#Brooklyn principals call for schools to delay reopening over COVID-19 concerns

A group of Brooklyn principals is calling for a delay to the start of classroom learning this September, saying the Department of Education is not prepared for the safe return of students during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a letter to top city officials Tuesday, 34 District 15 administrators said they were “gravely concerned” about the scheduled reopening of school buildings next month.

“At this point it is becoming abundantly clear that our schools cannot open safely and effectively on September 10th,” they wrote. Principals are expected to finalize their reopening plans in the coming days.

The signers included leaders from some of the city’s top schools, including MS 51 in Park Slope.

PS 107 principal Eve Litwack, who warned of reopening upheaval in a June letter to parents, also signed the missive.

“We’re gravely concerned that the central response to opening has been piecemeal, and many of the important questions about health and safety, space usage, academic policy, special education policy, and policy for Multilingual learners still remain unanswered,” according to the letter.

As it stands, the city plans to begin a blended learning model next month that will have students alternate between home and classroom instruction.

“Planning for such uncertainty is almost impossible without a clear long term blueprint for reopening, with coordinated guidance from the city and state education departments, and guided by public health experts,” they wrote. “Both the CSA and UFT have asked for answers on a comprehensive set of questions, most of which remain unanswered.”

The group said organizational problems from last year’s “botched” system closure have yet to be resolved and will likely persist into the new year.

These include overcrowded isolation rooms, a lack of protective gear, a nurse shortage, and antiquated ventilation systems.

“While we appreciate that school communities are actively seeking to solve these problems, we fear it will further divide between haves and have nots in our city,” they wrote. “The COVID-19 funding provided to schools is completely inadequate to address the challenges we face.”

If building activity does move forward, the principals demanded eight actions from the DOE, including beginning the year fully remote and then phasing in classroom learning beginning Sept. 21.

The group also requested a final tally on available teachers, hard dates for protective equipment provision, and comprehensive ventilation system reports.

“We desperately want to return to schools, we know that kids and parents need schools open and rely on us for critical services, but we cannot let that cloud our judgement and push for a hastily planned unsafe return that delivers a mediocre educational experience,” the letter states.

Mayor Bill de Blasio and backers of a partial school reopening have argued that city parents who don’t have the option of working remotely are in dire need of some scheduling relief.

According to the DOE, 26 percent of city parents opted out of building instruction to start the school year. That option remains available at any point in the year, the department said.

De Blasio has also asserted that remote learning is inherently inferior to in-person instruction and that some resumption of classroom activity will help to stem additional learning loss.

“Health and safety come first, and we are working night and day to ensure we can support over 700,000 families who plan to return to school buildings in the fall,” said DOE spokesperson Katie O’Hanlon. “We welcome ideas from all school communities on how they think September should look and will continue to work with this group of school leaders to address any concerns as we move towards reopening.”