Parents: demand answers to questions for re-opening schools in september 2020


Parents, please contact the following DOE officials, elected officials, community representatives and parent leaders using the letter below to demand answers to questions our schools require to open safely.

TO:
nycchancellor@schools.nyc.gov, mrosales7@schools.nyc.gov, CLoughl@schools.nyc.gov, lliu@cec3.org

CC:
jackson@nysenate.gov, serrano@nysenate.gov, odonned@assembly.state.ny.us, RosentL@nyassembly.gov, Helen@HelenRosenthal.com, Mlevine@council.nyc.gov, mtreyger@council.nyc.gov, mdiller@nyc.rr.com, kwatkins@cec3.org 

Subject: We Need Reopening Answers!
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To: 
Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza
Executive Superintendent Rosales
Superintendent Loughlin
CEC3 Member Lucas Liu

CC: 
NY State Senator Robert Jackson
NY State Senator Jose Serrano
NY State Assemblymember Danny O’Donnell
NY State Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal
NY City Councilmember Helen Rosenthal
NY City Councilmember Mark Levine
NY City Council Education Chair Mark Treyger
Community Board 7 Chair Mark Diller
CEC3 President Kim Watkins


Chancellor Carranza, Executive Superintendent Rosales, and Superintendent Loughlin:

Parents of 1.1 million New York City school children are trying to decide whether or not they will send their child to school, and are watching the Department of Education make preparations for the opening of school in September 2020 with utmost dissatisfaction.

School Leadership Teams and parent leaders are working with Principals to determine the best programming models for their schools. However, with less than five weeks until the start of the 2020 school year, our stakeholders are missing answers to critical questions that will give our school communities the information they need to make the best, safest decisions. We ask that you provide responses to the questions below with utmost priority.

Health questions that need immediate answers
  1. When will schools receive their PPE supplies?
  2. Will there be temperature checks? For teachers? For students? Who will do them? 
  3. What will happen when students and/or families are not compliant?
  4. How will the cleaning of the building be done?

General questions that need immediate answers
  1. What’s the first day of school? Is there a calendar for the year?
  2. Will there be busing for special needs students?
  3. Will budget appeals be granted?
  4. Will the DOE provide every school that needs teachers for live instruction with additional personnel from the central offices and from the ATR pool?
  5. Will schools have to pay for these additional teachers from their own budgets?
  6. How will grading look?

Programming questions that need immediate answers
  1. Under what circumstances will programming exemptions be granted?
  2. Will there be flexibility in the length of the school day?
  3. What if schools don’t have enough teachers to conduct in-building teaching due to health exemptions?
  4. How will IEP mandates for 1:1 paraprofessionals be met?
  5. What about additional services including occupational therapy, speech therapy and others?
  6. If a significant percentage of a school’s teachers have accommodation, will a school be able to move to 100% remote instruction?

I look forward to your answers.

Best,
Your Name