New York's Mayor Bill de Blasio delayed the reopening of New York City classrooms just nine days before students were slated to return to schools.
Blended learning students will not return to classrooms for in-person learning until Sept. 21 and remote learning will not begin until Sept. 16, the mayor suddenly announced.
"We have a huge obligation to get the health and safety part right," de Blasio said. "These challenges require a thoughful approach."
The delay will give teachers more time next week to prepare for a school year made infinitely more complex by the novel coronavirus pandemic, but leaves blended learning parents without about seven says of childcare.
"I do empathize with parents but it's a very modest change," de Blasio said. "I think what matters here is that we were judging a lot of important factors."
His announcement came after months of conflict between the Department of Education and the United Federation of Teachers over plans to protect students, educators and staff from COVID-19.
The union threatened to strike over teachers' concerns, among them that mandatory testing was not part of the DOE's plan.
UFT President Michael Mulgrew joined de Blasio Tuesday to assure teachers their health would be protected with ample personal protective equipment, social distancing measures, ventilation improvements and monthly random testing of students.
"What we're doing is saying the things that are most important, we have that," Mulgrew said. "Then we're going a step beyond that."
DOE Chancellor Richard Carranza championed the collaboration between union and administration, but was quick to take a shot at critic City Council Member Mark Treyger, who Monday night raised concerns about PPE funding.
"Let me be clear, we don't do policy by Twitter," Carranza said. "We're giving schools absolute guidance on what they can do."
While de Blasio has stood firm on his plan to reopen classrooms, physical and virtual, for about 1.1 million New York City public school students, this is not the first time he has backtracked on specifics.
After weeks of criticizing outdoor learning plans, de Blasio announced last week that schools could request permission to take their classrooms outside.
De Blasio also garnered criticism for his decision to launch ventilation inspections in more than 1,700 public schools over a 10-day period.
Concerns remain over staffing issues after de Blasio told New Yorkers blended learning students would be taught by separate remote learning teachers and that New York Health + Hospitals would hire enough nurses to man every building.
But Council of School Supervisors and Administrators President Mark Cannizzaro promised teachers solitions would come with the return to the classroom.
"This is not going to be perfect, but it's going to be the best possible we can put forward," Cannizzaro said. "The answers are in the room but we need to get the people in the room."
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