BDB needed to buy time, and hold off a strike, but this is such an obvious stall tactic that it is really insulting. There will NOT be in person school on 9/21. Mark my words.
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Sep 1, 2020
Do you really think an extra ten days is enough time to fix what they could not fix over the last several months in the schools? I get that
Do you really think an extra ten days is enough time to fix what they could not fix over the last several months in the schools? I get that
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Agree. I think they're just waiting for the positive rate to go up so they can justify 100% remote.
So that means you think the positive rate will go up above 3% before September 21?!?
Agreed. The in person school is not happening this semester and probably not even this year. Even if the vaccine is around by EOY, there simply wont be enough to go around, healthcare workers and at risk population will be prioritized and many won’t take it. It sux but I think that’s the reality.
Of course not. They are just going to extend this out, over and over again, all year long. I'm ordering a bunch of workbooks and art supplies and setting up final SHSAT tutoring sessions for my 8th grader. I can see that I will be responsible for education this year and I need to pull my plan together today.
My 8th grader is planning on taking the SHSAT also. Do you think that test will really happen? I think they will find a way to cancel it and set up their own criteria for admission. I know the state mandates the test for the big 3 SHS, but
I still think they will find a work around.
@MidtownMom This is a real concern for many parents and SHS advocates. SHSAT is not a priority for the 2 idiots in charge, they have been out to get rid of this test. They will take any opportunity to chuck it, including the "we can't offer testing due to covid safety concerns". Of course they can - add more days (since reduced capacity per room) or add more sites. It will be interesting what if anything the state will do.
Well it was smart to have the unions there. So if they back out now people will blame them
I think both sides just want to show they "did something" and will open on the 21st.
They've essentially got three weeks from now. I think it's possible that in that time they could get, say 75% of buildings ready to open safely, and have a concrete plan of action for the remainder (eg. "Here is the work order for the contractor who is fixing the sinks and is due to complete the work on DATE"; "Here is the invoice for the outstanding cleaning supplies that will be delivered on DATE").
However, this would require DB/Carranza/whoever they delegate responsibility to, to act with a sense of urgency that has been mostly missing so far.
Eg. They knew they were 400 nurses short last year, before this even started; they hired 85 over the summer while promising each building a full time nurse. In early August, a DOE spokesperson was quoted saying they were "considering" hiring additional nurses, when that should have been a no-brainer and already well underway. WTF are they doing?
Don't expect BDB , Carranza or the DOE execs to do anything with a sense of urgency. I honestly believe this is all smoke and mirrors as they wait for someone else - Cuomo, the Unions, to pull the plug so they can say they tried their best. I hope I am wrong.
@Anonymous EXACTLY!
I have zero confidence in everyone involved.
What is terrifying to me: we have had 6 months into the pandemic and schools weren't able to prepare for safe reopening, so what does giving them an additional 10 days achieve? Its just political nonsense. Why isn't Cuomo talking about giving schools additional resources that are required for a safe reopen? The broad theme of this pandemic has been passing the buck, not a soul wants to take charge and responsibility for tough decisions that the situation demands. In a corporate environment, such lackluster performance would be grounds for dismissal.
Agree that they need more resources. I've posted on another thread that I wonder how much of the delay with supplies has been due to the DOE trying to haggle prices down because of budgetary constraints (which seems to be what has happened with buses.)
At least the delay gives teachers and staff a little more time in buildings to set things up before the influx of kids--in many schools they don't have access yet and won't until next week.
The lack of leadership on every level (federal, local) is appalling. Look to the female governors, they are doing a good job without constantly talking about themselves.
Not Cuomo's issue. He provides the guidance and local districts, in this case DeBlasio and Carranza, implement. They did jack shit most of the summer. There are quotes in the press when asked about planning in May, June and early July that Deblasio says we have plenty of time, why the rush. Everything is a reaction with this idiot, planning is a foreign concept. DOE should have been planning for Plan A, B and C from May.
I don’t care if it fixes anything or not. Nyc has a really low infection rate and I want my Kids in school
Well you should care, because if it isn't fixed so that the plans approved by the state can be met, they can't go back. Simple as that.
The level of terror felt by the healthcare workers in March is now paralleled by the same level of terror felt by the teachers in September. Can we call this progress toward conquering covid?
Both are symptoms of the same root cause: underfunding public services, obsessing over efficiency and cutting corners so that there's not an ounce of "extra" in the system--which is all very well until there's an emergency and you need some extra resources to call on, and they're not readily available.
How can you compare March when we knew nothing about the virus, bodies were piling up in trucks, and no PPE was to be found if you wanted to buy yourself - to today when we have have a less than 1% infection rate , you can get your own PPE (you should not have to), and we have so much more knowledge?
@Anonymous I think the current infection rate is low only due to very limited indoor activities, and may change with the reopening of schools which would be primarily indoors. I may be wrong, but I think the infrastructure for safe in person teaching is lacking. Same is also true about healthcare, we are still low on masks, there is lack of ventilation in old hospital buildings, some offices in hospitals lack windows, staff are falling sick. All of these problems are due to the fact that nobody ever spent any dollars on revamping the buildings for public schools and hospitals to catch up with modern times :(
Just saw an article in the Gothamist, some teachers are suing to keep school remote.