Susan Jones believes employees of independent school districts in Texas should be better protected by Workers’ Compensation, and made her concerns public during the September meeting of the Lake Travis Independent School Board of Trustees.
“It was a series of tragic, yet true, events that led me in an effort to bring awareness to fellow educators,” Jones said. “A high school crisis and support counselor worked for a local Texas Independent School District for 17 years. She was known as one of the first to arrive and one of the last to leave.
“After working late, eating dinner at her desk, returning e-mail and voicemails, she walked to the Performing Arts Center to attend the dress rehearsal of a school play that the faculty and staff had been invited to earlier in the week,” Jones continued. “She often supported students by attending their after school events, regardless of day and time; because, as anyone who knew her would tell you — ‘it’s all about the kid.”
While walking from back to her car, located in the high school parking lot, Jones said her collegue fell, hitting her head.
“Ultimately, the fall caused her to go into a coma from internal bleeding on her brain,” Jones explained. “Due to the injury occurring on district property, the Workers’ Compensation provider was Texas Association of School Boards (TASB).”
Jones said a claim was filed.
“Tragically, she died two and a half days later as a result of the subdural hematoma caused by the fall,” Jones said.
According to Jones, her family received a letter from TASB’s risk management fund denying the claim.
“The letter contained extreme inaccuracies, including this: ‘…(the counselor) was not required to attend the … performance … the fall occurred outside a reasonable time period since (the counselor’s) work was scheduled to end at approxamately 4:15 p.m…’”
This was unnacceptable to Jones, who noted the teacher’s job description stated, “occasional prolonged and irregular hours…”
It is no secret that teachers frequently work after hours for a variety of school-related functions. Jones believes TASB must update its regulations to reflect the actual job description reflected in the work of most educators.
“Independent School Districts in Texas are aware that many of their dedicated and passionate employees work ‘additional hours,’” Jones noted.
She included examples like returning parent calls, e-mails, grading papers, setting up labs, Web Pages, bulletin boards, etc…
“It is alarming that district employees trust they are protected by TASB and Workers’ Compensation while on district property fulfilling their job requirement to leave no child behind; when in reality they are not,” Jones said. “I am bringing this to the public’s attention so that teachers and parents will be aware of the hours for which coverage is provided … versus those in which it is not. Educators, please ask your district what the exact boundaries of coverage and protection are around the course and scope of staff employment.”
Jones has found an ally in her quest to see changes to the rules. LTISD stepped up to the plate and has offered support to see the regulations altered. The decision by LTISD moved Jones and she is hopeful that it will be a first step toward seeing rule changes.