On Monday, New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio announced that public schools would be returning to in-person teaching for the next academic year. This will bring an end to remote learning as it will no longer be offered.
Big news from @ByJessicaGould: NYC public school students will go back to school on Sept 13th with 100% in-person learning, no remote option! And students will be getting live instruction (not following a teacher over Zoom on a device at a desk in a classroom). https://t.co/tnuLoN31JA
— Jen Chung (@jenchung) May 24, 2021
On Monday, New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio announced that when students come back to school in September, it will be for in-person learning only, as they end remote learning. However, students will still be required to wear masks as they come back to school. The current school year in the city will end on June 25.
De Blasio stated that every child would be coming back to in-classroom learning during a press conference. He added that he talked to a lot of parents who wanted to know if it is verified. He now wants to confirm that it is. Then, the mayor emphasized that they are going to have the needed protections in place.
New York City's school system won't offer remote learning in the fall and will require all 1.1 million students to attend classes in person after more than a year of disruption, Mayor Bill de Blasio said https://t.co/NGNgHBj0uV pic.twitter.com/LgdVHjHFlE
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 24, 2021
De Blasio also made remarks saying that it has been a tough year for what the parents and the kids have been through. He added that it is now time for everyone to come back. De Blasio also declared that it is time to have things done how they are meant to be done, saying that all kids in the classroom should be together.
Face masks will still be a requirement
Meanwhile, Meisha Porter, New York City Schools Chancellor, sent letters to families on Monday saying that masks will still be required in all school buildings.
The NY Schools Chancellor emphasized that maintaining health and safety is at the top of their priority list. Porter added that they plan to stick to the health and safety measures practiced in the past school year.
Porter also added that teachers, staff, and students will still be undergoing daily health screenings at home before they go to their classrooms. She explained that there is also on-side COVID-19 testing that will continuously be used in the school buildings, in compliance with the recommendation in the latest health guidance.
She added that when the school starts in September, they will also do what they can to meet the social distancing requirements by the CDC.
Remote teaching options no longer available
With the New York City Mayor’s announcement, COVID-19 related remote teaching choices will no longer be available to teachers in the fall. Officials also confirmed this to Chalkbeat New York.
NYC schools to be 100% in person learning in the fall. No more remote. That's the plan as long as the pandemic doesn't return. As long as everyone gets vaccinated. As long as the vaccines work. As long as people get their boosters.https://t.co/IEUrHcHNWF
— Bill Ritter (@billritter7) May 24, 2021
On Monday, De Blasio also noted that the City could not have a “full recovery” without providing full strength to schools. He continued and said that the kids should be learning again while sitting in their classrooms.
More than 60% of New York’s nearly one million public school students stayed out of the classroom in the past few months as they did remote learning full time.
