MBUSD hopes to begin TK-2 December 8, but teachers urge delay until after holidays
In-person learning will occur from TK through second grade beginning Dec. 8. Photo
The Manhattan Beach Unified School District intends to welcome some of its youngest students back to part-time, in-person learning on December 8. But many teachers, concerned that parents are not following COVID-19 public health protocols, may not return to classrooms until after the holidays.
Superintendent Mike Matthews in his weekly “Monday Message” email last week to the MBUSD community set Dec. 8 as the target date for the beginning of classroom instruction in TK-2 waiver program, so-called because the district obtained a waiver from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health that allows students from transitional kindergarten through second grade to receive in-person instruction part of each week.
Matthews noted that the recent health orders accompanying a Countywide surge in COVID-19 cases did not include new restrictions on schools.
“The big difference in the closures and restrictions this time is that there has been no order to close down the few schools that are open, or those that have permission to open,” Matthews wrote. “I am continuing to heed the advice of the LA County Department of Public Health (LACDPH), and therefore we are still moving forward with our plan to open our schools for students in grades TK-2 beginning next Tuesday, December 8.”
“I have received several emails suggesting that we wait to begin these programs until after we return from Winter Break, but I believe that LACDPH’s guidance is rooted in science and medical knowledge, and they would not be permitting us to remain open if they did not believe it was safe to do so,” Matthews wrote. “Our gradual reopening phase-in, with the one day a week on campus for students/two days a week on campus for teachers and instructional staff provides an extra layer of caution for us as we begin in-person schooling.”
In his message on December 7, Matthews indicated that plans are still in place to begin the TK-2 program this week, despite the fact that one MBUSD school — Manhattan Beach Middle School — has registered three COVID-19 cases and according to County guidelines will be shut down.
The Manhattan Beach Unified Beach Teachers Association signed off on the TK-2 waiver and has not collectively taken any action to oppose the partial reopening on Dec. 8. But MBUTA president Shawn Chen said many teachers have grown increasingly concerned about the safety of returning to classrooms next week, given how many families appear to have ignored public health directives over the Thanksgiving holiday. One teacher, for example, discovered that the entire family of a high needs hybrid program student who was assessed in-person this week had left the country during the long weekend.
“That person should have been following the quarantine guidelines but did not,” Chen said. ““They came to school in violation of the county guidelines, which concerns teachers.”
Part of the district’s health protocols includes a “screening app” meant to protect teachers from such potentially dangerous interactions. But Chen says few protocols work without community buy-in for larger health protocols.
“The screening app relies on the honesty of the community and we already have several examples of dishonesty With only a limited number of students on campus,” Chen said. “With hundreds of students on campus and case numbers rising it’s foolish to attempt four half days of school between now and winter break.”
Teachers contractually have the right to not return to an unsafe environment, and also have the ability to utilize accrued sick leave to not return to classrooms prior to the upcoming holidays.
The new LA County health order, which is based on state guidelines, includes two key provisions regarding schools. Students and employees who have traveled outside of state lines in the last 14 days cannot participate in in-person school; and students and employees who attend a social gathering outside their family’s household are instructed not to attend in-person school.
Chen has contacted the LA County Department of Public Health to express concerns, noting that many students in Manhattan Beach have been attending “PODS” — classrooms organized by parents that involve several households — while many have traveled out of state. She also noted that many parents are openly calling for the boycott of the county’s closure of outdoor dining.
“Many people in the community — many parents — are certainly following the guidelines,” Chen said. “Unfortunately those parents and children are not the ones likely to be pressuring the district for a return to in-person instruction. The parents who most want their kids back in school are often those who are least likely to be following the rules.”
In his letter, Matthews expressed confidence in the district’s ability to safely return more students to school in a phased approach. He referenced a quote from Dr. Anthony Fauci, the lead scientist in the federal response to the pandemic, who said last weekend, “The default position should be to try as best as possible, within reason, to keep the children in school, to get them back to school.”
“I am grateful that our County is prioritizing education and that they are doing so with the safety of our students and staff in mind,” Matthews wrote. “I am so appreciative of every one of our employees who is already serving our children and our schools, and to those who are getting ready to return for in-person instruction.”
On Wednesday, however, Matthews sounded a note of caution and indicated that more restrictions may be pending from LA County.
“The newest COVID-19 numbers from LA County and across the nation are alarming all of us,” he said in an interview. “There has never been a more critical time to follow all of the safety measures required and recommended by state and county officials. If there are any changes from the State or the LA County Department of Public Health regarding our schools, I will immediately inform our employees and our community.”
On Sunday, MBUSD sent out a letter to parents with kids at MBMS informing them that three positive COVID-19 cases had been discovered which had a connection with the campus.
“Cleaning and disinfecting of the exposed location has been completed,” the district’s statement said. “In all three cases, the most recent of which was last on campus on Friday, November 20, MBUSD investigated to determine who was within six feet of the person for at least 15 minutes and took action to send anyone who was in such proximity home until further notice. Because we have three positive COVID-19 cases that the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has determined appear to be epidemiologically related, LACDPH is opening an ‘outbreak investigation’ for MBMS. This means that a public health nurse and physician will be assigned to conduct a deeper investigation.”
This will require the campus to be closed for 14 days. “Out of an abundance of caution and pending further guidance from LACDPH, we will be closing MBMS tomorrow, Monday, December 7,” the district’s statement said.