Monthly Archives: August 2021

Guam’s Department of Education began calling parents on Monday, the first day schools were closed again due to the pandemic – to determine which students need laptops and assistance with Internet services so that they can attend online courses.

“We’re not looking at the full 28,000. In our previous survey, probably a third of them already have devices they want to use. A number of students or families have indicated that they would just use their phones instead of borrowing a laptop, ”said Joseph Sanchez, assistant superintendent of program and education.

GDOE has a week to prepare students for distance education, which is expected to start next week on September 7th.

The governor closed schools last Friday, signing Executive Order 2021-21 in response to the growing number of positive COVID-19 cases.

Sanchez said GDOE has nearly 30,000 laptops and is ready to distribute laptops to at least half of the department’s student body right now.

Parents are encouraged to contact their child’s school for laptops.

Community learning centers to reopen

GDOE noted that all wifi devices from the IT&E provider have been distributed. To help these students, GDOE decided to open schools and community learning centers for student internet access.

Parents must register to access these sites and schedule one hour to use the services. GDOE sets up a schedule to avoid being inundated by students at the sites.

Sanchez said elementary school students should have a parent or guardian present at the sites during use, while middle school and high school students can attend on their own.

Question of attendance

Although September 7 marks the start of e-learning for all GDOE students, the GDOE does not expect 100% student participation.

“There will be a substantial number of students who will get used to connecting to the Internet, buying their laptops and accessing a center. We believe student attendance will improve from the 7th, ”Sanchez said.

During the mandatory suspension of face-to-face learning, the GDOE indicated that student absences did not negatively count on attendance.

This can be received by some parents with relief. Many parents were not sending their children to school because the number of COVID-19 increased and parents feared the transmission of COVID-19 in schools. Some parents have said that with the increase in the number of COVID-19, they should not be penalized for protecting the health of their children.

Assistant superintendent of operations Erika Cruz reported on Friday that around 1,000 students were engaged with absenteeism issues.

Student schedules

When the temporary online classes start on September 7, students will stay in the same classes as the in-person classes, but schedules may differ slightly.

The schedule adjustment will focus on active screen time with teachers, independent learning and additional interventions needed for students, Sanchez said.

The transition online will remain in effect until the governor reopens the schools. The governor has not yet indicated what thresholds must be met to resume face-to-face teaching.

One of the speakers at the Bloemfontein center, who asked to remain anonymous, told OFM News that she is very stressed. She has a lot of debts to pay and this drop in salary via the standardization of salaries by the National Directorate of Higher Education and Training (DHET) weighs down her household income. This comes as these centers, formerly known as evening schools and / or adult education and training centers (Abet), embark on slow contract disputes with the DHET. The speaker from Bloemfontein says her salary has risen from over R11,000 to over R4,000, since the aforementioned department decided that employees should become permanent and make the necessary contributions to pension funds and taxes.

The slowdown comes following a nationwide picket line in June 2021, in which the same issue was raised. Director of the Golden Fountain Community Learning Center in Xhariep and Free State Task Force member George Cupido says the unauthorized reduction in working hours also contributed to these gross pay cuts, but did not points out no one – certainly in the province – has signed a contract to this effect.

READ: Slow Motion FS Community Learning Centers

According to Cupido, a circular from March 2021 signed by the director general of the DHET, indicates that from June 2021, all teachers in the aforementioned centers will be required to work 3 hours a day, five days a week. This represents up to 15 hours per week. This is a drop from the 19 hours lecturers used to work over a four-day period while still under the jurisdiction of the Department of Basic Education. The centers moved to DHET in 2015.

He says that circular from March 2021 has since been contradicted by at least two others. The first said standardization should be given the green light from the National Council for Economic Development and Labor (Nedlac) before implementation and a second from the Free State Department said teachers with relative qualification value in education (REQV) less than 13 would work 15 hours a day. while those with a REQV level of 13 and 14, including center directors, would work 25 hours per week and would be paid accordingly. This has yet to be confirmed by DHET to OFM News.

“We are confused now. We don’t know how many hours we have to work. We expect them to solve the problem and provide us with an indefinite contract which specifies the conditions of employment, ”says Cupido. To date, teachers across the country have yet to receive a permanent contract. The employment conditions of these centers remain a mystery for these employees.

OFM news

One of the speakers at the Bloemfontein center, who asked to remain anonymous, told OFM News that she is very stressed. She has a lot of debts to pay and this drop in salary via the standardization of salaries by the National Directorate of Higher Education and Training (DHET) weighs down her household income. This comes as these centers, formerly called evening schools and / or adult education and training centers (Abet), are slowing down in contractual disputes with the DHET. The speaker from Bloemfontein says her salary has risen from over R11,000 to over R4,000, since the aforementioned department decided that employees should become permanent and make the necessary contributions to pension funds and taxes.

The slowdown comes following a nationwide picket line in June 2021, in which the same issue was raised. The director of the Golden Fountain Community Learning Center in Xhariep and member of the Free State Task Force, George Cupido, says the unauthorized reduction in working hours also contributed to these gross pay cuts, but did not points out no one – certainly in the province – has signed a contract to this effect.

READ: Slow Motion FS Community Learning Centers

According to Cupido, a circular from March 2021 signed by the director general of the DHET, indicates that from June 2021, all teachers in the aforementioned centers will be required to work 3 hours a day, five days a week. This represents up to 15 hours per week. This is a drop from the 19 hours lecturers used to work over a four-day period while still under the jurisdiction of the Department of Basic Education. The centers moved to DHET in 2015.

He claims that this circular from March 2021 has since been contradicted by at least two others. The first indicates that standardization should be given the green light from the National Council for Economic Development and Labor (Nedlac) before implementation and a second from the Free State Department said teachers with relative qualification value in education (REQV) less than 13 would work 15 hours a day. week, while those with a REQV level of 13 and 14, including center directors, would work 25 hours per week and would be paid accordingly. This has yet to be confirmed by DHET to OFM News.

“We are confused now. We don’t know how many hours we have to work. We expect them to solve the problem and provide us with an indefinite contract which specifies the conditions of employment, ”says Cupido. To date, professors across the country have yet to receive an indefinite contract. The conditions of employment of these centers remain a mystery for these employees.

OFM news

Teachers working in these troubled community learning centers, formerly known as evening schools and / or adult education and training centers (Abet), pledge to continue on this path through detriment of students until the DHET provides them with permanent contracts which stipulate the hours they must work in a week as well as the compensation required for those hours.

The slowdown comes following a nationwide picket line in June 2021, in which DHET was revealed to have slashed faculty salaries by around 45.5%, a move the department has said. awarded to employees now considered permanent and at standardized salaries. .

However, there is a lack of clarity and / or contradictory reports on the conditions of employment of teachers.

The director of the Golden Fountain Community Learning Center in Xhariep and the Free State Task Force member George Cupido told OFM News that the unauthorized reduction in working hours has also contributed to these cuts. gross salary, but no one – certainly in the province – has signed a contract to this effect.

According to Cupido, a circular from March 2021 signed by the director general of DHET, indicates that from June 2021, all teachers in the aforementioned centers will be required to work 3 hours a day, five days a week. This represents up to 15 hours per week. This is a drop from the 19 hours lecturers used to work over a four-day period while still under the jurisdiction of the Department of Basic Education. The centers moved to DHET in 2015.

He claims that this circular from March 2021 has since been contradicted by at least two others. The first said standardization should be given the green light from the National Council for Economic Development and Labor (Nedlac) before implementation and a second from the Free State Department said teachers with relative qualification value in education (REQV) less than 13 would work 15 hours a day. week, while those with a REQV level of 13 and 14, including center directors, would work 25 hours per week and would be paid accordingly. This has yet to be confirmed by DHET to OFM News.

“We are confused now. We don’t know how many hours we have to work. We expect them to solve the problem and provide us with an indefinite contract which specifies the conditions of employment, ”says Cupido.

To date, no lecturer in the country has yet received an indefinite contract. The conditions of employment of these centers remain a mystery for these employees.

READ: Teachers at Tshwane Community Learning Centers ask for full-time jobs

Previously, the DHET had told the IOL that the reduction in wages was not out of the norm, given the pension and tax contributions.

Task forces in every province across the country have since been formed to chart the way forward.

OFM news

BROOKFIELD – The Brookfield School Board heard a presentation on the Township’s creation of a community learning center.

Teacher Mary Arp introduced the idea at a recent meeting that a community learning center could be established to help children and their families. She said pandemic relief funds would be allowed to be used to establish a center, along with grants and donations.

“We would like to do this to help our children be the best they can be. Classroom performance may be affected by external circumstances over which students have no control ”, said Arp.

She said a partnership could be created between schools, the township and outside organizations, such as those providing heating assistance, that families may not be familiar with.

Arp said the center will focus on providing services and finding resources to help local families, build relationships with community partners and help students improve their test scores and attendance.

Although the district has already implemented some programs, she said, the center could provide a pantry, clothes bins, school supplies, mental health services, dental hygiene, eye care. , legal services and doctors on site.

While the idea is still in its early stages, Arp suggested that a committee be formed to investigate the community and have a coordinator for the center. Superintendent Toby Gibson said the school district is often the center of the community.

“It could be a way for the school to do its part by helping where it is needed. We can sit down and talk the way we would like it to be ”, Gibson said.

Board member George Economides said the board can gather information.

Officials said they would also contact township administrators to discuss the idea and see if they would like to get involved.

In other cases, Gibson said the district will receive an innovative workforce improvement grant of $ 750,000 through the Ohio Department of Education for workforce initiatives. Kindergarten to Grade 12 work.

Adam Lewis, director of teaching, learning and accountability, said the funds can be used for programs in which students can earn pre-apprenticeship certifications. He said STEM and manufacturing-related programs could be ready for the 2022-2023 school year.

“There aren’t many schools that have that. Career centers do it ”, Gibson said.

Board member Ronda Bonekovic said students who may not have plans to go to college can benefit by taking the training.

Gibson said ideas for the program will be showcased later in August at the school district’s open houses.

Additionally, Gibson said programs are being offered this summer to help prepare students for the 2021-22 school year and address any learning loss. The sessions were scheduled for the first two weeks of August.

In other areas, advice:

• I learned from Gibson that the district has been approved to have a licensed preschool unit on site;

• New inductees announced for the Brookfield Hall of Fame will be named at the football game on October 15 and the banquet will be held on October 16;

• Recognized by Declan Construction, Michael Martin Distributing Inc. and Mr. D’s Food Fair for their exemplary service to schools and the community. Plaques from the Ohio School Boards Association were presented;

• Received a donation of photocopiers from ComDoc for the new office building for the Superintendent and Treasurer for one year.