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Friday (PM), March 13, 2020
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| Dear RPS Family,
I'm simply overwhelmed by the way you've all joined together to help RPS during this unprecedented time. A special shout-out to our teachers who have already pitched in to support our students in extraordinary ways – from setting up Facetime tutoring sessions to making math YouTube videos. You are truly amazing!
This afternoon, I'm using my RPS Direct to provide specific guidance to our employees and to expand our evolving FAQs. Given this, below you'll see two distinct sections.
Before getting to that information, I wanted to share that, earlier today, the Governor issued an order to close ALL schools in Virginia. Beyond closure, this will likely have far-reaching implications for education in the Commonwealth. As I learn more, I'll provide any information I have.
On a personal note, thank you so much for your words of encouragement. I can't fully express what they have meant to me.
Finally, I want to share the best 45 minutes of my day. I swung by Obama ES to see how everyone was doing. As the picture below illustrates, we're hanging in there!
With great appreciation,
Jason
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Information for RPS Employees
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HEALTH SUPPORT
We recognize that an increased number of employees will likely need to utilize their health insurance due to COVID-19. If you have any issues with your benefits, please call 804-780-7859 so that we can assist you.
Please also know that we provide mental health support through our Cigna Employee Assistance Program. Given how stressful and disconcerting things are right now, we strongly encourage you to access this benefit if you are in need of support. To do so, call 877-622-4327 or visit www.mycigna.com. “RPS” (without the quotes) is our Employer ID.
Full disclosure: there have been times in my life when I’ve needed mental health support. No shame in that. The only shame is when you don’t seek the help you need. If you have any questions about this, please email me at jkamras@rvaschools.net.
PAY
ALL RPS employees will continue to be paid for their normal tour of duty. This includes full-time, part-time, and hourly employees. Long-term substitutes ARE included. We do not want any RPS employee to experience financial hardship as a result of the closure.
Please note that “non-exempt” employees who are deemed Essential Personnel (see below) will receive their regular pay plus “straight time” (their hourly rate for hours worked). “Exempt” employees who are deemed Essential Personnel will just receive their regular pay.
ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL
Though we will be closed, we need to maintain certain vital functions. That is why I am designating some staff as “Essential Personnel,” meaning they will need to continue to work during the closure. When possible, we will encourage these staff members to telework. And when not possible, in the interests of "social distancing," we will make every effort to ensure that there are never more than a handful of people working together at any time.
If you are designated as Essential Personnel but have challenges that prevent you from working during this time (such as needing to watch your children), please let your manager know. We will work with you to figure out a solution.
I am designating the following staff as Essential Personnel. Please note that we may need to adjust this list over time as the situation develops further.
1. The Senior Leadership Team
- Michelle Hudacsko, Chief of Staff
- Tracy Epp, Chief Academic Officer
- Harry Hughes, Chief Schools Officer
- Shadae Harris, Chief Engagement Officer
- Darin Simmons, Jr., Chief Operations Officer
2. School-Based Personnel
- ALL Principals and Principal Directors
- ALL Custodians – Custodians will work their normal tour of duty at their building until the facility receives an RPS “Certification of Cleanliness” (more information on that will come out next week). Custodians should coordinate with their principal if they would like to move from an evening shift to a morning shift.
3. Academic Office
- SOME members of the Academic Office – Selected team members will ensure that we are able to support student learning during the closure. Tracy Epp, Chief Academic Officer, will notify the designated team members.
4. Talent Office
- SOME members of the Talent Office – Selected team members will ensure that we continue to support our employees during the closure, and continue to hire so that we are prepared for next school year. Helen Demena, Director of Talent Acquisition, will notify the designated team members.
5. Schools Office
- SOME members of the Culture, Climate, and Student Services Team – Selected team members will maintain our collaboration with the Richmond City Health Department and the City of Richmond. Harry Hughes, Chief Schools Officer, will notify the designated team members.
- SOME members of the Safety and Security Team – Selected team members will staff each food distribution site. Mauricio Tovar, Director of Safety and Security, will notify the designated team members.
6. Engagement Office
- SOME members of the Engagement Office – Selected team members will ensure that we maintain our division-level communications and continue to coordinate with our partners. Shadae Harris, Chief Engagement Officer, will notify the designated team members.
7. Operations Office
- SOME members of the Payroll Team – Selected team members will ensure that ALL RPS staff continue to receive their paychecks. This includes full-time, part-time, and hourly employees. Wanda Payne, Director of Finance, will notify the designated team members.
- SOME members of the Accounts Payable Team – Selected team members will ensure that we continue to pay our bills on time. Wanda Payne, Director of Finance, will notify the designated team members.
- SOME members of the Food and Nutrition Team – Selected team members will staff the food distribution sites. Susan Roberson, Director of Food and Nutrition, will notify the designated team members.
- SOME members of the Facilities Team – Selected team members will support custodians and address any facility emergencies that arise. Bobby Hathaway, Director of Facilities, will notify the designated team members.
- SOME members of the Technology Services Team – Selected team members will ensure our technology infrastructure is maintained. Nick Cammarano, Director of Technology Services, will notify the designated team members.
- SOME members of the Transportation Team – Selected members will perform a deep cleaning of all of our buses. Floyd Miles, Director of Transportation, will notify the designated team members.
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I'll continue to update these FAQs as we receive more questions. The newest ones are in blue at the top.
Will we be closed for more than two weeks? I honestly don't know. That said, I think it is likely. You should begin to prepare for this possibility.
Will long-term subs be paid? Yes! As noted in the staff section above, ALL RPS employees – full-time, part-time, and hourly – will be paid.
Will we be cleaning our buses? Yes! All of them will undergo a deep cleaning.
Is the SAT administration at TJ tomorrow (Saturday, March 14) still on? No, it is cancelled. Please contact the College Board about rescheduling.
Are these messages available in other languages? Yes. They're all posted on the COVID-19 page of our website (www.rvaschools.net/covid-19), which has an auto-translate function for dozens of languages. The translate button is on the top right of the menu bar (see red oval in the screen shot below).
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Where do I find the "Learning at Home" section of the RPS website? It's now up on our homepage. Just click here.
Where are the food distribution centers and what are the hours? The hours are 9:30 am – 12:30 pm, Monday through Friday. The locations are listed below. Please note that RPS families can go to ANY of the centers below, regardless of their home school. Families can also pick up multiple meals so that they don't have to come back every day of the week. We recognize that some families may have difficulty getting to these centers. As a result, we are working on a limited neighborhood distribution strategy, but need a bit more time to work through the details. I'll share more on this soon.
- Armstrong HS
- Binford MS
- Blackwell ES
- Boushall MS
- Broad Rock ES
- Brown MS
- Chimborazo ES
- Fisher ES
- Francis ES
- Ginter Park ES
- Greene ES
- Henderson MS
- Huguenot HS
- Mason ES
- Miles Jones ES
- MLK MS
- Oak Grove – Bellemeade ES
- Reid ES
- Summer Hill PS
- Wythe HS
If my child has medication at school, but I can't get there to pick it up, what should I do? Any adult on a student's contact card can pick up the medication. I also want to note that I've designated our principals as essential personnel, which means they'll be at the school buildings if you need to come by next week.
Are events run by external organizations that rent space at schools (like churches for Sunday services) cancelled? Yes. As of tomorrow, Saturday, March 14, ALL activities are cancelled.
Will Spring Break still be off? Yes. Even if we were to reopen school in two week's time, we would still be off for Spring Break.
If I want to help in some way, what should I do? Please fill out this Google Form so we can follow up with you. Thank you!
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