As the vaccine mandate for New York City teachers is set to take effect next week, schools are bracing for this Tuesday when thousands of educators might be barred from their classrooms.
Mayor Bill de Blasio promised to have “thousands and thousands of vaccinated, experienced substitute teachers ready to go.” Central education department staffers could also be deployed to schools, he said at a press conference on Thursday.
But on Thursday the unions representing teachers, principals, and other school administrations called on the city for a delay, saying there wasn’t enough time for schools to implement it. The unions have also been fighting the mandate itself, joining a lawsuit against the city.
Roughly 13% of the city’s 78,000 teachers remain unvaccinated, according to recent data from education department officials. That translates to more than 10,000 teachers who have until the end of this coming Monday to show proof of having received their first dose. Nearly 20,000 other education department employees also lack proof of vaccination.
