New York City mayor delays in-person learning for most students

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday delayed in-person public school openings for most students for over a week amid ongoing safety concerns related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

De Blasio said K-5 and K-8 school openings are delayed until September 29, and middle and high schools are delayed for in-person learning until October 1. Still, he said 3-K, Pre-K, and District 75 schools, which serve special education kids, will open for in-person learning.

The decision came in coordination with teacher union leaders.

The New York City school system, the largest in the country, had been scheduled to open on Monday, but the decision to do so has faced skepticism and criticism from teachers, students and parents alike.

In addition, the city will add 2,500 more educators to the system, de Blasio said, on top of the already 2,000 added to the system recently. In total, 4,500 educators will be “added into our schools and classrooms immediately.”

These individuals come from the Department of Education substitute teacher pool, current DOE staff, and the CUNY system, he said.

This is a developing story.