Going “back to school” will have an added meaning as New York City students start school again this fall.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Monday that starting in September, students will start going back to the classroom full-time, with no option to continue remote learning after more than a year since most schools went virtual.
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“New York City public schools, 1 million kids, will be back in their classroom in September, all in-person, no remote. That’s the news,” he said during an interview on Morning Joe. “I think parents, kids, everyone has been waiting to know we’re going to be back strong, ready, safe [and] covid[-19] is plummeting.”
To date, 60% of the city’s 1 million public school students continue to learn virtually, according to Chalkbeat.
De Blasio’s announcement comes as the rate of coronavirus cases is declining while the vaccination rate is rising, and vaccines have become more available for children. Approximately 8.75 million New Yorkers are fully vaccinated, which is 45% of the state’s population. Earlier this month, Pfizer asked the Food and Drug Administration to authorize vaccines for children ages 2-11, while the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention has recommended children aged 12-15 years old get their shot.
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Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, also announced her support for a complete reopening in the fall on May 13, even though teachers unions have largely sought to stay out of the classroom until their demands were met.
The AFT heavily influenced the CDC’s guidance for schools, according to emails obtained by the New York Post. The agency’s most recent guidance says people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 generally no longer need to wear masks or socially distance, including indoors.
