Saturday 8 August 2020

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s green-light-red-light for New York schools


The state’s 1 percent positive test rate for COVID-19 is well below the 5 percent threshold set by the World Health Organization. And though the city’s plan still needs the state Health Department’s OK, Mayor Bill de Blasio, to his credit, is eyeing in-class learning for at least part of the time.
Even teachers admit that remote learning doesn’t come close to in-school instruction, and it forces adults to be home with kids, making it hard for some to work at their jobs. So cheer Cuomo’s first step.
Alas, Cuomo didn’t help things by siding with teachers who don’t want to go back.
“Teachers are going to have to agree to come back,” he said. “If a teacher doesn’t show up, you don’t have a class.”
Well, yes. But why is Cuomo encouraging them? Besides, technically teachers are public employees, and it’s illegal for them to strike under the state’s Taylor Law.
Great news: Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday gave a green light for schools in New York to reopen in September. Hear, hear.
The state’s 1 percent positive test rate for COVID-19 is well below the 5 percent threshold set by the World Health Organization. And though the city’s plan still needs the state Health Department’s OK, Mayor Bill de Blasio, to his credit, is eyeing in-class learning for at least part of the time.
Even teachers admit that remote learning doesn’t come close to in-school instruction, and it forces adults to be home with kids, making it hard for some to work at their jobs. So cheer Cuomo’s first step.
Alas, Cuomo didn’t help things by siding with teachers who don’t want to go back.
“Teachers are going to have to agree to come back,” he said. “If a teacher doesn’t show up, you don’t have a class.”
Well, yes. But why is Cuomo encouraging them? Besides, technically teachers are public employees, and it’s illegal for them to strike under the state’s Taylor Law.

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