Hey, teacher, leave them kids at home!
A 12-year-old Brooklyn student is leading the charge in demanding the city Department of Education drop a bizarre scheduling plan that requires students to show up for a one-day school week before Christmas break.
Isaac Regnier, a seventh-grader at IS 96 in Bensonhurst, started an online petition drive two weeks ago that has already garnered over 6,400 signatures calling on Chancellor David Banks to “Fix the NYC Schools Calendar.”
Isaac’s ingenious plan: cancel class on Monday, Dec. 23 – the day before winter break begins – and make it up by extending the academic year by one day, to Friday, June 27.
“I know it’s not an easy job with so many holidays on the school calendar. (I have them memorized.) But I hope it’s not too late to avoid a silly one-day week,” says the petition.
During an interview from his Bay Ridge home, Isaac said he’s always been interested in calendars — and was flabbergasted to see the DOE scheduled the one-day school week.
He predicted attendance will be very low Dec. 23 because many families will pull kids out of class to begin winter vacation three days earlier on Friday, Dec. 20.
He’s also concerned a lack of students and teachers coming to school Dec. 23 will result in little classroom learning that day and the cancellation of annual winter holiday parties that usually occur the day before winter break.
The precocious pre-teen said he first tried appealing directly to Mayor Eric Adams and Banks — but was blown off.
“I emailed Mayor Adams [in April] but he did not write back,” the student recalled. “Then I tried calling him, but he wouldn’t respond.”
“The funny part is [my husband and I] weren’t even home when he called the mayor,” recalled Isaac’s mother, Amanda Regnier. “Our babysitter was around, but Isaac googled the number and called on his own. We couldn’t believe it.”
Young Isaac also tried emailing and calling NYC Chancellor David Banks to offer his advice — but again never received a response.
Undeterred, he solicited help from his father and 10-year-old sister, Susanna, and drafted the online petition.
“We are very proud that he has put his argument out there, and we hope it succeeds,” dad Michael Regnier said.
Isaac proposed adding the extra day at the end of the school year because NYC schools must operate at least 180 days under New York law or risk losing state funding.
In 2019, the same scheduling snafu existed, and a group of city school teachers successfully petitioned to keep schools closed Dec. 23, according to Chalkbeat.com, which first reported Isaac’s petition drive. The teachers cited at least four other previous academic years where public schools were closed when Dec. 23 fell on a Monday.
Carl Abend, a Bronx high school teacher, said he plans to sign the petition and hopes the DOE will come to its senses. He said keeping schools open Dec. 23 “will be major mess” because many teachers will use banked vacation days to take off.
“If they decide to keep the schools open, all they’re gonna hear are crickets,” he said.
Councilman Justin Brannan (D-Brooklyn), a former DOE director of intergovernmental affairs who represents Bay Ridge, also said he hopes his former agency listens to his young constituent.
“Common sense would say add another day at the end of June and give the kids the 23rd off,” said Brannan. “To be safe, the DOE should run everything by Isaac first. Smart kid.”
City Hall spokesperson Amaris Cockfield said “we are proud of our students for speaking up for what they believe in and practicing their civic engagement skills, and we thank this student for their work in gathering signatures for their petition.”
However, Cockfield encourage “all students and families to ensure their child’s attendance on Dec. 23.”