Palo Alto Teachers Union Pushes For Greater Protections: Report

PALO ALTO, CA – A union representing Palo Alto’s public school teachers is pushing for enhanced job safety measures in ongoing negotiations with the school district for the fall semester, Palo Alto Weekly reports.

The Palo Alto Educators Association, which represents about 900 members, is asking for personal protective equipment and COVID-19 testing in addition to the hiring of additional custodians and nurses, the report said.

The teachers union is also asking that educators who are exposed to coronavirus-infected persons and are required to self-quarantine be paid for the time they can’t work, the report said.

The Palo Alto Unified School District has released a proposal and a counterproposal outlining plans for reopening schools in the fall amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

The district is proposing a “blended” four-day class schedule with half of the district’s high school and middle schools attending class in person on alternating days, a plan that would encourage social distancing by reducing class sizes.

Under the proposal described in a memorandum of understanding, one group would attend classes on Mondays and Thursdays and the other on Tuesdays and Fridays, with students taking classes online on the days they’re not attending classes in person.

No classes would be held on Wednesdays, allowing teachers to plan instruction for the blending learning program, the report said.

Negotiations between the union and the district began on May 20, the report said. The two sides are scheduled to meet again on Friday.

Read more at Palo Alto Weekly