Friday, June 26, 2020

MULGREW DAILY NEWS OPED ON REOPENING AND MY END OF SCHOOL YEAR

This is from the Daily News. It is copied in full.

Teachers will return in the fall if...: the city's teacher union boss explains the COVID protection conditions for going back to school

Teachers, parents — even students — are looking forward to returning to school buildings this fall. But new federal funds, now being held up in Washington, are the only possible way New York City will be able to invest in the protective measures and staff required for schools to safely re-open in September — even on a limited basis.

Our system is facing a double challenge: dealing with the devastating economic impact of COVID-19 on city and state budgets, and bringing back in-person schooling while maintaining social distance.

The pandemic has crippled our economy. Taxes and other revenues are well below pre-coronavirus projections. The result is that rather than increased resources, state and city budgets for the coming year include potential cuts of hundreds of millions of dollars to public services, including schools.

There have been plenty of corporate rescue missions. Airlines, oil companies and even hospital chains with large surpluses have been the beneficiaries of multi-billion-dollar federal bailouts.

Our states and cities — not to mention our children — deserve their own rescue measures.

The U.S. House of Representatives has already passed the HEROES Act, which would send more than $900 billion to cities and states to help re-open their communities and re-start their economies, including $90 billion for public schools.

But despite the work of our local and national union to round up Republican votes, and the efforts of New York Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has refused to bring the issue to the floor.

If the Republican leadership kills the HEROES Act, we will be looking at fewer teachers and support personnel for September and dramatically less money for safety measures.

Here's why these funds are necessary:

The average classroom in New York City public schools is only about 800 square feet. No more than 10 children — one-half to one-third of the normal class size — can fit into such a space while observing the social distance recommended by the Centers for Disease Control.

To safely re-open, most schools will have to create two or even three cohorts of children who would rotate between in-school and remote instruction on a regular basis. This will create major logistical challenges for food service, transportation and cleaning services, not to mention huge child-care problems for thousands of families as adults return to the workplace.

Given the increased number of classes and the necessity of continuing some remote learning, more teachers may be necessary. Fewer children per bus may mean more bus routes. Daily deep cleaning of the schools will cost tens of millions of dollars not now in the budget.

Additional spending will also be needed for protective equipment, including masks for children, and every building will need a nurse (traditionally not all schools have one). Just as important will be social workers and other mental health professionals who can help children deal with the emotional trauma caused by the pandemic.

While the virus has decisively declined in New York, we cannot afford to relax our vigilance. Florida, Texas, Arizona are seeing surges in cases and hospitalizations, and so is California, which initially took strong measures to enforce social distancing, only to backslide when people became impatient and complacent. China is already re-imposing protective measures as the virus is re-emerging there.

No one thinks the remote learning program our teachers patched together this spring with virtually no training has worked perfectly, but it has kept learning alive for our kids. It has also played a critical role in limiting the spread and the lethality of the coronavirus, which still killed dozens of Education Department employees, including 67 teachers and other UFT members.

If necessary, remote learning can continue in September. Without necessary — and expensive — safety measures, re-opening of our school buildings will pose an unacceptable risk for our children, our staff and their families. Which choice will we make?


President Mulgrew says it will be an unacceptable risk to reopen without "necessary --and expensive -- safety measures." Otherwise, he calls the risk unacceptable.  Will he back up those words if the DOE falls short on their end?

Speaking of virtual learning, I was very pleased to finally see these screens sans assignments on my kids' school accounts this afternoon. I don't know who the teachers and students are who had nothing to do for the last few weeks. Our teachers gave work right up until the end. I want to thank those P.S. 191Q teachers and wish them and all of you a great summer.







26 comments:

  1. What's the over/under on dead NJ teachers by next November?

    @PhilMurphyNJ
    is requiring a return to school but NOT requiring students to wear masks. Only adults.

    Completely insane.

    NY will be in the same situation.

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  2. I find it interesting that both the new DOE Employee Survey on Remote Learning and this new editorial from Mulgrew have broached the idea of going completely remote in September.

    Up until now, it was all talk about blended learning, but the tune seems to be changing, slightly.

    I wonder why...

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  3. Uptick in covid cases...

    if something changed 11-14 days before the 2 month long trend changed, then that would seem to be a prime candidate to have a look at.

    that points us firmly at the ~2 weeks of mass protests in the US.

    the timing aligns near perfectly with what one would hypothesize.

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  4. LOL. Grade fraud.

    Our 1.1M
    @NYCSchools
    students, their families, and educators achieved so much this year despite extraordinary challenges. We celebrate them and thank our generous philanthropic partners who continue to stand by their side, so that our public schools can emerge even stronger!

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  5. Action.
    According to amny.com:
    "UFT members file improper practice charge against union".
    Power to the people.

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  6. I believe that conversation about remote only is in case the Hero Act isn't passed which would allow enough money to re-open schools with the measures (saniizing, PPE etc) needed to ensure healthy and safe conditions.

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  7. Well, last chance to opt out. Thanks uft.
    From the UFT: "Reasonable accommodations may only be granted for an employee's own disability. School staff who are unable to work at a school or DOE site for other non-disability reasons (e.g. child care, health of others in their household) may seek other options, such as leaves, but are not eligible for a reasonable accommodation to work remotely."

    I'm begging you, my dear comrades, to talk me down because I'm ready to send profanity-laden emails to every DOE and UFT person I can find.

    You have to be joking, right? I have two high-risk people in my 800-sqft home, so you’re essentially asking me to move out and stop living with my family or give up my paycheck? (The zero weeks of UFT paid parental leave when my wife gives birth this summer won't stretch too far.)

    The union has let us down immensely, and the DOE has made it clear they don’t care at all about the health of their in-school staff members. I would bet my entire year’s salary that my 3,000-person building will not have CDC-compliant safety measures. We're all getting COVID unless we had it already and the antibodies remain potent. What good is a union if it cannot protect the health of its rank and file and their families?

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  8. Wow. Mulgrew is a piece of shit. File a grievance after you get infected and die.
    Some members of the United Teachers Federation, including three Chapter Leaders at three schools, are filing an improper practice charge against the union and the New York State Public Employees Relations Board for “violating its duty of fair representation” after the union told them their right to issue a grievance against the Department of Education’s handling of schools during the pandemic was halted indefinitely.

    According to the Movement of Rank and File Educators, more than 200 UFT members with grievances on the department was in violation of union contractual provisions on health and safety during the weeks of March 9 and March 16 were stopped by the UFT from further pursuing their grievances, as a result.

    According to a UFT spokesperson, the grievance process will continue to be halted until October 1. Instead, the union is relying on an “operational” process that moves disputes “within a matter of days” concerning contractual issues that can’t be immediately resolved with a school principal through a local superintendent, a central operations committee with UFT reps and if necessary to the Chancellor Richard Carranza and UFT President Michael Mulgrew.

    Grievances sent through this new process so far have ranged from complaints about unreasonable and duplicative paperwork, unreasonable grading requirements and excessive weekly meetings, according to the spokesperson.

    “The health and safety issues relating to teachers’ return to schools for training in March can be resubmitted when the grievance suspension period ends; at that time their grievances will be heard through the traditional process,” the spokesperson added.


    Members argued that keeping New York City public schools open during the novel coronavirus pandemic and requiring staff in the buildings until March 9, endangered the lives of thousands of employees. Over 70 DOE staff died as a result of complications caused by the novel coronavirus, according to department data.

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  9. Dont say I didnt warn you. You got played by the uft again.
    Dear UFT Member,

    As this school year comes to an end, I know that you have many questions about returning to school buildings in September. As you know, the DOE is considering the option of a blended model of in-person instruction and remote learning.

    We recognize that some UFT members will not be able to report to work in person due to medical conditions that put them at higher risk. The DOE is creating an online application for members to apply for medical accommodations that could allow them to work from home. You should expect to receive an email from the DOE to your DOE email address by July 15 with instructions about how to complete the application online and submit the required supporting documentation from a medical provider.

    Here is the information that the DOE sent to principals regarding the application process. It is important to note that anyone seeking such an accommodation must apply on the electronic form once it is available, even if they have already applied on the paper form.

    COVID-19 Reasonable Accommodations Process for Fall 2020

    Employees who are at a heightened risk for severe illness if they contract COVID-19 may be eligible for a reasonable accommodation to work from home/remotely. The medical conditions as set forth by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are a guide to what will be considered a heightened risk. These conditions, while not exclusive, have been identified as high risk by the CDC as they relate to COVID-19.

    DOE is modifying its reasonable accommodation request process and will be able to accept COVID-19-related reasonable accommodation requests electronically. By July 15, school-based staff will receive instructions at their DOE email address on how to complete the application online, as well as how to submit the required supporting documentation from a medical provider. The combined application and supporting documentation will be reviewed consistent with overall policies for reasonable accommodations, including informing the staff member’s principal of the general request. No accommodation request should be filed until this process is opened. Final determinations of an accommodation request may not be sent until later in August, but early completion of the application will help facilitate a faster review.

    For more information about general accommodations, please email RARequest@schools.nyc.gov.

    Please be aware of the following:

    Reasonable accommodations may only be granted for an employee's own disability. School staff who are unable to work at a school or DOE site for other non-disability reasons (e.g. child care, health of others in their household) may seek other options, such as leaves, but are not eligible for a reasonable accommodation to work remotely.
    If you are not seeking an accommodation, but do not intend to return to your school for other reasons (e.g. resignation, retirement), we encourage you to let your principal know in a timely manner so appropriate planning can take place. This process is not for this purpose.
    Any accommodation provided is subject to review and change.

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  10. Haha. Mulgrew says if you cant risk your life or the life of your family, easy, quit or take an unpaid leave.

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  11. Dont forget, if you are 48 years old and quit because you dont want to die or kill your family you forfeit the last retro payment.

    i would opt out if i hadnt already.

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  12. Both the economy and the schools should remain closed until every last case of coronavirus is eliminated. Why don't these morons understand science?

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  13. I'm 59 or will be. Not old enough for a medical exemption but old enough to worry. If you are my age...but if not, we are not in the same category. Do you take the subway for two hours a day? If not, I'm not interested.

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  14. Wow. Just wow.

    newchoiceny to opt out

    1 day left

    I ask again, which uft vp is sitting in a school with us all day and watching students make it more and more dangerous.

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  15. My suggestion, if not eligible to retire and if no severance offered, get to oct 15, get the retro and resign.

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  16. To those who died, RIP, but that wont change the thinking of Mulgrew or Carranza.
    What happened to kawasaki disease?

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  17. We will treat you like shit.
    Force you to work during spring break and not pay
    Give you 1% raises
    Hold money for 11 years with no interest.
    Lead you to death...

    Mayor Bill de Blasio
    @NYCMayor
    Today was the last day of school.
    It's been a difficult, challenging school year but you all came through it with flying colors.
    Thank you to our amazing educators, parents and students for making it possible.

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  18. $1600 and all i got was that mulgrew statement, and then get told i have to go in anyway...?

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  19. I am totally disgusted by Amy Arundell's post on the NYC DOE teacher FB page:

    "I am just wondering what people think all the other workers in NYC do when they have to report to work despite their personal circumstances—the grocery workers, delivery workers, restaurant workers, paramedics, doctors and nurses? Are we any different from any other workers? The Union’s job is to make sure our workplaces are safe and healthy. If schools don’t open at all, we risk the loss of public confidence and trust. Would people prefer layoff and furlough? Help me understand the expectations of our membership for what the union can reasonably demand?"

    I don't think anybody needed to read this today.

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  20. You could get a not saying you're borderline diabetic. Starting eating a lot sugary foods now.

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  21. I have type 1 diabetes and my spouse is also a teacher. What happens if he gets it at school, brings it home and gives it to me? There is no sense for me to put in a medical exemption. They don't think these things through. Also I hope the mayor doesn't follow Murphy's policy that students will only be encouraged and not required to wear masks while in school yet staff must wear it.

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  22. My school keeps saying that for summer school if students don’t log in or participate in the remote live learning that admin and the district can close the class. When is the city going to put some responsibility on the students and stop putting the pressure on the teachers. You can’t force them to log in....

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  23. I had a random thought for next year for the whole city. Obviously, depending on what exactly becomes of this virus. What if the State waived seat time of live instruction since it could be blended etc.
    For example, PE needs a minimum of 2 days a week for semester credit , what if only 1 day was necessary for live in combination with remote? Same with other disciplines.

    Regents should be dropped and curriculums should be revamped no more teaching to the test.BYE BYE DANIELSON, teacher centered now lol.

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  24. @7:30,
    That’s why these UFT turds should also teach. Amy can kiss my grits!

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  25. SCREW AMY ARUNDELL! If she wants to toe the UFT line, she should walk away from the ivory tower at 52 Broadway and come teach in September in the same cesspools of Covid 19 hell that we will be dealing with. In fact, lets open up some more woodshops so Mike Mulgrew can teach again and prove how safe everything is when tens of thousands of students show up without masks. My suggestion is to not listen to any UFT goons who talk the talk but will not walk the walk.

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  26. Teachers, if you're going to quit, wait until you have retro in October then don't return. That's my plan.

    ReplyDelete

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