[[link removed]]Dear John,
The debate about when, whether, and how we reopen our public schools remains one of the most wrenching. So many families (my staff and my own very much included) are desperate for their kids to be back in the classroom. We know their growth and development -- and the chance for a more equal city -- hinges on good public education. But the starting-point must be keeping our teachers, school staff, students, and families safe.
Principals in District 15 [[link removed]] and District 13 [[link removed]] in our district have written extremely thoughtful letters to the Chancellor, Mayor, and Governor asking for a delay and phase-in of in person learning this fall. Our principals have a heroic task before them right now, the unbelievably hard and complex responsibility to transform their buildings, schedules, and lesson plans, to build their teams without in-person time together, to reassure their families with too little information, to become quartermasters in an absurd fight for supplies, all with too-little guidance, and even fewer resources.
I trust their judgement, and I support their call for a several-week delay and phase-in to in-person schooling.
Additional time means teachers, students, and families can get more of the information we need about the commitments the City has made. The DOE has promised that ventilation systems will be adequate (and classrooms without adequate ventilation won’t be used), that timely testing will be in place, that every school will have a nurse and sufficient PPE. They still need answers on how busing will happen, and guidance on how Integrated Co-Teaching and other services will work. Families and school staff need and deserve to see the receipts.
To be clear: My goal is to help us get back to in-person learning, as quickly as we safely can, not to promote a delay that becomes a cancellation.
Our principals have proposed bringing teachers and school staff back into buildings first, so that they can create and learn new protocols and prepare together to safely bring students back. To be honest, a week of team-building and professional development would always be a good idea; this year it’s a necessity. I’m especially eager for teachers to work together to develop social and emotional learning practices that transform pedagogical practice to address the trauma students are facing, to help strengthen resilience, heal, and recover together for the short and long term. To me, that’s the most important thing our schools can do this year. That takes real work, and it’s so different right now. It can’t be done with a couple-hour zoom session.
Phasing in over a couple weeks will help students, families, teachers, and staff get comfortable with new, unfamiliar, uncomfortable procedures, enable us to keep an eye on infection rates, and hopefully build confidence. I’ve got a friend whose mom works at a Montessori school (outside of NYC) that’s been open all summer. They recently had their first COVID case; and the fact that they handled it quickly, without any spread, has them feeling more confident for the rest of the year.
I believe that an all-remote school year would truly be a disaster -- especially for our most vulnerable students, including those with disabilities and for our youngest learners, but really for all of them.
Here’s what I’ll keep doing to help us get there:
Wrap-around child care: I’m pushing hard to make sure the City lives up to the commitment the mayor made to provide safe wrap-around childcare to families for the time their kids aren’t in the classroom. We must start providing this to teachers and school staff (how can they possibly be in the classroom with our kids if no one is watching theirs?), to essential workers, and to low-income families who don’t have other options.
Outdoor school space: The DOE, in partnership with DOT and Parks, needs to support our schools in using outdoor space -- for learning if they choose, but at the very least for lunch, for gym, for recess. So far, neither guidance nor resources (for tents and gear) have been provided. Both are necessary. So we’ll keep up the fight to make it happen. A group of parents are organizing a press conference to uplift the voices of students and families in support of outdoor schools. If you want to join us tomorrow in City Hall Park at 1pm, RSVP here [[link removed]] .
Supporting the schools in our district: My office will continue to work hard to be a resource and an advocate for our school communities. We’ve been checking in with every school to see how we can be helpful. Let us know what we can do to push for the information and resources you need.
These are times of enormous anxiety, and with very good reason. I respect the choices that families and teachers are making. Our families have different health conditions, different material realities, and different approaches to risk [[link removed]] . And I sure understand and share your immense frustration with woefully inadequate leadership, with too little clear information, and with budget cuts when more resources are needed.
But the leadership and example our principals are providing is one thing giving me hope right now. They are working round-the-clock to build the kinds of school communities that can show up for all our kids, in the time of our greatest need. Let’s listen to and learn from them.
Brad
In this email:
Updates and Resources
Upcoming Events
Updates and Resources
*
Latest
Virus
Data:
There
were
284
new
cases
identified
yesterday,
and
8
more
New
Yorkers
died
from
the
virus.
We
have
lost
23,642
people
in
NYC
from
the
virus,
and
230,742
total
cases
have
been
identified
in
the
city.
Currently,
the
7-day
rolling
average
percent
of
tests
that
came
back
positive
citiwide
remains
low,
0.9%
as
of
yesterday.
That
infection
rate
varies
across
neighborhoods,
as
we
have
seen
with
high
rates
in
Sunset
Park
and
other
areas.
*
Neighborhood
Antibody
Rates
:
New
data
[[link removed]]
from
the
city
released
yesterday
shows
that
the
Bronx
has
the
highest
borough-wide
rates
of
people
with
antibodies,
among
those
tested.
The
data
show
that
the
rates
of
those
tested
wint
COVID
antibodies
largely
reflect
areas
where
the
virus
spread
fastest
during
the
peak
this
spring,
including
high
rates
in
Corona,
Queens
and
Borough
Park.
Not
enough
is
still
known
about
how
much
or
how
long
antibodies
may
protect
people
from
infection
and
spread.
*
Libraries
Are
(Partially)
Open:
The
Park
Slope
Library,
and
many
others
around
the
city
are
open
for
lobby
service
now.
You
can
return
books
and
materials,
and
request
new
ones
online.
See
the
full
list
of
libraries
here
[[link removed]]
.
*
Healthcare
Enrollment
Extended:
The
deadline
for
health
insurance
special
enrollment
has
been
extended
to
September
15,
2020.
New
Yorkers
without
health
insurance
can
apply
for
coverage
here
[[link removed]]
.
*
Gyms
Reopening:
While
the
Governor
has
given
guidance
for
gyms
to
reopen
with
social
distancing
measures
and
inspections
by
next
week,
the
Mayor
has
said
it
won't
happen
before
September
2nd,
and
possibility
longer
given
that
the
priority
will
be
inspecting
schools.
*
Travel
Quarantine
Expanded:
Alaska
and
Delaware
have
been
added
to
the
now
35
state
list
of
places
[[link removed]]
that
travelers
to
New
York
must
quarantine
after
visiting.
The
Mayor
signed
an
executive
order
requiring
hotels
to
collect
quarantine
forms
from
visitors.
*
More
resources
and
information
are
always
available
on
our
website
here
[[link removed]]
.
Upcoming Events
Thursday, August 20, 5:45 PM to 8:00 PM: Census Phonebank. Sign up here [[link removed]] .
The Trump administration is cutting short the time for canvassing for Census responses, but NYC is still really behind and facing the risk that communities of color will be seriously under counted. Join us to call New Yorkers in neighborhoods with low response rates to make sure everyone is counted.
456 Fifth Avenue, 3rd Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11215
718-499-1090
[email protected]
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