|
|
 |
 Your ODE Member Newsletter
|
|
Letter from the President
|
 ODE thanks the School Board and the Superintendent for listening and responding to our calls, texts and emails.The school board and superintendent have the heard the concerns of our members and governed themselves accordingly. We thank all of you who emailed, called, and texted. This is a great day for the DeKalb County School District and its employees. While the ISS employees will be absorbed back into the classroom for 1 year, the district will work with the government to get additional funds to bring them back next year. Again, thanks for all your help, support, and membership! When we work together, we win! In Solidarity
Deborah
|
|
Budget and Calendar Summary
|
The Board of Education passed the 2020-2021 budget during the continuation of the called meeting Friday, July 24. Here are some of the highlights.
- There are 6 furlough days in the budget.... BUT....
- 1 day will be bought back using CARES Act Funds
- 4 days will be bought back for school based staff and bus drivers using a variety of funds.
- NET EFFECT: School based employees and bus drivers have 1 furlough day (parent-teacher conference night)
- Central office staff have 5 furlough days.
- This is down from the original proposal of 10 across the board.
- Instructional Support Staff will be in the classrooms for 2020-2021 - no one loses a job. The district is looking for ways to fund the position for 2021-2022.
- A step increase will be granted in January.
Highlights of the Calendar:
- 179 student contact days
- 189 contact days for teachers (185 contract days + 4 Professional Learning Institute Days)
- PLI Days August 5-7 and preplanning August 10-15
- First Day of School August 17
- Days off first semester for Labor Day and Columbus Day
- First Semester ends in January before MLK.
- Last Day of School May 28
|
|
In a previous edition, we asked members their thoughts on returning to school during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here is some of what you had to say. All responses to this prompt are being kept anonymous.
"I don't feel comfortable coming back full time in person being, not knowing where the students are coming from and not knowing if they have/had family members that are/was affected by the virus. Also being a Health teacher and really knowing how viruses can be carried from person-to-person makes it more unbearable to be in a class of 30 plus students and not know."
"I am concerned about returning to work. I have three school aged children, as well a 1 year old at home. Just the thought of possibly bringing something home to my children (whom will do Virtual learning for the first semester) is terrifying. I’ve been catching a cold and strep throat from my students every season and I am afraid that COVID is no different. I feel like I’m stuck having to choose between my career (which I love) and my health."
"I do not feel safe in returning to in-person instruction nor pre-planning during the Covid-19 outbreak/surge. I am an older teacher, and although I am relatively healthy, I do have an underlying condition that may make me more vulnerable. Also, I do not see how how I will be able to successfully keep first-graders 6 feet apart at all times. Besides this, my building does not have proper ventilation to meet the CDC requirement."
"As a teacher and a parent of two school age children, I am extremely scared to go back to in-person classrooms. I'm scared for my health, the health of the students, and what I could potentially bring back to my family. Especially since there is no guarantee of true safety when it comes to masks and little kids. I would feel much more comfortable with virtual learning until this virus becomes more contained."
|
|
Looking forward to the positive aspects of the new school year, this weeks question is:
What do you most look forward to for the 2020-2021 school year?
Click here to send your response.
|
|
Your Association in the News
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
