Schools' Unsafe Policies, Buildings Cause Unease: Teachers

The following was submitted by the Melrose Education Assocation:

An open letter to the Melrose community

As preK-12 educators and members of the Melrose School Community, we would like to share our concerns regarding the significant increase in reported COVID-19 cases in the community at large. Melrose is now designated as a “red” zone for COVID-19 cases according to State reporting statistics. This increase in cases is now being seen within the school system, with multiple positive cases reported across the district. We are concerned that the practices and procedures currently being employed are not working and that students, families, and staff are at a much higher risk than they may realize.

Unsafe Policies

The recent rise in cases is all the more concerning given the Melrose Public Schools’ lack of effective policies and procedures for keeping students, families, and educators safe.

● The district requires families to fill out a daily health form before students enter the building, certifying that they are symptom-free. However, in many instances, these forms have not been completed accurately and/or truthfully, resulting in symptomatic students being seated in class next to other students and potentially exposing the educator(s) in the classroom to the virus.
● Student desks must be placed with a minimum of 6 feet of spacing between them. If a student in the class tests positive, the other members of the class are only considered to be “close contacts” if they are within 6 feet for 15 minutes or more of exposure. Students and educators will not be considered a close contact based on this criteria. Therefore, the district does not notify community members, arguing that the desks were spaced far enough apart to prevent the spread. Thus, the MPS has failed to notify students, educators, and staff who sometimes have spent an entire day with a positive individual.
● The MPS COVID-19 Positive Case Count published by the district is misleading. Several cases have been reported in which students tested positive for the virus while on the remote week of their hybrid model with no close contacts. These same students were in school the previous week where they could have been exposed or exposed others, and yet they are lumped into a category of “Remote/MDLA,” confusing the different levels of risk for Hybrid and MDLA students.
● Middle and elementary school students stay in the same classroom for the majority of each day without transitioning and moving to their elective classes and specials, which is not healthy. Additionally, the preparing of high-quality lessons suffers because educators who are responsible for supervising students while they are on a Google Meet for their electives and specials do not have enough scheduled time to plan and collaborate with other educators.
● Since the district does not offer regular testing, exposed students and staff are on their own to secure a test, which can be challenging and time-consuming to access. As a result, there is no reliable district-wide data on transmission. It is unclear how transmission is occurring and if there are school-related clusters.

Unsafe Buildings

Many school staff members report unsafe conditions in the buildings.

● Several high school educators report that desks in their rooms cannot be spaced 6 feet apart, with as many as 15 students in half-sized classrooms (the “triangle rooms”). Similar crowding concerns are being voiced at the middle school.
● In the elementary schools, classes eat lunch and snack unmasked in the classroom, without meaningful airflow.
● Across the district, many classrooms have no windows or windows that do not open. As temperatures drop, students do not have the option of eating or taking “mask breaks” outside and instead take breaks and eat snack in the hallways and atriums of the school.

● As staff absences increase due to the pandemic, classes have been combined in order to be supervised, greatly increasing the risk of exposure and complicating contact tracing in the event of a positive case. Educators have documented as many as three classes combined in one room.
● While the district has placed air purifiers in some classrooms, schools have instructed that the machines be turned off when school ends, which is against the advice of the manufacturer.
● A significant number of educators have recorded unclean conditions, even after a potentially contagious student was in school, indicating a lack of proper sanitation in a building that hosts hundreds of students.

Community Spread

On top of unsafe policies and unsafe buildings, the MPS has decided to pursue questionable activities despite the rapid rise in cases.

● Melrose plans to start indoor winter sports, such as basketball, hockey, etc. despite the high-risk nature of these activities (as evidenced by past cancellations of professional sports).
● Outside of school, educators are aware of large gatherings of students not practicing social distancing or even wearing masks. So even as school staff attempt social distancing to keep Melrose safe, these practices often are ignored outside of school.

Given Melrose's recent “red” designation, and an increase in student requests to join MDLA due to safety concerns, we believe that unease is growing not only in the schools, but also in the community. We are calling upon you, the Melrose Community, to voice your concerns to the MPS Superintendent Dr. Julie Kukenberger, Mayor Paul Brodeur, and the MPS School Committee.

Contact Information for the Melrose Public Schools Superintendent and School Committee Members

Sincerely,

The Melrose Education Association Executive Board