MULGREW TALKS STRIKE AT PRESS CONFERENCE

I listened to the press conference this morning but I was doing something so I couldn't do a live blog but here is my brief synopsis with some initial commentary.

The City-Department of Education will have to agree to the UFT's three-point plan to open schools with lots and lots of COVID-19 testing and antibody testing or the UFT will not have members go into the buildings. At first, UFT President Michael Mulgrew only said it would be individual schools we would not enter (He should have done this in March) but later he clarified and stated that it could be all of the schools and all along he stated that it would be a job action as defined by the Taylor Law. 

He said all of this a little too confidently for me not to believe he cleared it with the Governor's people (or someone in a high up place) beforehand. Maybe I'm too cynical but not a word about Cuomo who also authorized schools to reopen was uttered all morning. The unpopular Mayor de Blasio,who is a very easy target, was the villain.

I think as a commenter on the previous post stated that he should have come to the membership first and not the press about a job action so it is hard to take his declaration too seriously. That said, I will take the militancy any way I can get it and I guess I have to up Mulgrew's grade from Monday on militancy. 

It looks like there is no possible way the city can meet Mulgrew's demands before September 10 so now it is up to Mayor Bill de Blasio to decide on the next move. My guess is that a delay in the start of the school year is forthcoming and then at some point later in September the city and UFT will be declaring certain schools free and clear so they will open. 

The doctors with Mulgrew stated that we can only minimize the COVID-19 threat in opening school buildings. Opening buildings may just increase the spread even with the UFT conditions. In all probability, there will be new infections caused by schools being opened. 

Update- This is from Gothamist to prove the preceding point:

Speaking on WNYC's Brian Lehrer Show on Tuesday, Dr. Irwin Redlener warned that schools are "going to become hotbeds for the infections to take hold again and spread through the community."

"It's almost inevitable if we are in fact going to even hold some classes in real time in real classrooms," he added.

Earlier in the month, Redlener penned an op-ed in the Daily Beast in which he argued that schools should not reopen until point-of-care rapid testing and a vaccine are available.

"Until then, most school systems should hit the pause button rather than run that cruel experiment," he wrote.

A widely respected authority on pediatrics and public health who works at Columbia University, Redlener has informally advised the mayor throughout the pandemic.

All remote learning, until there is a widely available vaccine or a remedy is what my kids will be doing. 

Why doesn't Mulgrew ask the members what they think are the acceptable risks? 

Back to the presser, the other part that struck me is the UFT is now admitting that they want to be and are demanding to be co-managers of the school system as they would need to certify school buildings safe. I'm okay with UFT inspections but I believe some here won't trust them at all.

Since there has been absolutely no preparation for a strike but it is now on the table, are the members en masse willing to stay out and risk the penalties?

Updated Conclusion: I am really interested in your thoughts.  If de Blasio calls Mulgrew's bluff and the UFT calls a safety strike, I will be supporting my Union. I want to make that clear.

UFT PRESS CONFERENCE WEDNESDAY MORNING TO CALL FOR MORE COVID TESTING WHILE CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION FIGHTS FOR BETTER REMOTE LEARNING

 From Ben Max Twitter:

The UFT is doing something. They are ratcheting up pressure on the Mayor and Chanellor in the way they know how by talking to the press with friendly politicians and others. We will give credit if it works but it could be much a more robust presser if there were tens of thousands of UFTers prepared to work to rule or outright strike.

Update: Even if the UFT gets de Blasio to throw in the towel  on blended learning and he closes school buildings, the Union has dithered and strung everyone along for so long that remote learning will be a last minute mess to implement.

In Chicago where the  Chicago Teachers Union threatened a strike earlier this month and the Mayor then almost instantly backed away from trying to open school buildings, the CTU is now fighting to improve remote learning.

This was in my email in-box this evening. I wish I was part of a real union like the CTU:

CHICAGO, August 18, 2020—Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey issued the following statement following Chicago Public Schools’ release of its Remote Learning Guidance Document for the start of the 2020-2021 school year:

“Mayor Lightfoot and Chicago Public Schools were trying their best to have in-person, classroom instruction to start the year, and it is clear that their energy went into designing and selling the hybrid school plan. To them, it was hybrid or nothing.

"So when Black and Latinx families said in great numbers that they were not going to risk their children’s lives in a global pandemic, there was nothing for the mayor and the district to fall back on but what they knew learning already looks like. And that’s what we’re left with today.

“The mayor and CPS made this plan without imagination or input from teachers. They have unveiled a remote learning plan to fit into the mold of in-person school, but have failed to take advantage of the ways that online learning can be made more accessible and engaging. In fact, they refuse to partner on an agreement that reflects lessons learned from last spring and best practices for remote learning.

"We feel like that there should be innovation specific to remote learning that works for a wider swath of educators and families. We’ve accepted that this is a pandemic, and we’ve adapted accordingly to serve our school communities. We’re not sure CPS has done the same. There is a lot of infrastructure to build, and they’ve been reluctant to build that infrastructure with our union.

"Today, we filed the first in a series of grievances against CPS for issuing remote learning guidance that fails to provide our school communities with the instructional tools necessary to deliver proper instruction in a remote context required by the labor contract. The Union is demanding that CPS provide educators and students with the infrastructure necessary to conduct remote learning, and the increase of professional development time to allow for training and collaboration with parents, caregivers and students on remote learning best practices.

“The district believes it has taken care of all its issues since the spring, but the social inequities that existed then haven’t disappeared over the summer. CPS and the mayor failed to address those inequities, so we’re still grappling with that. But parents and educators need answers. How do we do diagnostics with Pre-K? How do we conduct home visits for our special education families? How do nurses and social workers engage? Can our social workers and clinicians provide support similar to how physicians do via Telehealth?

“We also don’t know how this is going to work based on the limitations of the Google Meet platform CPS has, or how many students at this point don’t have access to devices and broadband Internet. We need to hold the district to its promise that every student receives the tools and has the access they need before the start of classes.

"CPS has received $205 million from the CARES Act. There shouldn’t be a student or a family in need of anything right now.

“Where is the flexibility for working parents—including thousands of our own members? Everything we proposed to CPS was rejected, so it’s almost like we’re being punished for our work in helping secure remote learning to start the year, and keep educators, students and their families safe. But CPS needs to collaborate with both families and educators to unpack how we make this work together. What the district issued today isn’t reflective of a partnership, or a positive remote learning experience for parents across the city.

“If we want successful remote learning, the practitioners must have a voice in the curriculum and the design, and CPS and the mayor must put forth the resources to make it happen.

“At the end of the day, the mayor and CPS did everyone a disservice by taking so long to capitulate to the obvious in moving to remote learning. We are confident that educators will figure it out with the help of students and families, but we are disappointed that once again, our members will have to be the innovators in pushing past incompetence and working toward something that will work for Chicago’s families and school communities."

CONTRIBUTE TO UFT SOLIDARITY LEGAL DEFENSE FUND

UFT Solidarity has retained a top flight education lawyer. Solidarity is planning to sue NYC-DOE, looking for an injunction to prevent NYC public school buildings from opening because they aren't safe in a pandemic.

Attorneys charge for their valuable time so Solidarity set up the Solidarity Legal Defense Fund. They have raised over $4,300 in just a few days. The goal is $5,000 to cover the costs of getting this legal action going.

If UFT Solidarity was running the UFT, this would not cost anything to individual members but Unity has an iron grip on UFT power and won't let go. The membership at large would need to rise up to take back the union. Mulgrew and his Unity followers have indicated they would only sue to close individual school buildings, not the entire system.

I contributed to the Solidarity Legal Defense Fund although I will not personally benefit. I think the lawsuit to shut all of the buildings down is a bit of a longshot however pooling resources for a collective lawsuit is a step in the right direction of involving the UFT membership in actions.

I hope this builds to members en masse being willing to take direct action by working to rule by following the DOE guidance doing a health check each morning and not reporting to a school if UFTers have any possible COVID-19 symptoms like a runny nose or a headache. No staff=no school.

New Zealand, one of the world's success stories in fighting COVID-19, didn't have any new cases for 102 days. They've had a setback in August. Once they had a cluster of new cases, they locked down Aukland and shut most schools. They had nine new cases today in the entire country. NYC on Monday, with not quite twice as many people compared to New Zealand (about 8 million NYC-5 million NZ), had 284 new cases Monday.

This is from CNN:

The swift action taken by many Asia-Pacific governments in response to the new wave of cases, while perhaps giving a skewed impression of how drastic the situation is, is precisely how to get things back under control. And while going from zero to a few dozen cases may sometimes look like a "big surge," as Trump described New Zealand's latest outbreak, for many people, it remains far preferable to staying consistent at tens of thousands of daily infections.

Up to you ladies and gentemen: You can follow Trump, Cuomo and deBlasio and just go back to school buildings. You can look to Mulgrew to declare certain schools unsafe but go into all the others. The predictable results will more than likely be new infections. Or, you can fight collectively by taking a first step by contributing to the Solidarity Legal Defense Fund now and then working to rule if necessary next month if the DOE-city don't listen to reason and go all remote.

TRYING TO READ BETWEEN THE LINES OF WHAT MULGREW SAID AT THE TOWN HALL

If we do a bit of analysis, we can see that Michael Mulgrew revealed more about the UFT's thinking than what he said directly during last Thursday's Town Hall. Over at JD2718, Jonathan Halabi gave Mulgrew a D+/C- overall grade. I would give Mulgrew a B for transparency and of course an F for militancy.

As we stated on Saturday, the UFT is not going to organize any job action within the next few weeks. The closest the UFT will come to being militant is to sue to shut down individual school buildings. There isn't going to be a call to action from Mulgrew/Unity Caucus for a safety strike like they are voting to authorize in Detroit, which like NYC has an overall infection rate under 3%. The UFT won't be joining the call for a nationwide teacher sickout either, even if this blog has already shown how it would be perfectly legal in NYC. DOE plans are almost encouraging a work to rule sickout.

Mulgrew/Unity is incapable of organizing and mobilizing for a militant job action and would never risk their automatic dues checkoff. Folks, you are on your own if the UFT experts deem your school building safe. The best hope now besides the rank and file pulling together to defend ourselves is for DOE incompetence to kill the reopening plans. Don't count on Mulgrew to save you.

For an inartful historical analogy, do you really think Neville Chamberlain had any chance of being a great war leader after appeasing Hitler in 1938? Chamberlain led the British war effort from September 1939 through May 10, 1940. It did not go well. Neither would a Mulgrew led job action. I apologize for the kind of clumsy World War II analogy as Cuomo and de Blasio are no Hitlers but you get the point. Leopards don't change their spots, nor do concessionary union leaders.

Where does that leave us? The real Mulgrew came through loud and fairly clear on Thursday. There won't be a real fight (bluster does not count) but there will be an attempt at a grand bargain. 

From our report of the Town Hall:

Facing really tough problems. The federal government has fallen apart on stimulus package. Without stimulus money, we don't believe city has money for protective equipment. Problem is layoffs are on the table. We don't want any of you to face layoff. Safety and taking care of your livelihood [are our main priorities]. It's not hopeless. Unions will have to work together in Albany to stop city from layoffs. We have time through the end of October. That is just as important as the safety issue...We have a path and plan.

 Later in the question period:

Question: Mayor announced that by October 1, 22,000 possible layoffs.

Answer: We are impacted. No tourists on Broadway. Restaurants, bars and other establishments not paying taxes. $6 billion deficit in NYC and $16 billion in state. I don't want people losing their jobs.

And this one:

Question: Thanks Mulgrew. Can we have a buyout to mitigate layoffs?

Answer: We have absolutely requested a buyout through Municipal Labor Committee. We have legislation in Albany. Talks are progressing. We need other avenue of funding from Albany. City will ask for givebacks. Try to finalize a good buyout. Retiree trustees say numbers are fine for the pension system. It requires city, Assembly, State Senate and Governor to use buyout to fund more teachers. 

My reading of this is that there is probably a grand bargain afoot to save the city from drastic cuts by allowing the city to borrow money to meet its operating expenses. The problem is the timing because if there is that Early Retirement Incentive that happens after the school year starts, it will lead to some real chaos in the system if too many DOE employees choose to take it. 

For those interested in examining an early retirement bill in the State Legislature, start on Senator Joseph Griffo's State Senate page for a simple explanation of an ERI bill now in committee in Albany. The actual bill is here.

As part of the bill, individuals who are 50 years of age with 25 years of credible services or those who are 55 years of age with 10 years of credible service would be eligible for the retirement incentive. Local governments would have the option of offering the incentive at their discretion. 

There are other ERI bills up in Albany so nobody can be certain what a final early retirement incentive will look like.

We also don't know what else will be on the table. We can be confident that Mulgrew's blustering about not putting the final lump sum payment due in October on the table means that it is probably safe. I'd be more concerned about the guaranteed 7% interest on the fixed TDA. Lowering the interest rate would save a whole lot more money than deferring our lump sum payment. That might not be on the table either. It might not come to it but would we consider using our pension fund to loan the city money by purchasing more city bonds as we did in 1975 to bail them out? Labor leader and consultant Jack Bigel said two decades after in 1996, as quoted in Joshua Freeman's book, Working Class New York,  "We shot crap with the assets of 350,000 pension fund members."

Concessions are coming as unions attempt to help out the city and state. I really don't know what they might be. If Trump is reelected and no bailout is forthcoming from DC in 2021, those concessions could end up being really scary. 

Mulgrew gets that B for transparency because we know givebacks will be upon us but we still don't know what they will be. He gets the F for militancy because he has certainly earned it. Nobody fears a militant UFT. However, I am a relatively easy grader (well, maybe I'm stingy in today's Easy Pass climate) so I would be happy to change that grade higher if I could. 

GUEST BLOGGER JP FROM MANHATTAN'S LETTER TO DE BLASIO

 Mayor de Blasio,

Chancellor Carranza

UFT

Governor Cuomo

City Council

NY Media

As of May, soon after school closures, 74 DOE employees DIED of COVID-19.  We have no idea what the real number is or how many actually were infected.  Remember, you knowingly sent us into infected buildings.  

70 were school-based employees:

- 28 paraprofessionals

- 30 teachers

- 2 food service staffers

- 2 administrators

- 2 facilities staff

- 2 school aides

- 2 guidance counselors

- 1 parent coordinator

- 1 school computer technology specialist

Mr. Carranza, on March 12 you made a joke citing 108,000 epidemiologists, after 108,000 DOE staff members requested an immediate shutdown, to ensure safety.  I think you should go to the families of the DOE staff members who died and the thousands more who were made sick, and then apologize.  I am one of those staff members.  That joke was not funny.  It was done in poor taste and got people killed.  It is unfortunate, in such a dire situation, you showed such poor leadership.  Are you willing to do the same thing so more people get sick and die?  Should staff members suffer, go on ventilators, how about their families?  How are you going to apologize to me if I pick up the virus from a staff member, a student or on the train?   If I kill my elderly parents?  How many more staff members is the DOE willing to lose before they realize that reopening schools is DANGEROUS.  Is it even safe that TEACHERS will be breathing in all the stuff they are spraying in the classroom to clean every day?

Mayoral Lies

Parent survey-75 percent of parent surveys stated that they wanted students to return to the buildings.  NOT TRUE.  First, most of that 75 said that they only wanted students to return if specific conditions were met.  Second, you assume that the 800,000 parents that did not reply want students to return to buildings.  That is not true.  How do I know?  My school took time to call all the parents.  Guess what?  Of the parents we could reach, approximately 80% told us that they did not complete the survey and want students enrolled in remote instruction ONLY.  

"DOE press secretary Miranda Barbot confirmed that about 586,000 students — 80 percent of the students who are under blended learning — were automatically enrolled because the parents didn’t submit a response to the city.”

Next lie-You claim that 85% of teachers want to return to buildings.  NOT TRUE.  85% could not qualify for the medical accommodation.  Actually, almost every teacher we have spoken to feels very unsafe and would prefer full remote learning.  Why don't you make it optional if you are so confident?  It is so unsafe that you can make accommodations but it is so safe everyone else can take the risk?  166,000 dead, remember.  5 million infections, remember?  Long-term brain, heart, breathing problems...Are you willing to risk long-term problems?  55% of coronavirus patients still have neurological problems three months later: study

Perhaps I can gain 25 pounds in the next 3 weeks so I can qualify for the accommodation.  Being overweight is better than attempting to live with covid-19.  

In my many years as a teacher I learned how to see the future...

This will be an utter disaster

Thousands will get sick

Cuomo will blame de Blasio

De Blasio will blame Trump

Mulgrew will blame the DOE

Staff will suffer and get nothing out of it

Every plan assumes a well-behaved student body that will follow all directives and maintain masks and social distancing, even during hall passing.  This is impossible.  I have been spit on by students.  What happens when one loses their temper and intentionally spits, breathes heavy on, blows air in my face, grabs me, refuses to wear a mask?  Please don't tell me there will be actions taken.  That has never happened.  You outlawed suspensions, remember?  Have you walked into a school in the last 6 years, unannounced, and seen what was going on?  Complete chaos and disrespect.  You are making grand assumptions, again.  Students unable to follow rules, eating, touching, getting angry and threatening with spit, coming from outside, interacting with friends, people on bus or train...And then covid infected students will sit in an isolation room with a staff member.  There are still loads of teens outside playing basketball, for example.  

But don't worry, as students eat with no mask they will sit quietly like angels and we will stand behind them.  Great plan.  

Every day, from NY to California, and in many parts of NY, schools are deeming it unsafe to re-open in person learning?  Why are you willing to risk the safety of everyone?    It is a proven fact that large gatherings cause numbers to skyrocket.  What about bus use?  Train use?  You are possibly causing a citywide outbreak.  You want to open just to close a few days later and harm everyone in the process?  State after state that has reopened has had deadly consequences.  Texas and Georgia, after just days, had to quarantine thousands of people.  

15-year-old boy with no underlying conditions has died in Georgia after contracting COVID-19, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.  The boy’s death comes as many Georgia school districts have reopened for in-person learning.

Dr. Birx and Dr. Fauci have repeatedly said that schools shouldn’t open as there is risk of community spread.  They have said large gatherings, especially those which are indoors are the most dangerous.  A classroom full of students and a school full of students and staff is an indoor large gathering.  

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, of CNN, certainly not a Trump supporter, is keeping his three young daughters home.  Even though they are "Low risk," he deems a return to school too dangerous.  

Just in the last 24 hours...

-Most California schools will start year online, Gov. Gavin Newsom says

-Rochester-Remote

-Columbia, Barnard Cancel In-Person Classes for the Fall

-A majority of Hudson County school districts will be all-remote in September

-SEATTLE REMOTE INDEFINITELY: School board says in-person reopen date depends on health metrics. Other WA districts follow suit, some delay 6-8 weeks https://mynorthwest.com/2034736/districts-reopening-schools-western-washington/

-DENVER OPENS REMOTE: Large city delays in-person school till at least mid-October 

-Lunch Workers Union, School Aides Urge De Blasio To Delay NYC School Reopening

Governor Cuomo stated that fall is coming, he questions what is going to happen with people getting the flu, people getting flu vaccines, and everyone in the city running to get covid tests?  All staff members?  And students?  You don't envision a problem?

Dr. Redfield stated that this will be the worst fall season in terms of health in United States history.  

We know with 100% certainty that taking someone's temperature means absolutely nothing.  

Parents, teachers say de Blasio is downplaying real concerns over schools https://t.co/NZxFuKpcOO?amp=1

The DOE cannot be trusted after last March.  After last March, and after many other failures, all teachers realized that they could not trust the UFT.  Instead of calling for a walkout, the UFT was worried about dues loss.  

If Mr. Mulgrew states that we were waiting 20 years for nurses, why would we expect any improvements now?  It shows you didn't value us then, and you don't value us now.  Nice job UFT. Way to hold the city accountable.  

We were promised by Governer Cuomo that we had to feel safe, the parents had to feel safe and we had to be ready to go back.  In addition to a meaningless Q and A session coming up next week?  Is that it?  We have no say?  Where is our survey?  What you are asking for is to have open schools with no staff.  Not worth our lives to sit with two students who are doing nothing anyway.   We know you think of us as babysitters anyway.  AFT President Randi Weingarten has endorsed a "Strike for safety."  All the teachers need to hop on this wagon to protect themselves and their family.  I don't think the entire teaching staff will be fooled again.  Either we go in or we don't.  I bet we don't. 

REPORT FROM INSIDE A REGIONAL ENRICHMENT CENTER; PRINCIPALS GETTING AROUND THE HIRING FREEZE

Readers occasionally email us with information and tell us to print it. This posting comes mostly from a reader.

First, some background. This is from the Regional Enrichment Center homepage:

In order to successfully fight COVID-19, our first responders, health care providers, transit workers, and other key personnel must be able to come to work. That is why we have created Regional Enrichment Centers (RECs)—places where the children of these front-line workers can be safely cared for while their parents continue to serve the city in this time of need.

Staffed by DOE employees and community-based organization partners, the centers will provide children with three daily hot meals, remote learning time with their teachers, activities like art, music, and physical education, as well as social and emotional support.

We have someone who emailed us from inside one of the Centers. 

 I work at the REC Center and the kids have gone wild over the past few weeks - throwing bikes, throwing tantrums, getting physical, getting angry, just horrible. I kid you not, one kid screamed for half an hour because we told him that if you don't want to do learning time or free draw, just put the pencil away and sit down. 

A preview of things to come if and when regular school buildings open in the fall. It looks like it will only be a matter of time before someone spreads COVID-19 in a school building again. Of course, I hope I am wrong here and that all of the kids behave like little angels.

In addition, our reporter told us this concerning DOE hiring:

Also, did you know that some schools are offering new teachers jobs during this hiring freeze by getting them on board as long-term subs. They are filling vacancies with new teachers under the lieu of a long-term substitute position as opposed to hiring from the ATR pool. Crazy what these principals do to avoid following the directive they were given.

This type of hiring has been going on for years. The new teachers cannot complain or they will lose their jobs. Expecting the UFT to step in might be possible if the UFT wants to. If there was no union or an even weaker one, this kind of hiring would be standard.

JOURNALIST ROSS BARKAN SHOWS MULGREW FOR WHO HE IS WHICH IS NOT A MILITANT LABOR LEADER AS MULGREW PROVED AGAIN AT THURSDAY'S TOWN HALL

The other day, we criticized UFT legend Al Shanker's refusal to consider combining union forces to threaten a general strike in 1975 at the height of the NYC financial crisis. Shanker at the time stated, "A general strike is a political weapon associated with the communist unions of Europe. For us to use it would be irresponsible." Shanker at his concessionist worst in 1975 was still preferable to current UFT President Michael Mulgrew, who was all over the place in his less than inspiring Town Hall on Thursday. All we know as a virtual certainty is the UFT leadership will not be militant in 2020. 

When UFT members were sent into buildings the UFT knew were infected with COVID-19 in March, the UFT was more concerned with their dues than our lives at the height of the pandemic. The best they would do is threaten a lawsuit while discouraging members who were launching a sickout. The Town Hall Thursday proved nothing has changed at the top in the last five months. 

There was no call to action if it isn't safe, no plan to mobilize chapters. There wasn't a call for an emergency Delegate Assembly to take a strike authorization vote and then send it on to the Union Chapters for ratification. Instead, Mulgrew gave vague threats of lawsuits to keep individual schools closed and he made a totally wrong citation of Taylor Law strike penalties. One loses two CAR days for every day on strike he claimed. Let's be serious. 

Journalist Ross Barkan, who writes The Cuomo Files for Substack, has Mulgrew completely figured out. This excerpt is taken from a recent essay comparing the city's financial situation today to the 1975 financial crisis:

What is undeniable is that the city lacks a single labor leader of the stature of Victor Gotbaum or the UFT’s Albert Shanker; today’s labor heavyweights are relatively uncharismatic and squeamish, a blend of Cuomo pawns and largely forgettable personalities. It was Shanker’s decision to put his union pension funds at risk that saved New York City from going bankrupt. If Andrew Cuomo told Michael Mulgrew to let the city default on its debts, Mulgrew would happily oblige.

Mulgrew is a creation of a combination of the stale political machine called Unity Caucus that has run the UFT since the early 1960s and the passivity of the membership at large. Unity was created by Shanker. Unity rewards loyalty to the party above all else and they have welcomed as well as encouraged a passive membership. A deadly pandemic has not changed anything in the leadership except now maybe the membership will no longer just go along if our lives and student lives are again put at risk. Perhaps this is the time for UFT members en masse to stand up and fight for ourselves and each other.

WESTCHESTER-PUTNAM COUNTY TEACHER UNION PRESIDENTS OPEN LETTER TO SCHOOL COMMUNITIES

 Michael Lillis is the President of the Lakeland Federation of Teachers. He ran for NYSUT President in 2017. He and his fellow union presidents write about the pitfalls of reentering schools this fall. My favorite part: 

Every plan assumes a well-behaved student body that will follow all directives and maintain masks and social distancing, even during hall passing.  Plans assume we will be able to hire enough leave replacements, substitutes, and monitors to supervise students in the next three weeks.  This will not occur.  When schools reopen with the potential of being understaffed, it will make an already unsafe situation even worse.

In every survey conducted about re-entry, the most important condition people require is that the schools be safe.  The phrase “Maslow before Bloom” is never more applicable than the current situation.  It is irrational to expect students will be able to learn in any reasonable manner when their teachers and administrators are constantly conveying the need for vigilance in mask- wearing and social distancing.  The constant need for vigilance cannot help but be internalized as fear and anxiety.  At best, schools will be more similar to a well-meaning prison than an actual rich learning environment where thoughts can be shared and joy can be expressed.

Well said Michael. The entire letter follows. I wish we had union leaders in NYC who acted like this. Westchester-Putnam are so close to us yet so far away.

An Open Letter to the School Communities in Westchester and Putnam Counties from the Leadership of Teacher and Staff Unions

We feel compelled to write to you in a shared voice, as there are universal elements to our concerns about re-entry into the schools this September.  It is important to note that this is a discussion about re-entry, not re-opening.  The education of children has always been our top concern.  One truth that cannot be ignored as a necessary precursor to any successful model of instruction is a safe learning space.  Though we will open this September for instruction, the only question is the modality of that instruction.

All districts in New York were required to create a re-entry plan that addressed three options: full virtual, hybrid, and full in-person instruction.  The hybrid model is the most popular one for re-entry this September, but it poses significant risks.  The hybrid model requirement gained traction in the state early on, but unfortunately, most of what we have recently learned about COVID-19 and children calls the safety of this model into question. These risks are not a reflection of inadequate efforts by any district or administrative team in protecting the children and staff in their schools.  Rather, they are inherent inadequacies when a system designed around instructing students is tasked with creating learning environments that will protect children and teachers during a viral pandemic.

Additionally, there has been a failure in state and federal governments to ensure that adequate testing, PPE, and HVAC filtration systems are readily available. The requirements for the district plans were provided by the Governor’s office and the State Education Department in the middle of July and they were to be completed by July 31.  The Governor even added new testing and contact tracing requirements in the first week of August.

To create truly safe re-entry plans, districts would require more time, direction, and resources. It is telling that neither the state nor federal governments have provided additional resources to help ensure a safe re-entry; districts have been on their own.

Educators approach every task with a “can do” attitude.  Throughout the months of July and August, teams in each district leaned in and got the job done.  The plans were made and it is truly impressive work.  The problem, however, is that they are plans to meet government requirements for safety; they are not necessarily plans to make the schools as safe as they can be.  The limits of these plans hit close to home this summer when the Greenburgh-North Castle school experienced an outbreak of COVID-19, despite meeting or exceeding all Department of Health guidelines and having a very small student population. As anyone with any experience planning school events can attest, even the best plans on paper never match what happens once actual students are brought in.  

Every plan assumes a well-behaved student body that will follow all directives and maintain masks and social distancing, even during hall passing.  Plans assume we will be able to hire enough leave replacements, substitutes, and monitors to supervise students in the next three weeks.  This will not occur.  When schools reopen with the potential of being understaffed, it will make an already unsafe situation even worse.

In every survey conducted about re-entry, the most important condition people require is that the schools be safe.  The phrase “Maslow before Bloom” is never more applicable than the current situation.  It is irrational to expect students will be able to learn in any reasonable manner when their teachers and administrators are constantly conveying the need for vigilance in mask- wearing and social distancing.  The constant need for vigilance cannot help but be internalized as fear and anxiety.  At best, schools will be more similar to a well-meaning prison than an actual rich learning environment where thoughts can be shared and joy can be expressed.

Before we can return to schools, we must be sure that every reasonable precaution has been met in order for schools to be safe.  The goal cannot be to just mitigate risk, but to create the safest possible learning environment.  Many of these requirements go well beyond the capability of an individual school district and require action at the state or federal level.  We may feel powerless to secure what is necessary; that, however, does not change the reality of its necessity.

To ensure that in-person instruction begins safely, every school district should be putting into place the following measures that create the highest health and safety standards for our students, teachers, and staff:

1.  All building-wide HVAC systems must be upgraded to a minimum of MERV-13 filtration, and if existing systems cannot be upgraded, portable units with HEPA filtration must be available for all indoor spaces.

2. There must be uniform standards for COVID testing that help monitor asymptomatic spread. COVID testing must provide accurate and reliable results within 24 hours in order to monitor asymptomatic spread. The current wait time can be as high as 12 days, which is not adequate to help prevent the spread of COVID by asymptomatic individuals infected with COVID in our schools.

3. Supply lines for PPE must be prioritized to deliver all necessary PPE to schools in a timely fashion. All schools must have an adequate supply of PPE at all times, including enhanced PPE for students and employees who require it.

4. School districts must be able to guarantee that there is sufficient staff to supervise students and provide instruction, even as individual staff members are absent for illness or quarantine, child-care, or personal leaves.

5. There must be a 100% virtual option for teachers and students who are medically compromised.

6. Plans should require a minimum 14-day shutdown once closed for COVID-19 issues.

Last year was the most challenging instructional year any teacher experienced.  There is no teacher who looks forward to beginning the year using remote instruction. Everything about teaching virtually is more complicated.  For educators, their classroom is their space.  It is where they conjure children’s dreams and give them the tools to fulfill them. Computers are sterile imposters that rob the experience of the richness of our relationships with our students.  Educators and students need to not only feel safe but must actually be safe in their working and learning environments.  Districts and governments need to strive to meet these expectations.  There is too much at stake to fall short of the safest possible model.

Testing: https://covidstates.net/COVID19%20CONSORTIUM%20REPORT%208%20TEST%20JULY%202020.pdf

New Information on Children and COVID-19:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-scientists-know-about-how-children-spread-covid-19-180975396/

https://www.lohud.com/story/opinion/2020/08/12/westchester-doctor-school-chronic-illness/3331348001/

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/12/health/covid-kids-school-gupta-essay/index.html

https://www.lohud.com/story/news/education/2020/07/29/greenburgh-north-castle-summer-school-coronavirus/5530181002/

Co-signing Presidents

Michael Lillis, Lakeland Federation of Teachers

Nate Morgan, Hastings Teachers Association

Vanessa Vaccaro, Ossining Teachers Association

Tom McMahon, Mahopac Teachers’ Association

Jennifer Maldonado, Hendrick Hudson Education Association

Elisa Rosen, Hendrick Hudson Education Association

David Wixted Scarsdale Teachers Association

Anthony Nicodemo, Greenburgh North Castle United Teachers

Mary Claire Breslin, New Rochelle Federation of United School Employees

Samantha Rosado-Ciriello, Yonkers Federation of Teachers

Brenda O’Shea, Somers Faculty Association

Andrea McCue, Haldane Faculty Association

James Groven, Irvington Faculty Association

Judith A. Kelly, Teachers’ Association of the Tarrytowns

Chris Tyler, Harrison Association of Teachers

Jeanne Whelan, Tuckahoe Teachers’ Association

Roseanna Cutietta, Hawthorne Cedar Knolls Federation of Teachers

Rick Tivnan, Brewster Teachers’ Association

Carene Domato, Mt. Vernon Federation of Teachers

Melissa Barreto, BOCES Teachers’ Association

Jeff Yonkers, NYSUT ED 16 Director

Sean Kennedy, Yorktown Congress of Teachers

Lisa Jackson, Carmel Teachers’ Association

Janet Knight, Mamaroneck Teachers’ Association

José Fernandez, Peekskill Faculty Association

Amy Geiger, Katonah-Lewisboro District Teachers’ Association

Kathleen Fox, Edgemont Teachers’ Association

Miriam Longobardi, Chappaqua Congress of Teachers

Jennifer Cole, Greenburgh Eleven Federation of Teachers

Clare Delongchamp Eastchester Teachers’ Association

HR INFORMATION TO PRINCIPALS ON ACCOMMODATIONS

FYI:

HR GENERAL

Update on Reasonable Accommodations Applications

Full-time staff who have applied for a reasonable accommodation to work from home due to increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 have begun to receive notifications regarding the outcome of their applications. The roster, now available on the Principals Dashboard, displays an updated status for employees who have received these notifications, including approvals and denials. As previously noted in the July 23 edition of Principals Digest, the Reasonable Accommodation roster is updated at approximately 6:00 p.m. daily.

Please note that staff may reapply if their application has been denied. As such, the roster may subsequently show multiple applications from the same employee. Applications that are withdrawn are no longer shown on the roster. Most school-based employees who applied by the July 31 deadline will receive their notifications this week; additional notifications will be delivered during the week of August 17 and twice per week thereafter.  

LIVE BLOGGING FROM MULGREW AUGUST TOWN HALL

 Michael Mulgrew Report:

We are not ready to open the schools in NYC now. Spoke to mayor.  Follow original CDC guidelines. We don't have what the mayor already agreed to. Mayor picked a timeline for principals to schedule schools. Send schedules if you have one from principal to DR. Schedules were not fully agreed on. We have to have everything in place to open safely. Nobody is teaching six periods. Nobody will be teaching five in a row. Many challenges are driven by the Mayor and his actions at this point. Challenges since March. We need medical accommodations. They are starting to be granted which is good. In April, we told Mayor that to open the schools safety in September, have to start preparing in April. Ignored by Mayor in April, May and June. He started in July. We're not going to allow our schools to open if they are not safe. Working closely with CSA. We don't want the Mayor to blame Principals and Teachers. CSA had letter and we followed up. We don't believe schools can open on September 10. Mayor put on a show in one school. We called that out to the press.

We will keep pushing at Mayor. He has to do everything that was agreed upon. If the schools aren't safe, we are not going to open them. We are not going to allow people to be put in harm's way again. NYC infection rate is at 1%.  Look at the daily infection rate. It is below 3% in all neighborhoods and below 1% in most neighborhoods. Parents are our allies. Doing everything to stand with them. Families have to decide whether to send their child to school or some risk being homeless if they don't work. Can I stay home and put our family at risk?

Difficult dilemma. Do we go in and not be safe or if we don't go in, are we putting our ability to take care of our families at risk? Do everything to make it safe. Mayor has to be held accountable. Mayor has time to put things in place to make it safe. We have over 100 trained staff who know how to do a school visit for COVID-19. Some schools will not be ready. Checking for a number of things. We will take appropriate action if the city tries to open those schools up.  We have to be smart and diligent. We have to push the city to make sure schools are actually safe. I don't believe schools will be ready to be opened on September 10. We have to show the evidence. Betting on us and not on them.

Facing really tough problems. The federal government has fallen apart on stimulus package. Without stimulus money, we don't believe city has money for protective equipment. Problem is layoffs are on the table. We don't want any of you to face layoff. Safety and taking care of your livelihood. It's not hopeless. Unions will have to work together in Albany to stop city from layoffs. We have time through the end of October. That is just as important as the safety issue. We work in NYC school system, it is never just one problem at a time. We have to communicate and stick together. What we see every day on the TV is insane. National union is in court to stop what is going on in Florida. 2,000 in quarantine. Georgia has 3,000 in quarantine. Look at facts in NYC. If we don't feel safe, we won't open. We will break the Taylor Law if we have to. Illegal for job action in NY. We will go to court first. Must reach a clear and present danger in NYC in every school. We will make a decision as a union together. People who participate in a job action can be terminated or disciplined. Lose two days from sick bank for every day. Mulgrew would go to jail. We all have to make the decision that if it isn't safe, we won't go to work. Our medical professionals are telling us the infection rate is where we can attempt to open school but we don't have an agreed-upon safety protocol. We don't believe we are going to be ready. If we do the testing and tracing, have the PPE and do the social distancing, then doctors say we can pull it off. It comes down to Mayor and DOE. Mayor says we have a lot of time. We say it's a short time. 

Mayor announced today there will be a nurse in every school. How can we serve lunch in the classroom if we can't go to a restaurant? If kids face forward and the teacher sits in the back of the room, it would be safe. Facing two great challenges: safety and livelihood. Facing layoffs. Feeling distressed. All dealing with fear and craziness. We have a path and plan. When it is the appropriate time to make decisions, we will. We need to take care of each other. We went through more than any other school system in the USA. We might not be able to say that for much longer. Parents will listen to teachers, counselors or secretaries they trust. There is a lot of anger, fear and anxiety out there. Guarantee that decisions are made from independent doctors on safety. On layoffs, we got through last recession without layoffs, only large system, we will get through again. 

Questions

Question: Haven't received word yet on accommodation but those who have received accommodations have it through December 31?

Mulgrew Answer: DOE lawyers want people to reapply. Will ask DOE if they want everyone to reapply again? Will have discussion with them.

Question: Will remote teachers with accommodation have to teach more than regular class? Live instruction?

Answer: Close to 30% of students are fully remote but only 15% of the teachers are remote. Will be streaming live. Working out details now. Dealing with a teaching shortage when there are layoffs being threatened. Schools can't have enough teachers. Class size would be 12. We can't staff in school students. For remote, class sizes from contract will be followed.

Question: Ventilation: How is information about ventilation being shown and how is it being given out to all?

Answer: Higher bar for ventilation than before Covid. Some schools have major issues. Some schools will not be open. We will stand in front of them and say they are not safe. We have a right by NYS law to go in and test schools. HVAC systems aren't needed to have proper ventilation. Most older schools don't have HVAC systems but have windows that open. Best ventilation system is to have ventilation blowing from outside. Need outside air coming in. Have agreed upon criteria and right to see reports. Do not be surprised if a number of school buildings cannot be used unless city can replace entire airflow system in three weeks.

Question: Mayor announced that by October 1, 22,000 possible layoffs.

Answer: We are impacted. No tourists on Broadway. Restaurants, bars and other establishments not paying taxes. $6 billion deficit in NYC and $16 billion in state. I don't want people losing their jobs. 

Question: How can we prevent kids from not turning around, not taking masks off and not sitting on top of each other?

Answer: We will train them. Hormones raging with middle school students. First couple of days are all about training the kids. Kids who can't follow safety procedures are going to have to go home for fully remote instruction. Our nurses from the hospitals will do the training for all of us. DOE happy to have our nurses do the training. We might have counselors and others needing face shields and other full PPE equipment. Everyone may need a shield.

Question: Thanks Mulgrew for his work and he thanks her. When we call parents to pick up sick children, they don't show up. What do we do when parents are called for kids not following rules and parent doesn't show up?

Answer: DOE agrees with us kids must conform. Child not wearing mask has to be put in SAVE or Isolation room. Will need the SAVE room for kids being problematic in terms of safety. DOE will have to tell parent that this child has to go full remote. Chancellor has made an announcement that those with teaching certificates in offices can be redeployed for teaching assignments. We want it to be a central DOE problem.

Question: Thanks Mulgrew. Can we have a buyout to mitigate layoffs?

Answer: We have absolutely requested a buyout through Municipal Labor Committee. We have legislation in Albany. Talks are progressing. We need other avenue of funding from Albany. City will ask for givebacks. Try to finalize a good buyout. Retiree trustees say numbers are fine for the pension system. It requires city, State Assembly, State Senate and Governor to use buyout to fund more teachers. 

Question: Blended learning, the live teacher will not do remote. Full remote teachers, principal planting seeds that he may have to bridge classes. Combine two classes, third and second grade, in same class. Is there anything in writing?

Answer: Bridge classes that is not something we are looking to entertain. Issue is it's not March or April. We need time to plan for synchronous instruction. Have to be responsible for a class and that means a regular class size. Principals being pushed to have teachers live stream. What we learned from March to June is that just teaching and live streaming a lesson is not very effective. On camera dealing with class and remote won't work. Teacher in a classroom will teach five days a week. Teacher will have fully remote day. Teachers teaching a few days a week in school have some remote too. Teachers taping lessons was extremely effective. When principals said teachers had to live stream every day, we said no, no, no. Principals must adhere to contracts. Can't live stream unless a teacher says it's okay.

Question: Denied accommodation because there was no diagnosis listed but it is at the bottom of letter. Has a new letter from doctor. HR says they are getting many phone calls. What to do?

Answer: UFT will have form by tomorrow or email MSill@uft.org. They used to take months to process a small number of medical accommodations. Doctor must substantiate that you have one of the underlying conditions that puts you at greater risk of COVID-19.

Question: Very concerned about instructional lunchtime. Speech therapist concerned about how particles move from your mouth. Facing the other way. Can I decline if asked to teach during lunch?

Answer: Possibility with mask that someone could get sick from eyeballs. People eating will get shields. People have a right to make their own personal decisions. If we open, the lunch thing has me most concerned. Concerned if we move kids around to serve lunch. Keeping them in the classroom and having someone in there makes it instructional time and that will be the fastest school day. C6, duty-free lunch and prep at the end of the day means you can leave during prep time. Will get an answer to shield question. Eating in the classroom bothering me the most.

Question: Thank you for doing this. For clusters, how many cohorts can we contact with for a week? Art teacher. Principals said clusters teach remote and instructional lunch. 

Answer: We are not disagreeing with instructional lunch. Fastest way for the kids to spend a minimum time in the classroom. Working through the cluster issues now. Mayor says kids will be in a pod. Mulgrew gets angry with mayor at this. Art teacher has hands-on stuff. How do we make sure the teacher has access to ionizer that will kill COVID like Lysol, just don't digest it. It is possible to be remote and in person. If you have three classes in a high school, you could get two remote classes.

Question: Will I have double work as a teacher? I am a teacher going to school. 

Answer: Responsibility will be work you do in school but can have a remote class or two.

Question: What about CAR days if I have to quarantine?

Answer: If it is something from school, it doesn't come out of CAR.

Question: How can we assist our own children if the schedule doesn't align with our work schedule?

Answer: We always worked to accommodate our staff when I was a chapter leader. Mayor announced a couple of weeks ago that essential workers should have access to childcare. Waiting for mayor to give details of program. Must ratchet up that line of questioning to the mayor.

Question: Thank you for doing town halls. Early childhood social workers. Travel to different early childhood programs. Is it safe to travel to different programs? We support social-emotional learning. Do they want us to go? Is it safe?

Answer: As an itinerant, DOE wants to limit the number of sites. Make sure there is enough hand sanitizers for you. They want to minimize sites you go into. Moves contact tracing if someone is in too many schools if there is a positive test.

Question: Told in the spring that we have to get compensated for spring break. If we are so ready, where is the calendar for the 2020-2021 school year? Concern that they will give us calendar will go out after start of school year and take away vacations. I worked harder last year than ever before. No bell at home. 

Answer: I don't believe we're going to be ready at this moment. Mayor made a mistake. DOE petrified they will have to change calendar. Dates are dates. State Ed Department counting remote and in-person as days. The DOE is paranoid. The positive rate in spring was over 20%. Governor did the right thing in the spring. That is what it's like in certain states where they are opening. We have everything online. We don't trust them either.

Question: Already granted a medical accommodation. What about people who live with at risk people?

Answer: Large number want remote instruction. More crazy stories from Georgia and places like that will get people to stay home. We thought 20-25% of teachers would apply for accommodations. Only 15% did. Trying to get accommodations for people who live with at risk relatives. Difficult to travel but we are in better shape than other states.  

Question: Student-teacher ratio?

Answer: Try to adhere to IEP's at all times. The same goes for ICT classes. NYC has never been in compliance with ICT classes. Trying to get there. Principals can't say we're splitting class.

Question:  Paraprofessionals who are remote?

Answer: If student is remote and has para assigned to him/her, we are trying to figure that out. Making sure nobody loses their job. What paras did during the shutdown finding so many students. Thanks, paraprofessionals. 

Question: CAR days and self-quarantine: What if you are exposed to someone who has Covid? What if I don't feel well?

Answer: If quarantine is due to COVID, CAR days are not affected. If not feeling well and taking a sick day that you wouldn't have taken in the past, that will come out of your CAR days. In GA, it's called a quarantine leave. It comes out of sick bank and if sick bank is done, person doesn't get paid. We think they have to start filing lawsuits.

Question: District 75, possibility of face shields for everyone? Students who have sensory issues or are severely autistic, we might not be able to help kids keep these on. 

Answer: No discussions with DOE about D75 except on scheduling. Have talked to medical professionals. In terms of what doctors have told us, it's more expensive PPEs. Understand these kids are in need of being in school. One doctor we work with is a top infectious disease specialist whose child is a special ed teacher in NYC and understands what we need. No cookie cutter for D75. We have a complete package to put on the table for next week.

Question: Teacher evaluations. How is that going to look for us this year?

Answer: Don't know. Obviously, we can't do a MOSL. Trying to figure out if we can open, we cannot follow current evaluation system in law and contract.  Figure out safety and scheduling first, and then go to evaluation.

Question: Thanks Mulgrew. Number of children going remote, people are concerned with children schedules if kids are going in and out.  Concerned about schedules?

Answer: The principal has to pick a program. Usually, do an initial program in June. They can't even do their initial programs. We're in this together. Kids can't opt-in until Thanksgiving. We can't have people coming in and out of buildings. Uncertainty causing a fear problem. Schools aren't safe to open. 25% chance of them being ready for September 10. We get the nurses we have been trying to get for 20 years. It's going to get uglier.

Question: Thanks Mulgrew, Have a family member hesitating to apply for accommodation because of tenure and not teaching kids from her school?

Answer: Huge shortage, we will not solve all of the problems. DOE doesn't want teachers servicing students from another building but it is still a possibility. We will do what we have to do on class size, We will do something to make sure nobody is denied tenure because of an accommodation. 

Question: If we were to go all remote, will there be training so there is continuity? How will they determine who will teach remote from the building? Retro for October?

Answer: Every teacher, whether remote or in-person, must have coordination at the start of the school day. We have never had that before. Schools will have to change curriculum. We have to have standardized curriculum. There may be multiple teachers working with children. Must coordinate and share information. Teachers working on this project. Layoffs or retro, city will come to us. We have a plan to try to solve the problem. Why would we in the middle of this pandemic? I'm sorry, I don't think we give the city a dime. If you really want it, I'll do it. We've done way too much. It's our school system, not the mayor's. We work hard but not going to be schmucks about it. We kept the school system going, the biggest in the country. We are the ones who make it happen. We will take care of each other. We are the guardians of the NYC school system. Buckle up. God bless. 

James here. Please note all questions are screened and tough ones which I know my wife and friends asked do not get through.

THE 22,000 MUNICIPAL WORKER LAYOFFS ARE STILL BEING THREATENED; LABOR NEEDS A STRONG, UNITED RESPONSE

The 22,000 layoffs for city workers are still on the table for October 1 (see below). Note that the NYPD is not subject to layoffs but the DOE is. NYPD can cut in other areas. Am I to understand that there is no way to cut the DOE besides laying off educators? That makes zero sense. How again is the city going to afford in-person schooling? In my opinion, the Mayor is afraid to take on the cops. 

To figure out a proper union response, I took out my copy of Joshua Freeman's Working Class New York so that I could reread the chapter on the 1975 fiscal crisis. In the seventies, the financial elite corporatists destroyed the social democracy experiment New York City attempted after World War II. The unions reacted separately. The UFT had what was their only strike that produced no real gains in 1975 while Taylor Law penalties were imposed so teachers lost two days pay for every day on strike and tenure was taken for a year. The UFT never went on strike again and has had to pay dearly for every dollar we've gotten since then with deteriorating working conditions because we have so little leverage.

In 2020, I am scared of the coronavirus but I am not afraid of layoffs if organized labor unites. The political climate is quite different today compared to 1975. At that time, there was a huge backlash against NYC's highly evolved social democratic welfare state. The city was used as an example by the elites to show how NYC was too generous in providing decent healthcare and free college education for all. By 1980, Ronald Reagan was elected President. In the age of Trump, the working classes aren't unified but there is plenty of anger out there. Many still try to play divide and conquer on race. Today, teacher union militancy is on the upswing all over the country. If unions work together, we can stave off austerity again. It didn't happen in 1975 but it was proposed.

A general strike was proposed at the height of the fiscal crisis in 1975. Then UFT leader Albert Shanker's response tells you everything you need to know about the UFT even then. It's on page 267 of Freeman's book: "A general strike is a political weapon associated with the communist unions of Europe. For us to use it would be irresponsible." Irresponsible to whom? The city that the UFT and other unions lent our pension money to in order to bail them out or his members and the members of other unions? If every union was on strike, we could have made some gains for loaning the city our pension funds. It's nothing new for the UFT to be looking out for the city more than us. 

I would add that there has not been a public sector strike in NYS that I know of since the International Labor Organization, a United Nations agency, ruled in 2011 that the Taylor Law ban on strikes is a human rights violation. If we threaten a strike, it doesn't end until the penalties from the Taylor Law are waived or the left-leaning New York State Legislature votes to repeal the ban on strikes.  

This is a big part of the article where de Blasio threatens jobs. It is from Politico:

NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city is moving forward with “painfully real” plans to lay off 22,000 public workers on Oct. 1 unless another source of cash comes through.

De Blasio confirmed the layoff plans are progressing after POLITICO first reported Tuesday that agencies have been ordered to come up with a list of employees being considered for job cuts by the end of next week.“

The overwhelming cost of local government is personnel. Where we put our money is into the people who provide services to New Yorkers, whether they’re first responders, health care workers, sanitation workers, educators, you name it,” de Blasio told reporters Wednesday

“If you’re going to keep cutting and keep cutting, it has to at some point reach personnel. It’s just pure logic of budgets, and it’s very sad logic. I don’t like it one bit, and I want to avert this at all costs. So that 22,000 number is painfully real," he said.

De Blasio has been hoping for a multi-billion dollar federal aid package to bail out the city after the coronavirus pandemic decimated its bottom line. But he acknowledged Wednesday that “appears to be dead now.”

The mayor has also asked state legislators for authority to borrow money to pay expenses, but Albany lawmakers have so far balked.

And the city is in talks with municipal labor unions on other cuts that could save $1 billion in labor costs, a number required by the city budget passed at the end of June.

If none of those three options comes through, de Blasio said layoffs will happen — on a scale not seen since the 1970s fiscal crisis.

“It’s a massive, painful number. It resembles the kind of things we had to do decades ago. But the job here is to try and avert it if we can,” he said.

De Blasio’s budget team has reached out to high-ranking officials within city departments to instruct them on how much of their individual budgets must be slashed through shrinking the workforce, according to several people involved in the calls.

They said the NYPD — whose nearly $6 billion budget was the source of tremendous controversy amid anti-police-brutality protests in recent months — is being given different orders and will not be asked to do layoffs, though they will have to cut in other areas.

SYRACUSE TEACHERS UNION VOTES TO GO ALL REMOTE

Thanks to a reader who sent me this story From cnycentral.com:

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The union representing teachers in the Syracuse City School District on Wednesday voted in a landslide majority for a fully remote start to the 2020-2021 school year.

The school district previously proposed a hybrid learning model, like many other school districts across Central New York. The Syracuse Teachers Association took issue with bringing students back to school, citing health risks and childcare dilemmas for teachers and parents.

"If I have 500 or 600 people who are impacted through health or childcare needs, you start looking at what’s the best way to do this," said union president Bill Scott. "And to me the best way to do it is the virtual learning. Teachers can now use up to 60 days of childcare coverage, creating potential staffing issues.”

Out of 92 voters, 88 voted in favor of the remote-only schedule. It would keep students at home until the end of the first marking period.

The union will now take their proposal to the school board, which will discuss the matter on Wednesday evening.

Democracy, what a concept? I must have missed the UFT Delegate Assembly and Executive Board vote on going remote for the fall. We need a real union, not to drop ours.

UFT CHEERS ON CSA LETTER CALLING FOR LATE SEPTEMBER SCHOOL OPENING

The CSA is the Principals' union. They sent a letter to the Chancellor today asking to delay the reopening of school buildings to an unspecified time "toward the end of September." To think they will mend the safety and health problems of in-person education in a couple of weeks sounds rather optimistic.  

From the NY Post:

The city’s principals union called for a delay in the reopening of New York’s public schools to allow more time to address coronavirus concerns, the group said in a letter released Wednesday.

“I write on behalf of New York City’s 6,400 school leaders urging you to heed their dire warnings concerning the city’s September 10 reopening plan,” CSA president Mark Cannizzaro said in the letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza that was obtained by The Post.

“Given the lack of information and guidance available at this time, CSA [the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators] believes that NYCDOE’s decision to open for in-person learning on September 10th is in disregard of the well-being of our school communities,” the letter said.

The letter included a list of lingering questions, including concerns on the hiring of school nurses, the lack of a specific plan for special-needs students, and the requisition of PPE, hand sanitizer and other supplies.

“The slow rollout of guidance has forced us to once again address an unfortunate truth: schools will not be ready to open for in-person instruction on September 10th. A more realistic, phased-in approach would instead welcome students for in-person learning toward the end of September, following a fully remote start to the year,” Cannizzaro said in the letter.

The UFT issued a rah, rah CSA response to the letter.

From the Post article:

Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, said that the CSA’s reservations underscore the work the city has to do before schools can reopen safely.

“We need both safety and sanity in this crisis,” said Mulgrew in a statement. “Will any parents be willing to put their children in a school whose principal believes the building is not ready to open because it is not safe?”

 Today is a day where the UFT is following the principals' lead. I remember the days when the UFT was a leading labor union in the country. I stayed home from school on a bunch of occasions when I was a kid when the UFT launched illegal strikes. Now, the UFT stands behind the CSA and says, Go get'em principals.

Is two weeks enough time for buildings to be safe ladies and gentlemen?

NEW YORK STATE NURSES ASSOCIATION CALLS FOR POSTPONEMENT OF IN PERSON LEARNING IN THE FALL IN NYC

 The New York State Nurses Association is a prominent labor union representing 42,000 nurses.  The Union released a statement warning that there is a clear and present danger for in-person schooling in NYC and calling for a postponement. We have copied the statement in full below (sorry links are missing). You can read about it in Patch. It's very helpful to have the health professionals with us.

NYSNA BOARD SAYS COVID-19 STILL A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER, WARNS OF PUBLIC HEALTH RISKS FROM IN-PERSON SCHOOLING

New York, NY — With COVID-19 cases spiking around the country, New York City remains the only school district, among the five largest, still planning for in-person schooling this fall. As nurses—working for months at the epicenter of the pandemic—we’ve seen firsthand how deadly this virus can be. And we do not want to see our children, other families, our teachers, and all those who work in our schools put in harm’s way. 

Like other essential workers, nurses have struggled to balance the demands of our job and the needs of our families. After serving on the frontlines during the COVID-19 surge, all while navigating remote learning for our children, we understand the deep desire to return to some semblance of normalcy.  

But the fact is, COVID-19 remains a clear and present danger to New Yorkers. Even the head of the federal COVID-19 Task Force, Dr. Deborah Brix, recently declared that we are in a “new phase” of this virus, telling CNN that the major threat at this moment is "not super spreading individuals, it's super spreading events and we need to stop those."

Bringing people together in enclosed spaces, without the robust public health infrastructure nurses have called for since the beginning of this pandemic, will undoubtedly increase the spread of the virus. Opening in-person schooling could easily erase the progress New York has made, and spark a resurgence of COVID-19.

We now know that adults and children transmit this virus, and that between 25 to 50 percent of those infected with the virus are asymptomatic. There is no question that reopening in-person schooling will accelerate the spread of COVID-19 and expose educators and school staff to greater risk of infection. According to research from the Kaiser Family Foundation, nearly 25% of school staff are already at a high-risk for serious illness and death from COVID-19.  Although the immediate health impact on children remains less severe than for adults, there is still so much we don’t  know about how COVID-19 impacts our kids. It is a worrisome sign, for example, that pediatric ICU admissions have more than doubled just in the last 6 weeks.

As a union of frontline nurses, we must also speak up because New York remains unprepared for a resurgence of COVID-19. Our testing and tracing infrastructure is overstretched, with many results delayed by days or even weeks. Our hospitals are still rationing rapid testing reagents, PPE, hand sanitizer, and sanitizing wipes because of federal shortages and persistent supply chain constraints. Frontline nurses, along with other essential workers, suffered the consequences of New York’s lack of preparation for the first COVID-19 surge. We cannot let that happen again.

Because of the grave risks, NYSNA calls on state and local officials to postpone in-person schooling for the fall, and to make the investments in public health and human services necessary so that in-person learning can happen safely.  

We understand that working parents and families need support during this unprecedented time, including childcare subsidies, extended unemployment, nutritional assistance, and other social programs. Our union continues to call on Congress to pass the HEROES Act, which would provide critical aid to working class New Yorkers, as well as billions of dollars of state and local aid to help mitigate budget shortfalls and protect vital services. State and local officials must also do more to raise revenue in New York, and NYSNA supports several legislative initiatives to tax the rich, so corporations and the wealthiest New Yorkers pay their fair share.

Increased funding could help pay parents to stay home with their children and provide the technology necessary for remote learning. It would also enable more mental health and IEP support services for families with special needs. We could also invest in the staff and planning necessary to do outdoor and other safer forms of in-person instruction. 

New York cannot remain a sheltered island in a national storm surge of COVID-19. Pandemics don’t work that way, especially as many New Yorkers have travelled extensively throughout the summer.

While New York City’s citywide infection rate remains low, the rates in many Black, Latinx and low-income neighborhoods are 4-5 times higher.  One of the profound revelations of the COVID crisis thus far has been its impact on Black and Latinx communities, where death rates are a staggering 2-3 times that of whites overall, and a horrifying 8-10 times higher for younger Black and Latinx people. A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control finds similar racial disparities also exist among children hospitalized with COVID-19. Perhaps this is why a recent national poll found Black and Latinx parents were nearly twice as likely to consider in-person schooling unsafe than white families.

Cuts to the New York City’s public sector, where people of color constitute the vast majority of the workforce and those who utilize city services, will only compound these inequities. Simply put, we cannot let reopening schools exacerbate the devastating impact of this virus and the economic collapse on New York’s communities of color.

Frontline nurses spent months fighting for proper PPE, access to testing and adequate sick leave. NYSNA stands in solidarity with educators and other school employees fighting to protect their own health and safety, as well as that of their students and families.

The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) represents more than 42,000 members in New York State. We are New York’s largest union and professional association for registered nurses. For more information, please visit nysna.org.

ABOUT NYSNA

We are 42,000 nurses working together to win safe staffing, keep hospitals open for care, stop the Wall Street attack on our patients, and win healthcare for all

375 ELIZABETH, NJ TEACHERS REFUSE TO SHOW UP SO SYSTEM GOES ALL REMOTE; YOU CAN'T HAVE IN PERSON SCHOOL WITHOUT TEACHERS

 This is from NJ.com:

One of New Jersey’s largest school districts says starting the school year with in-person classes is a “mathematical impossibility” because 375 of its teachers will not return to the classroom because of coronavirus fears.

Elizabeth’s school board voted late Monday night to begin the 2020-2021 school year with all-remote classes so its school buildings can remain closed due to the teacher shortage. The district’s plan — which goes against state guidelines calling for all public schools to offer some in-person classes — needs to be approved by the state Department of Education.

”As of Monday, 375 teachers have notified the district that they cannot report to work inside a school building in September due to health related issues. There would be insufficient staff to open safely in person with that many teachers unavailable for in-person instruction,” said Pat Politano, a spokesman for the Elizabeth School District.

The vote in Elizabeth, one of the state’s largest cities, increases pressure on Gov. Phil Murphy and the state Department of Education to either drop the state’s plan to reopen schools with in-person classes or modify the guidelines to allow school districts to choose whether they want to go all-remote.

Jersey City, Bayonne and Willingboro are among the districts that have already submitted school reopening plans to the state with no in-person classes because the districts say it would be unsafe for students and teachers. Several teachers unions and the state principals’ association have also called for keeping schools virtual.

You see ladies and gentlemen, without teachers it's kind of difficult to have in-person school. 

We explained twice in the last week how the NYCDOE is mandating staffers to stay home if you have any COVID-19 symptoms including a headache or runny nose or if you have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 symptoms. Take them up on their offer and stop expecting the UFT to save you. 

The UFT is so out of touch with the national teacher militancy movement. In all probability, they are going to protect their dues which could be lost if there's a strike. On the other hand, maybe Mulgrew/Unity are ready to actually fight. Regardless, you don't need Mulgrew. The DOE is directing you not to come to work for many common ailments and you must do a health check every morning before work to monitor your own health. If enough UFTers follow their rules when the DOE gives them some of the headaches they are infamous for giving to teachers and other UFT members, school buildings cannot open. Follow the rules.

I can't make it any clearer. We won't be alone if we are all remote. The Washington Post reports that 17 of the largest 20 school districts in the country are starting the year all remote. Could we please join the national teachers who refuse to take crap any longer. 

PLEASE READ ARTHUR GOLDSTEIN'S SOBERING EXECUTIVE BOARD REPORT

Thanks to Arthur Goldstein, we have minutes from tonight's UFT Executive Board meeting. There will be no sugarcoating here. Bashing Mulgrew and the UFT at this point is a waste of time and energy. I saw Bill deBlasio's presser today.  School buildings are opening in my opinion unless Cuomo kneecaps de Blasio (always a possibility) no matter how unprepared and unsafe schools are. The Mayor and the DOE are in their own world from what I saw this morning and read tonight. Their planet does not resemble the one UFTers and students inhabit in most school buildings in NYC. 

The UFT will only talk tough to scare you about the penalties for striking in my view. To put it simply, it is up to us collectively to protect ourselves. The Union strategy to wait the Mayor out and expect the safety shortcomings, logistical challenges, lack of funding and shortage of staff in the deBlasio-Carranza plan to kill it might be wishful thinking. The UFT will react and probably yell and sue but that's about it. It is up to the rank and file if we don't want to see more people infected with COVID-19 in schools in the fall. I hope and pray I'm wrong and that this is the turning point where Michael Mulgrew/Unity Caucus become real labor leaders.

From NYC Educator:

Roll call--5:50

UFT Secretary LeRoy Barr--welcomes us 6:01 PM. 

Minutes--approved via email.

UFT  President Michael Mulgrew--6:04--We need to look at numbers within last two weeks. Appears that there's no neighborhood at 3% or over at this moment. We will continue to check. 

We are considering legal actions, and we need to say there's a clear and present danger to prevail. Anything we went to court over would simply give city a month to fix it at this point. 

We must prepare for either opening or remote. We have to do all we can to keep everyone safe, hold city's feet to the fire. They have a plan, but not many details. We know what we need, but it isn't there yet. We will train 100 people as COVID task force. We've already started visiting schools. Largest problem is ventilation. 

We need eyes on PPE, eyes on processes at school level. Thanks 100 people for taking on this process. 

As far as strike or job action, we are prepared to do whatever we need to do if we don't feel things are safe. Everyone has to understand, if we go to court and fail to get an injunction, members need to understand what striking means. We will talk about them. We're not near that yet, but we need to give people good information on which to base decisions.

We will be in every school building in NYC before they open up

Around rest of country, we see school after school closed right after they open. These states are on fire with COVID. We aren't near that, but we shouldn't open unless we are safe. City Hall has completely lost our trust. We will continue to do our work and prepare. I'm prepared to face whatever penalties if necessary.

15% of teacher have medical accommodations. 20% or more of students have opted out. Parents can opt out at any time. These numbers will continue to grow. 

21 districts opened today with high COVID levels, and are closing quickly. How can we insure we won't go through the same thing? Should we test everyone who enters a school building? Probably. We have no agreement with city yet. 

Doctors say we need random intermittent testing to quickly shut down program. We have no agreement with city on testing or tracing, no evidence they can actually trace. Didn't work upstate and school was quaratined two weeks.

Instructional--No program yet. Goal is, if we open, we want students in, to do their learning and get home as quicky as possible. We want the same for our members. We still have to work out special ed. services and IEP. We have to focus on remote. Numbers will get higher. Over 70% of instruction will be done remotely, and there's a large possibility we will switch to all remote, if we don't start there.

Right now everyone gets out 30 minutes early. This will minimize time in building. We want you to spend the least amount of time in building. We want to coordinate as teams. City wants teachers to work full day and then do remote later. That won't happen. City will be short on teachers, and we don't have federal package to help. 

Instructional lunch--we can't move children in and out. All children facing forward, students would work and eat, and teacher sits in back of room.

Mayor says everyone will be in pod, but that's almost impossible in middle and high schools. We are emphasizing PPE and cleaners. City has enough ionizers, 1400 now and 2000 on order. 

Town Hall this week. Press will spin it all sorts of ways. We are planning for every contingency. We need to insure schools will be safe. We have evidence city didn't follow rules in March. We need to know about testing and tracing, so far unsatisfactory. We are working on educational platforms and pacing. We need curriculum in everyone's platform, but we don't think city is up to it. 

If school doesn't have curriculum off which everyone works, schools can't coordinate. We need to be on same page, but plan is lacking right now. We may start meeting weekly now. Things will get very tight.

We will stand by demands for safety and papers can say what they like. We have access to doctors who work with us and give us great advice. 

Question

Does new schedule supercede SBOs in multisession schools? 

Debbie Poulos--There will be some SBOs we cannot implement, but we hope they will begin in Fall, but others can be implemented. 155 minutes not implemented, for example.

RSPs taking students out for therapy--Still working on that. PPE will need to be particular to those people. Working on caseloads whether remote or in person. Special ed. issues are very difficult. Principals are inventing policies that won't last. Late planning made this worse.

No survey of people who contracted. Info is protected. We are demanding school nurses for every school.

Medical accommodation approvals have begun going out.

We will get you protection needed, and we will get lawyers to back you up if schools don't comply.

We will hopefully begin testing at beginning to school, but we need to test everyone because some people are not symptomatic.

Michael Sill--There will be two forty minute meetings first and third Monday, as in multi session. No parent engagement, or OPW.

Staffing shortage will be next crisis you will hear about in media. Any issue with programs will be operational.

We will not have people in classroom with 12 kids and livestreaming to others. Broadband won't support it.

Teachers up for tenure next year--We don't want to harm anyone and people are still receiving it.

High schools will try to do grab and goes. Teachers will not eat with students. Teachers will have to social distance. 

Nobody is teaching six periods. If you are in those blocks you don't have to be there the whole time. 

We don't believe city has buses. Contracts are settled very late. Buses are controlled by DOE and they don't want to talk about them.

Mike Schirtzer--Ventilation--If systems work as designed would that mean theat of covid gone?

A--Can reduce but not eliminate. Custodians know there's a way to deal in newer buildings, pushing up airflow. Best thing still open window. 

 Arthur Goldstein-- I have a friend who's a middle school CL. He's very concerned about the six period day set out by DOE. He says they would teach six one day and four the next, rather than six every day, and the DOE program shows six periods a day, in violation of contract.

A--There are six periods available for school to use in blocks. No one is teaching six periods every day. CSA is just as frustrated as we are with bad information from DOE. 

Michael Freedman--Does Cuomo want to see every schools plan and have five meetings in large districts?

A--He said NYC has to have five public meetings, one specifically for teachers. We need to be present for all. 

Mindy Rosier--We need social distance, but none go far enough to protect D75 with spitters and biters. We will need to assist students. We can be super spreaders going to different classes.

A--We've been talking ICT over two months. There's no way they will be safe at this moment. Upstate was a special ed. building, and many more had to be quarantined because no one was able to handle a pod. We haven't touched D75 because we can't even get past ICT. You need gowns, face masks and everything. 

?--Many nurses have questions. In March, nurses weren't included in remote program. Where will we be in September? And where is calendar?

A--They're afraid to put it out. If we're back in, then nurses will be in schools, and we need more nurses. If we are remote, there will be some kind of child care program. Tough on nurse chapter, but no one got sick, thankfully. Right now we'll continue talking with city and keep you informed.

We agree to weekly meetings going forward. 

Dealing with city is quite frustrating. Not sure why mayor thinks number of opt-outs is good thing, and that number will continue to grow. Chances of opening still not so good. We are severely short staffed and have limited time. 

Thanks us and says goodnight. 6:55

Closing roll call.