New York City schools will be closed Monday due to the impending winter storm, forcing students to attend classes online as the city struggles to cope with the snow. The decision was made by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels, who cited safety concerns as the main reason for the closure.
Approximately 500,000 students across over 1,100 schools will be affected by the remote learning arrangement. While some high schools and 6-12 schools were already scheduled to be off for a teacher professional development day, most elementary and middle schools will follow suit.
The city's snowfall has been significant, with nearly a foot of snow falling in some areas of New Jersey. However, temperatures have risen since Sunday evening, bringing mixed sleet and freezing rain.
In a statement on Sunday, Mayor Mamdani explained that closing the schools is essential to keep residents safe, citing the preparations made by his administration over the past week. The city's education department has simulated remote learning sessions to ensure students can log in seamlessly.
While some parents may be disappointed with the decision to have virtual classes instead of a snow day, officials assure that it's not meant to deprive children of time spent playing in the snow. The state requires 180 instructional days per year, and the school system is working within this tight calendar framework.
As schools go online, principals will be monitoring students' devices remotely, having provided them with instructions last week. Parents who have previously struggled with getting online during a snowstorm two years ago can breathe easy knowing their children's devices are equipped for remote learning.
With over 500,000 students to care for and more than 1,100 schools to navigate, the city is taking its time to weather this winter storm together. As Mayor Mamdani quipped, if you see him on Monday, feel free to throw a snowball at him – he can take it.
Approximately 500,000 students across over 1,100 schools will be affected by the remote learning arrangement. While some high schools and 6-12 schools were already scheduled to be off for a teacher professional development day, most elementary and middle schools will follow suit.
The city's snowfall has been significant, with nearly a foot of snow falling in some areas of New Jersey. However, temperatures have risen since Sunday evening, bringing mixed sleet and freezing rain.
In a statement on Sunday, Mayor Mamdani explained that closing the schools is essential to keep residents safe, citing the preparations made by his administration over the past week. The city's education department has simulated remote learning sessions to ensure students can log in seamlessly.
While some parents may be disappointed with the decision to have virtual classes instead of a snow day, officials assure that it's not meant to deprive children of time spent playing in the snow. The state requires 180 instructional days per year, and the school system is working within this tight calendar framework.
As schools go online, principals will be monitoring students' devices remotely, having provided them with instructions last week. Parents who have previously struggled with getting online during a snowstorm two years ago can breathe easy knowing their children's devices are equipped for remote learning.
With over 500,000 students to care for and more than 1,100 schools to navigate, the city is taking its time to weather this winter storm together. As Mayor Mamdani quipped, if you see him on Monday, feel free to throw a snowball at him – he can take it.
. I mean, don't get me wrong, safety first and all that jazz... but 500k kids stuck at home? 
That's just not fair on the parents who have to deal with work and stuff. Can't they just give 'em a few snow days like everyone else? 
The city's got this winter thing under control, let's be real 
... I'm all for the schools having these remote learning sessions and whatnot, but can't we just relax a bit? 
. And don't even get me started on the parents who have to deal with it... I feel bad for those guys 
. It's just another thing to add to their already crazy days. Can we just have a normal school day every once in a while? 
got me thinking, why do we gotta stress about school closures so much? I mean, kids are gonna be cooped up in their rooms anyway. It's not like they're gonna build an igloo or something out of the snow... unless that's a thing now 
. And let's be real, with 500k students to care for, it's nice to see the city taking precautions. Safety first, right? 
... And honestly, I think online learning is actually pretty cool if done right 
. Maybe this will be a good opportunity for some kids to get a head start on their work or something 
. Just gotta hope all the teachers and parents are able to make it work without too much of a hassle 
... And omg, 500k students is crazy 
.
BUT AT LEAST THEY'LL BE SAFE AND WARM IN THEIR CLASSROOMS 
but on the flip side its awesome that they prepared everything so the remote learning thing wont mess up too much 
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