NYC Teachers Demand Remote Learning As Students Return To School Amid COVID Rise

Some teachers in New York City are ready for students to switch to remote learning amid the rising number of COVID-19 Omicron variant cases.

Students across the city are set to return to classes starting Monday following the holiday break, despite demands from the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) to delay in-person learning.

“We need to really figure out where we’re at in staffing capacity,” UFT President Michael Mulgrew said in a statement. “Teachers are informing us that they cannot come in, their child tested positive, they tested positive…We’ve seen COVID over the holidays that we never saw.”

The demand for closures comes after reports released late last month stated that NYC public schools were expected to receive one million testing kits, which would allow vaccinated and unvaccinated students, as well as teachers and staff, to get tested.

However, News 12 Bronx reported Lydia Howrilka, a member of the UFT Solidarity, claimed the Department of Education (DOE) has not provided a testing plan or HVAC systems to protect those in schools amid an uptick in cases.

In a poll of UFT members, Howrilka found 75% of teachers were unsure when testing would begin, and 88% of staffers said some adults have been unable to get COVID-19 tests at their respective schools.

The DOE has denied the claims. “New York has gone above and beyond to make our schools safe with our multi-layered approach - including testing, vaccines, and masks - and we look forward to welcoming back every student and staff member in person on Monday,” the department said in a statement.

“This case is meritless, and we will never waver from putting the health and needs of our school communities first, including the many students for whom in-person school is a daily lifeline."

Meanwhile, several private schools, including Our Lady Queen of Angels, have delayed in-person learning until later this week. Parents will be required to provide a vaccination card or negative COVID-19 test before students can return to the school.