Sequoia Union High School District teachers overwhelmingly approved a plan late last week to return to teaching in person on April 5.

Some 91% of the teachers union, the Sequoia District Teachers Association, voted in favor of the deal, which gives students the option of in-person learning starting next month if San Mateo County remains in the less restrictive "red tier," said union President Edith Salvatore.

District officials reached a tentative agreement with the district's teachers union on Feb. 23. A simple majority vote of teachers in the union was needed to make it official. Teachers voted on the agreement March 3-5.

Locally, the district operates Menlo-Atherton and Woodside high schools, as well as TIDE and East Palo Alto academies. The district's classrooms have been closed for in-person learning except for small cohorts of at-risk students since March 16, 2020.

Agreement details

If the county moves back into the more restrictive "purple tier," when virus spread is substantial, or there is an outbreak of COVID-19 at one or more school sites, teachers will return to 100% distance learning, the agreement states. Teachers are also able to work from home on Wednesdays during asynchronous learning to allow for deep cleaning and sanitization between cohorts of students, according to the agreement. Schools will close if there are more than three outbreaks in a two-week period and more than 5% of the school population has been infected.

Students would not spend time on campus during a typical Monday through Friday schedule, Interim Superintendent Crystal Leach said. The district has chosen to adopt a concurrent learning model, known by many as "zoomers and roomers," which means some students would be learning from teachers in the classrooms, while others would be using video chat software to call into classes from home. With social distancing requirements, classrooms can have students at 25% capacity, according to the agreement. If the county enters the "orange tier," indicating moderate spread of the virus, classrooms can go up to 50% capacity. A sample two-week cycle of in-person learning states that a quarter of students would attend classes on Mondays, while three-fourths would attend remotely.

The district will be required to conduct monthly COVID-19 tests for staff members who interact with students.

Students rally to return, while teachers bring up concerns about equity

The district's decision comes after a coalition of over 100 students, parents and teachers rallied at the district office pleading with officials to resume in-person instruction on Feb. 23. State Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, also called for schools to reopen once the county entered the red tier on Feb. 23.

Parents have spoken about the need for students to return to classrooms for their mental health.

Conversely, teachers have shared their fears about returning to classrooms and noted some community members are concerned about widespread COVID-19 cases in some parts of the school community. Regardless, the school board announced at a Feb. 24 board meeting to reopen classrooms in April.