MULGREW LETTER TO CHAPTER LEADERS ON CUOMO'S BUDGET

Here is President Mulgrew's letter to Chapter Leaders on Governor Cuomo's budget in its entirety.  I'll leave the editorializing to you.

Dear James,

I’m happy to report some positive news from Albany today. Governor Cuomo, in his state budget proposal, called for a 3.1 percent statewide increase in school aid and took four positions that we applaud:

1) The governor said that the rollout of the Common Core Learning Standards across New York State has been flawed and caused too much uncertainty, confusion and anxiety. He is forming his own panel of education experts and legislators to try to solve the problems. We hope his panel will find ways to make sure that every school receives the materials and training needed to help all children reach the new standards.

2) The governor provided important details about the $20,000 bonuses for teachers that he first proposed in his State of the State address. The budget documents state that the bonus program must be worked out in collective bargaining and that the additional funds can be part of a new career-ladder salary scale for teachers.

3) We are also pleased with Gov. Cuomo’s plans to continue New York State’s efforts to bring high-quality prekindergarten to all children. As educators, we have waited for generations for the promise of all-day, quality pre-K to become a reality. Gov. Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio have made this critical issue a priority and recognize that only high-quality pre-K carries the impact we are looking for, both for our students and our communities.

4) Gov. Cuomo said that he stands with us in supporting a ban on standardized testing in kindergarten through Grade 2. So far, 12,000 UFT members have signed the “Recess from Tests” petition calling for a statewide ban on bubble tests in the early grades.

The state budget deadline is April 1. The governor’s budget proposal is a good start for the legislative process, one that puts the needs of New York’s children and educators at the center of the debate.

We are in regular communication with the DOE about the possible delayed opening or closing of schools tomorrow due to the snowstorm. Stay tuned for updates via email, text message, Facebook and our website.

Stay safe.

Sincerely,

Michael Mulgrew