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My children are in a NYC Catholic School. We moved them from our local public this year, because we wanted them to be in school full-time.
Part of the reason I am so enraged over school closures is that I am watching my kids have a somewhat normal year. (thread)
Part of the reason I am so enraged over school closures is that I am watching my kids have a somewhat normal year. (thread)
Despite being in the city limits, private schools follow the NYS guidelines (vs NYC). Their Teachers are not part of the UFT.
They have 16-18 kids in a class, 6 ft distance, masked, open windows, HEPA filters in every classroom.
They have every subject.
They have 16-18 kids in a class, 6 ft distance, masked, open windows, HEPA filters in every classroom.
They have every subject.
They are learning, they are taking tests, they have gym, music, art, language, spelling, vocabulary, and the entire curriculum. (This may sound obvious but this is not happening in many publics this year).
We are forced to do random COVID testing because we are in an arbitrary "microcluster", established in the fall and not updated since. Other privates are not doing random testing.
My children have not missed a single day this year. Up until last week, there was only 1 case. Now there are a total of 3, since Sept.
The NYS guidelines allow a school to stay open until there are 9 CONCURRENT cases.
The NYS guidelines allow a school to stay open until there are 9 CONCURRENT cases.
These are the state guidelines for microclusters, in case you were wondering.
https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-releases-guidelines-testing-protocol-schools-reopen-red-or-orange-micro-cluster
https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-releases-guidelines-testing-protocol-schools-reopen-red-or-orange-micro-cluster
The NYC DOE created a completely arbitrary metric and they close schools if there are 2 UNRELATED cases in the school.
There is no science behind this. It is arbitrary, designed to paint schools as a scary and unsafe place, and it was a Union concession.
There is no science behind this. It is arbitrary, designed to paint schools as a scary and unsafe place, and it was a Union concession.
Now for the part that led me to tweet today...
The NYC DOE's random testing program tests kids ages 6+. Parents are not allowed to be in the room. They do not allow outside results to be used, even though state guidelines also state that outside results may be used.
The NYC DOE's random testing program tests kids ages 6+. Parents are not allowed to be in the room. They do not allow outside results to be used, even though state guidelines also state that outside results may be used.
They do not allow parents to be in the room while a 6 year old is being tested, nor do they allow parents to take their child for their own test and provide the results - even though the NYC DOH has a partnership w/ the DOE & this is a no-brainer.
This is not about safety. It is about making this as painful as possible, so that parents who refuse to sign the consent form are painted as 'COVID harboring monsters'.
Oh, I forgot to mention that the consent form is mandatory in the NYC DOE or your child must go remote.
Oh, I forgot to mention that the consent form is mandatory in the NYC DOE or your child must go remote.
My children (in Catholic) were selected today for random COVID testing. Our school allows parents to be present. We waited outside until our turn, and I was in the school for a total of 5 minutes. Completely safe, and painless. My kids were comforted by my presence.
They also allow parents whose children were selected to instead get a private test and submit the results, but given that they allow parents to be present for the test, most just opt to do that instead.
This is how a school and a system function when they value CHILDREN, and when they actually make an effort to stay open.
The NYC DOE kowtowed to the UFT and have made this year as miserable as possible because they wanted to be 100% remote. It really is that simple.
The NYC DOE kowtowed to the UFT and have made this year as miserable as possible because they wanted to be 100% remote. It really is that simple.
One more thing. Our school tuition is $5k/kid. In NYC. It is racially & socioeconomically diverse (more so than our local public, but that's a diff convo).
It is not about $. It is about the will to prioritize the needs of children. We will never go back to the NYC DOE.
It is not about $. It is about the will to prioritize the needs of children. We will never go back to the NYC DOE.
Funny that a friend wrote a similar thread just now. https://twitter.com/MiaEG_PD/status/1351901647904137226
In case anyone was wondering whether it was verifiable that our Teachers' Union ( @UFT ) purposely designed the testing program to keep schools closed, against expert guidance, here you go.
@VPrasadMDMPH https://twitter.com/MikeyG_NY/status/1351956042465370112
@VPrasadMDMPH https://twitter.com/MikeyG_NY/status/1351956042465370112
And...
"Random lists for each school should be generated by DOE. Of course, that's not good, but we have made progress. Now testing more children than adults. Wasn't random when 2/3 were adults. We are getting better nonetheless."
"Random lists for each school should be generated by DOE. Of course, that's not good, but we have made progress. Now testing more children than adults. Wasn't random when 2/3 were adults. We are getting better nonetheless."
We are 10 months into the pandemic, and we still refuse to accept that the highest risk of transmission is adult -> adult, and adult -> child.
NOT child -> adult. How does it contribute to community safety to focus the effort on children and not adults?
NOT child -> adult. How does it contribute to community safety to focus the effort on children and not adults?
