Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

News

Coronavirus Updates: Teachers Union Head Says NYC Schools Are Still Not Ready To Open

By

Elizabeth Kim

Published Sep 15, 2020

Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

Never miss a story

 Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .

Students and parents attend informal and introductory classes at New York City Public School 15 for incoming prekindergarten students on the street in front of the school during a registration session in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn.

 

JUSTIN LANE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

By

Elizabeth Kim

Published Sep 15, 2020

Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

This is our daily update of breaking COVID-19 news for Tuesday, September 15th, 2020. Previous daily updates can be found here, and up-to-date statistics are here.

New York City is in Phase 4 of reopening now, which includes zoos, botanical gardens, museums, and gyms. A look at preparing for the spread of coronavirus is here, and if you have lingering questions about the virus, here is our regularly updated coronavirus FAQ. Here are some local and state hotlines for more information: NYC: 311; NY State Hotline: 888-364-3065; NJ State Hotline: 800-222-1222.

Here's the latest:

Less than a week before the official first day of school, the head of the New York City's teachers union is once again casting doubt on the ability of the city to reopen public schools amid concerns about staffing, testing delays, and building safety.

"We did not meet the goal of getting all the schools ready by any means," said Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, said during a press briefing on Monday afternoon. "We still have a lot of work to do."

He added: "If you asked me if we are ready to open today, I would say we are not."

Mayor Bill de Blasio earlier this month asserted that 90% of school buildings were ready "right now" and that no building that was deemed unsafe would be cleared to reopen.

But Mulgrew on Monday cited a host of issues, from staffing shortages, uncertain attendance, and general concerns about the safety of buildings. He also pointed to the city's two to three day lag on testing results, a delay he described as "unacceptable."

So far, at least 55 DOE staffers had tested positive for the virus out of nearly 17,000 individuals tested.

On Monday, the mayor announced the creation of a COVID-19 "situation room" to handle testing and contact tracing in public schools as well as the additional hiring of 2,000 teachers.

Time is running out. While online orientation is set to begin on Wednesday, New York City is scheduled to reopen school buildings on Monday, September 21st, six months after they were shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. Back on September 1st, de Blasio and the UFT struck a deal to delay the reopening to give the city and schools more time to prepare, averting the threat of a teachers strike.

Some teachers argued that a few extra weeks were not sufficient to address all the challenges posed by an unprecedented public health crisis. On Monday, teachers at six schools across the city staged a "work out," in which they protested the safety of buildings by working outside.

During his press conference, Mulgrew threw into question the number of students in the city's roughly 1 million public school system expected to show up next week, saying that the union has received reports that the number of students opting for remote-only instruction has been going up.

The city has not confirmed the latest numbers, Mulgrew said.

Over the past five weeks, the number of students signing up for remotely only learning has steadily climbed, suggesting reluctance by parents to at least start the school year under the city's blended or hybrid plan. On Monday, the New York City Department of Education reported that 42% of families have indicated that they will keep their children at home for remote-only learning.

Some education experts, like Brooklyn City Councilmember Mark Treyger, who heads the Council's education committee, said he expected many parents were waiting until the last minute to decide. Parents may opt into remote-only instruction at any point during the school year.

In response to Mulgrew's comments, Miranda Barbot, a spokesperson for the Department of Education, noted the city's hiring of 2,000 educators as a step in addressing staffing needs as well as the New York City being the "safest major city to reopen schools."

"These unprecedented circumstances are exactly why we pushed back the first day for students—to give staff more time to work together and plan for the year ahead," she added. "We continue to work closely with our labor partners to address any concerns they have."

Tagged

covid-19 updates

coronavirus

Elizabeth Kim

Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

MORE news

Central Park birders, others remember 63-year-old woman killed in park

People who said they knew her described her as an artist and a familiar presence in the Ramble.

By

Charles Lane

Published Sep 28, 2026 at 7:04 p.m. ET

Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says

It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.

By

Liam Quigley

News

Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says

It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.

By

Liam Quigley

New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ

By

Arya Sundaram

A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.

By

Samantha Max

Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910

By

Michael Sol Warren

Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .