Page 22 - Sonoma County Gazette 12-2019

The John Jordan Foundation
Teacher’s Wishes Grants
With tighter budgets for public education, teachers in Sonoma County increasingly find themselves taking money from their own pockets for basic supplies, special projects and even books for their classrooms.
DEAR READERS: Do you have a legal question on your mind? If so, please email me at debra@newbylawoffice.com. Your name will remain confidential. This Q & A Legal Column is intended as a community service to discuss general legal principles and does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Dear Debra: I work outdoors for a local landscaping company. With the “new normal” being wildfires and poor air quality, I was just wondering whether I have any legal rights or extra protection when it comes to working outdoors in yucky air due to wildfires? Signed: Lung-Loving Louie
Since 2012, the John Jordan Foundation (JJF) has sought to bridge some of these gaps with the
Teacher’s Wishes initiative. The goal is simple: To make request for teachers come true. Every September, teachers can submit applications to receive funding for one wish. In the eighth year, the Foundation is excited to invest in 115 schools.
The Teacher’s Wishes program set a new record in 2019
with grants touching over 12,000 students. The foundation received 239 applications and funded 118 grants. The teachers not funded received a $20 gift card from Office Depot.
Dear Louie: Sadly, I think you are right. Wildfires, mandatory power outages, and disruptions to our private and work life are becoming routine. I think we also sometimes take for granted clean air (and water).
Since 2012, JJF has fulfilled over 900 grants.
According to Lisa Wittke Schaffner, Executive Director of the foundation, the breadth and depth of the application pool was a reminder
that teachers are committed to doing their best. “Each year, Teacher’s Wishes reminds me of the creativity and desire of educators to provide an interactive and interesting environment for
Indeed, a wildfire several counties away can seriously impact our air quality. This we know from past experience. Just look at the Kincade Fire that started in the Geyserville area last month. Ashes and fine particulates drifted into many neighboring counties.
Melanie Dodson Bolin of the Community Child Care Council of Sonoma County with Lisa Wittke Schaffner executive director the JJF at the visit to Wright Start Preschool 2017. Photo: www. facebook.com/JohnJordanFoundation/photos
Sonoma County is divided into two districts when it comes to government monitoring of air quality, the division based on geography. We have the North Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District, located in Healdsburg, and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District located in San Francisco. The San Fran office has a few more staff and resources, so for those readers who do not have access to the internet or a computer, you can always call their office at (415) 749-4900 if you have a question about your Air Quality or any current air hazards.
their students,” she said, “but since the 2017 fires we have seen an increase in requests for alternative kinds of seating like wobble balls and funds for quiet corners. A place for young people take deep breaths, read or practice relaxation.”
A handful of applications were particularly inspiring. Like the applications from Roseland for an Airplane Club to explore aviation careers and graphing calculators for the physics sections. Mark West requested lab coats so elementary students felt like real scientists. Sometimes it is funds for a basic need like the sink at Lawrence Jones Middle School. Expanding the classroom options to include outdoor areas is another frequent request such as purchasing an outdoor easel at Cinnabar and building a sensory garden at Gravenstein Elementary.
This grant program allows teachers to purchase project supplies, provide transportation for field trips or other needed classroom aids to get the kids excited about learning,” Wittke Schaffner said.
For a Complete List of 2019 Grant Teciepents Visit:
johnjordanfoundation.org/blog/post/teachers-wishes-2019-grants
22 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 12/19
Next, you asked about your legal rights. As it turns out, CAL/ OSHA has issued emergency regulations that require employers to take protective measures to safeguard their employees who work outdoors. If the air quality is over 150, employers must provide outdoor workers respiratory equipment, such as N95 filtering face-piece respirators. The respirator must meet the approval of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (“NIOSH”). It is not enough to provide a NIOSH-approved device. Employers are also encouraged to offer other protective options, such as:
First, I think it would be helpful to offer a tutorial on air quality, coupled with the resources available to our readers on how to determine your air quality, in real-time. The health of the air we breathe is measured with an Air Quality Index, or AQI. AQI works like a thermometer and runs from 0 (pristine) to 500 degrees (very toxic and unhealthy). An AQI under 50
is considered “Good”. An AQI from 101 to 150 can be “Unhealthy” for sensitive groups (think folks with asthma, COPD, etc.). An AQI from 151 to 200 is “Unhealthy”. AQI from 201 to 300 is “Very Unhealthy”. Anything over 301, we are all in trouble.
The AQI reading is only as good as the instruments either on the ground or in space via satellite. Our government tracks AQI and you can log into www. airnow.gov/index and put in your location, and the AQI will be displayed. Another private resource that I like is Purple Air. You can download their app and get AQI readings in real-time (and for a cost you can also install a ground sensor, as the more monitors we have here in Sonoma County, the more accurate our AQI readings will be). Go to: purpleair.com.
• Relocating workers to avoid unhealthy air.
• Provide enclosed structures, if possible, where employees can continue
working.
• Change the workers’ schedules or work intensity.
• Provide additional rest periods.
Great question, Louie. Communication is key. Employers must implement a system for communicating their policy and action to their outdoor workers for smoke-hazards due to wildfires. So start a discussion today with your employer to see what options you have when the air does become too unhealthy to work outdoors. Our health is paramount. As Mahatma Gandhi noted, “It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.”
Debra A. Newby is a member of the California, Texas and Sonoma County Bar Associations and currently maintains an active law office in Santa Rosa which emphasizes personal injury law (bicycle/motorcycle/motor vehicle accidents, dog bites, trip and falls, etc.). Debra can be reached via email(debra@newbylawoffice.com), phone (707-526-7200), or fax (526-7202).
“In this era of broken and dysfuntional government it is incumbent on businesses and individuals to voluntarily do what must be done to help our most vulnerable fellow citizens and ensure that all have access to the opportunities of this great country.” ~ John Jordan