Thank you to all who made the time to attend our December membership meeting last night. As you all know, the following 28 schools are scheduled to reopen to a subset of HIPP students on Monday. While we question the timing given the uncontrolled spread of COVID in Boston at the moment and the lack of transparency and communication of the plan for both families and educators, we do fully support students who are unable to access remote learning safely coming back in as soon as possible.
We also believe that if families and staff are going back to schools while rates are very high – by CDC, state and city standards – that all of the provisions for reopening granted to the four schools that have already returned are also needed for the 28 schools reopening Monday, and any other schools that reopen while rates remain so high. We have asked repeatedly to bargain, and the district has denied our requests. We are simply asking for the same reasonable instructional, staffing and safety reassurances and have even asked what exactly the district objects to, with no response given.
At our membership meeting last night, a resolution calling for Superintendent Cassellius to sign an MOA that ensures the same reasonable conditions for all educators, students and families was overwhelmingly passed. We need not just unenforceable promises and platitudes, but a signed written agreement. The superintendent and district have not kept all promises, have not been fully honest or transparent, and have not earned the trust of educators to just take their word on safety or instruction.
When lives are on the line – including older educators, educators with health risks, or educators living with high risk children and family members – we cannot rely on just someone’s words, hopes or intentions. We need an MOA to preserve equal standards for safety, instruction, and staffing across all schools slated for reopening as established for the first four schools to reopen for HIPP students, when COVID positivity rates were even lower than they are now. We are asking for no more, no less.
We ask that you write the superintendent and/or members of the school committee to stand in support with all of the educators and families returning in person on Monday. We will be in touch through our reps with further steps and updates.
We will continue to be in this together,
BTU Officers and Staff