Thread by @MarkLevineNYC

It's wonderful news that students will be able to return to in-person learning in NYC in the fall.

But there are many Qs on what the classroom experience will be like. Here's a vision for updated safety protocols in light of the progress we're making against the pandemic. 1/

Our goal should be that schools start returning to normal this fall—for the sake of our kids’ education & social/emotional health—while we also continue to take steps to minimize and contain future covid outbreaks.

Below are key components of a plan that strikes this balance. 2/

Make the 3ft rule a goal but not a requirement. In crowded schools a strict 3ft spacing rule would require moving some students out of the building. Better to avoid this by leaning in to other safety measures as outlined below. 3/

Make mask wearing for kids optional for *outdoor* activities effective immediately. 4/

Make mask wearing for kids optional *indoors* if the citywide disease rate falls below an established threshold—say 1 case daily per 100k population. (Last summer NYC got down to a rate of 2-3 daily cases per 100k. With vaccination, 1/100k is achievable by September.) 5/

Return covid testing to the protocols of last fall—a random sample monthly in each school to get a snapshot of the school population. (The current program of weekly testing will not be practical for a system with 1 million students coming back in person.) 6/

Require classroom teachers to either get vaccinated or wear a medical-grade mask and get tested at least weekly. (The City can consider mandating vaccination for teachers after the FDA gives full approval of the vaccines for adults.) 7/

Offer vaccination on-site in schools for students aged 12+ (It is difficult for some families to travel to vaccine hubs to get their kids vaccinated, since most centers are only open for limited hours after-school.) 8/

Further improve ventilation in classrooms and common areas, with more air purifiers, upgraded filters, etc. 9/

Recognize that there are some families who will not be comfortable sending their kids back to school in-person because of medical risk or emotional trauma from the pandemic. We should still allow a distance learning option in such cases for the coming school year. 10/

Enroll distance learning students in special borough-wide academies, as opposed to neighborhood schools. (This builds on DOE’s long-standing program for home instruction for students who are at high risk medically.) 11/

NYC can and should balance the need for kids to get back to a more normal educational environment with the ongoing need for covid safety measures. Let’s not wait until August to clarify for parents how this will be done in the fall. Let’s put in place a smart plan now. 12/12