New York City public school teachers have asked the Supreme Court for an emergency order to block Mayor Bill de Blasio's COVID-19 vaccine mandate from going into effect Friday. 

The group of four teachers sent a petition to Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor arguing that the mandate not only places an 'unconstitutional burden' on the city's 148,000 school workers, but also 'threatens the education of thousands of children.' 

The petition argues that their rights are being violated because they do not have the option to undergo regular COVID-19 testing instead of getting the shot. Other essential workers - including NYPD cops - have been given that testing option instead.

Teachers across all public schools in the Big Apple have up until 5pm Friday to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or risk losing their jobs. 

When the school day starts the following Monday - October 4 - all teachers and staff arriving for work across the city's public schools must have received at least their first dose of the vaccine. 

Unlike most vaccine mandates put in place such as by the federal government and private businesses across the country, the rule does not allow unvaccinated employees to undergo weekly COVID-19 testing instead of getting the shot.

Instead, anyone still unvaccinated by the deadline, will be ousted from their jobs.