Read on Twitter
@NYCMayor @UFT @nycgov @MarkTreyger718 @Jill_Jorgensen @AnnieTangent @ChalkbeatNY @MikePerlberg @NYCOptOut @CannizzaroCSA Hi Mayor de Blasio. I’m a teacher at The Children’s School—I just started my 19th year. Dante and Chiara were both there in my early teaching years. 1
Dante was often in my after school group in 4th and 5th grades. You and I used to chat when you’d pick him up. You and Chirlane were extremely supportive, to our staff and our students. You’re still remembered fondly years later. 2
I’ve been at school getting ready for my blended learner first graders to return. I’m back even though I didn’t have childcare options for my four girls. I haven’t been offered Learning Bridges spots and emergency family leave applications aren’t being approved. I still went in.3
I want to teach in person. I know how good it would be for my students, my own kids, and NYC families. I wanted to be part of that. I know being back in person is important to you too. 4
But what I saw these first few weeks was the school administration I love, people you cared about and respected, exhausted and struggling, as everything changes over and over. I saw my TCS colleagues and educator colleagues across the city trying to grapple with huge workloads, 5
special ed compliance issues, safety violations, childcare issues, crippling stress. The shortage of thousands of teachers. The growing covid numbers in schools and neighborhoods. The constant changes. The lack of answers. 6
From everything I saw years ago, and everything I know about you from your kids’ old teachers, City Councilman de Blasio would have listened to teachers and administrators: schools should not open in person with all these issues. 7
One of the responsibilities I love as a teacher is helping my students learn big life lessons. From first graders to mayors, everyone needs to learn to take responsibility for their actions (or inactions). Everyone needs to learn to listen to others, 8
even when they’re not saying what we want to hear. Everyone needs to know when to scrap a failure of a plan and fix it. It’s time for you to call off schools reopening, Mayor de Blasio, until it can be done safely and effectively. It’s time to listen. 9
