On Monday, August 17th, the District and the Jefferson County Educators' Association (JCEA) reached tentative agreement on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on working conditions for the 2020-21 school year. An MOU between the two organizations is driven by the need to clarify and implement work arrangements due to the District’s Restart Plan created in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Teams representing both the District and JCEA have worked collaboratively for several weeks on the MOU details, which cover health and virus mitigation strategies, work assignments, academic supports, and other key topics.
The MOU reflects the terms the District and JCEA agree upon to ensure the 2020-21 school year operates in a safe way for all staff and students.
Key points agreed upon in this MOU are highlighted below. The complete MOU is available to read here.
- Joint Monitoring Committee: The District will create a collaborative monitoring committee consisting of JCEA, JESPA, Jeffco Public Schools administrators, and parent/community representatives to monitor Colorado and Jefferson County pandemic conditions and school data including school infection rates, student attendance and engagement, and other pertinent data. The committee will make recommendations for adjustment to the Jeffco Restart Plan and/or the MOU, and suggest solutions for problems that arise out of the pandemic conditions.
- Safety Precautions: A number of key points relate to ensuring the safety and health procedures outlined in the Restart Plan to proactively implement virus mitigation strategies and promote a healthy environment for staff and students. These precautions include: health screening, mask wearing, hygiene, signage, social distancing, ventilation improvements, and in-school procedures for cleaning classrooms and virus mitigation.
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): The District will ensure that PPE will be provided to staff on an ongoing basis.
- COVID Testing: The District will coordinate free COVID-19 testing for symptomatic employees. The District will assist with coordination of insurance-paid COVID-19 testing and treatment. In addition, specific protocols will be in place for quarantine decisions and notifications.
- Temporary Teacher Assignments: For the 2020-21 school year there are additional needs to determine teacher assignments due the ongoing pandemic, to provide remote learning options for students, and accommodations for remote work opportunities for qualified staff. The MOU contains specific details about the role of principals in determining teacher assignments.
- Other Details: Additional items and clarifications in the MOU include specifics about meetings, use of sick leave, breaks and lunch duties, absence coverage, learning management systems for academics, evaluations, and class size.
JCEA will now take the MOU to their membership for ratification.
The Jeffco Public Schools superintendent is authorized to sign the MOU on behalf of the District.
