Friday, October 08, 2021

SENIOR EDITOR FROM THE NATION INTERVIEWS DR MICHAEL OSTERHOLM ON SAFETY IN NYC SCHOOLS; JEFF KAUFMAN SAFETY GRIEVANCE REJECTED BY UFT

 Lizzy Ratner is a senior editor at the Nation. She is also an NYC public school parent. She interviews Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. The topic is COVID in schools, particularly NYC schools. For those who don't wish to go through the entire piece, here are two of the most concerning parts.

Osterholm: And I can tell you that New York and Southern California are not done with this virus. They will see sizable increases in this virus at some point in the months ahead.

And number two:

Osterholm: Our kids have basically become pawns in an effort to get kids back into in-class learning—

He supports in-class learning but says it has to be done safely.

In NYC, our friend and ICEUFTblog founder Jeff Kaufman grieved to get face shields for himself and his students. He was ignored by the principal and then the UFT refused to move his grievance forward.

Jeff's letter to the UFT Grievance Department asking for an appeal:

Dear Mr. Zalkin,

I received a decision from the grievance department that my Step 1 appeal will not be pursued. I wish to appeal this decision.

While I have grieved that the principal of my school would not purchase shields to protect the students and me from the spread of the Covid-19 virus. My classroom seating arrangement has students seated less than 1 foot apart and while CO2 levels may be currently low it is due to the fact that I am able to keep a garage door open in the back of the room. This will not be possible in the near future as the temperature falls.

Last year shield were purchased for classrooms even though seating was much further apart. When I requested the shields for my classroom the Chapter Leader told me that the principal would not purchase them and that to do so would create a "slippery slope" where other teachers might request protection against this virus.

I have never met with the principal about this grievance and have never been served a copy of his response. I also have no way to know on what basis your decision not to appeal was made.

It is fundamental due process that grievances be accorded the proper notice and procedural safeguards to ensure that fair decisions regarding grievance appeals are made. This is at minimum a basic part of our Union's duty to represent us.

Please provide whatever documentation you relied upon for your decision not to take the appeal and reconsider your decision not to afford me my basic rights as a member of our Union.

Respectfully submitted,


Jeffrey Kaufman

The Nation piece in its entirety. (Go there for links. We only copied the link to the latest Osterholm update podcast.)

Reopening Schools: Is New York City Keeping Its Most Vulnerable Kids Safe?

The mayor calls the city’s Covid-19 protocols the “gold standard,” but epidemiologist Michael Osterholm says there’s a lot more the city can and must do.

On the morning of September 13, shortly after the New York school system’s Covid-screening website crashed, Mayor Bill de Blasio stood outside PS 25 in the Bronx celebrating the reopening of the city’s public schools. It was a heady occasion: For the first time in 18 months, the largest public school system in the country—nearly 1.1 million students—would be back in swing, and de Blasio was intent on proving that it was not only the right but also a safe decision.

“It’s so good to see all our kids coming back to school in person where they can learn best,” de Blasio said as a collection of multicolored balloons bobbed in the background. Dressed in a trim blue suit, his face mask temporarily stowed, he touted the Department of Education’s Covid-19 precautions and vowed that students would be safe. “Kids coming to school today, all across the city, are going to experience a gold standard of health and safety measures,” he said.

De Blasio seems to like the phrase “gold standard,” as he repeats it frequently when talking up the DOE’s Covid-19 protocols. But two days later, my son offered a more, well, tarnished assessment of the situation. “My school is a Covid petri dish,” he said, citing the 25 to 30 kids crammed into his classes; the clustered seating arrangements, with four kids to each worktable; the teeming hallways in which “everyone is bumping into everyone else”; and the haphazard masking by some friends and classmates. “It’s a bit scary,” he confessed.

Since my 11-year-old son is too young to be vaccinated, I wasn’t thrilled by this report, but I wasn’t all that surprised either. In the weeks leading up to de Blasio’s Bronx appearance, I had watched the DOE roll back safety measure after safety measure as the mayor repeated his “gold standard” mantra.

True, the city does have a mask mandate, and it’s just implemented a vaccine mandate for staff, both of which put it ahead of the many districts that have pushed back against basic science. But social distancing appears largely notional, thanks to the mass overcrowding of many public schools. Testing is spotty (less than a quarter of kids have consented to getting tested) and applies only to the unvaccinated in any case (never mind that vaccinated people can be carriers). Quarantine protocols have been weakened to the point of farce—or at least confusion. And the city’s priorities seem out of whack—as seen, for instance, in its decision to chisel the funding (and hours) of the Situation Room, the multiagency brain trust that’s supposed to track Covid-19 outbreaks in schools.

Taken together, all of these issues raise questions about how seriously the DOE and the mayor are taking the crisis—particularly for unvaccinated kids—even as we all understand the mayor’s argument about the importance of consistent, in-person education. So, as the number of positive Covid-19 cases ticks up each day—a total of more than 4,000 as of October 7—I can’t help but wonder: Are families getting the full safety story? And I can’t help but worry—not only about my own kid, but also about the many other kids who might get sick and bring the virus back to their family members who may be at risk of severe illness.

To help get some clarity, I reached out to Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Osterholm became something of a guru to Covid obsessives after his “hair-raising, accurate prediction” of the early course of the pandemic, followed by his prescient warnings about this summer’s surge. Our interview, which took place over two sessions, has been edited for length and clarity.

LIZZY RATNER: So how should I feel about sending my kid back to school?

DR. MICHAEL OSTERHOLM: Right now, schools are probably our single biggest challenge in terms of trying to reduce transmission. It is a very different world with Covid and kids this year than it was last year. The arrival of Alpha and then subsequent Delta variants fundamentally changed how we look at the risk of transmission in and by kids.

LR: Can you say a little bit more about how it’s changed?

MO: As of September 30, there have been 5.9 million children in the US who have tested positive for Covid. A hundred and seventy-three thousand occurred just in the last week. This, however, was good news in that it was the first time in six weeks that we have seen fewer than 200,000 pediatric cases reported. If you look at what’s happened as of this last week, based on American Academy of Pediatrics data, which is 24 states and New York City, there were 615 new hospitalizations. Last week, there were 22 child deaths, the highest number of deaths in the previous six weeks.

Overall, between October 1 of 2020 and September 30 of 2021, for one year there were 408 deaths in kids. Seventy-six of those deaths, or 18.6 percent, have occurred in just the last month.

LR: In terms of what these high caseloads mean for reopening schools, I want to ask about social distancing. At my son’s school there’s none of it. The principal has said we are relying on masks [to keep the virus from spreading], that’s what we’ve got. So I’ve gotta ask: Is my son’s mask going to do it?

MO: No, no, it’s not—and cloth covers in particular are not. The data that even exists in supporting the three-feet rule actually came about from the pre-Delta era. We’re writing a piece right now, a commentary on masks and schools and day care, and we’re basically laying out how much leakage occurs and what the challenges are. So you cannot count on cloth coverings for students to stop transmission in a school. We surely think you should use higher quality masks, the N95s and KN95s.

LR: The city is now testing 10 percent of the kids once a week, but the caveat is that they’re only testing the kids whose parents have given their consent. Is that adequate?

MO: There is no scientific evidence at all that testing any group once a week makes any difference in reducing disease transmission. None. You need much more frequent testing. The data we do have says that if you’re not testing at least five times a week, you’re going to miss anybody who is positive and potentially capable of transmitting. So, you know, it makes one feel better to do that kind of testing, but there are no data that support that that reduces disease transmission at all. There’s zero data supporting it.

LR: So that leads to my next question: The mayor has relaxed the quarantine rules so that any student that is three feet or more from any student that tests positive does not have to quarantine. Does that make sense to you?

MO: That is the CDC recommendation. And again, the data came from a single study done prior to Delta, done last year, for which we believe that there are very serious methodological flaws. And it just defies logic. Imagine if somebody was three feet away from you and you both had a face covering and they were smoking. Could you smell the smoke? Of course, you could. Well, if you can smell the smoke, you also can transmit the virus. So that just makes no sense.

LR: That was my fear.

MO: Yeah, you’re right. To think that you’re going to stop transmission—an aerosol-related transmission—between two kids three feet apart with face cloth coverings, you need a dose of pixie dust.

LR: It’s incredibly frustrating because you have the mayor and the DOE telling parents that we’re safe.

MO: Everybody wants kids back in school, and I understand that. I want my five grandkids back in school. But I want it done safely. And right now, we are, for the purpose of getting kids back in school, totally missing the safety.

Our kids have basically become pawns in an effort to get kids back into in-class learning—which I fully support. I want that too. But we have to look at the safety—not only of the kids but of the teachers, the staff.

LR: So, what would a safe version of this look like?

MO: You’d have school rooms that would have at least five to six air exchanges an hour. You’d have additional filtration present, such as the HEPA filters that I’ve talked about [on my podcast]. You’d have a density of no more than kids at 3-6 feet apart. Every child should be vaccinated that can be, 12 and older, and all the faculty and staff should be vaccinated. You need to test, and the more you can test the better it is—antigen testing at least every day, or no later than every other day. And basically, quality masking—KN95s or N95s on the kids. Short of that, it’s going to be good luck. And, unfortunately, we shouldn’t be betting our kids’ health on good luck.


A few days after our initial conversation, I called back Dr. Osterholm to ask him about several new Covid-related developments. The first was that New York City had instituted a vaccine mandate for all school staff, which the mayor touted as a way to “keep kids safe and the whole school community safe.” The second was that, despite the return to schools and the cases popping up all across the system, New York’s overall Covid-19 rate hadn’t increased. I wanted to know what he made of both.


LR: So, in New York, the mayor has instituted a vaccine mandate for school staff. Should we expect that to help slow transmission? And does that make up for the other holes in the safety protocols?

MO: We’re seeing several things happen. Number one is that the number of people that need to be vaccinated in a given area needs to be exceedingly high to really reduce transmission. Second of all, we’re seeing an ever-increasing number of breakthrough cases that also may be infectious. We have schools where we’ve had a number of both staff and faculty who’ve actually been breakthrough cases just in the last week. Clearly, they could be infectious at the time during the school, even though they’re vaccinated. So this is why this whole concept of an additional dose of vaccines is going to be very important.

LR: While we’re seeing a lot of transmission in schools, the numbers in New York City are not going up. What’s going on?

MO: I talked about that in the podcast: Why is Southern California and the New York to Boston metroplex seeing so few cases? And there’s no answer to that. This is part of the mystery of this virus. Why did it miss those two areas? It has nothing to do with the populations’ being fully protected [meaning fully vaccinated], because they’re not. And this has happened before. I’ve talked about the sprint versus marathon virus: Why does it basically go for four to six weeks and then just boom, it drops? We don’t know that. And I can tell you that New York and Southern California are not done with this virus. They will see sizable increases in this virus at some point in the months ahead.

LR: I can’t say that makes me happy.

MO: I know, but I think we need to be prepared for it, both from a psychological standpoint and a practical standpoint. You always prepare for it.

LR: Would you send your kid to school? What does a parent like me do?

MO: Well, my grandkids are in school right now. They happen to be in a school district that is really doing a good job of trying to adhere to the best protection, but we’ve already had infections transmitted in the school. Kids have already been sent home. All I can say is they’re doing their best. My grandkids are in KN95 masks—and I can’t wait for the vaccine to be approved for the younger ages. I can’t wait.


Maybe we should file a safety grievance demanding KN95 masks for everyone involved in the schools. My wife and kids wear them.

74 comments:

Quinn Zannoni said...

I dish out the PPE for my school. We have hundreds of face shields and thousands of gowns that nobody asks for just sitting in the closet.

Anonymous said...

Send them to Jeff.

Anonymous said...

The numbers are dropping. I wonder why he says they will surge. I think he's talking without evidence. That kind of thing is very bad for those of us that do trust the science, and worse for those who dont.

Educat said...

Good God you people are hopelessly gaslit. You should get out of your little world and travel this country. Kids all over are going to school without masks and no reported problems.The looney left has hijacked public safety and turned it into a political game

Anonymous said...

Face shields have not been shown to help at all, but if SlP OT or teachers and kid sneeze in face maybe.

Go buy a $1 face shield yourself don't risk mental or respiratory health. I got a dozen from Amazon and they are fine.

I don't use eye protection unless caring for covid positive person.

#1 I did buy two Winex HEPA air purifier from Costco that are quiet when not on max. Even on max they are fine AND open the the windows. Air dilution and exchange rate seems to make most sense not mask or goggles and breathing the covid. Yes wear a mask and wash hands but focus on air your breathing.

Halyard us made masks work great with glasses AND you can get with built-in face shield. Get the level 3 fluid shield if you can. Buy bulk to save. Same material as the same n95 duck bill shape...or get the n95 for same price and look strange but be safest. The duck style n95 is actually most comfortable. Kimberly Clark too, 3m n95 duckbill shape fav but still too expensive.

Ok spending hundreds isn't fair but this is what makes biggest impact.

Get quality sleep, eat better, go for walks...books, music and hugs more than social media and news.

Good luck.

It is much better than last Sept and October since we are vaccinated.

More than half the kids and adults probably were already exposed to covid. Yes we will get exposed sometime before end of June...so get ready mentally and physically to handle it.

You can be ready. You are not alone. You make a positive impact on your students and colleagues lives.

Anonymous said...

But the uft fights for us. LOL.

Teachers have had enough. Lol.

It's gonna change and get better. Lol.

Anonymous said...

What a great post @1:10. I agree with everything you said. And I also don't think it's worth the headache fighting over masks and shields. I get my own for the most part.

Anonymous said...

Cases in Florida are down 88% in the past 1.5 months with no new statewide policy — no mask mandate or vaccine passports

In fact, they’re now tied for 48th in the country in current case rate

I’m sure any day now the media will be crediting DeSantis for bringing the curve down

James Eterno said...

Let's cheer the governor

Orlando Sentinel

The state Department of Health reported 25,792 new coronavirus cases this week among Florida residents to bring the cumulative total to 3,601,755. With 1,368 more fatalities on record, 56,667 Florida residents have died.

This week’s 1,368 deaths reflect a decrease from the 1,719 reported last week, but deaths can take several days or weeks to be reported. The majority of the newly reported deaths are people who died before this week. The number of weekly cases decreased compared to the previous week’s 37,772.

Anonymous said...

WPTV

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida residents' coronavirus deaths are the third most in the nation, surpassing New York, which was the epicenter during the height of the pandemic, as both have amassed more than 55,000 fatalities.

Great job by DeathSantis. I gotta hand it to him.

Anonymous said...

De Blasio’s final ‘gift’ to New York City is ruining its schools by allowing the undeserving preferential treatment based on race

Anonymous said...

@5:30 thank God for the people of Florida who went against DeSantis' psychotic tendencies and did the right thing by implementing their own mask and vaccination policies. And still:

"In all, Florida has recorded at least 3,604,846 confirmed COVID cases and 56,413 deaths since the pandemic began. In the past seven days, the state has added, on average, 200 deaths and 3,403 cases per day, according to Herald calculations of CDC data.

Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article254889007.html#storylink=cpy

Anonymous said...

Not Florida...
Why are new cases increasing in Vermont, with 70% total population vaccinated, while decreasing in Connecticut (69%), Massachusetts (68%) and California (60%)?

Anonymous said...

9:53 of yes, of course, minorities have always been favored and received preferential treatment. In lala land and alternate realities.

Anonymous said...

Lol. Like affirmative action and bail reform and forcing them into specialized schools and grade inflation and outlawing suspensions and welfare?

Anonymous said...

Only the children of elites deserve gifted classes in their schools. The children of nyc peasants should stfu and take the scraps. The likes of Gavin Newsom get to send their unmasked kids to camp and in person person learning while unvaccinated. Newsom’s children won’t be vaxed or masked but your little peasant child better do what the government says and learn their place. They get babysitters, elites get teachers. Ending nyc gifted programs is a clear message to the peasants. The elites own your children and will do whatever they want to them.

Anonymous said...

12:54 that's not preferential treatment. That's trying to balance what white people ALREADY receive. But you were race baiting, so carry on.

Anonymous said...

Exactly @ 5:22.

Anonymous said...

Next they should get serious about prison reform. Whites get suspended sentences, time served, ankle monitoring, community, don't get prosecuted at all. When black people are offered the same options it's called "preferential treatment".....by racists.

Many studies point to whites not getting suspended for similar infractions but when they outlaw suspensions for blacks it's called preferential treatment....by racists.

Welfare reform has been around for decades, but according to racists blacks are the only ones receiving government aid. Millionaires like Steven Mnuchin received millions in government aid during the pandemic but that wasn't called welfare. When Trump received a $25 million tax forgiveness it wasn't called welfare, it was called, finding loopholes...by racists. They hear about financial aid for whatever and they are the first to line up with their hands out, but they want to line about free lunch programs for children while receiving money per child from the current administration.

Affirmative..when unqualified white people receive jobs and positions it's called networking, when QUALIFIED black people are given extra consideration, if they are even given an interview at all for higher paying positions, it's called "lol, affirmative action".

Anonymous said...

Tell it to the teachers and black kids shot in TX. Their shooter was released and he wasn’t white. Nyc is releasing violent criminals no matter their skin color. Do you know who their victims are? Mostly non white people. Dozens of black people shot every weekend in Chicago. Shooting black kids is Chicago’s pastime. 70+% black youth eligible for vaccine are unvaccinated in nyc. Mayor Racist says they need the stick instead of the carrot now. Who’s running these cities that refuse to fund black schools? The same people who say everyone else is a racist. The democrats and the media have you fooled. BLM agrees with the right on vaccine passports. But you overeducated mostly white libs know better. Those poor black folks need you to set them straight and tell them what to think. It’s for their own good after all. They’ve been brainwashed by Trump or Fox News. Anti mandate white republicans are just evil dumb pieces of shit but those nyc young black people just need to be re-educated on the vaccine. But you’re not racist, liberals. Spare me. Of course you are.

Anonymous said...

Just about none of that is true. I have to not prepare for Tuesday by not writing a lesson plan. Have a good day.

Anonymous said...

So you are saying the black and whte crime per capita is even?

And the white vs black vs Asian school success rate is really even?

Anonymous said...

“Well, my grandkids are in school right now. They happen to be in a school district that is really doing a good job of trying to adhere to the best protection, but we’ve already had infections transmitted in the school. Kids have already been sent home. All I can say is they’re doing their best. My grandkids are in KN95 masks—and I can’t wait for the vaccine to be approved for the younger ages. I can’t wait.” - Osterholm

In other words, let’s completely ignore natural immunity, the fact that the CDC director admits that the vaccine does not stop the spread, and all the adverse reactions that have resulted in Scandinavian countries boldly saying NO to COVID hysteria ! Take a look at Norway, Denmark, and Sweden’s response, particularly for kids, Most European nations are maskless in schools.

george said...

1st year teacher.

Behavior is horrible.

Is this what i should expect?

Flatbush placed high school.

Anonymous said...

Did you see white faces looting and rioting and stealing from LV and buring down police precincts? WHo is attacking Asians?

Anonymous said...

Here’s a glimpse of the future promoted by Osterholm. This is a primary source account from someone living in Lithuania, where they have implemented an Opportunity Pass, the most stringent vaccine passport system in all of Europe.

https://txti.es/covid-pass/images

https://twitter.com/gluboco/status/1441691330825031680

Anonymous said...

An interesting observation about the vaccine mandate is that, at least in my school, most of the teachers taken off payroll are liberals. Conservative whine and make the most noise but when it came time to put their money where their mouth is, they balked and choked. They know NOTHING about sacrificing for a cause they believe in. Very pathetic.

Anonymous said...

Fairness and safety...

Perhaps the most incompetent president in American history arrived in Chicago last week to encourage Windy City residents to vax up. Joe Biden was on a mission to save lives, he said. He was looking out for the folks. He is the Covid slayer.

Long-time Chicago journalist John Kass was outraged as Biden met with Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker. Obsessed with the vaccine, the President failed to address the slaughter of primarily black people on the streets of Chicago. The violence has been going on for years and the democratic machine that controls the city doesn't care if young black children become homicide stats as 7-year-old Serenity Broughton did a few weeks ago. Serenity and her six-year-old sister, Aubrey, were sitting in their parent's car when the bullets suddenly came. Aubrey was shot in the chest but survived.

Perhaps the most incompetent president in American history arrived in Chicago last week to encourage Windy City residents to vax up. Joe Biden was on a mission to save lives, he said. He was looking out for the folks. He is the Covid slayer.

Long-time Chicago journalist John Kass was outraged as Biden met with Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker. Obsessed with the vaccine, the President failed to address the slaughter of primarily black people on the streets of Chicago. The violence has been going on for years and the Democratic machine that controls the city doesn't care if young black children become homicide stats as 7-year-old Serenity Broughton did a few weeks ago. Serenity and her six-year-old sister, Aubrey, were sitting in their parent's car when the bullets suddenly came. Aubrey was shot in the chest but survived.

Joe Biden most likely doesn't know about the little girls and, based upon his rhetoric and actions, couldn't care less. What he SHOULD know is that Democrat prosecutors in the nation's three largest cities, New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, routinely drop felony charges against violent individuals. Ask any cop in those towns. The law enforcement strategy embraced by the progressive movement is directly leading to thousands of violent deaths across this country.

Anonymous said...

I know people who recovered from a severe case of COVID who do not have the antibodies because of the treatment they received. It's the same as NYC DOE staff who were vaccinated yet have no antibodies because of Chemo or Kidney transplant treatment. The only way to check and see if one has immunity is to check for antibodies.

Anonymous said...

Tiny violin for ya @ 2:43

Anonymous said...

No need for a violin, except for the people who are getting brutalized, those would be blacks. Nobody cares.

Anonymous said...

4:05 awww the triggered little racist exposes himself, as if it's any surprise at all. Did you take the vaccine, little racist? Hmmm? Did Biden and DeBlasio force you? Your type is too much of a coward to take a stand. Nobody cares about you either, little racist, with little cojones to match.

Anonymous said...

Another great white hope @ 4:05. Do you really think your attacks on Biden translate into you somehow caring about blacks? Yeah right.

Anonymous said...

Those lazy, do nothing teachers don't cause any problems with these students. Why the difference by race?

Culture — Not Racism — Explains Asian American Educational Success
The failure to admit what is plainly obvious is driving unnecessary school wars.

https://www.inquiremore.com/p/culture-not-racism-explains-asian

Anonymous said...

5:19 - it's not as simple as "do nothing teachers don't cause any problems".

You sound like a complete moron who didn't bother to read what you posted:

"It’s certainly true that racism has played a role in creating inequalities in the United States. And it’s also true that, despite centuries of the promotion of racial pseudoscience, there’s no good reason to think that any “race” is inherently smarter or dumber than any other one. Race is a social construct, not a biological reality.

There’s a lot of evidence that IQ varies among individuals and is heritable, but the evidence isn’t there that there are any fixed IQ differences between groups that don’t actually exist in any biological sense.

So then why aren’t educational outcomes proportionate to population?

For us to have roughly proportionate outcomes in education, we’d also have to have roughly the same inputs. Advocates for equity are quick to point out that there is broad socioeconomic inequality in the United States — and they’re right about that. These socioeconomic factors impact the inputs students produce. Students who grow up in unsafe neighborhoods contaminated by lead pollution are, on average, not going to produce the same inputs as students who grow up in sterling suburbs."

"We can also use economic policy and other levers to redistribute the winnings of society."

Anonymous said...

454, you reference me while ignoring the problems. What do I have to do with anything? Does Biden care? De Blasio? Lightfoot? Mulgrew? Porter? It has been nothing but failure and crime and you only want to cite me.

Anonymous said...

Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate at work! He is the great white hope.

Suddenly, we’re short on pilots & air traffic controllers.

Southwest has now cancelled 1,800 flights

Anonymous said...

@6:27. Because you're full of it, and I notice you only reference Democrats as if they've been the only ones in positions of power. How convenient.

mario said...

Isn't socioeconomic outcome based on crime, hard work, single parent households, work ethic, teen pregnancy, bachelor degree vs not?

Certain people on this blog always call out teachers who do nothing. Ok, if that leads to poor edcuation, why do some groups always manage to have the poor teachers? Is that possible? The failing chools are never white or Asian. Just like the leaders in crime are never white or Asian. You seem to miss that.

waitingforsupport said...

Well said @6:08pm. Unfortunately too many ears are closed. This is why many of us will never let off the pressure.

Anonymous said...

644,

Chicago hasn't had a GOP mayor in 80 years. De Blasio has been mayor for 8 years and is the most wide left. The uft is always far left. Porter is obviously far left, as was carranza. Who should I reference? And, of course, you again avoided to respond.

waitingforsupport said...

Teach the true US history and then we can start from there. Nobody has time to respond to ignorance. Go right on believing whatever you want to believe. Your opinion means absolutely nothing. Now let's see how the history books tell the story about jan 6th. The BS continues.

DB said...

Ironic. The people who keep talking about lack of fairness care nothing bout innocent black people being brutalized by black crime in that very community, but have plenty of time to bring up Jan 6 and racism. And I'm black. You think I want my kids shot because it happens more often in black communities?

Anonymous said...

"New York City schools went through eight years of political chaos during Giuliani’s terms, which ended in 2002. His bare-knuckle tactics contributed to the departure of three chancellors, according to interviews with former school administrators, Board of Education members, teachers, parents, union officials and outside experts.

He left behind an expired union contract, an army of angry teachers and a school system that by his own admission was still delivering inferior educations to hundreds of thousands of students."

As for Illinois: "Republican lawmakers in Illinois last month pitched a bold plan for the state to seize control of the Chicago public schools, becoming one of a growing number of states that are moving to sideline local officials — even dissolve locally elected school boards — and take over struggling urban schools." Stop pretending that Republicans are not involved in any way. Just as you pretend that I "avoided to respond", whatever the fuck that means.

So yeah...you're full of shit, and only reference Democrats as if they're the cause of all the troubles in the world. Get lost.

Anonymous said...

The leaders in crime are never white or Asian?? Have you lost your mind? I suppose white collar crime is not crime to you. Or drug crimes? I suppose the Mob didn't commit any crime in NYC? White girls don't get pregnant (teen pregnancy is way, way down in any case). You seem to miss a lot yourself RACIST. Stop trying to make excuses for teachers who "do nothing" while they collect a $140K/year paycheck. That's FRAUD and a CRIMINAL.

Anonymous said...

@6:46 "Certain people on this blog always call out teachers who do nothing". What kind of certain people? People of character? People who care about the teaching profession? People who think it's unethical to collect a salary while doing nothing?

And then you have the gall to ask why some groups happen to have the poor teachers? Why don't you try and engage those brain cells you have and answer your own question? And then ask yourself why you aren't one of those people who call out teachers who do nothing. It's certainly not a lie because they've admitted as much on these blogs, that they do nothing. You seem to be in denial that racism still abounds. Just like you thinking that it's ok for teachers to go into minority schools, get paid $140k/year, and then brag that they do nothing and don't care, all in the same breath blaming the parents and community at large when the students don't learn. What the hell is wrong with you people?

Anonymous said...

8:58 Illinois has had Republican Governors and they have been butting their heads into local politics, especially in regards to schools, for a long time. Even now Republicans are harassing the current Governor over masks. You're very openly bashing all Democrats so why are you so uptight when someone points it out? Should we point out who Republicans appointed as Education Secretary, the hugely unqualified Betsy Devos?

"As President Donald Trump’s secretary of education, Betsy DeVos has made it her mission to dismantle public education. She promotes the privatization of public schools through vouchers, continually calls for deep cuts to federal funding, rolls back protections for vulnerable children, and completely disregards their safety and the safety of educators during a global pandemic."

Anonymous said...

You wanna see where the Lunatic Left is taking us? Check Weingarten Twitter feed. Dag!

Anonymous said...

waitingforsupport - they won't ever teach the true US History in any meaningful way because it would expose and remind people of all of the "affirmative action" help THEY'VE had, such as bestowing land that went down the line to future generations while blacks and other minorities have had to play catch-up every step of the way. They'll cry about what's not fair and keep their mouths shut as Trump receives a $25 million tax forgiveness and millionaire Mnuchin, his wife, and other millionaires receive millions of COVID aid while the small businesses for which it was really intended were left high, and dry, because they found it difficult to navigate the process before the ghouls swooped in, and took it all. But free lunch for children, that's the problem. Deblasio and other Democrats are the problem for students not learning, but not the right-wing teachers who admit to not teaching her students at all.

Just as only black committed crime is counted whereas white committed crime is not even acknowledged. It's disgusting and frankly some of these teachers should not be let anywhere near children. Unfortunately while they grumbled over the mandate, most of them didn't have the courage to actually take a stand or have a plan to become self-sufficient.

Anonymous said...

So the lazy teachers just wound up in black schools? Only black schools? Oh, ok.

Anonymous said...

6:46 black student in charter and private schools do very well. So is it simply a "culture" problem or a problem with the public schools, at least in part?

Anonymous said...

My white immigrant grandparents slept on someone’s kitchen floor next to a bathtub when they got here in the 1920’s. With zero handouts they managed to feed 2 kids through the Great Depression. Everyone I grew up with in NYC has a similar story. Not all white people are descendants of Founding Fathers or robber barrons who inherited generational wealth. Assumptions based on race is racism.

Anonymous said...

10:40 assumptions based on race is EXACTLY what folks are posting here when they talk about failing schools and crimes. Doesnt feel good does it? Or is it only ok when blacks are stereotyped?

Anonymous said...

10:40 Many blacks came here from other countries and totally different cultures yet I see NO distinction made when blacks are talked about. So yes..THATS RACIST. Glad you agree!

Anonymous said...

No, they are not assumptions. We have decades of facts about crime, education, single parent households, income, net worth.

Anonymous said...

People raised in 2 parent families do better. People raised in homes where self reliance and knowledge are valued do better. I never met a black kid who had these things and failed. When I met black kids who failed and who lacked these things I never blamed their failure on their skin color. What opportunities are not being given to black children, teens and adults in NY today that are being given to other races? Black father absenteeism escalated earlier but other races are catching up. The deterioration of the American family is the root. Lowering standards in the name of equity adds to the problem. I honestly don’t understand how anybody sees this issue any other way.

Anonymous said...

We have decades of facts of the savagery committed during slavery and the civil rights movement, how blacks were denied an equal education, and how racism has contributed to disparities in income and net worth, and now there are actual laws trying to prevent that from being taught which is why many, such as yourself, remain ignorant.

Anonymous said...

Why doesn't Porter discuss that?

waitingforsupport said...

@ all... if the system created it... the system will need to fix it. Some folks don't mind having the system use them. They get their little biscuit and a stroke and they remain loyal. Many resilient folks refuse to lay down and accept the bullsh^t. What i don't get is why my fighting for what's mine, upsets you sooo much. GTFOOMW.

waitingforsupport said...

@2:52 pm... go on with your tired old racism. You're alarmed and a relic. Go on believing your stories that help you make it through the day. In the meantime the world will just tramp over you as it goes by. Mediocre is the best you can ever hope to be. How did you end up as a bad teacher with all of the opportunities afforded you? You must really be the bottom of the group. Sorry

waitingforsupport said...

@129pm...oh you have decades of facts? Facts that are before fake news or after fake news? Now do your facts encompass all of America's history or you just use some of the facts? Go back and ask the grand wizard if he has any facts about who was here first and how all others are immigrants who raped, murdered, pillaged and lied. The wizard won't have that information because well hell, then how could he keep your dumbazz engaged. Go find a league or white hood or rally to join.

waitingforsupport said...

@1040 pm that's nice. During the great depression the govt sanctioned the burning down of a tulsa town. I'm not sure how your story is relevant. It's fabulous that your grandparents strived for better. They left their home for something better i assume. Well better for black people in this country would have been a govt NOT attacking its own citizens. My parents grandparents and great grandparents BUILT this nation for free so yeah, i want what's mine. With all due respect it doesn't have anything to do with you so im confused when people have an issue when i demand what's mine. People need to learn to stay in their lane.

Anonymous said...

waitingforsupport is kicking ass and taking names. I'm here for it.

Anonymous said...

Waiting…. If you want to go after Bush money, Romney money, Cheney money, John Kerry money, Vanderbilt, Kennedy and Rockefeller money have at it. My money is off limits. I never benefitted from anything other than hard work. Hilary Clinton is worth tens of millions somehow “earned” while working as a public servant. Ask her to write you that check.

Anonymous said...

@10:40 "Not all white people are descendants of Founding Fathers or robber barrons who inherited generational wealth."

WHAT are you talking about robber barons, and descendants of founding fathers? This blog is an embarrassment to the teaching profession. MY GOD, have you never heard of the Homestead Act? Are you idiots teachers?

Anonymous said...

8:49 all white. Lol

Anonymous said...

Not everyone is a descendant of those who benefited from the Homestead Act either. That act was signed in 1862. Many of us descended from immigrants who came to NY after that. Our families never left NY. We never lynched a black man. We never made a stink about a black person at a lunch counter. So WHAT are YOU accusing us of exactly? Do the Irish deserve something for all the “No Irish need apply” signs they encountered? Who’s on your list of people owed something? Who should pay up?

Anonymous said...

Not every black scores low on SATs, has low income and wealth, has parents who dont care, has a single parent? And is not a criminal. You dont like being stereotyped? Well TOO BAD. Go whine elsewhere.

Anonymous said...

P.s. and nice try at ignoring the point that nobody was referring to the descendants of the Founders or robber barons. The bigger point which has gone way over your head is that whites historically benefitted from programs and "white privilege" while you all whine and cry about free lunch for needy children.

waitingforsupport said...

@310pm...Again. what does my God given right have to do with you, your immigration or anyone else? Pardon my language but you don't have anything i need. The US govt will have to come to terms with its actions. Now if you don't mind, step aside and let me speak up for myself.

waitingforsupport said...

@849am. What gives YOU the impression that anyone wants YOUR money? I mean let's make sense. You work like me. I don't know you but assume you work. Your parents worked. The US did it, the US has to fix it. Now if you're okay with being treated like shit (your employer, healthcare) then sit quietly. Don't beat me up because i choose to do differently.

waitingforsupport said...

@454... the hypocrisy is ASTounding. Some folks love to interject about how their relatives left their homeland (instead of remaining there to fight their oppressor) to rightfully come to the US for a BETTER life. Same folks then try to look down on people who decide to stand up and fight for their God given rights in their OWN (instead of fleeing). Move along folks. If it's not your business--stay out of the business.

Anonymous said...

The bigger point is white privilege is fake but green privilege is real.

Anonymous said...

11:31 study aftee study has shown that white privilege is NOT fake. You guys just make shit up.