The district has reversed its policy and will now grant teachers the choice to work remotely while students remain off-site. This shift reflects a meaningful change in how our professional autonomy is valued within the school building. I am deeply appreciative of the 219 individuals who stood with me to …
October 29, 2020
Final supporters
As the start of a new school year approached, teachers prepared for their return to the classroom in ways they never had before. Some teachers found themselves setting up a home-office to teach from while students were learning remotely; others found themselves mentally preparing to return to their empty classrooms where they will sit in isolation for 7 hours each day while their students learn remotely.
While the Carman-Ainsworth Community School District in Flint, Michigan, determined remote learning for the month of September to be the best option based on the current status of the COVID-19 pandemic in this region, the district failed to consider that teachers are human, too.
Instead of providing an option for teachers to work remotely during the timeframe in which their students are off-site, the district is requiring teachers to be present within their school buildings Monday-Friday, from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
The logic for this decision is formally said to be based on the concept of teachers being part of the ‘First Cohort’ to return to an in-person setting; the underlying reasons for this decision are rooted in distrust and dehumanization of teachers.
The idea of teachers being utilized as ‘guinea pigs’ for determining the safety of resuming in-person education is flawed; the current requirements do not mimic the anticipated conditions of students returning to classrooms and thus provide no valuable insight on the perceived safety of returning to in-person learning.
By requiring teachers to be present in the building while students learn remotely, the district has placed undue burden on educators. Numerous educators within the community have children aged K-12 that will now be home during this timeframe and they must find accommodations for child care while they go into work each day. While this is the difficult reality faced by millions of Americans, many employers have found ways to accommodate the needs of employees by permitting work to be completed remotely, whenever reasonable accommodations can be made.
In addition to undue burden, teachers must now face an increased risk of exposure to COVID-19 by being required to travel into work each day. This increase in exposure likely includes the additional stops at a gas station, at a store for materials, and any time they are within the school building.
Since March, we have witnessed a rapid increase in access to alternative work options. The ability to interact virtually has been utilized by nearly every industry; medical appointments can be conducted via Telemedicine services, students can interact through virtual education platforms, and families can safely come together to celebrate, mourn, or simply say “hello” through platforms such as Zoom or Skype.
It is time for Carman-Ainsworth to be a leader for the Flint community and provide staff members with the option to work remotely if desired.
Please join in showing your support for the health and wellbeing of our community by requesting the Carman-Ainsworth Board of Education and Superintendent Eddie Kindle to reconsider the decision to require staff members to be present in the building despite students learning remotely.
I will be bringing this issue up to the school board during the public comments portion of the virtual meeting on Tuesday, September 1st
Please share and sign by Tuesday if possible! Thank you!!
Updates
Reached 100 supporters
August 31, 2020
55 Comments
Whether intentional or not, the in-person mandate has a punitive effect. When every other profession which can be conducted remotely is conducted remotely you have to ask yourself the purpose of a policy otherwise. In fact, studies show people working from home are more productive - this information is readily available with a cursory google search.
Letting teachers choose where to work and providing childcare while you’re fully online shows trust and treats teachers like the professionals they are. If they don’t perform well while working at home, you can address performance issues. Also good for recruiting and retaining teachers!
Interestingly, the board meeting will be virtual but teachers must be present in empty classrooms to teach. That sounds like a double standard to me.
If you can’t trust your teachers YOU are creating a hostile work environment. There is NO reason to require teachers to report in the buildings unless you don’t trust them. Wonder why they have little respect for administration?? Well YOU set the tone
It is such a shame. CA board members think it was apporiate to but teachers and their family in harms way. Michigan has a total of 113k cases with over 6k fatal WITH FLINT HAVING NEARLY 300 ACTIVE CASES. By having the teachers not working remotely. CA board members are risking their teachers and any more health.. JUSTICE FOR TH TEACHERS
This is ridiculous and you're putting teachers lives at risk!
As a former employee, I’m very disappointed in the lack of flexibility the district has shown.
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The district has reversed its policy and will now grant teachers the choice to work remotely while students remain off-site. This shift reflects a meaningful change in how our professional autonomy is valued within the school building. I am deeply appreciative of the 219 individuals who stood with me to …
October 29, 2020
Final supporters
As the start of a new school year approached, teachers prepared for their return to the classroom in ways they never had before. Some teachers found themselves setting up a home-office to teach from while students were learning remotely; others found themselves mentally preparing to return to their empty classrooms where they will sit in isolation for 7 hours each day while their students learn remotely.
While the Carman-Ainsworth Community School District in Flint, Michigan, determined remote learning for the month of September to be the best option based on the current status of the COVID-19 pandemic in this region, the district failed to consider that teachers are human, too.
Instead of providing an option for teachers to work remotely during the timeframe in which their students are off-site, the district is requiring teachers to be present within their school buildings Monday-Friday, from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
The logic for this decision is formally said to be based on the concept of teachers being part of the ‘First Cohort’ to return to an in-person setting; the underlying reasons for this decision are rooted in distrust and dehumanization of teachers.
The idea of teachers being utilized as ‘guinea pigs’ for determining the safety of resuming in-person education is flawed; the current requirements do not mimic the anticipated conditions of students returning to classrooms and thus provide no valuable insight on the perceived safety of returning to in-person learning.
By requiring teachers to be present in the building while students learn remotely, the district has placed undue burden on educators. Numerous educators within the community have children aged K-12 that will now be home during this timeframe and they must find accommodations for child care while they go into work each day. While this is the difficult reality faced by millions of Americans, many employers have found ways to accommodate the needs of employees by permitting work to be completed remotely, whenever reasonable accommodations can be made.
In addition to undue burden, teachers must now face an increased risk of exposure to COVID-19 by being required to travel into work each day. This increase in exposure likely includes the additional stops at a gas station, at a store for materials, and any time they are within the school building.
Since March, we have witnessed a rapid increase in access to alternative work options. The ability to interact virtually has been utilized by nearly every industry; medical appointments can be conducted via Telemedicine services, students can interact through virtual education platforms, and families can safely come together to celebrate, mourn, or simply say “hello” through platforms such as Zoom or Skype.
It is time for Carman-Ainsworth to be a leader for the Flint community and provide staff members with the option to work remotely if desired.
Please join in showing your support for the health and wellbeing of our community by requesting the Carman-Ainsworth Board of Education and Superintendent Eddie Kindle to reconsider the decision to require staff members to be present in the building despite students learning remotely.
I will be bringing this issue up to the school board during the public comments portion of the virtual meeting on Tuesday, September 1st
Please share and sign by Tuesday if possible! Thank you!!
Updates
Reached 100 supporters
August 31, 2020
55 Comments
As a parent of C/A Alumni, I have much love and respect for the C/A teachers and believe they deserve to be treated with love and respect. They should have the option to work remotely without consequence.
Whether intentional or not, the in-person mandate has a punitive effect. When every other profession which can be conducted remotely is conducted remotely you have to ask yourself the purpose of a policy otherwise. In fact, studies show people working from home are more productive - this information is readily available with a cursory google search.
Letting teachers choose where to work and providing childcare while you’re fully online shows trust and treats teachers like the professionals they are. If they don’t perform well while working at home, you can address performance issues. Also good for recruiting and retaining teachers!
Interestingly, the board meeting will be virtual but teachers must be present in empty classrooms to teach. That sounds like a double standard to me.
If you can’t trust your teachers YOU are creating a hostile work environment. There is NO reason to require teachers to report in the buildings unless you don’t trust them. Wonder why they have little respect for administration?? Well YOU set the tone
It is such a shame. CA board members think it was apporiate to but teachers and their family in harms way. Michigan has a total of 113k cases with over 6k fatal WITH FLINT HAVING NEARLY 300 ACTIVE CASES. By having the teachers not working remotely. CA board members are risking their teachers and any more health.. JUSTICE FOR TH TEACHERS
This is ridiculous and you're putting teachers lives at risk!
As a former employee, I’m very disappointed in the lack of flexibility the district has shown.
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As a parent of C/A Alumni, I have much love and respect for the C/A teachers and believe they deserve to be treated with love and respect. They should have the option to work remotely without consequence.