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weather report

October 30, 2012

Schools closed Wednesday as city begins Sandy recovery effort

by Philissa Cramer, at 1:42 pm

A photo Tweeted by Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny shows Brooklyn's I.S. 289 surrounded by water this morning.

New York City schools will be closed for an unprecedented third straight day Wednesday as the city continues its clean-up and recovery efforts after Hurricane Sandy swept through the region Monday night.

Some parts of the city remain underwater and it is likely to be many days before the city’s subway system is fully operational again, Mayor Bloomberg announced today at his first press conference since the storm ended. Residents displaced from their homes continue to be housed at shelters inside 76 school buildings, as well, suggesting that it could be some time before schools can reopen.

Some of the shelters lost power Monday night and are now operating using generators, Bloomberg said today.

It is becoming clear that at least some schools have suffered more extensive damage. A video taken this morning showed what appeared to be an explosion inside John Dewey High School, located just blocks from the water in eastern Brooklyn. The fire started in Dewey’s basement, according to a Twitter feed that reports FDNY alerts, and efforts to assess the damage are underway now, according to a Department of Education spokeswoman.

State Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny published a picture this morning of I.S. 239 Mark Twain School, located blocks away from Dewey also on the shore, that showed water lapping up around the building. Other photos we’ve seen on Twitter today show smashed-up school buses at a Brooklyn depot; a tree down outside the building Coney Island Preparatory Charter School shares with I.S. 303; and a large tree down outside Brooklyn Technical High School, which is being used as a shelter.

(Add links in the comments section to school-related photos you have seen or taken of Sandy’s aftermath.)

Several readers have asked us whether the days off will be rescheduled. The answer is yes, probably, but no official word has come down yet.

The state’s guidelines say that school days missed for inclement weather or other emergencies must be made up. According to the rules, school days off associated with religious holidays are fair game for rescheduling, but weekends and legal holidays are not. And the state education commissioner has the right to forgive up to five missed days, but only if they happen so late in the year that they cannot be made up.

The Department of Education usually sets aside some school days for snow make-up days; last year, two days at the end of the school year were turned into training days for teachers to prepare for new learning standards.

City schools are supposed to be closed a week from today for Election Day, when many will be used as polling sites.

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  • ms. v.

    Rumors circulating that Harlem Success and Ach. First have closed for the week… can’t confirm on their websites… any truth to this?

  • Guest

    I can confirm that Success is closed for the week. Check their Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuccessAcademies

  • Anonymous

    Here’s another question: the kids who take the SHSAT with 504/IEP accommodations are scheduled to do so this coming Saturday. Any word on whether this is going forward as scheduled? 

  • http://twitter.com/SoBronxSchool Bronx Teacher

    I believe that if more than 3 days are used for inclement weather than those days must be made up. 

  • Pinkhearts6166

    When will days mostly be made up?

  • Pogue

    They should make up days with this coming Tuesday, Nov. 6th, and the June Bklyn/Queens day.  Both PD days where the students in attendance would be more important and productive than the monotonous/inefficient “teachers-only” meetings planned throughout those days.

  • Citizen of NYC

    I agree with Pogue somewhat.  Utilize the existing PD days (Brooklyn Queens & Election Day) and then look to some sort of “forgiveness” waiver.  There is no need to arbitrarily  add days here and there, or worse at the end, for these kids.  They are suffering through this too.  Just close the week, see if we cannot open schools on Monday and move forward.  I am sure Albany can come up with some sort of “Sandy Waiver” which would cause no fuss anywhere. 

  • Queens Teacher

    I think it’s too soon for some schools to use Election Day as an instructional day- especially in areas where there isn’t, and won’t be, electricity for the foreseeable future. I will happily give them Brooklyn Queens day, because a day with children in June is infinitely better than a day of listening to Danielson. In addition, why make the determination now? We had no snow days last year- perhaps we won’t again this year, and there is no need to make up the lost days at all- OR, the state could grant a waiver.

    My question is this: what happens if a school has no power/experienced flooding? Can they ask teachers to report to other buildings? 

  • BloombergMustGo

    Close schools for the rest of the week to give everyone a chance to get back on their feet.  Then use the Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from President’s Week and forgive two days.  Those days in February will serve more purpose as instructional days that arbitrary days here and t here.  It’s a good time close to the State tests and between the Winter and Spring breaks.

  • ms. v.

    I think this is right, or some variation on this. Attendance of both teachers & students will be a mess this week if we go back, so the time will be much less worthwhile. Reschedule those days for later, let people recover now. Keep kids & teachers out of traffic and off streets. BUT I think they should make breakfast & lunch available in every neighborhood for families that rely on school food.

  • chemster

    I think that it would be better to use days from Tuesday and on of President’s week (or Brooklyn/Queens day) than to add days on to the end of the school year.  On the other hand, it might be good to try to open the schools this week so that kids don’t lose a whole week of instruction.  Of course, there would have to be the understanding that some kids won’t be able to make it to school (because of the subway situation).

    That’s just my two cents, though.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1652419195 Travis Dove

    311.com says school is open tomorrow :(

  • Tim

    I hope all GS readers and staff made it through the storm relatively unscathed. 

    The DOE should cancel school for tomorrow and Friday, assuming the subways won’t be running either day, and reassess for Monday. The days can be made up by eliminating the gratuitous (even in a non-hurricane year) “mid-winter recess”. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1652419195 Travis Dove

    Make me go to school on Saturday but I need my well placed vacations to cool down. 

  • guest

    Any word on uncommon?

  • A parent

    Do the schools have back up generators? Like many, we live in Brooklyn and my child goes to school in lower Manhattan. While transportation will be a logistical nightmare it may not be safe to have students in areas that are without power especially traffic signals.

  • Eager Educator

    Site isn’t updated, they havent made any changes on it for any future dates…not an indicator on tomorrow’s school schedule…as a teacher, hopeful to go back to work and some sense of normalcy

  • Nikki

    Any word on if schools are open tomorrow? I am eager to return to work but I want to make sure everyone can come back to school safely.
     

  • guest

    Can confirm Success is closed. AF has not released anything yet.

  • Pconrad
  • BloombergMustGo

    I know this will offend many, but I find it very interesting, as I walk my neighborhood and listen to the news, how many parents are complaining about their children.  While there are many hard hit areas, there are also many areas t hat have minimal damage.  Children can go outside, or inside, and find ways to pass the time. 
    I think it is a very sad commentary on our society that the absence of electronic toys, and the need for parents to spend time with their children, causes stress and difficulties.
    I also hope these parents remember these days, when their children return to school, and the parents return to the teacher bashing that has become so fashionable.  We spend hours every day locked in rooms with your children.
    I am happy to say that my children and I are having a ball, enjoying our time together.  Look closely, parents, these years will go away soon enough.  Talk to your children today and they will be there when you need someone to listen in the future.
    Good luck and good thoughts to all those who are truly suffering at this time.

  • Pconrad

     but I don’t think all of our schools will be able to open on Thursday at 8:00AM.

  • Guest

    thursday==school closed
    Friday===teachers/admins only

    I wonder if they will change election pd day will change to a regular day

  • Rosey

    Public schools are officially closed for students Thursday and Friday. Teachers have to report to work on Friday.

  • http://twitter.com/SoBronxSchool Bronx Teacher

    From Journal-News; state might consider waiving districts to make up days, http://www.lohud.com/viewart/20121031/NEWS/311010032/State-may-ease-snow-day-rule-due-Sandy

  • Qr47

    Judgemental much?

  • Lkiv

    Teachers reporting Friday to “get ready” for next week? I got ready in September. I don’t need to spend hours on the road on Friday (no, can’t get there reasonably on mass transit even on the best of days) to do work that I am already doing at home, or to have PD. If the kids were coming, I’d make every effort to be there; right now instructional time is what’s needed, especially since we keep losing it to data inquiry and other distractions.

  • BloombergMustGo

    Speak English much?  Please avail yourself of a dictionary, since we have spare time, and look up: “commentary” and “judgment”.  Then write a short paragraph comparing and contrasting the two words.
    Like it or not, hearing parents complain about having to spend time with their families just sounds wrong.

  • http://twitter.com/BNiche B

    With schools as pulling sites for many districts, I’m not sure if they could change the day to a PD day.

  • Guest

    If you can’t get there, you can’t. 

    I don’t think real PD is going to happen. I think some schools will have to move, deal with lots of damage or will be getting kids with MAJOR issues. I have many students who may have lost homes or have homes with no power or have homes with major damage. They will have to restock the food and get ready to feed kids.  I’m no fan of Bloomberg, but I do think that some schools will need time to get things kid ready.

  • WorkerAnt

    Some schools, yes, but not the entire system. Maybe staff should be redirected to those schools, instead of having us twiddling out thumbs in unaffected buildings. I don’t object to coming in, but I do object to the unproductive use of teachers’ time. FYI, I would jump through burrning hoops for my students, which is why I resent this silly exercise.

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