NEW ROCHELLE, NY — FUSE President Martin Daly has published an open letter to New Rochelle Schools Superintendent Dr. Laura Feijóo and the New Rochelle Board of Education.
Daly accused Dr. Feijóo of having “ignored the recommendations of medical professionals, and the pleas of community members, employees, and students.”
“Your blatant disregard during this health crisis time defies reason,” said Daly, accusing the Superintendent of needlessly putting all members of the school community’s health at risk.
“The FUSE again urgently demands the closing of all schools in the City School District of New Rochelle.”
Feijóo has been the subject of controversy since the day of her hiring in June 2019 over her joining a $90 million “reverse discrimination” lawsuit against New York City Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza. Opposition to Dr. Feijóo increased days after her start date on November 1st, 2019 when she suspended (and later forced the resignation) of Hall of Fame head football coach Louis DiRienzo. His team went on to win the New York State AA Championship without him at the helm.
The FUSE union and the New Rochelle Branch of the NAACP have been calling for Feijoo’s resignation for the past four months.
In the letter today, Daly ripped Dr. Feijoo for sending what he says were “misleading and inaccurate” emails to the community.
“(She made) Assurances that there was an abundance of sanitizing supplies for students and staff to use,” wrote Daly. “In truth, no schools had, or currently have, effective hand sanitizer of at least 60% alcohol. At some schools, classrooms had no hand sanitizer or cleaning wipes whatsoever.”
“This false claim by the superintendent led people to speculate regarding what else was being withheld or misconstrued including information about the status of members of the school community who had been quarantined due to possible contact with the virus.”
An open letter to Dr. Feijoo and the Board of Education,
The FUSE is resolute that all schools in the New Rochelle City School district should be closed until at least March 25th. In this time of a global health pandemic, it is prudent and common sense to rely on science and err on the side of caution to protect all members of the school community.
Although none of us could have anticipated that New Rochelle would be ground zero for the Covid-19 virus on the east coast, once this happened the concern, anxiety, and anxiousness of the New Rochelle community were predictable. While New Rochelle is a large suburban city in many ways it acts like a small town. Our lives are interconnected — and perhaps that is especially true of our school system.
Through effective leadership practices, the City School District of New Rochelle could have been the model for communication, composure and cooperation. Unfortunately, actions taken by the leadership of CSDNR have not allowed this to happen.
Emails sent to the community from Dr. Feijoo were misleading and inaccurate. Assurances that there was an abundance of sanitizing supplies for students and staff to use. In truth, no schools had, or currently have, effective hand sanitizer of at least 60 % alcohol. At some schools, classrooms had no hand sanitizer or cleaning wipes whatsoever. This false claim by the superintendent led people to speculate regarding what else was being withheld or misconstrued including information about the status of members of the school community who had been quarantined due to possible contact with the virus.
With all that is unknown about this virus, it is inconceivable that you have taken such an obstinate stance in regards to closing all schools. You have ignored the recommendations of medical professionals, and the pleas of community members, employees, and students. Your blatant disregard during this health crisis time defies reason. You are needlessly putting all members of the school community’s health at risk.
Your decision not to close all of our schools proves that you act without regard to anyone’s opinion but your own. This unilateral decision is yet another way in which your leadership is undermining the long-standing collegiality that has existed between the school district, its employees and their union.
The FUSE again urgently demands the closing of all schools in the City School District of New Rochelle.
—
Martin Daly
President
New Rochelle Federation of United School Employees
RELATED:
New Rochelle Union Calls for Resignation of Superintendent; Protest Planned for Friday
She does now and in the recent past just what she decides to do with no regard to health facts and other issues. In my opinion she does the complete opposite as if she is trying to let us know she is in charge. She really has to be removed from such an important position as soon as possible.
Is Mr. Daly ready to agree that his members will come back to work when the emergency is completely behind us and work without additional pay to make up the closed days?
It is unbelievable that the Superintendent of the City of NR School District has not closed all the schools,has defied common sense, the CDC guidelines, the State of Emergency in NYS, the governor of NY, ignored arrogantly the well being and safety of 10.000+ children,2,000+ teachers, staff, parents, and community withthe approval and support of the Board of Education!!!
How is this possible?that now the City of NR has been BBC forced to close three schools, which is ridiculous because these are NOT neighborhood schools NR is an urban -suburban community area of 80,000 or so people. We are unique our citizens and children travel all over NR and take part in activities in all areas of the City and have siblings, cousins,relatives in all different schools
This Superintendent is unaware of the makeup of the City and apparently so is the Board
Had the Superintendent and the Board reacted with common sense as all neighboring schools had- by closing the schools for deep cleaning and demanding the buses who serve NR- First Student and Mile Square busses clean their busses all of this could have been avoided
We are not just some out of the way SD being proactive we are at the epicenter of a Global Coronavirus Pandemic and yet the arrogance and defiance of one person is destroying the image and possible health of our City for specious reasons, other SD
Have free lunch but managed without the National Guard, other SD have parents who work, other SD invested in professional cleaning equipment
NR mops the floors cleans desks w/o anti-bacterial wipes and has provided No sanitizers or wipes to the open schools to clean and refuses To comment on why not
In addition the Superintendent held a Board Meeting and told everyone not to come because of the virus Really?
Citizens, parents, community leaders please speak up and stop this procrastination and DEMAND. That the school District cooperate with all health guidelines and rules and common
Sense. Please do it now.
Everyone needs to stop saying that the Governor “over reacted”. The SuperIntendant and the Board of Education in New Rochelle has put thousands of people at jeopardy! The schools are filthy! Years back Bleach cleaners and Lysol were banned from school cleaning supplies so as not to be “dangerous” to the children.
For parents who bus their children to school, those buses have not been cleaned or sanitized professionally. The same busses who bus children to and from Orthodox and religious schools as well as ALL the public schools. A contaminated bus! Great! Also why has no one even spoke about the high risk population? The elderly, medical conditions and cancer patients during and post treatment. No! Everyone is too busy blaming Cuomo who had to call in the National Guard to force the closure of CERTAIN schools. While the SuperIntendant and Board of New Rochelle still refuse to close the others to even professionally clean!
This is insanity! Had she cleaned the schools to begin with maybe we would not be doubling the cases everyday!
Can someone help our community! Please!
They are just against the Superintendent. My kids are in NRHS and Isaac Young. I asked them. They said there was no shortage of hand sanitizer.