December 31, 2021
The Seattle Education Association is the voice for educators standing with our students united to address the needs of our community and to transform our district into an anti-racist school system where every student thrives.
Monday, January 3, Workday for COVID Testing, Classroom Prep, and Tech Distribution

Dear SEA Members,

We all prefer to teach in person and it’s critical that we do everything possible to mitigate COVID risk to ensure a healthy and safe teaching and learning environment. Your SEA leadership team continued to tell this to SPS as we negotiated for more testing, and this morning SEA reached an agreement with SPS on the workload impacts of Monday, January 3, 2022. Please see the agreement linked here for full details and FAQs below. The emergency agreement supplements our current Health and Safety MOU and CBAs.

Monday, January 3, is a non-instructional 4-hour workday for educators. The purpose of the day would be so all staff could be tested prior to students returning to in-person learning, and so staff could prepare for a potential pivot to remote learning (depending upon COVID results and number of staff or student absences anticipated for the remainder of the week).

Since the beginning of the pandemic, SEA has been committed to keeping our school communities as safe as possible and partnering with the District to do so. The rise of the Omicron variant has been alarming. Originally, SPS was planning on Monday being a regular student instructional workday. Upon learning that the District had access to 60,000 rapid Covid tests, SEA leadership advocated for Monday to be a non-instructional day premised upon the idea that the District would request a waiver from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) that would prevent us from needing to add an additional instructional day to the end of the year. Unfortunately, OSPI does not grant waivers in advance. In order for the District to apply and have a waiver seriously considered, SEA and SPS needed to reach an agreement that Monday would be utilized for testing and preparing for the possible transition to a remote model of instruction.

We also know that educators are overworked and overburdened. We hope each and every member had some time to breathe and relax over the winter break, though we know all too many of us did unpaid work for our students during this time.  While we continue to have more disruptions and more challenges, we know that together in our Union we have a voice for safety and for quality teaching and learning.

In Solidarity,

Joyce McDonald, Substitute President
Marla Rasmussen, Paraprofessional President
Elizabeth Ward-Robertson, SAEOP President
Jennifer Matter, SEA President

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need to report to and work in my building on Monday, January 3?

A: Yes, Monday, January 3, is a shortened workday. One purpose of the day is to administer the rapid COVID tests to staff; tests cannot be sent home. The other purpose is to prepare for the possibility that your classroom or school will pivot to a remote instructional model.


Q: Do I have to get tested?

A: No, testing is voluntary.  SEA encourages all educators to get tested to support mitigation efforts in our school communities.


Q: If I was tested on Sunday, do I still go to the building to work on Monday? 

A: If your results show you are COVID negative, then you still report to work on Monday. The shortened workday is designed to provide educators time to prepare for the potential pivot to remote instruction in addition to testing. If your results show you are COVID positive, then you do not report to work on Monday and report your absence.


Q: Why can’t I just take the test with me?

A: It is a medical grade test that needs to be administered in person. 


Q: Do I have to use sick time to stay home and care for my children who do not have childcare?

A: Monday is a partial workday. If you cannot report to work, then you should record a half-day absence. We also strongly encourage you to discuss this with your supervisor because there may be the possibility that you can flex the hours.


Q: If my child goes to the school I work at, can I bring them with me for testing?

A:  SPS has procured 60,000 COVID tests which will be sufficient for all students and school staff. In this scenario, the student attends the school so the school will have a test available for them to take.


Q: Can substitutes apply for work in the buildings for January 3?

A:  If the District needs additional staffing for technology distribution, tasks related to COVID test administration, or other tasks on January 3, the District will first offer this additional work to substitutes scheduled to work on January 3, 2022, as of December 30, 2021.


Q: If I’m a substitute scheduled to work on January 3, do I have to accept a job in the building? 

A:  No, substitutes are not required to accept work on January 3. However, it may be beneficial for substitutes to accept the work so that they are paid to complete the COVID test and network with other staff.


Q: Can I be required as classified staff to clean the staff room and/or desks during the rest of the day?

A:  Priorities for the day are listed in the agreement. Anything outside of that agreement should be decided between the supervisor and the employee. However, a staff member should not be required to clean desks/rooms outside of their assigned workspace.


Q: How long is the recommended quarantine time after testing positive for COVID-19 given the CDC’s update last week?

A: SPS follows Washington’s Department of Health (DOH) Guidance. DOH has not changed the quarantine period for school or childcare settings. We are continuing to follow the same guidelines linked here.