Will New York City public schools switch to all remote? Wrong question. First of all, it’s not “will we go remote?”, but “when will we go remote?”. But that’s not the right question either.
When we return from all-remote, how will we return? Because blended learning sucks. There’s the question. In the real universe, in person regular school is best. Remote is bad. But blended is the worst.
Already there are schools that have made their instruction remote, and do academic, emotional and social support in school. There are other schools where students come into the building, and sign onto zoom classes. There are other schools which are blended in name only, where instruction only happens when the kids come to the building. And then there are schools where the teachers are assigned to teach in person AND remote. Many of those teachers will burn out.
Blended, the way Carranza and de Blasio defined it, and the way Mulgrew pitched it, is not the reality in most NYC schools. Didn’t make sense. Couldn’t be.
The hand off between two teachers per class was unrealistic. The erratic in school / out of school schedule is problematic. Curricula were not redesigned for this strange modality. And the agreement to almost double class size for blended remote was ridiculous.
What other options do we have? My question is about what happens when the positive rate in NYC drops back down.
Short version:
- Expand the RECs
- Banish Blended. Bring some students in full time. Teach the rest fully remotely.
- Real PD, practitioner-led, for remote teaching.
- Lower class size
- Adjust curricula. Adapt curricula.
- Expand prep time.
- Go easy on the kids.
- Suspend standardized testing.
- Expand the Regional Education Centers. “Staffed by DOE CONTINUE READING: When we return from remote… | JD2718
