Schools Go Fully Remote

By Maude Stevens - Mon Dec 7, 2020

Today at 2:15 p.m., all across New York City, kids and parents got upsetting news. It was happening again. School had shut down. 

“I feel sad that school is closing because it was good to get outside and actually see people instead of being stuck inside my house on a computer for 6 hours,” says Isla Smith, a 7th grader at MS 447. 

This afternoon, the Department of Education sent out a message, “As of this morning, November 18, the City has now reached this threshold of test positivity citywide and, as a result, the DOE will temporarily close down all public school buildings for in-person learning, Thursday, November 19,” Mr. Richard A. Carranza wrote. Mayor Bill de Blasio confirmed the news in a tweet. 

Let me break down the reason for the closure. Officials kept talking about a 3 percent positive rate. Now you may be thinking, that’s not so bad, why did they shut down our schools for 3 percent of the population? But when you remember that this rate was for the 45,677 average number of  people tested over 7 days, it becomes more serious.

The case numbers are rising dramatically within New York. The crazy thing is that restaurants and other shops and even gyms haven't closed down yet. This is making people around the city frustrated, and many demand that if their kids can’t go to school, then why should restaurants and shops be open? It’s a valid question and it’s a question with a simple answer. Money. A lot of small businesses shut down this year, with the unemployment rate skyrocketing. The businesses need to get back on their feet as soon as possible for as long as possible. Even though it’s dangerous, many agree that a city isn’t a city without it’s workers and shops. 

“I know we'll get through this and it won't last forever, and above all I really look forward to the day when we can all be back in the building together, all 550 kids and 80 adults! I hope as a city and country we make school and children a top priority.” -Arin Rusch