The district has officially adopted the testing and transparency protocols outlined in our request. Your commitment to these safety standards proved essential in achieving this outcome. We will remain vigilant to ensure these new procedures are implemented with complete consistency.
February 11, 2022
Final supporters
Introduction
The Omicron variant is surging in DC. Cases are higher than they have ever been. Educators and students are testing positive at extremely high rates, being moved to quarantine, disrupting learning and school operations. DCPS has repeatedly made promises (transparency, substitutes, COVID Coordinators, and more) that have not been kept. This has created an unsafe and unstable environment for learning.
DCPS sent over 25 schools to virtual instruction in a haphazard manner three days prior to break. This decision resulted in numerous outbreaks amongst educators, staff and students.
DCPS should follow in the steps of PG County and switch to virtual instruction during what is largely predicted to be a quick Omicron wave.
In order to ensure that we make it through this surge and are able to resume in person instruction in a safe and healthy manner, certain conditions must be met:
Priority Demands of DCPS: Must be met for us to return to in person instruction after Winter Break.- DCPS must require a negative test result from all staff and students to return.
- Negative test results should be within 3 days of the first day of in person instruction.
- Testing should be made available on site for all who have not taken a test.
- Public, clear, transparent and available metrics for when our schools will provide virtual instruction.
- DC’s Community Spread 7-day average must be below 200 new cases to resume in person instruction.
- School based Metrics must include a clear understanding of what metrics are being used to make the decision.
- Restore paid COVID leave.
- Educators who need to use leave due to COVID should be compensated, without using their sick leave.
- Sick leave should be restored to teachers who have already had to use their leave for COVID purposes.
- Increase in COVID Safety Measures:
- Offer fitted N95/KN95/KF94 masks to staff and students.
- Have weekly PCR and antigen tests of all staff and students every week.
- Having a PCR test available for teachers, staff and families.
- Add a nasal swab option for testing on site.
- Have on demand rapid tests for symptomatic staff and students any day of the week, not just pre-arranged testing dates.
- Having a viable virtual option for students to do virtual.
- Asynchronous day built into the schedule for deep cleaning at schools.
- Make good on DCPS Promises: COVID Coordinators.
- COVID Coordinators must be in the schools when DCPS reopens in 2022 for in-person instruction to assist with the high rates of infections due to Omicron.
- For any school that does not have a COVID Coordinator, DCPS Central Office will reassign someone from Central Office staff or employees to perform that role until one can be found.
- Infections must be reported to the community within 24 hours of notification.
- Clear and increased safety protocols for Elementary Specials Teachers who are expected to see all students every week. Including DCPS planning in place for the performing arts classes.
- Update the definition of Close Contact to include vaccinated individuals considering the Omicron variant's high infection rate amongst those fully vaccinated and boosted.
- Include updated policy for those who test positive and may continue to test positive for some time.
- Have a plan to move to virtual when metrics are met.
- DCPS must provide enough technology for schools to switch to virtual if needed and support schools in implementing a technology roll-out plan.
- Provide training, time and support to teachers to set up virtual instruction.
- Have clear transition procedures for schools to utilize when this decision is made.
Updates
January 1, 2022
The petition has now reached one thousand signatures. This response confirms the deep concern held by our community regarding the current safety protocols in our schools.
Reached 1,000 supporters
December 30, 2021
December 28, 2021
Constant communication from families and educators continues to reveal a profound lack of confidence in the current school operations. My objective remains to ensure that these specific safety concerns reach the individuals responsible for administrative policy.
Reached 100 supporters
December 26, 2021
157 Comments
As a DCPS parent and teacher. I want my 12th grade son and I to be safe, but I get that that might mean that his senior year activities are impacted. However, better not to be sick than to go into Wilson (huge school) or Oyster Adams before cases of COVID have begun to decrease rather than increase
Please hold off returning these kids to school until after this wave is over. You are forcing kids to go to school and get sick. The rapid tests are not accurate with Omicron and you are pretending to be careful vs making sure the kids are safe by switching back to online learning.
Paid Covid leave My 6th grader and I both have Covid and I have to use LWOP at work since I don’t have enough leave due to a recent surgery Virtual learning for kids is best right now
As an immune compromised educator in DCPS, I love my students- but I shouldn’t have to choose between them and my life. Please protect vulnerable students, teachers, parents and staff!
We need to do everything we can to keep our school communities safe during this surge. A few weeks of virtual is far more stable than allowing people to get sick right and left and ending up virtual anyways.
Prayerfully, someone somewhere will realize that we Educator personnel; Substitute Educator personnel; Maintenance & Cafeteria personnel, daily, put their lives & their fam members' lives @ risk as well during COVID-19 uncertainties!! MsPJGY
Semper Fi
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The district has officially adopted the testing and transparency protocols outlined in our request. Your commitment to these safety standards proved essential in achieving this outcome. We will remain vigilant to ensure these new procedures are implemented with complete consistency.
February 11, 2022
Final supporters
Introduction
The Omicron variant is surging in DC. Cases are higher than they have ever been. Educators and students are testing positive at extremely high rates, being moved to quarantine, disrupting learning and school operations. DCPS has repeatedly made promises (transparency, substitutes, COVID Coordinators, and more) that have not been kept. This has created an unsafe and unstable environment for learning.
DCPS sent over 25 schools to virtual instruction in a haphazard manner three days prior to break. This decision resulted in numerous outbreaks amongst educators, staff and students.
DCPS should follow in the steps of PG County and switch to virtual instruction during what is largely predicted to be a quick Omicron wave.
In order to ensure that we make it through this surge and are able to resume in person instruction in a safe and healthy manner, certain conditions must be met:
Priority Demands of DCPS: Must be met for us to return to in person instruction after Winter Break.- DCPS must require a negative test result from all staff and students to return.
- Negative test results should be within 3 days of the first day of in person instruction.
- Testing should be made available on site for all who have not taken a test.
- Public, clear, transparent and available metrics for when our schools will provide virtual instruction.
- DC’s Community Spread 7-day average must be below 200 new cases to resume in person instruction.
- School based Metrics must include a clear understanding of what metrics are being used to make the decision.
- Restore paid COVID leave.
- Educators who need to use leave due to COVID should be compensated, without using their sick leave.
- Sick leave should be restored to teachers who have already had to use their leave for COVID purposes.
- Increase in COVID Safety Measures:
- Offer fitted N95/KN95/KF94 masks to staff and students.
- Have weekly PCR and antigen tests of all staff and students every week.
- Having a PCR test available for teachers, staff and families.
- Add a nasal swab option for testing on site.
- Have on demand rapid tests for symptomatic staff and students any day of the week, not just pre-arranged testing dates.
- Having a viable virtual option for students to do virtual.
- Asynchronous day built into the schedule for deep cleaning at schools.
- Make good on DCPS Promises: COVID Coordinators.
- COVID Coordinators must be in the schools when DCPS reopens in 2022 for in-person instruction to assist with the high rates of infections due to Omicron.
- For any school that does not have a COVID Coordinator, DCPS Central Office will reassign someone from Central Office staff or employees to perform that role until one can be found.
- Infections must be reported to the community within 24 hours of notification.
- Clear and increased safety protocols for Elementary Specials Teachers who are expected to see all students every week. Including DCPS planning in place for the performing arts classes.
- Update the definition of Close Contact to include vaccinated individuals considering the Omicron variant's high infection rate amongst those fully vaccinated and boosted.
- Include updated policy for those who test positive and may continue to test positive for some time.
- Have a plan to move to virtual when metrics are met.
- DCPS must provide enough technology for schools to switch to virtual if needed and support schools in implementing a technology roll-out plan.
- Provide training, time and support to teachers to set up virtual instruction.
- Have clear transition procedures for schools to utilize when this decision is made.
Updates
January 1, 2022
The petition has now reached one thousand signatures. This response confirms the deep concern held by our community regarding the current safety protocols in our schools.
Reached 1,000 supporters
December 30, 2021
December 28, 2021
Constant communication from families and educators continues to reveal a profound lack of confidence in the current school operations. My objective remains to ensure that these specific safety concerns reach the individuals responsible for administrative policy.
Reached 100 supporters
December 26, 2021
157 Comments
I’m a DCPS senior and I don’t feel safe. I need to protect my family and myself and DCPS isn’t taking it seriously. Teachers, parents, and students are asking for a transition to virtual and somehow our voices don’t seem to matter.
As a DCPS parent and teacher. I want my 12th grade son and I to be safe, but I get that that might mean that his senior year activities are impacted. However, better not to be sick than to go into Wilson (huge school) or Oyster Adams before cases of COVID have begun to decrease rather than increase
Please hold off returning these kids to school until after this wave is over. You are forcing kids to go to school and get sick. The rapid tests are not accurate with Omicron and you are pretending to be careful vs making sure the kids are safe by switching back to online learning.
Paid Covid leave My 6th grader and I both have Covid and I have to use LWOP at work since I don’t have enough leave due to a recent surgery Virtual learning for kids is best right now
As an immune compromised educator in DCPS, I love my students- but I shouldn’t have to choose between them and my life. Please protect vulnerable students, teachers, parents and staff!
We need to do everything we can to keep our school communities safe during this surge. A few weeks of virtual is far more stable than allowing people to get sick right and left and ending up virtual anyways.
Prayerfully, someone somewhere will realize that we Educator personnel; Substitute Educator personnel; Maintenance & Cafeteria personnel, daily, put their lives & their fam members' lives @ risk as well during COVID-19 uncertainties!! MsPJGY
Semper Fi
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I’m a DCPS senior and I don’t feel safe. I need to protect my family and myself and DCPS isn’t taking it seriously. Teachers, parents, and students are asking for a transition to virtual and somehow our voices don’t seem to matter.