/https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5f637c9fa0e5786aeb7c8d39/0x0.jpg?cropX1=130&cropX2=5261&cropY1=0&cropY2=3422&w=1200&resize=1200,800&ssl=1 "NYC Delays School Reopenings—Again—With Phased Returns By Grade")
Topline
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said during a Thursday press conference that public school reopenings will be delayed for a second time, coming three days before all students were set to return for part-time in-person instruction and jolting already-beleaguered parents trying to juggle work and manage their children’s remote learning.
School Chancellor Richard Carranza, left, feels for airflow from a ventilation unit inside a … [+]
AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, Pool
Key Facts
Instead, students will return for in-person instruction in a phased approach, with 3-K, pre-K and District 75 (the city’s special education program) resuming on Monday, which was the original return date for all grades.
Kindergarten through eighth grade will resume on September 29, while middle schools, high schools, secondary schools and transfer/adult education will resume last, on October 1.
“We have to do it right,” de Blasio said, citing mounting pressure from teachers unions and other educators that the city’s school buildings have inadequate ventilation systems or lack windows, and uncoordinated processes for distributing personal protective equipment, like masks.
“We want our school system up running and safe, and we want to keep it up running and safe, because that’s what the families and the children of this city deserve,” United Federation of Teachers union president Michael Mulgrew said during the press conference.
The announcement was met with immediate backlash on social media, as education reporters said the delay was a signature de Blasio move that undermines public trust, while advocates said the decision further impacts parents trying to juggle work and helping their children with distance learning.
Thursday’s announcement is the second time de Blasio has pushed back reopenings, after having to scuttle September 10 for a return to in-person instruction.
Big Number
1,600. That’s how many public school buildings are in New York City, according to Gothamist, which is the biggest school district in the country.
Crucial Quote
“NYC public school parents understand we’re dealing with an incredibly difficult situation,” de Blasio said, and described them as “pragmatic” people who “understand the realities of life.”
Chief Critic
“In NYC, indoor dining will resume before in class learning for kids,” tweeted former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb. “We need to prioritize what’s important societally and make sure we advance those goals. Safely returning kids to in class learning in low prevalence settings like NYC should be among our highest priorities.”
Key Background
According to Politico NY, de Blasio wanted to place a cushion of time between reopening schools and the return of indoor dining, with the latter scheduled to resume September 30. De Blasio said the state made the indoor dining decision, and he won’t ask Gov. Andrew Cuomo to change the date for it. City Limits reported September 1 that educators had been calling for a phased approach for students going back to school buildings.
Further Reading
Most In-Person Classes Delayed Again As NYC Switches To Staggered Reopening Of Schools (Gothamist)
NYC To Inspect Ventilation Systems In Every Classroom Ahead Of New School Year (Forbes)
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