Monday, March 23, 2020
Good Morning All,
I am hoping this communication finds you are well and coping as best as you can. I cannot count how many times over the past week I have said we are in unprecedented times/uncharted waters! So, in that frame of mind, I want to give you some important tips and reminders FOR YOUR PROTECTION that come to mind after my discussions with NYSUT and Administration, as well as from communications with NYSED and FedED resources.
· For those of you “working from home”: We are not on vacation, this is not an “extended snow day”. From firsthand experience, I know it is difficult to navigate “a workday” from home, particularly if you have children or are caring for an elder in your home. But it is paramount that as this shut-down unfolds, we view this as “working from home”. The longer this goes on, the more important and valuable our services to students and districts will and must be, and the more scrutiny we will receive from families, districts and the public at large. · Be checking the www.crbfa.org website regularly. While there will not be daily guidance for you there, there will be important reminders for you from NYSUT, the Executive Board and me about employee protection moving forward.
· Check your work email and Bert at least 3 times daily. This is where you will be receiving guidance about employee expectations from home; information will be evolving over time as we match our efforts to NYSED/FedED expectations and allowances. This is also where you will find information about team collaboration efforts/expectations to meet student need.
· Collaboration with team members is paramount. It is especially important for those educators in CTE/SPED who share IEP students. You must be able to demonstrate concerted and continuous collaboration with each other for those students.
· DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT! Keep a running log of the activities you are doing from home to meet employee expectations. You do not need to document times, just date and activities. This includes planning,
emailing, phone calls, professional development, etc. You should have documentation from today forward; for last week, just list as best as you can recall. There are forms you can use from your supervisors, or you can keep a running log in notebook or notes. Be sure if you are using anything online or on computer that you keep it backed-up.
· Please do not advertise for your paid services during work hours while receiving a paycheck from the BOCES. This has already been occurring in the Buffalo/Rochester area and is not being received well AT ALL, either by districts or the public at large.
· Social Media: follow the same social media “rules” from home as you would at work. It is not helpful for you to post about your daily activities unrelated to work while you are ”at work” during work hours; it only helps to advance the perception that educators continue to be paid for jobs they are not doing, and we all know nothing is further from the truth. In that vein, it is also, as always, not helpful to post anything during or after hours that you would not want to discuss directly with administration or families . . . Share it privately if you must. Again, we are under increasing scrutiny, and I say this for your protection. If you would like to post about your concerted efforts to help your students and can do so without violating student privacy, feel free. Some are using the hashtag #CapRegBocesProud
· As we plan/program from home, please become familiar with and adhere to the privacy protocols found on BERT especially regarding students and student information.
· We are exploring the establishment of a “message board” feature on the CRBFA website. Hopefully we can share sites and sources we are using, efforts at collaboration, professional development opportunities, and a Q&A feature. Stay tuned!
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to me, your Chapter VP, or any Executive Board member . . . Contact information is here on the site. We can do this!
In Solidarity,
Sherry
