NYC Parents Weighing Remote Learning Options As More Positive Cases Reported In Schools
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A day after classes resumed for tens of thousands of New York City students, there are plenty of problems to contend with.
Among them, new COVID infections that have already closed a school in the Bronx. Officials say at least two positive cases were reported in just one week at I.S. 131 Albert Einstein School in Soundview.
The administration sent a letter to family, saying in part, "Two or more members of our school community have tested positive for COVID-19 within seven days of each other."
The school was closed, except for custodial staff, for a deep cleaning Tuesday.
"It's very dangerous. I don't think people should allow their kids to go out," Soundview resident Joan Mathurin said. "Give it at least until January, give it time, and let's see what's going to happen."
"Sending the kids back is too early," said parent James Man.
"It's really sad -- the state that everything is going on. But I'm glad it shut down then," parent Debbie Hall-Martin added.
The school is supposed to open next week for in-person learning, as part of the city's latest phased reopening plan.
However, Hall-Martin thinks it won't -- and shouldn't -- happen.
"Shut the school down, do the remote learning, and put all the funding that you can into the remote learning," she said.
But for many families, remote learning isn't the easiest, so they're still torn on what they should do. Some are even counting down the days until schools can reopen.
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From sign on to shut down Monday, there were glitches across the city for remote learning. Some parents reported trouble getting Google accounts to work because links unexpectedly expired.
"You can't possible work, tend to both children, their assignments, their separate teachers, the links, the codes," one woman said.
"My day was pretty much being a first grade co-teacher for my little guy," Julia O'Brien added.
On Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio didn't address the issues, but reminded parents they still have time to decide how they want their children to learn.
"In just a matter of weeks, parents have the opportunity to opt back in," he said. "I think what you're seeing now is parents watching carefully and wanting to see what goes on, and then they're going to make their bigger decisions."
De Blasio also said hiring is speeding up to help support remote learning.
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