GothamSchools — daily independent reporting on NYC public schools

I think the decision to keep schools open is dangerous.

It makes good sense to cancel field trips, as travel in these conditions is plainly dangerous. That’s why Mayor Bloomberg and the MTA told everyone to stay home today. Except for NYC teachers and kids, who are invulnerable.

Except when on field trips.

Look at it this way.. Bloomberg just denied the NY Post its usual ” Snow Day ..Blame the Teachers” story.. All this griping could be stopped if both the private sector and public sector workers would demand to be treated like humans.. These snow events are a fact of life in the North East.. Deal with not going to work for 2 days a year.. The world will not come ot an end.

Idc im not going to school im going to my grqndmas house

In the interest of safety of your children and due to severe and hazardous weather conditions, all Newark Public Schools will be closed on Wednesaday, January 12, 2011. All school events, district sponsored community meetings and after school programs are also cancelled.  Athletic competitions will adhere to the NJSIAA decisions regarding cancellations.

Unless my google maps are wrong today, I have trouble believing that NYC has better conditions than a district directly across the Hudson.  

Hey, Ms. Black’s an excellent MANAGER though.  I”m sure closing schools would have been a bad management decision.  Ignore that my classes will be pointless today cause kids will show up late, if at all, my students with disabilities probably won’t be able to make it, and, the teachers that need to drive in for over an hour are putting their lives at risks.  Thanks Ms. Black!  Just laugh like Homer did when he joined the navy and tell us all about how it’s your first month on the job!

I am confused: In a “snow emergency,” only cars with “snow tires” or tire chains are supposed to be on designated “snow streets.” What of parents and teachers who use their cars to get to school?

Note that the city generously defines “snow tires” as any RADIAL tire. (I dare say Tirerack dot com would beg to differ.)

“Snow Emergency Traffic Regulations
New York City Traffic Rules, Selection 4-12(K) – Snow Emergency (DOTWebsite)

(snip)

(2) Operating Vehicles Prohibited
When the Transportation Commissioner declares a state of snow emergency, no person shall operate a vehicle upon a street designated by signs as snow street or upon any part of the right of way, including the berm or shoulder adjacent to the roadways, entrances and exits of the expressway and parkways set forth in Section 4-07 (i) of these regulations unless the drive, traction or power wheels of said vehicles are equipped with skid chains or snow tires, until the Commissioner declares the state of snow emergency terminated.

(3) Snow Tire Defined
For the purposes of this regulation, the following are considered snow tires:
(a) Any radial tire (a radial tire is a tire in which the ply cords, extending to the beads, are nearly at right angles to the center line of the tread).
(snip)”
http (colon) //www (dot) newyorkparkingticket (dot) com/Blog/bid/30896/What-to-do-in-a-NYC-Snow-Emergency-to-Avoid-a-Parking-Ticket

And why didn’t I use a NYC DOT link? The first four or so that came up in Google were broken links.

It’s a “snow emergency” vs. “schools are open.” Time for more coffee.

This was arguably the easiest commute (and yes, we commute) my child and I have had all school year. From what we could see, the highways are absolutely spotless, the major arterial streets are just about clear, all of our neighborhood’s and our school’s neighborhood’s secondary streets were clear, the Parks Dept and MTA had gotten to many sidewalks and staircases, and any sidewalk in front of a business was clear. The three forms of mass transit I take to drop my child off and then go on to work — commuter rail, bus, and subway — operated flawlessly. The snowfall had entirely stopped by 6 a.m. and the snow itself is extremely light and powdery and very susceptible to melting by sun or salt.

If you want to live 25, 50, 75 miles by car away from your job, I have no problem with it. Until you start screaming bloody murder about the mayor making what was a fairly obvious and justifiable call. Three cheers for all the great work done by the various public agencies to have the city cleaned up so quickly. 

Tim,

Eeks. Thanks. I stand corrected. Always happy to issue corrections. (That should prove I don’t work at Tweed, eh?)

From NY1:
“The city has issued a newly created weather emergency declaration.

Alternate-side parking is suspended, along with metered parking and garbage collection.

Cars that block snow plows will be towed – at the owner’s expense.

The measure also urges drivers to stay off the roads during the storm.

The Bloomberg administration has been criticized for not declaring the more serious “snow emergency” during last month’s blizzard. That prohibits cars without snow tires or chains from major roads.”

Looking ahead: my snark about snow tires remains valid; the city should address that for the future, and add a clause about AWD or 4WD vehicles (which are not the same, btw).

Thanks again.

I don’t mind, Michael. Yes, we are residents of New York City and my children attend New York City public elementary schools. We live in one borough, one child goes to elementary school in a second borough, and I work in a third borough. We utilize intra-city commuter rail for one leg of our trip. It’s a ridiculous situation, but you know how it goes.  

I’d be cautious when deciding whom can or can’t participate in a discussion about the city’s schools based upon their residency. A whole bunch of city teachers don’t live in New York City, after all. 

Tim,
If, by residency, you are implying some level of being a stakeholder in the system, then I agree, Michael should be careful. The issie of residency can be tricky. For instance, parents of non residents in the city schools are not stakeholders, period. Teachers, however, are stakeholders, regardless of their residency (be it 25, 50, 75 or 175 miles away) because they are the people who teach NYC students.
Being a press junkie, I was interested in seeing all of the 5-7 am news shows (i saw 2,5,7 and 11 this morning) change their story line up to fit the news of angry parents because schools were open. In each case, the anchors seemed to admit that they were covering it only because their switchboards light up … from parents angry about the announcement and the timing of it. I only see parents favorable to the decision here on GS … (in the non-filtered comments section from some commenters who’s opinions i have read and respect).
Im left wondering if all the negativity is due to a dislike for Bloomy, rather than common sense about whether the schools should have open.

I suspect that many of the parents chose not to bring their kids out of protest not because they couldn’t get in,  based on what I’m hearing from my friends. Well, Roma, at least you got your small class size.

Well so many teachers commute from upstate and the suburbs because those are most of the teachers their hiring. NYC teaching fellows and Teach for America candidates tend to be non-urban candidates. They do not want teachers from within the city we have to pay for our own masters and struggle but i guess today the struggling was reversed. Most of the NYPD, FDNY and most other City agencies do not live in the city either and happen to all have discrimination suits against the city (just coincidence ) but back to the snow the previous storm was how the city runs the schools: all messed up!

Tim,

Thanks for the earlier reply. I certainly admire your efforts in the schlep, even with less snow than forecast.

Cautions duly noted, and I certainly wasn’t suggesting anyone NOT participate in the discussion. But it is relevant whether an opiner has skin — or in this case snowshoe — in the game.

Further, if we required teachers to LIVE in the city, I dare say we’d have to pay them more. Or call a snow day a snow day. Other commenters have much more info than I as to some of the situations that resulted today.

Cheers.