Building Equity, Average Metaphor

I begin by thanking everyone for their responses to yesterday’s newsletter and specifically our letter indicating support for a delay of in-person school reopening in solidarity with District 15 principals, many parents, and teachers on…

I begin by thanking everyone for their responses to yesterday’s newsletter and specifically our letter indicating support for a delay of in-person school reopening in solidarity with District 15 principals, many parents, and teachers on behalf of our students. I am making my way through the many comments as quickly as I can.

Some points deserve further clarification. First, the COVID-19 testing average, while undoubtedly and thankfully low is still only an average and not reflective of specific circumstances within our communities. For example, within School District 15, we have some areas testing 0 percent while in Sunset Park the rate has has regularly been as high as 7% with testing that some feel isn’t nearly enough. With an across the board 3% citywide threshold to close school buildings we face a situation in which the extra burdens on some communities are exacerbated with dire consequences. If you agree and would like to support a delay in reopening, the Equity Team, at PS 169, has written this letter and petition you can sign on to by clicking here.

To use a metaphor, if Bill Gates walks into a bar (not the start of a joke), the average net worth of those in the bar would be in the billions, but only one would be a billionaire. Applying this to a highly contagious virus in places with poor ventilation and cuts to funding (as is the case with schools) and you’re going to further raise the level of infection, an infection that we know rapidly spreads. We can't pretend it's going to stay isolated in one community and will we then see schools again closing down. Isn't it better to heed principals, and others in charge of their schools expressing concerns for all their students and staff and wait until we have appropriate protections in place? 

This is not just a hypothetical. It is drawing from a clear trend in education in which schools have tried unsuccessfully to reopen for in-person learning. Even here in Brooklyn, among communities that were thought to be nearing herd immunity, spikes continue to occur after single events.

To be clear, I don't know of anyone (unless they became owners of Zoom this past January) who wants remote learning and other such systems to become the norm. However, unfortunately, until in-person education is safe online learning is going to be a part of life.

Now back to our regularly scheduled items below my signature and a wish that you enjoy the rest of your Thursday. 

This is the web archive of a newsletter originally sent by email to Brooklyn Community Board 6 subscribers on Thursday, August 20, 2020. The email edition may contain additional event listings and links.