The president of the United School Employees of Pasco (USEP) is calling upon the school district’s leadership to resolve internet outages.
“We’ve also been receiving numerous calls and emails regarding the district internet failures. Outages, many for long periods of time — sometimes daily — are occurring at schools, which have interfered with lesson delivery, data reporting and the printing of much-needed educational materials,” Don Peace, president of the union, told the Pasco County School Board at its Oct. 19 meeting.
“We have heard of a problem with the current provider and urge the district to make quick work of a solution, even if it means selecting a different provider,” Peace said.
“Internet disruptions do negatively impact learning in the classroom,” he added.
He also reiterated the need to reduce the amount of time teachers spend on data entry.
“As I’ve stated previously, USEP feels it is incumbent on district staff to look at ways to eliminate redundancy and paperwork — OK, data input — for our teachers.
“Where we can combine state and district mandates, we should.
“Teachers need not be clerical workers.
“We do understand the need for supportive data,” he said.
However, he added, “teachers are primarily tasked with delivering instruction to their students and that’s where the bulk of their time should be spent.”
Peace also touched on negotiations.
“Many significant decisions will be made in the upcoming weeks, including economic improvements,” he said. “USEP and district staff must be able to work together for the benefit of all.”
Published November 03, 2021
