GUEST BLOGGER JP FROM MANHATTAN'S LETTER TO DE BLASIO

 Mayor de Blasio,

Chancellor Carranza

UFT

Governor Cuomo

City Council

NY Media

As of May, soon after school closures, 74 DOE employees DIED of COVID-19.  We have no idea what the real number is or how many actually were infected.  Remember, you knowingly sent us into infected buildings.  

70 were school-based employees:

- 28 paraprofessionals

- 30 teachers

- 2 food service staffers

- 2 administrators

- 2 facilities staff

- 2 school aides

- 2 guidance counselors

- 1 parent coordinator

- 1 school computer technology specialist

Mr. Carranza, on March 12 you made a joke citing 108,000 epidemiologists, after 108,000 DOE staff members requested an immediate shutdown, to ensure safety.  I think you should go to the families of the DOE staff members who died and the thousands more who were made sick, and then apologize.  I am one of those staff members.  That joke was not funny.  It was done in poor taste and got people killed.  It is unfortunate, in such a dire situation, you showed such poor leadership.  Are you willing to do the same thing so more people get sick and die?  Should staff members suffer, go on ventilators, how about their families?  How are you going to apologize to me if I pick up the virus from a staff member, a student or on the train?   If I kill my elderly parents?  How many more staff members is the DOE willing to lose before they realize that reopening schools is DANGEROUS.  Is it even safe that TEACHERS will be breathing in all the stuff they are spraying in the classroom to clean every day?

Mayoral Lies

Parent survey-75 percent of parent surveys stated that they wanted students to return to the buildings.  NOT TRUE.  First, most of that 75 said that they only wanted students to return if specific conditions were met.  Second, you assume that the 800,000 parents that did not reply want students to return to buildings.  That is not true.  How do I know?  My school took time to call all the parents.  Guess what?  Of the parents we could reach, approximately 80% told us that they did not complete the survey and want students enrolled in remote instruction ONLY.  

"DOE press secretary Miranda Barbot confirmed that about 586,000 students — 80 percent of the students who are under blended learning — were automatically enrolled because the parents didn’t submit a response to the city.”

Next lie-You claim that 85% of teachers want to return to buildings.  NOT TRUE.  85% could not qualify for the medical accommodation.  Actually, almost every teacher we have spoken to feels very unsafe and would prefer full remote learning.  Why don't you make it optional if you are so confident?  It is so unsafe that you can make accommodations but it is so safe everyone else can take the risk?  166,000 dead, remember.  5 million infections, remember?  Long-term brain, heart, breathing problems...Are you willing to risk long-term problems?  55% of coronavirus patients still have neurological problems three months later: study

Perhaps I can gain 25 pounds in the next 3 weeks so I can qualify for the accommodation.  Being overweight is better than attempting to live with covid-19.  

In my many years as a teacher I learned how to see the future...

This will be an utter disaster

Thousands will get sick

Cuomo will blame de Blasio

De Blasio will blame Trump

Mulgrew will blame the DOE

Staff will suffer and get nothing out of it

Every plan assumes a well-behaved student body that will follow all directives and maintain masks and social distancing, even during hall passing.  This is impossible.  I have been spit on by students.  What happens when one loses their temper and intentionally spits, breathes heavy on, blows air in my face, grabs me, refuses to wear a mask?  Please don't tell me there will be actions taken.  That has never happened.  You outlawed suspensions, remember?  Have you walked into a school in the last 6 years, unannounced, and seen what was going on?  Complete chaos and disrespect.  You are making grand assumptions, again.  Students unable to follow rules, eating, touching, getting angry and threatening with spit, coming from outside, interacting with friends, people on bus or train...And then covid infected students will sit in an isolation room with a staff member.  There are still loads of teens outside playing basketball, for example.  

But don't worry, as students eat with no mask they will sit quietly like angels and we will stand behind them.  Great plan.  

Every day, from NY to California, and in many parts of NY, schools are deeming it unsafe to re-open in person learning?  Why are you willing to risk the safety of everyone?    It is a proven fact that large gatherings cause numbers to skyrocket.  What about bus use?  Train use?  You are possibly causing a citywide outbreak.  You want to open just to close a few days later and harm everyone in the process?  State after state that has reopened has had deadly consequences.  Texas and Georgia, after just days, had to quarantine thousands of people.  

15-year-old boy with no underlying conditions has died in Georgia after contracting COVID-19, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.  The boy’s death comes as many Georgia school districts have reopened for in-person learning.

Dr. Birx and Dr. Fauci have repeatedly said that schools shouldn’t open as there is risk of community spread.  They have said large gatherings, especially those which are indoors are the most dangerous.  A classroom full of students and a school full of students and staff is an indoor large gathering.  

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, of CNN, certainly not a Trump supporter, is keeping his three young daughters home.  Even though they are "Low risk," he deems a return to school too dangerous.  

Just in the last 24 hours...

-Most California schools will start year online, Gov. Gavin Newsom says

-Rochester-Remote

-Columbia, Barnard Cancel In-Person Classes for the Fall

-A majority of Hudson County school districts will be all-remote in September

-SEATTLE REMOTE INDEFINITELY: School board says in-person reopen date depends on health metrics. Other WA districts follow suit, some delay 6-8 weeks https://mynorthwest.com/2034736/districts-reopening-schools-western-washington/

-DENVER OPENS REMOTE: Large city delays in-person school till at least mid-October 

-Lunch Workers Union, School Aides Urge De Blasio To Delay NYC School Reopening

Governor Cuomo stated that fall is coming, he questions what is going to happen with people getting the flu, people getting flu vaccines, and everyone in the city running to get covid tests?  All staff members?  And students?  You don't envision a problem?

Dr. Redfield stated that this will be the worst fall season in terms of health in United States history.  

We know with 100% certainty that taking someone's temperature means absolutely nothing.  

Parents, teachers say de Blasio is downplaying real concerns over schools https://t.co/NZxFuKpcOO?amp=1

The DOE cannot be trusted after last March.  After last March, and after many other failures, all teachers realized that they could not trust the UFT.  Instead of calling for a walkout, the UFT was worried about dues loss.  

If Mr. Mulgrew states that we were waiting 20 years for nurses, why would we expect any improvements now?  It shows you didn't value us then, and you don't value us now.  Nice job UFT. Way to hold the city accountable.  

We were promised by Governer Cuomo that we had to feel safe, the parents had to feel safe and we had to be ready to go back.  In addition to a meaningless Q and A session coming up next week?  Is that it?  We have no say?  Where is our survey?  What you are asking for is to have open schools with no staff.  Not worth our lives to sit with two students who are doing nothing anyway.   We know you think of us as babysitters anyway.  AFT President Randi Weingarten has endorsed a "Strike for safety."  All the teachers need to hop on this wagon to protect themselves and their family.  I don't think the entire teaching staff will be fooled again.  Either we go in or we don't.  I bet we don't.