#Cuomo, teachers union call de Blasio’s September school opening pledge ‘premature’

Both Gov. Andrew Cuomo and city teachers union boss Michael Mulgrew said Mayor Bill de Blasio jumped the gun Thursday with his assured pledge of a September school reopening.

“I don’t see how he can say that right now,” Mulgrew told The Post, citing concerns over the viability of staggered classes, severe funding shortfalls, and the continued coronavirus threat.

A spokesperson for Cuomo said de Blasio did not have the standing to issue his declaration and that the ruling will ultimately come from Albany, not Manhattan.

“Of course the state consults with local stakeholders and when it comes to opening schools in New York City we will consult with parents, teachers, health officials and local elected officials — but the governor has said any determination is premature at this point and we will need to see how the virus develops,” said Dani Lever in a statement.

Both Cuomo and Mulgrew said a September revival is conceivable but far from a certainty at this point.

“We value the opinion of local politicians and the state’s 700 local school districts as to what should be done, but the public should not be confused on this important decision that has practical consequences for many,” Lever said.

Mulgrew stressed unresolved concerns about the logistics of continued remote learning next year.

To comply with social distancing, schools will be compelled to split students into groups and have them alternate between in-person classes and remote instruction.

That scenario would force working parents to arrange and finance child care for their kids when they aren’t allowed in school during the week.

For many in that group — including teachers themselves — it is a near-impossible scenario.

Mulgrew said the United Federation of Teachers has repeatedly pressed City Hall on child care provision but has been met with either silence or stalling.

“The one thing the city should have done is come up with a child care plan,” Mulgrew said. “They have not wanted to engage in that conversation, and it’s really late in the process right now.”

While the Department of Education and Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza have sought to tackle reopening challenges head on, union sources said City Hall has dithered on specific proposals and solutions.

Mulgrew also cautioned that the unpredictable course of the coronavirus could upend reopening plans up until the start of the new year.

“We might not be able to open because of the virus itself,” he said. “It’s raging all around us.”