schools to demand hybrid learning
of her daughters attend. “I guess doing
what they can do, but at the same time,
I really have to do what I have to do as
a mother.”
And recently, the DOE changed
direction with its situation room —
which isn’t an actual physical room,
per se, but a rapid response following
positive COVID-19 cases. Now, contact
tracing falls on individual schools instead
of the DOE.
Adams and NYC Schools Chancellor
David Banks hinted at the possibility
of remote options last week, and
said there were discussions with the
United Federation of Teachers and its
president, Michael Mulgrew. But neither
Adams or Banks have actually
shared how remote learning would
pan out.
“I am working closely with the
president of the UFT,” Adams said at
a press conference last week. “If we’re
able to put in place a temporarily remote
option, we welcome to do so with
the partnership of my good friend, Michael
Mulgrew.”
The New York State education department
recommended remote learning
during the 2021-22 school year for
students “with documented medical
conditions” and students who have
struggled with in-person classes, but
“excelled with remote learning.”
But this begs the issue of how children
are able to learn when there’s systemic
issues all around them — inadequate
testing and screening, teacher
and faculty shortages, improper ventilation,
and the widespread dismay and
panic. Could this be even more disruptive
to their learning?
“They’re just sitting in the gym
sometimes, or the auditorium,” Perry
said. “They’re on their phones, I’ve
even heard, watching movies sometimes.
That’s not conducive to their
learning.”
Before the DOE revised its attendance
policy on Jan. 14 to allow some
semblance of a remote option (for students
who are infectious), some teachers,
including those who taught Perry’s
children, had already been providing
virtual instruction to keep students
both safe and educated.
“If they put the work on Google
classroom and your child does the
work, they’re marked present,” Perry
said. “My children are respectful and
they enjoy their teachers, principal,
the faculty, everything. And it goes
both ways.”
Following the walkouts, Schools
Shariea Perry kept her children Jasper, Jasria, Janala and Jania home from their Bronx and
Manhattan public schools on the fi rst day back on Jan. 3. Photos courtesy Shariea Perry
Chancellor David Banks made a statement
on Twitter inviting students to
discuss their concerns. On Jan. 18,
Banks met with 25 student leaders, resulting
in plans to have a second meeting
and a statement from the students:
“We felt dismissed and sensed some
disrespect towards teachers. We’re
looking forward to our second session
and hope student voices are not only
heard but acted upon.”
“We just want the option to go remote,”
said Jennings-Brown, the organizer
of the Bronx High School of Science
walk-out. “We want the choice to
keep our bodies safe.”
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