LIVE BLOGGING FROM CARRANZA TOWN HALL

I  turned this on to hear the First Deputy Chancellor talk in edubabble for a while. I can't post every part because it's indecipherable and says absolutely nothing. He thanked administrators from principals to superintendents. Condolences for Principal Munoz who passed away. He then introduces Chancellor Carranza.

Carranza says the last five months have been the most challenging in our lives. Challenges now. NYC has gone from the pandemic epicenter to only large district considering opening. 0.24% positivity rate today. We've lost 79 DOE employees. We won't forget them. Moment of silence to remember our colleagues. 

Grateful to us. We know students will be learning five days a week and safety is our number one goal. We know people have questions and concerns. Exploring flexibility with the state. Walkthroughs are ongoing. Economic effects have been devastating. $8 billion city cuts. $1 billion DOE. We need federal or state help. Federal government has been absent. We aren't sure state or federal assistance will come through. Planning for labor savings including potential layoffs. Mayor and Chancellor doing everything we can to avoid layoffs. How can we have a partial reopening and be preparing for layoffs? Chancellor states he will continue to fight to protect you in every way possible. Staying focused on getting what we need from DC and Albany. We are on the cusp of something amazing. Classroom discussion from desks six feet apart, parent conferences online, and much more. New normal feels strange. Working toward something so important. What will this mean for our students? Close to 8,000 questions were submitted. Answer the most repeated 20. There's a doctor there and the First Deputy Chancellor will read the questions.

Question: Will teachers be responsible for purchasing their own safety equipment?

Answer from Carranza: No, the DOE will provide all of the safety supplies that are needed. Schools won't have to pay for them locally. We will maintain a 30 day supply of PPE. We have a support hotline if principals need to be resupplied. If staff have their own special face shield, they can wear it.

Question: What is the plan for returning to the offices? 

Answer from Chief Operating Officer: There have been walkthroughs of all central and district offices

Question: What are they doing to deal with trauma-informed pedagogy?

Answer from a different Deputy Chancellor: Schools supported the mental well being of adults and children. Principals have completed trauma 101. Thousands trained. Facilitated trauma training. Will support staff members. Seek out help if you are an employee. City has the Employee Assistance Program. Reach out to them at eap@olr.nyc.gov or call 212 306-7660. Safety and health are top concerns this year.

Question: How can the in-person teachers collaborate with remote teachers?

Answer from Chief Academic Officer: In partnership with unions, we have a 30 minute collaboration period whether in person in remote to plan together. Teachers who are remote can join in. Other resources will be available to make sure that other important questions are worked out with leaders at the UFT and CSA. We will update and finalize as soon as possible.

Question: What will childcare for DOE employees look like? Parent has to be in school five days a week.

Answer from someone from a Department I couldn't recognize: Families will need childcare. Working with other city agencies to provide free childcare options for days parent is teaching but pre-k-grade 8 kids can have a place to go because they are remote. Using Community-Based Organizations. Learning Bridges Program. Schools.nyc.gov.learning bridges.

Question: 7-10 days for Covid turnaround. Will that be useless? Do remote only staff need testing?

Answer from Carranza: DOE employees will be prioritized for testing. Deputy Chancellor Robinson adds that school-based staff are strongly recommended to get tested. Encourage all New Yorkers to get tested. Department of Health is providing free priority testing for DOE employees. The city is aiming for 24 hour turnaround time. Medical doctor adds that there is social distancing so be reassured that there are great precautions at testing centers. Encouraging all to get tested to show commitment to health of fellow New Yorkers.

Question: Safety measures for District 75 for teachers and students?

Answer from Deputy Chancellor Robinson: Emphasis on health and safety. Staff and scholars are our number one priority. Nurse in every school building along with Building Response Team. Chief Education Officer adds that there are special considerations for D75. She thanks the staff. For example, social stories to encourage students to follow safety guidelines including the masks. We can use pictures and toys to convey the messages. In REC Centers, we have used social distancing and washing hands. An array of needs that staff needs to fulfill. Face shields need to be used and they cannot be shared. Guidance on toileting and diapering using CDC and state guidance.

 Question: How do we report a COVID19 case from outside of the school system?

Answer from Deputy Chancellor Robinson: We're all in this together. Worked with partners from testing and tracing. Working with DOH and Health and Hospitals with confirming cases. Communication, communication, communication is essential. Emphasize school protocol if there is a confirmed case in a school, the DOH will notify the principal of a confirmed case. If a teacher or a parent presents info about a confirmed case, we will work with DOH to confirm it. Building Response Team will be notified. Working to make sure everyone is trained on the protocol. Superintendent will be notified. Borough Safety Director will be notified. Students, teachers, and classes will be instructed to quarantine for 14 days. Protocol for two or more confirmed cases within 7 days, NYC test and trace corp will start an investigation and school will close within 24 hours for a minimum of 24 hours while DOH investigates. School-based staff will be sent protocols so we all understand it.

Question: Ventilation and air quality in schools, What are we doing?

Answer: Chancellor says we are upgrading ventilation and fixing windows. If we feel there is not appropriate ventilation, we will take the classroom or school offline. COO adds that it is incredibly important that staff feel safe walking into buildings. Buildings are different. Some have windows, some have HVAC systems. Making sure the system is upgraded. We are trying to be transparent about the work we are doing.  Reiterate that any room and building that is not safe, we will not ask you to go into them. Medical doctor adds that the best way to prevent infection is to combine many interventions. Most important is social distancing so keeping the room less crowded. Second, face coverings are important and third is good hand hygiene and the fourth component is ventilation. Outdoors is safest so having windows open brings in natural, fresh air. HVAC is the second best way.  

Question: What if a school has too many in-person teachers or too many remote teachers?

Answer from Deputy Chancellor: Exploring all options. Redeploy central staff. Possibility in-person teachers can do remote. Chancellor adds this is new. It will fluctuate who is remote and who is blended. We want every student to have a teacher from their school for in-person and remote learning. That is our goal but we can't guarantee that. Students requesting in-person teachers. Identifying people who have credentials who can assist. Flexibility is key. Circumstance leads to uncertainty. 

Question: How can we be safe with masks off during lunch?

Answer from Deputy Chancellor Robinson is that it is a big concern. People who are ill should stay home. Following safety reduces risk. Teachers will wear PPE during lunch. Scholars must maintain 6 feet social distance. I'm a parent first. The doctor adds that he understands the concern. No 100% safety until virus is gone. We are balancing risk. Best way is for kids to stay in a place where they are socially distanced. Other places around the world have proven this to be a safe and appropriate way to eat.

Question: When do teachers report to work? Calendar?

Answer: Chancellor says we are in discussions with the State Education Department about getting flexibility. Chief Academic Officer says there is a 6 hour and 50 minute day negotiated with UFT. 30 minute prep can be done remotely at the end of the day. 30 minutes of planning at the start and 20 minutes to contact families. Another Deputy Chancellor says they are in conversations with the state about flexibility. She apologizes for the late calendar. It will be solidified in the coming weeks.

Chancellor says they will get some written answers to questions that could not be answered live. He thanks us.

James here: That was as mind-numbing as a faculty conference at its most tedious. I need a drink now and I'm not a drinker. I can't imagine these people could run this operation safely in this pandemic.