New York City’s public schools to close on Thursday

Yahoo Finance’s Alexis Christoforous and Reggie Wade discuss the closing of NYC public schools as coronavirus cases rise.

Video Transcript

ALEXIS CHRISTOFOROUS: I want to bring you some breaking news, now, regarding New York public schools. We heard from Mayor de Blasio just moments ago, I want to read to you a tweet. De Blasio says, "New York City has reached the 3% testing positivity seven day average threshold. Unfortunately, this means public school buildings will be closed as of tomorrow, Thursday, November 19, out of an abundance of caution. We must fight back the second wave of COVID-19." Again, that Is New York City mayor de Blasio. Reggie, I know that you cover education for us here. In addition to covering things like sneakers for Yahoo Finance, what do you think teachers are thinking about all this right now?

REGGIE WADE: Well, teachers have been frustrated for quite a while because you're kind of in this middle situation. We don't know what to expect, and as a teacher, that's one thing. You always talk about planning. You want to have your lesson plans, you want to have your supply plans, but you do not know what's going on. So I think out of an abundance of caution, the city is deciding to close schools. And that's something that unions like the UFT and the AFT have called for, to listen to the science and listen to the data, and plan accordingly. But teachers are very frustrated because they don't know what's next. Not for next semester, but even the next few days or few weeks.

ALEXIS CHRISTOFOROUS: Yeah, I mean, it just seems to be flip flopping all the time. Not just for the teachers, but of course for the parents who have to work and deal with child care. And of course, at the crux of all this are the kids themselves, not really knowing what's going on day to day. I can tell you, though, from personal experience, that the parochial schools remain open in New York City, and the archdiocese has been doing a great job. They have said even if New York City public schools close they're going to keep their doors open. So it's sort of a tale of two schools, Reggie, right now. I can speak at least for New York City where you've got these Catholic schools remaining open, many of them gone to hybrid learning, and the public schools, it seems like it's a day to day situation.

REGGIE WADE: It really is, and when you speak to the parochial schools, especially the Catholic schools in New York City, they've been planning for this not only with school but with their churches. We've seen them fight back about having churches shut down, and they say, listen, we know the social distancing policies, we have the PPE, we have the sanitizing. So that's been something that the Catholic Church has been thinking about. Not only with schools, but as well as for their parishioners. So it's not hard to see that they might be more prepared here than the New York City school system.

ALEXIS CHRISTOFOROUS: It is a smaller school system, I'll give them that, to have to oversee. But I'm grateful that they're able to stay open. We wish the public school folks well. All right, Reggie Wade, thank you.