What LAUSD’s New Staff Vaccine Mandate Means for Substitute Teachers

The deadline for all Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) employees to get fully vaccinated has been moved to November 15. This gives educators more time to get their first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

We’ve compiled all the information you need to remain updated on the vaccine requirement and stay within regulation as an LAUSD substitute.

What does this new vaccine deadline mean for educators in Los Angeles?

The deadline change from October 15 to November 15 is the only major change to LAUSD’s vaccine mandate. You must follow LAUSD’s COVID vaccine mandate and get fully vaccinated in order to continue working.

This mandate applies to all LAUSD employees including:

• Teachers
• Substitutes
• Custodians
• Bus drivers
• Others who provide vital student services

This extension gives LAUSD employees more time to meet the district’s full vaccination requirement; however, you must provide proof of partial vaccination in order to be allowed to continue working.

This means you should have received at least one dose of a two-dose coronavirus vaccine (either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine) by October 15. And you now have until November 15 to get the second dose of either of these two-dose series.

What if I haven’t received my first dose yet?

When some students arrived at school on Monday, October 18, they may have discovered a substitute at the front of the classroom or a new bus driver to replace their regular driver. This is because these LAUSD employees did not have proof of at least partial vaccination.

Staff members who haven’t submitted proof of having at least the first dose of a COVID vaccine are not allowed to work in person and have been placed on paid leave until October 31.

These employees must get their first vaccine dose by the end of the month. If they do not, they’ll be subject to employer separation on November 1, which can include unpaid leave or firing.

What if I can’t get my second dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine by November 15?

You must have your second dose or be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by this deadline or you will be subject to separation from the district. Separation can include unpaid leave or firing from your position.

This means that November 15 is the last day you can receive the final dose of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine and still be eligible to work in LAUSD.

What does “Fully Vaccinated” mean?

“Fully vaccinated” means:

1. You’ve received the first and second dose of the vaccine (or the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine)
2. You’ve completed the 2 week period that follows to ensure maximum immunity against serious illness.

You don’t have to complete the 2 week waiting period after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine before the November 15 deadline but you do need to receive all vaccine doses before this time.

Do I still need to get tested if I’m fully vaccinated?

Yes!

In addition to the vaccine requirement, LAUSD employees will still be required to get tested weekly for COVID-19. Even if you are fully vaccinated, you will still be required to get tested.

What about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine?

The district’s vaccine mandate only covered the Modern and Pfizer vaccine in requirement detail. However, district officials noted that October 15 was still the deadline to receive the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Where can I get vaccinated?

Safe and free COVID-19 vaccination appointments are available all around Los Angeles County! You can find a COVID-19 vaccination appointment by calling 1-833-422-4255 or by visiting https://myturn.ca.gov/ to book ahead of time or find a walk-in site near you.

If you are eligible, you can even find a booster dose at these locations!

Do I have to be vaccinated if I already had COVID-19?

Yes, you are still required to get fully vaccinated even if you already had COVID-19 in the past.

The lefts for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that getting fully vaccinated after having the virus can still protect you from catching COVID-19 again.

What does this vaccine mandate mean for Scoot educators?

Scoot Education asks for your cooperation so we can best serve our school partners and students in this area.

We strongly encourage all educators to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Since LAUSD’s vaccine mandate requires all staff to be fully vaccinated, being unvaccinated will severely limit your ability to work in Los Angeles.

Where do I provide my proof of full vaccination?

If you are a substitute with Scoot, it is easy to submit your proof of vaccination!

Contact your Scoot consultant to learn how to easily upload your vaccination status.

What is Scoot’s COVID-19 Testing Policy?

Scoot Education is still requiring weekly COVID-19 PCR tests, regardless if you are fully vaccinated or not.

• Negative test results are valid for 7 days following the date of testing.
• 3 days before your test expires, we will automatically email you to upload a new test.
• These emails will contain a link to upload your results quickly and easily.
• If you do not upload a new test result, you will get daily emails until you do so.

You will not be offered work at schools that require weekly testing until you have a valid test result uploaded. You’ll also not be eligible to work at any LAUSD schools if you do not have the second dose of a COVID vaccine or are not fully vaccinated by November 15.

Still hesitant about the COVID-19 vaccine?

We understand vaccine hesitancy varies in reason and we respect your curiosity and your right to choose.

For those curious about the coronavirus vaccine, the lefts for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are great resources. Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines have CDC and FDA approval as effective protection against COVID-19.

Learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine

After a vaccine is initially developed, it must undergo three clinical trials. The vaccine must pass these three trials in order to be considered safe and effective. The reason the three vaccines (Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson) were approved so swiftly was because the vaccine trials overlapped. So, they were not tested one at a time. No clinical trials were skipped during this process.

Read more about the vaccine trials and how the coronavirus vaccines were approved on the CDC’s website.

Vaccine safety is the CDC and FDA’s highest priority. All of the approved coronavirus vaccines have undergone strict testing in order to be deemed safe and effective. If you are looking for recent updates regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, you can visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s website here.

The fight against this severe disease starts with full coronavirus vaccinations and can prevent serious illness and even death. LAUSD has one of the largest student populations of all school districts in the country and this requirement is an important part of disease control. Make your vaccination appointment today and we can help keep each other and our students safe and healthy!