Ask the Mayor: Possible School Closings, and More

Published: Nov. 13, 2020, 5 p.m.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio takes calls from listeners and discusses this week in NYC, including the possibilities the public schools may go to all-remote learning as soon as Monday.

Attn NYC -- Mayor de Blasio just said on @BrianLehrer about schools closing: "Parents should have a plan for the rest of the month of November - I think that's the safe way to think about it, have an alternative plan for beginning as early as Monday."

— Sophia Chang (@bysophiachang) November 13, 2020

“Some of the suspicion is the teacher’s union rules the roost here,” says @BrianLehrer.

De Blasio defends his administration’s decisions around schools, saying the UFT is not driving those choices.

— Amanda Eisenberg (@aeis17) November 13, 2020

"We've got to keep faith w/ our school communities and be consistent," @nycmayor says when @BrianLehrer asks whether @NYGovCuomo will overrule him. But many parents with kids in school don't want to stick to the 3 percent threshold given the lack of widespread school infections.

— Jeff Mays (@JeffCMays) November 13, 2020

"We are going to come up with a policy of what reopening will look like," @NYCMayor says on @BrianLehrer. "Lord knows we don't want daily fluctuations."

— Jessica Gould (@ByJessicaGould) November 13, 2020

@NYCMayor gives murky update on specialized HS exam (SHSAT) when asked by a caller on @BrianLehrer. "It will be administered," he said, without clarification. "We'll have an announcement certainly in the next few weeks."

— Susan Edelman (@SusanBEdelman) November 13, 2020