“In your letter, you allege failings by the District with broad accusations. Your claims are the antithesis of our data and NYSED approved practices. If you have concrete situations, examples or data please share,”
YPS Superintendent Dr. Edwin Quezada
Yonkers Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Edwin Quezada issued a six-page response to accusations made by Yonkers Parents Seeking Solutions, YPSS, and their attorney Michael Sussman, concerning their claim of educational inequities, special education students falling through the cracks and large disparities in learning between teachers and substitutes.
Quezada writes,“Fortunately, in Yonkers inaction has not been the norm. Since March, our work has been characterized by a collaborative commitment among the Trustees, the Mayor, our City Council and a supportive Yonkers Council of PTA. This collaborative approach resulted in our district being recognized by The Education Trust New York in their October 12, 2020 press release, Analysis finds that schools with the greatest shares of students of color and students from lowincome backgrounds are more likely to rely on remote learning.
“Among the findings: In the State’s Big 4 school districts,… 82%of all students are remote, with only Yonkers reporting significant hybrid learning during this period.” This organization focuses on equity and access for all students and families in educational settings.
“In your letter, you allege failings by the District with broad accusations. Your claims are the antithesis of our data and NYSED approved practices. If you have concrete situations, examples or data please share them. Our staff has and will appropriately, to the best of our ability, address every concern brought to our attention. In less than a year’s time and with extremely limited funding, we have managed to realize resources for students and staff as well as facility improvements. It is because of this that we
often state with pride that Yonkers Public Schools is the best urban district in America.
“The data is clear. Yonkers was one of two Big 5 City School Districts to begin Hybrid Instruction in October. In 2020, Yonkers was the first and only Big 5 district in New York State to achieve a 90% graduation rate, surpassing the graduation rate of many districts in Westchester County,” writes Quezada.
Included in Quezada’s response letter were the following details:
8,340 devices have been distributed for home use to date. They include 5,146 laptops, 278 iPads and 2,916 Chromebooks. 436 of these devices
have free Wi-Fi through a collaboration with Altice.
There is no waitlist for devices, as of this date, and the majority of new device requests are for students new to the District, parents whose personal device is no longer working and they are unable to get it repaired, as well as District devices that are no longer functioning.
The Mayor is working with Altice provided Internet hotspots in high need communities.
School staff reach out to every family whose children were not engaged in remote instruction to ascertain why and try to resolve the issue.
When available, families with multiple children received additional devices. Tech Help Desk, 914-376-8637 or helpdesk@yonkerpublicschools.org, is available daily, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
On Several Occasions, Quezada challenged Sussman and YPSS to provide evicence and specific proof “The District refutes the assertion that students in Special Education are facing worsening conditions, and the claim that the District has failed to revise policies and procedures leading to students with disabilities falling further behind, runs counter to the facts, and is inaccurate.”
“If Yonkers Parents Seeking Solution (YPSS) is aware of specific teachers, please provide their names so that our Infrastructure Technology team and principals can resolve their concerns….If you have concrete situations, examples or data please share them.”
“Once again, the District refutes your allegation that “a substantial number of qualified and certified teachers are not providing services to children, replaced by less qualified substitute teachers… every effort should be made to employ their skills virtually…”
“According to the City of Yonkers Human Resources Department, less than 3% of Yonkers teachers are on leave related to underlying conditions. If a teacher has selected to take a leave of absence, that is a personal decision. Therefore, substitute teachers must provide instruction.
“For teachers who received ADA accommodations and provide remote instruction, the District must employ a substitute teacher to supervise the students in school during Hybrid Instruction. For teachers who are quarantined due to COVID-19 related conditions and are permitted to work from home to provide remote instruction, the District must employ a substitute teacher to supervise the students in school. For teachers who are absent, the District must employ a substitute teacher to supervise the students in school,” writes Dr. Quezada.
