Remote Instruction Varies For CT Teachers At Risk Of Coronavirus

CONNECTICUT — Teachers in Connecticut concerned about serious coronavirus complications due to preexisting health conditions have requested remote instruction accommodations. However, like many things in Connecticut, school districts are handling the decisions in very different ways.

The state's largest teachers union, the Connecticut Education Association, asked school districts to allow for remote teaching for teachers and staff who have disabilities in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The CEA suggests proctors for physical classrooms in those instances.

People of any age with a number of conditions are at an increased risk for severe illness from the coronavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some conditions include cancer, lung disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart conditions and being immunocompromised from an organ transplant. Some other conditions that may put people at increased risk for serious complications include asthma, hypertension and liver disease.

The CEA notes in its guidance to teachers that the district should engage with teachers and find reasonable accommodation under the ADA, but the district may not be required to provide one if it causes an undue hardship.

“Because teachers’ circumstances will vary, they may request and receive different accommodations from those of their colleagues,” the CEA notes in its guidance. “Similarly, each district and each school building within it may have different circumstances, leading to various possible accommodations.”

The state Department of Education has provided some guidance to local districts on how to accommodate some requests, but ultimately it's a local decision, said SDE spokesman Peter Yazbak.

Some possible accommodations could include working with students who are doing full remote learning themselves, developing professional development for other teachers, assisting with continued professional development to train teachers in best virtual teaching practices and serving as online tutors for those who need additional assistance, Yazbak said.

The SDE has also provided local school districts with guidelines for hiring, short and long-term substitute teachers as well as a durational shortage area permit (DSAP). There around more than 21,000 certificated educators with Connecticut mailing addresses that weren't actively working in the 2019-2020 school year.

CEA President Jeff Leakes said some districts are considering accommodations on a case-by-case basis and others are denying all accommodation requests. Districts don't legally have to automatically grant all requests, but they have to be at least discussed, he said.

"For those districts who are saying no we don’t even want to think about it, no we aren’t happy with those districts,” he said.

The situation has led to some teachers who are fearful for their health and close or at retirement age to resign, especially as some districts haven't provided them with answers about accommodations, Leakes said.

"I’m fearing that we are not going to have the personnel we are going to need in the classroom to actually have a smooth start to the year," he said.

The CEA is concerned about some districts who haven't implemented all of the health safety protocols yet and have said they will do so when it's feasible, hence the CEA's call for pushing back the start of the school year.

"What we are seeing out in the fields here is it’s not working in a couple places, more than a couple places, and we are concerned this won’t be a successful school reopening," Leakes said. "And I hope I am wrong.”

Gov. Ned Lamont committed $50 million for local district staffing needs, including the possibility of apprentice teachers overseeing the classroom. Around 176,000 Connecticut students didn’t log in for a single day of remote learning during the spring and Lamont said he doesn’t want some students to lose a full year of schooling. On Thursday, he said the state’s health indicators and low infection rate support students going back to the physical classroom.

Connecticut’s school reopening guidelines give some leeway to individual districts to decide how best to get students back in the classroom. Around 55 percent of districts are planning for full in-person learning, while 44 percent are opting for a hybrid model where one cohort of students will come in for physical classes while another is doing remote learning.

The hybrid model frees up space within classrooms, which helps with social distancing guidelines. Students, teachers and staff generally need to wear masks while in the classroom unless there is a valid medical reason. Schools are providing masks breaks throughout the day. Additionally, parents can opt to have their children do full remote learning.

There is one notable exception in New Haven Public Schools, where the Board of Education decided it would start the year off in full remote learning mode.

Norwalk teachers union President Mary Yordon told Patch that teachers have reached out to her and other union leaders about the requests and their options.

“I believe that the Governor, and this Board of Education are working hard and at the best of their abilities to create a safe and equitable school opening in these very unique circumstances,” she said. “It is not a question of wanting or not wanting to grant the remote teaching assignments, rather it seems that remote opportunities represent financial and structural hardships to the districts. There are no easy choices to be made.”

Connecticut Patch spoke to school administrators in nine different districts in Fairfield and New Haven counties. Some districts have already said they won’t be providing any remote teaching accommodations for teachers. Others are handling requests on a case-by-case basis and the rest are still in the midst of figuring out the unprecedented territory.

"For the most part we do not have remote teaching accommodations because we will have children in school all 5 days,” said Dr. Susie da Silva, superintendent of Ridgefield Public Schools. “At this time, we have not had a circumstance where we were able to accommodate this request."

“At the moment, we are not looking to provide remote teaching accommodations for teachers,” said Stratford Superintendent Dr. Janet Robinson. “As with everything else around this crisis, decisions are constantly evolving.”

Bethel Public Schools also doesn’t have enough staff to accommodate remote teaching requests, said Superintendent Dr. Christine Carver.

Superintendents from Oxford, Trumbull, Fairfield and Region 9 schools said they were still working on the matter.

Acting Trumbull Superintendent Ralph Iassogna said the district got some accommodation requests from teachers and will aim to finalize decisions as soon as early next week.

Shelton Public Schools is handling requests on a case-by-case basis, said interim Superintendent Dr. Beth Smith.

“Any teacher who believes they have a special circumstance must contact our Director of Human Resources,” she said. “All cases are being determined on an individualized basis.”

Danbury Public Schools is also handling requests on a case-by-case basis.

“On a case by case basis, we are indeed honoring requests and accommodations where applicable and/or appropriate,” said Danbury Assistant Superintendent Kevin Walston.

Additional reporting by Patch staffers Rich Kirby, Al Branch and Anna Bybee-Schier

Editor's note: Comments from the state Department of Educaiton were added on Aug. 23.