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COVID-19: Have Plans Ready For The 'New Normal,' Cuomo Tells NY School Districts COVID-19: Have Plans Ready For The 'New Normal,' Cuomo Tells NY School Districts
Covid-19: Have Plans Ready For The 'New Normal,' Cuomo Tells NY School Districts It’s unclear what schools in New York will look like in the fall, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo is telling school districts to have learning plans in place and to be prepared for the “new normal” when classes resume. With some eager to get answers about how and when schools could reopen, Cuomo’s Communications Director Dani Lever said that the state will be meeting with stakeholders before making a definitive decision on schools. Cuomo has reiterated throughout the pandemic that the virus’ spread is not static, and that he “can’t know what things will look like two months from now.” “Of course th…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
School Board President Calls For Member To Resign After Facebook Post On George Floyd, Protests School Board President Calls For Member To Resign After Facebook Post On George Floyd, Protests
School Board President Calls For Member To Resign After Facebook Post On George Floyd, Protests Click here for an updated story - School Board Member Resigns Over Facebook Posts On George Floyd, Protests While recognizing free speech rights, Brewster School Board President Sonia Mesika is calling for a trustee to resign after she made inflammatory social media posts after the death of George Floyd. Earlier story - School Board Won't Remove Member For Facebook Post On George Floyd, Protests On Sunday, May 31, a post on Trustee Krista Berardi's Facebook account said: “Read This Now!!! Was the George Floyd Incident Staged?” in all capital letters. Later, on Wednesday, June 3…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: CDC's New Guidelines For Schools Call For Canceling Extracurricular Activities COVID-19: CDC's New Guidelines For Schools Call For Canceling Extracurricular Activities
Covid-19: CDC's New Guidelines For Schools Call For Canceling Extracurricular Activities Students in the region have not stepped inside school buildings for classes since the start of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in mid-March. While it remains to be seen if they will be able to return in the fall, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is now providing some guidance. The CDC has released information outlining guidelines for reopening schools for the 2020-2021 academic year that also includes day camps. Among the guidelines: Staff members and students should wear masks or face coverings, though the agency acknowledges face coverings may be challenging for stu…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: Here's What You Should Know About The Four Phases Of NY Reopenings COVID-19: Here's What You Should Know About The Four Phases Of NY Reopenings
Covid-19: Here's What You Should Know About The Four Phases Of NY Reopenings With Long Island and the Hudson Valley now set for Phase 1 reopenings, nine of New York State's 10 regions will be moving forward to reach the fourth and final phase. Re-opening refers to non-essential businesses and business activities.  After two weeks, state and regional officials will evaluate the outcomes of the reopening and then decide whether or not the region can move to the next phase. These are the four phases: Phase 1: Construction Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, Hunting Retail (Limited to curbside or in-store pickup or drop off) Manufacturing Wholesale Trade Phase 2: …

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: NY Summer Camps Could Be Closed Due To Mysterious Inflammatory Syndrome In Children COVID-19: NY Summer Camps Could Be Closed Due To Mysterious Inflammatory Syndrome In Children
Covid-19: NY Summer Camps Could Be Closed Due To Mysterious Inflammatory Syndrome In Children The new rash of inflammatory illnesses in children that may be related to novel coronavirus (COVID-19) could cause summer camps to be closed this year and have an impact on the decision regarding fall school openings in New York. During his daily COVID-19 briefing on Thursday, May 21 in midtown Manhattan, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that the state is currently considering whether camps will be permitted as they continue monitoring cases of pediatric multi-symptom inflammatory syndrome (PMIS). Cuomo said that “Let's put it this way, until we have this answer on this pediatric syndrome, as a paren…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: 19 Members Of State's Reimagine Education Advisory Council Announced COVID-19: 19 Members Of State's Reimagine Education Advisory Council Announced
Covid-19: 19 Members Of State's Reimagine Education Advisory Council Announced A group of nearly two dozen top education leaders has been tabbed to help reimagine education in New York when the state is rid of COVID-19 and ready to begin reopening schools. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a panel of 19 experts, made up of educators, students, parents, and education leaders, to help districts reimagine schools as they prepare to reopen in the "new normal."  Cuomo said the advisory board will reimagine education “while protecting health and safety, how virtual learning can bridge the gap, and supplement face to face education when schools reopen.” The Council …

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Former Google CEO To Reimagine How New York Operates COVID-19: Former Google CEO To Reimagine How New York Operates
Covid-19: Former Google CEO To Reimagine How New York Operates Gov. Andrew Cuomo has tabbed former Google CEO Eric Schmidt to help lead the charge in reimagining the “new normal” in New York as it begins to come out the other side of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Schmidt will be tasked with heading a 15-member blue-ribbon commission that will “Reimagine New York.” “We need a true visionary, and that’s Eric Schmidt,” Cuomo said. “He might be the best in the world. He saw a future no one else envisioned and developed a way to get there. So I’m asking him to work with us to bring that visionary aspect to our government and our society. “Th…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: NY Working With Gates Foundation To Imagine Education In The 'New Normal' COVID-19: NY Working With Gates Foundation To Imagine Education In The 'New Normal'
Covid-19: NY Working With Gates Foundation To Imagine Education In The 'New Normal' When New York schools reopen following the end of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, education could have a new look, according to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo said that moving forward, the state will be collaborating with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a “blueprint to reimagine education in the ‘new normal.’” “We’ve all been talking about education a lot, and we’ve seen what can be done with this new model, so we’re exploring what we can do with different technology,” Cuomo said. “We’ve seen technology where there are students on Long Island talking to a tea…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
'The Day The World Changed,' Northern Westchester Girl Reflects On COVID-19 Pandemic 'The Day The World Changed,' Northern Westchester Girl Reflects On COVID-19 Pandemic
'The Day The World Changed,' Northern Westchester Girl Reflects On Covid-19 Pandemic The following are thoughts on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic from a 12-year-old Northern Westchester County resident: Alexandria Pryzgoda, a student at the Lakeland Copper Beech Middle School in Shrub Oak: We went home joking, we thought it would never get this bad, we thought staying home would be fun.   Boy were we wrong. We were told not to go to school, we were told it would be for about a week.   We left New York to stay safe, to keep me safe. We went to New Hampshire, it was safer there. We could still go outside, to the beach, and to the store,…

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by Alexandria Pryzgoda
News
COVID-19: NY Schools, Colleges Will Remain Closed Through End Of Academic Year COVID-19: NY Schools, Colleges Will Remain Closed Through End Of Academic Year
Covid-19: NY Schools, Colleges Will Remain Closed Through End Of Academic Year New York schools and colleges will remain closed for the rest of the academic year, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Friday. During his daily COVID-19 briefing, Cuomo announced that he was extending the original May 15 schools shutdown through the rest of the academic year as a precaution to help stop the spread of the virus. A determination on summer school programs is expected by the end of May, Cuomo said. “Given the situations and precautions that would have to be put in place to open schools with new protocols, we decided to close schools for the rest of the year,” Cuomo said. “How do …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: Plan For Schools, Summer Sessions Will Be Made By End Of Week, Cuomo Says COVID-19: Plan For Schools, Summer Sessions Will Be Made By End Of Week, Cuomo Says
Covid-19: Plan For Schools, Summer Sessions Will Be Made By End Of Week, Cuomo Says A plan for schools in New York that were forced to tele-educate students due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is expected by the end of the week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. At his daily COVID-19 news briefing on Tuesday, April 28, held during a visit to SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, Cuomo said that he and his aides would have formulated a plan regarding the fates of schools for the rest of the academic year, as well as summer school, by the end of the week. Cuomo also noted that he is unsure about whether college campuses in the state will be open to students fo…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
COVID-19: 'I Dare You,' Says Cuomo, Firing Back At Mitch McConnell Over State Bankruptcy COVID-19: 'I Dare You,' Says Cuomo, Firing Back At Mitch McConnell Over State Bankruptcy
Covid-19: 'I Dare You,' Says Cuomo, Firing Back At Mitch McConnell Over State Bankruptcy With New York State revenues projected to decline by approximately $13.3 billion dollars this year due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Gov. Andrew Cuomo dared Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to sign a bill allowing states to declare for bankruptcy. McConnell (R-Kentucky) had said that states facing budget crises due to the pandemic should declare bankruptcy, a notion that Cuomo called “one of the really dumb ideas of all time.” During his daily COVID-19 briefing on Friday, April 24, Cuomo doubled down, daring McConnell and the Senate to pass a bill allowing states to …

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by Zak Failla