New York City Schools Plan Mix of Remote, In-Person Learning for Fall - The Wall Street Journal

New York City school officials are working on a return plan to balance the safety... — New York City school officials are working on a return plan to balance the safety of students and staff with the need for student academic progress.
Photo: jeenah moon/Reuters

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Updated July 8, 2020 11:57 am ET

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled a plan Wednesday to reopen the nation’s largest school district this fall with a mix of online learning and in-person instruction, with most children going to school buildings for two or three days a week and learning online on the other weekdays.

The mayor said the plan would balance the safety of students and staff with the need for academic progress.

“Whatever we do has to be first and foremost seen through the prism of health and safety,” the mayor said.

Chancellor Richard Carranza said schools will require face coverings for all, with a few exceptions for children who have reasons to not use them, and the district would provide them for any student or staff member who needs supplies. He said there will be fewer students in each classroom to allow for social distancing, with optimal class sizes of nine to 12 students.

New York City classrooms have been empty since the system switched to remote instruction in... — New York City classrooms have been empty since the system switched to remote instruction in mid-March.
Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

Mr. Carranza said the district would deep clean schools nightly, with more cleaning throughout the day, and plans would keep adjusting as health guidance evolved to keep students and staff safe.

“Our city has been to hell and back, we do not want to return to that,” he said. Mr. Carranza said principals were reviewing their buildings to see what would work. The mayor said city officials were also looking for additional space to lease near schools, when necessary.

Mr. Carranza said schools will be educating even the youngest students about how critical it is to wear masks.

“We’ve done this already in our [recreation] centers where students are wearing their masks. They understand it’s a matter of public safety,” he said.

“We are not talking about punishing kids. We want to make sure it’s an educationally sound approach and it’s going to be a lot of encouragement.”

Having plans for the fall is an important piece in restarting New York’s economy because parents can’t return to work sites without plans for their children. City schools switched to remote instruction in mid-March due to the spread of the new coronavirus.

Many parents, however, remain wary of sending their children back to the classroom. The city Department of Education released a survey last week showing 22% of families are “not at all comfortable” with returning to campus in the fall and 26% of families would rather have their students continue to learn remotely.

And as many as 20% of the city’s 80,000 teachers could end up working remotely due to “high-risk medical conditions” that could make them more vulnerable to the coronavirus.

Mr. Carranza said parents who opt to keep their students home have until Aug. 7 to inform schools that they are choosing full-time remote instruction. Families will have the option of transitioning back to in-person instruction on a quarterly basis, he said.

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New York City Schools Plan Mix of Remote, In-Person Learning for Fall - The Wall Street Journal

New York City school officials are working on a return plan to balance the safety of students and staff with the need for student academic progress.

New York City classrooms have been empty since the system switched to remote instruction in mid-March.

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New York City Schools Plan Mix of Remote, In-Person Learning for Fall - The Wall Street Journal

New York City school officials are working on a return plan to balance the safety of students and staff with the need for student academic progress.

Leslie Brody

Lee Hawkins

New York City classrooms have been empty since the system switched to remote instruction in mid-March.

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