Teachers with child care issues could be getting some relief, as Los Angeles Unified issued districtwide guidance to administrators this week on providing flexibility to those who are, or should be, back to working in person but are seeking accommodations.
Employees facing child care issues could continue working from home if they have no students signed up for in-person instruction in their classroom, according to a copy of the guidance, which was obtained by the Los Angeles Daily News.
Another option, which would apply only to middle or high school teachers, would be to have a teacher team up with a colleague so that one person would teach two cohorts of students in person while the other would teach two online cohorts from home.
Such accommodations would only apply for the remainder of this school year.
It was not clear how many teachers have already received accommodations, as principals were using their own discretion prior to the guidance being issued.
During her Friday, May 7, update, Cecily Myart-Cruz, the president of United Teachers Los Angeles, the teachers union, called the development a “righteous win” for child care advocates.
She indicated that accommodations for employees could range from permission to work from home to being allowed to leave campus at a different time to pick up their kids from child care.
She also credited the union and some of its members for their roles in advocating for child care to support working parents.
Shortly after the district announced in March that schools would reopen the following month, teachers with young children raised concerns about the lack of child care availability since the coronavirus pandemic had shuttered some centers, forced others to reduce their capacity in response to health and safety guidelines or raised their rates.
One teacher started an online petition, calling on the district to allow educators with young children to continue working remotely for the rest of the school year.
A few weeks later, LAUSD officials announced that employees could receive $500 monthly subsidies to help pay for child care, though not everyone qualified for them.
On Friday, Myart-Cruz called on UTLA members to continue shedding light on the issue, saying it’s not a “one and done” conversation.
“Child care for working families should be a right, not a privilege,” she said. “Women of color compose the majority of the LAUSD workforce. Access to child care is a social justice issue and we must all keep advocating for a sustainable solution.”
The Link LonkMay 09, 2021 at 03:53AM
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LAUSD agrees to work day flexibility for teachers with child care issues - LA Daily News
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