As a New York City mother of 2 public school kids and a teacher of college students, I personally understand how challenging it has been to pivot to remote instruction in the midst of a pandemic.  Learning how to navigate an online teaching experience while we were all dealing with a frightening, abrupt change in our lives was very difficult.  As a teacher, I had to quickly learn the Zoom technical features, using breakout rooms and polls to keep my students engaged, while also adjusting to my personal family circumstances with 2 children transitioning to remote instruction.  Although it was a challenge, I recognized that in the midst of all of the chaos, school was an anchor for my students, a remnant of normalcy and stability as they continued to see the familiar faces of their faculty and classmates.  Given my experience these last few months, I am surprised and disappointed at how the NYC public school system has not been able to provide a meaningful education for our children during this pandemic. 

Remote learning for my children turned out to be independent study; teachers would post assignments and there were periodic meetings or events with the teacher or office hours if they had questions.  There was no synchronous TEACHING. I expected our system to help principals and teachers adapt the same way that other state public schools, local private schools and universities adapted:  core and elective teachers would maintain a reasonable daily schedule of meeting with their students at a set time (similar to their live schedule), teach the curriculum in real-time, and record the session for students who could not attend.  If teachers had young children at home or other personal circumstances that prohibited daily teaching, then substitutes could be hired or there could be a rotating schedule of one faculty member teaching a specific topic to all kids.  If kids had internet or technology issues, the recording would be available and they could schedule time with teachers for extra help.  But no live teaching at all? 

I have been told by our schools that teachers could not be mandated to teach live or required to use technology because of the teachers’ varying circumstances at home.  Additionally, I was told that students could not be expected to show up at a set schedule because families of limited means may not have computers and internet access.  However, there are mitigating controls for these issues.  The DOE distributed computers to every student in need and promised free internet access so students could complete the assignments and attendance.  Live class sessions could be recorded if students could not attend at a specified time.  Moreover, in normal circumstances, we expect our students and teachers to physically attend school and if they cannot, we have substitute teachers.  We mandate that our teachers teach specific curriculum and we train them on the use of smartboards or other technology; why would we not help them learn the technology that has become the new classroom?  Our NYC public school principals and teachers are among the best in the world, highly educated, experienced and devoted to their students.  The DOE must support their transition to online teaching.

Remote learning in New York City has also exposed a large inequity between private and public education which was not necessary given the technology available to the NYC DOE.  Local private schools implemented a live teaching schedule, students were expected to participate in each class at a set time (including electives, just like in-person school), and if they had internet or technology issues, they could watch the recording later and check in with the teachers.  Parents of private school children felt their children continued to get a solid education, had daily interaction with their teachers and classmates, and structure to their days.  

Quality education should not be a privilege for the wealthy; all of our children be given access to real teaching and a structured schedule with teacher engagement.  Although the NYC DOE intended to protect the most vulnerable kids of our community from inequity, the result has been detrimental to those very kids, especially children in disadvantaged communities who have no access to private tutors or supplemental resources.  To eliminate routine and live teaching for all of the children, particularly when families desperately needed engagement and structure, has been a deep disservice.  

If universities, public schools in other states and private schools were able to pivot to live online teaching, then the greatest and largest public school system in the country should, and I am confident could, do so for our kids.  This is when our students and families need a solid education the most.  Given that all signs realistically point to continued online learning in the Fall (and possibly beyond), the NYC DOE should be working now on a robust, rigorous, meaningful online learning experience for the teachers and students.  It is one thing for this to have been an emergency response for the last 3 months but for this to continue will have longer-term implications for our NYC public school system and for the recovery of our great city.

Specific Fall 2020 Recommendations:

• Provide all teachers (core subjects and electives) with camera-enabled laptops now so they can familiarize themselves with the technical features;
• Choose a platform that is conducive to live, interactive teaching, such as Zoom or Webex.  The current portals, Google Classrooms and iLearn, are assignment-based models that do not facilitate live feedback and engagement with an entire class;
• Allow for recording of the live class sessions and mitigate security issues through the privacy settings;
• Work with the Teacher’s Union to allow for summer training and use the staff development training funding so our teachers are pedagogically prepared and comfortable with their new online classroom;
• Negotiate with the WiFi private carriers to ensure that the free WiFi access is not contingent upon the credit history of families;
• Identify teachers who have personal circumstances that prevent them from teaching live so alternative arrangements can be made.  For example, substitute teachers can be hired and prepared for online teaching or a rotating schedule of faculty teaching specific topics can be planned.
• Align the curriculum across subjects so teachers can take turns teaching or pre-recording specific lessons.  Then individual teachers can host smaller group discussions.

Please spread this petition so our voices can be heard and our teachers can be supported.

Sincerely,

Amal Shehata

PS:  Donations are not needed for this petition; any donations that are solicited are from change.org.