De Blasio Unveils ‘Back To School Pledge’ As Safety Concerns Grow

NEW YORK CITY — A “Back to School Pledge” unveiled by Mayor Bill de Blasio aims to break a growing wave of concerns over safety as the city’s schools prepare for students’ return to classrooms.

The pledge is a simple list of precautions and safety measures that will be in place for schools’ planned Sept. 10 reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic. Schools will have full supplies of free face coverings, full-time nurses in every building and be regularly cleaned, de Blasio said Tuesday.

All those efforts, and more, are detailed on the pledge, he said.

“Every parent, every New Yorker can see what exactly is being done and the level of comprehensive effort, layer upon layer, to make sure we will have the safest school year ever, because there’s never been this much investment in all the health and safety measures,” he said.

De Blasio’s and Superintendent Richard Carranza’s pledge announcement comes a day after New York City’s teacher union detailed a list of safety steps of their own, alongside the threat of court action and a potential strike if they’re not met.

The United Federation of Teachers’ threat Wednesday highlighted, and perhaps deepened, a growing divide between city officials and educator unions.

De Blasio has enthusiastically pushed for students to return to classrooms, while educators have increasingly voiced doubts about details — or lack thereof — of reopening plans.

Carranza and de Blasio on Thursday aimed to show parents and educators they hear and will address concerns.

“I know how overwhelming this may feel, but I want to reiterate something that the mayor has said and I also have said: that if it’s not safe, we won’t reopen,” Carranza said.

Much will be different this year in school, but many important things will remain the same, Carranza said. He said schools will remain in session five days a week no matter children are learning.

Families should start preparing children for what the fall will look like, he said.

“Wearing a mask, social distancing, making sure that they know their supplies are their supplies, understanding that just because they can’t hug other children doesn’t mean that they’re not friends — it just means they’re looking out for them as they’re looking out for each other,” he said.

The pledge, in its own words, states:

• PPE and cleaning supplies will be supplied to all schools, and DOE will have a 30-day supply on hand at all times—with a hotline for principals to call for immediate resupply for their schools
• There will be a full-time nurse in every public school building
• Any school building or room found to have inadequate ventilation will not be used by students or staff
• Students and staff will practice physical distancing in all school buildings
• Students and staff will wear face coverings throughout the school day; if they do not have them, they will be provided for free
• Students will remain in pods for as much of the day as possible
• We will place hand sanitizer in every classroom
• City-run testing sites will prioritize free COVID testing and expedited results for school staff; free testing is also available to all students, families, and New Yorkers citywide
• We are encouraging all DOE employees to be tested monthly
• NYC Department of Health and Test + Trace Corps will immediately investigate confirmed cases to prevent spread of the virus
• Schools will communicate with all students and families when there are confirmed cases in
• schools
• When necessary, classrooms or school buildings will temporarily close to maintain safety of school communities and prevent spread of the virus
• School buildings will close if the percentage of positive COVID-19 tests in New York City is 3% or more using a 7-day average—the most aggressive threshold in the nation
• All school buildings will be disinfected overnight, every night
• High-touch zones will be cleaned multiple times throughout each day
• Electrostatic disinfectors will clean surfaces daily with zero physical contact
• Whether in-person or online, students will study in supportive environments with rigorous academic standards
• Remote students will interact with their teachers every day
• Student schedules—both remote and in-person—will be preset and consistent to allow families to plan
• Academic instruction will integrate social-emotional learning and trauma-informed care to support students holistically
• Teachers will have time each day to engage one-on-one with students and families

The pledge can be seen here.