A plan on how to re-open schools safely in New York is being laid out.

The Board of Regents and New York State Education Department are working to develop guidance and regulatory changes that will enable schools to safely educate students this fall. "The monumental and unprecedented challenges brought about by the pandemic are like nothing our school communities have ever confronted," Shannon Tahoe NYSED Interim Commissioner said. "While we are considering all facets of this issue, it is the priority of the New York State Board of Regents and the New York State Education Department to ensure that health, safety, and educational equity always come first.

Four virtual Regional School Reopening Task Force meetings were held last month as well as a student forum to gather feedback. The NYSED will present the framework for school reopening guidance to the Board of Regents at its meeting on Monday, July 13.

School districts have until July 31st to submit their reopening plans and Governor Cuomo will announce a decision on whether students head back in the Fall by the first week of August.

Since mid-March, educators across the State have worked around the clock to offer New York's students high-quality learning opportunities, and our school systems adapted rapidly to provide for continuity of learning. Now, we hope to build on those efforts and provide teachers and school leaders with professional learning experiences to help them effectively engage their students in blended/remote learning opportunities.

The NYSED recently submitted an application for the Rethink K-12 Education Models grant competition to develop and launch the Teaching in Blended/Remote Learning Environments (TRLE) program, that addresses the immediate and urgent learning needs of New York's most vulnerable students and their parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program would provide educators with the tools, resources, and training to facilitate blended/remote instruction when needed.

NYSED is requesting $19.9 million over a three-year period to implement the TRLE program.



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