Thanks to the union’s advocacy, the city Department of Education has agreed to take the reorganization of the Division of Early Childhood Education (DECE) off the table for this school year.

Naomi Rodriguez, the leader of the UFT’s Teachers Assigned Chapter, and Raul Garcia, the Social Workers and Psychologists Chapter leader, informed early childhood coordinators and social workers in early January that DOE staff would visit them at work in their 3K and pre-K schools and sites in the coming months “to learn about the value of that work before it makes any changes in the future.” They also reported that no UFT-represented division staff would be excessed this school year.

The two UFT functional chapter leaders referenced the uncertainties and challenges the UFT members faced during the first half of the school year, which began with 400 early childhood instructional coordinators and social workers receiving excessing letters. Hundreds of members of the two chapters and their supporters protested in front of DOE headquarters on Nov. 4.

“We trust that this is welcome news,” Rodriguez and Garcia wrote in their Jan. 5 email. “The first four months of this school year have certainly been a challenge. Thank you for all that you do, especially during trying times.”