Highlights from the June 3 issue of New York Teacher:
UFTers have been out in force all month, with mass leafletting and high-profile rallies across the five boroughs, to raise public awareness about the state Senate’s preliminary budget that would cut city public schools by $500 million.
The state Legislature on May 28 passed legislation that addresses most of the UFT’s key concerns about charter schools, including limiting the number in New York City and the role of profiteers in charter operations, even as the legislation raised the statewide cap.
Who paid for the recent mass mailing of the glossy flier attacking the UFT? In two words: hedge funds. In the corner of the back page of the flier is the note “Paid for by Education Reform Now” and a Manhattan return address.
Maybe it turned up in your mailbox — the glossy brochure comes from Education Reform Now, an organization that has spared no expense in publicizing its point of view in TV ads and now a new brochure blanketing the city. Let’s take a look at what it’s saying….and provide some real analysis and perspective on the issues.
More than 500 angry, vocal educators, parents and community leaders turned out on May 18 at the monthly meeting of the the citywide Panel for Educational Policy in Long Island City to register their dismay that the Department of Education was spending tens of millions of dollars on no-bid contracts when New York City public schools may face $500 million in cuts and thousands of teachers have been threatened with layoffs.
When retired teacher Arlene Lieberman turned up on Facebook recently, the Talent Unlimited HS chorus alumni came pouring out of the woodwork. From around the country, students from as far back as 30 years ago began thumbing through their memories of “Ma Lieberman.” Within days there were 100 wall posts.
The UFT is airing a TV ad to enlist the public’s support in the fight to block the catastrophic budget cuts pending in Albany that threaten city schools.
Launched on May 22, the 30-second TV spot paints a bleak picture of city public schools with “class sizes up, after-school programs gone” and “great teachers threatened by layoffs.”
Early retirement legislation proposed by Gov. David Paterson was passed by both houses of the state Legislature on May 28, opening the door for local governments around the state to offer a retirement incentive to their employees.
Two lives have been saved at two schools in Jamaica, Queens, over the last few weeks thanks to the quick thinking and special training of two UFT members.
New York City’s 4th-graders show real improvement in reading while 8th-graders seem stuck in place, according to results on the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress, which were broken out for large U.S. cities in mid-May.
1 Comment:
1 Phyllis C. Murray
· Jun 22, 2010 at 5:18 am
June means graduation ceremonies will abound throughout the City of New York. And in each borough, many children will receive certificates of merit which carry the United Federation of
Teachers’ emblem upon graduation. In addition to this well known fact, among educators and parents, the UFT provides thousands of scholarships which these students … See Moreneed. These scholarships are the things dreams are made of.
So let’s salute the UFT because it is the UFT that will advocate for children from PreKgn through college. And since action speaks louder than words, lets press on with our Political Action. Save the City, Save the Schools, Save the Students!