The number of education department staffers who have died as a result of the coronavirus reached 63, with paraprofessionals continuing to bear the brunt of the epidemic, officials announced Monday.
The deaths represent the growing toll of the virus on the education department’s 150,000 employees and have left school communities grieving for staff members who will not return when schools reopen their doors.
Among the education department employees who have passed away: 26 paraprofessionals, 25 teachers, two administrators, two facilities staffers, two school aides, two food service workers, one parent coordinator, one guidance counselor, and two central office employees.
Paraprofessionals, who are much more likely to be black or Hispanic than traditional classroom teachers and earn significantly less money, have been the hardest hit. They represent about 17% of the education department’s workforce, but 41% of its coronavirus-related deaths. That mirrors a stark divide across the city, as people of color have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus.
The tally, spanning March 16 through April 17, was based on reports from family members, officials said. They were not necessarily confirmed to be COVID-19 cases by the city health department. No names were released, and no details were given as to which schools the employees had worked in — though some elected officials have called on the department to release more detailed information.
The numbers do not include school safety agents, who are employed by the police department.
Statistics on educator deaths come after teachers and elected officials blasted the education department for refusing to release information on the number of deaths within its ranks, as other public agencies have. The education department’s handling of the epidemic is also the subject of an investigation by a city watchdog charged with overseeing schools.
Educators who have been claimed by the virus include: Sandra Santos-Vizcaino, a third grade teacher in Brooklyn described as an “amazing hugger”; Dez-Ann Romain, a Brooklyn principal who “gave her entire self” to students who had struggled in traditional high school settings; and Rosario Gonzalez, a 91-year-old paraprofessional who rarely missed a day of work.
“This is painful news for too many of our communities,” schools Chancellor Richard Carranza previously said in a statement. “We will be there to support our students and staff in any way they need, including remote crisis and grief counseling each day.”
Christina Veiga contributed