Monday, January 26, 2015

NYCDOE District And Field Offices Are Opened Tomorrow Despite Impending Blizzard And Travel Ban (UPDATED - 7:55 PM)

So Governor Cuomo is instituting a travel ban starting tonight at 11 PM - all roads, bridges, tunnels will be closed to all but essential personnel and all mass transit will be shut down.

Tomorrow everybody is to safe at home except for emergency personnel like police, fireman, EMT's and NYCDOE employees assigned to district and field offices.

The UFT is not amused:

The UFT staff directors are sending the following email to UFT members who work in district and field offices:

Dear Colleagues,

The Department of Education has decided to close schools tomorrow, but has told central and field offices that they must remain open. The UFT vehemently disagrees with the DOE’s decision, and we are actively working on getting the city to reconsider.

The DOE’s longstanding policy, which we continue to fight, is as follows:

“Unless the Chancellor instructs otherwise, all central offices, and the offices of District 75 and 79 must remain open for regular hours on days when schools are authorized by the Chancellor to close or open late due to citywide emergency conditions or major stormy weather as staff must be in a position to provide essential information to parents and others.”

We wanted you to have accurate information as you make decisions tomorrow morning. We urge you to exercise caution about traveling into work.

Sincerely,

LeRoy Barr & Ellie Engler
Staff Directors

I understand the need to get essential information out to parents, but I guess I just wonder, if the roads, bridges, tunnels and mass transit are all shut down tomorrow, how exactly does one get to a district or field office to dispense that essential information?

UPDATED - 7:55 PM: Even Cuomo's giving non-essential state employees a snow day tomorrow:
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10 comments:

  1. NYC EducatorJanuary 26, 2015 at 7:59 PM

    I actually don't understand what essential info parents will need tomorrow beyond the fact that schools are closed. Who would go out tomorrow to pick up that leaflet? Not me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. reality-based educatorJanuary 26, 2015 at 8:00 PM

      Yeah, I was being sarcastic in my piece - it's ridiculous that field and district offices are opened tomorrow.

      Delete
    2. NYC EducatorJanuary 26, 2015 at 9:54 PM

      Wow. Sorry I missed that. Any idea what UFT members actually do in those offices?

      Delete
    3. reality-based educatorJanuary 26, 2015 at 10:28 PM

      Uh, uh - was hoping you knew.

      Delete
  2. AnonymousJanuary 26, 2015 at 8:18 PM

    They are essential combatants in the war against public education. If they leave the battlefield all hell might break loose.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJanuary 26, 2015 at 8:38 PM

    Even the public libraries are closed tomorrow!

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousJanuary 26, 2015 at 9:05 PM

    Oooh if they don't decide to close the DOE offices, they are going to look like the fools that they are.
    Like making us come in the Friday after Sandy, without kids. Oh wait, that was Bloomberg.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJanuary 26, 2015 at 9:11 PM

    just craisay , creepy craisay, crazy craisay crazy.....

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousJanuary 26, 2015 at 9:14 PM

    If Bloombucks was still royal mayor, we would all be herding off to a Broadway matinee. So this craisay, craisay craisay....

    ReplyDelete
  7. TimJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:21 PM

    You're going to love this one, PSS: http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/38/5/all-cuomo-ghost-trains-2015-01-30-bk_38_5.html

    ReplyDelete