The purpose of this post is threefold.
First, to discuss the need for Quarantine Leave in light of recent removal of all required mitigation protections by the State in EPISD.
Second, to urge you to act and advocate for Quarantine Leave for All, Not Just Some Employees.
Third, share with you an E-Mail I sent all seven Trustees on Saturday morning urging them to expand Quarantine Leave to all employees, not just the statutorily mandated few.
Quarantine Leave in light of recent State removal of mitigation protections.
1. EPISD has not extended the Quarantine Leave for you that expired June 30th.
2. EPISD is going to provide it to Peace Officers in accordance with HB 2073. https://legiscan.com/TX/text/HB2073/id/2407797.
3. The threat of you being infected or exposed in EPISD with Delta, no indoor school masking requirement, TEA making student quarantine a parent’s option, break through infections … has increased markedly. There are no layers of mitigation in place in EPISD.
4. If forced to quarantine due to exposure to an unmasked student(s) or parent(s) you will be charged nearly a year’s worth of leave, eight + out of 10 days.
5. You were placed at this risk through no fault of your own. Thank Governor Abbott, AG Paxton, Commish Morath and people like that noisy little politics and latte club on the Westside.
6. Houston ISD is providing Quarantine Leave to its employees, with a vaccination caveat. Yes, it has included those few who can’t be vaccinated to encourage positive behavior.
My Ask Of You.
E-Mail the Trustees today. Ask them to expand Quarantine Leave to include all employees using these points. Please share this with friends and peers, Federation or not, asking them to take action, too.
1. The potential to be exposed or infected and forced to be quarantined has risen sharply in the past 96 hours due to State action.
2. You are just as likely, if not more so, to be exposed than a Peace Officer.
3. This is a matter of equity, respect and whether you are valued as an employee or not.
Trustee E-Mails
Mr. Velarde – avelarde@episd.org
Mr. Call – decall@episd.org
Ms. Hanany – lhanany@episd.org
Mr. Acevedo - jacevedo2@episd.org
Mr. Irrobali – iirrobali@episd.org
Ms. Hernandez – ihernan@episd.org
Mr. Khlayel - fkhlayel@episd.org
Be Professional, Be Polite, Be Succinct, Be Brief.
Please feel free to draw from the above or below.
My E-Mail to the EPISD Trustees.
The purpose of this E-Mail is to ask you to extend the “Quarantine Leave” being added to EPISD Policy DEC (LOCAL) in Item 5.b.3 to all EPISD employees, not just Peace Officers. I do not begrudge Peace Officers being authorized the statutorily mandated Mental Health Leave or Quarantine Leave.
It is in “Quarantine Leave” that the problem and inequity reside in. Having to deplete their accrued leave if quarantined or infected is a major source of concern among my members.
Even more so for those with less than 10 days of accrued leave. And, based on proximity, duration and density the rest of your employees in the schools are for more likely to be exposed, if not infected and need Quarantine Leave.
The item coversheet states “Incorporation of language regarding Police Officers mental health leave and quarantine leave in accordance with Senate Bill 1359 and House Bill (HB) 2073”.
I read SB 1359. It does address "Mental Health Leave".
https://legiscan.com/TX/text/SB1359/2021
I read HB 2073. It does address "Quarantine Leave".
https://legiscan.com/TX/text/HB2073/id/2407797
Neither Bill, as enrolled and signed, prohibits EPISD from authorizing Quarantine Leave for employees other than Peace Officers. In fact, EPISD did extend the FFCRA ‘Quarantine Leave’ for employees to June, after it expired on December 31st, 2020. That EPISD extension was a blessing for many EPISD employees.
If you're going to give Quarantine Leave with no loss of pay or accrued leave to one class of employee, why not all? You have the power and ability. To not do so sends a message to the rest of your employees that I don’t believe is in any of your hearts.
This is a chance to do the right thing for the right reason.
Ross Moore
President, El Paso AFT