by Amy Zimmer and Alex Zimmerman for Chalkbeat, May 24, 2021
New York City schools will not offer a remote option for students next fall as city officials mount a full-court press to bring all students, teachers and staff back to their campuses full-time, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday morning.
The news comes as more than 60% of the city’s nearly 1 million public school students continue to learn from home full-time, with hundreds of thousands of children not stepping into a classroom for more than a year. But as coronavirus rates decline and vaccination rates rise — with children as young as 12 now eligible for the vaccine and those as young as age 2 potentially eligible in the fall — the city maintains that returning to buildings is not only safe but the most sound educational experience.
“You can’t have a full recovery without full strength schools, everyone back, sitting in those classroom, kids learning again,” de Blasio said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
De Blasio’s announcement clears up two major questions for next fall, as having no remote option also means that coronavirus-related remote teaching accommodations will no longer be on the table, officials confirmed.