What You Need to Know About the State of Education in New York

As a result of COVID-19, school boards in New York (and around the world) are currently considering the best ways to facilitate education come September — while also abiding by social distancing regulations. 

Prep Academy Tutors of Westchester will continue to provide remote private tutoring services in New York to help students pursue their educational journey. At this time, when the state of education is continually changing, our tutors are prepared to provide compassionate and flexible personalized education.

Recently, CNN reported on New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plans to reopen schools for at least some in-person instruction in September. 

Following this announcement, Governor Andrew Cuomo released new information about the guidelines that will be put in place to maintain safety if and when schools reopen in the upcoming year. He also made sure to acknowledge that, given the circumstances, this Decision could change. 

The state of education in New York during the pandemic is continuously changing, and it has yet to be confirmed whether or not schools will open in September. Here’s what we know so far:

The Framework of Guidelines for Reopening

On Monday, July 13th, The State Education Department presented a framework to the Board of Regent outlining guidelines for the safe reopening of schools.

This framework was a significant but necessary undertaking created after four virtual Regional School Reopening Task Force meetings and a student forum. According to CNYC Central, the state said that the framework was created after receiving the feedback of over 1,650 parents, students, teachers, administrators, school board members, and stakeholders.

Betty A. Rosa, the Board of Regents Chancellor, shared with NBC New York that the framework was created “to plan for the upcoming school year under three different scenarios that aim to keep our children, educators and school personnel safe and encourage equitable access to high-quality services for all students.”

If Schools Open: The Guidelines 

The framework presented on July 13th outlines specific guidelines teachers, students, and other staff members will need to abide by if schools reopen in September. 

These include:

Regular Health Checks: We support parents and families who work from home and the growing community of families moving from Manhattan to Westchester. We work to help bridge the gap between school curricula.

Social Distancing:: Schools will be able to re-evaluate how they use their space to help students and teachers maintain social distancing practices.

Ventilation: Schools will need to consult with professionals to ensure that their ventilation and filtration meets or exceeds requirements.

Hygiene: Both students and staff will be required to maintain proper hygiene practices that align with CDC and DOH guidelines, including handwashing, wearing masks, and disinfection.

School Bus Disinfection Measures: All districts will need to maintain safety processes for the 150,000 NYC families who rely on bus transportation to get children to school. This includes both disinfection and social distancing practices. Students and staff will be required to wear masks and social distance when they are at bus stops, on busses, and when exiting busses.

Communication: We prioritize communication between tutors and families.

The Current Numbers

Currently, New York has a low and stable number of people testing positive for the virus. However, because numbers of cases in other states like Florida are of concern, schools will only be reopened if they are safe.
 

How Safety Will be Determined

There is a formula that the state will use to identify if and when schools are safe for reopening. Schools will only reopen in regions that are in Phase IV and maintain a daily infection rate of 5 percent. These metrics are believed to be a good signifier that the virus is under control. 
 

When the Decision will be Made

The decision of whether or not schools will reopen in the new school year will be made the first week of August. If there is a rise in numbers between the time of the decision and the first day of school, and the regional rate surpasses 9%, schools will close immediately. 

Prep Academy Tutors of Westchester & the New Normal 

Prep Academy Tutors of Westchester offers private tutoring in Manhattan and across Westchester County, including Bronxville, Tuckahoe, Eastchester, Pelham, Scarsdale, White Plains, Larchmont, Rye, and the river towns. 

Tools for Learning: Our tutors will prepare students for the possibility of blended learning in September. The combination of in-school and remote education will be an adjustment for all students, parents, and teachers. We provide students with the tools and support they need to maintain steady study habits and fill gaps in their knowledge. classroom.

Curriculum-Based Learning: We provide curriculum-based tutoring to help students gain and maintain academic confidence both inside and outside the classroom.

Flexible Learning: At this time, when the state of education is up in the air, it is essential to provide your child with the tools they need to learn flexibly. We provide our tutoring services based on your schedule to facilitate flexible education and provide students with consistent knowledge to help them maintain good learning habits.

Remote Learning: We offer online tutoring and other remote tutoring solutions to help your child reach academic success and approach learning in place with confidence and excitement. Our tutors act as a smart friend who can relate to your child and explain things in a way that they understand.

Personalized Learning: We focus on providing a personalized education that caters to your child’s specific needs, preferences, and learning style. The reopening of schools will be a time of transition, and we are prepared to provide your child with any additional support they may need to make this transition easier.

Contact Prep Academy Tutors of Westchester today to get paired with a tutor near you. We provide your child with the resources they need to facilitate a more seamless transition into what may be a year of blended schooling. Our tutors will keep you updated on changes in education as decision-makers release official announcements.

The Importance of Continuing Education During the COVID-19 Outbreak

The Ontario Government has closed private and public schools for two weeks following March Break (week of March 23 and March 30) in response to the WHO and the CDC advising against public gatherings due to the outbreak and impacts of COVID-19. These closures are also present across the country in Quebec, where schools will remain closed until at least May 1st and all Quebec provincial exams have been cancelled, Alberta (until further notice), British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and other provinces. 

This cancellation is meant to encourage the social distancing between children and adults alike to slow the spread of the highly contagious virus. These moves are necessary for the safety of both the public and the health care system, which is why parents, educators, and the school board are all coming together to create an alternative option for continuing education at this time.

At Prep Academy Tutors, we are offering online tutoring to help students continue their education in the safety of their homes. Our tutors across Canada are making themselves available to provide personalized educational support and resources online to help students continue their education at this time.

Learn how our private tutoring services can help to maintain student’s educational progress at this time.

Although school may not be on everyone’s mind at this time, there are many reasons why continuing education is crucial right now for students:

Education & COVID-19

Global News has reported that Doug Ford has confirmed schools will likely not open on April 6th,  but the provincial and federal governments continue to look for ways to maintain education at this time. 

Toronto’s Minister of Education has shared in a statement that they “are working to ensure that students will be able to continue their coursework and credit accumulation, even when we aren’t able to be in a classroom setting.” They are expecting to do this by expanding existing online learning tools.

Educators are looking for digital ways to provide assignments, and even lessons, to help students to continue their learning. Online tutoring will help support your child with any of these online tasks and will continue to act as an educational resource.

Consistent Knowledge & Development

The reality is that not all schools and teachers will be able to continue education digitally, which means that many students’ learning will come to a halt. Even the suggested online learning assets from the school boards may take a while to establish and develop as rules and regulations have not yet been set, and different schools accommodate different needs. 

Children are constantly learning and developing, and this progress is important to maintain. By pausing learning for two weeks (or longer), it will be that much harder for students to retain information and build upon information they’ve already been taught. Continued knowledge is essential for the academic fulfillment of students. 

Our tutors teach material that aligns with curriculum material taught in the classroom so that the billions of students who are no longer in school can continue to learn while being in a safe and familiar setting.

Routine

Routine is essential for children. It keeps them on track, organized, and helps them to space out their daily tasks and responsibilities like meals, education, chores, and downtime. Education is not only essential for the knowledge and development of your child, but it also provides a sense of structure in their day to day schedule. 

A lack of daily structure can make it challenging to get your child to focus on a task, and will make it that much harder for them to get back into their daily routine once school starts back up again. That said, there is no perfect routine for everyone. 

There is no right or wrong way to react in this situation, and by bringing education into your home through online tutoring, you will have full control of your child’s new routine and educational progress. The thing is, any routine will provide them with a sense of normalcy, productivity, and empowerment. 
Even if you integrate a couple of hours of learning into your child’s daily routine, it will be beneficial. With online tutoring, you can implement a schedule that will ensure your child is learning at the times that work best for you and them. This way you can also facilitate other elements into your child’s schedule like downtime, reading, crafts, meals, etc.

Challenge Their Minds

It is important for your child to continue to challenge themselves. As much as it’s nice to give your child the opportunity to escape by playing video games and watching Netflix, it is also important to keep them thinking and mentally challenged.

This will help them to continue to develop their cognitive skills and abilities so that they can continue to problem solve, think, and both apply and develop their knowledge consistently.

Unknown Timeline

The state of COVID-19 and the government’s responses are changing every day. There is no knowing how things can change and when students will be able to get back into their school routine. 

To ensure your child is still getting the education they need to expand their knowledge and build the skill for future educational success, plan ahead. Find a means to continue education like online tutoring.

Education is still Feasible

It’s important to continue education during this time because, bottom line, we can. The internet and online resources make it possible to connect with professionals like our certified tutors through online tutoring, find resources like worksheets, and submit assignments. As long as it is possible to maintain education, albeit with a shifted approach, we can all play a part in helping your child to continue their learning.

Plan For Learning in Different Circumstances

There are a variety of reasons why a child may need to shift their approach to education in the future whether it be due to homeschooling, injury, illness, or safety reasons. By introducing (or continuing) at-home education, your child can learn how to accommodate and facilitate learning in various different scenarios. 

Circumstances are always changing, and online education is becoming increasingly more prevalent as an alternative educational resource. It is important for both children and parents to be able to pivot and continue education in different scenarios. 

Continuing to learn at this time is about ensuring your child can still get the educational support they need to learn, achieve academic goals, develop their mind and skills, and maintain physical and mental health. Incorporating a routine into your child’s life by integrating education at a pace that works for both parents and children helps students to continue to learn and creates a sense of normalcy for them.