Congress passes federal jobs bill

New York is poised to receive millions of dollars in much-needed school funding thanks to the passage of a critical $26 billion federal jobs bill in Congress on Aug. 10.

The measure, which was approved by the U.S. Senate the previous week, is designed to prevent the layoff of tens of thousands of teachers and other government workers, as well as help states offset cutbacks to schools and other vital public services.

The legislation also allows New York to maintain the FMAP allocation (Medicaid cost relief) already factored into its budget, an important step that will prevent additional education cuts.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew, who traveled to Washington with Mayor Michael Bloomberg to make the case with elected officials, praised Sen. Charles Schumer, Sen. Kirstin Gillibrand and the city’s congressional delegation for their support and strong leadership on this issue.

“Our representatives understand that layoffs and cutbacks are the last thing our schools need during these difficult economic times, and I commend them for their relentless advocacy on behalf of public education,” said Mulgrew.

The funding that New York City is expected to secure includes approximately $200 million in education aid and $300 million in FMAP budget relief.

A spokesman for Bloomberg, however, told The New York Times that the city’s budget had already taken the federal aid into account, meaning the city would not ease its teacher hiring freeze.

Still, the passage of the jobs bill represents a significant victory for the UFT, which spent months lobbying for the bill. Mulgrew thanked members for raising public awareness about how massive cuts and layoffs would affect their schools.

“We secured this new funding thanks in large part to the hard work and outreach that so many of our members have been doing in their communities,” Mulgrew said. “More than ever, students need and deserve quality educators in their classrooms and access to programs that will help them grow and succeed.”

Mulgrew noted that there are “huge challenges ahead of us during this upcoming school year, but our communities know they can count on the UFT to stand up for public education. We all have to continue working together to move our system forward, especially with so much uncertainty in the economy.”