Councilmembers pressed D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Lewis D. Ferebee on the system’s plan to bring 21,000 students back to school in November, raising questions about parent, student, and staff safety.

Limited to two hours, the Friday meeting allowed each councilmember only 10 minutes to present questions to Ferebee, many of which focused on a lack of transparency in the school reopening plans, the risks reopening poses to the community, and the system’s ongoing disagreements with the Washington Teachers’ Union.

Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen said he doesn’t “have faith” in DCPS’ plans for return, and he says neither do the Ward 6 parents he’s spoken to. He added that DCPS had not reached out to him for any input on the reopening effort. Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh echoed that concern, saying that when she requested information about a safety checklist from DCPS, it went unanswered. And At-Large Councilmember Robert White began his questioning with the statement: “I want to start with my disappointment.”

“I think the lack of communication has left principals and school leaders blindsided, teachers anxious and feeling ignored, and parents confused and unsure about whether sending their students back to their classrooms is safe,” Allen said.

On Oct. 5, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the plan to reopen schools for the start of the second term on Nov. 9. Under the plan, 7,000 elementary students would attend in-person classes with a teacher, and each school would offer one class per grade. The remaining 14,000 elementary students would be in “CARE” classrooms starting on Nov. 16, gathering in-person for classes but receiving virtual instruction under the supervision of a non-teaching staff member.

Per this plan, the school system needs 3,000 staff members and 600 teachers. DCPS officials confirmed on Tuesday that non-teaching staff members from middle and high schools would be brought in to assist and supervise the reopening of the elementary school classrooms.

Councilmembers questioned Ferebee on a slew of details in the system’s safety plan, including the validity of the on-site rapid testing that will be provided in schools, mitigation strategies for quarantining students who test positive while on-campus, and the benefit of the “CARE” classrooms. Given the 10-minute time constraint, many didn’t have an opportunity to finish their question or ask follow-ups and noted that they’d be sending detailed letters with further questioning.

The roundtable followed a labor board ruling earlier this week that found D.C. Public Schools violated city law when it failed to collectively bargain with the Washington Teachers’ Union over the systems reopening plans. According to the boards’ ruling, DCPS must rescind a June form and survey it used to determine staffing for in-person learning, which asked teachers if they wanted to stay with all-virtual instruction or return to classrooms and enter negotiations with WTU.

The union filed a complaint with the Public Employee Relations Board in July, accusing the system of imposing a plan that ordered union members back to work in-person without negotiation. Per D.C. law, employers must negotiate in “good faith” with labor unions over wages or working conditions.

In answering At-Large Councilmember Elissa Silverman’s questioning about the status of the negotiations, Ferebee said that DCPS was set on reaching an agreement with WTU by next Tuesday regarding the school safety checklist, and even possibly by the end of the day Friday. Earlier this week on The Kojo Nnamdi Show, Ferebee stated that the system would be rescinding the survey, which gave teachers two options: return to in-person teaching, or take a leave of absence because they are at high risk of contracting the coronavirus or live with someone who is.

During the roundtable, Ferebee stated that the outstanding issues with WTU are two items of disagreement that do not pertain to DCPS’ school safety checklist, which had stalled earlier negotiations prior to the labor board ruling. One calls for individuals in the community to decide when and how schools reopen. Ferebee said this determination will only be made by D.C. government officials. A second WTU demand asks that teachers determine if they should come to teach in-person or remain virtual — a point Ferebee said DCPS will not agree to.

He says only if employees meet certain provisions (such as being high-risk, or living with a high-risk individual) will requests to teach remotely be honored.

“If you do not qualify for any of those provisions, we cannot simply say ‘you come to work if you want to, or not,'” Ferebee said. “We can’t create a structure that working in person is completely optional regardless of your situation.”

As the meeting took place virtually, WTU members, parents, and community leaders gathered in protest of the reopening plan outside of the Wilson Building. Without a public hearing, many community members had submitted their questions to their councilmembers for the roundtable. The Office of the D.C. Auditor had also submitted questions to the council. Over the past several months, the union and DCPS teachers have expressed frustration at a lack of communication between DCPS officials and members of the union regarding the reopening efforts.

There is a hearing going on inside right now. They should be out here listening to you! pic.twitter.com/2cxMfI78t4

— Washington Teachers' Union (@WTUTeacher) October 23, 2020

During the meeting, Silverman spoke to the concerns she and her colleagues have heard from DCPS teachers.

“The message I’m getting, and I think all of my colleagues are getting, from teachers is clear. They do not trust DCPS, and don’t believe DCPS cares about their health and safety,” Silverman said. “I am concerned that we are at risk of losing some of our most dedicated and talented educators if they see no other way to be safe than to resign or retire.”