Speeches

Randi Weingarten's Spring Conference Address: May 10, 2008

I feel like I’ve come full circle. When I started this job, teachers needed the community back. Now it’s our turn to help the community get its schools back.

Randi’s speech on a proposed new school accountability system: March 13, 2008

At a breakfast hosted by the Association for a Better New York, UFT President Randi Weingarten on March 13 unveiled an ambitious plan for a “transparent, fair and accurate” school accountability system.

Randi Weingarten's speech on the teacher's role in the age of accountability: June 7, 2007

President Weingarten spoke at the EduStat Summit at Columbia University in NYC on June 7, 2007 where she said: "This conference is devoted to discussing the core competencies of teachers in the 21st century. Those competencies, of course, are inextricably linked to the learner outcomes we have for our students and the roles and responsibilities of teachers in helping them achieve those outcomes."

Randi Weingarten's Spring Conference Address: May 5, 2007

You know how, when you’re busy running from one thing to the next, you don’t have a chance to get some perspective on where you’ve been and where you’re going? Too often, that’s how it is for me. But the spring conference forces me to take a breath and do some assessing.

Randi Weingarten's Spring Conference address: May 13, 2006

I love this time of year. By mid-May you always know the end of the school year is around the corner. And the spring conference is always a great chance to see you again, hear your thoughts, your stories and celebrate our profession.

Randi Weingarten's Teacher Union Day speech: Nov. 6, 2005

You all know, we all know we had a very hard fight with the City, we had an agonizing ratification, and we closed a chapter on Thursday — but it would be a real big mistake to say that we closed a book. Because we still have a lot of work to do.

Randi Weingarten's Spring Conference address: May 2005

Each year, we use our spring conference as a time to celebrate. > We celebrate our students, their challenges and their accomplishments. > We celebrate our profession. We pay tribute to your dedication to helping young people reach higher and go further. > We celebrate our union, its proud history, and its continuing struggles on behalf of our members and the children we serve.

Diane Ravitch's Spring Conference address: May 2005

In this atmosphere, it seemed to me that it would be worthwhile to talk a bit about why the union was created and why it remains important.

Randi Weingarten's Spring Conference address: May 8, 2004

It’s great seeing you here today. You know, no matter how trying a year it’s been, there’s something about our annual spring conference that’s fantastic. The energy here today is awesome.

Randi Weingarten's address before ABNY: Jan 14, 2004

It’s a privilege to be your first guest speaker of 2004, because the history of the UFT and the history of ABNY have been so intertwined throughout the years.

Randi Weingarten's Opening of Negotiations Statement: September 2003

As we begin these negotiations, I get the feeling that New Yorkers are watching us and holding their breath. A lot is riding on these talks.