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New president driven to help others
Aug 13, 2009 4:09 PM
A Staten Island native, Michael Mulgrew began his teaching career as a substitute at South Richmond HS IS/PS 25, instructing students with special needs. He also volunteered weekends at CUNY, teaching at-risk high school students creative writing.
From the beginning, Mulgrew wanted to work with at-risk kids, and at a very young age he embraced his mother’s most important piece of advice: Wherever you are, whatever you do, always help others. He has worked hard to pass that value on to his daughter, Meghan, and his nieces and nephews, and it has also helped shape his career.
Mulgrew became a full-time teacher at Brooklyn’s William E. Grady HS in 1993 and served as the school’s chapter leader from 1999 to 2004. Under his stewardship, and through the hard work of the UFT committee and school staff, Grady HS emerged as one of the UFT’s strongest and most unified chapters.
As the chapter leader, he never hesitated to support his colleagues, filing grievances on their behalf and advocating strongly for resources and support for CTE programs. The staff’s hard work won the Grady HS UFT chapter a Trachtenberg Award in 2002.
Upon his election as vice president for career and technical education high schools in 2005, Mulgrew immediately went to work expanding and enhancing CTE programs around the city, as well as reorganizing the union’s Safety and Health Department to better track and respond to school safety and environmental concerns. Those improvements were in evidence this past spring in the department’s rapid response and monitoring of the H1N1 virus in public schools.
UFT President Michael Mulgrew chats with District 21 Representative Judy Gerowitz and teacher Lance Schatzman during an Aug. 3 visit to PS 329, Brooklyn.
UFT President Michael Mulgrew discusses issues with members at PS 58, Staten Island, on Aug. 3.
A firm believer in building alliances and creating opportunities for collaboration, Mulgrew prides himself on his work with parent, civic and community groups. He was instrumental in organizing the Keep the Promises and One New York: Fighting for Fairness coalitions in 2008 and 2009 to fight planned city agency budget cuts. He spearheaded the UFT’s engagement in these successful campaigns, restoring hundreds of millions of classroom dollars to state and city budgets.
In 2008, he became the union’s chief operating officer.
In addition to his UFT responsibilities, Mulgrew is a vice president of the American Federation of Teachers and an executive board member of the New York State United Teachers, chairing its statewide committee on CTE programs.
In November 2006, Mulgrew received the Albert Lee Smallheiser Award for his service on behalf of the teaching profession. In November 2008, he received the first Sandra Feldman Award for his service to UFT members. In June 2009, Mulgrew was given the NAACP’s Centennial Freedom Award for his efforts to improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers.
Mulgrew attended CUNY’s College of Staten Island, from which he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English literature and a master’s degree in special education. He is the third of four siblings, three of whom are teachers.
Mulgrew introduces himself to school secretary Lillian Perez Rivera during a visit to the Tito Puente Education Complex, Manhattan, on Aug. 4.
Parent Coordinator Anthony Meggett greets Mulgrew, to the delight of UFT District 4 Representative Servia Silva.
