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. |
SEA Response to SPS Announcing Masks Optional Mon., March 14
We are deeply disappointed by Seattle Public Schools’ masking announcement today which is completely contrary to its prior statements and commitments to its educators and the community and it is in violation of our contractual MOU with the District. The public and SEA members believed the District when it announced, "Future decisions on mask use within the district will be made in partnership with public health, and its implementation will be established after consultation and mutually agreed upon guidelines that are reached through bargaining with our labor partners." The District cannot unilaterally ignore an agreed-upon MOU, and now is leaving educators scrambling with just days before lifting the mask mandate. It is particularly frustrating given that SEA reached out to start bargaining sooner but SPS was not available to bargain before this week. We were scheduled to bargain masks all day on Friday, March 11, and were committed to completing negotiations quickly. Clearly, SPS misled us.
One of the most important things we can do to support our students, families, and educators is to provide stability and predictability and to build trust with clear and consistent communication. Making a commitment to the public and then going back on that commitment, providing no time to prepare for such an important transition, is deeply harmful to our school community and SEA's relationship with the District. Making announcements without answers to common questions and without consultation with those having to implement changes erodes SPS’ credibility. This type of chaos, confusion and distrust directly leads to educator burnout and to educators leaving the District and the profession.
The City of Seattle is continuing masking for its employees and visitors through April 4. SPS did not have to make a rash decision.
We had hoped for a better start to Dr. Jones' permanent tenure. He was lauded for the stability he created and his ability to work with labor and others, but today he failed. SEA was making progress in our relationship but we now have serious concerns about his leadership. Sadly, our trust has been shaken and we have gone backwards. This does not bode well for future negotiations.
We will be engaging with members to determine next steps.
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Updated DOH Guidance
On March 8, Washington’s Department of Health (DOH) released updated requirements and guidance to mitigate COVID-19 in K-12 schools and other settings. While it was expected DOH would not require universal masking, it is now known that DOH does not even recommend universal masking, except in certain limited circumstances. The following are a few key takeaways.
- Masks are still required in the Protected Health Care Room as well as the nurse/health room.
- Masks may be temporarily required for individuals by DOH (e.g., days 6-10 when a student or staff returns from isolation after 5 days).
- Masks may also be required universally during outbreaks in classrooms or with groups of students (e.g., a choir class or a sports team).
- Staff who provide for students with disabilities that requires close contact should strongly consider wearing appropriate PPE when providing care.
We are reviewing the information and will discuss the impacts in negotiations. No matter what our collective decision, it must be one our school community will support. To get there, we need to engage with each other and our community in meaningful and compassionate ways. We also need to work hard to center equity in our decisions and conversations while being mindful of our own biases and what we don’t know. We encourage you to talk to your colleagues about the pros/cons of continuing a mask requirement, what conditions merit removing the mask requirement, and what it means to center equity in that decision.
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Nominations Open for SEA Officers, SEA Department Officers, and Board of Directors
Don’t forget to nominate yourself or another leader to serve in our Union! Only active SEA members may nominate or be nominated. Nominations close at the March 14, 2022, Representative Assembly. The electronic nomination form is accessible HERE.
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SEA WEAPAC Phone Drive - March 6-14, 2022
The Washington Education Association Political Action Committee (WEAPAC) is our voice in elections. Almost everything about our school day is impacted by the decisions made by elected state officials from class size to curriculum, instructional hours, staffing, and pay and benefits. Joining together to exercise our collective voice through WEAPAC provides educators a say in who makes these decisions. Thanks to current WEAPAC members, we’ve had big wins including the funding for the McCleary decision for higher educator salaries, to removing high stakes testing as a barrier to graduation, and increased funding for Special Education and other support services. We also now have six educators in the legislature representing educator voice in Olympia and we helped elect the most diverse legislature in state history.
The NEA Fund for Children and Public Education is our voice in Washington DC and is fueled by educators like you, coming together to fight for pro-education and pro-labor leaders at the federal level regardless of political party. The NEA Fund also supports pro-public education candidates in gubernatorial and other important state races as well as making independent expenditures asking people to vote for or against candidates based on their position on public education.
Beginning Sunday, March 6 and continuing through March 14, we will be calling SEA members with information on both and asking each member to join and contribute to this important work. You can join today or increase your contribution by going to WEAPAC Join.
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More Upcoming Engagement Opportunities
Wednesday, March 9, 5:00 – 7:00pm. Disability Justice Coalition. Join the Disability Justice Coalition or DJC’s quarterly meeting to connect with other disability justice advocates in our union. Register in advance for this meeting: https://tinyurl.com/mrytm4w9
Saturdays in MARCH. SEA Blueprinting Meeting for Upcoming 2022 Bargain. SEA is heading into an open bargain this spring. It is critical we hear from as many members as possible to determine our collective priorities for the bargain.
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Saturday, March 12:
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Please register HERE to join the Librarians and Visual & Performing Arts in the morning session from 9AM – 12PM.
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Please register HERE to join Zones 7, 8, 9 Schools in the afternoon session from 1PM – 4PM.
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Saturday, March 19:
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Please register HERE to join the Alternative Learning Experience, CTE, and Athletic Coordinators in the morning session from 9AM – 12PM.
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Please register HERE to join Multilingual Department and New Hires in the afternoon session from 1PM – 4PM.
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Saturday, March 12, 9:30 - 10:30am. Women and Money Workshop. With so many unknowns these days, we want to help members plan a more secure financial future that supports your personal goals. This workshop focuses on unpacking the challenges women face in saving for retirement, and then teaches a six-step financial strategy designed to combat these challenges and help women secure a confident, comfortable future. Click here to register today. A Zoom link will be emailed after you register.
Saturday, March 19, Saturday, March 26 8:30 - 11:30am. Taking Charge of Your Future: A WEA Pre-Retirement Seminar. Developed and presented by WEA-Retired members, this training is designed to give information on preparing for retirement, the paperwork process and what to expect from four educators who are living it now. Come learn how to prepare for life after school and negotiate the path to retirement. Cost: FREE, but you MUST be a SEA Member to register. Registration and more information: https://www.seattlewea.org/retirement-info/
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