Boro Park Kids Enjoy Full Day of School, While Public School Remote Learning System Failed

By Yehudit Garmaise

This morning, while children in Boro Park were getting bundled up with heavy coats, waterproof boots, and warm mittens to go out to brave the three inches of snow on the ground, public school parents were feverishly calling the Department of Education (DOE) to ask why the online school that they were promised was impossible to access. 

By 11:30am, when Boro Park students had already learned for half a day and likely had a fun recess outside playing in the snow, 150,000 NYC public school students still could not log in, DOE Chancellor David Banks reported, not without some embarrassment, nervousness, and many apologies.

“We were all set and ready to go, and then just shortly before 8am, we began to get word that many parents and students were having difficulty logging in, and those systems are completely tied to the work that we do with IBM,” said Banks, who completely blamed the technology giant for failing to adequately “adequately expand its capacity” to provide remote learning to the 1 million public school students.

“IBM, [which stands for International Business Machines] is the one who authenticates users and the user names,” Banks said. “In a word, IBM was not ready for Prime Time.

“Our entire team, [the senior City Hall officials,] had been geared up. We told IBM that almost 1 million students, between 7:30 and 8am this morning, would be coming online to go to school.

“But around that time, IBM workers said they were overwhelmed with the surges because there were so many folks coming on. 

“To say that I am disappointed, frustrated, and angry, is an understatement. I want all parents of all students across the city to understand that I share the frustration that they had to endure this morning.” 

By the time all the public school students get online while going stir-crazy at home, Boro Park children will likely will putting their winter weather gear back on to head home after a fun, fulfilling, and meaningful day in cheders, girls’ schools, and yeshivos.