By Dan Murphy
The Yonkers Public Schools welcomed back more than 30,000 students for the first day of school Sept. 6. Temperatures that day were extreme, and perhaps it was the heat that resulted in a war of words between members of the City Council and members of the Yonkers Public Schools.
City Council President Mike Khader held a press conference outside Fermi School to highlight the warm temperatures on the first day, which exceeded 90 degrees and left parents concerned about the heat, and the need for basic necessities to ensure a happy and healthy school year for students, such as air conditioning and full-time nurses.
“This is absolutely unacceptable,” he said. “Today is supposed to be an exciting and memorable day for families as they see their children off to begin another school year. The last thing parents should be worried about is whether their children are being put in harm’s way due to lack of basic amenities, such as air conditioning. Our children deserve better. I call upon the school board to implement an extreme weather plan. Particularly for the start and end of the school year when the weather is warmest and our children face the highest risk.”
“I am very concerned about our students and teachers being confined to unsafe and uncomfortable conditions in our school buildings,” added Councilwoman Shanae Williams. “We must ensure that our students are provided with the best environment possible in their learning spaces to facilitate academic achievement. Every day of the school year is valuable, and we need to make sure that our students have a consistent, comfortable and conducive-to-learning environment throughout the year.”
Children have to be comfortable in order to learn and meet their full potential, according to Councilwoman Corazon Pineda-Isaac. “I agree with our council president that measures should be taken when extreme heat is predicted,” she said. “In an ideal world, all classrooms should be air-conditioned, and we hope to have that one day soon. We will continue to work on bettering our Yonkers Public Schools.”
The comments from Khader, Williams and Pineda-Isaac received a stern rebuttal from YPS Superintendent Dr. Edwin Quezada and Board of Education President the Rev. Steve Lopez.
“There is no one more acutely aware of the impact today’s excessive heat has in our schools and to our students and staff than the Board of Education trustees and the superintendent of schools,” said Quezada. “For the past four years, working with our mayor, our sate delegation, the Yonkers Council of PTAs and our bargaining units, we have championed and made progress with Rebuild Yonkers Schools; many schools are over 75 years old. We appreciate the legislation already signed in Albany and will continue to collaboratively work to upgrade all of our schools.
“The City Council has control of the city’s budget,” he continued. “The Board of Education welcomes additional funding. ‘Basic necessities’ for our instructional programs and repairs are needed. I want to make it very clear to our families that all of our schools are safe. Every school has additional water on site so that everyone can stay hydrated, and administrators are monitoring our students and staff. In addition, I directed the staff to have recess inside today.”
Lopez accused Khader of “grandstanding.”
“Your actions yesterday, holding a press conference in front of a school on the first day of instruction about lack of proper air conditioning in multiple Yonkers Public School buildings put the Board of Education trustees and the citizens of the City of Yonkers on notice that you are unwilling to work collaboratively with the Yonkers Public Schools,” he said. “I sincerely hope this was not your intent. We must have a unified voice as we seek both short- and long-term solutions to continue the significant progress made over the past five years by our students, educators, administrators and families of the Yonkers Public Schools. In the future, rather than grandstanding without first seeking proper information, please make a sincere effort to reach out to us.
“Our building administrators, with the support of the Central Office, magnificently handled comforting our children on their first day, providing additional water, indoor recess and monitoring everyone throughout the day,” said Lopez.
Khader responded to Lopez, writing: “Although I very much appreciate and echo your call for the City Council, Board of Trustees, the superintendent of schools, the mayor and our state delegation to work together to address the challenges facing Yonkers Public Schools, I must strongly dispute your assertion that my call for the development and implementation of an extreme weather plan was ‘grandstanding.’
“As I hope you heard in my remarks to the press, I saluted Superintendent Quezada and the Central Office’s response to the extreme heat of Thursday, Sept. 6, as well as hailed the remarkable recent achievements of Yonkers Public Schools, including the significant rise in graduation rates over the past five years. Although I am proud of the work of our students, teachers, administrators and staff, I am unwilling and unable to turn a blind eye to the public outcry that my office received the morning of Thursday, Sept. 6 from both parents and staff regarding the heat and potentially unsafe conditions for our students. If being responsive to one’s constituents and putting our children’s safety first is ‘grandstanding,’ I make no apologies.
“As I am sure you are aware, the Yonkers Public Schools Emergency Management Plan has no stated policies for extreme heat, such as we experienced Sept. 6 – heat which drove neighboring school districts to enact early release times. I believe the development of an official policy for such conditions is in our long-term interests, and would welcome the opportunity to collaborate with the superintendent, Board of Trustees, parents, teachers and students to develop one.
“Accountability cannot and should not be deflected at the expense of our students. I will not silence the concerns of my constituents as they relate to Yonkers Public schools,” said Khader.
Most elementary schools in Westchester do not have air conditioning, so the lack of AC in many of the Yonkers Public Schools – despite their old age – is not uncommon. Khader’s press conference was more about coming up with a plan to cancel school, or have an early dismissal, when the temperatures rise above 90 degrees.
As the only other citywide elected official in the city, Khader is entitled to express his views and concerns, not only for the constituents who contacted his office, but for his own children who attend Yonkers Public Schools.
Also remember that Khader was joined by Williams and Pineda-Isaac, which makes three of the seven members of the council in agreement and all expressing the same concerns, which is their job as elected officials.
In the future, let’s hope cooler heads prevail.
