Bill de Blasio had a choice yesterday. He could reverse his previous decision and close schools after less than a foot of precipitation, risking the mantle of Bloombergian cowardice; or he could keep the learning factories open and hope that children and their parents would play their parts in his Business As Usual. They did not.
“We only close schools when it is absolutely necessary,” the mayor told reporters.
According to DOE data obtained by the Post, 47% of public school students showed up to class yesterday. Many of the private and religious schools decided to close.
The flavors of opprobrium come in Habañero ("This is madness") Cinnamon ("I'm surprised that it’s taken the plows this long this time") and Marzipan ("We’re used to it. When I was small, this was normal.")
If kids did show up to school yesterday, it was to watch a film, as many teachers either refused to come in or just couldn't make it (especially if they lived in Manhattan's Special Economic Zone). The Times reports that students at Middle School 74 saw Brave, while a 7th grader at Russell Sage junior high caught Despicable Me, despite the fact that the state middle school examinations are particularly heavy on The Goonies this year.
