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| New York Becomes the First Big City to Reopen All Its Schools | New York Becomes the First Big City to Reopen All Its Schools |
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| New York City completed the reopening of all its public schools Thursday morning, a major step in its recovery from having been the global epicenter of the pandemic and a hopeful sign for the country’s unsteady effort to return children to classrooms. | |
| Not long after sunrise, middle and high school principals welcomed students back into their buildings for the first time since March, following elementary school children who had started earlier this week. About half a million students, from 3-year-olds in pre-K programs to high school seniors, have now returned to school. | |
| On Thursday, Kelisha Prines, 14, started her first day of in-person learning at the Bedford Academy High School in Brooklyn. Her mother, Myisha Sawyer, 32, said Kelisha was looking forward to being back. | |
| “She wanted to get back to the old feeling of school, sitting in the classroom,” Ms. Sawyer said. “She missed her friends, just being around kids.” | |
| Roughly another 480,000 children have opted to start the school year remote-only, an indication of how wary many New Yorkers are of sending their children back to classrooms in a city that still fears a second wave of the virus. | Roughly another 480,000 children have opted to start the school year remote-only, an indication of how wary many New Yorkers are of sending their children back to classrooms in a city that still fears a second wave of the virus. |
| Despite considerable political opposition to reopening and significant planning problems that forced Mayor Bill de Blasio to twice delay the start of in-person classes, New York, which has by far the nation’s largest school system, is now the only large district in the country that has reopened all its schools for in-person instruction. | |
| Some other big districts are not far behind, though they have faced their own challenges. Schools in Miami-Dade are set to reopen on Monday, at the order of the Florida state education commissioner, despite the strong opposition of the teachers’ union. School leaders in Houston, Washington, D.C., Atlanta and San Diego are also planning on bringing at least some students back into classrooms later this month. | |
| But over the summer, many districts across the country abandoned plans to offer in-person instruction as the virus surged in many states and reopening became a deeply partisan political issue — in part because President Trump put schools at the center of his push to reopen the country. | But over the summer, many districts across the country abandoned plans to offer in-person instruction as the virus surged in many states and reopening became a deeply partisan political issue — in part because President Trump put schools at the center of his push to reopen the country. |
| Like many other big city school leaders, Cindy Marten, the superintendent in San Diego, said that she was watching New York largely to see what it takes not just to open schools, but to be able to keep them open as students and staff test positive for Covid, as seems almost inevitable. | |
| “As cases are spiking, what’s happening, and what kinds of decisions are they making, and what are they basing their decisions on?” she said, adding that, according to the experts her district has consulted, “The key to staying open is testing.” | |
| New York’s reopening effort has been plagued by political issues and logistical concerns from the moment Mr. de Blasio announced in July that schools would reopen on a hybrid basis, with children reporting to school one to three days a week to allow for social distancing. | New York’s reopening effort has been plagued by political issues and logistical concerns from the moment Mr. de Blasio announced in July that schools would reopen on a hybrid basis, with children reporting to school one to three days a week to allow for social distancing. |
| The United Federation of Teachers, the city’s powerful teachers’ union, soon began raising alarms about the need for safety measures, including upgraded ventilation systems in classrooms and a more robust testing program in schools. | The United Federation of Teachers, the city’s powerful teachers’ union, soon began raising alarms about the need for safety measures, including upgraded ventilation systems in classrooms and a more robust testing program in schools. |
| At several points throughout the summer, the teachers’ union declared that the city’s roughly 1,400 school buildings were not ready to reopen and demanded that the mayor push back the start date. | At several points throughout the summer, the teachers’ union declared that the city’s roughly 1,400 school buildings were not ready to reopen and demanded that the mayor push back the start date. |
| And at one point in mid-September, the unions representing both teachers and principals delivered an urgent warning: If the mayor reopened schools as scheduled, they said, children would report to classrooms without teachers, because of a huge staffing shortage. | And at one point in mid-September, the unions representing both teachers and principals delivered an urgent warning: If the mayor reopened schools as scheduled, they said, children would report to classrooms without teachers, because of a huge staffing shortage. |
| By the time Mr. de Blasio delayed the start of in-person instruction for the second time in mid-September, some parents and educators were publicly questioning whether classrooms would open at all or if the mayor would revert to all-remote instruction. Earlier this week, the union representing city principals said its members had lost confidence in Mr. de Blasio’s ability to reopen schools and called on the state to take over the effort. | By the time Mr. de Blasio delayed the start of in-person instruction for the second time in mid-September, some parents and educators were publicly questioning whether classrooms would open at all or if the mayor would revert to all-remote instruction. Earlier this week, the union representing city principals said its members had lost confidence in Mr. de Blasio’s ability to reopen schools and called on the state to take over the effort. |
| Still, Mr. de Blasio forged ahead, arguing that reopening schools was a moral imperative. Students in pre-K classes and children with advanced disabilities returned to classrooms last week. | Still, Mr. de Blasio forged ahead, arguing that reopening schools was a moral imperative. Students in pre-K classes and children with advanced disabilities returned to classrooms last week. |
| There have not been any major issues reported at schools that have already opened, according to the teachers’ union and education officials. | |
| In a scene repeated at schools across the city on Thursday, students waited outside Junior High School 157 in Rego Park, Queens, to have their temperature checked, as parents crowded nearby, filming the children with their cellphones. | |
| For Gwen Leifer’s 11-year-old son, it was the first day of middle school. After the earlier delays in reopening, Ms. Leifer was not sure schools would ever open, particularly as Rego Park has seen a recent uptick in cases. | |
| “We were very skeptical that the localized hot spots would be used to justify furthering the delays,” she said. | |
| Her son is in a special education class to help him with his speech and motor disabilities. Ms. Leifer and her husband, Justin Levinson, both work full time, making it difficult to help their son with online classes. | |
| “Can we gain the ground that we lost in the seven months without school?” Ms. Leifer said. | |
| Marshall Francois, 14, stood in front of Bedford Academy High School and pulled a black face mask down as his mother took his photo. | |
| It was his first day of high school, and Marshall said that he was nervous because he did not know anybody in his cohort. | It was his first day of high school, and Marshall said that he was nervous because he did not know anybody in his cohort. |
| “I’ve got three friends,” he said. “I’m in a different group than them, so it’s going to be hard.” | “I’ve got three friends,” he said. “I’m in a different group than them, so it’s going to be hard.” |
| Marshall was not worried about the new measures to protect students’ health, like wearing his mask or keeping hand sanitizer in his bag. But not being allowed to move freely around the building, he said, might be a challenge. | Marshall was not worried about the new measures to protect students’ health, like wearing his mask or keeping hand sanitizer in his bag. But not being allowed to move freely around the building, he said, might be a challenge. |
| “I have to stay in the same classroom every day,” he said. “It’s going to be boring.” | “I have to stay in the same classroom every day,” he said. “It’s going to be boring.” |
| Judy Spain, 58, a cook at the school, said she was glad students were back. | |
| “They need to be back,” she said. “They’ve been missing the school environment, socializing. Being in the house is not good for them. They need to be around kids their own age.” | |
| Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, the mayor said his visit to an elementary school earlier this week affirmed his view that schools should reopen. “We saw a lot of adults with tears in their eyes too, tears of joy that they could see the kids they love again,” he said. “Seeing everyone reunited was really, really powerful.” | Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, the mayor said his visit to an elementary school earlier this week affirmed his view that schools should reopen. “We saw a lot of adults with tears in their eyes too, tears of joy that they could see the kids they love again,” he said. “Seeing everyone reunited was really, really powerful.” |
| Now, after months of tumult and considerable backlash from educators and parents, Mr. de Blasio is the only big-city mayor to have succeeded in fully reopening a school system. | Now, after months of tumult and considerable backlash from educators and parents, Mr. de Blasio is the only big-city mayor to have succeeded in fully reopening a school system. |
| But getting children back into classrooms does not mean that school reopening has worked. | But getting children back into classrooms does not mean that school reopening has worked. |
| The city still faces myriad challenges. It is unclear how educationally effective hybrid learning really is; some students will report to classrooms just one day a week and learn at home the rest of the time without any live instruction from their teachers, and others will learn remotely even from school buildings. | The city still faces myriad challenges. It is unclear how educationally effective hybrid learning really is; some students will report to classrooms just one day a week and learn at home the rest of the time without any live instruction from their teachers, and others will learn remotely even from school buildings. |
| The Department of Education has not said how it will ensure that children are making progress despite their disruptive school schedules. | The Department of Education has not said how it will ensure that children are making progress despite their disruptive school schedules. |
| Some children will not get any in-person instruction even under the new system: Some high schools have asked students to stay at home if they are able, in order for the schools to offer a full schedule remotely without having to double their teaching staffs. And some children still do not have devices or internet access to log on for remote classes. | Some children will not get any in-person instruction even under the new system: Some high schools have asked students to stay at home if they are able, in order for the schools to offer a full schedule remotely without having to double their teaching staffs. And some children still do not have devices or internet access to log on for remote classes. |
| There are also pressing safety questions. The city, which has lost more than 20,000 New Yorkers to the virus, saw its daily citywide rate increase earlier this week to just over 3 percent before falling again; Mr. de Blasio has said he will automatically close the entire public school system if the rate reaches 3 percent over a seven-day rolling average. | |
| Experts also widely predict that many classrooms and some school buildings will close in the coming days and weeks as children and teachers test positive. Schools will temporarily close if there are at least two confirmed cases in separate classrooms. | Experts also widely predict that many classrooms and some school buildings will close in the coming days and weeks as children and teachers test positive. Schools will temporarily close if there are at least two confirmed cases in separate classrooms. |
| Some closures are to be expected and are not necessarily cause for alarm, public health officials have said, but the entire system could shut down if significant outbreaks are detected. | Some closures are to be expected and are not necessarily cause for alarm, public health officials have said, but the entire system could shut down if significant outbreaks are detected. |
| Juliana Kim, Matthew Sedacca and Kate Taylor contributed reporting. |