Tuesday, December 21, 2021

NOTHING TONIGHT FROM SITUATION ROOM FROM SCHOOLS MY CHILDREN ATTEND; PHILLY STUDENT DIES OF COVID AND STAFF STAGES SICKOUT; JANUARY REGENTS CANCELED

My wife and I usually receive nightly emails from the schools our children attend from the Situation Room notifying us about COVID-19 infections in their respective school buildings. We received daily emails over the last week and regularly all year when there were infections. Today: Nothing. There were 7 cases reported yesterday. Those seven cases from yesterday didn't just disappear. Clearly, the system of testing and reporting COVID has fallen apart. The UFT reaction: Send an inadequate email update listing what are probably inaccurate numbers.

If the UFT is basically out to lunch, we have to protect ourselves and our families.

On Sunday, we put out the DOE Personnel Memorandum 1 which covers excused absence without loss of CAR days. 

This is what we said:

There are record numbers of daily COVID-19 infections in NYC. I think everyone needs to know the procedures on COVID for employees. Personnel Memorandum 1 came out in September. We have copied it in full below. Please read it and follow the guidelines closely.

Here is a link to CDC's Covid-19 symptoms. It could be as simple as a headache or runny nose. Be safe everyone.


In Philadelphia, the staff at a unionized charter school has taken it into their own hands after a student died of COVID-19. They staged a sickout.

From centredaily.com in Pennsylvania:

Last week, a Pennsylvania high schooler died after contracting COVID-19 in early December. Alayna Thach was a 17-year-old senior at Olney Charter High School in Philadelphia. She loved to sing, dreamed of being a life coach, and was a big fan of the K-Pop group BTS, her obituary said. Alayna was an honor roll student who was touring colleges shortly before she died and was scheduled to get her COVID-19 vaccine in January, McClatchy News reported. She’s survived by her parents and her two siblings.

And on Dec. 20, her death compelled at least 40 teachers at Olney Charter to call out sick in protest against the school’s COVID-19 protocol, which they say didn’t do enough to protect Alayna or other students and staff, Fox 29 reported. The school denied it wasn’t enforcing COVID-19 safety protocols strongly enough, saying in a statement to McClatchy News that “Olney has a very strong set of safety protocols in place, and we are dismayed by the teachers’ attempt to manipulate public opinion in the wake of the tragic death of an Olney student.”

But the mass “sick out” happened after staff and students had already pleaded with the school’s administration to hold classes for the rest of the semester online, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. Sarah Kenney, a 10th grade African American History teacher at Olney Charter and vice president of the local chapter of the Alliance of Charter School Employees, said lunchtime was particularly troublesome at the school. Without social distancing or assigned seating in the cafeteria, contract tracing proved difficult, she told The Inquirer in a Dec. 17 story. “There isn’t really a good protocol for how it all works,” Kenney told The Inquirer. “We think it’s safest to be virtual until they can come up with a plan for increased safety, just to ensure that something like this never happens again at our school.”

The AFT, to nobody's surprise, is not standing with the teachers and denying they organized a sickout.

Condolences to the family of Alayna Thatch. I hope and pray that this situation does not happen anywhere else, but especially in NYC. Stay out if you don't think a building is safe or if you have symptoms. Don't wait for the UFT or DOE to save you. They have shown over and over they don't care about UFTers or students. 


In other news today, January NYS Regents Exams were canceled by the State Education Department. 


35 comments:

Anonymous said...

James, you repeated the CDC link on the words “NYS Regents Exams were canceled.”

Anonymous said...

The Situation Room is now reporting that there is a situation. Who is running that room?

Anonymous said...

We have not gotten any letters from the situation room. It has been over a week. Many students have gotten covid. Our colocation closed last week. The principal there chose to since the situation room was not getting back to them. Our school continues to be open dispite cases and students not vax in elementary. Union rep out with covid. Contacted district rep and waiting. The UFT continues to fail us.

James Eterno said...

Fixed 4:29. Should be okay now.

Anonymous said...

The principals are jumping up and down knowing now that Regents scores can't hold a kid from graduating. All he/she will need to do is pass his/her classes which means principals can make more mock classes and use more smoke and mirrors to increase their graduation rates.

Anonymous said...

At my school in the Bronx, we received about a half dozen letters from the situation room everyday last week. This week, nothing so far, but there are several teachers and students who I personally know tested positive in the last few days. This is gross negligence on the part of De Blasio and the DOE.

Anonymous said...

Relax everyone. As James said, cases “could be as simple as a headache or runny nose.”

Let’s rejoice in some good news for once.

“Israel 🇮🇱 today: out of 341 OMICRON positive subjects, how many are HOSPITALIZED ?

Answer: NONE.

One person with multiple illnesses dies with omicron, but omicron NOT the cause of death.

It is good news, which we will closely follow-up.”

https://twitter.com/AviDascalu/status/1473411178630111233

Anonymous said...

Said yesterday, “Today we know more and have the resources to keep schools open.” - Joe Biden
Too bad we don’t have a president that our NY Governor and mayor could feel safe opposing and attacking so they would insist on closing schools. They’ll never oppose Biden. Somewhere Trump is laughing his ass off at teachers who thought Biden was on their side and who failed to see Trump in the WH would have ensured NY democrats would be vehemently opposed Trump’s open-up policy. Oh well. Maybe next time.

Anonymous said...

Can't believe how many teachers called in today, but I understand. Multiple cases of Covid among students and staff, yet we are told we don't have to quarantine if we are vaxxed. All the teachers are vaxxed, most are boosted as well, but we are still getting sick and spreading it. Heard today that even more teachers and schools planning a mass call in for Dec 23rd. Waited 4 hours after school to get texted because my school refused to test anymore teachers and students. I may join in as I am sure our principal will be doing her walk-in's to ensure Rigor is present in our lessons for almost empty classrooms. It is horrible how little the mayor cares for the well being of teachers and students.

Anonymous said...

11:06
We all get 10 self treated days. I waited hours for a text as well, but never got one for an appointment to get the vivid test. Our school was only allowed so many tests. I will be joining the sick out. This time I won't lie on the health screening. We ask you all to join us.

Anonymous said...

We need to take a stand against unsafe working conditions. I too have a runny nose and congestion. I will join the sick out as well. No one should have to endure these conditions. I didn’t sign up to be teacher so I could get sick a couple times every winter.

Anonymous said...

Is the walk out official? Iean if only blog readers do it, they can get in trouble for taking off b4 vacation.

James Eterno said...

Nothing DOE can do if you fail health screening.

Anonymous said...

1104.. and what school policy of biden's is different than that of agent orange? i don't recall either pushing for school closures. i also remember schools being open last year here in nyc, but okay, act like these two presidents of the ruling class are all that different.

Anonymous said...

1106. are there numbers? im curious how many called out.

Anonymous said...

Would they ask for doc note?how can people outside the blog find out?it should go on news and media.but it's only one day.not much effect.people will think it's used as excuse to extend vacation.bottom line is sadly, nobody cares.good Christmas spirit of caring.dont vote for Hochul!

Anonymous said...

1:01 says he "didn't become a teacher so I could get sick a couple of times every winter." WTF?? You want a guarantee that you won't get a cold? A nasty cold with bad laryngitis and cough was my fate every year. There's no way to prevent that. This is exactly the kind of wimpy cowardice I expected to arise out of the COVID crisis. Now, there's gonna be a new normal for closing the schools whenever there's a bad flu season. Eventually, we're going to have to face COVID because there aren't enough letters in the Greek alphabet. If you're vaxxed and boosted, you'll be ok even if you get it. Suddenly the prospect of a bad cold has everyone running for cover. Is this possibly the same nation that won the Second World War? No way. We'd be heiling Hitler and bowing to Hirohito if it happened today.

Holden said...

Walk outs can never be official. That is a job action and we could lose all our Union Rights.

Quinn Zannoni said...

Over 30 confirmed positive cases at my school -- the Situation Room website reports 2. The dysfunction is staggering. The superintendent refused to shut our site. With admin's support, yesterday we called every parents and told them to keep the students home. 15 of 300+ students showed up today.

Anonymous said...

Two stupid bananas for this combination of drunken rambling and Communism.

Anonymous said...

331. is it difficult to make sense? but let's hear it.. the difference between them regarding school policy? schools were open in nyc last year, yes?

and if critique of the ruling class bothers you, then just hold your head down and keep on moving to their beat.

Anonymous said...

And what do they expect, 100% vaxxed?

Less than 50% of DC African-Americans are vaccinated.

So more than half of the Black population of our nation's capital is now segregated out of most indoor public venues.

BREAKING: DC will require vaccination at restaurants, gyms, entertainment facilities, and other indoor venues beginning Jan. 15

Anonymous said...

Lol people will have to host in their private homes.crazy

Anonymous said...

4:30. That will show them. Whatever it takes. As the mayor said, mandates work. And don’t even think about calling them Jim COVID laws. This is different, We are in a global pandemic. I don’t want to get sick from an unvaxxed person of color.

Anonymous said...

Where does it say say in the contract that you can "get in trouble" if you take off,before a holiday? I looked and can't find it. Scare and intimidate!

Anonymous said...

Pretty sure 101 was being sarcastic.. which makes it a ridiculous comment none the less

Anonymous said...

We get 10 self treated days. There is no mention in the contract on what days we can and can't take those days. Yes, it is frowned upon by admin to take off before a vacation but you can't get reprimanded for it.

James Eterno said...

If any principal questions taking a day before a holiday in the middle of a pandemic, get us the name of the school and principal. We will expose it.

9:21 is correct. Ten self treated days. 3 Covid-19 days would not even come out of sick bank if you can get a test.

Anonymous said...

6:32 you are a bigot.no staff in school is unvaxxed, regardless of race.or were you being sarcastic? Not sure...yo the others...I think you are correct.for years, we were threatened with loss of pay for taking off before and after a vacatiin.another school never did that. Mulgrew missed the mark again.maybe this blunder will cost him his positiin.people have short memories.

Anonymous said...

Confirmed cases of what?? Omicron, delta, flu??? If the PCR only detects covid you have no idea what you have. How many times do teachers get sick during year whether its flu, sore throat, sinus and stuffy nose??? Germs and being around students etc. It happens. Vaxxed people here sre nuts would never survive different time periods it is laughable like Kamala and resident Joe.

Anonymous said...

1:57. They aren’t different. That’s what’s so funny. Suckers thought Biden would save us. What is different is that our NY democrat mayor and gov will never oppose Biden on keeping schools open but would have had to differentiate themselves from Trump by arguing against his open-up policy. Trump in the WH may very well have resulted in NY schools closing more often. If you wanted a shot at closing schools or getting remote, Trump vs democrat ny politicians was your best bet. I find that funny too.

Anonymous said...

6:04 Trump didn't want schools to close at all and he didn't want masks either? What planet have you been living on? Or are you saying that it would have resulted in NY schools closing more often because there would be bigger, more unmanageable, outbreaks? That, I can see.

Anonymous said...

Trump didn’t want schools closed. True. Biden doesn’t want schools closed. Also true. Without Trump in WH, NY mayor and Governor have no one to oppose. They can’t/won’t oppose Biden. But they would have gladly opposed Trump. If Trump were president and demanding schools remain open, NY democrat politicians would be more agreeable to closing schools just to disagree with Trump.

Anonymous said...

Florida beckons.just worried about high humidity and hurricaines.people said covid up in Republican states cuz they don't have mandates.now look where NY is.such BS

Anonymous said...

1. Getting the sniffles is normal in spring, summer, fall, and especially winter - due to the cold weather, nothing to do with children.

2. If you’re scared of the sniffles then you need a therapist - nobody will go their whole lives without the sniffles.

3. If you’re scared of children who have the sniffles then don’t be a teacher.

4. If you get the sniffles then take some NyQuil, blow your nose, and stop whining.