New York City looks to ‘blended model’ of in-person
and remote learning for upcoming school year
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
With two months until the 2020-
2021 school year begins, the
city is formulating plans to get
students back into the classroom part-time
during the school year.
During his daily press briefi ng, Mayor
Bill de Blasio acknowledged that he has
heard from a number of civic leaders,
clergy, community members and businesses
in regards to what is happening for the new
school year. The city surveyed the parents
of public school students, the majority of
whom wish to have children back in classrooms
for the new school year.
“Parents have spoken clearly – 75% of
our parents said they want their kids back
in the school building getting the best education,
and we need to listen to the voices
of our parents,” said de Blasio. “So many
New Yorkers desperately need to get back
to work – for a lot of people that means
going back to a workplace – and they need
to know that their kids will be safe and
secure, getting a chance to be educated
much more deeply.”
“Whatever we do, it has to be fi rst and
foremost seen through the prism of health
and safety,” de Blasio added.
After planning with local educators and
school principals, Mayor de Blasio and
NYC Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza
introduced two potential models for
blended learning that would have fewer
public school students in the classroom at
one time. In the fi rst model, which would
account for a school being able to accommodate
50% of students, two groups of
students would be in school two days a
week, and the two groups would alternate
coming to school one day a week.
In the second model, which would
account for a school being able to accommodate
33% of students, three groups of
PHOTO VIA FLICKR/NYC MAYOR’S OFFICE
students would be in schools one day a
week and would alternate two days a week.
Parents can opt for a full remote course
of learning and will have the option to opt
back into in-person learning quarterly.
Remote learning can be opted-into at any
time in the school year. Students in need
of extra help, such as students with disabilities
or an IEP, would be eligible for
in-person learning fi ve days a week. Multilingual
learners will receive an education
that ensures that they will have continued
progress in language development and area
knowledge.
Schools will be given time to adapt to
the new changes, according to Carranza,
and there will be a new emphasis on socialemotional
learning and trauma-informed
care.
“This is very new and different, and I
know that it’s no one’s fi rst choice,” said
Carranza. “But we need to do it to maintain
the health and safety of our school
communities.”
Last week, the city announced new
health and safety measures that will be
implemented in the new school year.
Schools will be deep-cleaned nightly with
cleaning also happening throughout the
day. Students and staff will be required
to wear face coverings, which will be
provided by the DOE to those who need
them and will not come from an individual
school’s budget.
At this time, the city is trying to address
what will happen to extracurricular activities.
For more information, visit schools.
nyc.gov/returntoschool2020.
“It defi nitely won’t be business as usual,”
said de Blasio.
“Re-opening our schools will be a complex
and diffi cult process, but we are not
going to be careless with our students, their
families, and our educators,” said UFT
President Michael Mulgrew in a statement.
Façade collapse in Murray Hill smashes car
BY TODD MAISEL
Hundreds of pounds of masonry brick separate from
a fourth-fl oor roof facade of 205 East 38th St.
in Murray Hill on July 8, crushing one car, and
damaging several other vehicles, police said.
No injuries were reported at this time, but offi cials said
several pedestrians were lucky to have escaped without
injury.
One resident, who wouldn’t give his name and lives off
the corner, said he heard the brick tumble down.
“It sounded like an earthquake at fi rst, then, dust and it
settled – thank god nobody was under it,” he said.
When the dust settled, a Cadillac was crushed, a work
truck and another car were damaged.
Offi cials say the building is mostly used as a parking
garage, though offi cials will now seal off the building until
the facade is secured from further collapse. Offi cials say
the brickwork covers a second layer of concrete and did
not seem to be in danger at this time.
Building Department offi cials did not comment at this
time but expected to update the status of the building soon.
In the meantime, police blocked both ends of East 38th
Street from Second to Third Avenue from traffi c and
pedestrians.
PHOTO BY TODD MAISEL
A building on East 38th Street in Manhattan had a brick facade collapse onto cars below, but no injuries
were reported.
Schneps Media July 9, 2020 9
/returntoschool2020
