Day: September 17, 2024

Мэр Нью-Йорка Эрик Адамс проводит первый Национальный саммит по городским крысам , объединяющий экспертов и исследователей для обмена стратегиями по борьбе с нашествиями городских крыс. Саммит является […]

The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) announced a survey on Monday that shows NYC educators would likely support a school cellphone ban, building even more momentum for a statewide policy that has been talked about for months.

The survey found that two-thirds of NYC educators would support a cellphone ban in public schools. The snapshot survey of teachers and other union members from more than 1,000 schools in the city found that 63% supported a citywide ban, while 31% opposed it. Another 6% remained neutral.

“Teachers know first-hand that cellphones waste classroom time and threaten students’ mental and physical health,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew.

But union support is not so clear-cut. It comes with stipulations that Mulgrew calls “safeguards” for staff and students.

The union leader said any new government policy on a school cellphone ban would have to ensure that educators are not the first or sole line of enforcement.

He added that the NYC Department of Education (DOE) should pay for any costs associated with the ban, and without individual schools bearing the financial brunt. Enforcement should be “consistent, fair, and uniform,” with emergency contact lines set up for parents.

“We don’t want a ban that wastes more instructional time by having individual educators asked to collect every class’ cellphones, or has school communities having to choose between buying new lab equipment or cellphone pouches and lockers,” Mulgrew said.

Some NYC schools already ban cellphones

Cellphone restrictions are already in place at some DOE schools, though it is unclear how many. According to the survey, 38% of the UFT members whose schools have bans called them a success, while 40% said it has been a failure.

However, educators who said their bans were failures blamed it on a lack of planning and organization.

Schools that have successfully prohibited the devices did so in various ways. Children in elementary schools with cellphone bans must keep turned-off phones in backpacks.

The survey showed that collecting phones as students walked into the school building worked best in middle and high schools. Cell phone lockers drew the most support. 

If the city or state does, in fact, start banning cellphones in schools, Mulgrew said the policy would need to incorporate anything that was found to be successful in schools that created their own policies.

Schools Chancellor David Banks has been vocal about the threats he feels cellphones pose for students.

Jenna Lyle, a spokesperson for Banks, said the DOE is looking forward to working with the UFT on “next steps” regarding the possible ban.

“As the chancellor has said before, cell phones pose a serious threat to the mental well-being and safety of our students,” Lyle said. “We are grateful that our partners at the UFT recognize these potential dangers, and we look forward to collaborating with the UFT as we continue to discuss and evaluate our next steps forward.”

Similar to the UFT snapshot, a nationwide Study.com survey found that teachers report positive outcomes when schools have strict cellphone policies in place.

“In New York, 42% of teachers in schools with strict cellphone policies report less stress as a result of these policies,” Dana Bryson, senior vice president of social impact at Study.com, said. “Teachers with flexible cell phone policies in their schools are losing more classroom time from managing cellphone use, according to the Study.com survey. In fact, these teachers are 21% more likely to spend more than an hour each week managing student cellphone use.  That’s a critical time that teachers can spend with their students.”

What do parents say?

Some parents are concerned about safety and the dangers of banning phones during school hours, while others say the devices disrupt learning. 

Dawn DiGiovanni, a mother from Staten Island, said a cellphone ban in public schools would be a “disaster” for kids and families.

“Let me get this straight: you want to ban cellphones in public schools and leave my son along with thousands of other children with no communication to the outside world, especially if there is a school shooting or a school evacuation due to a bomb scare or a stabbing,” she said. “Making this choice would be like a ‘death sentence‘ for my son and all the other kids.”

Idelis Quinones, who has two teens in NYC, told amNewYork Metro last month, that she would not support a school cellphone ban.

“The world is crazy, I need to contact my children in case of emergency,” Quinones said. “They might need to contact me for something important. I think if they do it, my kids will be homeschooled.”

Therese Kara Lydon, a mom from Staten Island, told amNewYork Metro last month that she would welcome stricter cellphone policies in school.

“I think they are a major distraction,” she said.

Shaq hits Dyker Heights: NBA legend spotted filming mob drama ‘Gravesend’  Brooklyn Paper

Talk about hitting the court!

Dyker Heights was buzzing Monday as basketball icon Shaquille O’Neal was spotted filming scenes for the third season of the popular mob series “Gravesend” at the neighborhood’s basketball courts.

O’Neal, known for his larger-than-life personality both on and off the court, was seen shooting scenes for the show, drawing excitement from local fans eager to catch a glimpse. Local kids — some of whom were even selected to be extras — were excited to shake hands with the 7’1″ superstar.

The hit Amazon Prime series, written, directed, and starring William DeMeo, is set in the historic South Brooklyn neighborhood during the 1980s, following the life of its main character, Benny Zerletta, a self-proclaimed mafia “soldier.”

When the show’s third season was announced late last year, DeMeo hinted at exciting new additions to the ever-expanding “Gravesend” cast, including O’Neal, who was also spotted filming in Coney Island in June.

A native of Gravesend, DeMeo was introduced to O’Neal through his close friend Steve Martorano, owner of Cafe Martorano in Fort Lauderdale. He was delighted to discover that the sports legend loves a good mob drama.

“We love Shaq and we got to know Shaq as a person. Shaq loves this genre — ‘Goodfellas,’ ‘A Bronx Tale,’ ‘The Godfather’ — and we were able to write a role for him,” DeMeo told Brooklyn Paper in June. “We had a character for someone who aligns with Benny Z,  my character, and from these characters we made Mustafa, Shaq’s character. Together, they kind of do business.”

Other icons viewers can expect to see on “Gravesend’s” upcoming season include Talia Shire, Fran Drescher, Joseph D’Onofrio, Chazz Palminteri, Vincent Pastore, Andrew “Dice” Clay and Mario Cantone, among others.

Since its release during the pandemic in 2020, the series has garnered a growing fanbase, becoming a Hollywood standout. Despite its small cast, crew, and modest budget, the DeMeo family believes they’ve succeeded in putting a once lesser-known part of Brooklyn on the map in a major way.

“It’s an independent show, which really is almost impossible to do, because a lot of the shows that people watch, they’re backed by networks or big studios like Netflix, Amazon, or Hulu,” said DeMeo’s son, Cristian, who also stars in the show. “It’s awesome. It’s a smaller team but we’re just grateful and blessed to have all the people that have tuned in and all the people that want more.”

When asked how he was feeling during Monday’s shoot, DeMeo told Brooklyn Paper, “We’re bringing back 1987 right now in Brooklyn, so it’s a good day.”

Additional reporting by Melissa Fishman

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