Thursday, October 15, 2020

LIVE BLOGGING FROM MULGREW TOWN HALL (INFORMATION NOT GIVEN AT YESTERDAY'S DA)

I am monitoring today's Mulgrew Town Hall. He is basically repeating what he stated yesterday at the DA in his report. 

Mulgrew says working in a pandemic is tough. Walking into schools seeing amazing things. We must prepare for all battles.

Hear from members all the time. Doing the best we can for as many as we can. DOE is insane now. We work remotely on Election Day.

Mulgrew states that questions go through based on the number of people who want to talk about a particular topic.

Question: Thanks Mulgrew. Teacher qualifies for medical accommodation but hasn't gotten an answer for her application and there is already a positive case in her school.

Answer: Operator has her name and the operator will send information to Michael Sill and his office will call you. Process has slowed down and we will see where it's at.

Question: Operational complaints. D26 has a lot of operational complaints. When will they be addressed?

Answer: We gave DOE a small amount of time to hire people and now we are moving operational complaints forward. Chapter leader will get a call on technical information. Trying to resolve them over the next week or two.  

Question: Early retirement incentive: Any specifics in terms of age or years of experience? 

Answer: If we get it done, assuming it will be for the beginning of fiscal year which for city is July 1. Last one we did was 2002. Apply during the summer. We don't have it done yet. Still not passed by legislature and signed by governor and negotiated with city.

Question: Status of medical accommodation after Dec 31; payment for spring break?

Answer: That will be the first arbitration we file when arbitrations are back. Medical accommodations were processed faster than at any time in history and now slowing down. On Dec 31, everyone will have to do another one for January because assumption is not that medical condition lasts forever. Get more documentation in December.

Question: Speech provider concerned by excessive amount of paperwork as children change from remote to in-person?

Answer: Kids cannot switch back and forth between remote and in-person.Kids going back and forth need more paperwork done. Working out the RAD and then in-person. Special ed people at the DOE try to make our members work harder while they do very little.

Question: Random testing of students and parents in a building, principals say pre-k,3-k, k and D75 exempt?

Answer:pre-k and 3-k exempt, k in dispute, D75 not and never was exempt. Have to figure out how to get D75 testing done. Majority of D75 in buildings with other schools and should not be treated as separate. That violates federal law. That should be resolved in a week. K is still in question. Testing is proving to be invaluable. Non-invasive swab now. SUNY doing 75,000 tests a week with spit test. 

Question: School got calendar saying we are going to school but kids are remote on election day? Does everyone have to wear a mask in D75?

Answer: Please send Mulgrew that calendar. Students and teachers who can't wear a mask have to have medical accommodation. Most are wearing shields and masks. Send to special ed VP if there is an issue. This is a health emergency. That child may have to go remote.

Question: ERI, how would that effect members in 25-55 program?

Answer: It might get you to retirement faster. Until we have the particulars negotiated, we can't say for sure. Hopefully, it would help you get to retirement. City always wants us to pick specific titles. They don't want math, science or special ed teachers to retire. We don't split up our members. We will have fight over one or two retirement incentives. They will want less credit. 

Question: Principal is insisting that his interpretation of the agreement is correct. He doesn't want to hire someone to fill remote class. When do we find out about operational issues?

Answer: It will be resolved in the next week or two. Individual interpretations mean problems. We knew it would be a crazy world so we put operational issues into effect. Pay you double or teach class himself.

Question: Thanks Mulgrew for everything he does. AP comes into Meets. We are remote school. Admin has nothing to do. Written feedback. Non tenured people worried. Kids not getting everything they should be getting. Hearing anything about observations?

Answer: Operators pushing right issues. We don't have an evaluation system. First, we must straighten out operational complaints. Administrator can come into a classroom. Thank them for written feedback. We can't move forward while people are in an untenable working situation. We must first resolve operational complaints first. Representative teachers from different levels will be part of it. Observations and evaluations are a shield for us as 99% are rated positively in a given year. No agreed upon evaluation system as of yet. Live and in person fine. Majority of school system is remote. We believe it is above 60% not going to school on a given day. 80% of instruction is remote. No evaluation system as of now. 

Question: Thanks for hard work and dedication, paraprofessional responsibilities? Remote going from period 1-8 with no breaks. It is impossible. No lunch until end of the day. Guidelines? Call students, input into skedula and SESIS. Calling parents. It's overwhelming. D18

Answer: Stuff there that shouldn't be happening. Have you filed operational complaint? No. Administrators afraid of people sitting around doing nothing. They need therapy. One person not working, can't punish everyone. Have to get breaks. What paras did in the spring was phenomenal. More than half of the DOE disappeared during the shutdown. Small group involved. Most DOE were nowhere to be found. School system back semi-open and people nowhere to be found are back and accusing people of sitting around doing nothing. Para chapter leaders on phone. Will deal with this with the Chancellor.

Question: What is the procedure for people who feel that their school is not being cleaned or prepared with proper PPE?

Answer: Reach out to us and we will take care of it right away. Custodians frustrated because they couldn't do what they had to do until the summer. Frustrated with some people who have to know it is not their buildings. School must be cleaned with electrostatic cleaner every night.

Question: ENL teacher in a room in the school with no students. Do lessons online?

Answer: You can do that work from home. If students are not in a classroom, you can do that work from home.

Question: Someone in our building tested positive today, how do I know contact tracing is taking place and that myself and our students and their families are safe?

Answer: Once you find out, contact tracing is already happening. Asking the principal about other possibilities. We are teaching contact tracers what to ask. We get a report. Some people may be told to quarantine. Email Mulgrew who will give it to Ellien Engler who monitors the entire city. Over the last two or three weeks, we are more confident in the city's ability to do testing and tracing. They are not DOE people doing the tracing. Positivity rate is very low in school testing and we are doing a lot of testing. 

Question: Update on learning bridges program?

Answer: Update by the end of the week. Moving to switch so that you the essential worker has a safe place to put their children.  

 We are the only large school system in the country open. It's an amazing accomplishment. 

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

Who agreed to paying for PPL? He chose that.

Anon said...

How are we going to max out our July 31st check when they are cut in June and once you max out your TDA and/or 457, you are locked in and can't adjust your contribution until September 15, 2021?
All of your summer check will be "maxed out".
Looks like a Ramen noodle and sateen cracker summer for me!

Anonymous said...


@BilldeBlasio
BDB: “EVERYTHING IS SO GREAT, WE CAN’T SHOW YOU HOW GREAT IT IS.” He’s also worried the “mainstream media” will present the numbers and “scare” more families into going fully remote.

Anonymous said...

That town hall is why we will get nowhere. Not one legit questions about anything except for repeating the same stuff we already know or about stuff that hasn't been decided yet (ERI).
This is about as informative, relevant and democratic as a fireside chat with Kim Jong-un.

Anonymous said...

He keeps saying THANK GOD we put in this arbitration clause...Then he agrees to give up the money for another year. But the city was angry. As he lets them take our money.

Anon said...

What about the "Bronx Plan" for math, science, ESL and special education teachers? Bonus as they agreed to, or forget it?

Anonymous said...

In the middle of the pandemic, all are worried about the Bronx Plan and if you got your money.

Anonymous said...

One more year of deB and Mulgrew and teaching here is over. Mark my words. Cuomo is waiting patiently. I wouldn’t send my kid to NYC public school, would you?

Anonymous said...

Exactly... Only some members should suffer... Not all! So selfish

Anon said...

Oh no! Kim Jong - Un!

Anon said...

Damn right! Its owed?! Right?

Anon said...

Yeah ok! Come and work in the Hell that is the South Bronx!

Anonymous said...

I feel for y'all. I would never be allowed to be uncensored. Suffice it to say that the end result is the goal. Look at what is happening. Educators are now babysitters. Literally. Again. Who suffers???

Anon said...

Listen Lady,
You have NO idea what these scumbags put me through for the past three years.
Check out Smith v. DOE.
You ever been in litigation with these idots?
I am. I federal agents and state Court

Anon said...

So screw you and your selfish comment

Anon said...

Screw you!

Anonymous said...

"This is about as informative, relevant and democratic as a fireside chat with Kim Jong-un."

Please no insulting Kim Jong Un here. Kim is much more democratic than Mulgrew.

Anonymous said...

Mulgrew only interrupts his constant stream of outright lies to patronize and insult everyone who pays his salary. #ufttownhall

Anon said...

Deal with these idiots in federal court.
Its mind numbing!

Anon said...

When you get the spine to sue these people,come talk to me.

Anonymous said...

Took a personal day today because I don’t feel well mind, body and spirit. Pray for me. Send vibes. Whatever it is you do for someone who is overwhelmed and struggling.

Anonymous said...

What about early retirement incentive?

So if passed people can apply in the summer?

Can anyone clarify this for me?

James Eterno said...

Read the bill first yourself. We posted it on Wednesday night.

Anonymous said...

I'm confused by other people who post how Mulgrew is tied in with the DOE bla bla bla and blame Mulgrew for everything...Listening to Mulgrew with these phone town halls has given me new insight as to who this man really is. I can honestly say that I feel Mulgrew is a NY guy who has a tough job dealing with the highly dysfunctional DOE. Further since Mulgrew took office he has had to deal with: Bloomberg, Klein, Walcott oh wait.... Kathy Black,,,LMAO...anyhow back to my post....Now today Mulgrew is stuck still dealing with the DOE and throw in Diblasio and Cuomo.
Mulgrew sounds sincere to me and I really am confused to the many posts on other blogs that constantly bash Mulgrew as some guy who is in bed with the DOE and the city but actually it seems as though its quite the opposite.

Anonymous said...

principal at my school
PS 152 in Bronx is still not letting people who have no students work from home.

Is this allowed?

James Eterno said...

Call your District Rep, PS152.

nerd said...

The city is so scared of the union that they attempted to delay our retro and took spring break without a second thought. I wonder if they would even attempt that with the FDNY, NYPD DSNY?

This union is a paper tiger.

Anonymous said...

11:09 pm - hope you feel better today. We don't support each other enough as teachers. Just bash all day long. Bash Mulgrew, Bash the Mayor, Bash the CITY that pays your Bills, bash older teachers, bash younger teachers, bash those with medical accommodations, bash students, bash families of students with no money. teachers also like to talk about other unions, how they are stronger... IDK about that. I do know that they seem to care a lot more about each other.
Anyway, 11:09. This life is a struggle. Chin up. This too shall pass. Hang in there.

Matt said...

If we want to apply for a new medical accommodation for 2021, when should we do that? I read these minutes and saw Mulgrew said documentation is needed in December for current medical accommodations to continue. I didn’t apply in the summer because I thought mine would be rejected, but now I want to try for the new year. Any advice on when I should do that? Thanks.

Matt said...

If we want to apply for a new medical accommodation for 2021, when should we do that? I read these minutes and saw Mulgrew said documentation is needed in December for current medical accommodations to continue. I didn’t apply in the summer because I thought mine would be rejected, but now I want to try for the new year. Any advice on when I should do that? Thanks.