An influential group of city teachers rejected Mayor de Blasio’s reopening of school buildings in September, and does not rule out a strike as a last resort.
The caucus of the United Federation of Teachers’ Archive and Rank Educators Movement has already collected nearly 4,000 signatures demanding that schools remain closed until New York has no new COVID cases for 14 days.
The group is also calling for increased security precautions and increased allocation of funds.
“Our hope is that the DOE, the mayor and the governor will listen to us and change their planned proposal for September so that we are not put in a position where we have to consider the strike,” said teacher Liat Olenick during a press Wednesday. . conference
“That last resort is there, but we hope we don’t have to use it,” he said.
The group emphasized that health concerns remain unresolved and stated that the Department of Education did not adequately reach out to teachers.
“The city and UFT leadership had five months to hold meetings with staff, students, and families to gather creative ideas, concerns, and feedback. Instead, they sent out a poorly publicized, multiple-choice survey and developed a plan that will put staff, students, and families at risk, ”the group of grassroots educators, also known as MORE, said in a statement.
A petition listing the group’s reopening imperatives warned that the resumption of classroom learning will endanger children and teachers.
“As educators, parents, and students, we know that remote learning is a poor substitute for in-person learning,” the petition states. “We know how desperately working caregivers need child care. And we know how important it is to get kids back to learning in person. But the unfortunate reality is that it will not be safe to return to classrooms this fall for teachers, staff, students, their families, or our communities. “
The MORE press conference featured teachers, students, and others opposing Mayor de Blasio’s reopening plan on September 10 for children to alternate between remote instruction and construction.
Teacher Emily Choi, who said she contracted the virus and is still recovering, argued that the City Council’s plan is premature and will subject children to further disruption.
Demanding a physical return to school, in just 6 weeks, will confuse many children and put undue stress on those of us charged with enforcing social distancing practices, especially knowing how young children naturally want to socialize and be physically close. each other”. said.
Special education teacher Karla Reyes said the reopening of the school was accelerating for financial reasons.
“The pressure to reopen random schools is entirely based on the pressure to reopen the economy to reap profits for the wealthy,” he said.
The press conference also featured a Bronx nurse and a city father who said he would not send his son to a city school building if security needs are not addressed.
“It will kill the teachers,” said Sean Petty. “It will probably kill hundreds of teachers. It will make hundreds of children sick. ”
He also highlighted the enormous burden the virus has had on African American and Hispanic New Yorkers.
“There is no way I am going to send my son to a public school in person in this city, and I advise all public school parents to do the same,” he said.
De Blasio has had to balance competitive positions in the reopening and has emphasized the difficult situation of parents who will soon face labor conflicts if their children are not in school.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Education said teachers can apply for exemptions.
“Health and safety come first, and our plans for the fall are built with input from our public health experts and survey data from our families and staff,” said Danielle Filson. “We understand that there are different levels of comfort upon returning to buildings, so families can opt for totally remote learning and educators can apply for accommodation to meet their health needs.”
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