CAUSE ADVISORY
Open Letter to CUSD School Board
6 Week LAPSE in CUSD’s SAFETY Response
* 2023-24 School Year *
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Dear CUSD School Board Trustees:
At the Sept 26, 2023 School Board Meeting, the Union shared this public comment…
“Although last year’s SAFETY Response protocols, known as HOUR-ZERO, have been withdrawn, nothing has been put in place to replace them on the ground. The new SRP’s are far from implemented.
Ms. Rigby confirms that just this past Monday [sic. Sept.25th], now over 2 months into the school year, CUSD’s Administrators attended the first of two trainings on the new SAFETY RESPONSE PROTOCOLS. [See attached – A ] Meanwhile, District administrators continue to direct employees NOT TO USE the HOUR ZERO protocols that will one day be replaced.
The Union shared concerns about a lapse in the District SAFETY protocols at the outset of the school year [sic, Aug. 26th Board Meeting]. At that time, the Superintendent assured you and the community that there would be no lapse in the District’s SAFETY response. Well, wrong again.
And if you doubt the accuracy of this evening’s comments, Union Leadership can verify with documentation, including a directive from Canalino Principal, Jaime Persoon, notifying ALL Canalino Employees, “We no longer use HOUR-ZERO...”
Or the email sent to District employees just today, cancelling emergency drills scheduled for today, and stating, “This drill will be rescheduled and will not occur today. After conferring with the district office, it was decided it would be more practical to have the drill after the new safety training “
In response to the Union’s comments, the Board neither asked CAUSE for clarity, engaged in public discussion, or provided any public response on the topic. Once again, dismissing its obligation to act as stewards of the District and CUSD’s students and employees. Therefore, to further demonstrate the accuracy of the Union’s public comments, we are providing both documents and video herein [i.e. as attachments & video links], which verify what we shared above.
The Union is also providing Page 33 of the 2023-24 LCAP
On this document, you will see that CUSD continues to pay for the HOUR-ZERO online training, while also claiming the District is spending over a half a million dollars on CUSD School Site Safety Teams [ See attached – D ] , at the very same time Principals and Superintendent Rigby direct staff to discontinue practicing HOUR-ZERO SAFETY Response Protocols,
CAUSE Leadership is compelled to remind the School Board that all the above is occurring, even after Ms. Rigby assured the CUSD School Board and the community there would be no lapse in the District’s SAFETY protocols and response during the now extended transition period.
See MINUTE * 33:20 – MINUTE * 34:45 – Aug. 22, 2023 School Board Meeting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFtxZ359_ow&t=2324s
As we stated in our public comments, last Tuesday, “Wrong again!”
…and…
“While the Union and District employees wait for the new SRP’s to be implemented, will the School Board be doing anything to address this predictable and inexcusable lapse in our District SAFETY Protocols and response?
What if something happened yesterday, or tomorrow?”
Union Leadership and the employees we represent anxiously await a resolution to the obvious and dangerous lapse in the District’s SAFETY response, now ongoing for the 6th week of the 2023-24 school year. We ask the District School Board to act immediately to direct and correct the ongoing condition, documented in this open letter.
Respectfully,
~ j. Hotchner * CAUSE President
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