Vermont-NEA News

An Update on School Closures from President Don Tinney

Fellow members,

I am reaching out to update you regarding how your union is responding to the governor’s order to close schools after Tuesday afternoon.

Commitment to Safety

Obviously, we are committed first and foremost to everyone’s safety. We need to heed the advice of public health experts as our statewide community works to stop the spread of this outbreak. As such, I’ll refer you to the experts on how to keep yourself and your loved ones safe – click here for the latest from the Vermont Department of Health.

Meeting Student Needs

The entire leadership team at Vermont-NEA remains incredibly proud of our members across the state who are focused on the needs of our students. In the past few days, educators in every school building have scrambled to prepare their students for this prolonged dismissal—some creating distance learning opportunies, others assembling packets of lessons-–with the understanding that none of this is an adequate replacement for the face-to-face education students will be missing. This is especially true for those with special needs or struggling with poverty. Educators are banding together, sharing resources and expertise, and helping to make the best of an unprecedented situation.

From school custodians to bus drivers to secretaries to food service workers and beyond, our Education Support Professional colleagues are proving, yet again, why they’re an essential part of providing a great education to our students. To our ESP members – THANK YOU for everything you’re doing to make our schools clean and safe, supporting our most vulnerable populations, transporting students, and helping to keep students in need fed during this crisis.

Vermont-NEA will remain in communication with Governor Scott’s office and with Secretary Dan French in the Agency of Education about developments. There are still questions to be answered at both the state and local level about special education, meal distribution, and more. We’ll do our very best to keep you updated on developments, but please stay in touch with your local leaders, who will be in contact with their UniServ Directors.

Protecting Member Rights

At Vermont-NEA, we have an obligation to you as our members to ensure that we support your needs. We will continue to meet with state officials regarding details of the governor’s order, particularly in the area of the Continuity of Education Plans, work schedules and other related workplace issues. We were pleased to hear Gov. Phil Scott’s call for school employees to be paid during this closure, and we’re working to ensure that local superintendents and boards do the right thing and preserve the economic security of hard-working educators.

We know that different school districts are handling this crisis differently – and that’s as expected, as each community has their own distinct needs. We also know that this situation is changing rapidly. Our local leaders and staff are in contact with districts to ensure that decisions are made in consultation with local unions and with an understanding of the needs of employees.

There are many questions and issues to discuss locally, such as ensuring the safety of employees who are required to report to work, potential adjustments to the school calendar, and protecting the rights of members who become ill or need to care for loved ones. Vermont has collective bargaining for school employees for a reason – to ensure employees have a voice in decisions – and we are committed to using that process in a collaborative way that balances the needs of districts, employees, parents, communities, public health and, especially, the students we serve.

Being a Responsible Employer

Vermont-NEA also has a responsibility as an employer in this crisis. We have worked with our staff and their union representation to ensure the safety of our employees while meeting the needs of our members. We’ve closed our Montpelier headquarters to the public through at least April 2, instituting remote work for our staff to facilitate social distancing. We’ve canceled our annual ESP Conference, and moved our April 4 Representative Assembly to a virtual meeting. We’ve also canceled or postponed all onsite meetings. While our headquarters is not open to the public, our phones will be answered, so don’t hesitate to call us at 802.223.6375.

Here for YOU in this Crisis and Beyond

I can guarantee there will be issues and unforeseen developments in the next few weeks – that’s the nature of this unprecedented crisis. Vermont-NEA will do everything in our power to keep you informed and to represent the interests of our nearly 13,000 members across the state, look for our daily emails or check out vtnea.org/covid19info.

While we address this crisis, Vermont-NEA also remains committed to continuing to move forward on important issues that will last beyond this crisis, including our work in racial equity, the critical election this fall, and our work in promoting trauma sensitive programs in creating safe, compassionate schools.  We will continue to communicate and advocate on all fronts that you’ve come to expect from your union.

If you have an issue that needs to be addressed, your best first line of contact is your building representative or local leaders. Our UniServ staff is in constant contact with local leaders and stand ready to help.

The keys to our success – both in slowing the spread of this virus and in meeting the needs of students and school employees alike – are to show as much patience as possible, to listen to the facts with an open mind, and to respect the expertise of public health officials. Together, we will weather this crisis.

I know that you are a proud Vermont educator, but first you are a human being. Now is the time to make sure that you meet your human needs, to take self-care seriously, and to treat yourself with kindness and patience. And on those days when you falter, reach out to your union sisters and brothers and draw upon their strength.

As a reminder, you can visit vtnea.org/covid19info for the latest information and updates from your union.

Thank you for all that you do.

In Solidarity,

Don Tinney

Vermont-NEA President