Parents Deliver Petition to City Hall, Demand Schools Reopen

NEW YORK - Parents and students marched to City Hall on Thursday morning to deliver a petition and send a message.

“We represent more than 12,000 New York City parents,” said one petitioner. "We are demanding that schools open now."

This came after Mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday announced a return to all-remote learning because of an increase in coronavirus cases.

What You Need To Know

Dozens of parents and students gathered outside City Hall to urge Mayor de Blasio to keep schools open

This came after a return to all-remote learning was announced Wednesday

Those rallying say they believe schools have been safe for their children

These public school parents said the threshold for a shutdown, a seven-day positivity rate of at least 3% in New York City, is arbitrary. They believe the schools have been safe for their children.

“Parents want a seat at the table. We are sick of sitting on the sidelines while three or four people sit in the proverbial smoke-filled room and decide whether our children can go to school tomorrow," said Daniela Jampel, a parent and organizer of the rally.

A main problem highlighted in the petition is that working families, and especially working moms, rely on schools to be open. And for the students, particularly the younger ones, remote learning can be challenging.

“We have adapted to going into school only two days a week with like six people, and we don’t want to go back to online school because we know how frustrating it is and how hard it is to concentrate," said 3rd grader Amalie McNally.