After an intense debate and the threat of a teachers' strike, the New York City Department of Education and the United Federation of Teachers agreed to delay the start of the fall term.
Now, the goal is to keep students and faculty safe, not only in the city but the state (and beyond). In hopes to monitor classrooms across New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo introduced an online dashboard today that tracks real-time virus infections and testing operations of every school and district in the state.
"Facts empower people to make informed decisions for the health and safety of themselves and their families," Governor Cuomo said in a statement. "The COVID-19 Report Card will give parents, faculty and students the most up-to-date information on the status of their school and their school district's testing and results. I urge our school communities to stay vigilant and be smart."
When the reporting starts to come back, the COVID Report Card will be live on the New York State government website.
Blended learning is set to begin on Sept 21 in NYC. Currently, NYC is operating with the strictest threshold for openings and closures: Schools will be allowed to open their doors if the percentage of citywide positive tests is less than 3 percent, as compared to 5 percent for the rest of the state. If it is equal to or greater than 3 percent, schools will close.
It's certainly a back-to-school season like none other. For ways to keep kids busy (safely) after school, check out our picks for cool programs, pods and virtual offerings. If you need some homeschooling tips, these experts have your back. Stay safe, New York.
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