WHEREAS, Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Klein have set forth a plan to transform the NYC public school system in three areas: operations, instruction and increased parent access and responsibility;

WHEREAS, this plan, called Children First, dismantles the vast district bureaucracy and community board structure that for decades union members often found inefficient, wasteful and unresponsive, and seeks to replace it with a more integrated, accountable structure that focuses on schools, instruction and parental involvement; and

WHEREAS, the plan calls for a real reduction in administrative bureaucracy; and

WHEREAS, the plan includes such educational improvements as:

• a unified curriculum (such as the resource guides that the UFT has developed) in reading, writing and math, so teachers can have clarity and consistency in what they teach;

• smaller classes, especially for middle school English, where data show children need more support to reach state standards;

• additional classroom seats due to the closing of district offices now in school buildings;

• better and quicker access to books, materials and supplies;

• greater parent engagement and responsibility, through regional parent service offices open evenings and weekends, Parent Engagement Boards and a parent coordinator in every school;

• greater school focus on instruction, with administrative and budgetary support provided by regional offices; and

• increased curricular autonomy for successful schools; and

• improved articulation between elementary/middle schools and high schools through neighborhood networks of 10-12 schools at all levels; and

WHEREAS, the UFT, while strongly supporting the overall goals and methods of the plan, expresses concerns about the following aspects:

• the continuing provision of appropriate services for children with severe and moderate handicapping conditions;

• the appropriate central oversight and support of the high schools;

• the adoption of an elementary school curriculum that is not just academic but includes important developmental and enrichment activities, including the visual and performing arts and sports;

• the disruptions caused by excessive redeployment of personnel;

• potential difficulties in implementing the changes, including those aspects not yet specified; and

• ensuring no layoffs of UFT members; therefore be it

RESOLVED that the UFT support such comprehensive reforms that offer the potential for educational improvement and growth in student achievement; and be it

RESOLVED that the UFT applaud the mayor for acknowledging that schools can’t do it alone and for including in the plan initiatives that reach out to parents and the community to both become involved and take responsibility; and be it

RESOLVED that the UFT pledge to work closely with the mayor and chancellor and calls on them to collaborate with us to refine the plan where necessary, particularly on the instructional agenda, and smooth its implementation wherever possible in the best interests of children, parents and educators; and be it

RESOLVED that the UFT call upon the mayor and chancellor to avert all layoffs and to utilize instead flexible redeployment, severance agreements and retirement incentives to minimize staff displacements that disrupt schools; and be it

RESOLVED that the UFT also call upon the mayor and chancellor to:

• Preserve District 75 and maintain full staffing of SBSTs;

• Maintain central oversight and support of high schools ;

• Ensure that the integrity of alternative citywide high schools and high school programs be maintained;

• Include in the elementary curriculum the development of socialization skills and the arts and sports;

• Reduce class sizes not just in middle school English but also in math and in other grades as well, and to continue the early grade class size reduction already in place to the upper elementary grades;

• Ensure that the unified curriculum is not lock-step but allows for teacher flexibility and creativity in the classroom;

• Ensure the genuine end of social promotion by providing appropriate resources to assist those students who require it, and that such funding is monitored to ensure its appropriate implementation;

• Continue the effort to find space for small schools so as not to place them in large overcrowded schools;

• Continue to implement and expand the recently announced safety initiatives so all children can be educated in an environment free from fear and disruption;

• Maintain central oversight and support for the special education referral, evaluation, and placement process;

• Take steps to move away from the hierarchical command and control system to one that allows teachers to act in a manner that promotes student achievement and social development; and be it

RESOLVED that the UFT reserves judgment on those aspects of the plan that are not yet spelled out; and be it

RESOLVED that the UFT will make any necessary organizational changes to maintain and enhance its services to members within any new school system structure and will fight to ensure that the professionalism, contractual and statutory rights and economic security of its members, pedagogic and non-pedagogic, are respected and protected.