NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Students at Brooklyn Tech and other well-known schools in New York City took their frustrations with COVID issues out of the halls and into the street Tuesday.
Hundreds took part in a school walkout Tuesday amid anger at conditions in schools that have been considered unsafe as New York City continues to deal with massive numbers of COVID-19 cases.
“Most of the students that I’ve spoken to, we all want the option to go back to remote, or have a hybrid situation, Brooklyn Tech senior Jaida Sahin told WINS.
Students also sought increasing testing within schools and improved social distancing.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has pressed on to keep students in schools despite the staggering virus numbers that are causing students and teachers to miss classes daily.
"I believe we're doing the right thing for our children, having them in the safest place, and that is in the school building," Adams has said, who added that remote learning has harmed kids and working families.
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According to Gothamist, a recent count cited 85 new COVID cases in Brooklyn Tech alone, one of the biggest high schools in the country.
City numbers from Monday showed over 11,000 student virus cases and 2,300 staff cases.
Schools Chancellor David Banks responded to the student protest Tuesday, saying, “We understand the concerns of our school communities during this crisis. The best decisions are made when everyone has a seat at the table—I’m inviting student leaders to meet with me so we can work together for safe and open schools.”
A DOE spokesperson told multiple outlets, “We understand the concerns of our school communities during this crisis and wholeheartedly support civic engagement among New York City students. Nothing is more important than the health and safety of our school communities, and we’ve doubled in-school testing and deployed 5 million rapid tests to quickly identify cases, stop transmission, and safely keep schools open. Student voice is key and we’ll continue to listen to and work closely with those most impacted by our decisions — our students.”
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