Thursday, October 29, 2020

PITTSBURGH STAYS MOSTLY REMOTE UNTIL JANUARY

 Pittsburgh,  PA, a major city with an elected school board, voted to keep mostly remote learning until the start of 2021.

One school board member used absolutely flawless reasoning in defending the school board's vote to delay opening buildings to all but a few students. Pittsburgh is staying almost all remote even though the city has an infection rate below the legal threshold to reopen buildings that have been closed since March.

From the Pittsburgh Gazette:

Board member Sala Udin said that for him, the vote came down to the health and safety of district staff and students.

“The riddle we have to solve is that: Is improved learning worth the increased risk of bringing kids back together in large number?” Mr. Udin said. “As for the increased learning, given in time we can fix and improve the learning. If children or staff get infected, we may not be able to fix that."

This is the wise judgment we might have if we end mayoral control of schools.

14 comments:

Shelley said...

Meanwhile back in NYC DC 37 cut a deal far worse than the UFT deal.
Was this deal in the works when MM made his deal? Did he get out in front of DC37?
Hate to say it, but the DC37 deal makes him look a bit better.

Anonymous said...

The UFT no layoff deal is only good to June 2021; DC37 no layoff deal is good to June 2022. So most likely UFT will have to give up a little more next year to avoid layoff after June 2021. The era of union-giving-back is here.

James Eterno said...

From the DC 37 website:

"The deferral of payments totaling $164 million to the four welfare funds (the DC 37 Benefit Trust, the 372 Severance Related Fund, the SSEU Local 371 Health & Welfare Fund, and the DC 37 Education Fund) will have no impact on the union’s ability to continue to provide benefits to its membership."

How is he city deferring payments to the DC37 welfare funds totalling $164 million with no change in benefits for members worse than UFT defering $450 million in money that is taken directly from UFT member pockets until next July?

Shelley said...

Speaking of ERIs, how would an incentive, if offered at the end of this school year, look to a person on a sabbatical or on the first of the two year mandatory post-sabbatical years look?

A lot of teachers on sabbatical or back this year from one last year are eligible to retire and many would, but will it cost them? And how much? So many who take sabbatical, had they known a buyout would be offered, would not have taken it. I can't remember how this was dealt with in the previous buyouts. Anybody?

On Retro delay: Also, the split in retro payments may be a good thing for some because the last payment is divided into two tax years.

James Eterno said...

9:42, UFT's no layoff is good though June 2022 also if we get stimulus money.

Anonymous said...

9:42 The era of union giving back has been here. We have had give backs in every contract I can remember and I've been in this hell since 2000. PS I voted against them all.

Anonymous said...

I wouldn't even call these raises, they are more like cost of living increases. Are you paying the same amount for groceries you paid 5 years ago?

Anonymous said...

Who said layoffs are a bad thing. (Maybe for the AP's because they will lose some Ass-Kissers) Layoffs will force the NYC DOE to utilize the teachers who are banished to the ATR pool. Many new teachers will be saved the embarrassment of being refused Tenure because their "Learning Targets" are not written to the satisfaction of an AP who is a complete moron and has absolutely no idea of proven methods used to help students learn for decades. I think my school would be much better if the principal were to be replaced by a 3 year old.

Anonymous said...

The most robust testing, said Mulgrew...Keep paying dues, said Mulgrew and James. Hearing from a school in Brooklyn in a yellow zone where no one has been tested yet, even though the DOE promised to test in every school in October...

James Eterno said...

Build a real union says James.

Anonymous said...

Make no mistake: NYC teacher layoffs are on the table. Mulgrew's agreement with the city for no layoffs was only for this school year. Come June, shit is gonna get real.

James Eterno said...

If Biden wins and there is a Democratic Senate, nobody is going to face layoff. The dollars will come flowing to states and cities.

Anonymous said...

Where is all the dough coming from? There is only so much flour in the bakery. Terrible metaphor but it was all I could think of.

Anonymous said...

My federal tax dollars flowing into the hands of Deblasio to squander is not something I hope for. NYC tax base is disappearing because of the left.