Schools in New York could remain closed for the rest of the school year. Mayor de Blasio made this announcement yesterday just as parents, teachers and students in New York City began to adapt to the new reality of remote learning.
The possibility of schools statewide remaining closed until the fall looks more like a probability by the day, and that raises hundreds of questions about the quality of learning happening across New York State.
We’re collecting stories from parents and caregivers, educators and students around New York to hear about the transition to homeschooling and online learning. We invite you to share your story with us by filling out this online form.
Parents, grandparents and guardians are grappling with the many challenges of learning at home — the technical issues, providing social learning at a time of social distancing, sticking to a schedule, managing child care while working from home. Many are still waiting on homework packets, notebooks, or even laptops so their children can access the learning material being provided.
For our most vulnerable students, the stakes are even higher. The closure of schools for months has left districts and parents scrambling together to meet their children’s most basic needs: how do we ensure families that rely on school meals still receive them? How are we making sure that students with disabilities access services they usually receive in school?
Even during a pandemic, it’s the state’s responsibility to ensure that all children have access to an education. We need to be sure that children are being educated and their unique needs are being met, even in a time of social distancing. We want to hear from you so we can work together to ensure all children are able to continue learning at this time. AQE will use your stories in our advocacy and demand our State leaders, school districts and educators immediately address the challenges families are facing.