Testimonials

Do you have a story about being safety, accommodations, or learning under the School District's Hybrid Reopening plan? Submit it at http://bit.ly/phledreopeningtestimonials (anonymous submission option available)

"I can't afford to be that one teacher who gets COVID, gives it to her spouse, and kills him." -Veteran Kindergarten Teacher

"I submitted the Americans With Disabilities Act form and the request form to the School District, and I was granted an accommodation, but it expires the week before spring break...as if my disability expires or something?" -Anonymous Teacher

"We feel lied to and betrayed seeing the condition of our school. Went in today and furniture was not cleaned, mouse droppings are everywhere. With these conditions how are teachers supposed to have their rooms cleaned and rearranged to be ready to admit students on Monday?" -Anonymous Teacher

I am pregnant and have an accommodation that ends March 25th, but my due date isn't until June! From what we know so far, pregnant women are at the most risk of death from COVID during the 3rd trimester due to compromised respiratory and immune systems. What do they expect me to do? -Anonymous Teacher

"As you can see, high touch areas like the bathroom flush button or hand rail have not been cleaned. We pulled a moldy roll of paper towels from a Kindergarten closet. The Nurse's office is still rated for 0 safe occupancy. Bathrooms are rated still rated for 0 safe occupancy. The bubblers on water fountains have not been removed. Staff have full teaching schedules this week and will be given no time to clean or prepare their rooms." -Teacher, DeBurgos Elementary

"There was no hand soap in the bathrooms. I TRIED SEVERAL BATHROOMS!" -Teacher, Mayfair Elementary

"I requested accommodations to stay working remotely due to health issues and my doctor filled out all forms. But I was denied because "the essential functions of my job requires that I be in person". My assignment is 1:2 for 3rd graders. Those students are not even in the building." -Anonymous Paraprofessional

"Dirty toilets! Mouse poop everywhere! No sanitizing stations by doors!" -Anonymous Teacher

"Our school has three new hand sanitizer stations in the main lobby and, as predicted, two of the three were empty already. Classrooms are dusty and despite our entire building being under active construction, we were deemed safe to return. Once more the district has managed to deceive the parents, staff, and (shamelessly) our vulnerable children. Make no mistake, there have been zero issues resolved." -Anonymous Teacher

"I had to ask for PPE. Some PPE was provided after I ask for it. No cloth masks or gloves. There are mouse droppings everywhere in the classroom. Staff bathroom has no windows or ventilation." -Anonymous Paraprofessional

"Teachers were told not to hang posters or other learning aids because it will 'disturb' the asbestos filled walls. Whether it is in good condition or not, I don't feel safe!!!" -Anonymous Paraprofessional

"At my school things were not ready like they said. Rooms are dirty, an old carpet lies in a corner, desks have not been removed to match occupancy numbers, technology looks nothing like the PD and is not set up, in most of our K-2 classrooms there are no smart boards. In the staff bathroom the new soap dispenser is lying on the floor, unattached to the wall.

I left today feeling so sad for our students and our families that our schools are in such bad condition. We had some new paint in the lobby- but the paint job was incomplete. Instead of fresh it just felt tragic." -Anonymous Teacher

"Zero indications that our room was ever cleaned since last March. We're waiting now to find out if there's a mold issue in the ventilation. In another room there was mold on the desks and chairs." -Anonymous Teacher

"I have a pre-existing heart condition that has been found in people post Covid. I have been working from home since last March, and I have a doctors note that states I should not return until my vaccine is fully effective. If I were to get Covid, I have a significantly higher risk of death. But now I have been told to report to work or call out sick. I am not sick and would like to continue working remotely. My accommodations were denied." -Anonymous 440 PFT Member

"I'm beyond appalled and saddened by the lack of respect for teachers. Again we’ve been lied to, my classroom is disgusting with a thick black layer of mouse droppings covering everything. At no time since March 2020 has anyone gone into my room to clean, let alone disinfect anything. But you think this is ok for our students come and learn in? SDP and Dr. Hite, you should be ashamed of yourself!" -Teacher, Muñoz-Marin Elementary

"Pre-K to 2 staff should be at home like the rest of the grades. We are still doing our jobs with our whole hearts... but with mouse droppings everywhere, dust filled classrooms, trash cans filled until the we call the office, laughable signs with the amount of people that can be in one room, and closets filled with old moldy supplies. I am tired and I know I am most certainly not the only one!" -Paraprofessional, DeBurgos Elementary

"I’m a school nurse. The rapid COVID tests provided by CHOP are set to expire on March 11th, 4 days after kids return to school buildings. CHOP originally promised to send new tests, which were supposed to arrive by the time the kids did. Instead, we were suddenly told that they are "extending" the expiration date of the tests until June. If we can't trust the results of these tests, it could put many lives at risk.

Furthermore, these tests are supposed to be kept at specific temperatures and monitored daily, and could become invalid if the tests are stored in temperatures that are too low or high. Right now tests are sitting in many schools unmonitored, and we know that the temperatures in schools easily fluctuate between extreme highs and lows.

I do not trust that these expired tests, kept in the constantly fluctuating temperatures of our schools, will provide accurate results. This puts our kids, families and staff at risk. Many suburban districts and hospitals have chosen not to use this kind of test because of quality concerns.

Just like with the dollar-store fans, SDP is providing these expired and questionable COVID tests for students, and then lying to families and reporters with promises that it will be safe! Why do our majority Black and Latino students and families get substandard medical supplies, when this would not be acceptable in other districts?" -Anonymous Certified School Nurse

"My school was determined to be ready for reopening, but when I entered, it certainly didn’t look like any cleaning had been done. The desks were covered in dust and dirt. The bathroom sink in my classroom was growing mold, as seen in the picture. Is this SDP’s definition of 'cleaned and sanitized'?" -Anonymous Teacher

"We're only 3 days in. Staff went back Wednesday, March 3rd. On Thursday, March 4th, someone in the building tested positive for COVID. We weren't told anything until this announcement on Friday, March 5th.

This is ridiculous! We get no COVID sick time unless the health department determines you got COVID or were in close contact with someone positive at school. So if you are exposed somewhere else, or have to quarantine because someone in your household tests positive, or aren't sure you were exposed but want to be safe, then you have to use your own sick days (if you even have enough). People have no choice but to come in anyway and expose everyone else." -Anonymous Staff Member

"I have Long Haul Covid symptoms almost 8 months after Covid. I was a formerly very healthy person. If this can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.

I don’t know how we’re expected to go back into buildings without being fully vaccinated when there are so many horrible side effects/ symptoms to this virus with the potential to last months-to-years." -Anonymous Teacher

"A teacher came into her classroom last week and there was mold all over the vents, ceiling tiles, and chairs. There was still mold on some of the ceiling tiles, even though apparently some had been replaced. She was told that the vents had been 'cleaned', but the mold is still clearly visible. The classroom toilet and sink are not working and there is only a hand sanitizer station outside of the classroom. And this school has been cleared to reopen!" -Anonymous Staff Member

"Monday was my first day in-person as a teacher with SDP. Classroom was filthy with trash, rotten food, and mouse poop. Staff bathrooms have uninstalled or broken soap dispensers. No sanitizer, or masks, or shields given to me. I’m at a loss of what to do." -Anonymous Teacher

"We are being told our school is 'ready to return', with insufficient air purifiers. We need 14 more. We have to report to the building anyway." -Anonymous Teacher

"My school building was provided with 14 fans, but only 4 air purifiers. There was no directional signage in the hallways. The smart board and other technology needed for hybrid instruction was installed on a wall with no electrical outlets. But, according to the School District of Philadelphia, the building is ready for students and staff!" -Anonymous Teacher

"My classroom is over 80 degrees with the windows opened. I have 0 kids returning." -Anonymous Teacher

"Filthy classroom. Long Dead mouse on the floor by a dustpan. Mouse poop untouched on tables, closets etc. My sink was disgusting. Never cleaned or touched. I complained, but in the end my wonderful classroom assistant and I had to clean all week." -Anonymous Teacher

"Today was testing day for Staff, but The tests were expired!!! Now Staff testing will be pushed back to who-knows-when." -Anonymous Staff Member

"Childs returned today, students start next week. According to PFT data tracker there are only 15 rooms that have been cleared for occupancy. However, staff were told that the rooms were OK to be in and would be cleared for Monday when the students return." - GW Childs

"I just learned from our school nurse that they are only planning to test 20% of students each week FOR THE FIRST 5 WEEKS of hybrid, only until each student has been tested once.

So it's not the random representative testing that Dr. Hite promised. Each student will be tested one time and that's it? What happens if a student comes in with COVID the week after they get their test? -Anonymous Teacher

"Went home with sore throat and dry irritated eyes after being back in the building this week. I believe it was from dust. It was obvious that no cleaning, as stated to assure the teachers of a safe return, was done. We were not even given cleaning supplies but told to set up rooms. Two days to set up the room and run classes at the same time. Unreasonable!

Could not set up the available tech and some teachers are still waiting on tech to arrive. It has been a year and the schools are still not ready. What a sad commentary on the state of education in some reopening schools. I would not send my child into that environment." -Anonymous Teacher

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