Mamdani Announces Knicks Parade, New York Weather Faces Regents Conflict
New York weather is part of the schedule now: Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a ticker-tape parade for the Knicks, and it will begin at 10 a.m. at Battery Park. The parade falls on the same day as science Regents exams, putting morning and afternoon test sessions on the same calendar.
Michelle Weintraub, a mom of an eighth grader scheduled to take a Regents exam that day, started a petition asking city and state officials and the team’s owner to move the parade day. Sebastian Crosa started a separate petition asking to cancel school altogether on Thursday.
Mamdani’s Battery Park route
The city’s parade will run north along Broadway through the Canyon of Heroes before ending at City Hall. Mamdani said he will give the team the keys to the city at a ceremony at City Hall.
The Knicks reached the parade after defeating the San Antonio Spurs this weekend to win their first NBA championship since 1973. The announcement gives fans a fixed start time and route, while students and families now have to plan around the exam schedule on the same day.
Science Regents on Thursday
The conflict centers on the science Regents lineup. Biology and living environment exams are scheduled for the morning, while the Earth and Space Sciences exam and the Physical Setting/Earth Science exam are scheduled for the afternoon.
Weintraub wrote in her petition, “This scheduling conflict creates a profound issue of equity and fairness.” She also wrote, “The students most affected are those who have worked tirelessly all year to pass these exams. Depriving them of the chance to celebrate their city’s historic milestone—while adults and non-testing students freely attend—is inherently inequitable.”
Petitions and state rules
Crosa’s petition took a different approach, asking for school to be canceled altogether on Thursday. He wrote, “The parade is an educational experience in itself, rich with lessons about sportsmanship, history, and the power of dreams coming true.” He also wrote, “By supporting this request, we will allow the next generation of Knicks fans to experience this extraordinary moment, creating lifelong memories and sparking inspiration for future accomplishments in their own lives.”
Mamdani has already made two separate calls that echoed across the Knicks run, including what he described as “canceling” bedtime so students could watch the championship games and winning a state waiver for a snow day because students were already at the minimum required instructional days. A new waiver for the parade day would likely be difficult, leaving the parade and the exams on the same Thursday unless someone changes the schedule.
