A test to pass

While President Trump, eager to reprise the role of He Who Bullied States Into Giving the Coronavirus a Big Boost, poohpoohs the CDC and threatens federal funds of school districts lest they fully reopen in the fall, here in the nation’s largest public school system, the rubber is meeting the road more responsibly.

Wednesday, Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Richard Carranza sketched out complex plans whereby kids will attend class two or three days a week, learning at home on off days. Every family can opt for fully remote learning if they so desire. Inside school buildings, kids will spread out and masks will be strictly required.

They are right to try to maximize inclassroom learning, which is critical especially for already suffering disadvantaged kids, and they are right to let principals modify designs depending on available space and students’ ages and needs.

The downside is, with plans varying wildly and no regular rhythm, parents will be doing acrobatics to try to line up their kids’ calendars and their own. And a still-heavy reliance on remote learning means it will have to be far more effective than it was last year.

Meantime, Gov. Cuomo, intent on being the ultimate decider, says he won’t make a call on schools reopening until early August. He doesn’t have to deal with the teachers’ union. He doesn’t control school buildings. He’s not held accountable for students’ performance or lack thereof.

Whatever the public health law says, this must be the mayor’s call to make.