A new study conducted by City Councilman Brad Lander and City Council candidate Justin Krebs found over a quarter of New York City public school families with children enrolled in fully remote learning are “unsure” about sending their children back into physical classrooms this fall or will “most likely” not send them back into schools.

Over 100 families with at least one child enrolled in fully remote learning across the five boroughs participated in the study, released last week, which was conducted via phone over four days by members of the candidate’s campaigns. Although the number of survey participants is small, the report provides insight on how some public school families feel about the possibility of returning to classrooms this fall.

A survey of roughly 100 city parents with kids still enrolled in full-time remote learning found the majority are planning to send their children back to school buildings next fall — but many still harbor safety and logistical concerns.

Sixty-four percent of the families surveyed by the campaigns of Comptroller candidate Brad Lander and City Council candidate Justin Krebs said they’re likely to send their kids back to in-person classes next fall, while another 20% are still on the fence, and about 15% are unlikely to send their kids back to in-person classes.

Justin Krebs, a City Council candidate from Brooklyn and a PTA member at PS 39, said the mayor's decision lacked clarity.

"The city has had months to reexamine its arbitrary and disastrous 2-case rule and yet again parents, teachers, and administrators are awaiting actual details from the Mayor," he said in a statement.

“The city has had months to reexamine its arbitrary and disastrous 2-case rule and yet again parents, teachers, and administrators are awaiting actual details from the Mayor. Real equity means giving parents, teachers and administrators clarity and confidence and that’s the only way we’ll get as many kids as possible back in school, 5-days-a-week this spring and a full reopening in the fall,” said Justin Krebs, public school parent and secretary for the District 15 President’s Council. 

“Students deserve a safe school to learn in. Teachers deserve a safe school to teach in. And parents deserve to feel safe sending their kids to school. All of this is possible based on best public health practices.” 

“This is a huge victory for students, administrators, parents, and teachers,” says City Council candidate Justin Krebs, who is also a board member at Park Slope’s P.S. 39 Parent Association and the Secretary of District 15’s Presidents Council. “This is exactly what parents and educators across D15 and D13 were rallying for this Friday, in solidarity with schools across the city, and I’m excited that Chancellor Porter is listening and responding to parents around this issue.”

By Eve Kessler

One such critic, Brooklyn parent activist Justin Krebs, the co-author of a Streetsblog op-ed on the subject, shot back that the mayor was making a mistake by substituting “charity ad-hoc arrangements for deep solutions.”

“Are city agencies that manage our roads and parks being given a directive on how to equitably support these opportunities across schools?” he said in an email. “Are principals who have been more focused on teacher retention, food security, access to technology going to be given the time and support to take advantage of outdoor opportunities, which might not be in the top-five crises they are trying to solve right now?”