NYC schools will be closed on Monday, Dec. 23, following complaints about a one-day week

By Christina Veiga, Chalkbeat

School’s out on Monday, December 23 — much to the relief of teachers and parents across New York City.

The education department has updated the school calendar so that classes are now canceled the day before Christmas Eve.

This year’s calendar caused a fuss when it was first released, with a single-day school week scheduled just before the holiday. Teachers launched a petition calling for the Dec. 23 to become a vacation day, arguing attendance would be dismal and little teaching or learning could happen anyway.

The education department announced the update through its official Twitter account, writing: “Every year, we work towards a calendar that meets the needs of students and families. In response to feedback, we have adjusted the 2019-20 School Calendar.”

Teachers quickly began to share their gratitude on social media — and also their wishes that the decision had been made sooner to allow people to plan out-of-town trips.

“No school December 23rd!!!” tweeted teacher Annie Tan. “ Shouldn’t have been an issue in the first place.”

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.