It is hard to see much improvement in the schools since de Blasio took over as mayor in 2014. We have a subpar contract and an administration under Chancellor Carmen Farina that has pretty much continued most of the Michael Bloomberg-Joel Klein anti-teacher practices. Universal pre-k and a highly suspect high school graduation rate do not make up for how teachers, parents and others are treated in NYC schools. Maybe education policy will change in a second de Blasio term.
The mayor should be safely reelected by the time the UFT contract is up for renegotiation in 2018. The current interminable nine year agreeent does not expire until November 30, 2018.
For those looking for an alternative to de Blasio, the Village Voice has a rundown on the candidates in this week's issue. None look very strong in the Democratic field.
As for the Republicans, the only one running is Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis. I checked her website for anything on the schools and found this:
EDUCATION
Nicole attended New York City Public Schools from kindergarten through high school. She received a great education and she wants to make sure that every child in our city gets the quality education they deserve.
New York State spends $22,593 per student per year to educate our children, the most of any state in the nation and 87% above the national average. But, when it reaches New York City, it doesn’t seem to make it to the classrooms. A big chunk of money goes towards contracts and consultants! While, all the time, we hear about teachers paying for classroom supplies, students lacking up-to-date textbooks and technology and classes being held in trailers parked on the school playground. Simply put, it’s wrong and unacceptable.
It sounds ok. Money sucked up in the bureaucracy is a major concern in NYC schools and has gotten worse under de Blasio as central Department of Education spending on central staff has soared. However, how Malliotakis would solve education issues is very problematic. Simply put, she would end up lowering public school enrollment by pushing for charter schools and tuition tax credits for religious and private schools.
This is not on her website but it is from an SI Live piece quoting some Conservative Party officials endorsing Malliotakis:
As a product of New York City public schools, Nicole has a clear understanding of what a great education can mean to the children of our city; she'll fight for high standards and against the special interests that seem intent on dumbing-down our schools. She also will fight for the expansion of charter schools in the five boroughs and tuition tax assistance for New Yorkers who send their children to religious or private schools. The Conservative Party is proud to endorse Nicole Malliotakis for Mayor of the City of New York."
I'll take a huge pass on Nicole. Her Trump style plan would send the public schools into a major crisis. Lower enrollments as public money is diverted from public education to charter and private schools would lead to public schools offering fewer programs. The issues in our schools that she writes about on her website would worsen.
She is not a friend.
The real concern is how public school teachers have little to choose from in yet another election. De Blasio = more of the same and the Republican alternative is worse. I guess that is the case in most elections these days. Not too many politicians on our side.
19 comments:
I dont think we can expect any positive changes, in terms of job related issues. It sucks, we have to deal with it. This is how it will be in the age of fake numbers, fake grad rates, looking good to the public, no suspensions, etc. At least we should get an on time deal with new raises so we dont have the retro fiasco like last time, with raises well above the the 1+ percent last time. Considering what we did, the waiting for retro, the tiny raises...3% per year would be nice, although I wouldnt expect that. 4 years, 10% total, 2.5% paid on Dec 1 of each year starting 2018? Plus $1,000 lump sum up front?
2+% is transit workers annual raise.Do you think Muldrow beats that? I hope he does but I don't see it.
Same ballpark, about 2.3% for twu. So if it was 2.25 times 4...
Why on earth would we take another long contract?
4 years is long? In any event, wouldnt you prefer cerainty over the last debacle having to wait for raises? I would prefer knowing the next 4 years i was guaranteed 2.5% per. Gonna be the same myaor for 4 years anyway
Yeah, after what happened last time, we are now forced to take a worse deal instead of having one expire knowing it can take over a decade to get pay we miss.
PERB recognizes two years as standard contract. Our expectations are so low nowadays. Nobody believes we can improve our working conditions in negotiations so people want to lock into long term deals? We are missing out on the best economy the city has ever had by being locked into a nine year contract. You want to let the city off the hook again?
So what terms would you expect, 2 years 8%? Ok, then ask for 4 years 16%
Yes, expectations and standards are low, in every aspect.
Asking for very little ensures that you will get less than that. Asking for the world and settling for a little less is a much better strategy.
So why wasnt that done in 2014?
Mulgrew/Unity are doing our negotiating. They don't want any bad editorials from the Post or Daily News if we ask for too much so we make meager demands and get less. I was on the negotiating committee for the last two contracts because they expanded it after the 2005 disaster to show how inclusive Unity is but I didn't do any real negotiating. Just sat there and got to ask questions.
You made my point...That isnt changing, so better to get the cost certainty of guaranteed raises every year instead of no raises and then waiting 11 years for 0 interest retro.
Going five years without a contract with de Blasio as Mayor is not happening. This is our chance to ask for a decent contract with a so called progressive mayor who we endorse while the city has its best economy ever. Asking for peanuts now is incredibly dumb.
Fine, so lets do 5 years at 4% per...
Dream on. What leverage are we putting on city hall to get that? Zero
You get a lousy deal until you are ready to put it on the line as Transit workers do and teachers did in the 1960's and even in the 70's until Al Shanker basically sold out the 1975 strike.
You keep saying opposites. You say we can finally get a good deal, then say we cant get it...
I would like to get a good deal just like any other teacher. However, with Mulgrew-Unity Caucus in charge of the UFT, it is highly unlikely to ever happen. Best hope we have is 7 MORE-NEW ACTION High School reps fighting for real working teachers on the Executive Board. Unfortunately, they are outvoted 95-7 by Unity. Read some of the back postings on this blog please.
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