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Finally, Some Students Return to New York City’s Classrooms Mix of Joy and Confusion as School Doors Open for Youngest in N.Y.C.
(about 2 hours later)
One principal in Brooklyn has pinned pink heart balloons to the school’s front door to welcome about 50 pre-K children who are expected to arrive for classes. Another principal in Washington Heights is expecting only five children to attend. Early on Monday morning, Tiyanna Jackson, who had quit her job in the spring to care for her 4-year-old daughter, Zuri, was flooded with relief as she arrived at a pre-K center in the South Bronx. Finally, she said, with Zuri starting school, she could get back to work.
New York City’s roughly 1,400 school buildings have sat largely empty for six months, since its school system, the nation’s largest, abruptly shuttered classrooms in mid-March to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. In East New York, Brooklyn, Balayet Hossain’s day began with disappointment after he brought his two daughters to school, only to find that the children, a kindergartner and first grader, could not return to school buildings until next week.
On Monday, for the first time since then, schools reopened for up to 90,000 pre-K students and children with advanced disabilities. The rest of the city’s 1.1 million students started the school year online and will have the option of returning to classrooms over the next few weeks. And in Corona, a Queens neighborhood that was hit particularly hard by the coronavirus in the spring, Baryalay Khan said dropping off his daughter, Fathma, at pre-K made him feel that the city was finally recovering.
Though Monday’s reopening falls far short of what Mayor Bill de Blasio originally promised — all students having the option to return to classrooms — it still marks a significant milestone in New York’s long path to fully reopening. New York is one of the few cities in the country where some children are back in classrooms. “Schools are reopening, it’s a good sign,” he said.
Still, the start of the school year here is freighted with anxiety and unknowns, starting with the fact that no one is quite sure how many students will show up to buildings on Monday. The mix of joy, confusion and hope was felt throughout New York City on Monday, on a first day of school unlike any other for the nation’s largest school district.
Some kindergarten students who reported to their schools on Monday morning were sent away and told their return to classrooms would not be until later in the month. The vast majority of the city’s 1.1 million students started the school year on Monday online and will have the option of returning to classrooms over the next few weeks. But up to 90,000 children in pre-K as well as students with advanced disabilities streamed into about 700 school buildings on Monday morning for the start of in-person classes. The city’s roughly 1,400 school buildings have sat largely empty for six months, after the city abruptly closed classrooms in mid-March to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
At Public School 149 in Brooklyn, five students were turned away at the door since they were not in pre-K. Though Monday’s reopening falls far short of what Mayor Bill de Blasio originally promised — all students having the option to return to classrooms — it still marks a significant milestone in New York’s long path to fully reopening. New York is one of the few cities in the country where some children are now back in classrooms.
Balayet Hossain, the father of a kindergartner and a first-grade student at P.S. 149, said he received an email on Sunday from a teacher at the school that said, “I can’t wait to see you all tomorrow!” “Something great is happening today in New York City,” Mr. de Blasio said during a news conference on Monday, shortly after he visited a pre-K program in Queens.
On Monday, he and his children left the school confused, and headed back home. Still, the start of the school year here is freighted with anxiety and unknowns, many of which were on display on Monday morning.
For the children who can actually return to schools today, it will be an extremely unusual first day back. The Department of Education’s login page for remote learning crashed for about 10 minutes at 9 a.m., just when hundreds of thousands of students were attempting to sign in for their first day of classes. Dozens of parents vented their frustration on Twitter about technology problems, and some lamented that only a few students were able to sign on at all.
“We’re all about the hugs, the sitting together, rolling around on the floor together,” Julie Zuckerman, the principal of Public School 513 in Washington Heights, which has a pre-K, said last week. “That can’t happen now.” At Public School 149 in Brooklyn, where Mr. Hossain’s daughters attend school, five students were turned away at the door since they were not in pre-K.
But on Monday morning, some parents said they were relieved to finally have their toddlers in school. Mr. Hossain said he received an email on Sunday from a teacher at the school that said, “I can’t wait to see you all tomorrow!” But his children cannot return until Sept. 29. Shortly after arriving, he turned around and headed home with his children, who were wearing masks and backpacks.
Tiyanna Jackson, who took her daughter, Zuri, to the Learning Through Play Pre-K Center in Mott Haven in the Bronx on Monday, said that after schools shut down in the spring, she had to give up her job at Amazon to watch her young daughter. For the children who were actually able to return to schools Monday, it was an extremely unusual first day back. At Public School 513 in Washington Heights, only five pre-K students reported to school. Principals across the city still do not have final numbers for how many students are expected in classrooms this week and next, since parents can opt out of in-person classes at any time.
“Since I’ve had her with me everyday, I haven’t been able to work,” Ms. Jackson said. But some parents said they were relieved to finally have their young children in school.
“I’m hoping as time goes by, this school starts going back to full time and everything can start getting back to normal,” she added. “I need to get back to work. I trust that the schools can stay clean and stay safe.” “I need to get back to work,” said Ms. Jackson, who had left her job at Amazon to care for Zuri. “I trust that the schools can stay clean and stay safe.”
And Zuri was desperate to get back to school after her first year of pre-K was interrupted by the virus. “It’ll be good for her,” Ms. Jackson said. “She’s been crying about not being able to see her friends.”
Many other parents were left scrambling for child care options on Monday, after the city fell short of its promise of offering free programs for tens of thousands of vulnerable students and the children of essential workers — including teachers, many of whom were left stranded without child care.
Mr. de Blasio said on Monday that putting together the child care program, called Learning Bridges, had been even more complicated than the city imagined. About 30,000 seats would be available starting next week, he said.
Over the summer, New York City seemed poised to become the only big school district in America to offer in-person classes at the start of its school year. Despite recent stumbles, New York will eventually have more students back in classrooms this month than any of the nation’s 10 largest school systems — if all goes according to plan.Over the summer, New York City seemed poised to become the only big school district in America to offer in-person classes at the start of its school year. Despite recent stumbles, New York will eventually have more students back in classrooms this month than any of the nation’s 10 largest school systems — if all goes according to plan.
So far, it has not.So far, it has not.
Last week, just three days before schools were scheduled to physically reopen, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that he would delay the return to classrooms for most students, citing a severe staffing shortage that was created by the city’s attempt to have separate teachers for remote and in-person learning.Last week, just three days before schools were scheduled to physically reopen, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that he would delay the return to classrooms for most students, citing a severe staffing shortage that was created by the city’s attempt to have separate teachers for remote and in-person learning.
The new plan is for a staggered reopening; elementary school students will start in-person classes on Sept. 29, and middle and high school children can return on Oct. 1, about three weeks after schools were originally slated to reopen. That initial scheduled opening had been delayed after the city’s powerful teachers’ union threatened an illegal strike out of safety concerns.The new plan is for a staggered reopening; elementary school students will start in-person classes on Sept. 29, and middle and high school children can return on Oct. 1, about three weeks after schools were originally slated to reopen. That initial scheduled opening had been delayed after the city’s powerful teachers’ union threatened an illegal strike out of safety concerns.
As a result of the two delays, city students have now lost about 10 days of remote learning, though schools held three days of virtual orientation sessions last week.As a result of the two delays, city students have now lost about 10 days of remote learning, though schools held three days of virtual orientation sessions last week.
Mr. de Blasio has stressed that he is intent on reopening schools to ensure an adequate educational experience for city students, the majority of whom are Black or Latino and low-income.Mr. de Blasio has stressed that he is intent on reopening schools to ensure an adequate educational experience for city students, the majority of whom are Black or Latino and low-income.
“If what we wanted to do was the simple, easy thing, we all would have said, ‘Hey, let’s go all remote,’” the mayor said during a recent news conference. “And we know we’ll be cheating kids and cheating families. And we know we will be, once again, ignoring the facts that in-person learning is so much better for kids.”“If what we wanted to do was the simple, easy thing, we all would have said, ‘Hey, let’s go all remote,’” the mayor said during a recent news conference. “And we know we’ll be cheating kids and cheating families. And we know we will be, once again, ignoring the facts that in-person learning is so much better for kids.”
But scores of city parents, including many working families, said they preferred remote learning for now, citing safety concerns and the need for consistency when making child care arrangements that would allow them to return to work. Over 40 percent of families have already opted their children out of in-person classes entirely through at least November, with nonwhite parents opting out at higher rates than white parents, and that number is expected to rise when new data is released on Monday. But scores of city parents, including many working families, said they preferred remote learning for now, citing safety concerns and the need for consistency when making child care arrangements that would allow them to return to work. Over 40 percent of families have already opted their children out of in-person classes entirely through at least November, with nonwhite parents opting out at higher rates than white parents, and that number is expected to rise.
Fanny Reyes, a mother of two who lives in the Bronx, said she had opted her children out even though her younger child is on the autism spectrum and struggled with remote learning. But Ms. Reyes said she has continued to receive conflicting information about what school reopening would look like and wanted to wait until later in the fall for the city to get more organized.Fanny Reyes, a mother of two who lives in the Bronx, said she had opted her children out even though her younger child is on the autism spectrum and struggled with remote learning. But Ms. Reyes said she has continued to receive conflicting information about what school reopening would look like and wanted to wait until later in the fall for the city to get more organized.
“It’s very unfortunate, it’s very sad,” she said.“It’s very unfortunate, it’s very sad,” she said.
Still, the reopening of some classrooms is an achievement for a city that was a global epicenter of the virus just six months ago. New York now has one of the lowest virus transmission rates of any city in the country, around or below 1 percent, and is one of the few big cities that can even consider physically reopening schools during the pandemic.Still, the reopening of some classrooms is an achievement for a city that was a global epicenter of the virus just six months ago. New York now has one of the lowest virus transmission rates of any city in the country, around or below 1 percent, and is one of the few big cities that can even consider physically reopening schools during the pandemic.
The children returning to classrooms Monday are in many cases the students for whom remote learning has been most disastrous.The children returning to classrooms Monday are in many cases the students for whom remote learning has been most disastrous.
For the nearly 25,000 students in a special district for children with the most advanced disabilities, known as District 75, school is not just a place for academics. It is where students can get the extensive support they need from trained professionals.For the nearly 25,000 students in a special district for children with the most advanced disabilities, known as District 75, school is not just a place for academics. It is where students can get the extensive support they need from trained professionals.
In interviews throughout the spring and summer, parents of students in District 75 described watching their children regress in basic life skills and said it was clear how much their children needed to be around their peers and teachers whom they trusted. And educators said it was frustrating trying to deliver occupational and physical therapy through a laptop screen.In interviews throughout the spring and summer, parents of students in District 75 described watching their children regress in basic life skills and said it was clear how much their children needed to be around their peers and teachers whom they trusted. And educators said it was frustrating trying to deliver occupational and physical therapy through a laptop screen.
And having pre-K classes virtually has proved very difficult, in part because 3-and-4-year-olds cannot log themselves into Google Classroom, the computer program used in remote learning.And having pre-K classes virtually has proved very difficult, in part because 3-and-4-year-olds cannot log themselves into Google Classroom, the computer program used in remote learning.
During his tenure, Mr. de Blasio has expanded pre-K for tens of thousands of children, and it remains his signature, and arguably most successful, initiative.During his tenure, Mr. de Blasio has expanded pre-K for tens of thousands of children, and it remains his signature, and arguably most successful, initiative.
For Liza Rodriguez, the start of pre-K meant that she would no longer have to rely on her mother to care for her son, Mason, so that she could work. Ms. Rodriguez said she would miss the comfort of knowing Mason was safe at home with his grandmother every day, but said it was important that he was back at school with his friends.
“I’m nervous," she said, “but I’m pretty confident things are going to be OK.”
Derek Norman, Juliana Kim, Daniel Slotnick and Kirsten Luce contributed reporting.Derek Norman, Juliana Kim, Daniel Slotnick and Kirsten Luce contributed reporting.