By Dan Murphy
A parents group and the Yonkers Superintendent continue to disagree as to whether most of the YPS’ 28,000 students have a laptop, computer or chromebook to use at home so that they can participate and continue their education online during COVID.
YPS Superintendent Dr. Edwin Quezada recently commented in a Journal News story that 1,900 students were in need of a device, and the district was waiting for a shipment of 3,700 chromebooks that have been ordered and paid for.
Carolyn Solieri and Christine Peters, from Yonkers Parents Seeking Solutions, YPSS, question Quezada’s figures and still want more information, including how many students that the district identified as attending class are doing so on a cell phone and not a computer, how many families with multiple children-students are sharing a computer while multiple classes are in session, and how many students and families have no internet service. The goal of YPSS is to raise awareness of the need for devices and internet in the hopes that the Yonkers Community and corporations and foundations across Westchester will come forward with donations.
Based on recently released figures from the YPS to the City Council, over 90% of YPS students are attending school with hybrid or all remote instruction. Peters and YPSS claims that many students are logging into school with a phone for attendance check in and doing little else.
Shortly after YPSS hired noted Civil Rights attorney Michael Sussman to write a letter to both Superintendent Quezada and Mayor Mike Spano about the inability for many YPS students to learn during COVID, members of the City Council received information on estimates from the school district on who has computers, who needs computers and who is attending classes.That information was shared with YPSS and they shared it with Yonkers Rising.
Before COVID, YPS overall attendance was 93.7%. During the first week of class this fall, (Sept. 8-15), YPS attendance was between 85%-90%, and more than 6,000 students were absent at least once, with 360 students with no online learning activity at all. Less than 58 students have been absent for 20 days in a row.
Out of the 6,002 students who were absent, 45% requested a tech device, and 41% of those students received one, leaving 1,714 students in need of a device, according to YPS records. The district also cited data which found that most students are using Micsosoft team and logging into class, with 97% of K-8 students, more than 23,000 ,logging in.
The district ordered 4,000 new devices on July 20 and has received on 300 of them, due to a nationwide shortage as every school district across the country seeks more for their students.
Both Peters and Solieri either dispute the information cited by Dr. Quezada, or want more information, specifically about students forced to use cell phones for online learning. “This week, Dr. Quezada was asking the Council to bond another $2 Million for more devices. Why do the taxpayers need to pay for another $2 Million in devices if there are only 1,900 students who need one and 3,000 more devices already purchased that we are waiting for? That doesn’t make sense,” said Peters.
“These figures are not credible when we are getting calls from parents, some of who have 4 or 5 students in their family and one device isn’t enough. How is each child supposed to attend their class and learn?” said Solieri.
Peters said that information on how many students are using cell phones for online learning is still needed. “My daughter, who is in the 2nd grade, cannot learn on a cell phone and no one should be in the circumstance. The screen is way too small to see and to complete some of the assignments from their teachers. I know that we have families using one cell phone to log in for attendance but the learning part isn’t happening. And the district has provided no breakdown of how many students are forced to use a cell phone. We want those numbers because just logging in for attendance isn’t enough.”
Also unresolved is the issue of families without Internet. Both Peters and Solieri believe that more than one thousand families do not have internet in their homes to help their children learn online. Internet provider Altice is said to have offered a reduced rate of $7 per month for families in need, but there has been no conclusion.
Peters also wants to go to foundations and corporations to ask for devices but explains that she can’t without a documented need. And with Superinendent Quezada now on the record stating that the district doesn’t need any devices, it will be difficult or impossible to get the type of large scale, corporate or foundation donations that YPSS was looking for.
Other YPSS leaders include Declan Dorian, Gail Baxter and Zafiro Acevdeo.
Editor’s Note: We understand the difficulty of educating during COVID, and the financial constraints on the Yonkers Public Schools. What we had hoped for was an effort to ask the public, and corporate america, and community organizations and non-profits to help and step up and contribute funding or refurbished devices, to make sure that every student who needs a laptop or Chromebook has one.
The only people doing this are Christine Peters, Carolyn Solieri and YPSS. We applaud there efforts and will continue to report on their progress.
Anyone who wants to help or donate can contact YCAP.org. Donations can be made online, or if you want to mail a check please send to YCAP, 20 South Broadway, Yonkers NY 10701.
Or please write to Yonkers Rising and we will put you in touch with Peters and Solieri. Email us at dmurphy@risingmediagroup.com
