I don't understand the situation in Far Rockaway at MS 53 Brian Piccolo School that also houses Village Academy and a Success Academy school. Village Academy is being closed due to an outbreak of COVID-19 that has seen 14 students and 2 staff members test positive. What about the other two schools co-located in the building? They remain open.
The Department of Education in their usual wisdom has decided that COVID-19 won't penetrate different schools within the same building. Co-located schools are apparently immune from COVID spread. But don't the co-located schools share the same cafeteria space? Don't they share the same gym? Don't the students get wanded by the same screeners in the morning as they enter school?
This building has had problems with ventilation. A teacher at one of the schools told Gothamist in 2020, "That building is a death trap, as far as ventilation. There's no supply fan, no ventilation unit. No intake or outtake for fresh air. We don't have any air conditioners." It hasn't gotten much better in 2021 but only one school is closed, not all three.
I gather the staff in the two schools that remain open are quite worried this evening as they contemplate going to work in the morning.
If I was in charge of the UFT, I would be at that building first thing in the morning with a certified industrial hygienist who we would demand be admitted to thoroughly examine this building. If we weren't 100% satisfied it was as safe as possible, we would be loudly encouraging UFT members and the kids to stay away.
7 comments:
Only in the Department of Education. It is not logical. Rather, it is ideological.
Meaning the Department of Education is not held accountable to logic, law or safety.
The Department of Education is not held accountable by the UFT.
In fact the UFT plays nice and colludes with the Department of Education.
Welcome to DOE world, a world that is ideologically driven with core principles of criminal mismanagement.
Mayor elect Adams was speaking generously by calling the Department of Education an "embarrassment". It is actually a "laughingstock enterprise".
Time to move on from covid. Quarantine those who tested positive and if you’re vaccinated, go in. We have to move on and can’t keep closing schools. Remote is a joke. People need to live life!
Tell that to the teachers and others going into that building this morning 4:58. They may disagree.
Remember doe and logic don't go together. They should do what doesn't make sense to them, so it makes sense to everyone else.
Poor ventilation has caused the spread of flu, other illnesses and now COVID. 4:26 is 100% correct. No mayor has ever held the DOE accountable. I predict Adams won’t either. But it sure sounds good during a campaign. Too bad Adams like all who came before him is a typical lying bureaucrat politician who makes promises he has no intention of keeping.
USA Today— describes several school districts across the country struggling to stay open and returning to remote due to staffing shortages—no available subs, lack of bus drivers, cafeteria workers etc. -that result in teacher burnout.
In Seattle, the schools are closed Nov.12–as part of a 4 day holiday—due to many teachers calling in to take off—the day after a Federal holiday that came out on a Thursday.
Promises from mayor and chancellor of good ventilation and physical distancing were a big joke.
Neither exists in my building.
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