In 2005, NYC reached an agreement with the UFT that offers teachers a raise if they tutor students in the bottom-third of their class.

During a recent closed-door meeting, UFT President Michael Mulgrew showed his true colors and declared "war" on education reform and charter schools.

"While everyone agrees that there is much work left to be done to get New York City schools where they need to be, moving backwards is not the way to get ahead."

"We're calling on all mayoral candidates to fully reject the UFT's proposal to end mayoral control of NYC schools."

Statement from StudentsFirstNY Communications Director Chandra Hayslett: 

With it latest missive calling for the end of mayoral control of the schools, the union has made it clear that its vision of progress is to return New York City to the days of patronage, graft and corruption, with a system that has no accountability whatsoever and in which fewer than half our kids graduated high school. We call on all of the mayoral candidates to fully reject this proposal. 

The decision to allow the UFT Charter School to remain open for another two years is yet another example of politics coming before the interests of our kids. We must never accept failure in our schools. When that failure is as consistent and persistent as has been the case since the union opened its charter school in 2005, then we must be willing to stand up to powerful interests and say enough is enough. This should be true for all public schools, regardless of whether they are a charter school or a district school. Undoubtedly, the union would be making the same argument about a charter school with the same record of poor performance and mismanagement were it not their own. And one can't help but wonder whether this decision was made fully on the merits.

NYC schools will lose $300 million if leaders from the UFT and DOE don't agree on a new teacher evaluation system by January 17th.

If union leaders and city officials don't reach a deal on a new teacher evaluation system by Jan 17th, NYC schools will lose $300 million. Our kids need that money and our leaders need to reach an agreement.