Resources to ensure ‘The Safety Our Students Deserve’

Safety concerns continue to rise as coronavirus cases in Hawaii hit record levels and infections by minors make up an alarming proportion of those new cases. Late Friday, the Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) reported 105 new school-related COVID-19 cases within the past week, which make up nearly 10% of the entire HIDOE statewide total since the department began tracking cases in June of 2020. That compares to 23 cases reported last week, before classes resumed.

Despite these facts, HIDOE assures the public that there is nothing to be worried about while they have no metrics to determine when it is no longer safe to continue with full, in-person classes.

The Hawaii State Teachers Association put together this resource page to provide educators with the tools and resources they need to enforce safety protocols at their schools and worksites. We will continue to engage with members over health-related issues and concerns.

Mahalo to those of you who participated in last Friday’s HSTA Question of the Week: At the start of the 2021–22 school year, how are you feeling about your safety and students’ safety? Respondents overwhelmingly indicated that they feel somewhat unsafe or very unsafe for both themselves (~60%) and students (~70%).

Now that the 2021–22 school year is in full swing, this week’s Question of the Week asks you to tell us more about what you’re seeing: What would you want the community and decision-makers to know about how safe or unsafe things are where you work? The link for you to submit a response is contained within today’s Member Matters email. If you’re not receiving HSTA’s weekly email newsletter, sign up today!

Good faith efforts have gone ignored

Throughout the bargaining process that spanned the past few months, the employer was unwilling to engage in working on an updated Memorandum of Understanding similar to the one that we worked out to begin last school year. Instead, they insisted that their HIDOE COVID-19 Health and Safety Guidance, with “strict protocols” containing core essential strategies and mitigation strategies, would be more than sufficient.

Despite those protocols and strategies, we’ve already seen teachers being forced to sit side-by-side for start of the year administration days or students sitting shoulder-to-shoulder at many schools for welcome-back assemblies. You’ve told us about administrators not following masking protocols or turning a blind eye to others who were not. Just because the HIDOE claims schools are safe doesn’t necessarily make it so.

Let your administrators know your concerns

For the health of you and your students, you have a right to know if protocols in the COVID-19 Health and Safety Guidance are being adhered to.

“Improving ventilation is an important COVID-19 prevention strategy that can reduce the number of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles in the air. Bringing fresh outdoor air into a building helps keep virus particles from concentrating inside.” (p. 11)

 

Has ventilation been improved for your classrooms and workspaces to prevent virus particles from concentrating? Are professionals being brought in to monitor ventilation systems to ensure they are being serviced and operating properly? Is there a service log available for review?

“HIDOE school, complex area, and state office requests for PPE will be filled based on assessments of current and future PPE needs for individuals or groups of higher risk of exposure.” (p. 18)

 

Do you have all the personal protective equipment and sanitization supplies that you need? Some of our members report they began the school year without being provided necessary and adequate supplies.

Contractual provisions

There are a few places in the HSTA contract that you may be able to utilize to organize and advocate for your safety and the safety of your students.

*The final 2021–23 collective bargaining agreement document is being finalized. Sections of the collective bargaining agreement mentioned in this web story remain the same.

“Teachers shall not be required to work under unsafe or hazardous conditions or to perform tasks which imminently endanger their health or safety.

When any teacher believes that an unsafe or hazardous condition exists, the teacher shall immediately inform the principal or other immediate supervisor who shall take appropriate action. Within a reasonable length of time, the principal or designee will inform the teacher of the action which has been taken. When any teacher believes that the personal safety of his students or his person is jeopardized or endangered, the teacher shall inform the principal who shall take appropriate action. Within a reasonable length of time, the principal or designee will inform the teacher of the action which has been taken.” (HSTA CBA Article X, B.)

 

With the Health and Safety Guidance listing the protocols which should be in place at your schools and workplaces, administrators should be adhering to those protocols. If not, you have a right to “immediately inform the principal or other immediate supervisor who shall take appropriate action.” Informing administrators is a necessary first step towards resolving any issues relating to health and safety and this should preferably be documented in writing. Should nothing be done within “a reasonable length of time,” this would be something to then take up with your HSTA UniServ Director (UD) to help you to get addressed.

“… the Employer will furnish such other information in its possession, in response to reasonable requests by the Association which will assist the Association in effectively representing the teacher in the collective bargaining process and in the processing of grievances.” (HSTA CBA Article IV, A.)

 

If reasonable requests for information from your administration go unheeded, there may be opportunities to work with your HSTA UD to formally request information, especially if it is related to workplace safety or if there may be other potential contractual violations taking place.

Stay informed to advocate for yourself and students

Forced by legislators who overrode a veto by Gov. David Ige last month, HIDOE is now required by law to publish a weekly report of cases by school along with when the positive test result was reported to the school and when the person who had the positive result was last on campus. With the new school year now in session, more reports of positive cases in schools seem to be taking place across the state. If one or more cases are found at your school and letters are sent home, please be on the lookout for that information to be posted in a timely manner on the HIDOE COVID-19 Information and Updates website.

HIDOE continues to post memos which are accessible only to those with old Lotus Notes password credentials. Those related to COVID-19 are shared on HSTA’s coronavirus memos page. You can also find information on HIDOE’s Health and Safety website.

Every Wednesday, the Hawaii Department of Health publishes a “What is the COVID-19 community transmission level in my learning area?” infographic. The health department also shows a summary of guidance changes and a link to the latest DOH Guidance for Schools, dated July 30, 2021, as of this posting.

The Hawaii for a Safe Return to Schools website has a number of resources and also a link to their Facebook group which includes vigorous discussion and speakers from the medical profession. Please note that HSTA is not affiliated with Hawaii for a Safe Return to Schools.

You are HSTA

When you and your colleagues work together to advocate and demand that our schools and workplaces are safe for students and employees, that is HSTA fighting for what’s right because you are HSTA. It’s going to take all of us this year to ensure that proper protocols are adhered to and that your working conditions and your students’ learning conditions are as safe as they can possibly be.

Let us know how safe or unsafe things are where you work so that HSTA leaders and staff can also advocate for you to inform our communities and decision-makers what they need to hear from those who are on the ground every day. Please answer this week’s Question of the Week as we continue to strive for the safety our students deserve.