14 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • JUNE 2020
SCHOOL’S OUT
CLASSROOM TROUBLES AHEAD
BY ALAN SINGER
Professor of Education, Hofstra University
We are at a crucial moment in the
history of New York and an entire generation
of young people is at risk. State
and city leaders propose massive cuts
in educational budgets at a time when
additional funds should be poured into
schools and a greater investment made
in our children.
The last time New York schools faced a
crisis of this magnitude was when the
city went bankrupt in 1975. Thousands
of teachers were laid off, and children
were stuffed into overcrowded rooms
and forced to sit on tables and radiators.
It took a decade for the city’s school
system to recover and the education of
millions of children was sacrificed for
financial concerns.
Many children have fallen behind
during the coronavirus pandemic, despite
the heroic efforts of families and
educators. Teachers estimate that in
some communities half of the children
do not have access to computers or the
internet. Advocates who claim online
instruction is ushering in a new age for
K-12 education are off-base. According
to a Network for Public Education survey,
fewer than 10 percent of parents
reported that “their child prefers remote
learning to classroom learning.”
In response to intense pressure from
parents and teachers, Gov. Andrew
Cuomo has backtracked on his plan to
“reimagine education” as a complete
shift to online instruction.
“There is no substitute for classroom
teaching,” Cuomo conceded. “Saying
a kid is going to be on the other side
of a computer remotely, that is the
classroom experience. It’s not. There
is no substitute for the teacher-student
relationship.”
In September, school districts will
need more teachers and smaller
classes to help children catch up.
We will need health professionals
in schools to ensure that our children
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Innovations in online instruction made
during the coronavirus pandemic can
provide support and enrichment, but
New York needs to get back to in-person
teaching.
POINT OF VIEW
"Online instruction ... can provide support and
enrichment, but New York needs to get back
to in-person teaching.
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