April 1st, 2020
Good Afternoon CRBFA Members. By now I am sure you have all read that as the corona-virus health crisis continues, by order of Governor Cuomo, the New York State Education Department has cancelled spring breaks scheduled for the beginning of April for ALL school districts across the state, stating that “virtual learning must continue during that time“. I want to be clear here: This is an Executive Order. It is not a contractual issue that can be negotiated by any district, including our own. This order is in effect until April 15, and it is not yet clear if/how it will affect the entirety of the scheduled CRB spring break for 10-month employees.
I want you to know that this decision seems especially difficult to understand given the amount of time and work that every one of you has been putting in to effect distance learning, not only for our students, but for yourselves, as well. It has been a Herculean effort to, as one colleague put it, “build this plane as it flies”, and all while managing the additional responsibilities at home for those charged with family care or the education of their own children. You should know, I believe there is no workforce who has done it better, and I mean that with the utmost sincerity. But many are frustrated and discouraged. Share your concerns/frustrations with me, your Chapter VP or even your colleagues; we will address those concerns, as always. Nevertheless, especially in this time of heightened emotion and scrutiny of Public Education employees, please refrain from making those frustrations known publicly, particularly on social media. I know you have already gone “the extra mile”, but we must go a bit further during these uncertain times.
Across our divisions, we at Capital Region BOCES have unique responsibilities not only to our districts’ students, but to our component districts‘ operations themselves. The services we have always provided, and especially those we have been developing in recent weeks, help the districts to comply with SED regulations in general, and this Executive Order, in particular. This makes us especially valuable to districts, now and in the future. That relationship is very important to our future, and we are very mindful of that. The regard we continue to develop during this crisis will remembered long after it is over . . . We must get it right the first time.
I want also to strongly reassure you that the Faculty Association is keenly aware of protections afforded by your contract that we have long worked hard to achieve, and we will not abandon those. We have contract language defining the length of our school year for salaried 10-month employees, and will come to agreement with the BOCES to honor that provision in fair fashion. Further, we have protections for hourly employees who may exceed their typical work time by virtue of this order, and we will protect you, as well. It is simply in our best interest to work through this crisis with full excellence on display, and I strongly encourage you to continue do so.
P: 518-366-9060
E: sherry.karcherhewitt@gmail.com
