As extreme weather starts to hit the Big Apple, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York City Public Schools Chancellor Kamar H. Samuels have jointly made the call to temporarily shutter NYC public school buildings today, January 26. All classroom instruction for the city's youngest residents is set to rapidly go digital to maintain educational momentum and, importantly, keep everyone out of harm's way. This move, announced today, converts the school experience for around half a million students from more than 1,100 schools into a virtual affair, as reported by the Office of the Mayor.
While high school, middle school, and sixth graders attending combo schools were already set to have this Monday off, thanks to a professional learning day, now they'll actually be able to merely observe the weather from their windows, safely and serenely. Mayor Mamdani emphasized the importance of preparation, stating, "Over the past week, my administration has prepared for this moment – ensuring devices are in hand, families are informed and educators are ready to welcome students online." Schools Chancellor Samuels chimed in to express gratitude towards school communities for having gone above and beyond to "confirm that students have the tools needed to participate in remote learning," as mentioned on the Office of the Mayor website.
While after-school activities, adult education, and any other school-based programming have been cancelled in light of the closure, the pivot to remote learning isn't expected to be a bumpy one. Chancellor Samuels assured parents and students, "This was a difficult decision made with the safety of every family in mind." And it seems the ground work had been methodically laid out well in advance, with NYCPS and corresponding vendors having stress-tested logins and digital systems to smooth out any potential wrinkles, as outlined by the Office of the Mayor press release.
Students requiring tech assistance are being directed to reach out via selfservice.schools.nyc. Meanwhile, charter and nonpublic schools, which make their own calls on closures, may still choose to follow suit if they're co-located with public school facilities affected by the switch.
