Tuesday, September 15, 2020

HS OF ECONOMICS AND FINANCE BUILDING REOPENS WITH LOTS OF UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

 This came to us from the Chapter Leader at The High School of Economics and Finance, one of the 22 school buildings that even the DOE and UFT declared unsafe last week. The building was reopened today. This is a building with ten floors, no windows in classrooms and no filters installed.

Letter our chapter sent to admin last nignoht:

We appreciate your efforts in getting this school year off to a productive start. The staff at the High School of Economics and Finance realize the challenges involved in trying to run a school when there are so many moving parts and uncertainties. Whatever concerns we have about the viability of opening our building to professional development or instruction at this point are not aimed at you or anyone in the administration. In fact, we come to you in search of support and invite you to join us in addressing these concerns. You are our colleagues as well. We care for your well-being and that of your families. 

As you know, the Department of Education deemed our building too unsafe to reopen this past Labor Day. Since then, we have spent the past week carrying out our professional duties remotely. The Department of Education led us to believe that they had fixed the problems in our building. 

Needless to say, after the city dithered on closing schools this past March and after dozens of our educator colleagues around the city succumbed to Covid-19, we are skeptical of claims made by the Department of Education as to the safety of our facilities. Many of the problems in our building are long-standing. Could they have all been remedied in the span of four days? 

As you also know, the United Federation of Teachers conducted an inspection of the building before the repairs were made. It now falls upon us, as per the agreement reached between the UFT and DOE, to update this inspection. The questions below are all based on the parts of the UFT inspection that have yet to be resolved: 

1) What social distancing signage do we have?

2) Do we have a full-time nurse?

3) Does the nurse have an office?

4) Does the nurse's office have the proper partitions and PPE?

5) How will morning entry be handled?

6) How will afternoon dismissal be handled?

7) How will lunch service be handled?

8) How will the use of elevators be handled?

9) Do we have a dedicated isolation room?

10) What is the protocol for a student who claims to feel sick? 

11) What is the protocol for when a student attends school on a day they are not scheduled to be in person?

12) What PPE do we have for staff and students?

13) Are Merv-13 filters installed?

14) Which classrooms/staff spaces do not have proper airflow?

15) When/how often does the Building Response Team meet? 

16) Specifically, what work was carried out over the past week to make the building ready for professional development and instruction? 

While these questions do not cover everything, they serve as a starting point to ensure we have the minimum protection for staff and students. 

We feel the best course of action for all stakeholders is for us to work remotely from outside of the building until these concerns have been thoroughly addressed. We invite you to join us as well. We will be in contact with the UFT for guidance throughout the day. We do this to ensure the safety of our students, our colleagues and our families.  

Thank you for your time 


Letter I sent to Mulgrew today:


Dear Mr. Mulgrew,

I am writing you in all urgency as the Chapter Leader at the HS of Economics and Finance. As you know, we were one of the 22 schools closed last week due to ventilation issues.

Principal directed us to come in today since the DOE has cleared the space for reopening. Our staff was worried because we have many unresolved issues in UFT report. 

I emailed the administration with a list of 16 unresolved questions based upon the UFT's report. They still have not answered a single question. 

They cannot tell us if there are MERV13 filters and they do not have PPE for the staff.

The principal and superintendent threatened that if they don't enter the building by 1pm, they will be docked pay. 

I have copy and pasted the questions we asked of our administration below. 

Our teachers are taking a stand but I fear most will be compelled to go back inside by one. 

1) What social distancing signage do we have?

2) Do we have a full-time nurse?

3) Does the nurse have an office?

4) Does the nurse's office have the proper partitions and PPE?

5) How will morning entry be handled?

6) How will afternoon dismissal be handled?

7) How will lunch service be handled?

8) How will the use of elevators be handled?

9) Do we have a dedicated isolation room?

10) What is the protocol for a student who claims to feel sick? 

11) What is the protocol for when a student attends school on a day they are not scheduled to be in person?

12) What PPE do we have for staff and students?

13) Are Merv-13 filters installed?

14) Which classrooms/staff spaces do not have proper airflow?

15) When/how often does the Building Response Team meet? 

16) Specifically, what work was carried out over the past week to make the building ready for professional development and instruction?  

The superintendent is Vivian Orlens. She screamed at [UFT Special Rep] Anthong Klug today.

42 comments:

Stephen S said...

This is the start of my 15th year teaching. I've generally enjoyed most of my career. This is absolute misery and so scary for us going into buildings. The thought of resigning has crossed my mind multiple times.

Anonymous said...

what a trip this has all become...i mean we all knew about this organization but this organization is beyond belief...ruthless people rooted in a swamp

Anonymous said...

no wonder the atr pool has existed for over a decade...no one can imagine an organization running people into the abys

Anonymous said...

Off to a good start, right Mulgrew. Still hasn't done a damn thing, other than talk, while never telling us to stay home.

Anonymous said...

Now officially going in wrong direction...NEW: New York's streak of staying under 1 percent of positive CV test results is broken, as the rate ticks above for the first time in more than a month, per
@NYGovCuomo
.
"Of the 73,678 test results reported....766, or 1.0 percent, were positive."

That's 1.04% to be precise.

Anonymous said...

Start the sick out on Monday.

Anonymous said...

After teachers held a rally yesterday about safety concerns, DOE confirms that PS 139 in Flatbush is closed as a second staff member tests positive for Covid. Teachers will be leading their remote learning orientation from home as the building is sanitized

Anonymous said...

READY?

Hearing from more school administrators who are facing greater programming challenges each day with news of less staff returning in-person. Still aren’t hearing back from ATR’s/subs/central. This is not education. This is a sloppy and hurried attempt at crisis management.

The city shut down a Queens yeshiva after more than a dozen students tested positive for Covid, but it kept holding classes. Such religious schools get millions in taxpayer funds for various services.

Anonymous said...

Queens Yeshiva, Reportedly Shut By Mayor, Continues Holding Classes After COVID Outbreak

https://gothamist.com/news/queens-yeshiva-reportedly-shut-mayor-continues-holding-classes-after-covid-outbreak

Anonymous said...

"I guess you could say in some sense now that there is guidance, there is clarity. But the clarity is: we can’t do this,” said Mark Cannizzaro, president of the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, the union representing principals.

In a letter to de Blasio, Cannizzaro said the new guidelines make reopening "exponentially more challenging"... because having two teachers for each blended class will require thousands of extra educators.

"One, this isn’t going to happen without the addition of a lot more people, and two, we don’t have the funds and the resources necessary to have them, and three, if we did solve all of those things, how are we expected to do this by September 10?" he asked.

Cannizzaro said many principals already had planned to have one teacher oversee both the in-person and remote learning components of blended classes.

"Folks went out they did the best they could without the guidance. Now, they've received this guidance this late, and they’re scrambling," he said.

Anonymous said...

I have been getting no sleep because of work related stress. We start teaching on Monday, but we are not close to being ready. My school uses ReadyGen for reading, however we do not have access to it digitally. I am the remote teacher, from the building mind you. I ask the administration on what I should do, but they give me no answers. They demand we have our lesson plans for next week by tomorrow, but we have yet to receive our class lists. We are threatened and ridiculed if we question any decision that the administration makes. I know that I am all over the place, but I just needed to vent-sorry.

Anonymous said...

I’m at my school this week (school wasn’t open last week because of REC). A LOT of my colleagues are not wearing masks, congregating in the same room, and getting way too close to me for comfort. I’m not a tattle-tale, but I am really uncomfortable, and don’t feel safe. Even my admin is walking around with no mask on! Other than directly asking people to put their masks on when they are near me, what else can I do?

waitingforsupport said...

Someone on a blog once said something to the effect "any teacher is just an admin/event away from being an ATR". Speaking truth is an example of how you can become an ATR. Some of them spoke up against the DOE/UFT for the profession and ended up an ATR. If you see an ATR, "air hug" the ATR.

Anonymous said...

PS 177 in Southern Brooklyn has multiple staff under 14 day quarantine

waitingforsupport said...

Anthony Klug? The UFT district rep? Yelled at? I can't imagine why that would happend...Muahhhh

Anonymous said...

As a recently resigned teacher for reasons unrelated to this situation, I plead that every educator puts themselves first as my mentor told me 25 years ago.

Anonymous said...

So, where is the uft? The DOE is playing hardball now. Protesting NYC teachers are threatened with docked pay if they don't go into buildings with safety issues. https://nypost.com/2020/09/15/doe-threatens-to-dock-pay-from-manhattan-hs-teachers-protesting/?utm_source=twitter_sitebuttons&utm_medium=site%20buttons&utm_campaign=site%20buttons via
@nypmetro

Bronx ATR said...

It’s no comfort in seeing so many outraged and disheartened by the DOE and the complicity of the UFT. First the veteran teachers were targeted and ignored, now it’s all teachers. It’s not surprising the building in question is a few blocks from 52 Broadway. What makes the DOE think it can send a bureaucrat over to curse and threaten this school’s Chapter Leader? You know...Mulgrew.

Anonymous said...

Went to an NYC testing center today. I mentioned I was a teacher and they could careless. The bioreference Lab states 5 to 7 days for results. I said teachers where to get results quicker. They looked at me like I was crazy!!! Thanks Mr. Mayor for just another lie to add to the long list!!!

Anonymous said...

The mayor of NYC just on
@CNN
touting the opening of schools. He had the temerity 2 say the virus was a temporary problem. Post-COVID syndrome severely damages children's hearts: 'Immense inflammation' causing cardiac blood vessel dilation #OnlyWhenItsSafe

Anonymous said...

The DOE needs teachers DON"T LET THIS CRISIS GO TO WASTE NOW"S THE TIME TO GET RID OF THE ATR PURGETORY FOR ONCE AND FOR ALL Mulgrew should push for this now while he can if he honestly representing ALL the teachers

TeachNY said...

1-a major reason why people WANT to go remote....because of schools like this...

2-they cannot collect plans in advance

waitingforsupport said...

@5:44 pm... no masks? No social distancing? And YOU won't be a "tattle-tail?????". Soooo your colleagues don't care about your health,right? What else can you do??? I know what i would do. Video it. Tape my convo with admin: "I'm uncomfortable with so many people not wearing masks". "Can I work in my classroom since so many people are not wearing their mask or social distancing?" "Can i work remotely? This is situation of not wearing masks/lack of social distancing is very uncomfortable?" The video would be my protection. The voice recordings will be shared with my family. I would call Ben Chapman of the daily news and tell him what I have. I wouldn't give it to him. Yet. Anyone who doesn't respect you or your health doesn't deserve to NOT be tattled on. This is ridiculous.

Anonymous said...

@5:49 PM - Waiting for Support - There are many ATRs that have fought for themselves and their professions. Fight for your health and your lives. In doing so, you are fighting for the lives of others - students, their families, your family.

That's how to do it! Fight TOGETHER!

Anonymous said...

This is not business as usual. FIGHT!

Anon2323 said...

One of the few positives from all this crap everyone's eyes should be wide open. First-year through 30 plus. Everyone must vote and organize and see how this type of leadership can never happen again. If we can only just whine in a blog and not handle this in the matter it needs to, we will never I mean never recover from this.

waitingforsupport said...

@9:02...absolutely!!!

Anonymous said...

NEW: As schools face a staffing crunch,
@NYCSchools
will no longer require that blended learning students be given synchronous (aka live) instruction every day they're remote. Live teaching time will vary by school. Fully remote will still get live teaching daily. More soon

Anonymous said...

Schools will no longer be required to offer ANY live instruction on blended students' remote days if they don't have the staff available to do so.
This is a major change in guidance, and in what students will experience, and comes, oh, 12 hours before they're logging on tomorrow.

Anonymous said...

8:44: The schools only have temporary positions. To get rid of the ATR pool which I would love too, the schools need to have permanent positions available.

Anonymous said...

@10:06PM - Principals hide positions. Principals will want an ATR staff for however long without wanting to have that person permanent. There's a lot of games being played.

This pandemic could very well bring ALL together. Just think about this when things go back to normal and people look down on an ATR status staff. Just like the DOE and UFT are fucking with everyone now, that is what they have done to all upon the creation of the ATR pool.

If the DOE wanted the ATR pool to end, it would have ended all ready. They don't want to.

Anonymous said...

School starts in like literally 10 hours and things are changing again. How much does it suck rn to be a principal trying to program your school, a teacher trying to plan your instruction, or a parent wondering who’s gonna teach your kids?

Schools will no longer be required to offer ANY live instruction on blended students' remote days if they don't have the staff available to do so.
This is a major change in guidance, and in what students will experience, and comes, oh, 12 hours before they're logging on tomorrow.

If you're a parent with a child in blended learning, this may mean -- depending on your school -- your child may be in person once or twice a week, and then working remotely without any kind of live connection to their teacher on the other days.

What a disgrace.

CAN WE NOW ACTUALLY PLAN TO BE FULL REMOTE?

Anonymous said...

Eyewitness News: "LIST: 56 New York City schools with confirmed cases of COVID-19".

FULL LIST:

1. 02M158 P.S. 158 Bayard Taylor
2. 02M267 East Side Elementary School, PS 267
3. 02M545 High School for Dual Language and Asian Studies
4. 04M372 Esperanza Preparatory Academy
5. 05M161 P.S. 161 Pedro Albizu Campos
6. 06M278 Paula Hedbavny School
7. 07X154 P.S. 154 Jonathan D. Hyatt
8. 08X130 P.S. 130 Abram Stevens Hewitt
9. 08X530 Longwood Preparatory Academy
10. 09X070 P.S. 070 Max Shoenfeld
11. 10X056 P.S. 056 Norwood Heights
12. 12X214 P.S. 214
13. 12X536 P.S. 536
14. 13K011 P.S. 011 Purvis J. Behan
15. 14K478 The High School for Enterprise, Business and Technology
16. 15K001 P.S. 001 The Bergen
17. 15K088 J.H.S. 088 Peter Rouget
18. 16K267 M.S. 267 Math, Science & Technology
19. 16K243 P.S. 243 The Weeksville School
20. 17K161 P.S. 161 The Crown
21. 19K214 P.S. Michael Friedsam
22. 19K149 P.S. 149 Danny Kaye

23. 19K618 Academy of Innovative Technology
24. 19K662 Liberty Avenue Middle School
25. 21K177 P.S. 177 The Marlboro
26. 21K228 I.S. 228 David A. Boody
27. 22K139 P.S. 139 Alexine A. Fenty
28. 22K361 P.S. 361 East Flatbush Early Childhood School
29. 27Q197 P.S. 197 The Ocean School
30. 28Q055 P.S. 055 The Maure Magnet School of Communication Arts, Technology and Multimedia
31. 28Q349 P.S. 349 The Queens School for Leadership and Excellence
32. 30Q084 PS 84 Steinway
33. 21K281 I.S. 281 Joseph B. Cavallaro
34. 21K097 P.S. 97 The Highlawn
35. 22K514 Frederick Douglass Academy VII HS
36. 26Q430 Francis Lewis High School
37. 27Q090 P.S. 090 Horace Mann
38. 30Q230 I.S. 230
39. 30Q111 P.S. 111 Jacob Blackwell
40. 31R078 P.S. 78
41. 31R058 Space Shuttle Columbia School
42. 31R440 New Dorp High School
43. 31R455 Tottenville HS
44. 31R062 The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability
45. 31R013 P.S. 13 ML Lindemeyer
46. 32K377 P.S. 377 Alejandrina B. De Gautier
47. 32K549 The Brooklyn School for Social Justice
48. 75X811 The Academy for Career and Living Skill
49. 75x010 75x010@817

50. 75Q075 75Q@276 Robert E. Peary School
51. 75X186 P186X Walter J. Damrosch School
52. 79X695 Passages Academy Bronx
53. XALZ Mid-Bronx CCRP Early Childhood Center, Inc.
54. XAVS Bedrock Preschool (NYCEEC)
55. KCFA SCO Family of Services
56. 75Q009 P.S. 009 Walter Reed School

Anonymous said...

10:36 PM - Where are you getting this info from?

Anonymous said...

It is fact from DOE, they dont have enough teachers, cannot put unlimited amount in classes, must cut back days.

Anonymous said...

Everyone at my school has a full schedule. Every teacher has to teach all their students whether they are fully remote or blended. We still do not know how many students opted for blended and how many for remote.

Does anyone else have a schedule like this?

If today is the first day of school, why is it considered a PD day?

Anonymous said...

If we see people in our buildings not following protocol record it and post it. No teachers should be without a mask. We complained about going in and the doe forced us in then we need to be safe. If principals have demands that cant be met then they need to be made accountable. Its no longer we are scared for our job. We our scared for our health.

Anonymous said...

10:35: They really need to expose how much money is wasted on the ATR pool each year.

waitingforsupport said...

@8:05 am...
Precisely. Here is another opportunity to take action. Now is the time to speak up. See my 8:53 pm post. Stay safe

TJL said...

@5:43 lesson plans can only be asked for in conjunction with an observation. As TeachNY said in #2

TJL said...

Yes WFS. I'm not a "masketeer". I take it off in the company of like minded people. But no one should be unmasking in department offices or other places where there isn't unanimous consent. 5:44, if you're being made uncomfortable to work, speak up.

TJL said...

For most of us, it is. Protect the vulnerable, the rest of us work to support the vulnerable!