On Aug. 12, 2020, the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators called on Mayor Bill de Blasio to delay the start of in-person learning for the 2020–21 school year.

In response, UFT President Michael Mulgrew issued the following statement:

The UFT has said repeatedly that we cannot reopen schools unless they are safe for students and staff. The principals' union — whose members will be responsible for enforcing coronavirus safety protocols in the schools — now believes that school buildings will not be ready to open in September.

We need both safety and sanity in this crisis.

Will any parents be willing to put their children in a school whose principal believes the building is not ready to open because it is not safe?