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A group of Pleasanton parents are upset after an unidentified teacher was heard in a recorded Zoom class session recently telling students that COVID-19 restrictions would severely curtail their in-person learning experience.
The recording came to light late last month, the day after the Board of Trustees unanimously voted to reopen Pleasanton Unified School District for in-person instruction, starting with pre-K to grade 2 on March 4.
In the video obtained by local news outlets, the instructor tells students the day after the meeting that her desk will be “taped off in an area and I can’t really leave that area.”
The teacher continues, “If you want to go to school for social reasons, recognize that you absolutely will not have that. There’s no question that you will not be allowed to interact in any fashion. You cannot work with a partner. You cannot speak with anyone in your class if they are closer than six feet away.”
Several parents on the “Open Pleasanton Schools” Facebook page said some students have reconsidered returning to school based on similar comments made by their own teachers.
District spokesperson Patrick Gannon told the Weekly that additional information has been shared with families since then about what hybrid learning will look like.
“That was the day after the board meeting, so we didn’t have much time to provide the full context that was needed,” Gannon said.
The Association of Pleasanton Teachers, which represents the district’s certificated staff members, said in a statement last week, “Actions like recording educators and students without their permission is not only unlawful but raises concerns with regards to respect for the law, including the in-person safety requirements.”
A Dec. 2 memo on “digital expectations” for students during remote learning posted on the district website states, “It is illegal to record class instruction without the consent of the teacher. Similarly, teachers will not record synchronous class sessions of students.” Gannon said the memo is the most recent guidance shared for students and teachers.
PUSD is scheduled to ratify an agreement with APT during a special meeting Thursday, the same day that pre-K to second-grade students are set to return for in-person instruction. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m.
The teacher is not wrong.. so I dont have an issue. Overall I think the Teachers Unions have been horrific.
I actually think the teacher was being responsible in her articulation of the in classroom environment, it doesn’t read as the teacher trying to influence a students decision as much as setting expectations in preparation for the return to school.
APT is an absolute dumpster fire though – riotous mouth breathers with zero accountability to represent their membership accurately. Zero care for the wider community beyond their narrow field of view. This organization is in desperate need of new leadership that “gets it”. Zero excuses, no one should loose their jobs from COVID fallout, but the APT leadership needs to – incompetence at best, damaging to children in all reality.
APT represents all teachers in Pleasanton Unified. Teachers make up APT. I am unclear on why you blame APT for any problems. APT only worked at making the safest environment and providing what was needed according to the CDC and Alameda County guidelines for students and staff. The school board and the district are responsible for opening schools safely. APT had to fight for everything that was required to keep the staff and students safe or the district would not have supplied it. Please look at district leadership instead. District leadership continues to put staff in unsafe situations.
Number 1 – apt does not represent student interests.
Number 2 – apt is supposed to reflect its representative bases interests, but it represents its own self interests first. Union first at all costs.
Number 3 – apt did not fight to meet state and county guidelines, pusd submitted plans that satisfied those min requirements. Apt fought for improved conditions beyond the county and state guidelines. Not saying all that was asked for was wrong, but again, union preservation first, truth second, kids last.
I blame union leadership because they are misrepresenting member interests. I also blame union leadership for holding children’s education as a bargaining chip during a hard time for all. Drs , nurses, assembly workers making vaccines…..if all acted like the apt union leadership we wouldn’t have a vaccine today. Miss the forest from the trees. Instead of leading the charge union leadership is holding everyone back, and unfortunately this truth extends beyond apt…..look at all the teachers union law across the country. Shameful….no, criminal.