While schools in Los Angeles will also offer an online option, schools in New York City will not have a distance option.
âIt’s just amazing the movement forward right now, the recovery that’s happening in New York City,â de Blasio said on MSNBC’s âMorning Joeâ. “But you can’t have a full recovery without full schools, everyone is sitting in those classes, the kids are learning again.”
To address reluctance to return to in-person learning, parents will be able to visit their students’ classrooms from June to see all the steps taken to reduce the transmission of Covid-19, such as cleaning and ventilation, said de Blasio.
âWe have proven that we can push Covid across the country and the school will open in four months,â he said. “So I am absolutely convinced that Covid will continue to decline, that vaccinations will increase, that the recovery will be strong.”
In a question-and-answer session later Monday, the mayor was asked what he would say to families who are not ready for school in person. He urged them to visit schools and ask questions about security measures.
“We cannot live under the influence of Covid the rest of our lives,” said de Blasio. “It might be yet another illness like the flu and stuff, but it will be manageable. So we have to put Covid behind us mentally too.”
One group said distance learning was still needed.
The President of the United Teachers’ Federation, Michael Mulgrew, issued a statement saying the union had “concerns for the safety of a small number of students facing extreme medical problems.” For this small group of students, a distance option may still be necessary â.
LA: Students who choose to stay home can learn online
In addition to the Los Angeles campuses that are open to regular class schedules this fall, after-school programs for elementary and high school students will be available from the end of the school day until 6 p.m. Superintendent Austin Beutner.
âAs we look at the Road to Recovery and the new school year that begins this fall, all students will have the opportunity to participate in in-person training on campus,â said Beutner.
He said online learning would be available for students who can’t come to the school or choose not to attend.
Masks required in New York, but Los Angeles policy undefined
New York schools will still need face masks when they fully reopen on September 13, Chancellor Meisha Porter said at a press briefing Monday.
At least half of New York’s public school teachers and staff are fully vaccinated and more will be before schools reopen, she said.
Los Angeles will likely need masks, but that could change as more people get vaccinated.
âBut August is still three months away and we can’t predict exactly what standards health authorities will tell us are appropriate at that time,â Beutner said.
New York’s positivity rate has dropped
Porter echoed de Blasio in saying there would be no virtual option for students and that the school system will continue to adhere to the CDC’s social distancing guidelines.
âWe would never take risks with our most important assets … our children,â Porter said, adding that every school will be equipped with social and emotional support resources for students.
The Covid-19 positivity rate in the city’s public school system is currently 0.16%, Porter said. De Blasio says the city as a whole now has an average seven-day Covid-19 positivity rate of 1.13%, the city’s lowest rate since last September.
New York state has a seven-day average positivity rate of 0.9%, the lowest since September, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday.
Children across the state are expected to return to school full time in September, he said.
Schools have reopened
Schools in Los Angeles began reopening schools in April with additional safety measures, including improved air filtration systems and personal protective equipment.
The district also has a school-based Covid-19 screening and contact tracing program.