No ‘F’ Grades For New York City Students During The Coronavirus Pandemic

TOPLINE

Traditional letter grades will be set aside for many New York City public school children this year and none will receive a failing grade, officials said Tuesday, as the district’s more than 1 million students begin their seventh week of remote learning—all while New York City remains the global epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic.

KEY FACTS

CRUCIAL QUOTE

“There has to be a sense of flexibility,” de Blasio said. “We have to recognize that some kids are having a tougher time because of this crisis, emotionally and academically, and we have to help them catch up.”

TANGENT

Schools across the nation are struggling on how to approach grading during the upheaval of the pandemic, as most schools remain shuttered. In April, education officials in Los Angeles, home to the second-largest school district after New York City, announced no student would be given an “F” grade and that students would not be given lower grades than what they had as of the last day of on-campus classes in Los Angeles. Washington schools have implemented a similar policy as New York City, with students with “incomplete” courses to be given time to make up their credits.

KEY BACKGROUND 

The New York City public school system is the largest in the country, with more than 1.1 million students enrolled in about 1,800 schools. Online schooling in the district has been a challenge since all public schools closed March 16, as some 750,000 students in the district live at or below the poverty line, and may have trouble accessing the technology that remote learning requires, like a computer or an internet connection. According to de Blasio, nearly 250,000 iPads are being distributed to New York City students to help them complete their remote learning assignments, and that students or families can request one via NYC.gov or by calling 311. De Blasio announced earlier this month that New York City schools would remain closed through the rest of the school year, and has not indicated a backtrack on that policy, despite New York Governor Andrew Cuomo saying that the decision to reopen public schools would be up to him as governor. 

FURTHER READING

NYC schools drop traditional grades for most students: Mayor de Blasio (New York Daily News)

Coronavirus Update: De Blasio Outlines New Grading Policy For NYC Public School Students (CBS New York)

De Blasio says NY schools dropping traditional grades for some students (The Hill)

Coronavirus News: Details of new grading policy details for NYC Schools students (ABC)

New York City Mayor De Blasio Says Schools Will Stay Closed Until September—But Cuomo Immediately Disputes It (Forbes)