NYC Officials Reach a Deal on Monthly Testing and Delay of In-Person Learning To Prevent Teacher Strike

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) announced, during a press briefing on Tuesday, students will not be returning to the classroom for in-person instruction until Sept. 21, and monthly testing will be required to prevent teachers union strike.

De Blasio revealed New York City officials reached a deal to push back the start of hybrid learning to provide staff more time to prepare for the school year.

"What we've agreed is to make sure that the health measures are in place, to make sure there is time for the appropriate preparation for our educators, to make sure that we can have the smoothest beginning of the school year even under extraordinarily challenging conditions and to move forward in a spirit of unity," de Blasio said.

According to de Blasio, educators and staff will be back in schools on September 8.

Watch his remarks below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mh0CNPswm4

Educators will have the opportunity to prepare for "blended learning" under these "unprecedented circumstances" on Sept. 10, Sept. 11, Sept. 14, and Sept. 15.

On Sept. 16 there will be a "three day transitional period" and remote instruction will begin along with additional preparation for educators.

De Blasio explained students will return to the classroom on Sept. 21 and begin hybrid learning.

Some students will attend in-person learning one day and others on another day.

De Blasio said the city would make testing available monthly to every school in efforts to avoid a teachers union strike.

They will be conducting monthly medical monitoring with the city's health leadership along with medical leadership representing the United Federation of Teachers.

"They've agreed on a plan that makes sure testing happens on an ongoing basis, but I want to emphasize, in a way that is convenient and easy and straightforward for everyone in the school community and, of course, is free," de Blasio said.

The United Federation of Teachers on Monday approved a resolution to push the union's leadership to negotiate a deal with city officials on safely reopening schools and created a strike authorization vote if they were not able to reach an agreement.

The organization said in order for schools to reopen, they have to follow a 50-item safety checklist .

Staff who do not participate in testing will be placed on unpaid leave.

Since the onset of the pandemic, the number of coronavirus infections in New York City has reached at least 238,938 , with the death toll standing at least 23,695 as of Tuesday morning.

Colleges and universities across the nation are facing outbreaks after students returned to campus, which has forced them to transition to remote learning only, as IJR previously reported .

On Sunday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced New York was sending a "SWAT team" to a State University of New York (SUNY) campus in Oneonta to slow the spread of a coronavirus outbreak.