TAKE ACTION: Classrooms Are Heating Up!
Temps are spiking, and educators, parents and students are calling for Governor Kathy Hochul to sign the classroom heat bill into law
As the school year begins, classroom temperatures are expected to reach the mid-90s in parts of the state, prompting teachers and parents alike to ask how children can be expected to learn — let alone function — in these inhumane conditions.
New York state students and educators deserve better. Lawmakers passed S.3397 (Skoufis) and A.9011 (Eachus) to establish maximum temperatures in school buildings – now the bill is awaiting the Governor’s signature.
The law would require that districts address heat conditions when classroom temperatures hit 82 degrees and vacate classrooms entirely at 88 degrees.
“When schools are too hot, students can’t learn, and teachers can’t teach. Even animal shelters have maximum heat limits. Our schools do not, and it is disrespectful to both our students and educators," said NYSUT president Melinda Person.
To raise awareness about the toll that these temps are taking on students and teachers, NYSUT has completed a new report: “Overheated: Excessive Classroom Heat.” The 70-page report includes testimony from hundreds of educators and parents across the state about the effects of extreme temperatures in our schools. The report also includes the latest research on the adverse impact excessive heat has on both student health and academic performance.
Excessive heat isn’t just uncomfortable for children, it’s dangerous, and the report includes stories of students and staff being taken away in ambulances, passing out in hallways, throwing up in wastepaper baskets and tearfully calling out for their mothers. In the report, educators document the temperatures and circumstances that make it impossible for their students to learn. They share the lengths they go to keep their students safe, but they also share their frustration that more isn’t being done to combat these dangerous learning conditions.
Download Report: Overheated: Excessive Classroom Heat (PDF)