Members of Oakland’s teachers union have approved a tentative school reopening agreement with the Oakland Unified School District, which would see select students return to in-person learning by the end of March.
Oakland Education Association members voted 1,024-790 to pass the plan, the union announced late Saturday.
Under the reopening agreement, in-person instruction for pre-kindergarten through second grade will start on March 30. Starting April 19, in-person instruction will be expanded through fifth grade and at least one secondary grade.
Teachers will opt in to the first phase of the plan, and those who do will return to campuses to prepare on March 25. Teachers who do not opt in to phase one will return to campuses on April 14 to prepare for the second phase.
Social distancing and other coronavirus precautions, such as proper ventilation, will be in place. Distancing learning will still be available.
OEA officials said the next step in the process is to conduct school site visits.
“During the site visits, OEA will be checking that all multilayered safety measures are in place, such as personal protective equipment, adequate ventilation, smaller class sizes for social distancing, testing and tracing programs for students and staff, regular facilities cleaning, and hand washing,” officials said in a statement.
Those visits will occur for the next two weeks.
The agreement still needs final approval from the school board.
Related
