learning. #BoardWatch

Lopez: concerned about bringing back the most at risk students first #BoardWatch

Commissioner Lam: we are living through a pandemic, none of us has done this before. District has embraced safety of families, students, workers and improved distance learning. #BoardWatch

Lam: also wants to be able to track progress over time. Has question about how to report to public. Will that be done by a committee? Reactivate working groups? #BoardWatch

Supe Matthews: could reactivate the workgroups, COVID policy team will be taking feedback from tonight. Sounds like more transparent communication around the decision tree is needed. Will take that back to policy team #BoardWatch

Commissioner Collins: understand there is frustration, and it is very difficult for all of us, but at the same time am grateful for district being one of first to close. Lack of leadership at National and State level, they are following our lead. #BoardWatch

Collins: opening when we are not ready is even more disruptive. If you send kid to school, then have to quarantine for 2 weeks. #BoardWatch

Superintendent speaking says that no bay area districts have given a reopening date, and two have announced they will not open before January #BoardWatch

Commissioner Cook wants to know how our district is monitoring other large districts that have opened. Superintendent says there have been some setbacks. #BoardWatch

Cook wants to know what would be done in case of a positive transmission. Chief Lau Smith: different than what it was in March. First find close contacts of the person within 48 hours of symptoms. If in classroom and someone test positive, need to find out about close contacts.

Close contact is less than six feet for more than 15 minutes with a mask #BoardWatch

If 25% of schools have to close, would close the whole district #BoardWatch

Cook: What is the plan if there is a need for equipment (eg, if someone puts a work order in and it doesn't get responded to). A: many fewer sites when we first go back, so harder for requests to fall through the cracks #BoardWatch

Chief Kamalanathan: have spent summer sweeping through them and addressing work-order backlogs, especially in the SE cohort. Eliminated most of backlog. Continuing that process now. Plan for hybrid learning currently working with staff at site to assess physical condition.

Cook: highlights tension: seeing certain things happening and wonder why schools are not opening, #BoardWatch

Next item: introduction of renewal petition for City Arts and Tech High School (it will be voted on at a subsequent meeting) #BoardWatch

Comment: member of charter school oversight committee says the committee is open to the public, welcome everyone to attend #BoardWatch

Reports from committee meetings: Budget voted on the two proposals adopted tonight. Curriculum and Program: discussed virtual learning, following up with another meeting around the experience/communication piece. Also discussed language pathways. Next meet Oct 8 @4.

Joint select committee on Friday at 10 AM, Student assignment next tuesday at 4PM, Sept 30 at 11AM is Building Grounds and Services #BoardWatch

Update from Ad Hoc Student Assignment Committee: took one concept off the table (most "neighborhood school" option). Still exploring how zones could be drawn to maximize goals of diversity, proximity and... (I think it is predictability)#BoardWatch

Next two meetings: September 29 and also October 14 #BoardWatch

Collins: there is a human rights commission meeting on Thursday and will be presenting as a staff. Opportunity for community input. #BoardWatch

Ford-Morthel: meeting starts at 5PM, presenting on equity studies and distance learning #BoardWatch

Commissioner Moliga: have been working to get some groups back into the state-wide ethnic studies curriculum. Working with other API school board members to advocate for inclusion of SouthEast Asians who have been excluded from curriculum #BoardWatch

Commissioner Collins: notable that we are leading in ethnic studies at a time when we have a president doing the opposite. Thanks to Teachers for Social Justice, UESF, and more. #BoardWatch

Here is a blog post with some good context related to the above comment. ed100.org/blog/patriotis… And now, goodnight! #BoardWatch

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