NYCDOE Not Ready For Schools Reopening Today

They spent a lot of time, energy and effort on the Superstorm Sandy PD Day By Candlelight last Friday when they could have been getting schools ready for today.

They didn't, and now schools aren't ready for today:

Nearly a million New York City schoolkids are expected to be back in class today — and they had better bundle up.

At least three dozen schools likely won’t have heat as temperatures hover just above freezing in the morning, Mayor Bloomberg warned yesterday.

“Please dress your children with that in mind,’’ the mayor said. “If the schools were dangerously cold, we obviously wouldn’t open them. But if they’re chilly, extra sweaters for the kids is something that should make some sense.”

United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew took issue with the city’s haste.
“If you can get the schools open where kids can go to be somewhere warm and get a hot meal, that’s a plus,” he said. “But if they’re being told to go to cold schools, that’s probably not a good decision.”

Dozens of badly damaged schools — which handle 34,000 students — will still be pupil free after Wednesday, no matter what.

Fifty-seven schools have been deemed uninhabitable for the time being, forcing their students and staff to temporary classrooms on other campuses.

Education officials said they were still working out the details — including where all the students will be relocated and how they’ll be transported. But they expect plans to be in place so that everyone is back in school Wednesday.

The closed-down schools are listed on the Department of Education’s Web site.

By last night, there also were 29 schools still without power that won’t be opened until electricity can be restored. That could happen as early as Wednesday, officials said.

Meanwhile, eight huge Big Apple high schools, with a total of 24,000 students, also will remain closed until Wednesday, as the city struggles to relocate storm evacuees sent there.

The evacuees are now sprawled out in hallways, cafeterias and gymnasiums at the high schools — and many will still be there by Wednesday when students return.

“We’re working closely with [Department of Homeless Services officials] on how we an serve both populations,” said Board of Education spokeswoman Erin Hughes.

Inside Tottenville HS, about 50 people were being housed — with single men in the teacher’s cafeteria, couples and families in the student cafeteria and single women in a nearby classroom.

I understand that these challenges are difficult and cannot be solved overnight.

 

But time after time we have seen Bloomberg and the DOE make matters worse by pursuing inane policies and/or activities over doing the right thing.

 

That's what happened here - all those resources for the idiotic Friday PD day when they could have been working to get schools ready for today.