Help keep my students and their families safe!

UPDATE: We are running out of masks and PPE - and with Omicron, we are trying to pivot school-wide to KN95s and N95s for all.
The DOE, City, and the UFT have failed to ensure that all teachers and students have the necessary supplies. Once again, I must fundraise   to provide adequate protection for staff, students, and their families. Any donation helps, whether it's for one mask, ten, or a thousand!



The photo in the header is of my classroom for the upcoming school year, starting September 13. A full reopening means means 34 students and 3 teachers packed into this classroom. Social distancing, as per the Department of Education (DOE) guidance, is mandated only "when possible". In NYC public schools, and especially in Title I schools like mine, this is never possible. The only ventilation system is open windows and two ineffective and wildly loud purifiers supplied by the (DOE) (here is outstanding student reporting on them!)

I am a Special Education teacher and many of my students have auditory processing and speech-language disorders. I also teach English Language Learners. With everyone in masks, many students will already struggle to understand what their teachers and peers are saying. Adding two loud purifiers into this mix will make our voices unintelligible (click here for a teacher demonstration). We need quieter, more effective machines to keep us safe and to support our learning community.

As of the first week in September, school-aged kids now have the highest positivity rate of any age group in NYC (5.4% for 13-17 year-olds). And we learn, over and over, how much our Black and brown children are disproportionately affected by this pandemic (more here). 88% of the students at our high school are Black and brown (learn more about our school here) . Our students and their families have suffered extraordinarily during the past two years and we must do everything we can to support and protect them from Mayor de Blasio's inadequate and often harmful "safety" policies. De Blasio continues to ignore calls to provide remote instruction to communities who need the option the most (one of many rallies from this summer).

In lieu of this failure, I'm asking for $1000 to keep my students and their families as safe as possible during this school year.

Currently, teachers are required to be vaccinated, but some will only have one dose by the end of the month. Students are NOT required to be vaccinated. In cities like Los Angeles, testing is happening for 100% of school-based staff and students. In New York City, the mayor and DOE have agreed to test just 10% of unvaccinated students (who submit non-required consent forms) every other week. This is woefully insufficient and will undoubtedly result in COVID spreading within our school community and beyond.

In short, schools will reopen with:

• Positivity rates 3X larger than last year
• At 100% capacity
• Without a remote option
• Subpar PPE and ventilation
• And less testing than last year.

$1000 will help fund the purchase of two Blue Pure 211+ Auto machines, that completely filter air every 12.5 minutes (more info), for Room 332. This classroom is going to serve as the homeroom for the Junior class and I hope to create a true *safe* space for my students, in as many ways as possible. The cost of the two machines, with a $100 teacher discount, is $556. I plan to use the the remaining funds on two replacement filters for the second semester ($153 total).

This leaves $290 that I plan to spend on quality PPE for my students. The DOE only provides surgical masks, and I want to have a supply of N95, KN95, and KF94 masks for my students who would like the extra protection, whether it's for inside our classroom, for when they travel long distances on public transportation, or for them to take home to their families who might not have these resources at home. I will purchase these supplies from a trusted, local vendor (PPE store).

Please donate whatever you can. Any amount helps.

Reach out with any questions or concerns or thoughts or support! Text me @ (646) [teléfono editado].

Thank you so much for helping our school community!

<3 Jen