Signaling many of the same arguments that undoubtedly led to a potential walkout, unhappy teachers again lined up to voice their concerns to the board and administration of the Los Alamitos Unified School District on Tuesday.
This time, however, there were community members and teachers who expressed satisfaction and even joy about having students finally back in classrooms, albeit in a hybrid setting.
At first, with more than twenty speakers waiting to speak, board president Meg Cutuli expressed the potential of perhaps shortening the statements to two minutes each.
After hearing opposition from board member Karen Russell, however, Cutuli said they would each have their three minutes to speak.
Cutuli did get approval from the board to extend the oral communications section of the meeting from the usual allotment of 30 minutes to an unlimited period, so they could all speak.
“Truly, I feel safer at school right now than I do at Target or Costco,” said Hopkinson 2nd grade teacher Traci Rynski. With more than three decades of experience, Rynski thanked the board and said, “the magic is back.”
Some high school teachers expressed fear and generally, were more concerned about the safety of their lower grade counterparts.
“I miss my students, I miss laughing with them,” said high school teacher Pauline Grimshaw. Nevertheless, Grimshaw told the board “I did not sign up for this gig to teach through a screen.” She wondered “why are we rushing to reopen,” as Grimshaw pointed out how devastating it would be to have to shut down schools because they opened too quickly.
Many high school teachers gave very technical reasons for their discomfort.
“Good ventilation equals six fresh air exchanges per hour,” said teacher Erin Erice, “which means the air in an enclosed space is completely replaced with fresh air six times per hour.
“Dr. Pulver mentioned the new HEPA filters, saying they provide two fresh air refreshes per hour and this does not go far enough,” she said.
Erice and others mentioned the so-called 700’s building at Los Al, a part of the school that apparently has some classrooms that have no windows or other access to fresh air.
Drew Sells, who is a coach and teacher, apparently teaches in one of those rooms, appeared at the last meeting and again this past week, and said the rooms in the 700 building are approximately 1,000 square feet, which in no way will facilitate proper social distancing for more than 20 students.
“So, I’m asking you how do we take this many people and stick them in a classroom by size that has bad ventilation and a mask policy that’s very suspicious,” said Sells.
He said his son attends middle school in the district and that his classrooms have been
“substantially remodeled.” He said those classrooms were better equipped “by a factor of 10.”
Head tennis coach Maria Kibtya said, “teachers and students are on the same side. We want to keep each other safe.” She complained, however, that the reopening plan had added rules “that even adults were having trouble with.”
“Do we want to become the example of what not to do in a pandemic,” she asked?
Teacher Cynthia Nunez wondered, “why are we rushing into this when there is so much uncertainty about what could happen?”
Cynthia Hopkins pleaded for additional support for people wanting “to ask district decisionmakers for more time ensuring that a safe, organized and manageable plan is in place.”
Teacher Rachel Lindahl suggested the current plan would cut valuable instruction time from college bound students and teacher Laurie Anderson suggested teachers not return until
LAUSD is prepared to uphold the “high standards” that “students deserve.”
“Reopening during a pandemic is a complex issue,” said teacher David Eisenberg, which includes “logistical and structural issues that must be resolved.” Eisenberg suggested the district has misled, saying “the district and its board have chosen expediency over safety” and that “we feel that the district has used complex and legal language to mislead or obfuscate the truth from all stakeholders.” Proper social distancing is simply not possible at Los Al High, he said.
Eileen Smith, of Seal Beach, a longtime teacher, said “reckless decisions” and “missteps in the curriculum pedagogy and distance learning is one thing, but the poor decision of opening in person on Tuesday may cost a life and I’m not comfortable with that decision.”
There were many teachers, some parents and family members, who were very supportive of the district’s reopening and safety plan. Some teachers questioned why the complaining teachers did not choose to teach distance learning when they could choose.
“I respect Eileen. I respect all of the teachers and what they’re saying,” said Robert Mendoza, “but we have to get back and go to school, go to work and go forward.”
“We cannot keep waiting,” he said, noting that he was “scared to death that we’re going to have a generation of kids with no social skills.” Many kids, including his own, one of whom is a Los Al senior, are resorting to coping mechanisms that he did not think were good for their mental health.
“We’ve got to get back to where we were,” he said, noting that all of the back and forth was not productive. “There is a middle [ground] somewhere and we have to find it.”
If students get infected, said Mendoza, it is “not likely to be at school.”
“Even if you have to open a window, open the doors and get a fan on one end and a fan on the other, do it,” he urged.
I’m standing here today to say thank you,” said middle school teacher Wendy Hearn, “but also to admit to being confused that there is now a push to not start in person instruction by a group of teachers, who it is my understanding, chose not to teach LosAl@Home.”
“Honestly, I seriously debated whether to stand up here tonight and go against colleagues whom I respect but do not agree with,” she added.
Teacher Kerry Rabelo said having kids back in school is good for their mental health and their education, noting the extraordinary relationships her own children have developed with their teachers. “Relationships like these are built in the classroom, not over a computer,” she said.
Teacher Kerry Rabelo said “countless hours have been spent listening to our concerns and making the necessary changes no matter what the cost, no matter the inconvenience, they tirelessly work for the best for our students,” though she said online instruction still needs work.
Corey Barnett, a firefighter and paramedic, whose wife and mother both teach in the system, and whose children attend Los Al schools, said “I feel it’s safe for my children and my wife.”
Barnett, who said he’d been on the COVID frontlines since March, said “it has been the most challenging six months of my career.”
“We’ve learned how to care for the public while protecting ourselves in the process,” said Barnett. “This is a virus we can live with,” he said, “and no longer need to hide from.”
By following the procedures that have been put forth, “we can make this a safe return.”
Autumn Igo, a parent, said, “I know you’re working hard to provide the best education for kids.”“I think that I’ve heard a lot of people express distrust of the situation and I don’t see that you have given us any reason to distrust anything that that has happened,” she said.
“I feel like you have guided us through the opening of the elementary schools and through middle schools with humility.”
Finally, parent Joe Stolinovich, who is a retired first responder with a Masters in Emergency Management, and who works for a very large company where he serves as the “Chief Contingency Officer,” said Dr. Pulver’s Reopening and Safety Plan is “not haphazard.” “I assure you it is based on industry standards and protocols,” said Stolinovich, who said he is a professional in the field.
