Playbook for Educators Impacted by Wildfires

IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE EVACUATION

What you should consider after evacuation has been completed to address damage and start to plan for recovery. These include staff-related actions and school-related actions. 

Button for After Evacuation

Staff-Related Actions

After evacuation has been completed, here are three immediate steps you and your staff should consider before any other work-related actions.

 

1. Secure Housing

    • Do First: Apartments and hotel rooms will fill quickly, and prices will skyrocket. Make finding housing your priority, as the recovery process can be long.
    • Temporary vs. Permanent: Look for temporary housing if you are evacuated, but find permanent rental if you have lost your home. You may be eligible for alternative housing options. For example, some insurance companies will allow you to buy an RV instead of staying in a hotel, which you can keep to sell later.

 

2. Contact Your Insurance Company

    • Report Loss ASAP: Report the loss to your insurance provider as soon as possible to start the claims process.
        • Provide Details: Be prepared to provide essential details, including your policy number, the date and time of the fire, and a basic description of the damage.
        • Document Claim: Request a claim number and the contact information of the claims adjuster assigned to your case.
    • “Loss of Use” and “Additional Living Expenses”: Check your insurance policy for “loss of use” or “additional living expenses” (ALE) coverage, which may reimburse costs for hotel stays, rental housing, meals, etc. Your loss of use insurance money should pay for a lease for something that is “comparable” to your home.  
    • Save Receipts: Save receipts for emergency repairs or temporary accommodations, such as hotel stays or meals your insurance company may reimburse. 
        • Annotate: Label the receipts or write directly on them so you remember what they were for.
        • Use a Folder: Get a folder and keep all expenses in one place. You can organize them later. 
        • Take Pictures: You can also take pictures of all your annotated receipts to ensure they never get lost. If you do, ensure your phone is backed up to the “cloud.”
    • Other Tips: Leverage this list of tips for dealing with the insurance process when you can. 

 

3. Check on Loved Ones and Lean on People 

    • Emotional Support: Acknowledge the emotional toll of this experience and lean on friends, family, or professional counselors for support. Many organizations offer emotional support and counseling for disaster survivors—don’t hesitate to reach out.
    • Crowdsourced Resources: Share or utilize this crowdsourced list of resources put together by MALAN (Mutual Aid Los Angeles Network)

School-Related Actions

After evacuation has been completed, here are four immediate steps you should consider taking to support your community and begin to plan for recovery.

 

1. Safety First

    • Do not return to the site unless deemed safe.

 

2. Notify Key Stakeholders

    •  CDE Emergency Services Team: Contact the CDE Emergency Services Team to get on their radar:
        • Joe Anderson: joanderson@cde.cca.gov
        • Jake Wolf: Jwolf@cde.ca.gov | cell: 916-204-6375
        • Alternatively, you can log the incident using the California School Emergency Reporting System (SERS). The CDE uses this web application to track school statuses during disasters. Log on to report new emergency incidents and update your educational agency’s situational status.
    • District and County Superintendents: Stay in continuous contact with both district and county superintendents or their designees. 
        • Provide Updates. Share with them the information you have, the information you are working to get, and the steps you are taking. (Sample here)
        • Advocate for Inclusion: Request to be included in meetings and press conferences concerning impacted schools within your district and Los Angeles County.
        • Request Attendance Allowance: To help schools avoid funding losses due to wildfire-related closures, the California Department of Education (CDE) encourages charter schools, school districts, and county offices of education to submit a Request for Allowance of Attendance Due to Emergency Conditions (Form J-13A). This waiver allows schools to maintain attendance-based funding during emergency closures. For more information and instructions, visit the CDE Form J-13A web page.

 

3. Contact Families and Staff

  • Provide Updates: In times of uncertainty and fear, updates from the school may help families and staff feel part of a community and more clearly see a future beyond the fires. 
      • Messaging System: Leverage your community message distribution system if you have one (robocalls, texts, etc.) 
      • Social Media: Remember that you can use social media and communication platforms to provide updates to your community. 
        • Example: Achieve Charter did daily Facebook Live sessions during the Paradise fire to maintain routine and connection. (Sample post)
      • Consistency: Post consistent messages across different platforms to avoid confusion. 
      • Sample Communication: Tailor these sample letters here and here to make things easier and quicker. 
  • Start a Needs Inventory: Take inventory of who needs help and who can help. 

 

4. Get Board Authority to Take Action: 

  • Authorize Leadership for Recovery Efforts: Work with your board to pass a resolution granting the board president or Executive Director the authority to make recovery-related decisions without requiring full board approval. This ensures timely and effective action to support fire recovery efforts.
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