Thursday, August 13, 2020

LIVE BLOGGING FROM MULGREW AUGUST TOWN HALL

 Michael Mulgrew Report:

We are not ready to open the schools in NYC now. Spoke to mayor.  Follow original CDC guidelines. We don't have what the mayor already agreed to. Mayor picked a timeline for principals to schedule schools. Send schedules if you have one from principal to DR. Schedules were not fully agreed on. We have to have everything in place to open safely. Nobody is teaching six periods. Nobody will be teaching five in a row. Many challenges are driven by the Mayor and his actions at this point. Challenges since March. We need medical accommodations. They are starting to be granted which is good. In April, we told Mayor that to open the schools safety in September, have to start preparing in April. Ignored by Mayor in April, May and June. He started in July. We're not going to allow our schools to open if they are not safe. Working closely with CSA. We don't want the Mayor to blame Principals and Teachers. CSA had letter and we followed up. We don't believe schools can open on September 10. Mayor put on a show in one school. We called that out to the press.

We will keep pushing at Mayor. He has to do everything that was agreed upon. If the schools aren't safe, we are not going to open them. We are not going to allow people to be put in harm's way again. NYC infection rate is at 1%.  Look at the daily infection rate. It is below 3% in all neighborhoods and below 1% in most neighborhoods. Parents are our allies. Doing everything to stand with them. Families have to decide whether to send their child to school or some risk being homeless if they don't work. Can I stay home and put our family at risk?

Difficult dilemma. Do we go in and not be safe or if we don't go in, are we putting our ability to take care of our families at risk? Do everything to make it safe. Mayor has to be held accountable. Mayor has time to put things in place to make it safe. We have over 100 trained staff who know how to do a school visit for COVID-19. Some schools will not be ready. Checking for a number of things. We will take appropriate action if the city tries to open those schools up.  We have to be smart and diligent. We have to push the city to make sure schools are actually safe. I don't believe schools will be ready to be opened on September 10. We have to show the evidence. Betting on us and not on them.

Facing really tough problems. The federal government has fallen apart on stimulus package. Without stimulus money, we don't believe city has money for protective equipment. Problem is layoffs are on the table. We don't want any of you to face layoff. Safety and taking care of your livelihood. It's not hopeless. Unions will have to work together in Albany to stop city from layoffs. We have time through the end of October. That is just as important as the safety issue. We work in NYC school system, it is never just one problem at a time. We have to communicate and stick together. What we see every day on the TV is insane. National union is in court to stop what is going on in Florida. 2,000 in quarantine. Georgia has 3,000 in quarantine. Look at facts in NYC. If we don't feel safe, we won't open. We will break the Taylor Law if we have to. Illegal for job action in NY. We will go to court first. Must reach a clear and present danger in NYC in every school. We will make a decision as a union together. People who participate in a job action can be terminated or disciplined. Lose two days from sick bank for every day. Mulgrew would go to jail. We all have to make the decision that if it isn't safe, we won't go to work. Our medical professionals are telling us the infection rate is where we can attempt to open school but we don't have an agreed-upon safety protocol. We don't believe we are going to be ready. If we do the testing and tracing, have the PPE and do the social distancing, then doctors say we can pull it off. It comes down to Mayor and DOE. Mayor says we have a lot of time. We say it's a short time. 

Mayor announced today there will be a nurse in every school. How can we serve lunch in the classroom if we can't go to a restaurant? If kids face forward and the teacher sits in the back of the room, it would be safe. Facing two great challenges: safety and livelihood. Facing layoffs. Feeling distressed. All dealing with fear and craziness. We have a path and plan. When it is the appropriate time to make decisions, we will. We need to take care of each other. We went through more than any other school system in the USA. We might not be able to say that for much longer. Parents will listen to teachers, counselors or secretaries they trust. There is a lot of anger, fear and anxiety out there. Guarantee that decisions are made from independent doctors on safety. On layoffs, we got through last recession without layoffs, only large system, we will get through again. 

Questions

Question: Haven't received word yet on accommodation but those who have received accommodations have it through December 31?

Mulgrew Answer: DOE lawyers want people to reapply. Will ask DOE if they want everyone to reapply again? Will have discussion with them.

Question: Will remote teachers with accommodation have to teach more than regular class? Live instruction?

Answer: Close to 30% of students are fully remote but only 15% of the teachers are remote. Will be streaming live. Working out details now. Dealing with a teaching shortage when there are layoffs being threatened. Schools can't have enough teachers. Class size would be 12. We can't staff in school students. For remote, class sizes from contract will be followed.

Question: Ventilation: How is information about ventilation being shown and how is it being given out to all?

Answer: Higher bar for ventilation than before Covid. Some schools have major issues. Some schools will not be open. We will stand in front of them and say they are not safe. We have a right by NYS law to go in and test schools. HVAC systems aren't needed to have proper ventilation. Most older schools don't have HVAC systems but have windows that open. Best ventilation system is to have ventilation blowing from outside. Need outside air coming in. Have agreed upon criteria and right to see reports. Do not be surprised if a number of school buildings cannot be used unless city can replace entire airflow system in three weeks.

Question: Mayor announced that by October 1, 22,000 possible layoffs.

Answer: We are impacted. No tourists on Broadway. Restaurants, bars and other establishments not paying taxes. $6 billion deficit in NYC and $16 billion in state. I don't want people losing their jobs. 

Question: How can we prevent kids from not turning around, not taking masks off and not sitting on top of each other?

Answer: We will train them. Hormones raging with middle school students. First couple of days are all about training the kids. Kids who can't follow safety procedures are going to have to go home for fully remote instruction. Our nurses from the hospitals will do the training for all of us. DOE happy to have our nurses do the training. We might have counselors and others needing face shields and other full PPE equipment. Everyone may need a shield.

Question: Thanks Mulgrew for his work and he thanks her. When we call parents to pick up sick children, they don't show up. What do we do when parents are called for kids not following rules and parent doesn't show up?

Answer: DOE agrees with us kids must conform. Child not wearing mask has to be put in SAVE or Isolation room. Will need the SAVE room for kids being problematic in terms of safety. DOE will have to tell parent that this child has to go full remote. Chancellor has made an announcement that those with teaching certificates in offices can be redeployed for teaching assignments. We want it to be a central DOE problem.

Question: Thanks Mulgrew. Can we have a buyout to mitigate layoffs?

Answer: We have absolutely requested a buyout through Municipal Labor Committee. We have legislation in Albany. Talks are progressing. We need other avenue of funding from Albany. City will ask for givebacks. Try to finalize a good buyout. Retiree trustees say numbers are fine for the pension system. It requires city, State Assembly, State Senate and Governor to use buyout to fund more teachers. 

Question: Blended learning, the live teacher will not do remote. Full remote teachers, principal planting seeds that he may have to bridge classes. Combine two classes, third and second grade, in same class. Is there anything in writing?

Answer: Bridge classes that is not something we are looking to entertain. Issue is it's not March or April. We need time to plan for synchronous instruction. Have to be responsible for a class and that means a regular class size. Principals being pushed to have teachers live stream. What we learned from March to June is that just teaching and live streaming a lesson is not very effective. On camera dealing with class and remote won't work. Teacher in a classroom will teach five days a week. Teacher will have fully remote day. Teachers teaching a few days a week in school have some remote too. Teachers taping lessons was extremely effective. When principals said teachers had to live stream every day, we said no, no, no. Principals must adhere to contracts. Can't live stream unless a teacher says it's okay.

Question: Denied accommodation because there was no diagnosis listed but it is at the bottom of letter. Has a new letter from doctor. HR says they are getting many phone calls. What to do?

Answer: UFT will have form by tomorrow or email MSill@uft.org. They used to take months to process a small number of medical accommodations. Doctor must substantiate that you have one of the underlying conditions that puts you at greater risk of COVID-19.

Question: Very concerned about instructional lunchtime. Speech therapist concerned about how particles move from your mouth. Facing the other way. Can I decline if asked to teach during lunch?

Answer: Possibility with mask that someone could get sick from eyeballs. People eating will get shields. People have a right to make their own personal decisions. If we open, the lunch thing has me most concerned. Concerned if we move kids around to serve lunch. Keeping them in the classroom and having someone in there makes it instructional time and that will be the fastest school day. C6, duty-free lunch and prep at the end of the day means you can leave during prep time. Will get an answer to shield question. Eating in the classroom bothering me the most.

Question: Thank you for doing this. For clusters, how many cohorts can we contact with for a week? Art teacher. Principals said clusters teach remote and instructional lunch. 

Answer: We are not disagreeing with instructional lunch. Fastest way for the kids to spend a minimum time in the classroom. Working through the cluster issues now. Mayor says kids will be in a pod. Mulgrew gets angry with mayor at this. Art teacher has hands-on stuff. How do we make sure the teacher has access to ionizer that will kill COVID like Lysol, just don't digest it. It is possible to be remote and in person. If you have three classes in a high school, you could get two remote classes.

Question: Will I have double work as a teacher? I am a teacher going to school. 

Answer: Responsibility will be work you do in school but can have a remote class or two.

Question: What about CAR days if I have to quarantine?

Answer: If it is something from school, it doesn't come out of CAR.

Question: How can we assist our own children if the schedule doesn't align with our work schedule?

Answer: We always worked to accommodate our staff when I was a chapter leader. Mayor announced a couple of weeks ago that essential workers should have access to childcare. Waiting for mayor to give details of program. Must ratchet up that line of questioning to the mayor.

Question: Thank you for doing town halls. Early childhood social workers. Travel to different early childhood programs. Is it safe to travel to different programs? We support social-emotional learning. Do they want us to go? Is it safe?

Answer: As an itinerant, DOE wants to limit the number of sites. Make sure there is enough hand sanitizers for you. They want to minimize sites you go into. Moves contact tracing if someone is in too many schools if there is a positive test.

Question: Told in the spring that we have to get compensated for spring break. If we are so ready, where is the calendar for the 2020-2021 school year? Concern that they will give us calendar will go out after start of school year and take away vacations. I worked harder last year than ever before. No bell at home. 

Answer: I don't believe we're going to be ready at this moment. Mayor made a mistake. DOE petrified they will have to change calendar. Dates are dates. State Ed Department counting remote and in-person as days. The DOE is paranoid. The positive rate in spring was over 20%. Governor did the right thing in the spring. That is what it's like in certain states where they are opening. We have everything online. We don't trust them either.

Question: Already granted a medical accommodation. What about people who live with at risk people?

Answer: Large number want remote instruction. More crazy stories from Georgia and places like that will get people to stay home. We thought 20-25% of teachers would apply for accommodations. Only 15% did. Trying to get accommodations for people who live with at risk relatives. Difficult to travel but we are in better shape than other states.  

Question: Student-teacher ratio?

Answer: Try to adhere to IEP's at all times. The same goes for ICT classes. NYC has never been in compliance with ICT classes. Trying to get there. Principals can't say we're splitting class.

Question:  Paraprofessionals who are remote?

Answer: If student is remote and has para assigned to him/her, we are trying to figure that out. Making sure nobody loses their job. What paras did during the shutdown finding so many students. Thanks, paraprofessionals. 

Question: CAR days and self-quarantine: What if you are exposed to someone who has Covid? What if I don't feel well?

Answer: If quarantine is due to COVID, CAR days are not affected. If not feeling well and taking a sick day that you wouldn't have taken in the past, that will come out of your CAR days. In GA, it's called a quarantine leave. It comes out of sick bank and if sick bank is done, person doesn't get paid. We think they have to start filing lawsuits.

Question: District 75, possibility of face shields for everyone? Students who have sensory issues or are severely autistic, we might not be able to help kids keep these on. 

Answer: No discussions with DOE about D75 except on scheduling. Have talked to medical professionals. In terms of what doctors have told us, it's more expensive PPEs. Understand these kids are in need of being in school. One doctor we work with is a top infectious disease specialist whose child is a special ed teacher in NYC and understands what we need. No cookie cutter for D75. We have a complete package to put on the table for next week.

Question: Teacher evaluations. How is that going to look for us this year?

Answer: Don't know. Obviously, we can't do a MOSL. Trying to figure out if we can open, we cannot follow current evaluation system in law and contract.  Figure out safety and scheduling first, and then go to evaluation.

Question: Thanks Mulgrew. Number of children going remote, people are concerned with children schedules if kids are going in and out.  Concerned about schedules?

Answer: The principal has to pick a program. Usually, do an initial program in June. They can't even do their initial programs. We're in this together. Kids can't opt-in until Thanksgiving. We can't have people coming in and out of buildings. Uncertainty causing a fear problem. Schools aren't safe to open. 25% chance of them being ready for September 10. We get the nurses we have been trying to get for 20 years. It's going to get uglier.

Question: Thanks Mulgrew, Have a family member hesitating to apply for accommodation because of tenure and not teaching kids from her school?

Answer: Huge shortage, we will not solve all of the problems. DOE doesn't want teachers servicing students from another building but it is still a possibility. We will do what we have to do on class size, We will do something to make sure nobody is denied tenure because of an accommodation. 

Question: If we were to go all remote, will there be training so there is continuity? How will they determine who will teach remote from the building? Retro for October?

Answer: Every teacher, whether remote or in-person, must have coordination at the start of the school day. We have never had that before. Schools will have to change curriculum. We have to have standardized curriculum. There may be multiple teachers working with children. Must coordinate and share information. Teachers working on this project. Layoffs or retro, city will come to us. We have a plan to try to solve the problem. Why would we in the middle of this pandemic? I'm sorry, I don't think we give the city a dime. If you really want it, I'll do it. We've done way too much. It's our school system, not the mayor's. We work hard but not going to be schmucks about it. We kept the school system going, the biggest in the country. We are the ones who make it happen. We will take care of each other. We are the guardians of the NYC school system. Buckle up. God bless. 


James here. Please note all questions are screened and tough ones which I know my wife and friends asked do not get through.

55 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was unable to get into the phone town hall. Does anyone know what type of filtration system they are putting into the schools? It is my understanding that The MERV Rating needs to be High (MERV 13 or higher) to control bacteria and viruses.

jeff said...

Mulgrew said that if no fed funding, to prevent layoffs, side agreement with mayor. That is right when our retro is supposed to be paid. You think he would offer to defer or cancel retro in order to avoid layoffs? I do.

Anonymous said...

Now we all need to wonder what mulgrew refers to as "another way to find funding."

Anonymous said...

I am just so disgusted listening to the
@UFT and Mulgrew attempt to justify his actions and non-answers when he should be flat-out saying “WE ARE NOT OPENING ON SEPTEMBER 10th”!!!! That’s all he should be saying!!! PERIOD!!! #UFTtownhall #coward #liar #KeepSchoolsClosed

Anonymous said...

Mulgrew: we didn't like instructional lunch, but it made a lot of sense to us w/ the virus spread, w/ moving classrooms and eating lunch fast

MULGREW WILL NOT BE IN A CLASSROOM THIS FALL.
@NYCMayor WILL NOT BE IN A CLASSROOM THIS FALL.

Anonymous said...

City data shows positivity rate since March. However zip code data at https://bklyner.com/coronavirus-map-brooklyn/?mode=list is from Aug 1st. I teach in Far Rockaway which is well over 4% and there are a number of other zip codes in Brooklyn, Bronx and College Point well over 5%. Mr. Mulgrew get your facts right. We still don't have an answer.

Anonymous said...

TEACHERS will be breathing in all the stuff they are spraying in the classroom to clean every day.

Jonathan Halabi said...

"Question: Blended learning, the live teacher will not do remote. Full remote teachers, principal planting seeds that he may have to bridge classes. Combine two classes, third and second grade, in same class. Is there anything in writing?"

The answer was long, the longest of the day, and he did not respond to "Is there anything in writing?"

- jd

Anonymous said...

Listening to Mulgrew wondering who he represents? Anyone...anyone...

Anonymous said...

Mulgrew: We were waiting 20 years for nurses. Nice job uft. Way to hold the city accountable, after saying he will hold de blasio accountable.

TeachNY said...

No. Because at the end of the day, the retro is not that much mo yes.

Anonymous said...

LOL. Now mulgrew is a tough guy. We wont give them a dime, re retro...after waiting 11 years with no interest and agreeing to 1.3% raises for the last decade.

Anonymous said...

How do they pick and choose which accommodations they deny? If you send letter from doctor as per their request....then why deny? #sucks!

Anonymous said...

Where’s blogger Pete Z.? Still adhering to the same script of a cagey Mulgrew? If Mulgrew is, he’s much smarter than I give him credit for, and I sure hope he is.

Anonymous said...

TeachNY are you saying to give up the retro? It is alot. I'm still owed about $15K. On a teacher's salary, waiting 11 years, yes, it is a lot of money.

Anonymous said...

Can you please clarify “ Question: Denied accommodation because there was no diagnosis listed but it isn't at the bottom. Has a new letter from doctor. HR says they are getting many phone calls?” What does “but it isn’t at the bottom mean?” I missed the Townhall but really need to know more about the medical accommodation situation.

Anonymous said...

"Retro or layoffs?" Mulgrew said.
"If you really want it, I'll do it." He said
Who would want to give up their last retro installment after waiting 11 years?

Anonymous said...

Coming next:
1) delay of the retro pay scheduled for October 15
2) Deferral of one weeks salary
3) delay of the May 2021 raise
And of course the membershit will gladly go along with it.
Why? Because Mulgrew said so

Anonymous said...

I think Mulgrew will throw us under the bus and make side agreements with the mayor. I think they can blackmail and extort concessions from Mulgrew. Mulgrew has lost his mind, his morals and his credibility.

Anonymous said...

HS Student in San Diego: "But as schools begin this fall, I’d much rather endure the troubles of distance learning than return to campus prematurely and sacrifice my own health or that of my family." #refusetoreturn #DemandSafeSchools #OnlyWhenItsSafe #WeWontDieForDOE

Anonymous said...

i turn 50 in early october 2021.
id gladly give up retro if we could get some sort of 25/50 package

Anonymous said...

The DOE is underhanded and sneaky. They proved it in March. They will lie and Mulgrew needs to not fall for their shit.

Anonymous said...

I think they meant that their diagnosis was listed at the bottom of their letter.
Mine was one line stating hypertension and they still denied me!
Ms Possible.

Anonymous said...

so my admin is telling us that we teachers in the class have to also do the remote for the kids not in school that day. is this true, he lost me here.

R said...

I wrote this prior to the town hall. Do you think i feel more confident now?

Today is the last chance I will give Mulgrew. No, I don't mean opt out, you have all made clear that you will never do that, no matter how bad the situation gets or how little Mulgrew does. If he doesn't say something serious about making sure that any teacher who wants to be remote can be or say we will all be remote, I will be emailing every higher-up I can in the doe, uft and nyc telling them I will not enter a building. I will have to deal with the consequences. Will they fire me? Maybe. I don't see any other option.

Anonymous said...

We took too long to close down and now we are opening schools too quickly

Once again we're risking the same communities hit the hardest, AND this time we're also spending money we simply don't have to do it

Even if young people are ok with virus, which isn't the case, what about teachers? Families?

Nicky said...

I can understand why you don't want to go in, neither do I. But getting fired doesn't sound like fun...but hey stimulus...... :-(
Ms. Possible

jr said...

The only fair deal is a widespread retirement/resignation package. Many who aren't eligible for retirement and make six figures have had enough and will leave. We don't want retro taken from us.

Anonymous said...

Mulgrew was very cryptic and even sneaky sounding the couple of times he was questioned about layoffs, a possible early retirement incentive program and about retro pay,etc.......anything to do with$$$$! On top of that there were a couple of times when he threw in things about how really bad the financial condition of the city and the state are.
He talked about all of these issues as if they are interrelated to some plan he said he was working on with the gov and mayor but didn't reveal. He talked about a mysterious "other income stream" that he is working on that we will hear about in coming weeks. It was all very strange.
Ever read up on what happened in NYC in 1975 when the city almost went bankrupt? Most people probably don't remember or never knew but it was the teachers union that actually bailed NYC out by using the pension fund to by NYC bonds. Without that happening NYC would have gone under.
I think all of Mulgrew's cryptic references today indicate that there is another grand bargain in the works right now between Mulgrew, Cuomo and deBlasio and it is going to be an almost carbon copy of 1975! The pension funds will buy the bonds to bail out the city and lots of these other issues will be resolved at the same time.
There will ultimately be no layoffs of teachers, we will get our retro pay and after all of that is agreed there will be an early retirement package for many in order to cut way down on the city's payroll obligations.
I really think it's going to be almost an exact replay of 1975 and it's going to come together in the next few months.
Remember,you heard it first here!

Anonymous said...

@6:47, Sounds great, but that wasn’t 1975. 1975 was a disaster - Labor strikes, urban blight and layoffs, no mights.

nerd said...

Mulgrew totally avoided Seriously addressing the Caller asking about the school calendar.The caller feared loss of vacations etc. . Mulgrew said the DOE is petrified Because they might have to change it. Then he said the “”dates are the dates.” If the DOE is that “petrified” and he had guts, he would have taken advantage of the petrified DOE and forced it to be released immediately.

Holden said...

We're getting conflicting answers about the students eating in class. According to Mulgrew it's a non-teaching period, while our principal said it is a teaching period. Nobody is on the same page.

James Eterno said...

It will be a teaching period for someone, either the regular teacher or the teacher who relieves you.

Anonymous said...

"We will break the Taylor Law if we have to. Illegal for job action in NY. We will go to court first. Must reach a clear and present danger in NYC in every school. We will make a decision as a union together. People who participate in a job action can be terminated or disciplined."

I'm in my mid 40's. Making six figures now. Over halfway to my 25 years but too young to retire now. I have a mortgage, young children, and it's too late to find a job where I make the money I do especially during a pandemic. If I strike the city will not hesitate to terminate people like me and find someone cheaper and you better believe younger people will take this job.

I won't strike. You can't make me strike. It's not legal for the union to threaten me to strike especially when the strike breaks the law or fine me for breaking an unlawful picket line. Those aren't my words...that comes from the National Labor Relations Board.

So, until real leadership steps in and shuts the schools healthy folks like myself should get your masks. Get your face shields. Wash your hands. Be smart and keep your distance from others...and good luck.

Anon2323 said...

Ask simple questions to get through and then go for the kill iffff you get through. I think if we go back it is key to give high schools flexibility and creativity in their schedules. 4 period core classes grab a to-go lunch 12:30 bye bye. Teachers 12:30-2:30 should go home and plan remote, attend a deot zoom meet etc.

Schools should be focusing on what remote platform they will use and ways to enhance remote for all ages as we have 4 weeks left.

No idea why retro is even in the conversation we get that fucking money we are owed and should be more for god sakes been no interest on that which is mindblowing.

Anonymous said...

The DOE offered a bait and switch maneuver with our last spring break. They will parlay their winnings and claw away more vacation time this year. They will do it without giving it a second thought because punchy Mike Mulgrew is on team DOE. Milquetoast Mike is a team DOE super star. He is a huge piece of their brain trust. So, by not showing the school year calendar, they have set up team DOE to finesse more time away from teachers. Also, recall that they did not pay you for the extra time.

AE said...

Money and lives are the issue here. How about an out of the box solution.
Students are provided FREE education, daycare,free breakfast/lunch.
Parents benefit greatly from this, therefore why not charge each student a small fee of $100 monthly to attend school. They can pay electronically just like Amazon, Spotify, Cable, etc.
There are 1.1 million students. It would equate to $110 million per month or $1.1 billion per year. The bulk of the money could be used to pay for PPE, cleaning,ventilation, anything to keep students and teachers safe. Any remaing $$$ could help reduce city/state budget deficit. This would be administered by state as city would find some way to screw it up. Parents are now truly invested in their child's future!

Anonymous said...

The student lunch period is not the teacher lunch period. Teacher is expected to teach while students are eating, drinking, walking around to throw things out, goofing off, and possibly taking notes, asking questions, etc. This is a simple example of how those who make these decisions have no idea of what happens in schools.

I don't understand how anyone can mention layoffs when we are going to need more teachers. My school normally has 8 sections of Algebra. Let's say two of these sections choose 100% remote learning, the other six sections have to be split into two or three sections in order to be able to place 12 students in a room. This will require more teachers. This goes for all the subjects and and clusters. What are the elementary schools doing? They are going to need double or triple the teachers.

What am I missing here?

My students and I did fine when we were remote. I was online and taught live everyday. I was online for extra help. The circumstances were not ideal but the students who wanted to learn, learned and those who did not want to learn, didn't. Amazingly, everybody passed. This is no different than when we are in school.

disgusted in Queens said...

How I plan to handle the instructional lunch is to call in social emotional learning.
I will either show a short video to promote social emotional well being or
I will put on soft music and tell kids to meditate/relax or
tell children who want to share something to write and draw it on a large piece of paper and hold it up. This is what I would do for lower elementary.

We are supposed to support social emotional health. This would be the time to do it. Students will need a break to recharge and refocus. Call it social emotional health instruction.

jr said...

Strong words from a guy who deserted his job for months in a failed and wasteful bid at the Presidency.

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday increased pressure for teachers to show up on the first day of school — saying it’s “their job” — as he shot down pleas from the principals and teachers unions to delay the reopening.

The mayor was grilled about the pushback from the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators and the United Federation of Teachers at his daily press briefing and said he was confident that teachers will be there on Sept. 10 despite the opposition.

“Unless folks have a medical accommodation, their job is to come in and serve our kids,” de Blasio told reporters. “And I’m convinced that’s what they’re going to do because that’s what they’ve done their whole lives.”

“This is a professional reality,” he said. “People are going to show up because it’s the right thing to do for our kids.”

Mr. Mayor, I want you to understand, I will not show up. STAYING SAFE IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

Anonymous said...

As of May, soon after school closures, 74 DOE employees DIED of COVID-19.
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

How many more staff members is the DOE willing to lose before they realize that reopening schools is DANGEROUS and NOT SAFE.

Bronx ATR said...

The real problem is there is a lack of leadership in those representing you. Go after Mulgrew and press for his resignation. He’s preaching that the DOE can not be trusted after last March. I never trusted the DOE (have you?), last March showed all teachers that they could not trust the UFT or Mulgrew. A lesson I learned long ago as an ATR. Mulgrew is purposely changing the narrative and accusing others of what he himself is guilty of. (And he has the nerve to criticize Trump!) I have not heard anyone publicly challenge Mulgrew on it. For as long as he represents the UFT, teachers are enslaved. The first thing I did when I was legally entitled to do so was drop out of the UFT. Not to save a buck, to save my self respect. I’ve been putting monthly dues away since hoping to rejoin if I saw any indication of fairness and democracy. Not only haven’t I seen it, it has gotten much worse. Now whole contracts are written and ratified by one man - Mulgrew. Demand his resignation. I read those minutes from yesterday and all I can say is that Mulgrew is playing both sides from the middle and looking out for his own interests. Enough. Demand his resignation.

TeachNY said...

I refuse to strike as well. I’ll lose my house. It’s just me paying the bills. People who want to strike are really not thinking. Just go in and teach or take a leave. It’s that simple.

WorriedATR said...

What about ATRs?

Anonymous said...

Be careful NYC. Health and safety both going in wrong direction.

The pain in the emails I receive from people in Chicagoland is like nowhere else. I think it’s a combination of the murder spike and riots, the incompetence and arrogance of both mayor and governor, and a general sense that this moment could be an irreversible tipping point...

After the last generation, New York and LA and SF are very arrogant (and if you own your own home you’ve made a lot of money and can still get out fast, even if you have to take a haircut). Chicago looks at Detroit and knows cities really can go into irreversible decline.

Anonymous said...

What about PE teachers?

Anonymous said...

Parents, teachers say de Blasio is downplaying real concerns over schools https://politi.co/31NXXFa

Anonymous said...

Agree with bronx atr, the uft has not earned their dues in a long time. There is no respect. I have no interest in paying for that. Our safety is unimportant to them.

Anonymous said...

I have it on good authority that PE teachers will be covering all of the in class lunch periods. They have been deemed expendable by DOE and UFT.

Unitymustgo! said...

5:43, You are missing the nuance of what Mulgrew is saying. He's been slowly laying the ground work for caving on the retro. Today was closest he's come to finally admitting it. "I don't want to, we shouldn't have to, BUTTTT if you guys want to, welllll, then I guess we could."

His talk is full of inconsistencies. I am hoping that it's just another delay and not just a give it up. It is the UFT so you never know.

Anonymous said...

Yes, about the ATRs, Mulgrew said there was a teaching shortage yet there are still hundreds of ATRs.

Anonymous said...

Just joking with last comment. Stop worrying about it. Let the shit happen.

Anonymous said...

How do we get rid of Mulgrew? What do we need to do? Can we get together and vote no confidence?

Anonymous said...

I am going to strongly advise that everyone email Mulgrew that they WILL NOT agree to defer the retro to avoid layoffs. We've waited 11 years for this money, and that's a big fat NO from me. Don't let anyone guilt you into feeling otherwise.

If this ever goes to a vote, we WILL lose that money for now, because that's how Unity rolls- you never know anyone who votes in favor, yet it passes anyway. We can't let this be voted on.

Anonymous said...

UFT needs to be pushing hard for early retirement. One, because it would alleviate the need for layoffs, two, a lot of veteran educators with compromised health issues would be able to leave. Replace those who retire with the remaining ATR pool before any new teachers are hired. The city would save a ton of money with early retirement because people who go now, wouldn't be collecting the 3% raise due next May, plus many people who would be earning max salary for a number of years before being eligible to retire under regular circumstances would leave. The same can be said for other agencies included in this proposed 22,000 employee layoff. As for me, I'm 57 years old with 22 years in. I'm not looking for a cash buyout. Just simply allow me to retire at 44% of my FAS, with no penalty, and I'll run, not walk to the TRS office to file my papers. If not, I'm staying three more years at max salary and collecting 50% upon my retirement. City would save a bundle on me if they did early out. I'm sure there are thousands more educators they can save plenty on.