City teachers rallied in Bedford-Stuyvesant to call the current plan to reopen schools unsatisfactory and dangerous.
Many city teachers say they are angry and worried about the city's plans for the upcoming school year, with the first day of school just over a week away.
Activists at the rally said they aim to pressure Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza to put the safety of teachers and students first, as well as consider the challenges and needs of working-class parents.
The Executive Board of the United Federation of Teachers voted unanimously Monday night to approve a resolution instructing the union's leadership to continue negotiating with the city.
On Tuesday, the board will approach the union's Delegate Assembly with either a school reopening plan that meets the safety criteria set by health officials, or, if negotiations fail, a strike authorization vote.
Mayor de Blasio said Monday morning talks of a strike were not on the table.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo weighed in on that possibility, saying, "I wish that this had been resolved by now, because time is short and it's hard to make changes that can actually be implemented on time when you have a couple of weeks, right? You're talking about moving a very large bureaucracy."
Many education advocates, including Councilmember Mark Treyger, who is on the City Council Education Committee, are calling for a delay to the start of the school year.