Some streets and parks in New York City will be turned into outdoor classrooms as the city prepares to open schools amid the coronavirus, Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday.
“The focus has been on health and safety,” the mayor said, according to ABC7.
“We’ve created a new gold standard. We’ve combined them into one strategy for safety for all.”
The city’s optional outdoor learning plan will apply to all public, charter and private schools in the city. Principals can choose to set up classrooms in their schoolyards and request additional space, according to ABC7.
Some principals have already pitched plans to the administration to close sections of road around their schools and erect tents in nearby parks to lower the risk of transmission, according to the mayor and city schools Chancellor Richard Carranza, per the New York Post.
“We want to give schools the option to do as much outdoors as they can,” de Blasio said.
“In some cases, they may say, ‘You know what? We’re good with just what we have in the school. We have a schoolyard. We have a courtyard…we empower our principals to determine the maximum amount they can do outdoors…that’s going to open a lot of wonderful opportunities for kids and for our educators.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 17: Melissa Wong, a teacher at Yung Wing School P.S. 124, swaps materials between her classroom and the stock room to prepare for the 2020/2121 school year on August 17, 2020 in New York City. The official start date of the Fall term is still to be determined, but students will be taught both in-person and remotely. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
The city Department of Transportation and Parks and Recreation would make any proposed road closures and park classrooms a priority, according to the NYP.
De Blasio said his message to all principals is clear “if you want to do some good creative things with outdoor learning, you’re going to get fast support from agencies,” according to the NYP.
Principals have until Friday to turn in their final proposals, with the administration approving them within a week, per the same report.
The city is operating under a plan that will close schools down if the positivity rate for new coronavirus infections surpasses 3%. The rate of positivity in the city is 2.05% as of Sunday, according to ABC7.
The move to put some students outdoors comes as the city faces a spike in violent crimes, with New York City murders up 50% for the month of July, according to NBC4 New York.
On the Upper West Side, parents and neighbors have begun patrolling the streets following an uptick in homeless New Yorkers sheltering on streets rather than homeless shelters, according to the NYP. (RELATED: ‘You Want To Buy Crack?’: NYC Homeless Staying In Luxury Hotels Urinating In Public, Harassing Residents)
It is unclear how the city plans to address safety concerns.
The Daily Caller has reached out to the New York City Education Press Secretary for comments.
