State Education Department Commissioner Betty Rosa is demanding school reopening guidance from Albany.
The state Department of Health said it would not issue the directions because New York’s COVID-19 state of emergency has been lifted.
But Rosa is rejecting that rationale, and issued a statement Thursday asking for guidance on how to proceed with school reopening — and alluded to Cuomo’s political spiral in making her point.
“The circumstances enveloping the Executive Chamber this week should not prevent the Department of Health from the execution of its responsibilities to the public, as has been promised by the Governor’s office for months,” Rosa wrote.
Rosa said she sent a letter to DOH Commissioner Howard Zucker asking for a reopening roadmap amid mounting anxiety over coronavirus variants.
“There is an urgent need for timely advice and supervision flowing from the State Department of Health to local and school officials as they navigate these uncertain times,” Rosa said in her statement.
The city Department of Education is also working on final guidelines ahead of the first day of school in a matter of weeks.