UFT members listen to UFT President Michael Mulgrew, who spoke about the Trump administration and the difficulties educators may face in light of the nomination of billionaire right-winger Betsy DeVos as U.S. secretary of education.

Manhattan Center for Science and Math teachers (from left) Marisela Hidalgo, Elizabeth Laleman and Rose Connelly wait for start of the meeting.

Mulgrew speaks to members about Betsy DeVos’ nomination as U.S. secretary of education, the state budget and the new evaluation system.

Dawn Mirowitz, a 6th-grade social studies teacher at Isaac Newton, asks Mulgrew about how public schools, and specifically District 4, can compete with well-funded charter school networks such as Success Academy. Mulgrew told her the UFT seeks to push through accountability legislation to force the charters to serve the same students as public schools. The school’s paraprofessional representative, John Pacheco, listens.

Mulgrew chats after the meeting with Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics teachers (from second left) Faroukh Gandi, Candice Chiavola and Chapter leader David Musialik.

As Mulgrew tours the campus with Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics Chapter Leader David Musialik, he stops to speak with special education teacher Dylan Tramm.