BX pols, school leaders talk back to school
BY JASON COHEN
As September looms closer,
school leaders and politicians
from the Bronx continued
their conversation about how
going back to school would
look for the borough.
On Aug. 13, Senator Luis
Sepulveda and Assemblywoman
Karines Reyes chatted
with Bronx Executive Superintendent
Meisha Ross
Porter about the city’s plans
for the 2020 school year. They
discussed cleaning, testing
and quarantining among
other issues.
“This is a partnership,”
Ross Porter said. “This is not
about how one person is approaching
this. I am also a
parent who has a child in the
public school so I understand
the worries.”
She stressed that as a city
there must be a plan but people
also must be mindful that
the students and staff health
and safety comes fi rst. According
to Ross Porter, the
DOE’s number one concern
is the nurses and cleaning
the buildings.
In fact, on Thursday the
city announced 400 new
nurses will be hired for New
York City schools.
“The DOE is working hard
to make sure there’s a nurse in
every school,” she explained.
All of the superintendents
will be meeting so by the
time school begins on Sept.
10, everyone will be on the
same page.
While the city handed out
more than 300,000 devices and
schools distributed some as
well, it is imperative to make
sure every child has a laptop
and Wi-Fi, Ross Porter said.
“The places we need to
partner collectively as a borough
is around Wi-Fi access,”
she explained. “This moment
for us is how we leverage technology.
Whatever the students
need to learn they’re going
to have.”
She said that schools held
town halls where parents
were given input on hybrid
and remote learning. If they
choose to be in school, desks
will be six feet apart, everyone
will have their temperature
taken before they come in,
the kids will be in one classroom
all day and if there is a
positive test in one class, that
class will be quarantined. But
if there are positives in multiples
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Bronx Executive Superintendent Meisha Ross Porter speaks about back to school. Screenshot
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classes, the school will
likely close.
Furthermore, as many
schools are old and outdated,
they will need to make sure
the HVAC systems are working
properly and every building
will be deep cleaned a
few times a week. Also, some
rooms cannot be used as classrooms,
as they are not large
enough for social distancing.
“We understand we are
operating in a certain time,”
she said.
Ross Porter stressed that
normally students are encouraged
to attend school but
during the pandemic if anyone
feels sick, they should
stay home.
Regarding teachers,
all staff will be given PPE
and hand sanitizer and if
they want, partitions and
face masks.
“Our teachers are coming
back because we really
care about our students,” she
said. “It’s a heavy lift, but it’s
our responsibility. It’s our job
to get everyone prepared and
ready for the opening.”
BCC gets grant renewal
BY ALEX MITCHELL
Bronx Community College
has been approved for the renewal
of a major, $465,000 year
long grant for the school’s educational
and vocational development
program thanks to The Robin
Hood Foundation.
That program, titled Future
Now, has been offering free high
school equivalency exam preparation
and vocational training
classes, student counseling and
career exploration, along with college
preparation and enrollment
services to students ages 17 to 24
since 1998.
“I feel grateful and blessed every
day for the opportunity to
partner with the Robin Hood
Foundation to work with so many
talented students and staff,” said
Future Now Founder and Director
Elizabeth Payamps.
This allocation intends to give the
programs means for enrolling 250
participants in high school equivalency
exam preparation courses and
enroll 90 new students in associate
degree programs, according to BCC.
Robin Hood has pledged $6 million
over a period of 13 years in
support of Future Now.
The organization also supports
250 nonprofi ts to support food, housing,
education, legal services, workforce
development and more to New
Yorkers living in poverty.
Bronx Community College. (Alex Mitchell)