As many of us know, the New York City Department of Education has had schools switch to using only DOE emails. As of the second semester, we will no longer use our wjps.org emails.

New incoming students will never have the opportunity to use these old emails. Current and former students not only used these accounts, but we were able to send and receive emails from one another. 

Unfortunately, this is a thing that lives in the past at WJPS. 

Along with this change, there are a number of difficulties that we are facing and trying to understand as we switch to the new emails. Why can’t students send emails to one another? Why can only teachers send emails to students?  

WJPS technology specialist Mr. Myrtil explained the issue, “The DOE is heavily monitoring all social activity among students.  It’s this way so there are no issues when emailing student to student. It’s very restricted and students can only email teachers. Even if you try to use your new @nycstudents.net email to the old @wjps.org email, it’s blocked.”

However, there are many students who are outraged that this is the way the new DOE emails work. It’s very inconvenient because students might have to forward information to one another and share ideas and notes through emails.  Now they are unable to.  

WJPS freshman Gabrielle Angel stated, “It restricts people from socializing and it doesn’t allow people to talk to their friends.” 

Although these are issues we have to deal with, this problem likely cannot be easily fixed as it is out of Mr. Myrtil and the schools’ control.