New York City public school students experienced continuous or extended periods of remote learning and in-person disruptions from early 2020 through June 2022, a period marked by fluctuating COVID-19 policies that frequently sent children home for "COVID exposures." These prolonged absences from physical classrooms have led to substantial academic setbacks and social-emotional challenges, particularly affecting the city's most vulnerable children. The initial citywide school closure began on March 15, 2020, with remote learning commencing on March 23, 2020, and full in-person instruction not fully resuming until September 2021.\n\nThroughout this period, policies often mandated student dismissals for days at a time following reported COVID-19 exposures within schools. While schools aimed for in-person instruction, the reality involved frequent shifts and quarantines. A study on national school closures indicated that reactive closures, often due to positive cases or community transmission, greatly exceeded pre-pandemic illness-related closures, with a median of 10 days lost per closure nationally in 2020-21, though this figure dropped to 2 days in 2021-22.\n\nThe impact on students' academic progress has been profound, with many academically struggling children potentially facing irreversible learning gaps. Standardized test results in 2022 revealed a record decline in math achievement nationwide, with scores still in recovery. Beyond academics, students missed crucial social and developmental experiences, contributing to what some experts describe as a worsening mental health crisis among children.\n\nFor many low-income children in New York City, schools provided essential services and a sense of stability. These institutions were critical for daily meals, hygiene facilities, social interaction, and a safe environment away from challenging home situations, including homeless shelters. The disruption of these services disproportionately affected students who relied on school for normalcy and dignity.\n\nThe policies implemented during the pandemic have drawn sharp criticism regarding their long-term consequences. As one social media user, Coddled Affluent Professional, stated in a recent tweet, > "It’s reprehensible that people still can’t own up to the harm this policy has done - they lack good character and judgement and every effort should be made to ensure they never touch the levers of power again." This sentiment reflects a broader debate about the accountability of decision-makers and the lasting damage inflicted by extended school closures and inconsistent in-person attendance.