Remote learning experiment sparks frustration among NYC parents
As another winter storm looms on the horizon, New York City's attempt at virtual learning has left many parents scrambling to find a solution to its packed calendar. Despite the efforts of schools to make remote learning work, numerous parents have expressed their discontent with the results.
The city's ambitious plan to integrate virtual learning into its already crowded schedule has resulted in technical glitches, frustration, and a sense of futility among students and parents alike. While some parents praised the teachers' efforts to engage their children, many described the experience as far from ideal, particularly for neurodivergent students who require more structure.
Parents took to social media to share their experiences, with many reporting issues with logging in and accessing virtual classes. Some classrooms were chaotic, while others ran smoothly. However, for some parents like Aimee Fox, whose daughter was in the 5th grade, the experience was a mixed bag. Her daughter enjoyed introducing her pet gecko to her class via WhatsApp but ultimately felt that remote learning wasn't as fun as she had expected.
School officials claim that the remote learning experiment went off without major hiccups, with over 400,000 students, parents, and staff able to log in. However, nearly 100,000 other students were unable to sign on or didn't show up due to technical issues.
As for the school calendar itself, experts point to its packed schedule as a major obstacle to remote learning. With added holidays such as Diwali, Eid, Lunar New Year, and Juneteenth, it's become nearly impossible to accommodate traditional snow days. Mayor Zohran Mamdani has expressed his desire to find alternative solutions but acknowledges that the current state mandate of 180 instructional days limits options.
Education experts argue that starting school before Labor Day would be a more feasible solution, allowing for an extra week in the summer and reducing the likelihood of technical issues during snow days. However, this would require significant changes to the city's contract with the teachers' union and its current schedule.
For now, parents are left dealing with the aftermath of remote learning on snow days. United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew has pointed fingers at Google Classroom for any technical issues that arose, calling on the platform to improve its services for schools.
As another winter storm bears down on New York City, one thing is clear: the city's parents are longing for a solution to the packed school calendar and remote learning experiment.
As another winter storm looms on the horizon, New York City's attempt at virtual learning has left many parents scrambling to find a solution to its packed calendar. Despite the efforts of schools to make remote learning work, numerous parents have expressed their discontent with the results.
The city's ambitious plan to integrate virtual learning into its already crowded schedule has resulted in technical glitches, frustration, and a sense of futility among students and parents alike. While some parents praised the teachers' efforts to engage their children, many described the experience as far from ideal, particularly for neurodivergent students who require more structure.
Parents took to social media to share their experiences, with many reporting issues with logging in and accessing virtual classes. Some classrooms were chaotic, while others ran smoothly. However, for some parents like Aimee Fox, whose daughter was in the 5th grade, the experience was a mixed bag. Her daughter enjoyed introducing her pet gecko to her class via WhatsApp but ultimately felt that remote learning wasn't as fun as she had expected.
School officials claim that the remote learning experiment went off without major hiccups, with over 400,000 students, parents, and staff able to log in. However, nearly 100,000 other students were unable to sign on or didn't show up due to technical issues.
As for the school calendar itself, experts point to its packed schedule as a major obstacle to remote learning. With added holidays such as Diwali, Eid, Lunar New Year, and Juneteenth, it's become nearly impossible to accommodate traditional snow days. Mayor Zohran Mamdani has expressed his desire to find alternative solutions but acknowledges that the current state mandate of 180 instructional days limits options.
Education experts argue that starting school before Labor Day would be a more feasible solution, allowing for an extra week in the summer and reducing the likelihood of technical issues during snow days. However, this would require significant changes to the city's contract with the teachers' union and its current schedule.
For now, parents are left dealing with the aftermath of remote learning on snow days. United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew has pointed fingers at Google Classroom for any technical issues that arose, calling on the platform to improve its services for schools.
As another winter storm bears down on New York City, one thing is clear: the city's parents are longing for a solution to the packed school calendar and remote learning experiment.
i mean, who wants their kid stuck in some virtual classroom when they're supposed to be out having fun in the snow? and don't even get me started on the technical issues... 400k students and parents log in fine, but 100k can't even make it? what's up with that? 
it just feels like more of a hassle than helping out.
! I feel bad for all these NYC parents who have to deal with the tech glitches and chaotic classrooms 
. My kid would need some serious structure too, you know? 
Neurodivergent kids need a more organized approach, but I guess that's not an option here 
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. It might help reduce those tech issues during snow days. But, yeah, changing contracts and schedules is no easy feat 
ugh these snow days r so stressful rn i feel 4 all da parents out there who gotta juggle work w/ their kiddos learnin from home its not ideal especially when da schedule is already so jammed 
i think google classroom needs 2 step up its game tho 
! I get it, schools want to try out this virtual learning thing, but can't they just make it work? It's like they're putting all their eggs in one basket, and when the tech inevitably fails, everyone gets scrambled 
. I feel for those neurodivergent kids who need some structure – it's not fair to put them in a situation where they can't thrive 
. We need some real solutions here, like extending the school year or finding better ways to deal with tech issues 
. And Google Classroom? More like Google Frustration 
... On one hand, I feel so bad for all these parents who are struggling with tech issues and their kids not getting the education they deserve. Like, 400k students can't even log in? That's crazy! 
that's literally crazy! meanwhile, experts say starting school after labor day would be way more feasible but it'd require changing the contract with the teachers' union 
i mean, u can't just ignore the issues & expect everything to magically work out 
. I get that the schools were trying to innovate, but come on, 400k people can't all log in at the same time?! It's like they expected everyone to be tech wizards or something 
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... I don't know how those parents who had smooth classes are even doing it lol 
... I hope they find a way 2 make remote learning work better 4 all kids 
. Maybe we need some new software or something? I don't know, I'm just a simple person trying to navigate my kid's school stuff 
. And honestly, who wouldn't want to take an extra week off in the summer? 
? But at the same time, I get why the teachers are trying so hard – they're just doing what they can with the resources they have 
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