After many delays – some due to delays in the state budget and delays in the development of state and county health guidelines, and some… inexplicable – on Monday, July 13, 2020, LTA finally received LSD’s initial proposal for reopening schools safely during the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic and on teacher working conditions during distance teaching and learning.  Unfortunately, the district’s proposal was not as comprehensive or specific as LTA hoped.  LTA will offer a more detailed, comprehensive and specific counterproposal at the next meeting between the two teams on Thursday, July 23.  LTA’s number one priority during this pandemic is making sure students, teachers and staff are safe, and LTA believes that a detailed, comprehensive and specific plan, aligned with county, state and federal health guidelines, is the best way to ensure that.

LSD 2020-2021 COVID-19 initial proposal (7-13-20)

For references, here are the emergency MOUs LTA negotiated with LSD regarding distance teaching and learning during spring 2020 and for special ed summer school (ESY) during summer 2020.  Notice the similarities.  LTA believes that these MOUs provided good structures for the for the initial emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of schools, but that continued distance teaching and learning and eventual return to in-person teaching and learning will require a much detail and specificity and will need to be more comprehensive to deal with multiple contingencies.

Spring 2020 COVID-19 MOU (4-7-20)

Summer 2020 ESY COVID-19 MOU (5-28-20)

Additionally, LSD shared a proposal to officially conclude negotiations for the 2019-2020 school year and continue current discussions under as the banner of the 2020-2021 school year.  LTA responded that we need to resolve issues around class sizes next year and the re-employment of our teachers on year-to-year “temporary” contracts before we can consider concluding negotiations for the 2019-2020 school year.

LSD proposal to conclude 2019-2020 negotiations (7-13-20)