SHARE

Covid-19: Educators Hold Car Parade Protest Saying LI School District Not Ready To Reopen

With schools on Long Island reopening this week, some teachers are raising red flags and rallying due to concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Connetquot High School

Connetquot High School

Photo Credit: Classreport.org

On Tuesday, Sept. 8, dozens of educators in Bohemia held a car parade protest, driving by the Connetquot School District’s administration office on Ocean Avenue, expressing concerns about reopening classes during the virus.

The first day of school.in the district is scheduled to be on Thursday, Sept. 10.

The Connetquot Teachers Association, which includes hundreds of teachers, has expressed concerns about a lack of available PPE, insufficient contact tracing protocols, not enough sanitation in school buildings, and a failure to properly train educators on how to teach in the “new normal.”

“Some parents have written in their remarks asking what solutions has the Association suggested to some of the problems,” they stated. “We have suggested many. Unfortunately, they fall on deaf ears.”

When schools reopen, Connetquot has planned a hybrid model, with two groups of students alternating between in-person learning and remote learning. A third group has opted for fully virtual learning for students.

A school district spokesman for Connetquot disputed the teachers’ concerns, saying that the district is ready after months of virtual meetings and planning in advance of the reopening.

"We have procured shipments of proper PPE for our students and staff have redesigned our classrooms in accordance with physical distancing guidelines, are prepared to adhere to a new and thorough cleaning plan to disinfect classrooms and shared spaces," the district said.

to follow Daily Voice Suffolk and receive free news updates.

SCROLL TO NEXT ARTICLE