NYC to launch two virtual schools, ninth graders only for now
New York City is set to launch two virtual schools to foster remote learning across the city. The program is designed for ninth graders only at the moment till further notice.
One of the schools will focus on career and internship. The other will be “completely remote,” said Carolyne Quintana, deputy chancellor for teaching and learning, during a virtual meeting last week with the NYC Coalition for Educating Families Together, a parent advocacy group.
“Those virtual school options are for students who may need to work from home, whether it’s for health reasons, for socio-emotional reasons, [or] maybe they were more successful that way,” she said, adding that the city is “working with partners to get that done.”
The city plans to eventually expand the offerings to include middle school students, Quintana noted, though she offered no timeline.
The department did not want to create a virtual option for elementary students for now since that would require a caregiver to stay home, she said.
Since taking office in January, schools Chancellor David Banks has repeatedly said that he sees a greater role for virtual instruction even absent the COVID pandemic, arguing it could give students access to a wider range of quality learning experiences.
