Standards Writing Meeting #5

If Your Flight Has Been Cancelled on Fri, Nov. 7:

• Do NOT call airlines: wait times are extremely long due to the nationwide disruptions
• Login to Egencia and book a new flight.
  • Select Honna George as your approver (if an approver is required)
  • Off Egencia flights (rare): In the unusual event you encounter issues booking your flight outside of Egencia, Honna is available to assist with covering the flight cost, but this is an exception reserved for necessary circumstances. Please see the next section of this email for information on how to contact Honna.
• Reply all to this email to let us know you’ve booked a new flight
  • If this happens on or after 3:00 PM ET on Friday, please follow the instructions in the next section of the email.
• Know your rights: Airlines are required to offer full refunds for cancelled flights. Please request the full refund. 

If Your Flight is Cancelled Over the Weekend/On Your Travel Day:

• Text Honna George (CSTA’s CFOO) at 773-947-4883 immediately with:
  • Your name
  • Which event you are attending 
  • That your flight has been cancelled and you need assistance with an urgent approval 
  • Book a new flight:
    1. Login to Egenica and book a new flight
       1. Select Honna George as your approver (if an approver is required)
    2. Off Egencia flights (rare): In the unusual event you encounter issues booking your flight outside of Egncia, Honna is available to assist with covering the flight cost, but this is an exception reserved for necessary circumstances.
  • Important: Please use text and not phone calls to reach out to Honna if you have an urgent situation. 

As the situation develops for return travel next week, we are working on a few contingency plans. Those include: 

• Hybrid participation options for those who cannot travel
• Contingency plans for return flights that may be impacted on Tuesday
• Real-time updates as the situation develops

Context: The FAA began implementing a 10% reduction in flights at major airports starting this morning due to air traffic controller staffing shortages from the government shutdown. This is affecting hundreds of flights daily, with the situation expected to worsen through next week.

We understand this creates significant uncertainty and inconvenience. Our priority is ensuring everyone can participate meaningfully, whether in-person or remotely. We’ll send another update by tomorrow morning with our finalized hybrid options.

Before you head to the event, we want to remind you of the importance of adhering to CSTA’s Code of Conduct to ensure a safe and positive experience for everyone. CSTA is committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful community for all K-12 CS educators, and we appreciate your support in creating an environment where that is possible. This Code of Conduct is required for all participants and is copied below.

If you encounter any issues or have concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can report any incidents by emailing the CSTA Leadership Team at events@csteachers.org or by texting 740-CS-TEACH (740-278-3224). Bryan Twarek, CSTA’s Head of Research and Innovation, will be on call to assist.

Expected Behavior

• Be present and actively participate. 
• Actively listen and be open to growth. 
• Treat everyone with dignity and respect. Use welcoming, inclusive, and assets-based language.
• Be mindful of how much time you use and the space you take up. Share the mic during discussions and Q&As. Make room for and invite others to participate. 
• Be respectful of differing viewpoints and experiences.
• Comply with all rules, policies, procedures, laws, and regulations of the facilities, municipality, and state where the event is being held.

Unacceptable Behavior 

CSTA is a place where all people are welcome and are treated with dignity. All individuals regardless of age, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, personal appearance, body size, ethnicity, race, religion, nationality, or level of experience are welcome at CSTA. Harassment, bullying, microaggressions, intimidation, and/or instances that are hurtful or interfere with any other attendee’s experience are unacceptable. 

Below are some examples of unacceptable behavior. These behaviors include, but are not limited to: 

• Demeaning, discriminatory, bullying or harassing behavior or speech.
• Inappropriate physical contact; you should have someone’s consent before touching them.
• Sustained disruption, including during talks and presentations.
• Violence, threats of violence, or violent language directed against another person or group.
• Possession of dangerous or unauthorized materials such as explosives, firearms, weapons, or similar items.
• Theft or inappropriate removal or possession of someone else’s property.
• Use, distribution, sale, or transfer of illegal drugs.
• Deliberate intimidation, stalking or following, both virtually and physically.
• Unwelcome sexual attention, including sexualized comments or jokes, inappropriate touching, groping, or sexual advances.
• Displaying sexually explicit or violent material, including in presented materials (e.g., slides, presentations, talks) and in informal settings or on personal devices (e.g., your phone).
• Inappropriate recording or photographing.
• Any other illegal activity or forms of harassment not covered above.

CSTA reserves the right in its sole discretion to determine what constitutes unacceptable behavior and what actions it will take to address incidents that occur.

Responsible Consumption

You may be invited to participate in an event where alcohol is being served. CSTA follows all federal and local laws around alcohol consumption. Please be mindful of your consumption and drink responsibly. 

• Anyone found to be under the influence of any substance, whether legal or otherwise, who is behaving in a way that negatively impacts others will be removed from the event. 
• Follow the rules of the venue and event organizer around consuming alcohol, smoking, vaping, and using tobacco products. Only consume these products where and when permitted.

Event Attire 

• Dress appropriately for a live event and in cases where you will be visible to others at an on-demand event. 
• Avoid clothing that could offend other participants or the local culture, including images, patterns or slogans.

Enforcement

Any violation of this Code of Conduct will not be tolerated at CSTA events. Anyone asked by a CSTA staff member or affiliate to stop engaging in unacceptable behavior is expected to comply immediately. If a participant engages in unacceptable behavior or fails to comply with expected behavior at any time during the event, CSTA will take action it deems appropriate, including but not limited to removing the participant from the event.

If you witness or are subjected to unacceptable behavior or have any other concerns at a CSTA event, notify a CSTA staff member as soon as possible. If you have questions in advance of the event regarding the Code of Conduct or its implementation, please contact CSTA at events@csteachers.org or call/text ‪(740) 278-3224‬. This email will be monitored by our leadership team during events.

Reporting and Escalation

• During all in-person and virtual events moving forward, a member of the leadership team will be on call. 
• Staff will be alerted to who will be on call during the staff meeting the week prior to the event. 
• Attendees will be provided with the email and number to call in the before you go communication.
• In case of an instance occurring, please notify the on call leadership team member. Once leadership is notified, they will escalate to the Executive Director and determine the best course of action.
• When needed, action will be taken, any staff onsite will be notified of the course of action and equipped with any information needed to answer attendee questions. All staff will be notified of the occurrence at the next staff meeting.
• Executive Director will notify the board and any action taken.

We are staying at the Hampton Inn Manhattan/Times Square Central. The address of the hotel is 220 W 41st St, New York, NY 10036, and it is a quick walk to the meeting space at the Microsoft office. Please make sure you have a photo ID with you and a credit card to put on file for incidentals for your hotel room.

Reminder: CSTA is covering your room for Sunday and Monday nights, as well as Saturday night for the high school team. Additional nights will be at your own expense. You should have received your hotel confirmation via email. If you did not and would like to review your reservation, reach out to Jake and he can provide your confirmation number.

Please charge parking to your hotel room so that CSTA can be billed for the cost. If you are not staying at the hotel and need parking, please let Jake know.

Icon Parking System
Phone: (212)221-9485
Address: 143-145 W 40th Street (between 7th Ave & Broadway)
Please bring your ticket to the front desk at the hotel, and we will stamp it for you. The discount for being a hotel guest is $53 for sedans and $63 for oversized vehicles, for 24 hour. No in and out privileges.

CSTA will provide meals during our meeting:

• Sunday, November 9 (High school team only):
  • Complimentary hot breakfast is available at the hotel, so please plan to eat breakfast before our meeting begins at 8:30am.
  • Lunch and snacks will be catered in the hotel meeting space.
• Monday, November 10:
  • Complimentary hot breakfast is available at the hotel, so please plan to eat breakfast before our meeting begins at 8:30am.
  • Lunch and snacks will be catered in the Microsoft meeting space.
  • A takeaway dinner will be provided at the end of the day to enjoy before the show.
• Tuesday, November 11:
  • Complimentary hot breakfast is available at the hotel, so please plan to eat breakfast before our meeting begins at 8:30am.
  • Lunch and snacks will be catered in the Microsoft meeting space.

Meals provided should accommodate all dietary restrictions as indicated in registration forms. Please let Jake know if your needs are not met.

You will be responsible for other meals while traveling to and from New York City, including Sunday dinner for the high school team. We will to offset meal and other travel expenses with a flat travel stipend ($200 or $270 for the high school team).

You will receive a $200 stipend ($270 for high school team members) from CSTA to assist in covering your airport parking, ground transportation, and meals outside of those being provided. CSTA will distribute this stipend payment approximately 3-5 business days after your departure from New York. You will receive an email from us through our vendor, Tremendous, with directions on how to access your payment. Please look for this email during the week following the convening. 

• Laptop and charger
• Photo ID and credit card for hotel check-in
• Photo ID for entry into Microsoft
• A great attitude!

The entire event is casual (jeans are okay), and we suggest comfortable footwear. Consider November weather in NYC and that we will need to walk outside to get to Microsoft and the Gershwin Theatre. Keep in mind that candid photos will be taken by CSTA staff throughout the event.