CBS 6 Albany | by Tom Eschen | April 26, 2023
Albany — On Wednesday, a New York State Senator and Assemblymember proposed changes to the State's lockdown mandates in schools.
State Senator Andrew Gounardes, a Democrat, and Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, also a Democrat, are proposing to end New York's lockdown mandate, saying they want lockdowns to be trauma-informed, decreasing the number of required lockdowns from four to one per school year.
"So that 8 year olds don't have to experience a drill and normalize a feeling that they think they're going to be murdered in their classroom, that's what this is about," Senator Gounardes says.
The legislation would establish a framework for districts to follow, requiring a week's advance notice for parents, who would have the option of opting their child out of the drill. It also proposes to provide accommodations for students with special needs and give teachers training sessions in order to provide an age-appropriate explanation.