TVEA Spotlight Governing Board Meeting Oct 6, 2020
President Kingsberg's Spotlight: At the last Governing Board Meeting on September 15th, Superintendent McClay shared TVEA Elementary Survey Feedback regarding a TK-5 Waiver under a Hybrid/Cohort Model. It was evident that the input from our more than 500 elementary members was crucial to TVUSD’s direction. Thank you.
Tonight, I will share survey data from nearly 1000 TVEA members, gathered last week on the topics of Work Demands and the implementation of the Canvas and Seesaw Learning Management Systems.
Before I do, I am going to share my ask up front:
Now that we are approaching the nine-week mark of the fall semester: What Immediate and Future Modifications, can TVUSD Make to further Support Teachers and Specialists Related to On-Line Learning?
This urgent need should not be a revelation to any of you based on recent Governing Board Meeting discussions. In fact, in a recent video to secondary personnel from ESS Directors Joe Balleweg and Nicole Dayus, they themselves called our secondary on-line learning reality “Unsustainable”.
TVEA survey feedback from 976, or 74% of members clearly backs this assertion.
Our members suggest that untenable demands in the areas of “Workload” and “Time” are adversely impacting them professionally and personally related to their own family life and health.
-Compared to 2019-2020, more than 75% of TVEA members are working at least 2 more hours beyond each contract day, with one third working more than 4 hours per day. This suggests the current system is demanding at least 10-20 additional hours during the week.
- 94% are working more on the weekends compared to 2019-2020. More than Two-Thirds are working an additional three to ten hours a weekend. This suggests the current system is demanding at least 5 additional weekend hours for most.
Why a minimum increase of an additional 15-25 work hours per employee per week as compared to last year?
-Certainly, the abrupt turn to 100% on-line learning in July for the 2020-21 year has had myriad impacts on work demands.
- A solid majority of our members share that they are receiving and responding to at least 50% or more e-mails and in some cases 100% or more e-mails from Students, Parents, and Administration. More than 60% state that Technology related e-mails have placed them on the front line of assisting students and parents in this area.
- More cumbersome attendance procedures as required by the state are adversely impacting instructional and/or planning time for 87% of our teachers.
What steps can TVUSD take to perhaps adjust our path in this apparent unsustainable journey?
First, all aspects of the TVUSD on-line instructional program should be re-examined as we reach the mid-point of the fall semester.
-This includes instructional minute requirements and bell schedules. Can we reduce required instruction and screen time for teachers and students and seek more and independent project-based learning opportunities?
- Can we provide our teachers any relief in the increased emails they are expected to respond to?
Can attendance procedures and reporting, particularly the burdens in reporting secondary Monday attendance be further examined?
- One finding from our survey data is clear: 88% of our respondents shared that eliminating or reducing mandated Monday staff meetings and trainings, including PLC’s would be helpful in creating more planning and preparation time.
By providing teachers time and flexibility, they can collaborate with colleagues and seek further training at a time and pace which best suits them as professionals. It should be noted that our teachers are already responsible for creating asynchronous student assignments and monitoring student engagement on Mondays. Larger blocks of teacher autonomous time on Mondays will allow our members to create a successful weekly plan for not just for themselves, but also for their students.
This is an unprecedented and extraordinary time in our educational system. We cannot simply set the pillars of the traditional TVUSD educational system as the foundation of an on-line learning model and expect the usual results. Monitoring and adjusting is critical to support our employees in channeling their time and energy toward best supporting TVUSD students.
