An angry city teacher said instructions were immediately left at his son’s high school last year in a scathing letter to administrators and officials of the Ministry of Education.
Veterans DOE educator Jenny Lombard tore up the “poor” quality of teaching at Brooklyn Tech after the closure of city schools because of coronaviruses and demanded reform before the start of the upcoming school year.
“Brooklyn Tech’s failure to meet the needs of its students is endemic to a broken system that protects teachers and administrators against students, many of whom are vulnerable,” Lombard wrote to Principal David Newman, Assistant Principal Kelly Nottingham, Principal of Brooklyn High School Janice Ross, and North Brooklyn Trustees Karen Watts.
The old Manhattan drama teacher said that the staff had burdened the children with assignments and homework without real instructions.
“Out of my seven sons, six have done exactly ZERO ONLINE SECONDS from synchronous instructions,” he wrote.
While many city educators have provided some form of direct teaching, many parents throughout the city have been lamenting about the detachment of their instructors during the COVID-19 crisis.
The Federation of Teachers’ Union advises members that they are not obliged to provide direct instruction during a pandemic – even if requested by the school principal.
Jenny Lombard and her son, Julian Marshall
“My son, and others like him, are expected to study complex high-level science courses, advanced languages and calculus entirely on their own, without any instructions,” Lombard said. “If they can’t do this, they face a failing value. Meanwhile, Brooklyn Tech teachers, schools, and the public school system are generally assumed to be entirely irresponsible for their own failure to meet the educational needs of students. “
A UFT spokesperson pushed back the idea that most teachers opted out of direct teaching.
“The teacher creates a mixture of techniques during distance learning, all aimed at ensuring they reach all students,” he said. “A sample of about 100 UFT members found 90 percent including many direct instructions and training sessions every week.”
Lombard told The Post that his request for direct teaching from staff was ignored and that Newman told him he was powerless to force the practice.
The administrator said that the parents were at the mercy of each teacher’s choice and that he had lost his hand.
Unable to teach himself, Lombard said his son had failed a class he had previously done well and was increasingly withdrawing and becoming confused about it.
“I have talked to many parents who share my concerns,” he said. “Our children’s grades have declined dramatically since the closure of the New York City Public School System. These children are not exceptions, but the rules. “
DOE and UFT both recognize the big challenge of switching to distance learning, but in general make it successful due to difficult circumstances.
Direct teaching was initially hampered by a sudden DOE ban on the popular Zoom web conferencing application due to security issues and subsequent recovery.
Teachers who are not tech savvy also said they struggled to manage classes on previous foreign platforms while others were worried about online broadcasting from their homes.
But Lombard said there was little reason to completely abandon direct teaching and tear it apart because it allowed what he considered professional negligence.
UFT advises teachers to provide synchronous education “to the extent possible” in their personal circumstances, Lombard wrote.
“Try to imagine anger when the public is told that ‘as far as possible’ has been interpreted by the administration and staff of Brooklyn Tech which means that there is absolutely no need for direct student teaching,” he wrote.
Lombard’s letter argues that the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on schools take a huge risk on low-income children.
“In the current socio-political climate, please take a moment to ponder how the public can receive this news, especially given the fact that the New York City testing school, a jewel of the New York City Public School System, failed to make students and especially their minority students at the level which is higher than before. “
Lombard urged changes in distance learning policy before the beginning of next year and said children who fail in their classrooms must be thrown for lack of adequate teaching.
“This is an important issue now and this is an important issue for the fall,” he told The Post on Wednesday. “I just don’t understand how schools can justify not teaching directly.”
