Fairfax County Teachers Union Urges Delay For In-Person Learning

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — As Fairfax County Public School is set to bring back select groups of students for in-person learning, the union representing nonadministrative staff is asking for a delay.

The Fairfax County Federation of Teachers is calling for all in-person reopening to be delayed including the first phase with cohorts of students. Before reopening, the union wants documented metrics supporting the decision, all staff ADA accommodation requests to work virtually be honored, and confirmation that FCFT’s 11 Pillars of a Safe Reopening are met. These pillars include communication, a virtual work option for all staff, physical distancing, cleaning and disinfecting protocols, adequate school ventilation and building systems, personal protective equipment and face coverings, rigorous tracking and tracing, controlled community transmission, comprehensive staff and student supports, compliance, and proactive school closures.

"I want to be clear: our position has always been and continues to be that we want kids back in school as soon as possible, but that means that we must do it as safe as possible," said Tina Williams, president of Fairfax County Federation of Teachers, in a virtual news conference. "We have asked FCPS for months to provide a clear, concise, and transparent reopening plan for all students and staff. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of details missing, and many unanswered questions remain."

Amid a call for a reopening delay, Fairfax County Federation of Teachers released results of three member surveys that asked members about the return to school plan, workload and planning time. With 1,335 members responding, the surveys found 85.7 percent are not confident in the current FCPS reopening plan, and 9.7 percent feel safe returning. Some concerns brought up by respondents included unsafe workplaces, incomplete information, poor communication and lack of transparency. In addition, 52.9 percent of respondents said they were considering taking a leave of absence or resigning if asked to return for in-person instruction.

The survey responses were collected from Sept. 25 to 29. Members were asked to review the return to school plan presented to the school board on Sept. 22 as well as Sept. 11 and 18 presentations to principals.

The union's response comes after the school board voted on Sept. 22 to bring back cohorts of students for in-person learning starting in October. According to the reopening plan presented to the school board, this affects 6,707 students and 653 teachers, or 3.5 percent of FCPS students and teachers. The next two phases, when FCPS decides to move forward with them, involve hybrid online and in-person learning and 100 percent in-person learning, respectively.

Superintendent Scott Brabrand said on Monday a small group of students will be the first to return to in-person learning this week. The cohort learning keeps the same groups of students, teachers and staff together to limit exposure.

"Health metrics demonstrate that the incidence of COVID-19 in our community is low and we now have enough staff, safety precautions, and facility readiness to accommodate this number of students," wrote Brabrand in a letter to families. "We have developed a plan to respond if health conditions at a school or in a particular classroom change. We are ready with schedules, technology, classrooms, nutrition, and other support to make in-person learning a success for this number of students."

The first cohort of students includes select specialized Career and Technical Education students. In mid-October, FCPS expects to bring back some of the youngest learners, including students in Preschool Autism and Preschool Class-based programs, followed by cohorts at the Key and Kilmer Centers, elementary and secondary students with an adapted curriculum, elementary comprehensive services sites, and English learners with limited or interrupted formal education and students who recently entered the U.S. In late October, FCPS expects to expand cohorts for specialty high school courses and add elementary students at Burke School.

According to the teachers union, staff asked to return for in-person instruction in October were initially given 48 hours to make a decision by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 2. They could accept an in-person position, submit an ADA accommodation request, apply for an unpaid leave of absence, access leave under the FFCRA for childcare reasons, resign or retire. After a request from the union, FCPS extended that deadline to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Tia Williams, an instructional assistant who was asked to return later in October, noted the difficulty of the decision. She said FCPS denied her ADA accommodation request to work remotely because her students would not be virtual.

"I come from a family of diabetics and asthmatic people. I have lost six cousins and four uncles from COVID. I live with my grandmother, who is older and vulnerable. I have diabetes and severe asthma," said Williams. "I do not feel like I have a choice. It is either my health or my job. I want to continue to work, but I don't want to bring any kind of virus home to my family."

Emily VanDerhoff, vice president at Fairfax County Federation of Teachers and a first grade teacher at Hunt Valley Elementary School, outlined her experience teaching virtually and offered thoughts on the hybrid learning option.

"My class has been highly engaged. We've been learning together, singing, dancing, having fun, doing all the same things that we do in person, but doing it from the safety of our homes," said VanDerhoff. "And I believe the learning experience that I can offer my class right now is better through distance learning than it would be if we were to go back for two days of socially-distanced in-person learning. I will never say that it's better than school was before, but that is not on the table right now."

Brabrand said in Monday's letter he plans to present a plan to the school board to bring back additional students in November, "prioritizing early learners and transitioning students for in-person instruction. He said Fairfax County and Northern Virginia is experiencing low community transmission extent and low disease burden. He said FCPS will be monitoring conditions to decide if in-person instruction should be ramped up, scaled back or completely suspended.