"Medically Vulnerable" Added to Report-to-Work Exceptions

CPAA Advocacy Leads to Change in the District's COVID-19 Staffing Policy

We still have work to do regarding compensation, childcare exceptions, waste, inequity, and the overall lack of guidance for principals and lack of leadership from the district during the COVID-19 closures. Still, I want to report that pressure from CPAA has led to an important change in the district's report-to-work policy.

On Thursday, CPAA reached out to Illinois' governor, public health director, and state superintendent of schools to compel the district to create report-to-work exceptions for school leaders who are medically vulnerable or living with medically fragile family members. On Saturday, CPS responded by changing its report-to-work policy.

Here is a summary of the policy change.

Report-to-Work Policy Before CPAA Advocacy

"At least one administrator must report to school unless sick or caring for a sick dependent."

-CPS COVID-19 FAQ

Report-to-Work Policy After CPAA Advocacy

"We ask that you continue to report to work, unless you are ill or medically vulnerable, or caring for a dependent who is ill or medically vulnerable."

--Internal Communications Email, March 21, 2020, 1:40 PM
The change from "sick" to "medically vulnerable" is a critical distinction that gives school leaders the ability to take the steps they need to take for their safety and the safety of their family members. This policy change was the result of CPAA requesting state intervention on behalf of school leaders. It was also the result of our effort to make the Board of Education, Governor, ISBE, and the Illinois Department of Public Health aware of our survey results. These results showed that more than half of CPS principals and assistant principals were either medically vulnerable or living with someone who is. The graph below illustrates that vulnerability.

This is not enough

As I mentioned at the top of this message, we still have much work to do regarding compensation, childcare exceptions, waste, inequity, and the overall lack of guidance for principals and lack of leadership from the district during the COVID-19 closures. We will continue to pressure the district to make the needed changes concerning these issues.

Pressuring the district will get us some of the change we need, but the district has proven itself incapable of delivering competent guidance and leadership for some of the concerns we are facing. No one is more capable of developing effective strategies to solve the district's problems than principals and assistant principals. The people who lead us are often more concerned about image and superficial politics than about the substantive challenges of the on-the-ground world in which we work. Our collective knowledge and skillsets must be harnessed and shared amongst all of us to conquer these challenges. This is a moment for us to fill the leadership void and deliver for the students and families we serve. Please contact us if you're interested in moving this collaborative work forward.