Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

News

Coronavirus Updates: Minority Parents In NYC Are Rejecting In-Person Learning At Higher Rates Than Whites

Elizabeth Kim

and

Jake Offenhartz

Published Sep 8, 2020

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

Never miss a story

Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .

Remote learning requests by school district

Clarisa Diaz / Gothamist & WNYC

Elizabeth Kim

and

Jake Offenhartz

Published Sep 8, 2020

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

This is our daily update of breaking COVID-19 news for Tuesday, September 8th, 2020. Previous daily updates can be found here, and up-to-date statistics are here.

New York City is in Phase 4 of reopening now, which includes zoos, botanical gardens, museums, and gyms. A look at preparing for the spread of coronavirus is here, and if you have lingering questions about the virus, here is our regularly updated coronavirus FAQ. Here are some local and state hotlines for more information: NYC: 311; NY State Hotline: 888-364-3065; NJ State Hotline: 800-222-1222.

Here's the latest:

Cuomo Expects More College Shutdowns As Number Of Campus Clusters Rises
As Trump Pushes For Vaccine Before Election, Pharmaceutical CEOs Pledge To Put Safety First
SUNY Unveils COVID Tracker As NYU Suspends Students For Violating "Safety And Health Rules"
NYU's COVID-19 Reopening Plan Fuels "Inequality And Injustice," Faculty And Staff Warn

Minority parents in the New York City public school system are opting to keep their children at home for full-remote learning at far higher rates than their white counterparts.

According to the latest data released by the Department of Education on Tuesday, 56% of Asian public school parents have chosen to keep their children at home for full-remote learning. Black parents had the second-highest "opt-out" rate—37%, followed by 36% among Hispanic parents.

Meanwhile, nearly 27% of white public school parents have indicated that they plan to have their children learn remotely.

The numbers, which were calculated by Gothamist based on a weekly report from the DOE, are only the latest indication of the doubts expressed by minorities about Mayor Bill de Blasio's hybrid learning plan, which is expected to start on September 21st. Black and Hispanic children make up 70% of the city's more than 1 million public school students. Those two racial groups have also been the ones hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. De Blasio has frequently cited the needs of working families as one of the reasons the city needs to resume some in-person learning.

Since the DOE began releasing the results of the survey last month, the total number of students opting for online instruction has been climbing. As of last Friday, 39% of students have been opted into online instruction only, up from 34% the prior week. Those who do not fill out the survey are put into the default choice of hybrid or "blended" learning. Families can elect online learning at any point during the school year but can elect the hybrid choice only during certain specified times during the school year.

A total of 12 districts now have more than 40% of students choosing remote only.

District 26 in Queens, which encompasses schools in Bayside and Fresh Meadows, saw the highest proportion of students opting for online learning, at 54%. According to Insideschools.org, the district is one of the city's highest academically performing districts.

District 25, another Queens district which covers Flushing, Whitestone and College Point, saw 49% of students opting for online. It was followed by 47% in District 20 in Brooklyn, which includes Borough Park, Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and the southern section of Sunset Park, a neighborhood that recently saw a spike in coronavirus cases and a COVID-19 positivity rate of 2.31%.

On the other end of the spectrum, District 12 in central Bronx, District 31 in Staten Island and District 32, whose schools serve Bushwick and the northern tip of Bedford-Stuyvesant, have between 31% to 32% of children currently enrolled for remote-only, the lowest share of any school district outside of District 79, which covers the city's alternative school programs.

Here is a breakdown of learning choices by district and how it has changed over time:

Cuomo Expects More College Shutdowns As Number Of Campus Clusters Rises

As at least seven colleges across the state grapple with coronavirus outbreaks, Governor Andrew Cuomo blamed students and university administrators on Tuesday for not enforcing social distancing requirements.

"In New York, we have a problem," Cuomo said during his daily briefing, referring to the spread of the virus at colleges. He pointed to outbreaks at Cornell, University of Buffalo, Hofstra, SUNY Oswego, Colgate University, SUNY Fredonia, and SUNY Oneonta, which already had to halt classes for two weeks following reports of large parties.

In response to those clusters, colleges will soon be required to notify the state Department of Health if they find 100 cases in a two-week period. Those schools will then be forced to transition to remote learning, the governor said, except in extenuating circumstances.

"For those who want to socialize and party, now you’re going to have to do remote learning,” Cuomo said. “It’s not going to be helpful to the school administration, but it’s going to happen. One hundred new cases can happen very easily.”

Cuomo specifically lashed out at New York University, after a viral video from this weekend showed a dense crowd of students dancing at Washington Square Park.

“Frankly, NYU security didn’t do anything about it. The local police didn’t do anything about it,” Cuomo said. “What do you think is going to happen?

On Monday, NYU announced that more than 20 students had been suspended so far. The university is the largest academic institution in the city to be holding some in-person classes. Staff and faculty members have protested NYU's reopening plan, saying it lacks sufficient health protocols.

Asked why the photo of college students outside was concerning, when similar crowds of protesters were shown not to increase the spread of COVID-19, the governor demurred.

"Just because you got lucky once, doesn't mean you're lucky twice," he said. "And the protesters did not have a high number of people from out of state, coming from states with a high infection rate. That is a major difference."

As Trump Pushes For Vaccine Before Election, Pharmaceutical CEOs Pledge To Put Safety First

In what was described as a historic pledge, nine chief executive officers of drug companies issued a public letter on Tuesday saying that they would "uphold the integrity of the scientific process" as they work to produce a coronavirus vaccine.

The head of the companies promised to apply for federal approval for a vaccine only after completing phase 3 drug trials, large-scale and randomized tests that are considered crucial in determining the efficacy and safety of vaccines.

"We believe this pledge will help ensure public confidence in the rigorous scientific and regulatory process by which COVID-19 vaccines are evaluated and may ultimately be approved," the executives wrote.

The letter comes amid heightening pressure from the Trump administration for a vaccine to be distributed by November, a timeline that has sparked concerns that the president is politicizing the race to produce a vaccine in an attempt to boost his sagging poll numbers.

“We’ll have the vaccine soon, maybe before a special date,” Trump said on Monday. “You know what date I’m talking about.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week informed health officials to prepare to deliver a coronavirus vaccine to health care workers and other high-risk groups as soon as late October or early November.

Public confidence is considered critical for any potential vaccine. Last month, Russia became the first country to announce that it had approved a vaccine after forgoing a phase 3 trial. But now some frontline workers who were prioritized for the vaccine, including teachers, have reportedly refused to try it.

Here in the U.S., a recent CBS News poll found that only 21% of voters nationwide said they would get a free vaccine as soon as possible, down from 32% in late July.

Three of the companies, Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca, whose leaders signed the pledge are currently undergoing late-stage clinical trials in the United States for a vaccine candidate. Of the group, Pfizer has charted the most ambitious schedule.

Speaking on the Today Show, Albert Bourla, the CEO of Pfizer, said the company could seek approval for a vaccine as early as the end of October, although he cautioned that it would not yet be ready for distribution.

Bourla said he understood the skepticism and concerns about a rushed vaccine.

But he added: “If they don’t vaccinate, they will become the weak link that allow this virus to replicate."

Tagged

covid-19 updates

coronavirus

Elizabeth Kim

Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]