I didn’t want you to wait until November to hear this!
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IEA ESP Virtual Empowerment Roundtable
!!Don’t miss this great opportunity!!
ESPs please join us for our next ESP Empowerment Roundtable where we will discuss ESPs health and safety as we return to school. Our guest speaker is from Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (ICAAP)
This Thursday August 6th, 6:30-8:00pm
Register here: https://bit.ly/ESPRoundtable
COVID-19 and Liability Waivers
This reviews your rights under federal law. Always check with your local and state associations for assistance in enforcing these rights and about additional rights you may have under state laws, collective bargaining agreements or memorandums of understanding with the employer, or policies.
BY ALICE O’BRIEN, NEA GENERAL COUNSEL
Q: CAN MY SCHOOL INSULATE ITSELF FROM LIABILITY BY FORCING ME TO SIGN A DOCUMENT WAIVING MY LEGAL REMEDIES I MIGHT HAVE IF I CONTRACT COVID-19 ON THE JOB?
Some schools have reportedly asked educators to sign documents waiving any rights they have against the school based on exposure to COVID-19. These waivers are not enforceable for several reasons. First, employees cannot be asked to waive their rights under the workers’ compensation laws, which would likely be their main source of recovery for contracting COVID-19 at work. Second, to the extent the school has an obligation under occupational health laws to maintain a safe workplace, that duty cannot be waived. Third, tenured teachers generally cannot be disciplined or fired for refusing a demand to decrease their workplace protections. Fourth, in states with collective bargaining for school employees, schools cannot unilaterally change educators’ working conditions without bargaining with the union.
Truth Be Told
We are all teachers…whether you have a certificate or not. If you love a child, listen to a child, support a child, and yes teach a child, you are a teacher. This includes learning within a classroom or hallway… ESPs come in many job categories, and each and everyone is essential to the education and well being of the child.
Many of us don’t know what this next school year brings, or maybe you have been given a “plan”. Don’t worry… If we’ve learned anything that “plan” will change tomorrow. This school year for many of us will look very different. Different is change and change is hard. As we look to this year, the most important thing we need to decide is…is the “plan” that my district is presenting safe, following CDC and IDPH guidelines? Will I have all the PPE that I will need to stay safe? Your health and the health of your students is the most important thing there is!! If you have any questions or concerns, reach out to your union president or uniserv director. NEA IEA are here to support you!!
A joint statement with IFT and IEA
Today, in a joint statement with the Illinois Federation of Teachers, we are announcing how we are fighting for our members and our students, including supporting health and safety strikes.
Read the full statement here: https://ieanea.org/…/joint-statement-from-the-illinois-edu…/
July 30th 4@4
Don’t miss our next ESP Council Roundtable Discussion
ESP Health And Safety As We Return to School
Guest Speaker from Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (ICAAP)
August 6th 6:30pm-8:00pm
You are invited to attend the IEA ESP Council’s second roundtable with special guest speaker from the ICAAP who will share health and safety guidelines and can answer some of your most pressing health and safety questions. Please join us as we learn, discover, and advocate for ESP throughout Illinois. Your ESP Council is here to support you during this trying time and beyond. If you have any questions or would like more information, please visit www.ieaespcouncil.com.
Register here: https://bit.ly/ESPRoundtable
4@4: Thursday, July 30
In Thursdays 4@4 episode, we answer your questions regarding whether a district can require member’s medical conditions be revealed; what to do if someone tests positive for Covid-19 in your school; whether a school board needs to approve the district back-to-school plan; and, if school custodians should be cleaning classrooms if someone in that space has tested positive.
Members can view the mentioned recordings of IEA’s sessions with Dr. Daniel Johnson, a pedriatric infectious disease expert, here: https://ieanea.org/coronavirus/
If you have a question that you’d like answered in a future 4@4 episode, please drop it in the comments below.
As we prepare for the new school year, please submit a response to our back-to-school survey: https://ieanea.org/forms/covid-19-back-to-school-survey/
If you have specific questions about your school district’s back-to-school plan, we encourage you to reach out to your assigned IEA UniServ Director and local president. If you need help identifying who that is, please reach out to us via IEA Connect.
Supporting the well-being of ESPs during the Covid-19 crisis
Students cannot be whole, unless our educators are whole. ❤️
Join us + Dr. Chris Cipriano from the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence for a webinar to discuss social and emotional learning strategies to support ESPs in navigating the challenging emotions of these rapidly evolving times.
Register now 👉 https://bit.ly/ESPSEL
Note: Once you register, we’ll encourage you to fill out a quick survey from Yale that will help inform the webinar.
