ATA News

3/9/2021  * Please feel free to share this letter with your contacts *

Dear Friend of Albany Teachers:

We know you share our commitment to giving our best for every student in our schools, and that is why we feel compelled to reach out to you today and ask for your support.  We know that you have also been supporting your family and community, trying to be your best for those around you.  We don’t want to burden you, but our efforts are interconnected and we must work together.

When the schools closed in March last year, ATA teachers, counselors, librarians and psychologists did our best to keep it together for the kids.  We worked through the summer to bring our best ideas to remote learning.   Since August, we have been doing our best to support every student remotely and ALSO figure out how to get back in-person with them safely.  We have participated in every committee meeting at our sites, negotiated with the District office, and studied the research from around the world.  After nine months and many consultations with every ATA member, with parents, with students, with public health experts, we were pleased to ratify an agreement to resume in-person services TK-12.  We were ready to implement it quickly when the Board approved it on March 5.  We are shocked and heartbroken that the Board is now considering abandoning a carefully considered, legally binding agreement in a hastily called emergency meeting on Tuesday March 16. 

For us, the memorandum of agreement approved March 5 represented a first step, on which we hoped to build in a collaborative and deliberative way, towards improved offerings for students and a full re-opening by the fall.  We struggled in collaboration with administrators, parent and student leaders to do our best for every child, even as we monitored the changing situation of our students, including their diverse special needs and many kinds of crisis.

For example:

• We know we must offer as much in-person instruction as possible without sacrificing a robust remote program for those students who need it.
• It is our expert opinion that we cannot equitably meet the needs of every student teaching in-person students and remote students simultaneously, “simulcasting”.
• We know you expect the very best possible safety measures to limit community spread of the virus.

We still hope to implement the plans that were negotiated and approved.  We will learn from that implementation the best way to do more.  Unfortunately, we must first convince the Board to stand by their agreement with us and work with us to do the best for every student.

So today we are hoping you can do one more thing support that collaborative process. Could you either:

• Sign on to this letter to the Board of Education or
• Attend the special School Board Meeting on Tuesday 3/16 7pm by Zoom.  If you attend, we recommend changing your Zoom name to “I Support Albany Teachers” so that the Board can see your support even if you do not speak in the meeting.

For our part, we are committed to a sustained relationship with you – our community.  Please let us know your thoughts and questions at this email address – please feel free to consult our website (ata-ausd.org) for more details – please look for more news in the coming days.

Yours truly,

Chris Knight and Stephen Naiff
Albany Teachers Association Co-Presidents
albanyteachersassociation@gmail.com
ata-ausd.org 

This last week has been one of renewed hope in this pandemic. By working together, the District, parents, and teachers worked quickly and efficiently to share updated information about vaccinations. In one week, we were able to get half of our members either their first vaccination shot or an appointment to get one. Not only will this help reduce the spread of the virus, but a vaccination is the only way to protect teachers from the more severe effects of this disease.

Each week more studies and information comes out about COVID and reopening schools. As teachers, we understand and respect science. We also have a great deal of experience with the reality of groups of children. We know, with certainty, that the almost 300 students on an elementary school campus will not remain 6 feet distanced nor masked as much as we would like. We also know that we will have no control about what happens to those students if their families choose to travel or get together with others. We will also be the ones inside, in close contact with these students for two hours each day during in-person learning. If keeping everyone safe was as simple as a mask and keeping 6 ft apart, surely every school in the nation would be open. Clearly, it is not impossible but, clearly, it is not that simple either.

The CDC and the District’s COVID Health and Safety plan are providing many guidelines for safely opening schools. These are the important details that will keep our teachers, students, and community safe. ATA is bargaining with the District to make these details a reality. It is not simple, but we are committed to making it work because, like you, we want to be with our students.

Lastly, Chris and I want to share our appreciation to the many, many parents who wrote letters to us, both in support of distance learning or passionately stating the need for schools to reopen. We can assure you that ATA is doing its part by bargaining in good faith, quickly and thoughtfully, while still providing the best learning experience we can. We also trust the District to continue to do its part by working on implementing the Health and Safety plan in the classrooms and school sites. Together we can do this.

Thank you.

Stephen and Chris

Dear Members of the Board, Superintendent, and Albany Community,

As Albany educators, we appreciate the overwhelming support of the Albany community in our work. We always have, and that’s one of the things that makes this such a wonderful place to teach. However, recently, we have seen some unfair accusations made against us. It is important for us to abide by the facts.

First: We’re doing a damn fine job. I can’t tell you how many conversations Stephen and I have had with ATA members this year where we’ve been blown away by the creativity and diligence being exercised across this district. Many tears have been shed in these conversations too. Tears of passion and concern for the work and students. ATA members are routinely delivering the highest quality instruction in these extremely difficult circumstances. We are doing it with the highest level of conscientiousness and skill.

Second: ATA has and continues to bargain in good faith. ATA is actively engaged with good faith bargaining in the interest of the health, safety, and welfare of all of our community. Our bargaining team has caucused nearly twenty times since September. They have been working tirelessly balancing being parents, teachers, survey-designers, and representing the 230 members of ATA. And they’ve been doing a fantastic job of it. This unprecedented contract represents the safety and well-being of not only our staff but the students and community as well.

Lastly: The pandemic continues to rage in this and neighboring communities. While the governor makes executive orders changing when we can return to school, the fact remains we are still in the Purple Tier of this pandemic. Case rates are still triple what is considered a substantial rate and even that might be underrepresented. There are many studies stating the minimal risk of spread for young children when all safety precautions are taken but, as educators, we understand what the reality is, as schools in San Diego have to close down classrooms after following all of the safety protocols.

ATA’s position on the return to school is, and always has been, simple: We very much want to return, when it is safe. We miss our students. Our children are restless and anxious. We are suffering in all of the ways that the broader community is suffering. But a return to in person instruction in any form needs to be safe. Alameda County is still well into the purple tier. The safety of our members and the community is our first priority. And the best way to guarantee this safe return is for us to continue to engage in good faith bargaining.

Sincerely,

Chris Knight & Stephen Naiff
ATA Co-Presidents

Dear Members of the Board, Superintendent, and Albany Community,

As we move towards the end of January there are many reasons to be hopeful.  The inauguration provided uplifting messages of an America that we sorely miss – messages of peace, unity, truth, and a commitment to confronting forces of hatred and injustice.  While the hard work is clearly ahead of us, there is hope.

Along with a new administration comes a more science-based approach to a vaccination plan.  We are not where we want to be in the number of vaccinations completed, but the process has started and provides hope for the time when enough people are vaccinated to allow for larger gatherings.  And while our current COVID metrics are still way above the “widespread” tier and new variants are raising alarm, our overall trend looks promising giving hope that, by following County guidelines, we can move into less dangerous tiers.

Teachers, by nature, are full of hope.  From the simple hope that a new lesson won’t bomb, to the universal hope of equality for all.  We put our heart and hopes into our teaching every day – providing thoughtful engaging lessons, virtual field trips, publishing parties, one-on-one and small group support meetings and, yes, even semester finals.  One of our biggest hopes is that we can one day return to school, safely.  There is still a lot to do, but we are hopeful.

It may be all too obvious, but it bears highlighting, that the only way that these hopes become realities is by working together.  From the national to the local level, from state to school, our hope is that we all can work together for what is best for our country, our community, and our children.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Stephen Naiff/Chris Knight
ATA Co-Presidents

Dear Members of the Board, Superintendent, and Albany Community,

Along with our community, ATA is reeling from the attacks on our Capitol and democracy. Along with the pandemic, recent events have dramatically effected our thoughts and actions. I would like to take a moment to thank the teachers, District office staff, parents, and community members who have given the gift of time and caring to have meaningful conversations with each other and our students about this terrible event. We can get through this, together.

Concurrently, the pandemic continues to surge. Our hope, along with the community, is to have a safe return to school. There are promising fiscal and vaccination plans forming and being implemented at state and local levels which we hope will help during this time. Vaccination is an important part of a larger puzzle. Our COVID tier, the District’s safety preparedness, and negotiations will all need to fall into place to get us back to school safely – not only for students and staff but the community as a whole.

Every day I am thankful to be a part of this amazing community, working for an amazing District, teaching amazing students. We can get through this, together.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Stephen Naiff/Chris Knight
ATA Co-presidents

Dear Members of the Board, Superintendent, and Albany community,

First, to former President Kim Trutane and trustee Jacob Clark, we thank you for your service on our School board. Our students, staff, and community have faced no shortage of challenges, and we want to recognize the time, energy, and effort you’ve put into this valuable work.

President Hinkley and Vice President Doss, congratulations on your new board positions. And to our newly appointed trustees, Melissa Boyd and Veronica Davidson, Albany Teachers Association welcomes you and looks forward to working with you to meet the challenges and opportunities facing the district. Thank you for stepping up to serve.

Next, we want to express our continued gratitude to the community for their support with remote learning. These are difficult and trying times for all of us and while there is a light at the end of this tunnel, we know we might not get there as fast as we would like. The important thing to remember is that we will get there, together.

Also, we appreciate the hard work the District has been doing. A number of our teachers have been a part of the many committee meetings that are trying to identify and address the myriad of issues necessary to bring students back safely. As more COVID cases arise in our community, a thoughtful science-based plan of action needs to be followed. The reopening presentation will bring us further along that plan. There are still, however, many details that need to be figured out, many of which will, ultimately, need to be bargained. ATA is committed to working with the District through these committees and through negotiations to have a safe return for our students and staff.

As we celebrate holidays and a new year full of hope, we are optimistic and continue to work hard for what is best for our teachers, students, and our amazing community.

Sincerely,
Stephen Naiff & Chris Knight
ATA Co-presidents

Dear Members of the Board, Superintendent, and Albany community,

As we move into the tenth week of remote instruction, we wanted to share some thoughts…

First, we want to thank our community for their continued support with remote learning. While we are working extremely hard to provide thoughtful and engaging lessons, troubleshoot problems from afar, and look out for the emotional well-being of our students, you are right there supporting and solving problems in real-time, while also working and providing for your family. We know, especially our teachers with school-age kids, how difficult this can be.

Second, while we know remote learning is far from ideal, we are continuously amazed by the progress and successes many of our students are accomplishing. At the elementary levels, attendance meets or exceeds levels for in-person teaching. There are highlights from TK through 12 grade. These successes, however, do not diminish the real struggles students are having with remote learning.

Lastly, as you know, the Alameda County Reopening guidelines present a myriad of safety issues – from contact tracing and quarantine protocols to sanitizing and ventilation guidelines – that must be solved before the County considers it safe to reopen our schools. As the District’s Health and Safety plan continues to evolve and be worked on, ATA is meeting weekly with the District to move along the negotiations process for the Albany Children’s center preschool program. ATA is committed to the safety of staff, students, and the community.

Sincerely,

Stephen Naiff & Chris Knight
ATA Co-presidents

Here are a couple quick links to what the state and local teacher’s union organizations are recommending:

Good Evening,

For the past eight weeks, our teachers have been providing the best remote learning experience they can. Using a variety of video and technology tools along with whole class, small group, individual and asynchronous teaching, we have sought to engage students while also dealing with issues around technology, emotional health, educational best practices, natural disasters, and the pandemic. Teachers have been modifying in-person curriculum to try and fit the constraints of remote teaching and spending countless hours making asynchronous lessons. To be honest, it is exhausting. All of us know that this is not an ideal teaching situation. Even as we try our best, we know that just as some students are flourishing, others are being left behind. Along with parents and students, we look forward to being back in the classroom. Safely.

Safety is always of primary concern for educators. Children need to feel safe, or they don’t learn. We need to feel safe, in order to teach effectively. Currently, safety is literally a matter of life and death. While we are excited to begin a process for eventually bringing staff and students back to school, there are many issues that need to be addressed. We appreciate the District presenting a draft reopening plan to start addressing these issues. Each of the protocols and procedures in this plan will need careful consideration and may be different from site to site. For example, currently, some schools have very poor ventilation and it has been shown that tiny droplets can spread the virus for hours when there is inadequate ventilation. Many sites will need portable HEPA air cleaners, exhaust fans and some rooms may be unusable for students and staff. A room by room assessment matched to a daily schedule will need to be considered.

Safely reopening our schools will need to be based on Science and readiness. We ask that the ability to be open not be confused with being prepared to open. As the District will need time to complete and implement a final Reopening plan, we will need time to bargain in good faith for our members and what we believe is best for our students. We understand the hardships that everyone faces in remote learning and are just as anxious to see children back in the classroom. Safely.

Sincerely,

Stephen and Chris
ATA Co-presidents

In the Nov 3 2020 election there are two seats open on the Albany USD Board of Trustees.  Three people are running, none of them are incumbents.  The Albany Teachers Association has chosen not to make an endorsement for this season, but we strongly encourage educators to inform themselves and to make individual endorsements, donations or volunteer commitments – even if you are not an Albany resident or eligible to vote.  You can find out more about the candidates here. 

• Friday September 11 at 11:45am with Veronica Davidson (Zoom Link)
• Friday September 11 at 5pm with Melissa Boyd (Zoom Link)
• Monday September 14 at 4pm with Brian Beall (Zoom Link)

Candidates:

	Brian Beall Read More …
	Melissa Boyd Read More …
	Veronica Davidson   Read More …