A task force in New York made up of education officials, teachers and parents say they will work on a plan for reopening schools in the fall.
Roger Tilles, the Long Island representative on the New York State Board of Regents, says it’s important to be prepared for whatever guidelines the state decides to put in place.
“Right now, we don’t know exactly what will happen. It’s a combination of will the schools be open at all, will there be a hybrid kind of school? Will the governor allow certain things or demand certain things? We are really focusing on if there is a hybrid or online learning at all, what will be the best way to do that.”
Jeanette Deutermann, co-founder of New York State Allies for Public Education, a group on the task force, says Long Island parents are still unsure about sending their children back to school amid concerns of a potential second wave of coronavirus infections.
“...Wildly different opinions that run the gamut from open up as we normally do and forget about the virus, to the other end of the extreme where there’s some parents who have already made plans for homeschooling, and no intention of sending their kids back.”
Deutermann says it will be difficult to make a decision that works for every student.
The task force will hold regional meetings throughout June. They’ll discuss health and safety, social-emotional learning, special education, transportation and more.
The Board of Regents will take their recommendations and will set new guidelines in July.
