The response from educators and others was swift and harsh.  A close look at the impact that the Gates Foundation has had in the past on the educational system in New York and elsewhere, sheds light on this situation.

What Does Reimagining Education Mean?
Many people, including educators and parents, are unsure of what does "reimagining" the New York education system really mean.  Governor Cuomo said that he planned to form a panel to address key issues in trying to reimagine the New York education system.  He noted that he had invited Eric Schmidt, the former chief executive at Google to lead this panel.

As reported in the Washington Post, Governor Cuomo outlined some of the goals of the effort to reimagine the education system using technology.  Some of these included:

Assist with reopening schools in light of social distancing and other guidelines
Create greater access for different students
Shared education between schools and colleges
Reduce educational inequalities
Better assist students with disabilities
Help educators better use technology
While on the surface all of these this sound like noble goals, one of the things that caused most people to get upset was when Cuomo questioned the need for school buildings given all of the technology that's now available.