Mayor Schools Astorino Over Criticism Of Remote Learning Plan

MOUNT VERNON, NY — A war of words erupted after gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino staged a social media event in front of Mount Vernon High School to criticize the district's decision to temporarily move to a remote learning model, in the face of a COVID-19 spike.

"Kids, we know, are extraordinarily low risk of getting anything consequential from coronavirus and so they should be allowed to continue with their lives," Astorino said in comments posted to the social media platform TikTok on Dec. 22. "We should be having sports. We should be allowing schools to stay open and not go back to the failure, which was remote learning, which most parents agree was disastrous — and we've seen the empirical evidence of it. "

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The Mount Vernon City School District announced two days earlier that all classes will move to virtual instruction in response to the spike in COVID-19 cases, both in the region and in the schools. In-person learning will be suspended until at least Jan. 18. Superintendent Kenneth Hamilton left open the possibility that the school doors could remain closed longer.

"We have all been watching as Broadway closed, professional sports have been affected, and some states (Maryland) have moved to remote learning," Hamilton wrote in a letter to students and families dated Dec. 20. "We have also seen an increase in our positive cases and quarantines. I have been very reluctant to close schools, but given the current trends in COVID cases, it would be risky not to do so."

SEE ALSO: Mount Vernon Schools Go Remote Until Jan. 18 After COVID Spike

Astorino said, however, that far from protecting students, the decision might be doing irreparable harm to young people.

"I think it’s the wrong move and I strongly disagree," Astorino wrote. "I also disagree with the state canceling the January Regents Exams. I believe they are doing so because they don’t want to show how much kids were harmed by the prolonged school closures. Kids are at very low risk from Covid. Social isolation, denial of education, sports and other school-related activities are all greater risks to kids."

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Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard took to Twitter to question the sincerity of Astorino's concern for the city's youth. The Democrat Mayor blasted the Republican governor-hopeful for showing what she framed as decidedly less interest in Mount Vernon's young people when he was in a position of authority.

"It's interesting that you would worry about young people getting COVID in Mount Vernon," Shawyn Patterson-Howard commented on Astorino's video. "But what is your plan for our underfunded hospital, with NO ICU and an ER that's under resourced? I'm surprised you were able to even find Mount Vernon on the map."

Her remarks were especially biting considering that Astorino was the Westchester County Executive for eight years. A quick check of a map confirms that Mount Vernon is in fact located in Westchester County.