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Over the summer, CEA formed dozens of task forces that examining the challenges of reopening schools through the lenses of particular educators and students. Huge thanks to all of our members who worked over the summer to create a comprehensive document detailing challenges and recommendations that reflect the voices of our educators. You can now view the combined CEA Reopening Task Force Document online.

We’re heartbroken at the news that Chandler High School coach Kerry Croswhite passed way tonight from COVID-19. The entire CEA family sends its love to his wife, Laurie, the rest of his family, and everyone in the CHS Wolves community.

We received more information tonight from our CUSD Governing Board and Governor Ducey on what school reopening may look like (you can also watch tonight’s board meeting to view the discussion around our reopening). This is obviously a fluid, constantly changing situation, but your union has been busy putting together critical information to help us navigate it.

As mentioned earlier, CEA’s survey results have been shared with the Governing Board and with district administration (thanks to those of you who made your voice heard by responding to that survey). With input from members across the state (including some CEA members), AEA has also released their New Vision for Arizona Schools Task Force report, which contains a bold vision of what our schools can and should look like in a post-COVID world. Finally, NEA has released their All Hands on Deck: Initial Guidance Regarding Reopening School Buildings report, which includes science-based and health-focused guidelines for schools to reopen in a way that meets the needs of students and educators. You can also find many more resources regarding the impact of COVID-19 on our schools at NEA’s Educating Through Crisis website, as well as AEA’s COVID-19 update page.

We encourage you to read through these resources and discuss them with fellow CEA members (and non-members) at your site. Together, we will work to ensure a safe, quality learning and teaching experience for our community.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to our school reopening survey. You can now view a summary of the survey results (these results have been shared with Dr. Casteel this morning).

The CUSD reopening plans will be discussed at tonight’s Governing Board meeting. The study session starts at 4:30pm, followed by the regular meeting at 7:00pm. We encourage everyone in the CUSD community to study the agenda and supporting documents, as well as view the meeting live on YouTube.

We know this is a very difficult time right now, so please reach out to your Site Representative or Executive Board if you need anything. We also hope you’ll consider joining our reopening task force subcommittees to continue the conversation about what school will look like when we reopen.

CEA stands in solidarity with students who are part of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities as they call out systems of oppression that directly impact marginalized students. For more information on how CEA is fighting systemic racism and how you can help, please visit our Anti-Racism Action Statement page at chandlerea.org/antiracism.