LIVE BLOGGING FROM SEPTEMBER TOWN HALL

 I got in late as the phone lines were busy. Mulgrew was already speaking. He gave our plan to the mayor who tried to make it about us. UFT protecting parents, students and communities. We scheduled strike authorization for Monday night and then there was a realization from City Hall that we were very serious. Mayor asked how we can go on strike? We said we need a plan that meets all of our criteria and outside experts have to agree that the plan is good for the schools and the community.

Monday night, we asked the Executive Board to continue to negotiate and to bring a strike authorization on Tuesday if necessary. Yesterday, at 9:45 am we weren't done but by 10:15 am NYC has a Covid-19 plan that has the most safeguards of any school system in the country. We need relief if there is a violation in hours. The agreement is part of a safety plan filed with the State Education Department. We can go into court and ask for a temporary restraining order to close a school.  We're all afraid and nobody wants to go on strike when we are facing layoffs. Road ahead is bumpy. We have chosen to go down that road. Hundreds and hundreds of school meetings talking about going on strike. We are not going to let what happened in March happen ever again. Schools are opening for staff on Tuesday. We pushed back the start of the school year for the kids. Mayor didn't want to do mandatory testing. This is serious stuff about understanding how important we are to our students and their families but also understand how much they think about us. We all gotta keep each other safe.

A lot of people are not really comfortable going back to work. First time I walked around the City, I did't want to. If you don't have those feelings, you are insane. We have to trust each other and have each other's backs. There's a lot of work but it's good work. DOE and City Hall are scrambling left and right. No PPE, school building will be closed. Somebody has to see the evidence. Emails not enough. We are going to every school. 100 people have gone to over 1,400 schools. No masks, call us up. Hotline is set up. We will send someone directly to the building. That school is getting PPE or everyone's going home. Ventilation reports have to go to Chapter Leader. Other supplies being checked. Nothing moves unless everything is in place. Must be social distancing on Tuesday, not only if the kids are in the building. No meetings jamming people in the library. Building Response Team always around. They have a clear responsibility. Everything in terms of Covid has to be in place. Soap in the bathroom every day. Does the custodian have equipment to do deep cleaning every night? There has to be an isolation room; there has to be a nurse. Building Response Team has to work these things out. 

Instructional plan is the other piece. Remote only teachers, in person teacher in the classroom all day and blended remote teacher who teaches the kids who go to school a couple of times a week but are at home the other days. Teachers have to meet. Schools have an educational platform, scope and sequence where people are coordinating. We need this time at the beginning of the school year. 9/16-18, we need time to make sure the tech and translation services are working. We need to figure out problems in households. 

Mandated testing program. We proposed everyone being tested but doctors said it was only good for three days. We want a mandatory program in every school. We have to be fastidious if someone has any symptoms. Have symptoms and say it's a cold, no, go get a test. If a school is in a zip code with a higher rate of COVID, flood the school with testing. That is how you catch the asymptomatic people. Need a scientific representative sample. Testing is mandated. We need permission slips from parents. Someone who refuses to be tested, they can't come to school. We need to sign the permission slips as do principals. It is like what we sign at the doctor's office. If UFTer says no they refuse to be tested, person goes on a leave and keeps medical benefits. Everybody is in this together. 

This is a union. We don't all agree. We made a pact and we have what we had to have.

Facing layoff issue. We got everything we needed now. If we disagree on whether a school should open, we can go to Albany or court. Recession is real. Downtown Manhattan, many signs for space for lease. Federal government has failed. We have specific money for COVID. Major problem. Set a path but it's like a lesson, it takes twists and turns. We have to watch out for each other. The last thing we want is for anyone to lose their job. Greatest challenge we have is safety. Phenomenal agreement but words mean nothing unless we make it real in each and every school. There will be challenges. There will be administrators who think they know what's best. Not a grievance process, call the UFT. We now have the authority to make sure we are making each other safe. Period at the beginning of the year to see that we get things done. We don't go into the building if the city is not complying with a document that they sent to the State. 

This is one of the most difficult times most of us have ever been through. Our school system got hit harder by COVID than anybody else. Schools should have been closed earlier. This is personal to us. It's not the mayor's schools system. It's the children of NY and the people who work in the system. Paraprofessionals, therapists, secretaries. It's all of our school system. It becomes yours when you dedicate your lives to it. We are the ones who makes sure it stays safe. It will be all of us. The authority to do it is in our hands. I'm so sorry for what we went through. It's up to us to take care of each other and take care of the children of this city. Nobody takes care of the children of the city better than we do. 

Thanks to all. We have always been there for each other and for the children of the city. 

Questions:

Question-Paraprofessional in jeopardy of being excessed. Nothing told to us about roles?

Answer-We are dramatically short of staff. There will be work. Many paras passed away. Nobody back then understood what was going on back then. Medical, scientific side much more knowledge. Distance hugs paras. Paras did great reaching out in the spring. IEPs still in effect. We got paras backs.

Question-Calendar? What concessions did you make? You gave spring break up last year.

Answer-Spring break and retro were not given up. There are no concessions. Calendar will be coming out. Flexibility with SED and Board of Regents. We should have enough instructional time without touching breaks. Going to arbitration over spring break and already got 4 CAR days.

Question-Every school will have PPE. What is the list of what we need?

Answer-We have an agreed upon checklist that Chapter Leader should have. We could send out the approved list of supplies that have to be in the building. Must be approved masks. Doctors frowning on bandanas because face covering has to be fitted around nose and mouth. It all has to be in place. 30 day supply in every school. Schools should be resupplied every week. We will learn about burn rate the first week children are in schools.

Question-Can remote teachers go into buildings for supplies?

Answer-We will get clarification on that. 

Question-Smaller classes, principal said school is short staffed. Remote teachers will be handling classes of 68.

Answer-Some of 2020 just sucked. Understands principals ignore some DOE gobbledygook. DOE is in process of redeploying any staff that doesn't have a responsibility for keeping schools going. People in offices being redeployed to schools. Many substitutes. Over 500 special ed teachers hired. Tell DR

Question-What is a threshold for calling a strike if DOE doesn't meet our demands?

Answer-We can go to SED, governor or court if a school doesn't do the right thing. We are not breaking the Taylor Law. School goes to remote. No longer grievance. No need to put everyone at risk when we have a clear way to protect ourselves.

Question-Thanks Mulgrew. How does outdoor learning work?

Answer-Brought it up three months ago. City wasn't interested in it and then suddenly two weeks ago they are interested and told principals to figure it out. We will check if principals submitted a plan. Some parents want it. We are going to have to wait and see. Safety people will check outdoor places also. Doing it in two weeks is crazy. What if people are sleeping under the tent? Who is responsible for putting up the tent? Liability issues.

Question-If we go to layoff, how are the decisions on who gets laid off?

Answer-It's citywide reverse seniority by title. Intense meeting at City Hall with Municipal Labor Committee to get City borrowing authority from Albany. Layoff notices did not go out on Monday as scheduled but we have some real problems. Strategies we are working on. 

Question-District 75 buildings are they safe to return to school?

Answer-D75 is way behind. Leadership said they had it handled but they do not. This is a major focus. Sup't said everything is handled but it wasn't. We have the authority to keep ourselves safe now. A whole lot of work going on now. Thanks for what you do.

Question-Time frame, was two weeks enough time to get things in place? Why isn't more effort placed on on families going all remote?

Answer-We have had checklist on what should be in school for months. Procedures in schools we have had for a month too. Testing is what's holding things up. We have been telling them that over 70% of instruction will be remote this school year. Learning platforms we are looking at. DOE has 36 page documents that say nothing. We need platforms that work and have to do team approach that works. Teachers figured it out from March to June. People from Tweed have never done remote but teachers have.

Question-Update on buyout?

Answer-It all starts in Albany. That would give savings to the City. No guarantee. I don't know what the date would be. All unions working on it. Look for a buyout for folks and we would have to restaff. Pay more at the end as opposed to when you start which is as it should be.

Question-In person 10 students, 34 for remote, blended can be up to 68 students?

Answer-New position: Academic Content Specialist. Blended Remote Teacher will be working with Academic Content Specialists posting materials and doing prep and instructional and assessment materials into platform. Blended Remote Teacher will not have to prepare. Blended Remote Teacher can do small group instruction. No huge groups on video feed. All of that prep work will be preloaded into platform. 

Question-Related Services?

Answer-Still working with DOE on what happens with in person sessions and remote sessions. Changing own PPE between sessions is not done. Speech Therapists will get shields. Related services piece is not finished at this point. DOE suddenly talking about compliance before they used to say they can't be in compliance. 

Question-If we share a building, how many are tested?

Answer-Scientists would say it is the building. Charter schools in DOE buildings must follow rules.

Question-Secretary in building told she has to work with students?

Answer-Take that to District Rep. Principals have never been given guidance on what they can and can't do. Must have plexiglass in offices and at security desk.

Question-Working remotely in a new grade. Can she get teaching guides?

Answer-Must give access to remote teachers. Educational platform has to work. Remote teachers work from home. Because of the large number of students who are remote, we need more people to teach remote. 

 Question-Medical accommodation, will there be an extension after the December 31 expiration?

Answer-Go back to doctor and get an extension as long as you still have the medical condition.

Mulgrew apologises for people who couldn't get on due to phone problems.

Question-Observations, are we using Danielson?

Answer-We have not gotten to it yet. State has moved back Next Generation Learning Standards. Sorry we don't have evaluations figured out yet. Give us a couple of weeks.

Question: Thanks Mulgrew, teacher going into building, if I am forced to quarantine, do those days go against my CAR?

Answer: No, you are protected. We are one of the few districts in the country that has that protection. 

Labor Day Weekend bittersweet for all of us.  We're all here together. We did a great job taking care of our kids in remote. We did a great job getting ready to take care of each other in buildings. It will be tough; but we will rise to the occasion. We will watch out for each other. We all have to be on the same page. Thank you for being on the call and for what you've done and are about to do. God bless you. We will have the biggest party ever when COVID is gone. God bless you all.