Mayor wins battle with teachers’union
Lesson learned: sometimes it’s best to accept some changes
June 2013
In New York City, the United Federation of Teachers lost out on nearly all of its key demands during the bitter war over a new evaluation system that the city says will make it easier for them to fire incompetent techers.
“Unfortunately, the UFT has fought a rigorous evaluation system nearly every step of the way, and they’ve done it for years, but yesterday Commissioner John King issued a decision that was a huge rebuff to the UFT’s obstructionism and a great victory for our students,” Mayor Bloomberg said, clearly gloating over the decision.
The state denied the UFT’s attempt to be part of a committee that would oversee the plan’s implementation — arguing that the union’s inclusion would only delay the removal of poor performers. The union, headed by Michael Mulgrew, also failed to block the use of student surveys in the teacher-appraisal process. They will account for only 5 percent of the rating.
The state Education Department rejected the union’s push to allow instructors to have the final say over what measures of learning would be used to rate them, and instead gave that power to principals. The union also lost out on its demand to have the new evaluation system expire after two years and revert to the plan that’s now in place.
The system will remain in place for four years, and will change only when a new agreement is reached with DOE approval. Union officials lobbied for an additional 100 days of arbitration to litigate grievances with the new system but were granted only 15.
The lengthy stalemate between the UFT and the DOE cost city public schools nearly $260 million in critical state aid.
“So now, we have a statewide evaluation system. It’s one of the proudest things that I’ve accomplished over the two years that I’ve served as governor, so I couldn’t be happier,” Gov. Cuomo said.
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