Earlier today, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio and United Federation of Teachers (UFT) president Michael Mulgrew struck a deal that will delay the opening of schools. Until it was finalized, the union and its 75,000 members were on the verge of their first strike in forty-five years.

Early reports indicated in-school learning would be pushed back by eleven days, with additional time for teachers to train and prepare. Although many teachers are anxious to get back to work, they had every reason to question the safety of the schools they were being sent back to — and though a strike has been averted, they still do.

De Blasio wanted schools open on day one. “Here is going to be a moment to bring back our schools,” he said recently, “and address what everyone’s been through.” De Blasio has pinned a return to schools as the beginning of a return to normal for New York City, staggering under lost revenue during the pandemic.