Wednesday, July 8, 2020

MAYOR DE BLASIO AND CHANCELLOR CARRANZA ANNOUNCE PRELIMINARY SCHOOL REOPENING PLANS FOR FALL 2020


Health and safety will lead all planning as schools prepare for in-person and remote learning next school year

 Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza today announced additional preliminary plans for school reopening in September, assuming the city continues to meet all necessary COVID-19 public health thresholds.

Driven first and foremost by the health and safety of school communities, schools will be provided with specific models to develop schedules for students that include in-person and remote instruction every week. Personalized schedules will be shared with families in August, and the Department of Education will continue to update families so they can plan for a successful return to school buildings.  

“Getting our kids back to school successfully and safely is the single biggest part of restarting our city. Parents have spoken clearly – they want their children back in school buildings to the greatest extent possible. Our approach for the fall maximizes in person instruction while protecting health and safety of our students and educators,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

 “As we continue to plan for September, we’re developing plans that prioritize the health and safety of our communities while giving schools the flexibility to maximize in-person instruction, and providing parents with clear and consistent schedules,” said Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza. “These are tough decisions with no perfect solutions, and we’ll continue to stay in close contact with schools and families to provide updates and guidance as the pandemic evolves and we move closer to the first day of school.”

“Re-opening our schools will be a complex and difficult process, but we are not going to be careless with our students, their families, and our educators,” said Michael Mulgrew, President of the United Federation of Teachers.

"The first priority of school leaders is always the health, safety and well-being of the communities they lead," said Mark Cannizzaro, President of the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators. "Though there is still tremendous uncertainty and incredible challenges ahead, we look forward to our continuing collaboration with the Department of Education as we determine when and how school buildings will open.”

Reopening plans will cover four main areas: health and safety, building programming and scheduling, blended learning, and family engagement. This equitable approach balances academic needs with the health and safety of our communities. All students will have an option to be all-remote in the fall. 

The City will continue to coordinate closely with the State as these plans develop to ensure a safe reopening.

Health and Safety 
School buildings will promote healthy behaviors and environments by requiring physical distancing, face coverings, and increasing access to hand washing and sanitizer. Physical spaces will be configured to ensure appropriate distances, lunch will be held in classrooms or require assigned seating, and each campus will have an identified Isolation Room in the event someone becomes ill.

Each building will be deep cleaned on a nightly basis with electrostatic sprayers which dispense disinfectant so that it adheres to surfaces without the need to physically touch them, and will have improved HVACs for ventilation. Every classroom will have hand sanitizer and disinfectant.

Building Programming and Scheduling
Using guidelines from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, New York State Department of Health, and New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; data from the Principal Annual Space Survey; enrollment data; and capacity and utilization data, schools are calculating their maximum capacity taking social distancing into account. These calculations account for at least six feet of space around each person in a classroom while ensuring that there remains room for teachers and students to circulate.

The DOE has developed three baseline scheduling models for all schools to use. The models have been created in close collaboration with principals and developed by analyzing system-wide constraints, researching national and international best practices, and surveying families and students. They are meant to support schools in determining how to serve the needs of their students and families in maximizing in-person attendance in line with health and safety guidance, while also providing as much consistency as possible for families. Separately, the DOE is also providing two additional models for schools serving students with disabilities, known as District 75 schools, that meet their unique programming and student needs.

All families will also have an option to pursue an all-remote schedule next fall. The Department of Education will be sending additional information in the coming weeks on how families can voluntarily select this option. Students will not need a medical reason to register for this option. Families who opt for fully-remote learning will be able to review this decision at specified intervals during the school year, and may opt back into in-person learning if they would like to do so. Additional details on these processes will be announced in the coming weeks.

Model One
Taking into account student population and the space available in the building, for schools able to accommodate at least 50% of their student population with physical distancing, students will receive in-person instruction for the same two days every week, as well as every other Monday. This amounts to a total of five days of in-person instruction every two weeks. In this model, there are two in-person student groups and one fully remote student group. Students will participate in remote learning for non-in-person days.

This model is available to elementary, middle, and high schools. For schools able to accommodate at least 50% of their student population with physical distancing, the alternating day model below is the Chancellor’s recommended preference.

Week
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday

Group D (All-Remote)
One
Group A
Group A
Group B
Group A
Group B
Two
Group B
Group A
Group B
Group A
Group B

Week
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday

Group D (All-Remote)
One
Group A
Group A
Group A
Group B
Group B
Two
Group B
Group A
Group A
Group B
Group B

Model Two
Taking into account student population and the space available in the building, for schools able to accommodate roughly one-third of their student population, students will receive in-person instruction 1-2 days per week. This amounts to a total of five days in-person every three weeks. To maximize consistency, one day will be the same each week. Students will participate in remote learning for non-in-person days. For schools able to accommodate roughly one-third of their student population with physical distancing, this model is the Chancellor’s preference because it provides one consistent day each week.

This model is available to elementary, middle, and high schools.

Week
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday

Group D (All-Remote)
One
Group A
Group B
Group A
Group B
Group C
Two
Group B
Group C
Group A
Group B
Group C
Three
Group C
Group A
Group A
Group B
Group C

Model Three
This model serves the same number of students as Model Two, also providing five days in-person every three weeks but with a different cadence and schedule. Model Three offers an option for a six-day rotation, allowing students to be in-person two days and remote four days in a six-day cycle.

This model is available to middle and high schools.
First Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Second Monday
Group D (All-Remote)
Group A
Group B
Group C
Group A
Group B
Group C

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Monday
Group D (All-Remote)
Group A
Group A
Group B
Group B
Group C
Group C

Based on building capacity and student enrollment, principals will choose from these models, and schools will form cohorts of students to come in-person on designated days. Schools will pick based on capacity and community needs, and wherever possible, students should be programmed for in-person instruction at a greater frequency. If schools need to request adjustments or would like to request different models, they can request to do so via their Superintendent, and that will be subject to thorough review and approval.

To reflect, the unique needs of their student population, District 75 schools will have an additional two model options that may have students in school every other week for five days straight, with a potential for some groups to be in-person full-time dependent on student need.

Blended Learning
With all models, students will be learning five days a week. Blended learning is designed to create seamless transitions in and out of a remote setting, and all curriculum will be adaptable in both learning environments. Schools will emphasize academic continuity for students, and provide additional support on the days students are learning remotely.

As we’ve adapted and strengthened our practices, we have invested in the technology required to provide a quality online academic experience—distributing over 300,000 iPads to students who need them—and we are working with teachers to be more effective online instructors. At the same time, we are working on policies and guidelines to update curriculum to reflect the blended learning online and in-person model, as well as the appropriate social-emotional learning and mental health supports. 

Teachers, staff, and students will have the time and support they need to adapt to these necessary changes. Social-emotional learning and trauma-informed care will be integrated throughout the year, and all schools will offer mental health support. We will also continue to offer in-person services to students with disabilities to the greatest extent possible, and provide instruction for multilingual learners in-person and remote in a student’s home language where needed.

Family Engagement
The Mayor and the Chancellor are committed to making sure families know and understand the DOE’s planning for reopening in September, and the changing conditions under which we operate. The DOE will host a series of Family & Student Information Sessions to answer any questions or concerns that families may have. The first session will be held on July 16, and additional sessions will be announced in the coming weeks. Principals will also plan and develop their policies in consultation with School Leadership Teams and Superintendents, and will share information and plans with their District Leadership Teams and Community Education Councils. Families will be kept up-to-date with clear and consistent communication and can find all the latest information at schools.nyc.gov/returntoschool2020.
  
EDITOR'S NOTE:

The mayor and chancellor fail to compute into these formulas that more holidays are on Monday, and how other holidays are to be made up. Also why is there no split session classes set up as is normal in many of the public schools last school year?

Bronx Jewish Community Council - Donations for Clothes


donations_box.jpg
Hello everybody! We're looking for 
simple, washable summer clothing 
in a size 2 for a client in need. If you 
have any questions or clothes you 
would like to donate, please contact 
Thank you for your support!
 
Like us on Facebook         

VAN NEST FOOD GIVEAWAY 7.9.2020


Van Nest Food Giveaway 7.9.2020.jpg

Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Acting U.S. Attorney Announces Charges Against Leader And Members Of Cross-Country Drug Trafficking Organization


  Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Peter C. Fitzhugh, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging JOSE SERGIO MARTINEZ-AGUILAR, a/k/a “Orejon,” a/k/a “Andy,” a/k/a “Pa,” VLADIMIR PULSTILINKOV, a/k/a “The Russian,” MIGUEL LOVOS, SEBASTIAN RAMOS, a/k/a “Nimo,” and RICARDO RUIZ-SALINAS with narcotics trafficking offenses based on their alleged participation in an international drug trafficking organization that distributed large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine.  MARTINEZ-AGUILAR, PULSTILINKOV, and LOVOS also are charged with possessing and using firearms in connection with the narcotics trafficking.

MARTINEZ-AGUILAR and LOVOS were previously charged in Complaints filed in the Southern District of New York, and were taken into custody in California on June 26, 2020, and subsequently presented before magistrate judges in the Central District of California.  RAMOS and RUIZ-SALINAS were taken into custody in New York earlier today, and will be presented before Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn today in Manhattan federal court.  PULSTILINKOV currently remains at large.  The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain.
Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said:  “As alleged, Jose Sergio Martinez-Aguilar led an international drug trafficking organization that imported potentially lethal drugs from Mexico and distributed them throughout the U.S., including right here in New York.  Now, thanks to the efforts of HSI, Martinez-Aguilar and his co-defendants are in custody and facing serious federal charges.”
HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh said:  “As alleged, Martinez-Aguilar and his crew funneled highly addictive drugs across the southern border and from coast to coast, seeking to make a hefty profit off those addicted to his product.  This case makes it clear that HSI’s capabilities across borders and across the country leave no one safe from the long arm of the law, and justice will be served.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court, the Complaints charging MARTINEZ-AGUILAR and LOVOS, other court filings related to this matter, and statements made in court[1]:
Since at least June 2019, MARTINEZ-AGUILAR has led a drug trafficking organization (“DTO”) that imports narcotics into California from Mexico, and then distributes those narcotics in California and other parts of the country, including New York City.  The DTO is responsible for distributing large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine.  PULSTILINKOV, LOVOS, RAMOS, and RUIZ-SALINAS are members of the DTO who worked with MARTINEZ-AGUILAR to traffic the DTO’s narcotics.
During the investigation, communications among members of the DTO intercepted pursuant to court orders revealed a significant drug trafficking operation, led by MARTINEZ-AGUILAR, that imported and distributed multi-kilogram quantities of narcotics across the country.  On one occasion, LOVOS discussed with MARTINEZ-AGUILAR obtaining a job near the U.S.-Mexican border, “because things are hot over there” and he could “cross people” and narcotics into the United States.  On another occasion, MARTINEZ-AGUILAR bragged to an associate that narcotics distributed by other drug trafficking crews “[wa]s not even half the quality of what I have.”  The DTO supplied drugs to dealers for distribution on the streets of New York City.  For example, in June 2020, law enforcement seized a package shipped by MARTINEZ-AGUILAR and his DTO associates from California to the New York City area that was found to contain over nine kilograms of fentanyl and more than a kilogram of a heroin/fentanyl mixture. 
On June 26, 2020, law enforcement searched a stash house operated by the DTO in California, pursuant to a court-authorized warrant.  During the search, law enforcement recovered a stash of heroin, methamphetamine, and other suspected narcotics, as well as multiple handguns and assault rifles.  LOVOS was found and arrested at the stash house during the execution of the warrant.  LOVOS, MARTINEZ-AGUILAR, and PULSTILINKOV possessed and used firearms in connection with the DTO’s narcotics trafficking business.
MARTINEZ-AGUILAR, 39, of Thermal, California, and LOVOS, 31, of Indio, California, are each charged with three counts of narcotics conspiracy and one count of firearms possession in connection with drug trafficking.  PULSTILINKOV, 44, of Indio, California, is charged with two counts of narcotics conspiracy and one count of firearms possession in connection with drug trafficking.  RAMOS, 29, and RUIZ-SALINAS, 43, of Brooklyn, New York, are each charged with one count of narcotics conspiracy.  A chart containing the charges and maximum and minimum penalties for the defendants is set forth below.  The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Count
Charge
Defendant(s)
Maximum/Minimum Penalties
1
Conspiracy to Distribute Narcotics – Cocaine

21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(b)(1)(A)
JOSE SERGIO MARTINEZ-AGUILAR
VLADIMIR PULSTILINKOV
MIGUEL LOVOS
SEBASTIAN RAMOS
RICARDO RUIZ-SALINAS
Life imprisonment

Mandatory minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment
2
Conspiracy to Distribute Narcotics – Fentanyl, Heroin

21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(b)(1)(A)
JOSE SERGIO MARTINEZ-AGUILAR
MIGUEL LOVOS

Life imprisonment

Mandatory minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment
3
Conspiracy to Distribute Narcotics - Methamphetamine

21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(b)(1)(A)
JOSE SERGIO MARTINEZ-AGUILAR
VLADIMIR PULSTILINKOV
MIGUEL LOVOS
Life imprisonment

Mandatory minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment
4
Firearms Offense

18 U.S.C. § 924(c)
JOSE SERGIO MARTINEZ-AGUILAR
MIGUEL LOVOS
Life imprisonment

Mandatory minimum of 5 years’ imprisonment
5
Firearms Offense

18 U.S.C. § 924(c)
VLADIMIR PULSTILINKOV
Life imprisonment

Mandatory minimum of 5 years’ imprisonment
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI, the New York City Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.  She also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service for their assistance in connection with the arrests of certain of the defendants.
The charges contained in the Indictment and the Complaints are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and Complaints, and the descriptions set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

OFFICE OF NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY LAUNCHES VIRTUAL ANTI-GUN VIOLENCE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM FOR NEW YORK CITY YOUTH


Anti-Gun Violence Employment Program (AGVEP) will engage approximately 700 young New Yorkers from communities impacted by gun violence with employment and virtual enrichment programs

  New York City’s Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS) today announced the virtual launch of the Anti-Gun Violence Employment Program (AGVEP), offering employment and enrichment opportunities to approximately 700 young people.

Starting July 13, AGVEP will employ New Yorkers between the ages 14 and 24 living in neighborhoods and NYCHA housing developments most significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants will engage in 10 to 15 hours of activities for a 6-week period, with the potential to earn a stipend of $850 to $1,200.

ONS, which is part of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ), oversees the Office to Prevent Gun Violence (OPGV) and the Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety (MAP). Both teams will help guide participants through enrichment activities held virtually and in socially distanced in-person settings with local organizations in their communities.

With an infusion of support from the Young Men’s Initiative (YMI), ONS developed a network of virtual programming organizations that will offer training in youth leadership and organizing, career readiness, financial empowerment, web development and coding, urban planning, music and film production, civic engagement, and more.

AGVEP is a year-round employment program that increases employment opportunities for participants who may be at risk of being victimized or perpetrating violence. First launched in 2016 by MOCJ and the New York City Council, it is currently budgeted at $1.5 million with funding from both the 2020 and 2021 fiscal years. Participants work at community-based organizations engaged in positive activities to cultivate self-efficacy and leadership skills designed to contribute to their social, educational, and professional growth.

"The most powerful route to safety is to provide meaningful opportunity to New Yorkers. The Anti-Gun Violence Employment Program, with its proven track record, does just that with youth who play a vital role in our neighborhoods,” said Elizabeth Glazer, Director of the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice. “These investments are even more important at this juncture in our city’s history as we turn more and more to a community-first approach to safety."

“The youth in our communities are our future innovators and leaders — we have to invest in them today,” said MOCJ Deputy Director Eric Cumberbatch, who leads ONS. “The Anti-Gun Violence Employment Program is another crucial way in which the City is creating opportunity for our young people, especially at this incredibly important moment where we are redefining what safety and well-being mean for our communities.”

"Empowering communities — and young people in particular — should be the foundation of all justice reforms,” said Young Men's Initiative Executive Director Jordan Stockdale. “YMI is proud to support the Anti-Gun Violence Employment Program, which provides engaging learning opportunities and meaningful stipends to our future leaders. We commend the civil servants at ONS for their hard work to ensure our youth have more enrichment opportunities this summer."

Launched in December 2019, ONS was created to improve the sharing of resources and access to holistic assistance to New Yorkers affected by violence. The Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety organizes residents, multiple city agencies, and numerous community-based organizations in 15 NYCHA developments into an effective neighborhood-based, problem-solving effort. The Office to Prevent Gun Violence works through multiple programs, including the Crisis Management System, to coordinate and amplify the work of a network of community-based non-profits across 22 precincts in the city.

For questions about AGVEP, interested applicants can email OPGV@cityhall.nyc.gov for more information.