If my kids (will be in 6th & 9th grades) can't go back to public school full-time in-person in the fall, I think we have to leave NYC. My 9th grader loves their school and would be sad to leave but I can't fathom another year of this. Anyone else?
Why would there be no school in the fall? And even if that’s the case, a pediatric vaccine is expected this year. If you can afford to move, you can put that money into tutors, etc., if need be. I wouldn’t change my whole life around for such a temporary disruption.
All the new variants (some more virulent, some affecting kids, some able to dodge current vaccines), plus current unchecked spread (cases in the Northeast especially NYC are rising!) + vaccine hesitancy + fear, + teachers unions = very limited in-person school in the fall. I think it could be another year similar to this one, with on campus "zoom school," masks 100% of the time, no real co-curriculars, etc.
@Anonymous I didn’t say back in school full time 5 days a week. But there will be some in person school, at least on a hybrid basis. There is no way all schools will be 100% remote this fall.
@anonymous Nope as in, I wouldn't leave because of this, it isn't my breaking point, I'm not freaking out over it and I think your reaction is OTT. If this is important to you (which it appears to be, since you post about it a lot) then you should definitely consider moving sooner rather than later.
My kid has gotten more in-person time this year than we ever expected, and we're very happy with the situation. I think it's only going to get better, not worse. But--even if they have to revert to hybrid next year, we will roll with that.
@anonymous Yes, it's very important to me. My kids have been in school 1 or 2 days a week the entire year. They're miserable, the younger one has learned absolutely nothing, and I can't imagine going back to the office full-time and leaving them to their own devices all day. I am impressed that you can manage this so easily but it's been a nightmare for me.
You should leave now. They likely will not be back and if you wait, you won’t be able to leave in a timely manner. The teacher unions won’t allow for it and the politicians want the kids home on screens.
I have older kids too and it's so hard to uproot them now but I share your fear. There is a Facebook group hiring a lawyer to sue the city and DOE but I think that's a slow option and by the time they make any difference (spring 2022?) the city will be close to returning to normal. It's awful what they have done to middle and high schools here. We have too many ties here to move but we are considering trying to get our youngest into private.
This whole discussion completely ignores the many families in NYC who would refuse to send their kids back even if schools opened tomorrow. There are SO MANY of them. My friend, who is Asian and thinking of opting in her kid in May says she is the only one in the large group of Asian parents at her school--no one wants to send their kids in person.
The truth is that a large, public school system will never be able to fully reopen until most of the parents buy in. Until then, they will have to run two parallel, probably hugely inefficient, educational tracks. And since there may not be a vaccine in the fall, that's a strong possibility.
It's not just the mayor or the schools or the teachers or the unions--We have to remember that the majority of NYC parents still don't agree with us on this.
It's true. And frankly it could take years to fully unwind. I was just reading an article in Chalkbeat about a URM parent of three kids who says she won't get the vaccine AND also won't send her kids back to school while Covid is "still around." In other words...never?
I’m surprised next fall is your breaking point. its been so bad for so long already. you should definitely explore private or moving if you can’t take another year. Full time back to school is not likely for nyc public MS or HS based on union pushback.
Well, I had resigned myself in the fall to this year being a waste. But as I see the goalposts continue to move, I'm facing the reality that it's not just THIS year.
@anonymous The goalpost are moving all the time. It's so frustrating. First it was all about PPE and ventilation, then it was about teachers getting vaccinated (with no talk of kids because we were told it wasn't a big deal for them), and now all that's resolved, it's like "hey let's wait for kids vaccines" Don't these people even hear themselves and see how their position keeps changing?
they cannot possibly justify this. it's insane. most other countries had max 3 months of school closures. America has had much longer school closures than other places and it needs to stop.
Which is why there is a lawsuit popping up in many districts, including NYC. To force action to a full opening in the fall. Maybe a bit of opening this spring but really the focus is the fall given how long things take.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/reopen-all-nyc-schools-5-days-with-actual-teachers?fbclid=IwAR16EZn9XUfySavppmEzLNdhmfoGvl07TUavSkVABbJqmFLCOdsz460TM6M
Why would there be no school in the fall? And even if that’s the case, a pediatric vaccine is expected this year. If you can afford to move, you can put that money into tutors, etc., if need be. I wouldn’t change my whole life around for such a temporary disruption.
All the new variants (some more virulent, some affecting kids, some able to dodge current vaccines), plus current unchecked spread (cases in the Northeast especially NYC are rising!) + vaccine hesitancy + fear, + teachers unions = very limited in-person school in the fall. I think it could be another year similar to this one, with on campus "zoom school," masks 100% of the time, no real co-curriculars, etc.
You are delusional if you think there will be full time, in person school in NYC middle and high schools in the fall. MAYBE in elementary. Maybe.
@Anonymous I didn’t say back in school full time 5 days a week. But there will be some in person school, at least on a hybrid basis. There is no way all schools will be 100% remote this fall.
Nope.
No as in, they'll be back at school, or no as in, I'm happy to have my kids home for another year?
@anonymous Nope as in, I wouldn't leave because of this, it isn't my breaking point, I'm not freaking out over it and I think your reaction is OTT. If this is important to you (which it appears to be, since you post about it a lot) then you should definitely consider moving sooner rather than later.
My kid has gotten more in-person time this year than we ever expected, and we're very happy with the situation. I think it's only going to get better, not worse. But--even if they have to revert to hybrid next year, we will roll with that.
@anonymous Yes, it's very important to me. My kids have been in school 1 or 2 days a week the entire year. They're miserable, the younger one has learned absolutely nothing, and I can't imagine going back to the office full-time and leaving them to their own devices all day. I am impressed that you can manage this so easily but it's been a nightmare for me.
You should leave now. They likely will not be back and if you wait, you won’t be able to leave in a timely manner. The teacher unions won’t allow for it and the politicians want the kids home on screens.
That is what I am thinking. Anyone want a 9th grade spot at Hunter?
@anonymous it’s sad. We left and are
much happier. I’m glad we are living a life now, kids are in school
@Anonymous Where did you go? I feel like we should start looking.
I have older kids too and it's so hard to uproot them now but I share your fear. There is a Facebook group hiring a lawyer to sue the city and DOE but I think that's a slow option and by the time they make any difference (spring 2022?) the city will be close to returning to normal. It's awful what they have done to middle and high schools here. We have too many ties here to move but we are considering trying to get our youngest into private.
This whole discussion completely ignores the many families in NYC who would refuse to send their kids back even if schools opened tomorrow. There are SO MANY of them. My friend, who is Asian and thinking of opting in her kid in May says she is the only one in the large group of Asian parents at her school--no one wants to send their kids in person.
The truth is that a large, public school system will never be able to fully reopen until most of the parents buy in. Until then, they will have to run two parallel, probably hugely inefficient, educational tracks. And since there may not be a vaccine in the fall, that's a strong possibility.
It's not just the mayor or the schools or the teachers or the unions--We have to remember that the majority of NYC parents still don't agree with us on this.
It's true. And frankly it could take years to fully unwind. I was just reading an article in Chalkbeat about a URM parent of three kids who says she won't get the vaccine AND also won't send her kids back to school while Covid is "still around." In other words...never?
@anonymous they likely have grandparents watching all of these kids. They don’t need to worry about childcare, cooking, cleaning, anything !!!
@Anonymous I hate to say it, but for the sake of these kids, someone needs to make these parents send their kids back to school.
I’m surprised next fall is your breaking point. its been so bad for so long already. you should definitely explore private or moving if you can’t take another year. Full time back to school is not likely for nyc public MS or HS based on union pushback.
Well, I had resigned myself in the fall to this year being a waste. But as I see the goalposts continue to move, I'm facing the reality that it's not just THIS year.
@anonymous The goalpost are moving all the time. It's so frustrating. First it was all about PPE and ventilation, then it was about teachers getting vaccinated (with no talk of kids because we were told it wasn't a big deal for them), and now all that's resolved, it's like "hey let's wait for kids vaccines" Don't these people even hear themselves and see how their position keeps changing?
they cannot possibly justify this. it's insane. most other countries had max 3 months of school closures. America has had much longer school closures than other places and it needs to stop.
Which is why there is a lawsuit popping up in many districts, including NYC. To force action to a full opening in the fall. Maybe a bit of opening this spring but really the focus is the fall given how long things take. https://www.gofundme.com/f/reopen-all-nyc-schools-5-days-with-actual-teachers?fbclid=IwAR16EZn9XUfySavppmEzLNdhmfoGvl07TUavSkVABbJqmFLCOdsz460TM6M