Thread by @PPSSFBoardWatch

Public Comments on the school reopening presentation is now beginning- #BoardWatch

PC: A parents shares "I'm curious what we are doing to talk about the scientists, what's happening in other school districts and if we'll bring fourth that information given that we are in the yellow." #BoardWatch

PC: A parent and student speaks on how behind SFUSD is in reopening compared to NYC schools. She expresses this is a failure on the side of SFUSD. Its unaffordable and not conducive to learning. #BoardWatch

PC: UESF President shares appreciation for what has been shared tonight. She speaks on the work UESF has been doing.

PC: A parent shares her appreciation for
@SFUSD_Supe
due to the complications on reopening. She states that there needs to be more transparency and communication on what can be done for the most impacted groups of students. #BoardWatch

PC: Parent states that there needs to be better engagement with parents. He says we have to prioritize in-person education and progress should be much further along. #BoardWatch

PC: Parent states that she would like to see more unpacking of "safety vs risk." She says that there should be more communication with parents to establish testing so we can move along on a site by site basis. #BoardWatch

PC: Parent shares frustration for how the BOE is handling reopening. She shares that the new dashboard is not transparent and a clear directive should be in place to specify what can be done. States that there are so many people who want to help. #BoardWatch

PC: Parent shares- "The school board needs to get students back in school." Parent says that the meetings are focused on irrelevant, unimportant things. Communication needs to be better with parents. #BoardWatch

PC: Parents states- "SFUSD is failing at it's most basic responsibility. Getting our students back in school."

She advocates for outdoor schooling. #BoardWatch

PC: Parent states that the most important factor should be safety. He states that he is not present to ridicule @SFUSD_Supe's presentation on current progress. #BoardWatch

PC: A parent shares her recommendation of partnering with UCSF to come up with ways to reopen schools safely. #BoardWatch

PC: Parent states "If you look for reasons not to reopen, you will find them." He shares that SFUSD is far beyond other districts to reopen. Also comments on the lack of surveying of parents. #BoardWatch

PC: Parent shares that SFUSD is failing public school parents and shares that this is why many families are switching to private schools. #BoardWatch

PC: it is hard to hear that there is an "acceptable rate" of infection. Also don't agree the work of reopening schools cannot happen at the same time as other board initiatives. #BoardWatch

PC: parent who is member of the group "decreasing the distance" refers to a petition that has been submitted. Concerned that there is no dashboard for all students back in all buildings. Concerned that this item is so far down on agenda. #BoardWatch

PC: parent says we are 10 weeks into the school year. This should be first on every board agenda, parents need to hear from you. Parents need to know what you need from us. Get texts on parenting and many other things. #BoardWatch

PC: please be open to and creative with private funding for public education. Don't let funding be a barrier. If we need weekly testing lets fund it. There is so much wealth in San Francisco. Parents will work with you, but need specifics. #BoardWatch

PC: parent and partner of SFUSD educator also in Decreasing the Distance group. Concerned about lack of transparency, timeline, will and vision, and cant-do messaging. Excited to work together. #BoardWatch

PC: speaker works at a community hub and it is really hard to juggle kids from ten different schools. Thank you for considering hybrid learning. City showed priorities when decided bars needed to answer before schools. #BoardWatch

PC: know that workload is impossible right now for district employees. It can't be easy to hear all of these comments. Respect the urgency raised by commenters. Challenges on families of not knowing is hard. Updates to advisories have been helpful. #BoardWatch

PC: didn't realize how important teachers were - if you care so much about teachers, why don't you care about their health? We are probably going at the best rate we can. Reason virus rate is low is because we are being very careful #BoardWatch

PC cont.: know that many buildings will probably not be safe because have old HVAC systems #BoardWatch

PC: thank you for dashboard, but doesn't give details or clarity needed so we can help get the resources needed. Don't hide things from us, mobilize us. #BoardWatch

PC: dashboard feels like a traffic light: wait for it to turn green and it might in a year or so. In Germany schools are open and elementary school students are not wearing masks. #BoardWatch

PC: as a special education teacher it is heartbreaking to hear what parents and students are experiencing. Tells of private school in Marin where a student developed flu symptoms, and then the teacher did. Covid can definitely be spread from students to teachers. #BoardWatch

PC: hear concerns about safety, but the agency in charge of this says it is safe. There are 55 private schools that have been approved to open, and no public schools. How is there no urgency in this situation? #BoardWatch

PC: crazy that we can go to a gym or museum, but don't have outdoor hybrid learning available to students #BoardWatch

PC: teacher in SFUSD (and her student at John Muir)speak. Student likes teacher and school. Teacher really misses students and can see how some kids are suffering, but others are doing pretty good. Appreciate acknowledgement that teachers are suffering too. #BoardWatch

PC: school employee not ready to go back in person yet. Student is in a learning hub, the preschooler is back home with me because he was exposed to COVID. At home quarantining with a family of 7. When we think about things need to think of the other side. Don't rush. #BoardWatch

PC: as a black parent of black students, don't care what other districts are doing. Yes, kids are "tap-dancing on our reserve nerve." SFUSD is a toxic pond. Urge SFUSD to implement solutions that clean up the pond and prevent it from being polluted again. #BoardWatch

PC: everyone in my family has a medical condition, could die if contracted Covid-19. It seems to have a racial bias against African-Americans and Latinx. Support caution in waiting to reopen schools. #BoardWatch

PC: as educator, have no problem wearing a hazmat suit to school if necessary. After 7 months it doesn't appear that schools are physically ready. While other schools have opened, we are waiting for "when the time is right." This is not OK. #BoardWatch

Public comment is over. Moving to Commissioner's comments. @lopez4schools says it is unfair to call this a "lost year." Look at who it is who is adversely affected, Black and Latino families. There is not appropriate support for these families when they test positive. #BoardWatch

Chair of health committee of Latino Task Force reminds us that a resurgence is always looming says @lopez4schools who also mentions we need to stop comparison to public schools. Hundreds vs thousands, and not unionized. Also in NYC 124 schools shut down immediately after open.

Commissioner @stevoncook appreciates comments and hears frustration. There was a lot of comment about what it would look like to rally parents/city around providing resources. Asking if @SFUSD_Supe has any comments. #BoardWatch

Will give this some thought at the policy team meeting, focus right now has been on getting areas safe and clean. Hasn't been a focus on rallying parents. #BoardWatch

.@stevoncook comments on remarks from the Mayor which he didn't find constructive, though he supports her tremendously. Encourages people to read up on what is happening at at school districts that are opening. But do believe in a target date or deadline. #BoardWatch

.@stevoncook looking at what Atlanta is doing. Set a date for opening. Asking if @SFUSD_Supe would be interested in setting an opening date. @SFUSD_Supe says they had been thinking about trying to bring back some students before end of year, but looking at dashboard realized no.

.@stevoncook would you be willing to look at what other districts are doing? Yes says @SFUSD_Supe, have been talking with many other districts, but don't want to set a date and have to keep pushing back, or open just to shut down. #BoardWatch

Supe says, if we set a date, would have to have MOU in place, protocols to families, testing plan in place (we know we are not going to have says Matthews-earlier comment made it sound like this was one of main barriers to reopening before January) #BoardWatch

Commissioner @FaauugaMoliga wonders why switched 2a to PreK. @SFUSD_Supe says as far as he knows that has not changed, asking if anyone else on policy team has insight. #BoardWatch

Deputy Supe @myongleigh says there was one report on school reopening that included K-2 as part of first group of students, but that has not been thinking for some time. That was back in July or August #BoardWatch.

.@FaauugaMoliga asks if we informed public of the switch? @SFUSD_Supe says communication has been through the digest or the website. Same as previous diagram shown (at board meeting). #BoardWatch

.@FaauugaMoliga Moliga asks where we are on testing. @SFUSD_Supe says that they, and all districts have to come up with system on own. In communication with DPH, also looking to what other counties are doing and other districts. Oakland, San Jose etc. have not figured it out yet.

Have joint select committee on Friday, has there been any talks around sharing resources with the city? Chief Lau-Smith says SFUSD staff has been meeting with DPH to see if testing sites could be expanded. They are interested in supporting #BoardWatch

City released a request for new contractor for Covid Testing, waiting to hear result of that. Also meeting with Alameda county and others. It is not just testing, but registration system, etc. Must be "end to end" includes accessibility, multi-lingual, outbreak mitigation, etc.

Commissioner @lopez4schools says this model is already created. Look at Latino Task Force. Have walk-up testing and services for two weeks if needed. Lau-Smith says these are some of same folks we are meeting with, largely based on same work. #BoardWatch

Commissioner @FaauugaMoliga says he has been talking to other districts and have heard of cost-cutting by working with people's insurance companies. What is the current process in terms of partnerships #BoardWatch

Lau-Smith says teachers have been identified as essential workers so can bill health plans for testing costs. Definitely looking at how to bill to insurance. @FaauugaMoliga wonders if there is an estimated amount per test. Still $100-300 per test for billing. #BoardWatch

Commissioner @jennyhlam has questions. When do we plan on sending a survey to families to recognize where they are at in terms of being ready to return to hybrid learning? @SFUSD_Supe says haven't discussed yet with policy team. Hopefully soon. #BoardWatch

.@jennyhlam wonders about fiscal impact of opening a large district. Need a cost analysis for each phase, so public can see what that looks like #BoardWatch (sorry will be a gap, my device died!)

.@jennyhlam wants to know if there is any part of testing/tracing that you want to shed light on? Lau-Smith: need to do consent, want to work with DPH b/c if testing large groups of people helps with outbreak identification. Need systems to share data and do contact tracing.

.@jennyhlam concerned about the earliest learners and literacy development. What is sense of how much time will be needed to communicate with families about next phases of opening over time for all groups? @SFUSD_Supe says cadence should increase with dashboard. Meeting weekly.

.@jennyhlam would like to see clear milestones in the dashboard about what success will look like. @SFUSD_Supe says that is something that can be brought up at the policy team meeting tomorrow #BoardWatch

.@jennyhlam is asking the Board president and VP to make sure that reopening is a standing item on the board agenda. #BoardWatch

.@SFUSD_Supe explaining in response to @stevoncook question that the policy team meets 3 times a week. Two focuses are improving distance learning and bringing students back. The team easily works 10-15 hours every day. #BoardWatch

.@rpnorton clarifying to members of the public that board agenda is "very regimented" as to what goes where. "Other educational items" that are not resolutions, are always item H on the agenda. Doesn't mean that they can't move items up. #BoardWatch

.@rpnorton Sometimes move items up if students are speaking or for other reasons. Agree with making this a standing item #BoardWatch

Commissioner @rpnorton asks to add percentages to the dashboard available on the district website. Also notes re comparison to private schools, that it is a difficult comparison. E.g. one school might have spent millions on testing for just a few hundred children. #BoardWatch

Norton says @CSBA_ has been saying for a long time that there needs to be a statewide solution for testing. It is unconscionable that there is not. #BoardWatch

Norton says she wants to own that maybe the board has not been talking about this enough. #BoardWatch

Commission Collins appreciating all the work done to put together the dashboard. Question: where on the dashboard is timeline or milestones? Also, some of these things, don't know how we are ever going to do. What is achievable? #BoardWatch

.@SFUSD_Supe says if we social distance at 6 feet, can bring back 15K students max (out of over 50K). @AliMCollins could we even ask for more space? Rent buildings? @SFUSD_Supe - would have to meet certain criteria, meet Field Act. #BoardWatch

Hope is that at some point there will be a vaccine, or maybe we wouldn't have to socially distance, but right now only capacity for 15,000 students. #BoardWatch

.@AliMCollins asks about other restrictions. @SFUSD_Supe says there are different requirements for younger students, need to be on first floor. #BoardWatch

The 15K could include all Pk-2 students, but we know that not all of them would want to come back. @AliMCollins asks about having kids come on different days. @SFUSD_Supe says focusing first on protocols, facilities, etc. #BoardWatch

.@AliMCollins asking questions about how a teacher could teach one group in person and another at home. @SFUSD_Supe says that is what needs to be figured out in the instructional plan. #BoardWatch

Question about need to buy individual desks. @SFUSD_Supe says this needs to be worked out. Notes that private schools already have small classes, easier to have small cohorts. Also less adults and way more money. #BoardWatch

.@AliMCollins has question about if teachers live in Oakland, can they get tested in SF city hub. Lau-Smith says that if someone might have been exposed and they were in SF, would want them to get tested right away in SF, but if home in Oakland, wouldn't want them to have to come

.@AliMCollins also confirming that idea is to use own health insurance, but worried about difficulties with that plan. Lau-Smith says looking for scenario where testing is done at school but billing can go to insurance. #BoardWatch

.@AliMCollins wonders if UCSF could test everyone. Lau-Smith says that hasn't been an offer. There has been talk of research, but don't want to layer that onto plan. Offer related to research was only for a small group. #BoardWatch

Lau-Smith: 10K staff, 25% of staff tested every two weeks. Could be 2,500 tests a week for surveillance testing. For symptomatic and exposure testing might be lower now because the positivity rate is down, but might be higher later and need more tests. Need modeling. #BoardWatch

.@AliMCollins has been following New York, many educators are fighting with the City. They were promised testing #BoardWatch

Commissioner @stevoncook wants to know what @SFUSD_Supe thinks about lack of socialization for students. @SFUSD_Supe says the best thing for them is when they are in school, but want to make sure it is safe. #BoardWatch

.@stevoncook speaking to the public. "Know you wanted a more aggressive timeline." In the coming weeks will be in discussion about trying to select a target reopening date. Know the Superintendent is trying to be cautious. #BoardWatch

.@AliMCollins notes that the Curriculum committee has a standing item at every meeting around distance learning. Welcome to use that as a forum for people to share how distance learning is going. #BoardWatch

President Sanchez says he wants parents to know that he hears them, also hears the parents who were not here as much who don't want to come back. Also understands teachers concerns #BoardWatch

.@marksanchezsf can attest to the amount of work around reopening because also serves on the policy team. We have to do it right. Don't think we can put a timetable, as much as we might like to. Important to improve upon communications. #BoardWatch

President @marksanchezsf also notes that the reason for the order of agenda items tonight was because we knew that many students wanted to speak to items. #BoardWatch

This is the end of the discussion. Next item is an item brought for immediate action. A resolution asking the Board of Education to support the Vote 16 Ballot measure. Here is the resolution go.boarddocs.com/ca/sfusd/Board… #BoardWatch

OK folks, calling it a night. If you want more, keep following the live-stream at SFGovTV. #BoardWatch sanfrancisco.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.ph…

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