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USEP

Internet outages are disrupting learning, union leader says

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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

Worker shortage takes a toll on Pasco schools

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Pasco County Schools has been struggling to fill bus driver, custodial, food service and instructional vacancies — prompting school board member Colleen Beaudoin to seek relief for overburdened workers.

Although the numbers fluctuate from day to day, a recent report showed that the district had roughly 155 instructional vacancies and 348 non-instructional vacancies, according to Steve Hegarty, the district’s public information officer. The non-instructional vacancies include 100 bus driver openings.

“Our folks are really under a lot of stress,” Beaudoin said, during the school board’s Sept. 14 meeting. “We must do something. Our folks need help”

Pasco County school board member Colleen Beaudoin is seeking relief for district employees who are feeling the stress of worker shortages. (File)

The district has added positions, but is having trouble filling them, she said.

“Grants that were supposed to provide for more nurses to help with contact tracing — people are not taking these jobs. It is stretching our folks too thin.

“On top of that, people are calling our schools and berating whoever answers the phone because they are upset that buses are late.

“Bus drivers have been yelled at. Please consider that you are yelling at the people who are showing up for our kids.

“This problem is not unique to schools, nor is it unique to Pasco County.

“I’ve been to restaurants where there are only two servers at work, and they’re understaffed too.

“We need to be thanking and supporting the people who are showing up,” Beaudoin said.

“Superintendent (Kurt) Browning, I know that you are aware of the stress on our employees.

“Please continue to brainstorm ways to take some things off their plates, prioritize, and let’s try to get them some relief.

“There’s a lot of smart people in this room. I’m just asking you to revisit and remove any unnecessary paperwork, or anything else you can do, to provide some relief,” Beaudoin said.

Don Peace, president of the United School Employees of Pasco(USEP), told school board members that he’s been hearing mixed reviews about how the school year is going so far, from school district employees.

“Some who were teaching MSOL (My School Online) last year are glad to be back with students; some teachers are scared to death to be in a classroom with unmasked students, but have no other prudent option.

“We all expected better for this year, but that hasn’t happened. Judgment and emotions have eroded to all-time lows in many cases, and people are at political war with each other.

“Some teachers have expressed that with quarantined students, political disarray and mental frustration running wild, delivering instruction is taking a severe hit in the classroom.

“There’s so much confusion about COVID and so much changing information, it is near impossible to make an informed decision on anything.

“I think it would behoove us all, superintendent, board members, staff, USEP and district employees, alike, to take a step back and see just exactly where we’re at.

“There are many states where schools have not been open for some time, and student learning has been halted. That is not so in Florida.

“We seem to have a balance of keeping our schools and businesses open, and moving our economy forward.

“Are things perfect? No, not at all. Is there room for improvement? Absolutely.

“And, much of that improvement can start with us.

“Instead of hollering at the bus driver for being an hour late, how about if we thanked them for being willing to go the extra mile to see that our kiddos get to school and home safely.

“Some of them are running three and four runs.

“Instead of railing at the teacher for not getting right back to the student on quarantine, why not exercise some compassion and restraint, and try to understand that providing makeup instruction for students has now become a full-time job.

“Maybe a thank you to the teacher or bus driver would be more appropriate,” Peace said.

Betsy Kuhn, assistant superintendent for support services, has been keeping board members informed about the district’s efforts to fill bus driver, custodial and food service vacancies.

And, she repeatedly expressed her gratitude for employees working in departments with significant staffing shortages.

“We’ve had a lot patience and partnerships at schools, as we work through all of this,” Kuhn said.

“We do have some silver linings. HR (Human Resources) has been a wonderful partner in helping us to recruit, and some new ideas, to help as much as possible. And our schools are stepping in,” Kuhn said, during a recent meeting.

“We also have a mini call center. We have started a mini one that involves district secretaries that are answering the phones for the garages because we have anyone who can drive a bus, driving a bus right now. It’s all hands on deck for the transportation department.

Kuhn said her own assistant, “has taken the brunt of those calls.”

Published September 22, 2021

Saying goodbye to a challenge-filled school year

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Some Pasco County School board members and the president of the employee union took a few moments during the board’s June 1 meeting to reflect on efforts made during this previous school year — to cope with challenges posed by COVID-19.

Don Peace, president of the United School Employees of Pasco, summed up the last school year this way:

“Well, we made it. A most inconvenient, challenge-filled year is now finished.

“We didn’t make it without cost. We lost a few pretty special people along the way.

“There were some students who never really connected, and the mental taxation to all of us was monumental.

“Despite all of this, I thought we planned and executed a pretty remarkable year.

“Compared to districts and states around the country, who never returned to school, Pasco is light years ahead in giving our students the best educational opportunity to move forward, under extraordinary circumstances,” Peace said.

School board member Cynthia Armstrong agreed with Peace’s assessment.

“It was a tough year. I don’t think any of us ever want to go through anything like this again.

“We still were able to accomplish some amazing things.

“A lot of life lessons were learned by everyone, including the students,” Armstrong said.

“I really want to thank all of the students and staff at all of the schools for everything they did to help keep our students safe this year, (and to) make sure that learning and extracurricular activities continued,” Armstrong said.

Peace echoed that appreciation, giving kudos to teachers, support personnel, district staff, community partners, parents and grandparents for their help during a difficult year.

School board member Colleen Beaudoin also expressed gratitude for the flexibility demonstrated by school leaders, in light of changing circumstances.

“I know it’s not easy, but they have adapted,” Beaudoin said.

Peace said he knows the coming year will be challenging on the financial front, particularly because much of the state money coming to the district must be spent in specific ways.

The union leader also formally requested that USEP be included in discussions over how federal money, provided in COVID-19 relief, is spent in the district.

Regarding district spending, Beaudoin asked if the district can seek to reduce paper costs.

“Can we move more toward using less paper?” Beaudoin said, noting that during the pandemic, the district has increased its use of an electronic learning management system called CANVAS.

Superintendent Kurt Browning said the district has spent more than $10 million on CANVAS, so he’s a big proponent of using that system.

In conversations, he said, he has asked: “Why should we not, and I use the word, mandate, CANVAS in our schools. And, I still have some pushback. Right, wrong or indifferent. But with a district our size — we’re talking about ninth, 10th largest district in the state — we consume a great deal of paper.”

Browning said he wouldn’t favor going to a paperless system, but agrees the district could use less paper.

Beaudoin agreed: “I’m not advocating for not using any paper. Especially in math, I think it’s really important that kids be able to write on their tests. I wasn’t saying, ‘I don’t want any paper.’ I was just thinking there are some things that you can post.

“I remember in elementary school, my kids coming home with tons of things that could have been in an email, or could have been (on) a half a sheet of paper,” she said.

Browning said the district is making progress on that front. “We’re getting there. Every year, we’re getting better.”

The district is “very sensitive to the amount of materials,” the superintendent said.

As a matter of fact, Browning said he would be meeting with district staff about department budgets following the board meeting to address cuts that will be needed to avoid a deficit in the coming year’s spending plan.

Published June 09, 2021

Two new STEAM magnet schools coming to Pasco?

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The Pasco County school district is looking to convert Centennial Elementary School in Dade City and Marlowe Elementary School in New Port Richey, from traditional elementary schools into STEAM magnet schools.

The acronym STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

Students now assigned to Centennial and Marlowe would be reassigned to nearby schools, and a lottery system would be used to assign students to the new magnet schools.

If the district proceeds with this plan, the change would not occur until the 2022-2023 school year, and boundary hearings would not occur until this coming fall, according to Steve Hegarty, district spokesman.

The issue came up at the Pasco County School Board’s March 2 meeting, when Don Peace, president of United School Employees of Pasco (USEP), complained about the district’s handling of future staffing for the two schools.

Peace objected to the new job description for STEAM magnet teachers.

“Normally, for contract waivers, major changes in curriculum — such as Wendell Krinn (Technical High School), Pine View (Middle) and Gulf Middle  — or school closings, as in Hudson Elementary, Ridgewood, and the Lacoochee proposal, USEP is invited to go to the school, along with district staff, to explain the contractual protocol for what is about to transpire.

“That did not happen with these two schools.

“In fact, when I first heard the details of what was transpiring, I had a district employee make a phone call to put a stop to what was going on. But that did not happen.

“Interviews took place, in an unacceptable manner, for jobs that do not yet exist, at schools that have not yet been voted to be closed, and for a job description that is yet to be approved.

“It appears the cart is in front of the horse,” Peace said.

Peace then told board members that approving the proposed job description would, in essence, create an elite position.

“Why would you want to create divisiveness among teachers?” the union president asked district officials.

“I would contend that with training, professional development and proper guidance, there are numerous teachers across this district that would be able to work in a STEM/STEAM school and be highly successful, if given that opportunity,” he said.

Peace suggested the board delay voting on the new job description, and instead hold a workshop to discuss the issue in greater detail.

Superintendent Kurt Browning responded to the assertions.

“I agree with Mr. Peace when it comes to the fact that any of our teachers, given the opportunity and the professional learning, could probably make it work in a STEM or STEAM environment.

“What Mr. Peace didn’t mention is what I call the ‘want to’ (factor). Do you want to put the effort into working at a STEM or STEAM school?

“We learned lessons when we converted Bayonet Point Middle and Centennial Middle. We did not have a separate job description for that. Honestly, it was more difficult to set the expectations for our staff.

“I will tell you that this job description, in no way, shape or form, is — as Mr. Peace has indicated — divisive. It is not intended to do that. It is merely to set expectations, for teachers that want to move to a STEM or STEAM environment.

“It is different, a lot more technology-driven, project-based learning.

“It is a choice school,” Browning said.

When the schools held faculty meetings to discuss the change, a number of teachers approached the principals and said, “I get it. I just don’t want to do it,” Browning said.

The new magnet schools will choose teachers based on the new job description.

While current teachers may be assigned to different schools, they will not lose their jobs, Browning said.

Before approving the new description, school board members asked for more information.

Board member Cynthia Armstrong asked for more details about how the job description was developed. Board member Alison Crumbley echoed that request.

Samantha Del Valle, assistant director of leading and learning, said “we knew we needed a job description to really be transparent with the staff that we’re going to hire and to share with them what would be expected, as they take those positions.”

So, the job description is based on the practices that happen in a STEAM classroom.

Hiring will mirror the process used in hiring teachers for Sanders Elementary STEAM Magnet School in Land O’ Lakes, Del Valle said.

The questions district officials asked, when drafting the new job description, included: “What is a STEAM teacher? What practices are happening in the classroom? What does STEAM look like and how do we make sure that that occurs in our two new schools?” Del Valle said.

School board member Colleen Beaudoin emphasized that she wanted it to be clear to district teachers that the new job description does not create an elite class of teachers.

“We’re not saying that these teachers are any better than any other teachers. These are just a specific skill set needed for these types of schools. I don’t want to give the impression that we’re saying that teachers at one school are any better than teachers at another school,” Beaudoin said.

Besides looking for teachers who have the attributes described in the job description, they also must be willing to undergo additional training, Del Valle said.

Plus, there is a preferred qualification related to computer science.

Browning reiterated Beaudoin’s point, noting the teachers are not better teachers.

“They’re different teachers.

“This job description was not designed to divide teachers,” the superintendent insisted.

He also said the shift to the STEAM magnet schools is intended to give parents additional options.

“Parents are wanting something different,” Browning said.

Published March 17, 2021

COVID cases in Pasco schools ‘manageable’

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Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning gave the Pasco School Board a briefing on the district’s response to COVID-19 during the board’s Sept. 15 meeting.

“I want to commend the vast majority of our students and staff who are doing the right thing,” he said. “From what I’ve seen and heard, our students and staff are wearing masks and social distancing when possible. People recognize that rules are in place to keep everyone safe and healthy, and the vast majority are being careful and respectful of those rules we put in place.

“The end result is this: Three weeks into the school year and we have certainly had some cases. We’ve been very transparent about that. Hop on our website and you can see all of the numbers, right there on our website.

“There has been an impact at several schools throughout the district. But, it has been manageable and our planning has paid off.

“Most students and staff are being conscientious and are being very disciplined about the quarantine requirements,” the superintendent said.

But, Browning added that he did not want to be dismissive of the impacts that COVID-19 has had on district schools.

Sixty-three students had tested positive and 1,475 had been told to quarantine for 14 days, as of Sept. 18. Also, 26 employees had tested positive and 153 employees had been told to quarantine.

During the school board meeting, Browning noted: “We’ve had some unusual cases where one student tested positive that resulted in dozens of students and staff being required to quarantine. In one school, one positive case resulted in 119 students and 10 staff members having to be quarantined.

“Those cases are unusual. On average for every positive case, 20 people are required to quarantine. That’s like sending a small classroom home, when a student tests positive.

“I know it’s inconvenient. I know it’s disappointing to be the students or the staff that want to be at school, or at work, but it’s also manageable,” the superintendent added.

As of Sept. 15, Browning said, 46 schools or departments had a positive case of a student or employee.

To help prevent the spread, Browning asked students and staff to continue to be conscientious, not only in school, but  after school, as well.

“That would go a long way to help us rid the spread of the virus in our schools and in our community,” Browning said.

Don Peace, president of United School Employees of Pasco (USEP), also talked about COVID-19’S impacts.

“As a district, we’re holding our own in this fight against COVID in our workplaces. USEP is pleased with the many protocols we have in place in this district to ensure student and employee safety — and has been outspoken toward that end,” Peace said.

“I would caution though that no amount of negotiation or precautions put in place serve as a guarantee against this illness,” Peace said, adding, “we all need to err on the side of caution, as we navigate this school year.”

Browning also talked about the district’s COVID Command Center, where county health department staff and school district nurses are working together to respond to COVID-19 concerns.

“They’ve offered tremendous support and guidance to our principals, as they have experienced cases at their schools,” Browning said.

“They have been busy. They have been put to the test, every day,” and in the superintendent’s opinion, they have passed, with flying colors.

“We have done a good job, with the management of COVID. The fight is not over yet.

“Masks need to be worn. We need to set the example,” Browning said.

He also talked about the district’s three testing sites, which are for students and district personnel, and are intended to provide quick testing and results. The sites are at Pasco Elementary School, the district office complex and Gulf Middle School. The tests will be given by appointment only.

School board members also offered some observations about the school year so far.

Board member Cynthia Armstrong said she’s been out and about, and has had conversations with parents who have been pleased with what their schools are doing.

“Their kids are glad to be back in school. They’re just glad that we offered the brick-and-mortar opportunity because they really felt that’s what their students needed, what their kids needed,” Armstrong said.

Board chairwoman Colleen Beaudoin said in addition to the district’s good planning, the positive attitude by students and staff have played an important role in responding to challenges presented by COVID-19.

“Overall, I think things have gone more smoothly than we anticipated,” Beaudoin said.

Pasco County Schools COVID cases
63 student cases (1,475 students impacted)
26 employee cases (153 employees impacted)*

* As of 11:30 p.m., Sept. 18

Published September 23, 2020

Union seeks ‘online-only’ school option

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Pasco County Schools is continuing its plans to offer face-to-face instruction as one of its options when school resumes on Aug. 24 — but, the union representing teachers and other school district employees is continuing its efforts to block that.

In a posting on the United School Employees of Pasco’s website, union officials inform their members that they are continuing efforts to seek an injunction that would prevent a return to brick-and-mortar classrooms when school begins.

The union is waiting until this week for formal actions to avoid interfering with efforts by the Florida Education Association, which is pursuing legal action on behalf of educators across the state, the posting says.

This latest USEP announcement follows a rally by teachers and parents at school district headquarters on Aug. 4, seeking to persuade the Pasco County School Board to adopt an online-only opening of schools, until the number of positive COVID-19 cases declines.

Don Peace, president of USEP, appeared at the school board’s meeting that day, again urging the board to only open schools online.

“We are not saying we don’t want a return to brick-and-mortar. We are saying we don’t want to return to brick-and-mortar now,” Peace said.

“Pediatricians and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) are saying that we should not be heading back to schools at this time.

“When the positivity rate shows a downward trend and is below 5%, which is the level that ironically triggered the stay-at-home order back in April, then and only then would it be prudent to have a conversation on returning in a face-to-face format,” Peace said.

Peace said the district should rely on the data, in determining if students, teachers and staff return to schools.

“We have the means to use technology, in order to save lives,” Peace said.

Speakers offering public comment also told board members that they don’t think it’s safe to return.

Patrick Connolly, of Zephyrhills, said that there will be significant problems with staffing, if staff members apply their self-screeners with fidelity. And, he said, “if we don’t apply these screeners with fidelity, we will have the virus running rampant in our community.”

Jeremy Blythe, a Pasco teacher for five years, said he wishes he was excited to begin a new school year. Instead, he said, ““I’m afraid, I am angry and I’m sad.

“Being a teacher has prepared me to do many things, but what I cannot prepare for is the idea that I will have to bury a colleague or a student. I don’t want my family to have to bury me, either, if we head back to campus before it is safe,” Blythe said.

Superintendent Kurt Browning reiterated the district’s stance of reopening, with three options for parents: bricks-and-mortar, mySchool Online and Pasco eSchool.

“We are between that proverbial rock and a hard place, where we find ourselves with that emergency order,” Browning said.

“There’s been a lot of discussion, comments made out there about funding.

“The fact remains that when you read the emergency order, it is very clear that funding is tied to the fact that school districts need to open with bricks-and-mortar.

“You have to truly connect the dots, but if you want funding, and you want to be held harmless from funding reductions, then the expectation is that districts will open bricks-and-mortar.

“If we do not get funding from the state, our teachers do not get paid. Our bus drivers do  not get paid. Staff, in general, does not get paid.

“It’s going to be tough to keep lights on,” Browning said.

Browning said district staff is doing everything it can to ensure safety.

However, he added: “We’re not going to prevent it, but we are in the business of trying to minimize the impacts, or the spread of COVID,” the superintendent said.

He noted: “Even after all of the news reports, the data that’s out there — we still have 66% of our families that are wanting to return to bricks-and-mortar.

“By virtue of that, we need to be able to staff and provide that for them,” Browning said.

School Board Chairwoman Colleen Beaudoin said one of her chief concerns involves the inability to provide social distancing in secondary classrooms.

“We cannot ensure social distancing in every secondary classroom,” she said, noting district employees are aware of that, but she’s not sure that parents know that.

Beaudoin did call attention to Pine View Middle School’s efforts to maximize  the space between its students, by clearing the room of extra furniture, extra tables, extra filing cabinets — to increase the distance between desks.

Beaudoin also said that if at some point, the district was to go remote, she wants the public to know that the district staff has been exploring multiple options.

“None are guaranteed, but we have been looking into ways to support families with child care and tutoring, to be able to continue to feed our students and families, and keep our employees working,” the school board chairwoman said.

While Pasco plans to return to school campuses, the Hillsborough County School Board has voted to begin the school year with online-only instruction — a position being rejected by Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran.

To be on the safe side, parents are encouraged to check for the most recent updates on the school district websites and social media platforms, to be sure they have the latest information. The Pasco school district’s website is Pasco.k12.fl.us.

The Hillsborough school district’s website SDHC.k12.fl.us.

Published August 12, 2020

Concerns raised about reopening

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The United School Employees of Pasco is raising concerns about the prospect of offering  brick-and-mortar instruction when school begins, given current COVID-19 conditions.

A post on the union’s Facebook page says that USEP “will seek injunction to prevent schools from opening for safety & health reasons. We do this to allow common sense to prevail and provide a virtual opening to this unprecedented school year.”

Don Peace, the union’s president had urged the Pasco County School Board and school district leaders at the board’s July 28 meeting for an online-only opening of school when classes begin on Aug. 24.

Pasco County Schools is scheduled to begin its new school year on Aug. 24, with both in-school and online options. The leader of the United School Employees of Pasco has announced the union will seek an injunction to block a brick-and-mortar school opening, until COVID-19 positivity declines. He said his members think that online learning is the only safe option, with the current COVID-19 positivity rates. (B.C. Manion)

“In light of the fact that Pasco’s COVID-19 positivity rate is above 10% and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) is recommending a 14-day downward trend, along with a positivity rate of 5% or less, USEP finds it troubling that we would contemplate a brick-and-mortar opening,” Peace said, during the board’s telephonic meeting.

“We’re contacting legislators and other state officials to see what could be done to allow for an all-virtual reopening,” Peace said.

“Our positivity trend is going up, not down. We closed schools at Spring Break, when things were not as bad as they are now.

“For the Department of Education to order schools to open, in the current situation, is nothing short of reckless,” Peace said.

“Sixty-seven districts in this state have elected school boards whose primary duty is to ensure public education is carried on in a safe and productive manner. Returning to brick-and-mortar right now, certainly is not safe. And, the interruptions caused when (COVID-19) test rates spike, causing virtual instruction, will most certainly not be productive for our students,” Peace said.

He told board members that the union is exploring all of its options.

“All we are asking for is some common sense and time for this to happen,” Peace said.

He wasn’t the only one raising questions about the district’s reopening plan during the board meeting.

Patrick Connolly, of Zephyrhills, said “teachers still don’t know if they’re going to be awarded MSOL (MySchool Online)-only positions, and therefore feel safe, or if we’re going to be required to be back in, and be unsafe.

“Because of that, a lot of people don’t know if they’re going to come back next year,” he said.

Connolly also posed this question to the board and district staff: “What will happen in the next couple of weeks, when teachers are going to find out that their request for MySchool Online-only appointments are not being honored and people are being forced back into the classroom against their wishes, and decide at that point to take leave, resign or retire, leaving the school system with an insurmountable gap in teacher allocations that cannot be filled with even the remotest bit of experience at this time of year.”

What about sick teachers?
Connolly also noted that symptoms described on the self-screening document that teachers are supposed to use are symptoms that they commonly experience.

“If I follow the guidelines, what is the school going to do in terms of subs, when half of the staff is out after the first week for 10 days? Are we ready for that?” he asked.

Another caller asked the school district to collect data through an anonymous survey to find out how many staff members are considering retirement, leaves of absence or resigning — and then to make those survey results public.

The caller said the district needs to do a better job in its communications.

Many parents are assuming that there will be smaller class sizes, if there are fewer students on campus, she said. But, the district has said that class sizes won’t be reduced, she said.

Also, many parents are under the impression that social distancing will be done to the extent recommended by the CDC, which is not possible without reducing class sizes, the caller added.

School board member Megan Harding said she knows that district staff is working hard, but said communications must improve.

She said she’s still receiving multiple emails daily with questions she had previously raised to district staff.

“Our schools are being inundated with questions that they don’t have answers to yet. And, I know that we don’t have the answers to everything yet, but I want to ask that we get those questions answered, and push out that information to our families and staff as soon as possible because school is starting around the corner, so I think it’s really important that we get that information out,” Harding said.

Vanessa Hilton, the districts’ chief academic officer, provided some details about what the school day will look like for students in the coming year.

MySchool Online teachers will do live lessons, have collaborative discussions, provide small group sessions and allow independent practice for students, she said.

“Of course, we won’t have students behind a computer for six hours a day, but engaging in those various structures, as well as breaks. Recess. Their electives. And, all of the things you might expect,” Hilton said.

“The curriculum for MySchool Online and traditional school will be the same.

“Many of those structures that I mentioned for MySchool Online will also be part of the traditional model. You’ll see live lessons, collaborative discussions, small group sessions and independent practice,” she said.

“There also will be new things in our traditional model. Some things you’ll notice, like creating cohorts that stay together in elementary,” she added.

Some things students may not notice, such as the fact that the district won’t be sharing recess equipment between cohorts in elementary. They’re also unlikely to notice the tasks handled by adults, such as the monitoring and disinfecting of equipment and supplies, the district leader said.

At the secondary level, there will be some obvious changes, such as managed traffic patterns, no large congregations of students and reduced sizes of groups, she continued.

There also will disinfecting of desks, materials, computers — between student uses, she added.

“Some of those things won’t be noticed by students because students won’t be responsible for them, but some of them, of course, will be noticeable,” Hilton said.

School Board Chairwoman Colleen Beaudoin said, “Each person on this board cares about our employees, their families, our students and our community.

“I know that our teachers, staff and families are concerned about the risks of contracting COVID. We’re doing everything we can, within the parameters we’re given, to mitigate the risk.

“I spoke with Mark Fox, head of maintenance, about different types of disinfectant wipes, products, filters, barriers, water fountains, bathrooms and so on.

“He and his staff have investigated all possible ways to make our schools as safe as they can be,” Beaudoin said.

Published August 05, 2020

Pasco schools to open Aug. 24

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Pasco County Schools has delayed the start of school for two weeks, but controversy continues over how the district should deliver instruction once the new school year begins.

The Pasco County School Board on July 21 unanimously approved changes in the school calendar to delay opening day from the original date of Aug. 10 to the new date of Aug. 24.

Board members also approved an Aug. 17 start date for employees, also a two-week delay from the originally planned Aug. 3.

Pasco County School Superintendent Kurt Browning recommended the two-week delay in the midst of rising COVID-19 cases in Florida.

Browning said the district plans to comply with the state directive that requires it to open all schools for five days a week, to provide a face-to-face learning option for students. It also will offer two online options.

Delaying the start date will require the district to make up for lost time, Browning said.

His staff has developed a plan that adds 18 to 20 instructional minutes to each school day, and will forego early release days during the fall semester, he said.

The board’s decision to delay reopening until Aug. 24, but to keep the brick-and-mortar option, came despite concerns raised by Don Peace, president of the United School Employees of Pasco, the union representing teachers and school support staff.

Peace said the directive by Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran is “an overreach.

“You, as a board, should be the ones that determine the safest way to return to teaching and learning, but your authority was usurped by one man,” Peace said.

The state’s directive is being challenged, Peace added.

“Yesterday, in a court in Miami, the Florida Education Association filed suit against his order (Corcoran’s), labeling it ‘arbitrary and capricious.’ They further claimed that returning to brick-and-mortar now, with COVID numbers on the rise, would be unsafe for students and employees,” Peace said.

The union president also noted that a USEP survey of district employees found that “over 75% of those replying felt that the only safe way to return now is distance learning.”

He told board members that he expected the union to take a formal position on the issue soon.

But, School Board Chairwoman Colleen Beaudoin said the district can’t take an online-only approach.

“A lot of people are saying they want to start online and on time. That is currently not an option.

“One thing that is crystal clear is that we must follow statute to receive funding or nobody gets paid and our students lose out,” Beaudoin said.

School board member Alison Crumbley said delaying the school start provides more time for more information and more preparation.

“It gives us all a bit more time to see where the local trend of the virus is going,” Crumbley said.

It also gives parents more time to reflect on options, and schools more time to prepare, she said.

“The challenge of balancing student achievement with safety is a daunting one,” Crumbley said.

School board member Cynthia Armstrong said a delay of two weeks allows the district to end the first semester before the holiday break, which she thinks is important.

A longer break would not allow that possibility, she said.

The district’s union since has taken a formal position on the reopening of schools.

According to the union’s website, USEP will strongly advocate for distance learning only until there is a 14-day downward trend in positive COVID-19 cases.

Published July 29, 2020

Hillsborough schools delay start

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The Hillsborough County School Board has delayed the reopening of schools, as recommended by Superintendent Addison Davis.

In adopting Davis’ plan, the board also said it would reconvene in two weeks to look at the COVID-19 data, to see if the plan sticks, or if the board will change its plan.

The board took the action in a special meeting on July 23.

Under the approved plan, teachers and district staff will return to schools as planned, on July 31.

The board also approved a new student calendar and a new bell schedule, to ensure that students make up for lost time and have the required amount of time in their courses.

Under the approved calendar, the first day of school is Aug. 24, the first semester ends on Jan. 15 and the last day of school is May 28.

The board’s actions followed considerable public comment and discussion by board members.

Members of the public urged board members to consider the safety of students and staff, in adopting their back-to-school plan.

Board member Tamara Shamburger said, “this is not about parent choice.

“This is about the greater duty of the superintendent and this board, to ensure safety in this school district.

“Until we can guarantee student safety, there is no viable choice for brick-and-mortar,” Shamburger said.

But, board member Cindy Stuart said the district was obligated to get a plan in front of Tallahassee.

“Let’s talk about a two-week period, where we continue to watch what is happening,” she said.

“We may have to pivot one way or another,” she said.

Hillsborough County isn’t the only school district struggling with the challenges of reopening schools in the midst of a pandemic.

Pasco County Schools also has delayed the start of school until Aug. 24.

The Pasco School Board also approved an Aug. 17 start date for employees, also a two-week delay from the originally planned Aug. 3.

Delaying the start date will require the district to make up for lost time, Superintendent Kurt Browning said.

His staff has developed a plan that adds 18 to 20 instructional minutes to each school day to make up for the lost time, and also calls for foregoing early release days during the fall semester.

Don Peace, president of United School Employees of Pasco, called Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran’s directive “an overreach.

“You, as a board, should be the ones that determine the safest way to return to teaching and learning, but your authority was usurped by one man,” Peace said.

Corcoran’s directive is being challenged, Peace added.

“Yesterday, in a court in Miami, the Florida Education Association filed suit against his (Corcoran’s) order, labeling it ‘arbitrary and capricious.’ They further claimed that returning to brick-and-mortar now, with COVID numbers on the rise, would be unsafe for students and employees,” Peace said.

The union president also noted that a USEP survey of district employees found that “over 75% of those replying felt that the only safe way to return now is distance learning.”

Peace said USEP urging the Pasco County Schools to adopt a distance-learning model, until the rate of positive COVID-19 cases has been on the decline for 14 days.

Published July 29, 2020

Pasco schools brace for tough budget

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Pasco County Schools is gearing up for a tough budget year.

“We have been working on budget,” Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning told school board members at a May 5 virtual school board meeting.

“It’s not a so-rosy picture of a budget. We’re working with department budgets and the district budget as a whole. We know that it’s going to be tight, and we’re very cautious going into this next budget and school year, not knowing what the Legislature is going to do, or possibly do, as it relates to any special session.

“I just wanted the board to know that we’re having some very, very, very serious discussions about the budget,” Browning said.

Pasco County School board member Allen Altman tells board members that the district is likely to encounter a tough budget year. (File)

Board member Allen Altman told his colleagues that they need to be forward-thinking about the possibility of budget cuts.

He said having to make cuts during the Great Recession was “the worst experience of my elected career.”

“I can tell you that I’ve talked to a couple of directors of state agencies in the past week, who have quietly been told to look at what a 20% cut would do. And, I looked today at the sales tax figures for Florida for month of March and they were down $770 million, and April is expected to be even worse.

“We don’t need to start jumping out of ships yet, but I think that it would be prudent for us to be cognizant of the situation that the state and other local governments may be in and consider that, as we make decisions going forward,” he said.

He also told board members he had met with the Value Adjustment Board and the county’s tax roll will be certified at about $27.4 billion for 2019. That compares to slightly more than $25 billion for 2018.

But, he said, “there is some fear going forward that commercial real estate, especially in retail and boxes, could see upwards of a 20% decline.”

Board member Cynthia Armstrong said she listened to a webinar hosted by the Florida School Boards Association that featured three chief financial officers talking about what to expect, and what school boards should be doing.

Revenue figures for April will be released on May 25, which should give the district an idea of what it will be looking at, she said.

During the webinar, the CFO said  “to expect that it’s very possible that the Legislature might go into special session, say in November, and adjust the budget, and we definitely could have some drawbacks,” Armstrong said.

“So, when we do our budget, we’re going to have to think about that, that it’s very likely that the budget could be cut, partway through the year, and we need to make sure that we’re planning for that,” she said.

“It’s going to be a very tough budgeting year for us,” she said.

She also noted that supporting the pay raise that’s in state legislation may require the district to reduce its staffing allocations.

Armstrong also urged the board to return to a face-to-face board meetings, to the degree possible, as soon as possible.

She said that fosters better communications at a time when important conversations must be had.

School board member Alison Crumbley agreed that discussions are more effective when they are done in person, to the degree possible.

“Hopefully, we’re going to get to that point really, really soon,” she said.

School will feel different, going forward
Don Peace, president of United School Employees of Pasco (USEP), commented on distance learning and what to expect in the future.

“Some students have found that they are better suited to this manner of learning. Still others long to be back in the traditional classroom, interacting with teachers and classmates,” Peace said.

“Maybe there’s case to be made that a hybrid of sorts could be utilized for future learning, capturing the best of both worlds,” Peace added.

“Whatever the case, I think we better have some options available next fall.

“However next year plays out, whether we start on time, or after Labor Day, it will definitely not be the same scenario that we left before Spring Break.

“Families may decide it not best for their student to return to a brick-and-mortar building for either real, or imagined, fears.

“Some of our teachers may elect not to return for their own reasons.

“I think that next year is going to be really trying for all of us, in matters other than just financial.

“I am asking the district to keep USEP in the communication loop, regarding any future plans, as we certainly are all in this together,” Peace said.

Published May 20, 2020