About this school reopening plan

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Manhattan: Under the DOE’s plan for reopening schools in September, each student would require 65 square feet of classroom space, and would physically attend classes one out of every three weeks, since facilities cannot accommodate everyone at once under social distancing constraints. How does this scenario play out for the parents who have to return to their full-time jobs? Will their employers let them work one out of every three weeks in the office, and two weeks at home? If not, are they expected to hire child care for two out of every three weeks? Whose brainchild was this, Mayor de Blasio or Gov. Cuomo? Or did they come up with this beaut together? It is obvious that neither the DOE, mayo, or governor solicited any input from parents before choosing this plan. Had they done so, they might have come up with a better solution instead of putting extra pressure on already stressedout parents. Chana Schwartz

Rego Park: Stumped figuring out how to safely send our students back to overcrowded city schools? Use some of the thousands of vacant commercial spaces for local, neighborhood classrooms. Remote learning is a failure. Studies show that kids’ educational, social and emotional needs are best served in brick and mortar classrooms. We could keep our kids close to home, help beleaguered property-owners and strengthen our communities. Problem solved. Arthur Miller

Sunny outlook

Manhattan: Plans to bring New York City children back to school in the fall are still up in the air, but Renewable Energy Magazine reports that 46 public school buildings will get solar installations on their roofs. Imagine that: the kids’ smartboards and computers will be powered by sunshine. This will help meet the city’s goal of installing 100 megawatts of solar power on city buildings by 2025. We need more local solar, wind and energy efficiency, and the thousands of jobs they bring. This should be Mayor de Blasio’s priority for NYC’s clean energy, not importing hydropower from Canada. Kids, and their parents, will thank him.

Elizabeth Sabbatini

Past due

Manhattan: Families are in dire need of rental assistance. A housing crisis will arrive when enhanced unemployment benefits and the state’s eviction moratorium end in the coming weeks. Thousands need help to remain in their homes while they get back on their feet. The state and federal governments need to step up. But, what about Mayor de Blasio? We must have a plan to stave off a

wave of homelessness, or else the consequences will be catastrophic. That plan cannot be “wait for help from elsewhere.” Mr. Mayor, what’s the plan?

Christine C. Quinn president and CEO, WIN

Invertebrate

Astoria: The mayor is the ultimate definition of a man with no backbone. He makes even former Mayor David Dinkins look good.

Aris Sakellaridis

Wrong perp

Yonkers: Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance has filed charges against Amy Cooper, who called the police on a black bird-watcher who had asked her to leash her dog. Hasn’t she suffered enough already? She’s lost her job, had her dog temporarily taken away, and now she’s facing charges? Mr. Vance, New York City is spiraling out of control. Start prosecuting the perpetrators of violent crimes. I haven’t seen anything like this since I was a police officer in the Bronx in the 1980s and 90s. Unbelievable. John Mazarakes

Trial by media

Staten Island: Why is it you are giving so much press to Amy Cooper, but you barely covered Jussie Smollett? Wasn’t he guilty of the same thing when he falsely claimed he was assaulted by a white guy? This is a perfect example of being tried in the papers before being tried in a court of law.

Especially

Walden, N.Y.: I am 100% on board with changing the name of the Washington NFL team. But could somebody please explain to me how naming a sports team the “Braves,” “Indians” or “Chiefs” is in any way racist? Especially after the removal of Chief Wahoo. Thomas Ellis

Political field

Manhattan: Now that the Washington football club is hopefully searching for a new nickname, I have a suggestion. How about “The Washington Democrats”? A nickname that should last for at least the next eight years, or beyond. Gil Schwartz

Color theory

Tony Fasano

Flushing: When I entered the army in 1952, I was asked to list my ethnicity, and told to choose one of five races. My skin isn’t technically black, but I’m called a black man, and that’s what I selected. Others are called white men. Their skin isn’t actually white. So, what’s wrong with being called a red man? When I think of the red man, I think of proud, fierce warriors, who fought against overwhelming odds to protect their land, their heritage, their families, and who were victimized by broken promises and broken treaties. I think of what was done to the red man at Wounded Knee and Sand Creek. If “Redskins” serves as a constant reminder of the despicable way these Native Americans were treated in the name of progress, and the conditions in which they still live today, then I think those “Redskins” are a good thing.

Jay Williams

Wrong name

Brooklyn: Voicers John Woodmaska and Rich Kahn just don’t get it. Black Lives Matter is a misnomer. It is plaintive and gentle, intended to garner sympathy for its ostensible cause. A more accurate name would be Blue Lives Don’t Matter. You don’t hear a syllable from this hate group with regard to the slaughter of young black people by black criminals with handguns and knives. We get the body count every day within the pages of the Daily News. Until BLM addresses the far greater evil of black-on-black murder and mayhem, and adds it to their

SHUTTERSTOCK message decrying racism within police departments, they should not have any support from a responsible citizenry. Stan Rosenson

Bombs away

Bronx: Macy’s did a spectacular job with the fireworks last weekend. It looked as if the virus was being blown-up. God bless America.

Rosemary Lillis

Gunsmoke

Ozone Park: Forty-seven shot and six killed this past holiday weekend. By defunding the NYPD, Mayor de Blasio has turned New York City into Dodge City. We need Marshall Matt Dillon and Chester to the rescue. Pat Colasanti

A new ‘normal’?

Staten Island: Mayor de Blasio says that New York City is getting back to normal. So, I guess when a father is walking his 7-year-old daughter across the street and is shot in broad daylight, and a nurse is on her way home from working with COVID-19 patients and is assaulted by a man with two canes, and when black seniors are afraid to leave their homes, not because of the virus, but because their neighborhoods are too dangerous, that’s normal?

Robert McKenna