Latest Guides

Education

Pasadena Teachers Send Cease and Desist Letter to School District, Claim PUSD Violated Terms of Deal

Union says District’s “sudden announcement” of a return to classrooms Wednesday spotlights lack of preparation

Published on Tuesday, March 16, 2021 | 10:57 am
 

According to a statement released on Tuesday, the United Teachers of Pasadena (UTP)  has sent a cease and desist demand to the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD).

In a copy of a cease and desist letter obtained by Pasadena Now and signed by California Teachers Association Counsel Stephanie Joseph, the CTA states that the Pasadena Unified School District’s plan to reopen grades TK-5 for in-person instruction on March 29 is “unlawful because it is being done in violation of the parties’ clear and binding Agreements” between the district and United Teachers of Pasadena (UTP). 

A Dec. 4 memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding hybrid simultaneous model school reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic states, “… the parties shall determine the dates when unit members shall be permitted to conduct three days of Asynchronous Instruction to prepare classrooms for social distancing requirements.”

But on March 11, the day after receiving UTP’s counter-proposal regarding dates for asynchronous instruction, PUSD’s Chief Human Resources Officer Steven Miller notified UPT President Allison Steppes that teachers were required to report to work on March 17, 18 and 19 “for the purpose of organizing their classrooms in preparation for the eventual return to in-classroom instruction.” 

According to the cease and desist letter, PUSD Superintendent Brian McDonald sent a message to district families and the community on March 14, notifying them that teaching and learning would be conducted asynchronously on March 17, 18 and 19 to allow teachers an “opportunity to organize their classrooms” as the district “prepare[s] for the eventual return to in-person learning…” 


Read the Cease and Desist Letter sent by teachers to PUSD


At no time prior to the issuance of the March 11 letter or the March 14 message did UTP agree to the March 17-19 dates for asynchronous instruction, according to the cease and desist letter. 

“Rather, the District ignored UTP’s counterproposal, repudiated the parties’ agreement, and set the dates unilaterally,” the letter states.

According to a statement released on Tuesday by the teacher’s union, educators said they are concerned that many Pasadena school sites have not developed safety plans or clear procedures for the closure of a class or school in the event of COVID-19 exposure, according to the statement.

The two sides are scheduled to meet today to negotiate “school reopening-related issues.”

“Pasadena educators want to be back in our classrooms as soon as we can and as soon as it is safe, “Steppes said in a prepared statement. “We have seen no evidence that the District is prepared to protect the health of its students and staff. There is absolutely no reason to rush this and put the health and safety of Pasadena students and school staff members at risk.” 

Pasadena Now has reached out to the district for a response. 

According to the release, union members are concerned about the lack of adequate safety preparation at school sites, and the fact that there have been over 90 incidents of COVID-19 cases among staff and students since May. The release also states that 170 students and staff members have been under quarantine for parts of that same period.

This marks the first time that district-related COVID-19 numbers have been released. At the beginning of the pandemic, Pasadena Now unsuccessfully attempted to get information on COVID-19 cases from the district. 

“Educators were already concerned about a proposed March 29 reopening, believing it was educationally unsound and unnecessary to reopen classrooms right before a holiday and spring break, when a mid-April reopening would allow for better preparation and safety protocols,” the statement reads. 

“On Friday, district officials notified teachers they needed to report to campuses this week to prepare for reopening, and conduct asynchronous learning March 17-19, well ahead of their original target date.”

 

Get our daily Pasadena newspaper in your email box. Free.

Get all the latest Pasadena news, more than 10 fresh stories daily, 7 days a week at 7 a.m.

Make a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

 

 

 

buy ivermectin online
buy modafinil online
buy clomid online
buy ivermectin online