LONG ISLAND, NY — As Gov. Andrew Cuomo continued Wednesday to unveil a new plan to “reimagine” learning with a focus on virtual learning and technology, teachers fired back.
Cuomo said during his press briefing Wednesday that there is a need to reimagine education. “We went to remote learning overnight. We had to do it, we implemented it. God bless the teachers and parents who had to figure out how to use technology and Zoom.”
The governor was echoing an announcement made Tuesday that he would be working with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to “reimagine education” and explore new ways to incorporate technology for teaching and learning.
The state, he said, will work with the Gates Foundation to “convene experts and develop a blueprint to reimagine education in the new normal.”
With the onset of coronavirus, “we did remote learning,” Cuomo said. “Frankly, we weren’t prepared, but we did what we had to do. Teachers and the educational system did a great job —but there is more that we can do.”
To that end, Cuomo said there were questions to be considered, such as how technology could be used to provide additional opportunities to students, “no matter where they are.”
Other questions to be weighed, Cuomo said, include how the state could provide shared education among schools and colleges using technology; how technology could reduce “educational inequality,” including English as a new language students; how technology can be used to meet educational needs of students with disabilities; how educators can be provided with more tools to use technology; how technology can break down barriers to K to 12, college and universities and provide greater access no matter where a student lives — and how, given ongoing social distancing protocols, “we can deploy classroom technology, like immersive cloud virtual classroom learning, to recreate larger class or lecture hall environments in different locations.
“We have a moment in history where we can incorporate and advance ideas,” Cuomo said. “I think this is one of those moments. Let’s think about revolutionizing education.”
The state will bring together a group of leaders to answer the questions in collaboration with the Gates Foundation, who will support New York State by helping bring together national and international experts, as well as provide expert advice as needed, Cuomo said.
“The old model of our education system where everyone sits in a classroom is not going to work in the new normal”
“The last few months have been an incredibly stressful time full of change, but we have to learn and grow from this situation and make sure we build our systems back better than they were before,” Cuomo said. “One of the areas we can really learn from is education because the old model of our education system where everyone sits in a classroom is not going to work in the new normal. When we do reopen our schools let’s reimagine them for the future, and to do that we are collaborating with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and exploring smart, innovative education alternatives using all the new technology we have at our disposal.”
Educators fired back: New York State United Teachers President Andy Pallotta released a statement regarding the governor’s comments about reimagining education in New York:
“NYSUT believes in the education of the whole child,” he said. “Remote learning, in any form, will never replace the important personal connection between teachers and their students that is built in the classroom and is a critical part of the teaching and learning process — which is why we’ve seen educators work so hard during this pandemic to maintain those connections through video chats, phone calls and socially distant in-person meetings.”
He added: “If we want to reimagine education, let’s start with addressing the need for social workers, mental health counselors, school nurses, enriching arts courses, advanced courses and smaller class sizes in school districts across the state. Let’s secure the federal funding and new state revenues through taxes on the ultra-wealthy that can go toward addressing these needs. And let’s recognize educators as the experts they are by including them in these discussions about improving our public education system for every student.”
Many teachers blasted Cuomo’s idea and spoke strongly about the need for educators and in-classroom learning not just across the board, but especially for students with special needs or those who may be coming from abusive homes or families with food insecurity — for those students, many said, school is much more than just learning; it is a haven.