The most obvious is that the upper middle class white community has leaned on him to keep schools open. I am, frankly, shocked at some of the people who have clamored for building openings. A few months ago, they were indignant about it. Positivity is below 1%, they bellowed. Those of us who opposed opening buildings were ridiculous. We were hysterical.
What are the open building advocates saying now? Who knows? Have they got a shiny new rationale? Are they just hoping none of us recall what they were saying back in September? It doesn't much matter, because the mayor is still persuaded. Why is that?
My pet theory is that he thinks, by keeping schools open, he makes himself a hero. No other city has done what NYC has done. Mayor de Blasio believes, perhaps, that this will resuscitate his burnished reputation. Maybe people will forget that last year he walked off his job for months in a self-indulgent run for President, an effort in which he garnered no more votes than my dog.
Maybe teachers, by being forced to teach masked children six feet apart, will fail to notice it's something straight out of Black Mirror. Maybe we'll forget that just weeks ago de Blasio tried to steal a billion dollars from us. Maybe CONTINUE READING: NYC Educator: What Is De Blasio Waiting For?