Significant progress has been made toward making the paraprofessional RESPECT check a reality, UFT President Michael Mulgrew told the Delegate Assembly on March 11.

City Council Speaker Julie Menin, one of the original sponsors of the legislation, has prioritized the bill, he said at the meeting held both in person in Shanker Hall and by phone.

Mulgrew noted that the bill had been introduced the previous week and a hearing was fast-tracked to March 9. “I never saw any bill move this fast,” he said.

After additional lobbying of legislators by paraprofessionals in January, there were 46 sponsors of the bill out of a possible 51, as of press time.

Mulgrew emphasized that the RESPECT check bill is a top priority for the union, noting the ongoing shortage of paraprofessionals.

The bill stipulates that the payments of $10,000 would continue until the city agreed to a contract in which paraprofessionals received a compensation increase that was at least equal to the payments. At that point, the legislation would cease to exist and the payment amount would be part of the DOE-UFT contract.

Mulgrew pointed out that Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration now claims that there’s a $5.5 billion city budget deficit, way down from earlier claims of a budget gap of more than $12 billion.

Mulgrew also noted that Gov. Kathy Hochul gave the city $3.5 billion toward 3-K and 2-K funding. The initiatives will have huge ramifications for members, he said later. Hiring in schools will need to be determined with regard to 3-K, and UFT-represented family child care providers — who would serve 2-K — will need to have their stipends increased by the state as there is a shortage in providers due to low pay, he said.

Regarding the state budget, Mulgrew noted that both the Senate and Assembly had put forward bills to increase Foundation Aid to add support for unhoused children and English language learner services, fund UFT Teacher Centers and community schools and, most importantly, support fixing the Tier 6 pension tier.

He thanked the body for its support in the union’s Fix Tier 6 campaign school actions and rallies, noting that the bill’s inclusion as a priority in Senate and Assembly budget proposals indicates the advocacy is working.

On class size, Mulgrew said principals who had been reluctant to apply for funding through the mandate were coming on board after seeing that more than 700 schools applied and received funding for the 2025-26 school year.

Turning his attention to next year’s school calendar, Mulgrew said that while it was not yet released, reaching the state-mandated 180 school days was going to be difficult due to where ethnic and religious holidays fall during the school year. He said the city and schools will need to do a better job of providing devices for remote learning if and when it becomes necessary.

Mulgrew also urged chapter leaders to begin planning any school-based options they hoped to get approved for next school year, though they will not be able to begin to be submitted until the city Department of Education releases the 2026-27 school calendar.