"Will there be school in September and what will it look like?" is the question on every parent's mind right now.
All signs indicate that in-person instruction in New York City will resume in September and our firm wants to make sure you have the information you need to prepare for a safe transition back to school.
As you may be aware, theCenter for Disease Control(CDC) recently issued new guidelines in favor of reopening schools this fall. The CDC emphasized that the lack of in-person educational options disproportionately harms children with disabilities. We believe it is imperative that students with disabilities be able to transition back to in-person learning safely as soon as possible.
When New York City schools re-open, school will consist of a combination of in-person instruction and remote learning (what is being termed "blended learning"). There will be staggered schedules, face coverings, social distancing, and deeper sanitizing. Recently there has been talk about incorporating outdoor learning as well. District 75 schools for students with disabilities will have in-person instruction for all of their students, and students with IEPs will be instructed in person as much as possible.
Families can opt to have 100% remote learning. If they choose to do so, they have until August 7 to inform the Department of Education of their decision.
NYC also will be offering childcare for parents of young children who are not in school yet and children who are enrolled in blended learning programs for their remote learning days.
Private schools have been rolling out their own "return to school" plans, which may differ from each other, but likely will include a combination of the NYC public school measures noted above.
New York State has issued overall guidelines, but it will be up to New York City to figure out the details on its own. You can stay up-to-date with NYC Department of Education updates here.
Our firm is here to speak with you regarding your circumstances and guide you patiently through these unusual times. If you are an existing client and you have any questions or concerns regarding the above, please contact the associate attorney assigned to your case to discuss the matter further, or contact our office administrator to schedule a virtual meeting.
If you are not currently a client and you would like to discuss your child's educational rights and explore moving forward, please reach out to our office to schedule a consultation.