AMHERST — Several concerns about safely returning to school buildings, outlined in an existing memorandum of agreement, will need to be resolved before the teachers’ union gives consideration to negotiating changes to this deal, according to a statement issued this week.
The Amherst Pelham Education Association on Wednesday wrote that renegotiation of the terms for returning to in-person learning with school officials can’t occur until at least three aspects of the memorandum are addressed.
Those issues are a lack of communication from school officials about whether air-testing results in all Amherst, Pelham and Amherst-Pelham regional school buildings have complied with American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers standards; no information about whether retesting will be done on spaces that previously failed to meet these standards; and questions about the existence of plans for fitting students into classrooms with 6-foot distancing, according to the union.
The statement on behalf of public school teachers, paraprofessionals, and clerical workers came in response to a letter signed by more than 150 parents and guardians that was sent directly to employees earlier in the week. The letter suggested that members put pressure on the union leadership to reopen negotiations.
So far, the union has declined or not responded to requests from School Committee Chairwoman Allison McDonald to reopen talks so that changes to the memorandum of agreement can be discussed, though not necessarily implemented.
A key part of the deal is the health metrics that provide for remote instruction when the region exceeds 28 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents, calculated based on a seven-day rolling average, in the Pioneer Valley, with an emphasis on Hampshire County. That prompted a pause in in-person learning in October.
“We are not calling for an immediate return to in-person schooling,” the parents’ letter reads. “We are asking that you encourage your representatives at the APEA to return to the negotiation table with the School Committee to create metrics that would determine when schools can safely reopen based on scientific data now available but not currently reflected in the MOA.”
The letter cites three long-term problems remote learning is causing, including inequity and the most vulnerable falling behind their peers, reduced financial viability of the district as students leave for other schools, and the limitations of remote learning and students not getting the education they are entitled to.
Meantime, McDonald this week told her colleagues at a meeting that she is also growing more worried about the welfare of students, observing the statistics about the high rate of absenteeism among students on free and reduced lunch and students of color being particularly troubling.
“It guts me to see us stymied in our attempts to address these concerns that become more urgent with each passing day and week,” McDonald said.
McDonald said if no renegotiation of the terms of the memorandum of agreement can happen, she may turn to a Plan B, which is asking Superintendent Michael Morris to develop a plan for returning to in-person classes unilaterally.
Some parents have previously asked that the memorandum of agreement be broken, but Morris has indicated he wouldn’t do this.
While APEA stated that it understands the concerns, Karin Baker, a teacher at Summit Academy High School and the vice president of the union, said staff are working “incredibly hard” to make remote learning work, and are sharing tips with each other and responding to feedback.
“Some things are challenging, but also many of us are discovering approaches that work so well that we’ll be incorporating them into our in-person teaching,” Baker said. “Meanwhile, conversation is ongoing about what needs to happen to get back to that as quickly as possible.”
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com
