Schools fumbled through the last 18 months as they tried to navigate all the inner-workings of how virtual learning is supposed to work.
Now as the school year begins, New York schools are focusing strongly on in-person learning and not sharing what plans they might have for learners should they need to go virtual.
Students who may learn virtually need a valid medical exemption in most districts.
Schools, parents, and lawmakers continue to debate over the subject despite the school year already starting.
Some are saying remote learning should be a choice for families with the way the Delta variant has spread.
Others, like a group of Manhattan parents, want the schools open completely.
They filed a preliminary injunction against the education department demanding the schools permanently open because their children were depressed from remote learning.
The Department of Education addressed this by stating students should be in school but schools must have a plan for remote learning in case they needed to close.
Greece Central School District is ready should there be another shutdown and all of their students have a Chromebook.
Students in the district than cannot attend in person for medical reasons can learn through BOCES virtual classes.
If students in Greece need to quarantine they will communicate with their teachers to get school work like they would if they were sick before the pandemic hit. They are not required to stay in contact with their teachers from home.
While many areas in New York are utilizing BOCES options, Syracuse City Schools are offering synchronous learning with close monitoring.
Lawmakers in New York are also pushing to make it illegal for schools to not offer a way for students to have the option to learn remotely.
While there are options for medically exempt students, there are no other choices for students that don’t qualify for the exemption.
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