Wednesday, November 11, 2020

IT'S TIME TO CLOSE THE NYC SCHOOL BUILDINGS THAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER REOPENED AND UPGRADE REMOTE LEARNING

We have been against the reopening of school buildings from back in the summer when we knew COVID-19 was not going away and a second wave was probably eventually going to come to NY. Why risk it? Close the school buildings now. It was rather naive to think we could escape a second wave. The city spending God knows how much money for school buildings to open what are in large part phantom schools, while largely not working to improve remote learning, may not have been a wise investment. Here are the NYC COVID-19 numbers for the schools from The NYC Situation Room:


Now for the NYC COVID-19 numbers from the NY Times:

Are the so called leaders who run NYC and NYS (de Blasio and Cuomo respectively in case you have forgotten) going to wait until the number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths start to spiral out of control before they shut down school buildings and major parts of the economy? They waited too long in the spring. Will they repeat that error in the fall? I hope not, particularly with an effective vaccine possibly on the horizon. 

I fully understand a national approach would be a better idea to attack COVID-19 (you may want to give Biden's task force a little credit here) but it looks like the current President is too busy filing lawsuits that might if successful overturn literally a few votes so we are left to mostly fend for ourselves in the states.

Most learning In NYC is remote. I read Michael Mulgrew's op-ed in the NY Daily News yesterday along with his recommendation that teachers and students bundle up. He starts his Daily News piece off with a boast about schools in NYC being reopened.

Unlike virtually every other major American urban area, it managed to safely re-open its school buildings, despite the coronavirus pandemic.

More than a quarter of a million students — most on staggered schedules — and thousands of teachers have returned to schools under strict safety guidelines, including social distancing, obligatory masks, and mandatory virus testing.

Despite fears of schools increasing exposure to the virus, testing in schools has so far shown remarkably low infection rates, while in-school students are getting the benefit of the small classes made necessary by social distance guidelines.

So far, the logistical and safety challenges of re-opening schools have been met. But despite enormous efforts by teachers, remote learning — something more than 540,000 kids now rely on all the time, and the rest rely on all or part of the time — is still lagging.

He then goes on to say that we need to improve remote learning:

To ensure remote instruction provides children what they need, the DOE needs to better support school communities in two critical ways: getting (and keeping) working technology into all students' hands, and providing the necessary staffing and professional training to make remote learning more effective.

Good ideas, but I have a question for the President: If more than a quarter-million are in hybrid (many not showing up) and something over 540,000 are in fully remote learning, where are the rest of the kids?

The Department of Education numbers reveal that there are  1,126,501 students of which 119,000 are in charter schools so Mulgrew's numbers don't add up. There are plenty of missing students.

This is not good news. Funding for schools is based in large part on how many students there are. Reaching out to families is important. Some who comment here can knock the kids all they want but ultimately educating them is the school system's job. We need to find them somehow to attempt to educate them. I fully understand why the DOE is trying to spin the numbers as best as they can. Fewer students lead to huge budget cuts. Those cuts won't be absorbed at Central DOE but in the schools probably.   

In the end, so many of those in charge mostly blowing off remote learning to concentrate on the comparitively smaller number who went to buildings might be looked back on as a huge mistake. The powers that be have a chance to fix this while stopping some people from getting COVID-19 in the process. I have no confidence they will.

34 comments:

James Eterno said...

Temperature is very high in national rhetoric and some of that has been here too. Please don't make it personal attacking commenters. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Dues well spent...

Dear Mr. Mulgrew:

It has come to our attention that principals across the NYC DOE have been distributing a new framework of Danielson for evaluation of pedagogues. Since IPCs have not been happening we find this very troubling. The Danielson Framework for teacher evaluation is part of State Education Law, the new framework which adds on additional components for evaluation is UNLAWFUL and INSIDIOUS.

We seek to demand that the UFT reject any framework or rubric that purports to measure teacher effectiveness in a remote setting. There is no sound basis in theory or practice for using one, and to say that there are known “best practices” for remote learning when it hasn’t been developed and practiced for a full year, and only under the extenuating circumstances of a pandemic, is inappropriate and needlessly adds to the stress and confusion that teachers are already under in these unprecedented times. Most building administrators have no experience in teaching or evaluating teaching in an online setting. Any framework or rubric that purports to accurately gauge teacher effectiveness in an online setting cannot possibly be based on pedagogical research because such research simply does not yet exist for this scenario.

Adding an arbitrary, untested framework/rubric to an already confusing mix of ever-changing DOE directives regarding online schooling, will do nothing but cause confusion and add stress for all stakeholders. There is no sound pedagogical reason for doing so, and any idea that this absurd practice will in any way support or help teachers is completely misleading and disingenuous.


The UFT has been silent on this. We need you to take a firm stance in opposition to this unsound and damaging proposal.

Anonymous said...

The USA had a nice run. Time to split into two. Everyone can move whichever best fits there ideology. Maybe then we can get back to being friendly.

Anonymous said...

Mulgrew earning those dues.

‘The Kids Were Freezing’: NYC Public School Teachers Instructed To Keep Windows Open To Comply With COVID Guidelines Even As Temperatures Drop

https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2020/11/10/open-windows-covid-nyc-schools/?fbclid=IwAR0LIR96Axt_2CSJksXjj_5xTl1pGEebVVx_TRBpmxpB-_E7ZcrEc8AzFWY

Anonymous said...

Mildew must be using the same new math that calculated the retro payments. He is full of shit. Let him go and teach.

Anonymous said...

Just heard from two different people that DOE might close schools on Monday. Trying to find a source.

James Eterno said...

That is just one anonymous person's report. Take it as such.

Nalala said...

Really. European countries are closing everything but keeping school open and kids go every day in person to school cause there are countries that know schools are not superspreaders and that education matter

waitingforsupport said...

Maybe the schools will close sooner rather than later.

Concerned parent said...

Kids need to be in school. Remote learning is a not working and quality of teaching is just bad and unacceptable. Chancellor with De Blasio have been failing schools and both should get fired for lack of leadership and lack of preparation

Unknown said...

Prevention is better than curing. Better to close the school

Anonymous said...

A supportive observation with ideas, tech help and equipment. That works. What is the point of an evaluation to just get data to avoid tenures etc.Not helpful.

Unknown said...

Close the school nw .period no more remote learning it nt working out peeiod.

Unknown said...

Teaching is literally non existent in my foster sons virtual class. They expect a 5 year old with autism to effectively participate in a whole group online class. That is ludacris.

The PT teacher doesnt even stand up to give a demonstration of the movement expected. She just sits there and gives me the parent directives.

At least the speech teachet seems capable of holding my sins attention and getting results.

It all comes down to the teacher. Aand frankly the online teachers that I have experience are not impressive.

Then the teacher has the audacity to tell me after we discussed the online synchronous learning is not effective fir my child and my schedule.... And she advised to reply "present" to her daily attendance post and complete posted assignments.

Now she is telling me new guidance days the child must be on synchronous learning or be marked absent and if doesny work for me enroll him in blended learning....

Are you serious? Can I get a real teacher please!

Anonymous said...

My school has had quite a few COVID cases pop up in the last week - who know how many more lurk since testings isn't happening on the regular basis it should. They quarantine that specific class and leave school open for everyone else.

And I am pretty sure that kids in Europe probably do a better job of listening to adults when they say to keep the damn mask on.

The American kids, especially in NYC, not so much.

It isn't that we don't want schools to be open. It is just that we know parents and students won't follow the protocol - they send their kid to school all dosed up on antibiotics so they don't get caught with fever, the kids don't keep their masks on, and parents have the audacity to complain why there isn't this, that, and the other thing.

If parents think they can do better, homeschool your kid. Seriously, do it.

Anonymous said...

It's interesting how much fully remote learning isn't discussed. I currently have close to 50 students in my remote classroom. Is this unusual? Does anyone else have that many or is it just my school? I'm so confused.

Anonymous said...

I have 50 on roster. About 3 show up per period.

Unknown said...

I hope school will be close soon

Unknown said...

I'm all for safety yes the students do need there education but this remote learning is not working for everybody.And there aren't enough computers either.

Anonymous said...

The situation room.does not confirm when someone tests positive by a doctor or urgent care diagnosis. The situation room.has to confirm with the individual before they add to the numbers. Principals are then given an option to inform staff.think there is any difference between the numbers they report and the actual numbers of infections?

Unknown said...

Remote learning is no good I take classes at night I am ready to drop out because I cannot learn anything. People have to be in the schools to maintain the buildings regardless so it makes no sense to leave them empty because they still will be staffed. I think it should be as Parents Choice and school should open fully get all kids back

Anonymous said...

Remote learning saves lives. The only question is how many.

Unknown said...

I live in Bronx NY and my son still does NOT have a ready working IPad. NYC DOE sucks when it comes to Education.

Johnwalsh said...

Keep schools open dummies

Johnwalsh said...

Keep schools open dummies diblosio.

Unknown said...

Schools are considered essential in most of the developed world, but not here. I wonder how many socioeconomic problems would be fixed if we thought of our schools as being more important than indoor dining. As a parent, I can tell you that in person school makes a huge positive difference.

Unknown said...

My daughter is in private school. I could not deal with the uncertain nature of public school system. All schools should not be closed. Private schools should have the option to remain open. Why should I be forced to pay tuition and my child is not in school. She is truly learning and progressing well. She is in Kindergarten and well not do well online. I need childcare. I dont want to spend my days office attached to the computer with my daughter as she try to stay focused while taking classes online. This is ridiculous. Once schools close they will never reopen. This is not fair to my child and all the children who don't do well with online learning. How about the parents who need childcare. I guess no one gives a darn about that either. Bu the way my 5 year old does a good job keeping on her mask while at school. Her teachers are great.

Unknown said...

Well said!

Iomibestlefty said...

Public scool teacher union fought hard to make sure private and more importantly charter shools should be forced to follow their lead as far as opening or being closed. They also fought for no proven by results software to be used for gadget learning. Sighting software doesnt work as well for special needs kids. Truth is as usual they are useing kids well being as rented mules and a weapon publicly to gather public support to suit their current demands. This time their real concern is the inevitible realization of their uselessness and actual weakening of gadget learnings hope of improving. As software is non reliant of their existance but instead of actualy looking out for kids best interest they forced their way into middle of any successful attempt. And once they won no software use they then went to work on having to only work 20hr work weeks in most systems which they were mostly successful. In mass they actualy declared 20hr work week decision a victory. Victory for who?

Unknown said...

So if school are closed and no remote learning 🤔 what are you suggesting the kids do ?? Or parents ?

Anonymous said...

I teach 3rd grade and have 50 students on my roster. I'm a general ed teacher. Is this unusual?

Anonymous said...

Reading these posts have given insite to many things I was not aware of. Now they want to do teacher evaluations and student state testing?? I am a 3rd grade elementary school teacher who teaches fully remote. Most of them show up daily. Admin is saying I can have up to 58 (32+16). So, I can expect more. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, blended teachers have 5 students on their register in total because parents opted for fully remote learning. These parents are working remotely as well and have stated that they simply cannot attend to their children because of this. It's insane. There is no way that I can service them all alone. I'm asking if this is happening in other schools?...It's unreal.

James Eterno said...

32 is max. How does 32+16=58? Email us or call CL or DR.

Anonymous said...

Thank you James...correction.. was told the max is 48 (32+16)...