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Marty Kerins Jr.

On the evening of Feb. 9, meteorologists in Albany were toting up how much snow had fallen at the end of a 48-hour storm. But that didn’t stop state lawmakers from showing up for the UFT’s annual Legislative Reception on the observation deck of the 42-story Corning Tower. President Michael Mulgrew and NYSUT President Karen Magee spent a couple of productive hours meeting with numerous state legislators — most from New York City, but also many from upstate New York.

Comptroller Tom DiNapoli showed up, too. Mulgrew’s message: All kids need and deserve a well-funded, highquality education that includes programs that enable them to thrive academically, socially and emotionally. He called on lawmakers to thwart the governor’s push to implement education policies that will increase the focus on high-stakes testing and do nothing to improve teaching and learning conditions in the classroom. “The UFT seeks support from the state Legislature for the initiatives we believe honor the state’s constitutional commitment to quality education,” Mulgrew said.

You can read the UFT’s legislative priorities for fiscal year 2016 here - UFT Legislative Priorities FY 2016.