Investment
Invest in our future.
Fully fund our schools.
The money is there.
New York city and state elected officials must reorganize funds to prioritize health before schools are re-opened. In a time of public health crisis the government must not implement austerity measures that cut spending when we need it most.
We Need…
Full Wrap Around Services
Schools Must Become Centers for Community Health
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Full-time staffed clinics with full wrap around services, including LYFE centers.
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Full-time nurses (1 for every 100 students)
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Full-time social workers, psychologists and school counselors including grief counselors (1 for every 80 students).
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Class sizes must be dramatically reduced, for learning and for health needs.
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All employees who work in or for the schools serve the public. They must be employed by the Department of Education, not private contractors. This includes Custodians, Bus Drivers, Cafeteria Workers.
Trauma-Informed Schools
Traumatic health-related experiences of the pandemic require Social Emotional Learning and Trauma Informed instruction access for all diverse learners.
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Training in Social Emotional Learning and Trauma-informed instruction
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Education refocus on community centered approaches: Restorative Justice, Culturally Responsive Education, and Ethnic / Indigenous Studies representative of the student populations
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Adopt demands from Sistas & Brothas United: Our Lives, Our Schools, Our Rules!
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Adopt demands from Good Shepherd to support students most affected by COVID-19.
Internet For All Students, Families & Staff
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Access to the internet, critically important at this moment of extreme health risk, will continue to be critical after it.
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Along with Spectrum Charter communication workers we demand public ownership of internet access.
Space and Infrastructure
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Build Back Better: This crisis has revealed significant shortcomings with our school building infrastructure. We need major improvements to school building and equipment, including HVAC upgrades to improve ventilation, lighting, and water piping, along with other infrastructure to prevent school-building hazards. The state must provide full funding, particularly for the schools in communities hardest hit by the pandemic (NYSNA).
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Fund Health and Wellness not Surveillance: Reinvest the $200 million in the Capital Plan for surveillance cameras, new metal detectors etc to open up hiring for social workers to facilitate students transition back to school and grief counseling. Reroute surveillance and policing funds to train DoE staff for disaster relief (Dignity in Schools Campaign).
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Class Size Matters: Class sizes must be seriously reduced, for learning needs and for health needs. Examples include, but are not limited to, staggered scheduling for older students, a continuation of some Remote Learning. Maintain small class sizes beyond a surge in the pandemic because all students deserve a small teacher to student ratio. Alternative certification paths for the Small Schools movement must be implemented to support a larger teaching force and smaller class sizes.
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Prioritize Space for Students: Space must be reorganized for prioritizing student use, such as creating space for social workers and counseling, not administrative or NYPD. Stop divvying out space to charter schools.
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Repair: Capital improvement plans must be rerouted to repair old, crumbling buildings.
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Potable Water: Water in all schools, on all floors, must be usable and safe to drink.
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Safe Transportation to and from Schools: DOE needs to ensure that the MTA takes precautions to ensure safe transportation to and from school for teachers and students.