Dear SOMEA members,

 

 

 

Following the hearing today, March 16, before the Honorable Jodi Lee Alper, Presiding Judge of the Chancery Division, Essex County, Superior Court of the State of New Jersey, the association is pleased with the results and looks forward to a safe return. In the decision, it was affirmed that the association’s actions to remain remote did not count as a strike, and indeed, Jude Alper agreed with SOMEA that its members “are working harder than ever.” In addition to denying the district’s requests for injunctive relief, the Court ordered the district to “assign classrooms to sixth and ninth grade teachers” based on SOMEA’s determination of fit classrooms following its walkthroughs, and that district comply with the terms of its Sidebar Agreement with SOMEA. The association’s members look forward to seeing their students and colleagues.

 

“This is a win for the association, the community, and the district,” said SOMEA President Rocio Lopez. “This has never been about a challenge to the district; this was about having our concerns and ideas heard, respected, and able to put into action so that schools could open safely.”

 

 

In Unity and Solidarity,

 

Dear SOMEA,

 

We are hereby sharing the results of the walkthroughs conducted by our Reps.

 

 

 

 

In Unity and Solidarity,

 

Dear SOMEA members,

 

Today SOMEA met with the membership of seven buildings to address our current action. We will meet with our remaining building members tomorrow. We are announcing that, amidst the continuing walkthroughs of our Elementary workspaces, Kindergarten through 2nd grade teachers will return to the buildings for the hybrid in-person instruction on Monday, March 15, 2021. We are committed to fulfilling the terms of our Sidebar Agreement, as we work towards our phased return. Your health and safety remain our top priority.

 

In Unity and Solidarity,

 

Dear SOMEA members,

 

 

The members of the South Orange-Maplewood Education Association (SOMEA) pride ourselves on building up the communities where we work and live. We are friendly to our neighbors, who come from around the world to live in South Orange-Maplewood, recognizing that progress, innovation, acceptance, and collegiality are hallmarks of our community. With the pandemic, our community has been tested as we strive together to keep this community’s students safe, healthy and learning during this challenging time.

 

SOMEA President Lopez ACCOSTED

 

Unfortunately, a member of the community, who felt emboldened and hateful in an already difficult situation, accosted and verbally abused a SOMEA member in public, yesterday, March 10. While SOMEA President Rocio Lopez was receiving her second vaccine, she was accosted by someone who identified themselves as a parent. The parent verbally abused Ms. Lopez, accusing her of stalling the return to schools and calling her a bad communicator. All SOMEA’s communications are shared via written text. This clearly is another example of xenophobia. It is what many strong women in leadership roles whose second language happens to be English, like Ms. Lopez, must endure. Enough!

This public and unprompted attack was uncalled for and unacceptable. But to add a personal attack with bigoted undertones is even more shameful and damaging. That a parent or community member felt emboldened to make these statements and take those actions, especially in public, is outrageous. We are better than this and must work to ensure a community free from stigma and its ugly expressions. 

 

The members of the South Orange-Maplewood Education Association have been adamant that the schools that students and staff return to are safe and that there is a sustainable plan to keep them that way. Neither the administration and board of education, nor the members of SOMEA, have ever lived or worked through a pandemic of this magnitude, nor have members of our community. Tempers are high and emotions are fragile, but we have one priority—safe schools. Life is so precious, and we do not want to needlessly risk a single student, a single staff member, any of the families, and the community. 

 

As stakeholders responsible for teaching youth the tenets of restorative practices, we model respect for and openness to hear divergent opinions. We strive to become schools which value the efforts needed to achieve social justice. We – district, board, parents, community and union – must not allow our disagreements to contribute towards creating an environment that harbors hate and bitterness.

 

In Unity and Solidarity,

 

Dear SOMEA members,

 

Included with this email are, from the South Orange-Maplewood Education Association (SOMEA), some Fact Sheets concerning the re-opening of schools in our district. Given that, as of March 9, the Board of Education of South Orange-Maplewood has abandoned the mediation process that both parties had participated in, SOMEA finds it imperative to put out the facts regarding the nature of this sudden impasse. The Board, it appears, prefers to insist and obfuscate rather than address the real, on-going issues impeding a safe return to school for all students who wish to. SOMEA, on the other hand, continues to emphasize a safe, science-based, and phased approach towards the return to in-person instruction.

 

 

Thank you for your attention. 

 

  

SOMEA is the inclusive union that represents more than 750 South Orange-Maplewood Public School employees, including transportation & maintenance personnel, secretaries, IT specialists, athletic trainers, child study teams, social workers, counselors, librarians, nurses, and teachers.

Attachments area

 

In Unity and Solidarity,

Dear SOMEA members,

 

It is with “a damp blanket of exhaustion and depression” that SOMEA addresses the district’s March 9, 2021 public announcement that the district has chosen to withdraw from mediation.  Indeed, SOMEA was waiting in a breakout conference to continue the mediation process when it was alerted by the public to the district’s announcement.  Just weeks ago, the district falsely accused SOMEA of not wanting to engage in good faith mediation, yet it is the district which has not allowed this process “to continue to fruition.”  Perhaps this unilateral decision is of no surprise given the decision of the court today in favor of our neighboring association mandating the collaborative efforts of association members and the district to ensure the safety of buildings prior to the return to the classroom.  SOMEA can only wonder, what is it the district seeks to hide?

 

It is clear the focus of the district is to be right, not ready. Instead of using the opportunity of mediation to work for authentic collaboration with the union for a safe return, they use the union as a scapegoat and a distraction from what is really wrong—the buildings are not safe and nothing substantive has been done to remediate these concerns. 

 

A more detailed statement will follow to address the district’s lies and omissions.

 

 

In Unity and Solidarity,

 

Dear SOMEA members,

 

This past Friday, the NJ Department of Health announced that those in the education field were eligible for the vaccine immediately, a change from the previously set March 15th date.

 

As noted in our previous Vaccine Information email, if you would like assistance scheduling to receive your Covid vaccines, please contact Laurie Schuftan at 973-740-0588 x190 or ncjwessexgeneral@gmail.com.

 

To expedite being paired with a volunteer to help with registration for an appointment in your county, please include the following:

 

 

In Unity,

 

Dear SOMEA members,

 

As you may know, this past Monday, Gov. Murphy announced the expansion of vaccine availability to those in the education field, including support staff and transportation personnel.

 

If you are interested in scheduling an appointment to receive the vaccine, there are a few ways to do this.

 

1-Visit essexcovid.org.

 

2-If you would like assistance scheduling to receive your Covid vaccines, please contact Laurie Schuftan to be paired with a volunteer to help you register for an appointment in your county. Laurie can be reached at 973-740-0588 x190 ncjwessexgeneral@gmail.com. When emailing Laurie, please note that you are employed by an Essex County school district.

 

3-CVS Expands COVID Vaccination Sites to over 163 NJ Locations

 

4-A few members have shared the need to bring a recent pay stub to your vaccine appointment. Unfortunately, some have had to reschedule without having a pay stub that indicates employment by an Essex County School District.

 

In Unity,