NYC public schools nix ‘snow days’ for remote learning

The New York City Department of Education (DOE) is nixing “snow days” in public schools going forward, instead opting for remote learning on days when school buildings are closed because of bad weather.

The department announced the change in its 2021-2022 school calendar, which was released Tuesday.

“The DOE will shift all students to remote instruction in lieu of cancelling schools due to severe weather conditions,” it wrote in a statement provided to CNN.

Additionally, New York public schools will not have Election Day off this fall. Instead, students are expected to log on for “fully remote, asynchronous” instruction on Nov. 2.

“The pandemic has also created the ability to switch seamlessly to remote learning, and DOE central and schools have distributed hundreds of thousands of devices to ensure that learning can continue remotely during school closures,” the department said, according to CNN.

The department also added two non-attendance holidays to the academic schedule.

Public schools will be closed for Indigenous Peoples Day on Oct. 11 and for Juneteenth on June 20 of next year.

In March, New York high schools reopened for the first time since November for students who opted for in-person instruction amid the coronavirus pandemic.