Fresno teachers criticize district COVID safety protocols, say ‘morale is fading fast’

Fresno teachers say “morale is fading fast,” and they feel “uninformed, unsupported, and disconnected” from district leadership as they struggle to teach amid the latest challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking to the Fresno Unified school board on Wednesday, nearly a dozen educators described the challenges they face and asked the trustees to “collaborate” on possible solutions.

The Fresno Teachers Association presented Fresno Unified with a 10-point plan, a plan FTA President Manuel Bonilla recently described during an Ed Lab live event. Bonilla said the district has made strides but said teachers still need more.

“People feel demoralized and, simply put, this is not sustainable,” Bonilla said. “Educators need clarity, direction, and support immediately. This is to ensure that educators can do what they desire to do; that is safely provide instruction for our students.”

Bonilla told the Education Lab the goal FTA teachers had for Wednesday’s board meeting was to tell the board about the “realities” teachers and students are currently facing to figure out a collaborative solution to re-design “everything.”

Struggles with COVID protocols

Since classes began in August, schools across FUSD have struggled with implementing a modified quarantine due to a lack of training at all school sites and access to rapid testing kits.

District leaders didn’t have much time to prepare for the modified quarantine protocol, which allows exposed students to stay in school if they agree to COVID-19 testing twice a week. The state only green-lit the process in late July, just weeks before Fresno classrooms reopened.

Still, FUSD officials said they intended to have the modified quarantine protocol up and running on the first day of school but have missed more than one self-imposed deadline.

As of last week, FUSD had implemented the modified quarantine program at 50 of its 106 school sites, FUSD spokesperson Nikki Henry told the Ed Lab during the online discussion.

During Wednesday’s board meeting, Superintendent Bob Nelson acknowledged the district’s struggles implementing modified quarantine. Nelson said “pandemic education” remains challenging in terms of staffing and “managing the medical reality.”

If a student tests positive for COVID-19 and everyone was wearing their masks (which are mandatory), then other students may remain in the classroom as long as they test negative on the fifth day after exposure. This is an alternative to sending home every student and teacher in the classroom.

However, while some school sites are able to implement the modified quarantine, teachers said the district lacks a “cohesive plan.”

“I’m sure you do have a plan. All I’m saying is, it is being communicated out to 106 school sites like a game of telephone,” Fresno High teacher Peter Beck said. “I do not know what our COVID policy is as a district.”

Fresno High student Joselyn Sandoval said the district had been “unorganized” implementing modified quarantine practices.

Sandoval said she is fully vaccinated, but she was almost sent home multiple times because the modified quarantine is not currently in place at her school.

“The entire quarantine system has been very unorganized. Because I am fully vaccinated, I was able to return to class,” Sandoval said. “I would like to stay in school and in class safely because I would not like to go back to distance learning.”

Teachers also criticized the board for what they said was a lack of communication from the board on a cohesive COVID-19 mitigation plan.

Teachers also described the realities of having students wear masks and how quarantine affects their ability to teach.

“A third of my students are absent because of quarantine. My most vulnerable students are struggling,” said Marina Santos, a literature teacher at Fresno High School.

“I am consumed by tasks such as tracking down PPE. Almost constant verbal and non-verbal requests for students to wear their masks properly,” Meghan Schimmel, a Fresno High teacher, said.

Norseman Elementary teacher Rom Orm teared up, describing her struggles.

“I feel like quitting. I said can I make it five more years? It’s hard.”

The Education Lab is a local journalism initiative that highlights education issues critical to the advancement of the San Joaquin Valley. It is funded by donors. Learn about The Bee’s Education Lab here.