‘NOT UNTIL IT’S SAFE’
Jackson Heights parents, educators march to demand schools reopen safely
Educators and parents marched for a safe school return in Jackson Heights on Wednesday, Sept. 16.
Photos by Dean Moses
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | SEPT. 25-OCT. 1, 2020 15
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
More than 50 parents and
teachers marched in Jackson
Heights to demand a safe
school reopening on Wednesday,
Sept. 16.
The group gathered outside
of Jackson Heights’ P.S. 222
at 86-15 37 Ave. at 3 p.m. and
marched toward P.S. 280 at 34-
20 94th St.
The demonstration is one of
several that have taken place
in Jackson Heights — one of
the neighborhoods hardest hit
by the COVID-19 pandemic —
in the last week amid plans
to reopen public schools in an
in-person and remote learning
format on Sept. 21.
Throughout the march,
organized by teachers union
More UFT, they chanted “Not
until it’s safe” and “Hey, de
Blasio, we are not fools. We will
not let you ruin our schools!”
The protesters joined a chorus
of educators and parents
who have said Mayor Bill de
Blasio and the Department of
Education’s (DOE) plan won’t
allow for a safe return to inperson
classes.
As of Tuesday, the DOE
announced 10 staff members
at Queens schools have tested
positive for COVID-19 after returning
to school buildings to
prep for the start of the school
year.
I.S. 230 at 73-10 34th Ave.
in Jackson Heights had a
staff member test positive last
week.
At the march, parents and
teachers demanded more safety
procedures, requirements
for COVID-19 testing and tracing,
appropriate ventilation
and cleanliness.
That same morning, educators
and parents gathered outside
of P.S. 149 at 93-11 34th Ave.
to also call for a better plan to
keep teachers as well as the
families they serve safe while
returning to in-person schooling
. “We showed up to support
our teachers at our former
elementary school,” said Andrew
Sokolof-Diaz, co-founder
of 89th Street Tenants Unidos
and parent. “It’s absolutely
necessary for the well-being
of students to return physically
to school but only in safe,
adequate conditions for the
faculty and students. The city
is rushing this plan and there
are concerns around proper
ventilation, classroom space
and the roll-out of this blended
model itself.”
Sokolof-Diaz has also called
for 34th Avenue’s popular Open
Streets to be used for outdoor
learning and recreation when
plans are better suited for a
safe return.
The DOE has not yet provided
a full list of Queens schools
that were approved for outdoor
learning.
De Blasio first pushed back
the start of in-person classes
from Sept. 10 to Sept. 21, and
announced on Sept. 17 that
the start date will again be delayed.
The city will roll out a
phased-in approach for students
who opted to return to
hybrid in-person classes.
Only students in pre-K, 3-K
and District 75 schools (which
serves the city’s disabled students),
will return to buildings
on Sept. 21. Students in K-5 and
K-8 grade schools will now return
to buildings on Tuesday,
Sept. 29. Middle school, high
school, secondary, transfer
and adult education students
will go back to their physical
classrooms on Oct. 1.
Educators and parents say
they were not aware of the
change until de Blasio’s daily
news briefing Thursday morning.
In an email obtained by
QNS, UFT President Michael
Mulgrew wrote to teachers
after Thursday morning’s
press conference that the
mayor finally agreed the city
“needs more time to address
the staffing and safety issues
exposed by UFT chapter leaders
and members across the
city.”
“We made a promise to each
other and to public school parents
that we would do everything
in our power to keep our
school communities safe and
fight for what’s best for our
students, and we are honoring
that promise today,” Mulgrew
wrote. “Thanks to your
advocacy, we now will have a
responsible, phased-in reopening
for schools.”
More UFT addressed the
change in a Facebook post,
stating it’s “too little, too late.”
“The mayor has once again
let down the city,” the post read.
“Parents are left to scramble to
find childcare. Teachers have
to change plans yet again. Students
have to process the delay
and handle the stress of a moving
target. This is not okay.”
/QNS.COM
