Parents and teachers are pushing education leaders to include a remote learning option this fall as the school year approaches. 

Parents and teachers marched through downtown Manhattan on Monday to voice their concerns.

“We know that we’re not done with this pandemic,” said Tom Sheppard, co-founder of The Bronx Parent Leaders Advocacy Group.

In May, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that New York City schools would return to in-person learning this fall. 

With the delta variant on the rise and with less than half of the Bronx fully vaccinated, the parents say that it’s not safe yet to send students back to school. 

The group also says that the pandemic brought attention to gaps in education like funding, transportation and faculty-to-faculty students ratios. 

They invited both the United Federation of Teachers and the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators to meet and hear their concerns. 

News 12 reached out to the United Federation of Teachers and has not heard back yet.

The DOE responded with a statement saying, “Our young people cannot lose another year of in-person learning, which is why we are welcoming all students back on September 13th. Our multi-layered approach to safety has made schools among the safest places to be in the city, and schools are inviting families to open houses this summer so they can see these measures in place firsthand.”