Thread by @MOREcaucusUFT

We're about to livetweet the @UFT Town Hall with President Michael Mulgrew, and we have a LOT of questions after that backroom deal he negotiated w/ @NYCMayor and had the Delegate Assembly approve without seeing the resolution. Follow this thread or at #UFTTownHall for updates.

Questions for #UFTTownHall:
- why wasn’t membership polled on this deal?
- is there a chance we will still strike?
- which scientists/experts recommended monthly 10-20% random testing, considering that's a math. likelihood of each school member getting tested once a year?

Questions for #UFTTownHall: @UFT
- when is the school calendar coming out? Will UFT agree to a return w/o a calendar?
- what protections are there for school staff who go into school and see that it's unsafe?
-safety of covid killer spray since it’s come out it isn’t safe?

@UFT Prez Michael Mulgrew: largest #UFTTownHall they've ever done, thanks us for "getting on, finding out, dealing with the questions, especially as we're leading up to Tuesday" when we have to return to buildings

YES WE HAVE A MILLION QUESTIONS, ESP. SINCE YOUR DEAL YESTERDAY.

@UFT Mulgrew: singing the praises of having enough "electrostatic machines" and soap and cleaning supplies that we didn't have in March. Mandated testing program in the fall. Delegate Assembly, 2,800 heard & approved (even tho they hadn't heard the plan til hours b4) #UFTTownHall

@UFT Prez Mulgrew: talking about the months of lack of planning from @NYCSchools. Still dealing with Spring Break, admin's lack of understanding what remote learning is. Needed to start planning and talking in April: that never happened. #UFTTownHall

Getting a LOT of @UFT members who haven't been able to get in: send us a DM and we'll send you the number to call for the #UFTTownHall going on right now

@UFT Prez Mulgrew talking about how the trust between teachers and @NYCSchools had been irreparably broken and we haven't talked about it. We've went through a lot as NYC. #UFTTownHall

@UFT Prez Mulgrew: when word came out that we were having school-based meetings and talking with chapters of what a strike would look like, @NYCMayor finally asked to talk. "I think we should reopen the schools." "So do I, but only until they're safe." 🙄yeah, right #UFTTownHall

Been sending numbers out to members who didn't get the @UFT robocall (DM us) instead of live tweeting, sorry, BUT Prez Mulgrew is rambling about how UFT was pushing for safety and @NYCMayor @NYCSchools weren't listening and then they negotiated after strike threat. #UFTTownHall

@UFT Executive Board voted Monday to authorize a strike auth. vote at the Delegate Assembly yesterday if negotiations fell thru, finished negotiating 10:15am yesterday b4 DA w/ @NYCMayor @NYCSchools. Sez this is the safest plan in the country (doesn't mean it's safe) #UFTTownHall

@UFT Prez Mulgrew: We have to move forward. Road is bumpy no matter what: strike, layoffs. We're all afraid. No one wants to go on strike, but 100s of schools were prepping. (Don't know if he's talking about the past/future strike prep) #UFTTownHall

@UFT Prez Mulgrew: now have delayed reopening. (Seems to avoid language of teachers going in-person Tues 9/8) "Why we all have to keep each other safe." Get ppl don't feel safe going in, "but we have to keep moving forward" & recognize we're feeling these things 🙄 #UFTTownHall

@UFT Prez Mulgrew: we're going/checking each building for PPE: over 100 ppl working last 2 weeks: visited 1,400 schools. Sending out reports to chapter leaders tomorrow. Will not open schools if they don't have the PPE: we need to see it. (What about ventilation?!) #UFTTownHall

@UFT Prez Mulgrew: other supplies also being checked. Many other issues can wait until schools have students inside of it. We're meeting w/ @NYCSchools tomorrow: we can't have PD in library. It's social distancing at all times. (Again, what about ventilation report?) #UFTTownHall

@UFT Prez Mulgrew: building response team needs to be up. All signage up. Paper towels/soap in every bathroom. Custodians part of it: do you have everything you need to do the deep cleaning every night? (w/ no extra budget?) Isolation rooms? Nurse in every building? #UFTTownHall

@UFT Prez Mulgrew: Need instructional plan w/ 3 kinds of teachers: remote-only, in-person in the classroom teaching all day, and blended instructing children going 1-2 days a week and rest of time taught remotely. Blended remote/in-person have to work together. #UFTTownHall

@UFT Prez Mulgrew: need to know whether students have devices/Internet and to get them tech they need.

AGAIN WE STILL DON'T KNOW WHO, WHAT, OR HOW WE ARE TEACHING AND IT IS SEPTEMBER 2ND. #UFTTownHall

@UFT Mulgrew: testing: (unclear whether all teachers/students must test b4 school) Monthly basis. If zip code w/ uptick, need more tests. Mandated 10-20% random testing; permission slips. If not staff will be on leave/keep med benefits, students forced fully remote #UFTTownHall

@UFT Mulgrew: no one is ever going to agree in a union. Some people are really happy, others are mad we're not going on strike. We have a lot of work to do. If schools don't have everything they need they won't open. #UFTTownHall

@UFT Mulgrew: layoffs are still an issue pending. Federal government failed us, city has given @NYCSchools #COVID19-only money.

How can UFT enforce that schools won't open if they don't have the supplies WHEN we don't have money/budgets for resources? #UFTTownHall?!

@UFT Mulgrew: Our challenge is our safety. We now have "phenomenal agreements on what needs to take place." Those words don't protect anyone unless we use our right to make sure everything is in place in each school. "1st time we have a plan for equity" HAHAHAHA 👀 #UFTTownHall

@UFT Mulgrew: if your school doesn't have supplies, call us. Can only use authority if we work together to make it real in every building. If schools aren't safe @NYCSchools will have broken doc they sent to NY State.

We have learned nothing new on this call yet. #UFTTownHall

@UFT Mulgrew: we closed down schools in March (yes, w/ our sickout threat, not thru the UFT lawsuit), we lost people (yes, after @NYCMayor kept schools open & UFT belatedly supported closing schools March 13th). "We are the ones who make sure schools stay safe." #UFTTownHall

Time for questions on #UFTTownHall to @UFT Prez Mulgrew.

He's been talking the past 45 minutes and we have learned nothing new.

Q: @UFT Paraprofessional: told we were in jeopardy of being excessed: nothing being told to us about what our roles are going to be.

Mulgrew: child still has IEP. Shocked if we have excessing this year cuz of shortage (A MORE MEMBER WAS EXCESSED SATURDAY! False) #UFTTownHall

@UFT Mulgrew: "WHEN you go into schools" next Tuesday (you know, the schools they told us were unsafe in-person just a few days ago) 🙄👀😡 "you shouldn't be that worried" about excessing

"We've got your back, because we know you've got ours" 🙄#UFTTownHall

Q: what concessions did you make for these days/delay? @UFT Mulgrew: Spring Break/retro haven't been given up. Doing the arbitration in October over Spring Break. Working on calendar w/ NYS Regents, we have flexibility on calendar w/o giving up Spring Breaks/holiday. #UFTTownHall

We don't believe by the way that all our days will be kept on the @NYCSchools calendar. Some backroom deal will likely have happened. Someone needs to ask @UFT Mulgrew about Rosh Hashanah 9/18 where we're scheduled to work right now. #UFTTownHall

@UFT Mulgrew: we're going to learn about burn rate and how much we're burning through in terms of masks and PPE and adjust accordingly. #UFTTownHall

@UFT Mulgrew: those w/ medical accommodations don't work, but shouldn't be a problem in the beginning of the school year for educators w/ accommodations to get their stuff. Will get that on table with @NYCSchools tomorrow at talks. #UFTTownHall

Please stop asking @UFT Mulgrew how he's doing on these #UFTTownHall calls with tens of thousands of people, please

(Being told Rosh Hashanah starts the evening of 18th so we wouldn't have it off anyways)

Staffing issue: we are all short staff. Will we have enough?

@UFT Mulgrew: none of it is correct. @NYCSchools is in process of deploying staff to schools #UFTTownHall

Still doesn't address OK'd doubled remote class size, etc.

@UFT Mulgrew: If individual school doesn't have enough, that school will stay remote. If school has everything it needs, people can go in. It's not a collective bargaining, it's a legal one, don't need to strike/break Taylor Law; can do lawsuit.

THIS IS DANGEROUS 1/ #UFTTownHall

@UFT what happens when schools don't have the checklist done & have to wait for a legal battle to close the school while in the middle of a lawsuit?! That is not okay. And, it seems no possibility of a strike right now even if schools aren't safe. Completely unsafe! #UFTTownHall

@UFT Mulgrew on outdoor learning: have a million questions about tents, planning, etc. and not enough planning time w/ and for principals #UFTTownHall

@UFT Mulgrew: layoffs would be citywide seniority by title. City needs borrowing authority which it doesn't, and needs authority from Albany. Don't want people to go crazy, cuz we have a lot of work to do.

WE CAN'T TEACH IN-PERSON WITH LAYOFFS. THIS PLAN IS UNSAFE. #UFTTownHall

@UFT Mulgrew: D75 is way behind. Major focus. Refused to meet with them a week ago if D75 wasn't on the table. ⁉️⁉️⁉️

So they're not done negotiating at all about D75, ugh #UFTTownHall

Q: Is this actually enough time? Why not more focus on remote?

@UFT Mulgrew: rambling about @NYCschools lack of plan and checklist and remote learning platforms which haven't been talked about deeply.

(Also how are ppl saying all their questions are answered?!) #UFTTownHall

People, STOP ASKING MULGREW HOW HE IS AND STOP THANKING HIM. TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE ON THIS CALL WITH @UFT Mulgrew #UFTTownHall

@UFT Mulgrew: working on buyout and can't guarantee people a date. All the unions are working on that

All these teachers asking on each call about a buyout, it's a really sad state about our teaching profession: we'll have an educational crisis on our hands soon 😔 #UFTTownHall

@UFT Mulgrew: Visual Content Specialist: take curriculum, taping mini-lessons, posting materials/assessments, doing prep work in ed platforms; remote blended teacher doesn't do that. Remote checks in w/ students & have schedule

WHAT HOW IS THIS LOGISTICALLY POSSIBLE #UFTTownHall

SO our remote learners are going to get canned lessons, that will TOTALLY be equitable for our special education and ENL learners, @UFT, GREAT. Then remote teachers won't be able to create their own lesson plans?! #UFTTownHall

@UFT Mulgrew: related service providers: working w/ @NYCSchools and that chapter. Seems to be no answers on special PPE or space or anything for therapists, and didn't answer how they'll teach in-person and remote 🙄#UFTTownHall

@UFT Mulgrew: 10-20% of the building will be tested at random monthly. #UFTTownHall

Secretary hasn't worked in front of students and is extremely concerned and anxious about school year.

@UFT Mulgrew: go to your district rep; all main offices now need plexiglass. Principals have no plans and are assigning ppl to do things; not contractual. #UFTTownHall

@UFT Mulgrew: you should be able to get the teachers' guides for your curriculum. Zoom virtual meetings for teachers who work remotely. We'll fight to have teachers w/ all remote students who don't have medical accommodations working from home. #UFTTownHall

@UFT Mulgrew: medical accommodations: have doctor certify later that condition is still there. We'll get renewal form to members when time comes up. #UFTTownHall

@UFT Mulgrew apologizes, informed that their phone call network went down and so many members couldn't get onto this call. #UFTTownHall

@UFT Mulgrew: don't know about observations/evaluations: been focused on safety/instructional guidelines. Haven't gotten it yet. Have so many considerations since there's so many teaching models. NYS Next Gen standards have actually been pushed back cuz of all this #UFTTownHall

@UFT Mulgrew: if you're forced to quarantine, days won't go out of your CAR. Weak sauce last question that's already been answered in all other #UFTTownHall calls.

@UFT Mulgrew: this will be a whole nother Labor Day weekend than in the past

YES CUZ WE WILL BE REMINDED OF THE LABOR BETRAYAL THAT OUR UNION HAS FORCED ON US. We're being forced to go into schools buildings Tuesday w/o assurance of safe conditions. Shameful #UFTTownHall

@UFT Mulgrew we don't believe you have our backs and that our union will keep us safe. Too many questions about what happens if the school doesn't meet the checklist, w/o the reports, and whether schools will be closed if we're waiting on unsafe conditions lawsuit. #UFTTownHall

@UFT Mulgrew shut down any possibility of a strike. Looks like rank-and-file members will take it into their own hands if they face unsafe school conditions. Keep organizing, everyone, at your school chapters and buildings. We'll have to be the ones to keep us safe. #UFTTownHall

Thread continues here: seems to have gotten cut off:

https://twitter.com/MOREcaucusUFT/status/1301255206752133126?s=20

If you have outstanding questions for @UFT after their @UFTTownHall you can submit them here: uft.org/town-hall