{"id":577374,"date":"2021-09-08T17:01:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-08T21:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.the74million.org\/?post_type=article&p=577374"},"modified":"2021-09-08T16:37:46","modified_gmt":"2021-09-08T20:37:46","slug":"adams-will-new-york-city-parents-strike-on-the-first-day-of-school-and-beyond-if-theres-no-option-for-remote-learning","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.the74million.org\/article\/adams-will-new-york-city-parents-strike-on-the-first-day-of-school-and-beyond-if-theres-no-option-for-remote-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"Adams: Will New York City Parents Strike on the First Day of School \u2014 and Beyond \u2014 If There’s No Option for Remote Learning?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A version of this essay appeared on the New York School Talk <\/em>blog<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

D<\/span>espite last week\u2019s City Council hearing<\/a> on New York City\u2019s return-to-school plans, during which Education Committee Chair Mark Treyger and a cohort of parents advocated for a remote education option, Mayor Bill de Blasio insisted that, save for listed medical exceptions<\/a>, all students, vaccinated or not, would be required to return to school in person.<\/p>\n

Soon after, I began hearing the idea of a parents\u2019 strike, where families would keep their children home as a way to demonstrate just how many of them didn\u2019t feel reassured by the safety protocols \u2014 and platitudes \u2014 they were being offered by the mayor and the city Department of Education.<\/p>\n

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I asked parents whether they would support such an action. Here\u2019s what they had to say:<\/p>\n

Yes, Strike:<\/h3>\n

CV: <\/em>I will be part of the parent strike and if there is no remote option, will pull my child from public school.<\/em><\/p>\n

KA: I can\u2019t bear that we are sending our kids into chaos and closures, with a heightened risk of COVID, when we are so close to a vaccine for children. I was already planning to hold my son back for the first week, as the DOE isn\u2019t requiring any baseline testing to weed out vacation COVID cases.<\/em><\/p>\n

JK: I made up my mind to hold off until the last minute and not send my kids to school. After many Zoom meetings with the chancellor, districts, principals, I feel they all are singing the same tune \u2014 a tune that is not sitting well with me for many reasons. All I hear is, “vaccinations and multi-layered approach to safety” \u2014 but is that all that it is? When I asked questions in forums, they were ignored. <\/em><\/p>\n

MRC: The lack of remote option is particularly concerning in light of the inadequate testing program \u2014 no pre-Kers, no kindergartners, no vaccinated individuals, only 10% of those who opt in (which is not required to attend school) and only every other week. The singleminded drive to get our kids in school, in person, at any cost is going to drive parents to <\/em>leave NYC<\/em><\/a> altogether.<\/em><\/p>\n

SMC: We\u2019ve already informed our daughter\u2019s elementary school that she won\u2019t be attending in person until she\u2019s fully vaccinated. We were told that her absence would likely trigger an investigation, but we\u2019re prepared to accept that.<\/em><\/p>\n

EK: <\/em>I’d support a strike over masks on 5-year-olds \u2014 the rest of the world does not mask small kids, the outcome is identical, why is this country doing this?<\/em><\/p>\n

KP: Children’s lives should be more than just <\/em>$$$ to schools<\/em><\/a>, and families should have a say in their education.<\/em><\/p>\n