Press Release 9-27-2020 Little Rock Education Association (LREA) members met last Thursday evening for two and a half hours to discuss the safety concerns that continue to exist within schools of the Little Rock School District (LRSD). We recognize that, as trusted professional educators, the very act of us being in school welcoming our students sends a message to our parents and our community that our schools are safe. We want to be clear. Our schools are NOT safe. Someone is going to get sick and someone is going to die if we continue in the current manner. We have worked collaboratively with the LRSD to implement the “LRSD Ready for Learning Plan” but observations and documentation prove that the plan is not being strictly adhered to throughout every site in the district. President Gordon has worked to address issues, but the issues are still present. The issues pose a serious risk in the midst of a global pandemic. We have lost and will continue to lose wonderful educators, many with advanced degrees, National Board certification, and years of experience because our schools are not safe. At this juncture, LREA members believe that our schools are not safe for in-person instruction and that the risk to our students, our staff members, and our community is too great. Our custodial staff was already stressed with their normal workload. There is no feasible way that they can manage the additional disinfection and cleaning duties without additional help. The district has not hired additional custodial staff to assist with those duties. LREA has collected data that indicates the following unsafe workplace conditions: * 25% of schools report no questionnaire being consistently completed on all who enter the facility * 37% of sites report that facilities are not being properly cleaned and disinfected * Many employees and students are not wearing masks or wearing them improperly and/or pulling the entire mask down when speaking with another person in close proximity * Face shields not in use at all 708 West Second Street + Suite 110 + Little Rock, AR 72201 + 501-372-3519 AEA/NEA Affiliate <>* Students are being allowed to transition to in-person from virtual option resulting in a lack of social distancing in classrooms. * Staff members with compromised immune systems are being required to report and teach in person in the same building in which they work as an ADA accommodation. * No ventilation upgrades to new filters. No air purifiers provided at all. © District offices still closed to public. No visitors allowed. Beginning tomorrow, our educators stand willing and ready to serve our students through virtual instruction only. This is not a strike. This is not a work stoppage. We are completely and totally willing to work and serve our students virtually in a manner that keeps everyone safe and alive. We are extremely concerned about the safety risk that our workplaces (LRSD schools) pose to the health and wellbeing of all who enter the premises. The lives of our students and our educators are too valuable to risk. We have been told that we will be terminated if we take this action. To lose the jobs that we love will break our hearts, but to lose one of our students or one of our colleagues to COVID-19 when we could take steps to prevent it would forever impact us. The following statements can be attributed to LREA President Teresa Knapp Gordon. “We gave the “Plan” five weeks. It isn’t working. It isn’t going to work. This is not normal, nor is it feasible.” “We all want our lives to return to normal. That isn’t going to happen unless we take the necessary steps to keep everyone safe and healthy. We are willing to do what it takes.” “1 we do not transition to virtual instruction now, someone is going to get sick. Someone is going to die. We will not be responsible for that happening.” “District administration can deny it all they want, but we are in the schools and we see what is happening every minute of every hour of every day and we say it is not safe.”Multiple classes of students are being housed in gymnasiums, media centers, and auditoriums at one time, creating social distancing and mass gathering issues Disinfection protocol is not taking place in a routine or consistent manner Water fountains are in use Students are eating in close contact with one another Classrooms are being doubled up with no social distancing Thermometers not functioning No cleaning between classes of students Mask “breaks” in classrooms Students seated together at tables with improper social distancing Buildings not receiving routine cleaning due to lack of staff Gloves not provided for cleaning Ill-fitting and soiled masks on students Administrators not following “The Plan” and communicating to staff that they won’t be requiring staff to follow it either PreK classes with well over 10 students, in person. Educators being required to use sick leave when quarantined with symptoms Allowing 48 hour quarantines if no symptoms instead of 10-14 days Covid Leave only allowed if POC Team says must test Positive tests quarantined for 10 days, but probable close contact quarantined for 14 days Administrators view closing schools for cases as a competition and have made statements saying that their school is not going to close “no matter what.” The idea is that being on the list of quarantines and positives is a negative reflection on the school. Administrators have now been told that the school will be responsible for deciding whether to report virtual student cases Students in quarantined schools being allowed to transfer and attend another school while still under quarantine orders District POC team will no longer be the initial contact for positives and quarantines-will now be done at school level. This will dilute and diminish the numbers.