The city told NBC Connecticut that there are eight nurse vacancies to be filled but that all schools are currently staffed with at least one nurse. There is at least one school nurse assigned to every hybrid school that is open at this time, Bond said.
Darnell Goldson, a board of education member, said although that s the city goal, it has yet to be achieved. Goldson emphasized that the board made it clear that in order for schools to reopen safely that every school needed a nurse. But according to him, after a meeting held with the superintendent earlier this week that is not the case.
Education secretary nominee Miguel Cardona led a full-court press for schools to reopen in Connecticut
Laura Meckler and Nick Anderson, The Washington Post
Feb. 2, 2021
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Miguel Cardona is shown in Wilmington, Del., on Dec. 23, 2020.Photo for The Washington Post by Sarah Silbiger
Last summer, as school districts across America were nervously considering whether to pry open the school doors for part-time learning, Miguel Cardona was in Connecticut, pushing districts hard to return five days a week.
Through a combination of pressure and cajoling, along with an open line of communication, Cardona saw all but one school district in his state adopt some flavor of in-person education in the fall, reopening school buildings even as teachers across Connecticut staged noisy protests and districts across the country remained online only.
Miller said she and other parents are worried about pre-K through fifth-grade students starting hybrid learning in New Haven on Tuesday.
“A lot of fear that that the reopening of schools is going to put us as a community at greater risk,” said Miller.
Miller’s group – New Haven Public School Advocates – joined others representing teachers, parents, community activists and religious leaders to send a letter to the mayor and district leaders.
They’re calling for the return to be delayed until at least Feb. 1.
“There’s still confusion out there on a lot of different things,” said David Cicarella, New Haven Federation of Teachers president.
“We’ve always had a substitute teacher shortage in New Haven prior to this,” said Cicarella. “Now with 250 teachers potentially out on some type of accommodation, I don’t know where we’re going to get these bodies.”
He said there are about 100 members of the substitute teachers union. The district is looking for more substitute teachers, which raises a larger question for Cicarella.
“We’ve been out since March, it’s January. I’m not sure what the rush is and where did we land on this arbitrary date?” Cicarella asked.
City leaders plan to present research Monday night that shows transmission rates among young school children are low.
Updated on January 5, 2021 at 6:03 pm
NBC Universal, Inc.
West Rock Stream Academy was once home to about 200 New Haven students. Now it may never reopen again.
“We were happy about the class sizes, ratio for teachers to students was much lower,” said Darnell Goldson, whose grandson attends West Rock.
Despite how much they liked what went on in class, Goldson says he’s glad the city has recommended condemning West Rock and Quinnipiac School following a COVID-19 reopening inspection. He says he’s pushed for closures for the last three years citing building conditions, low attendance and expenses.
“Of course, they use COVID as the excuse, but these schools have been in poor condition for a long time,” said Goldson.