"Parents and teachers across the City need clear answers and creative solutions for a safe school reopening, and the United Federation of Teachers has stepped up to deliver a detailed approach that puts safety first," said New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. "I'm proud to stand with Michael Mulgrew and the UFT as they push for this comprehensive proposal that offers firm guidelines to get teachers and students back in the classroom safely. Most importantly, it prioritizes the health and safety of the entire school community, and it's an approach the City should embrace without delay."

“Back in March, the City was unprepared for the coronavirus and our schools were hit hard and left open too long, exposing our teachers, students, school staff, and parents to the virus and putting them in danger. We cannot allow our schools to be a danger to our City again this fall. We must delay in-person schooling until appropriate safety measures are not just talked about, but actually implemented. We all need to work together to keep teachers, students, and families safe this school year,” said New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson.

"As I have continuously said, while we work to give our students the best education possible amid the pandemic, our priority has to be on the safety of students and staff, educators, and parents. The UFT's criteria are set with this guiding principle," said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. "Re-opening strategies for schools, just as with any other element of reopening, need to be driven by medical science and minimize risk to the greatest extent possible. As the public health crisis evolves, so too can our response."

“The safety and well-being of children should come first and foremost in our discussions on how best to reopen schools across New York City, and it will take each of us- officials, teachers, administrators and families to decide the best course of action,” said Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13). “These past five months have shown the burden on families and guardians is untenable and the considerations for the health of students and educators must be balanced because anything that compromises reduction in COVID-19 or may lead to a second or third wave of the virus is unacceptable. This is not a question of parents and students versus teachers, unions, and the City. This is a matter of public health and uncertainty that comes from a virus irrespective of an individual's best intentions.”

“I applaud the United Federation of Teachers for unveiling a bold proposal that will ensure schools are safe for students and teachers to return to. Their safety and health is of paramount importance and we cannot accept less than the standards set out by UFT. Thanks to UFT President Michael Mulgrew, we don’t have to. While many are eager to return to a sense of normalcy in schools, we must not sacrifice the health of children and staff. I stand with UFT’s safety first proposal and urge the mayor to adopt this plan," said Congresswoman Grace Meng

Congressman Jerry Nadler tweeted: “Appropriate safety measures cannot just be words, it needs to be action. We all want students to be able to go back to school, but we must ensure we are sending them to a place that is safe for teachers, students, and their families. @UFT is right to call for real school safety.”

Congressman Max Rose said, "It goes without saying that whatever Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Carranza could do wrong, they have. For months, the Department of Education (DOE) has had the chance to prepare, build trust, and answer questions, but has failed to adequately do all three. Our teachers have real and legitimate fears for their health and safety -- and need real, concrete plans that ensure their safety, including through regular testing."

Senator Shelley B. Mayer, Chair of the Education Committee, said “I agree with the UFT that the safety of students, staff, and their families must be the number one priority. Students can’t be expected to focus & thrive and instructors can’t be expected to deliver their best if they feel that their health is threatened. The School Health & Safety Report provides a thorough plan for ensuring schools are sufficiently resourced to meet the challenges of opening school buildings during a viral pandemic. I will continue to collaborate closely with the UFT and other education stakeholders as we work to ensure the safety of instructors, staff, students, & their families, while keeping students engaged & learning.”

“Until today, NYC school reopening plans were short on specifics, leaving many teachers and families dubious that a return to in-person school on September 10th was advisable. UFT’s School Health and Safety Report finally provides clear and precise guidance for schools on how to reopen safely. Thank you to the UFT for providing the leadership needed to protect our school communities during these turbulent times.“ said Senate NYC Education Chair John Liu.

Senator Robert Jackson said, "It's insane that UFT even has to come up with this checklist and to call for mandatory tests in our schools in the first place; these should've been basic planks of the City's plan all along. I'm grateful for UFT's voice of reason here. The bottom line is that we are not prepared to reopen schools safely by September 10, and we don't have the money to keep them going once we do. We must slow down, do this right, and raise revenues to ensure our schools can make it through the unpredictable year we're about to embark on together."

“New York City has overcome tremendous challenges brought on by the COVID-19 health crisis. We should not jeopardize more lives by opening up schools haphazardly. The health and safety of our teachers, school staff, and our students should remain our main focus before attempting to reopen our schools. That's why I support UFT's demand that schools be safe before welcoming children back into their classrooms," said Chair of the Senate Health Committee Gustavo Rivera.

Chair of the Senate Labor Committee Jessica Ramos said, “We have made far too many mistakes throughout the pandemic putting people’s lives at risk. Without a comprehensive and uniform way to track testing and exposure in schools, students and our essential educators are at risk. Without clarity from the DOE about the questions raised by UFT, we won’t know if schools will be safe.

"Teachers make our communities better every day, helping each new generation learn and grow –– we should not ask them to sacrifice their own health and safety just to do their jobs. Nor should we ask families to put their children in harm's way. Teachers and families deserve clarity and confidence that the necessary procedures are in place to keep everyone safe. I stand with UFT in calling for clear, robust, protocols, including testing requirements, and school-by-school reviews to ensure compliance before any school building reopens," said Senator Alessandra Biaggi.

"The reopening of school is the most critical issue facing our city at this moment. We have to carefully determine a way to ensure safety while also getting our children back into a proper learning environment. Safety will come first - it is what we owe to the hardworking educators at the DOE who deserve to feel protected and comfortable in their workplace and it is what we owe to the 1.1 million New York City students and their families. I am hopeful that a plan like that put forth by the UFT can be achieved, and I believe that the federal government must give us the resources we need to get back to safe in-school learning,” said Senator Leroy Comrie.

“Our children cannot learn if their teachers and their school’s staff are sick. As a public school parent myself, I know how difficult it was to juggle childcare and a job during the COVID-19 pandemic. I also want to see a school reopening that is safe, sustainable, and protective of all New Yorkers. I commend the UFT and President Michael Mulgrew for releasing this comprehensive plan to protect our kids, our teachers, and staff and administration and their learning environment and public health for all New Yorkers through comprehensive test and tace efforts,” said Senator Brad Hoylman.

"These are unprecedented times for our teachers, administrators, students and their families who all want to work towards one common goal and that is keeping kids and faculty safe, while continuing to provide a quality education. I stand in solidarity with the UFT's proposed Health & Safety Report because we cannot afford to put our educators or students at risk," said Senator Diane Savino.

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (D-Bronx) said: "Keeping our students, teachers, staff, and their families healthy and safe has to be our number one priority. Unless adequate protections are in place, no school should open for in-person learning. It seems clear to me that New York City schools will not be ready by September 10 and to continue pretending that they will be is just making it harder for teachers and families to prepare for the start of the 2020-21 school year. I believe the best path forward is to commit to remote learning until schools are adequately prepared while simultaneously ensuring financial support for families to cover lost income for parents and guardians who have to stay home or child care expenses for those who cannot."

“I stand with the brothers and sisters of the United Federation of Teachers on their request to have pandemic safety protocols put in place for school reopening this fall. We must be proactive and not reactive when it comes to the safety of our students, families, guardians, school faculty, and general staff. We need to listen to the medical experts, school administrators, teachers, parents, and guardians, collectively, on how to meet the needs of health and safety standards for our schools during this pandemic,” said Assemblyman Charles D. Fall.

“Opening the schools too early will not only be dangerous to our teachers and children but to every essential worker in the building. We are a few weeks away from the start of school and there is not enough preparation in place to ensure their full safety. Teachers know what is best for their classrooms. More time is needed to secure a clean plan of action in our public schools,” said Assemblymember Nathalia Fernandez.

Assemblymember Alicia L. Hyndman said: “We are putting lives first because no building can function without the people who inhabit them. I support the UFT’s Safety Agenda because teachers, students, administrators, cafeteria workers, janitors, and all who work within public school buildings deserve the right to feel safe. It is the right thing to do to ensure the health and well being of all.”

“Now is the time for our decisions to be informed by public health concerns and not politics,” said Assemblymember Dan Quart. “Parents, students, and teachers want to return to the classroom but this pandemic is as dangerous as it is unpredictable. School reopening cannot come at the cost of safety and that’s why my wife and I made the difficult decision to opt our kids out of in-person learning.”

“We need to listen to health and safety experts and bring each school up to clear safety standards before reopening," said Assemblymember Karines Reyes

"Throughout the past five months of the COVID-19 pandemic, our government's foremost concern has been protecting the public health, ensuring that people were not unnecessarily exposed to the virus and seeing that those who were sick received prompt and lifesaving care. But now that the start of the school year is upon us, much of that sentiment seems to have been forsaken, in a misguided attempt to open public schools on September 10, 2020. It is clear, as the UFT has shown, that the health and safety of students and their families, teachers, and staff would be sacrificed in the rush to meet a deadline that can be adjusted. It would be foolhardy and irresponsible for the City not to follow the UFT's robust safety plan and protocol with so many lives at stake," said Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D/WF-Manhattan).

"I support the UFT’s demands for safety protocols, testing and tracing, adequate ventilation, and sufficient and appropriate PPE that includes the custodial staff and the school community. The health and safety of everyone must be prioritized before we can begin to reopen school buildings," said Gale A Brewer, Manhattan Borough President

“While no one can disagree with the importance of reopening our schools on time, we must do it in a way that looks out not just for the safety of our children but also the safety of our educators,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “The Department of Education needs to postpone the opening of public schools, give our principals and teachers who will be on the frontlines teaching our children in the midst of a global pandemic the time and preparation to put in the appropriate protocols in place that will allow them to work safely as possible in their classrooms.”

"The reopening of our schools is a critically important juncture in our handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we must meet this moment with the hypervigilance and tenacious focus on preserving our shared health that it requires," said Queens Borough President Sharon Lee. "There is far too much at stake to be unprepared. Queens applauds the UFT for its leadership and wholly supports this commonsense effort to keep our students and school staff safe."

"There is nothing more important than the health and safety of our children, and as we continue to fight against the coronavirus crisis, the City must guarantee that students, their families, teachers, and staff all have the necessary protections and procedures in place to remain safe inside our classrooms. Any working parent will tell you that while the idea of not reopening schools is daunting and presents challenges to work/life balance, the idea of risking their kids’ health is a non-starter and unfathomable. I stand with the UFT and the many concerned parents on Staten Island as well as throughout the City in demanding that all safety protocols are met before fully reopening schools; the lives of our children are too precious to take half measures," said Richmond County District Attorney Michael McMahon.

“The health and safety of our NYC public school students, teachers and staff must come first and foremost,” said City Council Finance Chair Daniel Dromm. “The UFT”s demands are reasonable and doable. Teaching and learning are important but not at the risk that the COVID pandemic presents. I urge the Department of Education to embrace these policies to safeguard our schools from the coronavirus. Then, everyone will feel secure about entering a public school building.”

"With less than a month until September 10, the lack of clarity in the health and safety guidance provided by the Mayor to reopen our school system is not reassuring. Our kids, educators, and school communities deserve so much better," said City Council Member Mark Treyger, Chair of the Committee on Education. "With many unanswered questions remaining, it is clear that the City should pause and proceed with more caution to safely reopen schools. "In-person learning should be postponed until a functional plan is provided with outlined costs and adequate funding for cleaning supplies, equipment, PPE, testing kits, staffing ratios, and all school nurses and social workers hired before the projected first day of school."

“We learned from school systems around the world that have already reopened that unless critical safeguards are put into place the risk that the virus will spread is very real,” said City Council Health Committee Chair Mark Levine. “These necessary measures include adequate central ventilation, sufficient PPE, and strong protocols for sanitation. Of particular concern is that, as of now, we do not have a clear understanding of how these key factors will be implemented and assured. Another major concern is the lack of a testing system that has the capacity to turn around regular tests for over 100,000 teachers and million kids. Tests that take longer than 24-48 hours will expose school communities to the virus, it is that simple. We owe it to our kids, our friends, and our heroic public school staff to get this right. We must delay the start of the public school in New York City until these issues are addressed.”

“I join with UFT and educators across New York City in calling for the delay of re-opening schools for in-person instruction until our school reopening plans can actually be funded and fully implemented. As the Chair of the Council’s Hospitals Committee, I’ve spent countless hours learning about how this virus spreads and can easily re-emerge even when it seems to be under control. You need to have a high-quality, well-laid plan for any phase of re-opening - and at this time we just haven’t seen that from DOE,” said City Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, Chair of the Council’s Committee on Hospitals.

City Council Member Fernando Cabrera said, “I stand firmly with the UFT in demanding extra precautions and delaying in-school classes until these safety precautions are taken. No one knows better than teachers, what it takes to teach effectively in a classroom. Our teachers and school personnel are telling us the current conditions are unsafe and risk spreading COVID-19 -- not just among students, but among teachers and other personnel as well. Mandatory antibody or COVID-19 testing of anyone entering schools before they open, documentation of procedures, and adequate PPE are necessary and reasonable. Teachers and school employees have been overlooked as frontline workers. They must be protected.”

“Our city’s educators, staff, and students still have not received the clear and comprehensive protective measures they need to safely go back to schools. Our questions about reopening should be met with strong plans in place, instead of being met with even more unanswered questions. I join UFT in calling on DOE to require COVID-19 testing for anyone entering school buildings. Until that request is guaranteed, and a robust reopening plan is identified, no one is safe,” said City Council Member Margaret Chin.

"There must be a comprehensive, concise, and clear plan that provides the necessary resources for schools to ensure the safety of their students and staff. Social distancing protocols must be followed, hand sanitizer must be provided for students to wash their hands, school staff needs to be notified of logistical details beforehand, and adequate PPE needs to be provided. If these conditions are not met and incorporated into the Mayor's plan, then it is clear we are not ready for schools to be reopened. It is our fundamental responsibility to protect students' and educators' wellbeing, and we are demanding the administration to take these requests into consideration. I want to thank the United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew for his leadership and all of the principals, teachers, staff, constituents, parents, and advocates that have been on the frontlines demanding a plan that prioritizes safety and caution,” said City Council Member Vanessa Gibson.

“Parents, schoolchildren and educators deserve to know that the city is doing everything possible to keep them safe before schools are reopened. Instead, the administration is offering muddled responses on key issues what would help parents plan and more importantly, have confidence that their children will be kept safe. Parents are rightfully demanding answers. I call on the Mayor to immediately release a complete reopening and in-person learning plan that will adequately protect the health and safety of schoolchildren and educators," said City Council Member Mark Gjonaj.

“Parents, teachers, and students are anxious about returning to school in the midst of this deadly pandemic," said City Council Member Ben Kallos. “We need a complete and bold plan of action with strong procedures, enough PPE supplies, and equipment to get this opening correct from the start. A practical system for testing every teacher and student before they set foot in a New York City Public school building is paramount. This is not a luxury or wishful thinking: it must happen to ensure everyone's safety. I applaud the work of Michael Mulgrew, the UFT, and the healthcare experts who developed this comprehensive plan.”

“I find the UFT’s demands for COVID prevention in the city’s schools to be reasonable, measured, and necessary. A school should not reopen unless these protocols are in place,” said City Council Member Karen Koslowitz.

“Our students, parents, and teachers need protection for in-person instruction. Their concerns are real, and so are the consequences if the Department of Education is ill-prepared to welcome thousands back on the first day of school. The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) has outlined a practical plan to ensure public health and safety throughout the 2020-2021 school year that we should implement to alleviate fears. We must ensure that we provide the necessary support, safeguards, and stability that our students, parents, and teachers deserve for a successful school year,” said City Council Member Farah N. Louis.

“We need to have a plan that prioritizes the safety and well-being of students, teachers, administrators, school staff, and parents before reopening schools in September. As a former teacher, co-founder of two schools, and father of two daughters, I know the crucial role of a comprehensive education while also creating a safe learning environment for our children,” said City Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez. “We hope that all safety precautions are in place to ensure the safety of our students, teachers, and school staff. I will continue working alongside the UFT, Speaker Corey Johnson, and the administration to ensure that our principals and teachers have all the resources they need for a safe reopening of our schools.”

“COVID has shown us what happens when we rush to reopen without comprehensive planning,’ said Council Member Rafael Salamanca, 17th Council District, The Bronx. ‘The lack of information being provided to teachers and parents, as well as reports of inadequate PPE supplies for school staff is not only unconscionable but indefensible. Without a thorough plan in place, I urge the administration to delay the start of the in-person school year immediately.”

"While our city continues to be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, we must ensure that proper safety measures and protocols are in place so that students and school staff are protected. Mandatory testing and comprehensive tracing are absolutely necessary, and UFT's Safety Report provides a roadmap for ensuring that schools meet the highest safest standards before students are allowed inside. I encourage the City to take these steps before the beginning of the school year so that all staff and students are safe and healthy," said Council Member Ritchie Torres.

Kathryn Wylde, President & CEO, Partnership for New York City: “Employers and unions share a responsibility for ensuring a safe and COVID-free workplace. UFT leadership has been courageous in their support for reopening schools, subject to sensible measures that will protect the health of students and faculty.”

"The fact is that immigrant children - and communities of color - are in a disadvantaged position when it comes to online learning, and there’s a real danger of these students falling further behind. However, education should not come at the expense of the health and safety of our school communities. We absolutely must make all the right preparations to ensure everyone’s health, safety and educational progress at schools across the city, especially now. An essential part of this is setting up mechanisms and protocol so that every parent has access to the critical information they need in a timely way and in a language they understand to make informed decisions for their families," said Steven Choi, Executive Director, New York Immigration Coalition.