New York City’s more than 1,700 public schools will take a hybrid approach to reopening in the fall with a blend of in-person and remote learning, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday.
“The math just makes it clear,” de Blasio said. “Most schools will not be able to have all their kids in school at the same time, and schools that are historically overcrowded will really particularly struggle.”
Students will be in school two to three times per week, and class sizes will be limited to maintain social distancing protocols. Students will attend classes remotely when they are not in school. Principals will receive a series of possible scheduling formats to choose from this summer and will alert parents to school schedules by August.
“This is the single biggest piece of the equation,” de Blasio said. “Everyone is focused on health and safety first while understanding the best way to educate our kids is in the classroom.”
Students and staff will be required to wear face masks, and schools will undergo deep cleaning regularly. Cafeterias, gyms, and other large spaces may substitute for classroom space in order to space out desks and limit the number of students in one classroom. De Blasio added that parents will also have the option of keeping their children at home to learn remotely full time.
De Blasio has guaranteed in the past that schools in the city would reopen in the fall, but New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the mayor does not have the authority to make that promise.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo reiterated Wednesday that he has the ultimate authority to decide how schools will reopen and whether to reopen them at all and that his office will make those decisions in the first week of August.
Cuomo railed against President Trump’s aggressive campaign to reopen schools, saying Wednesday that the president has no authority to mandate reopenings.
“School reopenings are a state decision. Period. That is the law, and that is the way we’re going to proceed. It’s not up to the president of the United States,” Cuomo said during his Wednesday news briefing.
Trump tweeted earlier Wednesday, “In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS … May cut off funding if not open!”
In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS. The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election, but is important for the children & families. May cut off funding if not open!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 8, 2020
States and individual school districts are still grappling with how to reopen safely in the fall, if they reopen at all. Schools in Virginia and in Los Angeles County, California, for instance, will institute a similar reopening plan to that of New York City, with students on rotating schedules. Meanwhile, the Florida Department of Education announced on Monday that all schools must reopen on schedule in August, but the department did not disclose what kinds of social distancing measures will be put in place.
