I have heard all kinds of reports from friends and family in schools today. Teachers reported being sent to classrooms to plan for distance learning but nobody told me they were doing work or having meetings that couldn't have been done at home on a computer or phone. It was very irresponsible, in fact dangerous, for the Department of Education to send so many people to work today and not immediately close completely for tomorrow and Thursday too.
Under these circumstances and with a shelter in place order being imminent, I see no reason at this point to risk spreading the COVID-19 virus by going to work in school buildings. I am not a doctor or lawyer but as I stated yesterday, do not worry about getting in trouble if you stay home even if you don't have CAR days in the bank. It's a pandemic with NYC at the center. Even the DOE is relaxing rules for absences by saying in writing they won't discipline employees who take off due to COVID-19. That's kind of the reason for just about every absence now.
Multiple people told me that students or staff had tested positive for the virus in their school buildings. This just confirms my belief that schools should be as empty as possible and only used to serve emergency meals. ATRs were given no work but still had to show up. Why? On the other hand, some enlightened principals told their faculties not to come into the buildings and did computer conferences at home. There cannot be two standards. We are contractually entitled to equitable and fair treatment.
Many UFT members are looking to UFT President Michael Mulgrew for real leadership now. The UFT needs to tell its members it is not safe to go to work if the DOE doesn't shut down completely now. Don't worry about the Taylor Law. It's not a strike or sickout to stay home with your loved ones during a pandemic.
For what my two cents of advice are worth, my humble opinion as an experienced chapter leader and executive board member is that you should STAY HOME! That's what I asked my family and friends to do. The life you save could be your own or mine. While de Blasio dithers and delays, you don't need his permission or your principal's to STAY HOME.
Update: DOE Closes 65 Court Street Administrative Office
Dear Colleagues,
The health and safety of all of our employees and partners is our first priority. To keep everyone safe as the COVID-19/coronavirus situation continues to develop, we are closing the 65 Court Street walk-in center for the time being. We ask all visitors to 65 Court Street to contact our offices virtually so that we can help you as quickly and effectively as possible.
Health and safety of all employees is their first priority? What about those who work in the schools? Mulgrew please respond. If some UFTers want to volunteer to go into school to help, okay, but for everyone else: STAY HOME!
36 comments:
THE UNION DOES NOTHING FOR US. WE HAD TO WORK 6:50 MINUTES IN MY DISTRICT29 EVEN THOUGH WE HAD GOTTEN AN EMAIL FROM HEAD UNION PERSON SAYING ITS 6:20. I'M IN AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. DISTRICT 25 WORKED ONLY TO 6:20 MIN. HEARD THAT IS WHAT THEIR WHOLE DISTRICT DID. CALLED UFT REP LAUGHED ON PHONE AND SAID IT'S 6:50 BUT CHANGING BY THE MOMENT. I ASKED WHY WE NEEDED TO BE THERE SINCE WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO THIS FROM HOME. WHERE IS OUR UNION ON THIS?
DEBLASIO WILL WAIT UNTIL THURSDAY AFTER THE WORKDAY ENDS TO TELL US TO SHELTER IN PLACE. HE AS WELL AS OUR UNION SUCK.
You are absolutely right. The situation is deteriorating fast. De Blasio should be blamed.
New cases and new deaths are sky high. Having teachers reporting to schools is just plain stupid and harmful.
The union is missing in action when the battle is intense.
Also, that 6:50 for the 3 days. That's 1 1/2 hours extra for the three days.
Ok but be aware also: if you never leave your home, you'll never get hit by that proverbial bus.
Also watch domestic violence and alcoholic drinking skyrocket. Should we sit home and watch CNN and msnbc? Suicide for a way up!
Just saying beware of unintended consequences.
I was home today and will be tomorrow and the next. I feel fine but as we have been told I can be a walking spreader! Why would I want to go around killing people with my breath!?!
I agree. You did not give up your rights once you became a teacher. You must do what is best for yourself, family and community. Stay home. Stay safe.
The three stooges - Trump, deBlasio and Mulgrew - should take their show on the road - back to China with their new best friend. Anything and everything they say must be filtered and assumed to be misinformation, although not necessarily intentionally maleficent. It can, however, have all the same deadly results. Trump doesn’t like to read (he mixes up the words), so he makes up everything on the fly, based on what he’s been told. The guy never shakes hands but now he shakes everyone’s hands. He must have thought the doctors told him to shake hands during the virus, instead of not shaking them.
DeBlasio is trying to stretch out his 15 minutes of fame long enough to last his entire lifetime. He stretches out his words and places them in weird and wonderful ways, like a literary Freddy Kruger where you are the victim. His motto is ‘Do as I say, not as I do’.
Now Mulgrew is another kettle of fish, so accustomed to kissing ass that he can barely part his lips to stutter the word, ‘Irresponsible’ , and run back behind the parents.
Teachers are not important to any of these three typhoons. Their combined hot air is what’s causing climate change.Trump is spectacularly incompetent as President, same as deBlasio is as Mayor and Mulgrew is as UFT President. Stay healthy and away from filthy warehouses.
It's stunning to me just how readily, even happily, some people applaud government restrictions and dictates.
Remember that cops are racist and potus is fascist? Remember?
First Amendment freedom of assembly gone and people clap.
Please stop killing people with your breath!
What about if you are up for tenure?
LH,
Last I checked, we are all people.
If you feel sick, stay home.
There are principals out there that we read about or ones we don’t read about(JHs 383, district 32 for example) who play mind games with people and get off on it.
Do what you feel is right for you!
At my school we worked hard on Tuesday to complete essential planning. We trained people who needed training to get going on Google classroom. We came to consensus on big decisions facing the school. We documented instructional choices we were making, and filed them with the principal
Today I am working at home. Well over half my staff is working at home.
It's not fair that we are forced to take self-treated days - we are getting just as much done, we will be ready for school to go "live" on Monday -
and we are keeping ourselves and other people safe by not meeting in groups at school, and by not commuting, and by staying indoors.
Yes @10:30 AM. Nassau County had one day training. Why is the city taking three? The UFT needs to seriously fight to keep member's sick days in tact if absent today (Tuesday) and tomorrow (Wednesday). Why expose ourselves for no reason. The school I am at, you can barely open the windows. It is very dusty. Stayed home. People can make you sick, severely sick or kill you with their breathe. No thanks. Give me a protective suit if you want me to go in.
Jonathan, Glad to hear from you. You are very fortunate to work for Alessandro Weiss, a principal who is truly a decent man. Many UFT members do not have that situation.
Please stay safe. Camille says hi.
The state is also imposing a 50% limit on the number of employees businesses can have on-site. Exceptions will be made via executive order for grocery stores, pharmacies, health care providers, shippers and other businesses that provide key supplies, according to Cuomo.
I don't see an exception for NYC teachers.
This is the union leadership's moment to reaffirm the fact that our choice to pay our dues is not wasted.. They are not doing so. There is not guidance coming out.
The UFT homepage hasn't changed at all with updated information. There is no mention of how "We have your backs." Nothing other than "schools are closed."
Sanitation, NYPD and FDNY employees are likely maintaining much better communication with their unions.
When this is all over, dues will be withdrawn. Why pay?
Is it true social workers, guidance counselors and nurses are being assigned to centers?
My school is going to be a "center". We were told to pack up like it's summer and take any personal belongings home. Also told that if we expect to see anything we leave behind again that it better be under lock and key when we leave or there is a good chance it will disappear. Sounds great huh.
446,
Such a moronic comment. They are telling people to stay home. What don’t you comprehend?
@4:46...it's alleged (today's NY Daily News) that a sw, a gc and 2 nurses will be assigned to these "learning centers". Oh hell no.
Page 8 "Special sites for kids of key workers"...NY Daily News article about SW, GC and nurses. More BS I guess.
Today at Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical Education High School, staff was told "something happened" and to take your stuff as if you won't be back tomorrow." NO OTHER INFO> Wass given.. she was not allowed to say, but we could assume pretty damn correctly. Three hours later, an email was sent stating the obvious, that someone was infected and self-quarantining. BUT NO OTHER INFO WAS GIVEN! Who is it? There are dozens of teachers that could now be infecting family members and others, simply due to the school's unwillingness to tell who it is. is it a staff member? Is it a student? Who has this person been in close quarters with and since it takes up to 14 days for symptoms or results, it's MY belief and opinion that teachers and their families have a right BY LAW to know. And the principle or DOE has the responsibility to inform the staff. Not just by sending an email stating the obvious, but by also stating the person's name so that anyone in contact with that person could at least have a clue and those not in contact would not have to worry or think about it. So now it's a waiting game.
HIPAA says schools can't release the person's name or the school can be sued. The school/NYCDOE WILL be sued by those who may catch the virus and, God forbid, have disastrous results and/or given it to others in their family. And if it's a staff member who's infected and not a kid, we all have the right to know since contact may have been made these last few days/weeks. Even if a student, we all have a right to know. Otherwise, WE could be infecting OTHERS while awaiting info.
Is this what Government, CDC, Mayor DeBlasaio, Carranza wants? Is THIS how they contain it and care about the people? Are they all just blowing smoke out their butts with their "Fake" words of concern? By the way, I'M NOT the teacher, I'm the husband... pissed off and annoyed husband at the DOE, the school admin and others including the wonderful union that does absolutely nothing but collect dues!
Turns out I was mistaken, most of my colleagues came to work yesterday. I'm surprised by that one, but their choice. I'm working at home, designing my first few lessons.
These centers will not have any protective gear for students and "volunteers". Be very careful.
These centers will not have any protective gear for students and "volunteers". Be very careful.
Carranza sent an email. It’s all on a volunteer basis.
Again, more fake news perpetuated by teachers.
Thankfully, James and Chaz are the ones who provide real news.
@10:41am: so it's not fake,right. Even if it is on a VOLUNTEER basis i.e. they won't be assigned but they are the folks who are desired to staff the centers. James was a former teacher so by your comment "again more fake news perpetuated by teachers" he perpetuates fake news too, right? Stay safe 10:41 am
James and Chaz give the most reliable, relevant information.
Very few teachers I have personally been around have provided real information. Mostly it’s panic and rumors. Not helpful.
I hope everyone stays safe.
How are ATRs reporting to attendance as did not go in the last two days.
312,
Who cares? There are more pressing issues in our city right now than what atrs are doing.
Why would this even be on your mind?
Regents should be cancelled. Sign, pass on..
https://www.change.org/p/gov-andrew-cuomo-all-nys-regents-exams-should-be-cancelled-or-reschediledfor-june-2020/sponsors/new?source_location=combo_psf&psf_variant=combo
Surprise, multiple people in my school on Staten Island have tested positive for Covid19. No telling how many others were infected by going to work this week. Nice work, uft.
Quite a few of the teachers and staff that went to school this week were sick. Could have been Carona, allergies or a cold but it was a little perturbing.
We were given a lesson plan template for our online lessons. Not only do we have to submit this lesson plan, but the administrators, counselors and deans will be monitoring on our online lessons. (We were told to add them as teachers to our lessons).
How is this permissible? Is the UFT on board with everything we are being told to do as far as online lessons?
Everyday, I look at the UFT website for some guidance regarding our online lessons but there is nothing.
Anonymous 7:33- I see that as no different than the systematic collection of lesson plans that is against our contract. Talk to your CL or DR.That said, I would keep some sort of log of your daily activities. My principal thinks many teachers are going to have an issue with theft of services when all is said and done.
Thanks for the response 9:29.
My CL is not well versed in the contract. They have the position by default and is "friendly" with the principal.
My DR is in cahoots with my principal. That is why I pose the situation here.
I do have an issue with theft of any material I place on google docs/classroom. Something similar has occurred in my school before.
I will keep looking on the UFT website to see if any information/guidance is provided.
When it comes to the doe, I’m as cynical as anyone. In my 2 decades, I’ve seen it all. And I have seen what a vindictive leader can accomplish as well.
However, this is a national emergency. Let me repeat that. This is a national emergency.
If you really think that the chancellor and mayor and superintendents don’t have more important things to do, then you are out of touch.
Do what you have to. It’s no different than any day at school. Play the game. Keep a log on what you do.
Send out some emails etc. keep a phone call log even if you don’t make the calls.
There are bigger issues than kids passing. Heck, for a decade at the Jhs level, I have passed everyone.
None of this matters.
Post a Comment