About 74% of NYC Students Opt for In-School Learning, Mayor Says
About 74% of NYC Students Opt for In-School Learning, Mayor Says
(Bloomberg) -- New York City schools will open in September with more than 700,000 students participating in a blended schedule of in-school and online instruction, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
Parents of about 74% of the city’s 1.1 million students have decided to send their children to school from one to three days a week, depending on a building’s space capacity. They can opt out and switch to all-remote learning at any time. Those who decided against in-school instruction can move to a blended schedule at various times during the academic year.
“We have proven we can beat back this disease now for two months,” de Blasio said at a news briefing on Monday. “Everyone is focused on health and safety in getting things ready.”
About 85% of the system’s 75,000 teachers intend to return, with the remaining 15% involved in remote teaching, de Blasio said. The hybrid schedule will feature classes with no more than 10 students, with improved ventilation and cleaning regimens.
Face coverings will be mandatory for all, while hand-washing and hand-sanitizer stations will be located throughout the school buildings.
Individual classes and schools may be closed temporarily if students or staff members are infected with the coronavirus. All of the city’s 1,800 schools will be shut down if the citywide positivity rate exceeds an average of 3% over a seven-day period. The city’s rate has remained below 3% for the past two months, and was 1% in the past day, de Blasio said.
©2020 Bloomberg L.P.