Friday, August 13, 2021

CSA SAYS ALL STUDENTS CANNOT COME BACK TO SCHOOLS WITH 3 FOOT SOCIAL DISTANCE POLICY: UFT SILENT SO FAR

The Council of Supervisors and Administrators is stepping up to say the city's plan to open the schools in September will be impossible to implement. We have heard nothing from the UFT.

This is from the NY Post:

The city’s principals union is warning that the new school year could again be chaotic, as the Department of Education’s social distancing guidelines will make it impossible to accommodate all students full-time.

The Council of School Supervisors and Administrators said that there is not enough room in many buildings to enforce the 3-foot separation mandate that the DOE has released — and that the stage has been set for a reopening debacle.

The CSA said the DOE’s guidelines, which dictates 3 feet between kids at all times, run counter to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, which said that 3 feet should only be enforced when practicable.

“Earlier today, the DOE sent an email to each principal with a capacity report for their building which gave the impression that all schools must maintain 3 feet of social distancing for all students at all times rather than adhere to the CDC guidance of 3 feet distance where possible,” the union wrote in a letter to members Thursday.

Those guidelines have left administrators scrambling to figure out what to do, according to CSA.

“From the moment that planning for the upcoming school year began, CSA has communicated to the city and the DOE that it will simply not be possible to bring back all students to all buildings while fully complying with these social distancing protocols,” the letter stated.

Coupled with the absence of a remote learning option, the CSA said schools are on a collision course with chaos in a matter of weeks.

“The city obviously wants it both ways, to offer no remote option and for families to believe that students and staff can maintain 3 feet of social distancing at all schools at all times,” the organization fumed.

The union said that the DOE said it was going to use the less stringent CDC guidance as recently as last week.

“Just yesterday, President Mark Cannizzaro sent an email to the Mayor and Chancellor regarding the mass confusion they have once again caused with conflicting, vague, and untimely communications,” they wrote Thursday.

In that message, Cannizzaro said DOE officials agreed that the 3 foot rule could cause problems.

“The CSA immediately raised,  and the DOE concurred, that it would not be possible in a very large number of schools to welcome all students back and while maintaining a distance of three feet at all times,” he wrote.

Should I even bother with the DOE response which is just public relations nonsense? Here it is:

The health and safety of our students teachers and staff comes first during the pandemic,” said DOE spokesperson Danielle Filson. “We’re working hand in hand with principals to maximize social distancing and ensure the absolute safest learning environments for our kids.” 

What I suggest is everyone sign the petition for a safe reopening. It's up to us to step up to wake the UFT and city-DOE leaders out of their slumber.

37 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can I stay home too? I mean, if I'm talking to a computer, why not?

Anonymous said...

Social distancing was taken serious for about a whole week at my elementary school. It didn't work with 8 students, certainly won't happen at all with 30 students.

Anonymous said...

It’s been reported that companies are planning to pay less to their employees that work from home. How much less—not sure.
How about if the city made the same offer to teachers and other municipal employees—what do you think would happen? How would the UFT and other unions respond to that scenario?

Anonymous said...

:A Kaiser Family Foundation poll recently found that the majority of parents in the US support having their children and unvaccinated staff wear masks while returning to school.

The results of that poll were consistent across racial borders and among Democrats and Independents. The only demographic that opposed mask wearing for students was Republicans"

Anonymous said...

You say it's up to us to fight for a safe reopening. The ones who should really be worried are the parents of the unvaccinated students and the unvaccinated teachers. The vaccinated teachers should be safe. Aren't the unvaccinated always telling us to mind our business? That they have a right to take a risk? Teacher in Cali assaulted for trying to enforce the wearing of a mask.

Let's make sure the parents are aware that their children may not be safe under current realities, and let them fight for a safe reopening. Let them call the mayor and Governor's office. On another thread a poster is damn near hysterical over how DiBlasio will implement all of this. Mad at liberals that we can't answer the question as if we are paid to put together those plans. I'm going to enjoy the rest of the summer, and chances are if there a shit show in the Fall, the worst I'll get is a mild flu, and I'll try not to say "we told you so" to the rest of them.

Anonymous said...

https://news.yahoo.com/parent-attacks-teacher-mask-dispute-114106234.html

Anonymous said...

Is it 3 feet or 6 feet?

Anonymous said...

3ft if you can. If not, not a big deal since they will be wearing masks, taking temps, and covid testing. Csa just wants to city to be more upfront with parents and say.. Hey we will try to get to 3ft, but in a lot of schools we can't. But we have other measures in place. This will then allow schools to program properly in accordance to their budget. The city is trying to make it look like everyone will be 3ft, when they know it won't, which is then causing schools to hold up on programming until they have a confirmed response.

Jonathan said...

“We’re working hand in hand with principals to maximize social distancing and ensure the absolute safest learning environments for our kids.”

This is pretty clearly untrue. The latest capacity memo to principals says to meet the three-foot guideline, and shares some ideas - but provides NO guidance to allow a principal to know if they are meeting it or not.

But that, I believe, is the idea. They are hoping no one dies. And if someone does, they are seeking in advance to shift blame onto the schools and their principals.

Anonymous said...

I would literally take a 1/3 pay cut to teach remote kids from home. After so many shitty years in the DOE, it would be welcomed.

TeachNY said...

Woo hoo! Another year of not being forced to have kids do God-awful group work.

Anonymous said...

You are pathetic

Anonymous said...

Guys, this is pretty serious. Extraordinary scenes of Afghanistan’s military fleeing to #Iran with advanced equipment, likely supplied by US. Iran’s defense industries will want to get their hands on that equipment

James Eterno said...

Serious stuff but totally off topic. Please stay on topic. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

My apologies, please pray for these people, who have been let down by Mr.Biden. Terrified Kabul residents tell me they are hearing rumours Taliban are at the gates of Kabul. The women I've been speaking to say they are looking for safe houses

Anonymous said...

I also would accept a paycut to remain virtual. I would take a 10% cut in pay to stay out of the shit hole school building I work in.

Anonymous said...

The CSA is just trying to get that blank check from the city to do whatever the f*** they want. Safety is not mentioned here. Their union is not sticking up for us they just want to freehand to have zero feet of social distancing and no external oversight

Anonymous said...

@858. It is not Mr Biden, its President Biden. I knew you had an agenda. You don't give a crap about those people.

TeachNY said...

Agree with you on that. The money saved on gas, wear and tear on the car prob comes out to be about 10-15%. It should be only the unvaccinated who stay home for remote teaching.

Anonymous said...

My school is programming as though the CoVid pandemic never existed; about 30+ kids in every classroom and packed lunchroom and gyms.

Not will to die yet said...

10:28
Why sell yourself and your profession short ?
Do you think a lawyer , Dentist or Engineer would agree to a 10 percent reduction in salary for working remote ?
I have my 2 masters. I will never agree to giving back money.

Guide lines should be agreed upon as to what a remote day should look like. If working remote you follow that outline.

Offer to give back 10 percent to work remote is as dumb as agreeing to 0 percent raises on a contract....Maybe worse since you are giving back money already agreed to be paid.

Anonymous said...

It's so odd that the Biden Administration is all over the Sunday shows touting masks and vaccines when its allowing COVID infected migrants into the country in droves. has the uft questioned this? How about SolidARITY?

Anonymous said...

10:46--

https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/jul/28/tweets/us-mexico-border-not-wide-open-most-people-trying-/

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/biden-immigrants-covid19-surge/

Anonymous said...

Schools really have no idea how many kids are coming back. You may have 30 on a roster, 20 may show up. We will know how this will all work out, I'd say by mid October.

Anonymous said...

7:03 - how do you know this? Most classes aren't even programmed yet. Are you the programmer and have you expressed your concerns to anybody in authority?

Anonymous said...

TeachNY are you unvaccinated?

Anonymous said...

They are trying to get teachers to vaccinate. How is allowing them to work from home helping to accomplish that? There should be a remote option for students, and teachers with seniority should get first dibs, not the unvaccinated. They choose not to vaccinate, mock those who do, and they get the perks? I don't think so and that will never fly.

Anon said...

He's not my President, nor is she my Vice President.

School's programming like normal. Wonderful.

nerd said...

Mulgrew will threaten to have a strike vote/safety action. He'll Get teachers excited. Then at the last minute there will be a deal and there won't be a strike vote but he'll say the union members and the children can celebrate a victory.

Then he'll deposit his bribery check in an offshore account.

Jeff said...

From that very article. What's "Undetermined.
It is difficult to determine the exact numbers of migrants released without COVID-19 tests or vaccinations." And what about the runaways? We don't know. According to HHS, 10/31/20, the Average Number of Children in Care:1,929. On 5/31/21...20,332. 1,000 more%. Occupancy rate went from 15% to 76%. Are you saying every single person was tested and fully quarantined?

Anonymous said...

1:20 Yawn zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Anonymous said...

DHS dropped 40,000 COVID-19-positive migrants in US cities: Ex-border chief.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/washington-secrets/dhs-dropped-40-000-covid-infected-migrants-in-us-cities-ex-border-chief?_amp=true&__twitter_impression=true

Anonymous said...

Not true and easily proven false 7:18.

A pair of school board members in North Carolina suggested that COVID-19 cases are rising because of the Biden Administration's policies at the southern border.

The border is not "basically open," nor are authorities allowing migrants into the country without screening them.
There's no evidence that migrants are driving the current surge of cases in the U.S. or in North Carolina.

Anonymous said...

A 1000% increase is not open? Is every person tested? What about those who aren't stopped? How can it be safe when they ate packed so close together? I'm waiting for your evidence. As far as Afghanistan and the border,feels good to be respected on the world stage again. According to HHS, 10/31/20, the Average Number of Children in Care: 1,929. On 5/31/21...20,332.

Jeff said...

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Thursday announced that 212,672 migrants were encountered at the southern border in July, a 13% increase over the already massive 188,000 migrant encounters in June. In July 2020, there were just 40,929 encounters. That is the highest in 21 years and well beyond anything encountered in recent years.

Anonymous said...

Schools should be programming now if they have not programmed already. This is a huge anxiety producing venture because of CoVid. My school does not have enough rooms in the building to following the social distancing suggestions and have the majority of the students in person.

Things can change tomorrow and back to the drawing board.


Anonymous said...

If schools were to reduce classroom numbers to 22 in a class, the system would need another 20000 teachers. Not happening