Read on Twitter
I've got @BCassellius' draft plan for re-opening schools. Follow along as I examine some key points! #bospoli
Here are two of the core values listed in the report. They become important later!
Translation: we know this is not going to work, but we're going to do it anyway.
We acknowledge these realities, but we're going to open schools anyway because we don't care. (Is this too harsh? If so, please tell me how else to interpret this.)
Parents can opt out if they feel unsafe. Not faculty and staff, though!
Handwaving about the biggest educational flaw in the plan. Because BPS teachers always get appropriate PD and classroom supports!
Families "must" do this, but literally nobody checks to see if they do. Also, a checklist of symptoms is not the best way to catch asymptomatic carriers.
So. tens of thousands of people are going to be reaturning to school buildings, and not a single one of them is required to get a COVID-19 test. Pretty much a guarantee that people will get infected in schools.
BPS expects both teachers or students to supply their own PPE. Remember the "core values?" They were about "equity" and "health and safety." I was going to say this is a slap in the face to both teachers and students, but a slap in the face is actually less harmful than this.
HVAC! Remember, only 30 schools in the district have fuctioning HVAC systems. But it's okay because they changed the filters! Everybody else? Open the windows! Literally! That's it! Should be fun when it's 20 degrees out!
DRINKING WATER WILL NOT BE PROVIDED OR AVAILABLE. Note what this actually means is that teachers will be spending their own money at Costco to buy disposable water bottles because they care more if their students dehydrate than BPS leadership does.
One more on this because it's just so egregious. "water fountains are not touchless and cannot be refurbished...." well, they fucking well can be. It's just that the City of Boston is unwilling to spend the money to do this. I saw a new police cruiser today, though.
They're going to reach out to teachers to find out who's going to refuse to teach under these conditions. What's the plan for recruiting people to replace them? We don't have one!
OK, so it's a first draft. But it's an embarrassment. And the hypocrisy of saying that equity and health and safety are the values underlying the whole thing. This is about making sure low-wage workers can continue to generate wealth for their bosses. Nothing else.
Just one more thing: the entire safety part of this plan hinges on students doing exactly what they're told for at least 6 hours a day. Have you ever met a kid?
