A letter to parents setting the record straight

Dear Friends,

Mayor Bloomberg is playing shameful political games with our school communities.

Today the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) filed legal papers with the state Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) to declare impasse and charged the Department of Education with walking away from negotiations that would have brought additional funding and support to dozens of New York City schools.

Instead of coming to an agreement with us on an evaluation system that would help teachers improve their skills and enhance our classrooms, the mayor and the DOE have decided to play politics and close schools. We have asked PERB to intervene and force them back to the bargaining table.

The mayor’s latest attack on our school communities and teachers is nothing more than political antics designed to try and hide his legacy of failure. He and his administration have neglected schools for years; their promises to fix the problems and bring in more resources to struggling schools have proven to be hollow. Bloomberg’s record of educational failure has finally caught up to him, and he’s desperately trying to blame teachers, using schools as political pawns.

Our children deserve better than that, and that is why the UFT is fighting back. We will not allow the DOE to back out of its responsibilities, circumvent the law and give up on our schools.

We believe every student deserves a high quality education, and the teachers and other staff in your school have dedicated their careers to making that happen. Our number one priority is making sure that each and every student has the opportunity to succeed. In the weeks ahead, we look forward to continuing our important work with parents and community members. We stand ready to do the hard work of making your school the best it can be.

Sincerely,

Michael Mulgrew
UFT President