Ballots for the 2020 BCFPE Elections for all Union Officers will be mailed via Elections USA.

• Please see the NOTICE OF UPCOMING BCFPE ELECTIONS flyer below for further information.
• Ballots will be mailed by Elections USA by Sept. 11, 2020, and must be received back (not postmarked, but received) in their P.O. Box by Sept. 29, 2020.
• If you have not received a ballot by September 18, 2020 please notify the committee chair immediately to receive a replacement ballot. Replacement ballots can be requested no later than September 18, 2020.
• Executive Board Nominations form is available below.
• Executive Board nominations are due by the General Membership Meeting on Tuesday, September 1, 2020.

Questions or requests may be directed to the Election Chair, Rick Steinhauser, at bcfpe2020elections@gmail.com.

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AFT-NH President Doug Ley issued the following statement in reaction to the guidelines issued by Governor Sununu.

“Once again, Gov. Chris Sununu fails the test of leadership.  With COVID infections spiking rapidly across the nation and with public health officials repeatedly stating that wearing masks is one of the easiest and most effective ways to limit the spread of the virus, the Governor refuses to mandate wearing of masks in schools.  In fact, the entire set of guidelines released today amount to a pile of nothing—little guidance, vague suggestions, and most important, no support provided by the State to local school districts facing huge costs as the school year approaches.  The Governor likes to act like a king doling out Federal CARES funds, but when it comes to actual leadership, the king abdicates.

From the start, the process of crafting guidelines for school reopening in Fall 2020 was fraught with difficulties, mostly self-inflicted.  The task force and supportive working groups appointed by Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut contained virtually no public school teachers while sidelining leaders of statewide education organizations to a working group with no clear assignment or duties.  The initial materials sent out by the Commissioner featured numerous press articles touting individual stories of students thriving in online education but nothing on the work of educators and the looming challenges.  Even the survey touted today was tilted towards online education, and while the Governor cited the survey to justify his vague recommendations, the actual results have yet to be released, despite requests from myself and other working group members.

No required use of masks.  No State support to aid districts facing huge costs for heightened sanitizing and cleaning regimens.  No aid for districts when it comes to transportation (how many kids can you fit safely on a school bus?)  No help in obtaining PPE for schools.  No help in ensuring all students have equal access to remote learning when it becomes necessary (as it surely will).  And what about the teachers, para-educators, food service workers and administrative support staff?  What if their health is already compromised or if a loved one at home is vulnerable?  What provisions are to be made for them? 

Local control is part of the very foundation of public education in New Hampshire, but stronger State guidance and support can mesh with local control.  Local variations are real, but broad public health concerns crossing local district lines are also real, along with the scientific guidance that can help us in forming sensible policies.  Sadly, Governor Sununu has abdicated his leadership responsibilities when it comes to our students, teachers, and schools in New Hampshire.  We can only hope and pray that the patchwork approach adopted in New Hampshire does not lead to the same tragic results that we are now witnessing across the United States.”  

AFT-NH is a federation of 28 locals, and is the largest affiliate of the NH AFL-CIO.  Our 4000 members range from teachers to para-educators, school support staff, municipal employees, law-enforcement officers and higher education faculty, and we stand for equal access to quality public education, affordable health care, and maintaining the rights of working people to have protections and a voice in the workplace.   

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July 14, 2020                                            

Hernando Classroom Teachers’ Association on plans to reopen schools

BROOKSVILLE –The safety of students, our members, and the community is the absolute highest priority for Hernando Classroom Teachers’ Association (HCTA). As the professional association for instructional staff in Hernando County, we are deeply troubled by the Florida Department of Education’s order to reopen schools beginning next month just as Florida emerges as a global epicenter of COVID-19 cases.

The temporary effects of statewide interventions put in place by the governor in March and April have been undermined by a dangerous rush to return to ‘normal’. Not only is Florida currently setting records for new coronavirus cases nearly every day, but more than half of the 935 coronavirus cases here in Hernando were diagnosed in just the past two weeks. We cannot afford to dismiss this data when making decisions regarding our plans to resume instruction in the month ahead.

Teachers in Hernando want to welcome students back to the classroom this school year, but we must ensure that this is done in the safest way possible. Among surveyed HCTA members, 96% reported that they were aware of district plans for reopening, yet only 27% reported that they were comfortable with a return to face-to-face instruction. Many questions remain unanswered at this time, and assurances must be offered that risk to students and staff have been addressed prior to returning to our brick and mortar settings.

HCTA acknowledges--and is appreciative of--the District’s efforts to include the association, faculty and staff voices in the reopening task force discussions. Though neither a statewide nor countywide mandate has been issued for face masks in public spaces, we cannot in good conscience claim to offer appropriate safety provisions without requiring face coverings as recommended by the CDC. By far, the most significant thing we can do to provide for social distancing on campus is to purposefully plan for smaller class sizes. We are obligated to expand access to online and remote instruction which offers students and staff a return to learning with the least risk of exposure to the virus. We also need to ensure that the plans to resume instruction are intentional in addressing educational inequities exacerbated by this public health crisis.

Above all, HCTA—and educators across Florida—are collectively calling upon the state to guarantee the needed resources and flexibility for our district(s) to make and adjust plans based upon timely data and guidance from public health and safety experts. Sustained funding from the state is essential, not just to reopen but to maintain safe, appropriate educational opportunities for students throughout the year ahead.
 

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In New Orleans, history is just as vital an element in the city’s culture as food, music, architecture, spirituality, and celebration. In fact, history may be the most powerful force, because the stories we know shape how we view every other aspect of the culture. Because many histories in New Orleans are passed down orally, they often aren’t captured in textbooks or assessed on standardized tests. And when powerful stories of resistance, ingenuity, and solidarity aren’t told, we risk losing the power they have to inspire subsequent generations.

LFT has conducted a comprehensive survey to evaluate the concerns of educators and community members with regards to schools reopening later this summer. LFT received responses from nearly 15,000 teachers, support staff, parents, students and concerned community members regarding the reopening of schools. The survey was conducted electronically between June 30-July 10, 2020 and distributed widely through various online platforms.

Dane County continues to see record high numbers of new COVID cases, news from the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement threatens our international students and co-workers, all while administration moves forward with plans for students to be back on campus this fall. We know that many in the campus community—faculty and academic staff, grad and student workers, administrative and blue collar employees—are deeply concerned about worker health and safety in light of these issues with a variety of questions and suggestions.

On July 14th, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) will meet to discuss reopening plans/policies for Louisiana K-12 schools.

Through House Bill 59, the legislature charged BESE to adopt "emergency rules informed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to provide minimum standards, policies, medical exceptions, and regulations to govern the reopening of schools for the 2020-2021 school year to ensure that students, faculty, staff, and others on school property are protected to the extent possible and practical from COVID-19."

These emergency rules will apply to all school districts. Local education authorities will have the ability to go above and beyond the rules set out by BESE, but they can not "adopt a policy, rule, or regulation that imposes a lesser standard." Click here to see BESE's preliminary rules proposal.

What do you want to see in the emergency rules? What do you want BESE to think about when they make these rules? What do you want them to consider?

It's important for the Board to hear from educators, parents and students before making these decisions. SEND THEM AN EMAIL NOW!

CUB MEMBERS & CITY EMPLOYEES: Times are unquestionably difficult for us all. There's an added burden if you're trying to pay college tuition during this time. Nationwide and the City of Baltimore Retirement Savings Plan & Deferred Compensation Plan has a scholarship opportunity for young people whose parents or grandparents are city employees that meet the qualifications. Take a look at the flyer and see if your young scholar is eligible for one of the scholarships. 

Application deadline is July 15, 2020. Click here for application form. See flyer or text below for more details. 

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LFT members are coming together to protect students and staff from COVID-19!

This form should be used to track any work-related exposures to COVID-19 that members have.