Latest on NYC school closures: Child care to be available for first responders

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- With New York City public schools closed through at least April 20 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), Chancellor Richard Carranza said Monday that New York City will provide child care for first responders, health care workers and transit workers.

During an interview with 1010 WINS, Carranza said the city will “take care” of the children of these workers while New York City public schools are closed at regional enrichment centers across the five boroughs.

“We will have next week some regional enrichment centers where they’re specifically being set up as places where we’ll be able to take care of the children of first responders, health responders..." he said. “One of the concerns is that 1.1 million students and many of those parents are first responders and health workers, and if they can’t come to work then it cripples the city. So we’re going to have those centers set up.”

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When asked how the decision will affect families who don’t work from home and are unsure what steps to take for child care, Carranza said that’s why the city wanted to wait to make the decision to close schools a “last resort.”

“We understand the heartache that this causes for parents," said Carranza. "We are at a point now where for the health and safety of students and staff, we had to take this drastic step. We want to be able to provide some opportunity for parents to be able to have childcare.”

While schools are expected to close until at least April 20, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday during a press conference: “We may not have the opportunity to reopen them in this full school year.” When asked if schools may need to extend into the summer, Carranza said on 1010 WINS that it was “too soon to tell.”

FOOD AVAILABLE

New York City students are able to visit school locations this week for grab 'n go meals from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at any school building. Breakfast and lunch meals will be offered at all schools -- and you don’t have to go to your child’s current school to receive a meal. The city said students can go to their nearest public school location.

De Blasio said during a press conference Sunday that the city is doing a lot of work in the coming days to make sure food is readily available for kids at various locations around the city in the days and weeks going forward.

Carranza said on Monday on 1010 WINS that New York City will “transition to feeding centers that will be geographically distributed all over the city.” He said the city will also prioritize students in poverty.

REMOTE LEARNING

The DOE will be distributing guidance about “what remote learning will look like” to teachers and principals on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Friday will be another day of virtual training for those who need it.

“We feel confident that students will be able to continue to engage academically," said Carranza. "It belies any logic to say it will be the same thing as a student in a classroom with a teacher. But I have tremendous, tremendous faith in the teachers of New York City and the administrators of New York City, and I know that if there’s any school system that can launch into remote learning on a moment’s notice like we’re about to do, it is the New York City Department of Education.”

He asked parents to sign up for the NYC Schools account, which will be critically important as the DOE pushes information out and resources for remote learning needs.

“It’s going to be critically important that all parents have a New York City Schools account,” said Carranza on 1010 WINS. “Go onto our website, there is a really clear, obvious link where you can sign up. It will take a matter of seconds.”

You can go to www.myschools.nyc for more information.

STATE TESTS

The New York State English language arts exam is scheduled to be administered from March 25 to 27.

While the U.S. Department of Education’s guidance requires states to administer state exams, the New York State Education Department will apply for waivers for schools impacted by circumstances associated with COVID-19 to the greatest extent permitted by federal law. Before New York City announced it would close schools through April 20, the department had announced that make-up dates were extended to April 8 for state reading exams.

Carranza said the city will have conversations around state testing.

“We’re going to have conversations around state testing, and delaying that, or possibly suspending that," he said on 1010 WINS.

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