New York Teacher

Highlights from the Feb. 4 issue of New York Teacher:

The UFT, joined by community and education advocates and city and state elected officials, filed a lawsuit on Feb. 1 charging that city school officials “studiously ignored” key provisions of the school governance law in its campaign to close 19 New York City schools. The suit asks the court to re-do the PEP vote that “unlawfully rubber-stamped” the closings.

Nearly 3,000 outraged parents, students, community leaders and educators packed the Brooklyn Technical HS auditorium on Jan. 26, where they urged the Panel for Educational Policy to reject the Department of Education’s proposal to close 19 schools.

Chanting “instruction not destruction” and “keep schools open,” more than 1,500 students, parents, educators and community advocates rallied against school closings outside Brooklyn Technical HS on Jan. 26.

“Unacceptable,” was UFT President Michael Mulgrew’s response to Mayor Bloomberg’s opening gambit in city budget negotiations on Jan. 28. The mayor threatened the loss of 2,500 teaching jobs if the UFT does not accept a 2 percent raise, he said. All other municipal workers have received 4 percent annual raises for the same period.

Gov. Paterson proposed chopping state aid to city schools by $500-600 million in the spending plan for the coming fiscal year that he presented to state lawmakers on Jan. 19. Unless education advocates rally and the Legislature intervenes, municipalities and school districts will suffer more than $1.1 billion in slashed public school aid — the largest school cut in more than two decades. Under the plan, wealthier districts would be hit hardest.

Chancellor Joel Klein, working hand in hand with the New York Charter School Association, blocked state legislation that would have made charter schools more transparent and more accessible to high-needs students while raising the charter cap. State lawmakers were under pressure to pass legislation by Jan. 19, the deadline for New York State to apply for the first round of federal Race to the Top funds.

On Jan. 15, after months of stalled contract talks with the Department of Education, the UFT asked the New York State Public Employment Relations Board to find that an impasse existed in its negotiations and help it reach a settlement. “Despite weeks of meetings and discussions, we have not been able to make real progress in our efforts to agree on a new contract with the Department of Education,” UFT President Michael Mulgrew said.

When a devastating earthquake struck Haiti on Jan. 12, the UFT membership — plus parents, administrators and students — was quick to pull together to raise money and supplies to aid the relief effort there. With walks for Haiti, readathons, bake sales and straight-up fundraising, UFTers and students raised more than $72,000 for the UFT Disaster Relief Fund alone — and the money continues to pour in.

In a groundbreaking vote, UFT-represented family child care providers on Jan. 15 ratified their first-ever contract with the state. Providers cast 3,658 ballots in favor of the agreement and 54 against. “This is an enormous step forward for New York City’s 28,000 family child care providers in our fight for justice and dignity,” said Provider Chapter Chair Tammie Miller. “We have waited years for this day and it is finally here.”

Sylvia has 12 mommies. And all her mommies are teachers at PS 130, a school in Brooklyn with incredible heart. Eleven teachers take turns picking her up at day care and bringing her home to mommy Victoria Lavington, who is worn out from chemo treatments after a double mastectomy in September.

Tagged: Contract, school closings, UFT Providers