Thursday, December 25, 2014

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Snow Falls, Schools Close, Regents Postponed

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The lesson we've learned from this storm is that there needs to be a "snow date" scheduled for Regents exams. Not only that, but their should be an alternate test for students who have to make up the exams because of inclement weather or some other emergency. This seems so common sense. Why wasn't this issue addressed years ago?

The eighth-largest winter storm in New York City history dumped upwards of 19 inches of snow on parts of the five boroughs overnight. Mayor Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Cathie Black ordered schools to remain closed today for only the seventh time since 1978.

The decision to close schools means the 100,000 students who were supposed to take Regents exams today will have to wait until June. The tests are given three times a year and passing is a requirement in order to graduate.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg said the new 15-point action plan implemented after the Christmas blizzard helped the City's response. The MTA canceled overnight bus service to avoid significant delays for the morning rush. How did your day go?

Was it a good or bad decision to close schools today? How will missing these Regents exams affect you or your students? Are the roads in your neighborhood clear of snow? How did the City's response go this time?

Send your thoughts using the link above.

I was thrilled to be off; it took all day to dig out anyway. Perhaps I will go to work in the morning.....Regents can wait until June or be made up in between . Our safety and well being as staff is of utmost importance. If there are not enough staff members present, then how are student supposed to be looked after?

Ms. J.
Bronx, NY

I can report that in my several block area in Port Richmond, the streets are in good shape though some vehicles are not equipped for snow and ice, even 4-wheelers. And there are, of course, those who know not how to drive in severe weather conditions.

Once again, we spent 2 or 3 hours shoveling the sidewalks and shoveling out the car.

For the first time, I saw someone build a snowman in Veterans Park. Several hours later, it was destroyed. I don’t know the destroyer, but I suspect the marauding kids who seem to gain pleasure from destroying anything they can for whatever reason. I suggest that it “defiant posturing.” Defying the grownups and their rules and posturing to their cohorts for “rank.”

Port Richmond, SI

Unbelievable!!! Our state continues to spend needless money on stupid exams for smart people. Regents courses have always been a joke. You spend an entire semester learning not the subject, but rather how to pass a statewide exam. To further explain the nonsensical aspect of these tests, a grade of 75 automatically passes a student.

Seriously, if you go through an entire semester not even coming close to passing any exam, you cannot be given a failing grade in the course. Now, through no fault of students hundreds of graduating teenagers will not be able to receive the academic diploma they have worked so hard for. Instead they'll be given a second rate piece of paper. One that will not allow them, in most cases to be admitted to four year colleges.

Now they are telling these students to continue to study for an exam they should have taken in January until June. NONSENSE. The snowstorm caused the problem. Spend the money to draft a new exam for these students and administer it two weeks from today.
Difficult to accomplish? Of course not For those of you unfamiliar with regents exams, you study for it by studying the exams from previous years. Not difficult for the powers that be to draft a new exam by sifting through the same old, same old questions.

Looking to improve the statewide educational system. Drop the regents department. Take that money and spend it in the classrooms.




The roadways are clean however the mountains of snow, leaves no place to put your car when you arrive at work, or return home, if you don't have a driveway. In past years - after a big storm like the one's we've been having - sanitation hauled the mountains of snow away. Why isn't that being done now? There's literally no where to park. Schools will be open tomorrow - teacher's have to get to work. Where shall we park? Not all schools have playgrounds that can be opened for parking, so we have to rely on street parking. We haven't had much of that since we returned on January 3rd. Tomorrow will just be worse.

Arden Heights, Staten Island

Gabbi in East Harlem. Good call on closing the schools today, safety is first for all children.... The city has done a terrific job, some people should just stop complaining....

This morning, the calls and texts and emails started in the wee hours of the morning asking about today's exam. Some of them are quite unhappy about the closure of the schools, as they were excited for today's opportunity to show once and for all what they have learned. They are very upset that no attempt is being made to reschedule the exam.

Our students need the Chemistry exam (as their Science exam) to graduate, and some students are planning to graduate this summer. The August 2011 exam was already canceled, so canceling the January 2011 exam as well gives students just 1 opportunity with this exam. Furthermore, the exam is one criteria I am using as an American Chemical Society Project SEED coordinator in selecting 8 top ELLIS students for summer research positions in chemical and biomedical labs at Columbia, CCNY, NYU, and beyond. It is difficult to send a student who has not passed a science Regents, for example, to work in the Columbia laboratory. Not having this exam will also prohibit students from applying for CUNY College Now Summer Science Institutes, Bronx Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Summer Health Internship Programs, and other excellent summer programs.

I would greatly appreciate it if there were some way to reschedule this exam. It could be tomorrow morning (students taking Global could not take Chemistry) or tomorrow afternoon, or else on Monday during part of the Commissioner's PD day for teachers, or another day next week.


The Regent has been cancle for the snow storm. I didn't see any snow storm in the morning 4 A.M., when I go out shovle the snow. why do they have to closed school today, it is a sunny day. I have wait for six month till today's regent,because i need to graduate in january. I most to move to other state, now everthing turns worse than i thought before.


For me, the main roads were ok but our side streets were cleared "just a little" I would say. The big problem was, some buses did not run early (6:30 AM) when workers need them to go to work. I could not go to work, I came home, cause I waited for long and no bus came. They were saying on the news to take bus and train rather than drive. Situation like this makes me disturb, wishing I could drive always and stop depending on buses and trains.

Ozone Park

My day went pretty good, considering. I didn't have to venture out! Not even for coffee. I think, as soon as the snow finally settles, they should schedule another date for the Regents exams.

Peaking out my window, I saw two plows moving snow. YAY!! If only this weekend would hit 85 degrees. LOL Stay warm and be safe out there.


Why is it that all of a sudden we are asked to grade their decisions? You know what I think, maybe just maybe they might be starting to have guilty consciences about their I don't care antics. I thought he had experts to make all of the decisions. To ask us about the regents exams being postponed is ridiculous. Yesterday they had another meeting about closing schools and merging and everyone appears to give their side of the story and these dictators do nothing but aggravate us all to no end. We are not allowed to raise out voice, we are not to ask questions without being told to shut up. THEY ARE ALL JUST A BUNCH OF PHONIES AND AS I KEEP SAYING THEY SHOULD ALL LEAVE.


As a parent having child who will be graduating in June 2011, I'm deeply concerned, you mean to tell me that with over 70,000 students who were prep to take there regents today and now the state/city has to make them wait until June 2011. Where was the preparation in knowing that it was going to snow and that a backup plan should always be put forth. Not understanding this at all "No child left behind" so what do you think you are doing?

S. Hudson

At 5:30AM City Hall announces all non-emergency City offices would be closed today, Thursday 1/27/11 due to the heavy snow fall. This news made it on every morning news program and is still on the opening page of At 2:00PM a further non-publicized announcement was made that ALL City offices are now open and any City employee who does not show up would be forced to take a vacation day.

So the Mayor makes up for all the criticism hurled at him (justly) for the ineptitude with which he and his administration handled the Christmas Blizzard with a little good PR on how he's closing non-emergency City offices due to safety (how employees would get in with many secondary and terciary streets unplowed; suspended and delayed subways and no MTA buses) and practicality (with the schools closed, employees would have child care issues) and everyone gives him high marks - and he eats it up. Now, with 2 to 3 hours left in the work day he issues this edict. I guess even with many streets still unplowed here in the outer boroughs, along with bus and subway issues saftey is no longer a concern and with the schools still closed, the practicality of getting child care for 2-3 hours at this late juncture isn't an issue either.

Again, Mayor Bloomberg sticks it to the City workers and shows again that he doesn't care about us.


Would you please comment on city workers having 2 use their vacation time when the mayor declares a city emergency and all mta buses and some trains are suspended? I don't think this is fair, we should get the day automatically.


While we have had more snow than we normally receive thus far this winter,why are people complaining? We live in a temperate climate, that has hot, humid summers and moderately cold winters with snowfall that averages anywhere from 23to 27.5 inches from November -thru April with most of it falling from December thru March. The news media unnecessarily hypes up the storms also, making it sound like it is such a catastrophe. This is winter! If people are fed up with the snow, than pack your bags and move to a warmer climate, such as Arizona or Florida, where snow is very, very rare. New Yorkers complain about everything-there is nothing you can do about the weather.

Fresh Meadows, NY

I believe that it is unfair to students who have been preparing for the regents exam to have to wait until June to take it. Most students who are taking the Chem and Physics exam are usually re-taking it a 2nd time. They need to pass these exams to pass. The chances that they would remember the material diminishes every day. Personally my son was scheduled to take US History/Gov today. He is a senior and already he is experiencing anxiety. He is worried if he does not pass in June he will not graduate. The board of Regents needs to make a make-up exam to be given next month. It should be common practice by the regents Board to write to versions. They already do this on Regents field tests why not for Regents exams. I hope that they re-consider their decisions.

Cathy, Bronx

i want to say that for june we will have too much stress to take more regnts because I am also taking the SAT in may so that puts even more stress on me so I think there should be a make up day

Thank you Andrea

Actually, the cheating possibility if students in some areas took the Regents today while New York City students were not able to do so, is not that critical after all. Students in most districts in New York State are not able to take Regents in January. That is a special accommodation available to New York City students and maybe students in one or two other urban areas, like possibly Buffalo and Rochester, because only those districts do not annualize their courses. Some of the out-of-city students might post questions, but there would not be that many of them.

Washington Heights

Why can't they reschedule the exams for Monday Jan 31? There are no classes scheduled for Monday.


There are alternate exams that NYS can issue, so the issue of cheating has already been addressed. There are 62 counties in New York State, and they aren’t going to address every issue. To argue that there needs to be a “programmed” snow day is a good idea, but really it hasn’t snowed like this in many years. Its not like this happens every year.


Answers are posted online. They get posted at the end of the exam so schools have a chance to grade tests.

Schools had to be closed today. There was no choice.

The mayor, however, made an idiotic When he stated they should know the information to pass a test I would like to see the mayor passed the test Especially with out studying.
The regents is this a problem they should be a backup plan but for now it is what it is.


I am a NYC Principal. It would have been totally irresponsible of Mayor Bloomberg to close schools today because of the severity of the storm. NYS issues the answers to morning Regents exams online around noon the day of the exam. It is, thererfore, impossible to administer the exam after the scheduled time. NYC students have to realize that this is the last year that the State will administer Regents in January due to budgetary reasons. Moving forward students will only have June and August to pass their Regents exams. Instead of being angry with Mayor Bloomberg, they should take their frustrations up with the state.


I would like to known how the MTA was working to my understanding I taught the buses was working on limited service. In Queens Village i walk out towards in main street to get a bus to the subway and the 1 and 1/2 I waited 12 buses passed me out service , so from 4:30 pm I started quest to reach to work for 7:30 pm i had no choice but call to out , and yes I have to used my annual leave because i am a city worker . and at this movement th first plow just passed , at least I got something out of this storm.


I am a NYC Public High School teacher. I live in Manhattan and teach in the Bronx. First of all, I think it was 100% correct to close schools today. As to the Regents being canceled, the students are talking as if they learned the material just for the test. What about true knowledge and retention of material? I hate to think that we teach just for the "big test."

Clearly these issues are bigger than just the Regents!


School closing today was the right choice to make.
If it is unsafe for MTA city buses to maneuver the snow it is certainly unsafe for school buses to run.

I think the issue for the regents is a state problem. They should have backups for all sorts of special situations such as snow days and other unexpected emergencies.

Jesse in Manhattan

Finding the answers for the regents is extremely easy. If you know how to use a search engine, you can find the answers in 5 seconds. The answers are posted online 5 hours after the test is given.


I am a high school senior and I have passed all of my regents. All of the regents given today were regents that were given last June that people failed. So if people studied hard for the first time they took the tests then they would have passed and wouldn't have had to worry about the snow effecting their second chance.


Beleave, in our children! They are honorable. Give them a chance to be man & women, & prove they can do the right thing... THEY WILL NOT CHEET!!!


I don’t know where to go anymore. The 311 hotline is not taking request for street cleaning and to this hour my street in staten island has not been plowed. I live on roe st. between Cary Aver and Delafield Ave. and I’m not able to drive out of my block due to the amount of snow on the street. Can anyone help?


All these high school kids complaining that it's not fair that they weren't able to take their regents today because of the snow, should know life is unfair and a lot of unfair things is going to happen to them in their life and deal with it the best they can.

Danielle from Flushing

There were several midterms and regents today. My school, and several others, moved the midterms to Monday, which is another day high school students have off being that it is the end of the semester. It makes no sense that midterms were moved to Monday, but the regents were moved to June. Bloomberg should have allowed the regents to be moved to Monday as well.

Jeremy from Washington Heights

I am Rosemary of Bayside. This double snowfall a disaster for Queens. I grew up in Niagara Falls, and after a large snowfall, I could go out walking from one end of town to the other, thanks to the great work of the Dept. of Sanitation, who were out there - even while it was still snowing! It seems that the Mayor waits until the last minute, when it's too late, and we all have to suffer. Mr. Mayor - Call for tips from the Dept.of Sanitation in Niagara Falls, how to handle a snowstorm to the satisfaction of the people who voted for him! Thank you.


I think that Ms.Black should consider the fact that as high school students the January regents was worked into some of our plans and it only suits our needs to reschedule it to sometime this month. It is not our fault that the weather was so bad but we shouldn't be punished by being forced to take the test in June.


First, I don't agree with everything the major has said or done. But come on people whether the major or black called it a snow day parents should take responsibility for their children. this was a really big storm, most of the parents that are complaining was probably home any way. as far as the clean up if everybody on each block would come out and help instead of parking their cars in the middle of the street clean up would go quickly . If he would have kept the schools open people would have something to say. As a parent I say people stop claiming and be accountable. One question what degree does Black hold? If she only have a BA do you think it's fair that Teacher"s Counselor's , principals etc Holds Masters? PHD and make less money?

Ebony from Brooklyn

First Dec 27, if Mayors office had declared " Snow Emergency" city emergency would have to reported to work.automatically,please do not do not claim sanitation workers had slowed down. Funny on Dec 27 they did not plough but they kept busses running but on Jan 23/24 they ploughed but they stopped the busses. ( SOME MANAGEMENT)


I am not sure what all the commotion is about....

We are in the season of winter... Snow is a part of the winter season......

Big deal a bit of inconvenience... Stop complaining... Enjoy the beauty of nature.....


I graduated from HS 10 yrs ago & taking regents have always been a stressful task,so being well prepared & having to wait 5 months to take it may cause some would have passed students to fail...There must be another current day @least before March that these poor students can take the regents.


I have 4 children that were scheduled to take the exam today. I am grateful the schools were closed today. I care more about my childrens safety. I know that they will continue to study to do well on the next scheduled exam.


Only elementary and middle schools should have been closed. High schools were having a non instructional day anyway which would have been minimal attendance. They should have been left open for students scheduled for Regents only. That way students who could make it to school could have reaped the benefit of all their studying and preparation. Especially since completing Regents is often required in order to move on to higher level courses. Before closing the schools Black should have communicated with Cuomo, NYSED and the Board of Regents to postpone the 6 RCT and Regents exams for Thursday to Monday. Monday is also a non instructional day.

The state should have shut all RCTs and Regents down for Thursday since the majority of the state was impacted by the storm.

Also schools are rated on their Regents completion rate on the State and City school report cards. Two major Regents were to have been given today: Geometry and US History. Will the state or the city change the rubric for these school evaluations based on the fact that these exams could not be completed at the usual rate because of the storm? I think not. Unfair to students and schools if the state does not address this Regents issue and reschedule these exams BEFORE June.

Not cool


If a student can not pass the same test in June he/she feels he could pass in January then the student does not know the material at an acceptable level. A regents diploma is suppossed to demonstrate that a student has acquired a certain amount of knowledge and competency in specific areas-not that they crammed info/learned info only to forget it a few months later.


I am a public school teacher, and I agree with the caller who explained why the test couldn't happen today. I didn't vote for this mayor, and am disgusted at his choice of chancellor, for the second time. With that said, of course schools had to be closed. Nobody should question the safety of all of the children of our city. My issue with the mayor on this score is that he didn't close schools last month when the storm was about as bad as this one. The cleanup was far worse, and yet schools were open. Bloomberg declared a snow emergency, urging people to stay home...except for schoolchildren, and their teachers. The teachers and administrators were endangered, but worse than that, the many children who ride school buses were endangered. Can you imagine a kindergartener having his/her life risked because the mayor made a bad call.

About the Regents, this is a state issue, but the Mayor and Chancellor should be on the way to Albany to fight for tests to be scheduled for next week. I don't believe for a minute that there aren't back up tests somewhere. Why are the politicians sitting on extra tests? They can't possibly not have a back up. Has our state not learned from past mistakes?


I left work yesterday to picked up my 4 yr old from school early yesterday becuz he travels via bus to school. He is asthmatic n the bus under regular conditions takes 45 minutes to bring him home; I didn't wanna chance it in the dangerous weather.

I made arrangement for him to stay w his dad to ensure his safety today ... He was staying home even if the schools remained opened.

I work for NYC schools n I was happy to hear they closed. Plows didn't come by til 4:15! It took me two hours to shovel the front of my house n my car out!


I think the cleanup for Staten Islands' North Shore has been abysmal. The crosswalks at the top of the block leading to P.S 31 in New Brighton have NEVER been cleared,forcing the kids to either climb the mountain of ice & snow or walk around it in the Street, into traffic! The Bus stops throughout the area have NEVER been cleared & the plows are pushing the snow INTO the crosswalks!


It's interesting that people are worried that students won't remember what they need to know for the test if they have to wait until June. In my opinion, this is evidence of how schools are all about test prep and not about acquiring knowledge.

Michael from Clinton Hill Brooklyn

I am a high school senior and been preparing for the us history regents for the pass months and this snow storm was unexpected . I feel that its very unfair that us seniors have to wait till June to take the regents its going to be more pressure for us because we only have one shot at it . Hopefully it can be moved to next week.


I am a city worker. I was very glad for the day off from work. I work for the DOE. I would very much like the law for cleaning off the top of your vehicle. I want to say my block has not been plow, and it's 9:30. I post it on Facebook every year. "clean off the top of your car" it's very dangerous.


Bloombery could give the test on monday, the student have no class. It wasn't the student fall, my daughter have to take the regent and it not fair the bloombery want to change to june. She was worry about the test. Now she have to worry more the she have to wait for june. I think the bloombery and cathy not being fair with the student.


I am a NYC teacher, not an aide or "reader" that spoke on your program tonight. Apparently, she doesn't understand the curriculum set up by the state for mathematics. Otherwise, she would never have made the remark that students only take Regents in January because they've failed them before.

The state gives you the option of setting up certain classes, such as Algebra and Geometry as an accelerated one semester class or a 3 semester class. These classes end in a Regents in January, not June. Your score on the Regents determines the class you will take in the Spring.

Right now, we have 4 classes of students in limbo because they missed the Geometry regents today. If we move them on to one the more advanced math classes, they contain little Geometry. Then they will have to take a prep or refresher class on their own.


I have an idea we can cancel the Staff Development Day (staff will be happy) on Monday Jan 31 and allow the students to take the Regents exam.


I'm in Kew Gardens, Queens and all the inside streets have barley been plowed but all the main roads have be plowed at least 3 times, I really don't get it. How can they plow the main roads so many times but the inside streets they can barley plow once?

As far as the State Regents Exam I think they could redo the exam next week or maybe two weeks from now but definitely not in June.


I love the way Bloomberg handeld today but they need to talk to the sanatation drivers that drive salt trucks I didnt see the trucks comming and i got hit by the salt 7 different times the same truck -.- and it hurts


I know nothing about this examine because when I was coming up there was no such thing, but if the examine was not given to any students in NYS then it should be given sooner than JUNE. because the answers should still be secret. What's the hold up?


I am very upset that students taking the Regents/RCTS will have to wait until JUNE. My daughter is a special ed students who studied for 4 months in order to prepare for these tests. Why can't they just rescheduled it for next month? This will cause many students NOT to graduate on time!!!!


I don't understand how Bloomberg said that the Regents is not a problem! Students can take it on June, which is 5 months from today. I hope we don't have SNOW on June because based on what he is doing he might close the schools too.


This doesn't really help this time, but for next time, if it is the case that students in the rest of the state would access the regents exam earlier than the NYC students and then post questions/answers online (as Ellen said), couldn't they just have held off on giving the exam to everyone in the state until everyone could have taken it on the same day?

Upper West Side

I think cancelling the exam and not rescheduling it was very unfair because ok I understand that certain teachers and students don't live by the schools so if you know there is gonna be a storm get a group of teachers that do live by the schoolk so they can make it.. Because it gives a student the chance to take it again in june if they didn't pass it in january but now they only get one chance and if they don't pass they will have to go to summer school or get left back and I think that's unfair...cathie Black You Were in High School How Would You Feel!?!?!?!????


I agree with the decision made regarding both the Regents and the school closings. Some are always not happy about something but I bet if a student got injured trying to get to school to take the Regents, there would have been opposite complaints !out why he didn't cancel. Get over it, there was a storm and he did what he had to.


As a high school student I feel that precautions need to be made for this type of situation. There needs to be a back up test. I also think that high school students should have had the choice to come in today or not because several students are going to have to take 3 or more regents in June now, and are going to be at risk of not graduating. Knowing what happened today, Bloomberg needs to come up with a back up plan. Cathleen Black can hang out and do nothing since she obviously does not call the shots. She can go start a business or something.


If the issue with rescheduling the Regents exam is that the answers are published afterwards, then why can't state withhold the results for a brief time until EVERYONE has taken the test. Is this such an impossible thing, for Bloomberg to make some calls on behalf of NYC? There is little to no administrative cost to the city and the students of New York are given their fair chances to pass.

Max in Queens

What about those 5 yr high schoolers who would have graduated next month if they were to take and pass the regents today? Do they have to suffer by waiting until June as well


New York is one of the few states that still clings to the Regents exam. It's time the state woke up and did away with it all together. It is archaic and outdated.


I had to b at work 3am it was a dangerous venture to get to 125 by cab. The city did excellent streets were able 2b cleared in good time everyone needs to relax and let the state come up with a plan for students, new yorkers looked relaxed And happy for a change, playing in the snow.good job mta for not blocking the roads this time around


I'm not a big fan of our mayor all the time but i appreciate today being a snow day...kind of dangerous this morning. Please people stop complaining already...i have two children and to know we were safe at home was a blessing.


Bloomberg, finally made the right decision in regards to Public Safety.

Give him a break, vacation day take it you did not work.

As for the Regents let them take it in Spring.

Staten island

A few years ago the global exam was waved due to a snow storm. How did they determine that? N can they do that again If students fail it in June?


This is yet ANOTHER Bloomberg failure. Why did we allow this jerk to buy his third term? BIG mistake for these poor kids today. And his response to this storm was horrendous from a public transit viewpoint. No buses at all!!? Come on. The subways were a disaster as a result. Not to get off the subject but it's all connected.

Upper East Side

The city, and our mayor, never closes schools unless it is absolutly necessary to the students safety. This regents issue, while of significant importance to the students affected, has absolutly nothing to do with the decision to close or keep open our schools. Safety is the deciding factor and nothing else matters. Why should anyone risk the city's students' safety for any reason?


"By sending students to take the exams in June, the state is stealing an opportunity from the students. I ask to the state government to please think about accommodating the Regents that many students (including me) were supposed to take on January 27, 2011."

-Wilssy, ELLIS student from Washington Heights.

"It is not fair that we, the students, could not take the Regents exam in January. After all of that effort that I put to get prepared for this test, it is not fair that at the end they decide to cancel the test and all of the effort that we put in was in vain. That is injustice. I want to ask you to please reschedule the exam for another other day in February. Please - my future is in those tests, and I must get them out of my way."

-Luis, ELLIS student from Washington Heights.

"I think that canceling this regents is very unfair, for you have been working very hard to take it, pass it, and focus on new things. Also, some of us want to graduate this coming June and without these January Regents we will have less chances."

-Yarlyn, ELLIS student from Washington Heights.

"In my opinion, I believe that it is not fair that we lose the opportunity to take Regents now in January. After all the effort that we have put in those practices to pass Regents. In short, this means we are losing the opportunity to graduate in June [because it means taking more exams in June with only one chance]."

-Wellin, ELLIS student from the Bronx.

"I agree with yarlyn.., Now we are in the limbo, or as we say in the Dominican Republic, without knowing what to do."

-Maciel, ELLIS student from the Bronx.

Closing the NYC schools was a thumbs up. As a parent we were all well informed that at 5 am we would know about schools being opened or closed.

It meant as parents we needed to come up with a plan for having your child stay home or get the child to school.

Both my sons were not able to take their mid terms today though taking them on a new scheduled date will be fine.

For all those students who were not able to take the regents it would have been worse if school was opened and not everyone be able to get to school to take the test.

In the bigger picture the safety of the children and staff was well thought out. Last snow storm classes were not productive educators felt like baby sitters.

For the regents a new date will be set and if they are prepared they will all do well it isn't a set back maybe more time to prepare.

Long Island City, Queens

So because city offices were opened late does that mean we still have to get charged the entire 7 hours?? UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!


It's hard to believe that the students who were prepared to take the Regent's exams today will have to wait until June! How LAME is that?!? If this Mayor's super duper educational system can't get their act together and make these exams available ASAP, then they have once again FAILED the very students that they supposedly represent. How about next week for the exam?
As for the snow, my street gets plowed so often I'm amazed that there is any asphalt left.

Peace, Nick
Hell's K.

The MTA's decision to suspend overnight bus service, as well as to suspend outdoor subway service, overnight didn't avoid delays for the morning rush because many employees who operate subways and buses for the morning rush -and scheduled to report for work as early as 2 a.m. during snow emergencies- couldn't get to work, because there was virtually no service between 2 a.m. and
6 a.m

Instead of shutting down all bus service, the MTA should attempt to maintain bus service operating on primary roads and streets -which are plowed first and most often by the Dept. of Sanitation- that also connect to underground subway stations, allowing employees who operate subways and buses for the morning rush -along with first responders- to get to work.

Much better job in the plowing department this time around. My street in Corona, Queens, was plowed several times. But now we have mounds of snow as high as ten feet high up and down the block and it is almost impossible to cross the street because of the mounds of snow. I hope the Sanitation begins snow removal pretty soon.

For some reason 44th avenue between 196th street and francis lewis blvd in Flushing,Ny gets the short end of the stick from the plows..They are in the neighborhood and working very very hard but 44th avenue always gets neglected and plowed late..It is a very important street because it provides direct access to St.Nicholas elementary school..Please make this public..hopefully somebody will see this and respond appropriately.


I believe schools should be closed tomorrow Friday, Jan. 28. This would give sanitation more time and space to finish up all the street cleaning since there is more snow on the way. By space I mean school buses slipping and sliding around also parents driving kids to school and teachers trying to get to school. It really is a safety issue and trying to get ahead of the next snow fall.


In Howard Beach we had no way to get to the subway as the Q41 was not in service all day and even tonite. If the MTA was smart they should have set up a shuttle bus to the subway so we could get to work here. Must we endure this every time it snows? I remember in prior years the bus always ran. What's so hard hard about the sanitation clearing the main roads for the buses?

Lawrence the Independent
Howard Beach

As a NYC public school teacher, I was pleased with the mayor's decision to close schools today. Many of the students who had to take the Regents exam would most likely NOT have come in for them anyway. It would also have brought undue stress to them to try and get in to school on a day where getting around would obviously not have been easy. They SHOULD try and reschedule these exams sooner.

Commuting tomorrow will not be easy for many teachers who live a distance away. Schools should be closed tomorrow as well.


If Bloomberg thinks the MTA did a good job by cutting off all bus service the man is seriously impaired. At 12 Midnight there was absolutely way to get around the city above ground. The sanitation trucks should have been out spreading salt at the first sign of a storm. Their plows should have been in standby mode. So what does J. Walter do? He suspends bus service leaving people stranded. This once was the world's greatest city but you'd never know it these days


I totally support the decision to close the schools today. i have worked for the doe for almost 20 years and safety is first. I reference to the regents exams, most to all students schedule to take them are repeating them because they had already failed them. This is a state decision not the city


I think it was wise for the mayor to close the schools today because it was dangerous out there. I feel bad for the children who missed their regents and I think they should not have to wait until June to take them. Maybe the mayor can give them a day or two from the mid winter recess to take their test. As for the cleanup, the plow that came down my street in Great Kills did a crappy job. On one side of the block there were no cars parked and the plow should've pushed all the snow there,but they didn't. We're putting snow on our lawns and infront of and behind our cars because we do need to get out if we have to. I live on a two way street and because of the crappy plowing it looks like a one way street. The way he went down the block he left a big curve on the corner which is dangerous because you can't see the cross street traffic.

Great Kills

I think the mayor finally made the right decision to close the schools. The schools would've been empty of students and staff. Especially since the buses were suspended citywide and the trains had delays or were suspended.


Here we go again......
I am on the fence here.....
Imagine me on the fence with this HA HA
The city ( all departments) move as slow as old molasses.........
If I were a high school senior, I would be highly annoyed since these exams really will help me get into a "great" four year college. (maybe it is time for NYS to get rid of regents).
The DOE could have opened High Schools for regents exams...........
The DOE never has a contingency plan for anything...
This really shows how much the DOE is a business and how children/students don't matter at all.
As for street cleaning, plows came down my block and we were down to blacktop, until residents began to "dig" out cars, the street is completely covered again and will be a sheet of ice in the morning (and of course I live on a street of an elementary school)


Due to school being closed and the weather emergency, it seems there ought to be a way to have a make up day for the Regents that were missed today. Monday is a gap day - why not make today's Regents up then?

It is absolutely not fair and I believe the Chancellor and the Mayor have the ability to lobby the state for a make-up day.

This was an issue for kids in schools in parts of the state outside New York. So at the State level, hopefully someone will see the unfairness and grant a make-up day.

Waiting until June is not acceptable. The make-up Regents should be administered before the start of the spring term next week.

Mother of a high school Senior
scheduled to take the Physics Regents today

How can you even ask that? It was too perilous to get to school. There was no mass transit. Requiring kids and teachers to work today would have put many in harms way. Understandable about concerns about Regents. However, reseschedule the Regents. Backup plans should be in place! What is so difficult in rescheduling the Regents? Just do it....

By the way..we had two snow days last year.... how can it only be 7 snow days since 1997? Who is keeping track of 'snow days off'? Numbers don't add up.


High school could have remained open because of the importance of the regents exams for those who needed it for a regents diploma. It's understandable why elementary schools were closed because they need parent supervision, but it wasn't necessary to close the high schools as well. Those students missed out on an opportunity to have a regents diploma and that is not fair. Maybe the Dept. of Education can "switch out" their standard diplomas in June if they take the regents then.

Suzanne C.

It was absolutely the right decision to close the schools. The buses weren't running and the roads were treacherous.

Debbie in Flushing

it was right decision to close schools. However a backup plan of having students report to their zoned high schools walking distance from home may have been a plan. Addresses are available on computers. With teachers on standby walking distance from a zoned school to report to nearest public school for persession pay. For January 2012 regents. They should have Plan B by ordering enough exam booklets at zoned schools by address for those registered and list of teacher applicants to report to nearest zoned high school by the holiday break.

From a principal

Hi im a sixth grader and heard about those really important test.I honestly think that knowing there were important test,being taken.They should off opened the schools.they should of closed the schools THE LAST STORM!!!!!.In the last storm there was nothing important going on and i was just bored in school.they made us just sit around and do nothing.

I cannot believe that the MTA would allow a subway to take people to the end of the line on an "N" train to Coney Island, knowing that subway service there, as well as bus service all around, would be suspended when it got there. If not for the actions of the people there, they would have been stuck outside in the cold, in the middle of the night, in 3-inch-an-hour snowfall, with absolutely no way to get home. I was sickened to hear about that story and don't think it got enough attention.

Upper East Side

You mean to tell me no one has thought about having the students take the REGENTS EXAMS tomorrow (Fri. 01/28/11). Isn't Chancellor Black supposed to be a top flight manager? Unbelievable!


It was a wise decision to close schools for the day. However, why do students have to wait until June to take the Regents exam? If the tests could not be administered today, why can't the State Department of Education rescheduled them for a weekend? All civil service exams are administered on weekends. It would be unfair to have students study so hard for this exam and expect them to retain everything for the next five months when the material is no longer fresh in their minds.

Jason -- Bensonhurst

Today the Central Park Carriage Horses were suspended from working due to unsafe weather conditions, but some drivers worked anyway illegally. The ASPCA had to come and issue summons. Even more suspiciously, the central park parks department and police refused to do anything, even though they enforce laws with the pedicabs and did so today. This is not just an animal rights issue of it not being safe for the horses, but it isn't safe for pedestrians either. People die world wide from carriage horse accidents all the name, will it take someone in NYC dying before the carriage horse rules are actually enforced?

Thank you,

I understand that closing the schools was definitely necessary today,

It's my thought that perhaps the kids' who would have graduated in January could have the option of taking them during the spring break.


It was a good decision to close the schools,because is very dangerous for kids.


To heck with the regents. What about the animals? Okay you call it a snow emergency date and close all the schools but what about prohibiting the poor carriage horses in Central Park from schlepping out in this lousy weather? Nobody thought of them. The city dropped the ball. Where is the mayor’s heart?


Considering the buses could not move and many trains were not running, was there a choice to close schools? Maybe the regents should be rescheduled for next week instead.

Barbara - Flushing

The hallmark of the Bloomberg administration is unpreparedness for important things and obsession with piddlediddle, like bike lanes, smoking, etc.

For parent information, Regents test must be given on the specific date and time. A low teacher/proctor turn out would hamper correctly administering the tests as per proper procedures. Chances are student turn out would also have been very low. Safe travel to and from school in this case was the most important thing so it was the right move to close for the day.

From Carlo in Brooklyn.

As a student i feel its unfair that we have to wait till june to to take the regents that late. im a senior and god forbid i fail i cant graduate on time. Joel Klein needs to have a back up plan. its hard enough as it is to think of my future on this. this regents exam needs to be rescheduled for tomorrow or Monday.

- Justin
Manhattan center high school senior

The storm response was back up to par this time around, black top by mid-morning. Closing the schools was the right call given the amount of snow we got.

Mid-year regents are NOT the norm. Most of them are taken in June, and if you were ready today, they you'll definitely be ready in June.

Rego Park

I think the regents being postponed until June is a good decision. It gives students more time to study. Students has more than enough time to study for the regents including the past winter break and the upcoming spring break. Education crteria needs to be stepped up across all of NY and this country as well. Students don't even know the difference between stars and planets. June regents is a good idea as it gives students a chance to study more and learn to prioritize their weekends.


The Hallmark of the Bloomberg administration is "UNPREPAREDNESS." He neglects important issues and focusses on nonsense like bike lanes and transfats.

East Village

Good Job by the City with the snow Clean up and for closing City Schools. City schools are not a baby sitting service. There is not one good reason why the regions should not be given next week. The Mayor is always looking to change things. He should talk to the State and get this right the Test should be given next Saturday this is not a hard problem to fix.

Joe Bayside

Why can't Mayor Bloomberg, with all the power of his office, arrange for the Regents exam to be given earlier than June for the good of New York's students?

Max in Queens

Hi my name is joe from queens. I think it was a good idea that schools were closed today. I still don't think that it was right to close at 5am. I think next time they should give more time so that parents may have more time to make plans for there children. Also this morning 311 was busy. Also going back to the person who said about the regents exam unfortantly the exam is given at a certain time because the test is given to all students and the answers now are out there so they could not posepone the test or else they would have had to do that for the whole state.

I'm sure that giving a free day off to the 80,000 members of the UFT must have made Mayor Bloomberg cringe, but closing the schools was clearly the right decision. During the last storm, he refused to do it, and the sight of 8 and 9 year olds walking in the snow covered streets right next to the buses, snow plows and skidding cars was a terrifying thing to behold. As for the whole Regents debacle, it just serves as further proof of the incompetence at the higher levels of the DOE. How can there not be a plan B for something so important? Even school field trips have rain dates. I thought Cathie Black was supposed to be some type of expert manager. Let's see her manage this situation correctly.

College Point

Hello. I am a freshman currently attending Queens high school for the sciences. I think bloomberg made the wrong choice on his part. I mean, this exam may in face cost alot of students their graduation. But I guess he didn't really consider that. Sure they can take it again in June, but they have to add the exam they were SUPPOSED to take today to a bunch of other ones they take in June. It's too much pressure, especially for an exam that only New York State schools take. Why do we even need regents exams?

I love the snow. Let it snow,let it snow, let it snow. O ya, the major did do a better job then last time.

Danielle from Flushing

The Department of Education was made aware that there was a snowstorm the night before it actually happened. The Regent's exams should have been delivered to all the high schools prior to the test date.

If schools are going to reopen tomorrow. Why do 70,000 students have to miss out on there Regent's exams. Why can't the tests be administered on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and use all of the so called ATRS that she is so concerned about to proctor the tests.

This shows you what happens when you have incompetent individuals running a system they know nothing about. This is not fair to the children. But as the state has proven once again they don't care about the kids. They only care about themselves.

Carmen in Fort Greene Brooklyn

My name is Krystal I'm from Manhattan, New York & I feel it's totally unfair that students have to wait until June to take the regents that were missed today due to the storm. Now I can't graduate in Feb because I missed that regent & it's sucks to have to retake this class which I was totally ready for. I live in a walking distance from my school & I could've made it & took it even if I have to be in a class alone. I really & truly feel it was unfair.

This is just more evidence that evaluation of teachers cannot be solely based on test scores. Students may have finished courses long before the test in June and administrators won't hesitate to blame teachers for any slight drop off in test results.

Lise, Washington Heights

Hello People,
The exam is called The New York State Regents. It is not just about new york city it is a state exam. Answers to the exam gets posted right after the exam.
Students are complaining what about the teachers' safety? Most teacher's and students do not live right next to the school
Mack from jamaica

When I was having a difficult time coming in to work today, I called my boss to express my distress. I was told if i stay home that I would lose one of my days. Every time there is snow, which is quite frequent since the storm after xmas of 2010, it is very difficult to get to work when the buses and trains are either not running or running with severe delays. I work for Choice Logistics, Inc. in lower Manhattan and they do not allow an employee to stay home if there is a storm/blizzard/etc. We received a memo that we are expected to report to work on time, even when there are weather emergencies. They expect us to be there no questions asked.


I'm a high school senior at fashion industries. Along with 387 other seniors we have been studying hours for the U.S history regents exam. January gave us a chance because god forbid if a student failed they had the opportunity to make it up in June. Now if a student fails he or she may not be making it to graduation. I've paid my deposit for college already and if I don't graduate I'm not sure what to do..The chancellor made an extra day for the English regents, why couldn't they create another day for the students who missed out today?

Nicole, BX NY

the city should petition the state to issue a waiver to students who missed the exam!
this way students are not penalized for circumstances beyond their control.
Jackson Heights

my name is Evelyn from Astoria, Why cant the student take the regents, the first two days of the weather recess! thats only 3weeks away!

For the MTA to suspend bus service this morning was ridiculous. What happened to the chains the buses were supposed to have? I'm a nurse and I have to get to work. Why aren't the snow emergency street laws enforced like the use to? I was very disappointed in the city's response.

Fresh Meadows

Debbie from Williamsburg, Brooklyn:

I went to high school upstate in Orange County and this actually happened often. School would be canceled due to snow and we were given a make-up date a month later. Parents/students would freak out and problems would be solved by the state rather quickly.

My name is sofia. I live in woodhaven queens. The streets here are horrible and have not been cleaned. I hope by tomorrow they will get to it.

I agree with Robert, from Bay Ridge! She has no right.
And also with Brittany its not fair, I'm a student my self.

Brian From Manhattan

Poor students that have to learn from adults who can't make up their minds and who to blame!

Yet we expect them to learn not only academics but integrity, honesty, and be realistic prolem solvers!




lately I've been getting annoyed at all the whining and complaining New Yorkers are doing about the weather!! people are complaining as if they've been cheated!! Mother Nature has done a number on us and we're going to complain and blame someone ....who can we blame? the mayor! I am not a fan of the mayor either ....just sick of hearing complains about him!

we are getting a lot of snow and it may not be pleasant for some of us, but it is not the end of the world. lets deal with it ...we're New Yorkers!!!

VIS - in Brooklyn

I dont understand why snow plows are driving up and down Bay Ridge Parkway(75th street) in Brooklyn up and down since the roadway is 100% clear down to the blacktop and has been for since about noon today yet the side street although plowed at least once are slushy and icy. 6 trucks have driven past my window from 10 pm to 11:30 pm. When I came home at 9pm this evening side streets such as 74th street were packed powder and slush and could have used another pass. This is a pattern I have observed every storm in the past few years, trucks driving up and down clear roads while side streets and crosswords remain a mess. then overtime is paid to clear the side street, crosswalks and in front of fire hydrants, Better in the field supervision needs to be employed. Trucks should have cameras and gps installed and real time modification should be employed to provide the best service and save money.


The cancellation of the regents examination affects me, a high school senior, pretty strongly. I won't have the class that I was supposed to take the regents for, so I, and most other seniors, will do bad on the exam. I just wanted to share this. Thank you.

Woodhaven, NY

Love the show!

If this is a statewide Regents, then surely there are other schools besides NYC who were closed today. I'm sure the State will come up with a better solution, and probably have the students make up the missed exams before June. There's no way teachers will be able to grade the make up Regents on top of the other Regents exams in June.

Here's hoping for another snow day!

Carrie, Bay Ridge

hey whats up i think that we should be able to get a passing grade at least because so much students went to school and then had to find out about what happened, please help us students out why us ? Bloomberg's even think its funny saying we have nothing else better to do, but to study. I have nothing more to say but "shaking my head".


There is a yellow cab stuck in the snow on the block of 50 Ave between 2nd street and 5th street in LIC since 3 AM 1/27/2011. It's been almost 36 hours and where are the tow trucks? The cab sits in front of the #7 train emergency exit and fan plant. Why is this not a security issue?

Hunters Point, LIC

I live on a dead end street in Queens. Every snow storm the plow jockeys, without regard for my family and our safety , plow our street and place it all at the dead end of the street in front of our driveway. Currently there is a 20 foot high x 20 foot wide mound of snow that stretches from one side of the street to the other side of the street and, as of yesterday, it has been extended blocking half the width of my house. We get our fuel deliveries through access to our driveway and the plows made it impossible for my fuel to be delivered to heat my home. Reports sent through my calls to 311 have been ignored. I even wrote to the mayor , enough said! Last time I looked I pay the same taxes as everyone else on the block and have the same rights. What are they waiting for the street to cave in from the tons of snow taking our gas and sewer lines out? I actually caught one man yesterday in a small plow in the process of pushing more snow on the pile and blocking more of the access to the front of our house. When I tried to tell him he was blocking off our fuel delivery he never stopped, never spoke a word to me, and never turned his head to look my way. I did notice though he did speak to the man up the street when he handed him money to do a good job in front of his house. Hum, that's the city for you...


Im a Student at Harry S Truman not only that im a senoir willing to graduate on time. Due to the snow and schools being closed this took away from me taking my last regents thats tells if im graduating on time. This makes it bad on me because now i dont have that one chance in passing and not having any worries about graduating on time. It was not the students fault why we couldnt take our regents. Many people is in the same situation as me and wants to graduate on time. i was looking forward to passing this exam. Now that Mayor Bloomberg postponed it to june this makes me stress, worry and even upset. I understand Safety first but they should at least give us an make up date before june because this would make it easier for us the students. I thought the mayor should care about the students education but that was the last thing on his mind. But someone needs to do something fast because i dont want to wait untill june and find out i cant graduate because of this situation.


Even though I am a senior in high school and not taking any regents at all. I do believe that it is truly unfair for high school student that are taking regents to wait until June to do "make ups". They should be able to take them either tomorrow or Monday. If not then, make Tuesday a regents "make up" day for those who missed them today because of the weather. This make so much more sense.

Also for the lady who had something to say about the student that had 5 regents to take, so students who have 5 regents to take are most likely taking these regents this year because maybe they want to get a "higher" grade than the last time they took it. It doesn't mean that the student failed the regents. Maybe these regents was only offered to them this year. I took four regents last year and had three out of four of them being AP classes. (Algebra 2/Trigonometry, AP English Language, AP Chemistry, AP History)

Monique M.
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