Testimony of Mary Vaccaro, UFT Vice President for Education, submitted before the New York City Council Education Committee jointly with the Committee on State & Federal Legislation 

My name is Mary Vaccaro, and I’m the vice president for education of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT). On behalf of the union’s more than 190,000 members, I would like to thank the members of the New York City Council’s Education Committee and Committee on State and Federal Legislation for holding today’s public hearing on the new phonics-based curriculum and dyslexia screening in New York City public schools, especially Education Committee Chair Rita Joseph and Committee on State and Federal Legislation Chair Shaun Abreu.

Learning to read is one of the fundamental purposes of education, but for many years the Department of Education did not give New York City teachers and students the resources and curricula they needed to ensure that every student would become a successful reader. Our union agrees that urgent change is necessary and has been supportive of the shift to literacy programs grounded in the science of reading.

Within the next two years, all districts must begin to use one of three evidence-based literacy programs grounded in phonics and the science of reading in all elementary and middle schools: HMH Into Reading, Expeditionary Learning Education or Wit & Wisdom. The approved curricula emphasize sounding out words and foundational literacy skills, which were neglected for the past two decades in many schools in favor of a whole language approach, which encourages word memorization and independent reading. As part of the new initiative, schools must phase out materials from Units of Study, the balanced literacy curriculum developed by Lucy Calkins, a professor at Teachers College at Columbia University. The whole-language approach proved disastrous for many students, including those with learning differences, with the result that half of city students in grades 3–8 are not reading at grade level.

Elementary and middle schools in 15 community school districts and District 75 began using these curricula this fall, with the remaining districts making the transition in September 2024. This quick rollout has been a challenge, but we have heard from many of our members that this shift to phonics and the science of reading in our schools is long overdue.

To make sure this important effort succeeds, it’s essential that the DOE provide educators with appropriate, ongoing professional development opportunities to support them. As UFT President Michael Mulgrew stated when this initiative was launched, “We said no more drive-by training. It has to be embedded, and it has to be throughout the entire year.” At the union’s urging, the UFT Teacher Center is playing an integral role in the training to make sure teachers get the support they need, adapted to the students they teach.

To kick things off, the UFT Teacher Center designed and offered a free course this summer on the science of reading. Over two weeks in July, I was excited to welcome hundreds of New York City public school educators to Shanker Hall at UFT headquarters for “Reading for All: The Science of Reading Across Curriculums.” The course, which was a mix of in-person and virtual sessions, introduced participants to these new curricula. The teachers learned techniques each curriculum offers to support the development of foundational literacy skills, such as connecting sounds with symbols and understanding how prefixes and suffixes are used in vocabulary. Participants also found out about additional digital resources, learned strategies to address their students’ social-emotional needs and received guidance on how to use these curricula with diverse groups of learners.

We found that teachers were energetic and open to changing their classroom practices in response to high-quality professional learning around the science of reading. Teachers of English language learners were especially excited to learn about how to use translation technology to ensure that their students had full access to the new curricula. Michelle Grant, an English as a new language teacher at PS 280 in Jackson Heights, said the training gave her a toolkit and resources she can use to help her English language learners. As she told us after the session, “At first I felt overwhelmed, but now I’m starting to feel more confident and at ease about how I can support my students in the 2023–24 school year.”

As the rollout of each of these programs moves forward, the DOE must ensure that all educators using the new curricula have the help they need to make a successful transition. The UFT Teacher Center is committed to doing everything it can to support them. We have 15 new Teacher Center district coaches who will provide regular assistance around this literacy work to educators in the 15 community school districts and District 75 schools who do not have a Teacher Center based in their building. The Teacher Center will also offer literacy workshops and office hours throughout the year, and teachers in schools with a Teacher Center site coach will receive ongoing professional learning tailored to their school’s specific needs.

During the rollout of these curricula, our Teacher Center coaches have helped educators to navigate and understand the multiple curriculum websites and to begin using a variety of tools to support whole group and small group instruction. For example, we have supported teachers in using the Tabletop program, which is designed to support reading instruction for English language learners. This is an example of a program that did not come with the original curricula but which principals and educators have identified as necessary to support our diverse population of students. To support use of this tool, our coaches have modeled its use during both the professional learning sessions that they offer in person and online, as well as during classroom visits. Our 15 district coaches are also leading weekly professional learning sessions open to all educators in the pilot districts.

The city has also launched an ambitious $7.4 million literacy initiative targeting children with dyslexia. Dyslexia is the most common learning disability, affecting 3% to 7% of the population, according to the Lancet medical journal. The number of students in New York City public schools with dyslexia could exceed 70,000. Under the model described by the city, all students in K–12 will be given literacy screenings three times a year, and students who repeatedly score well below their peers will be screened for risk of dyslexia. All teachers will also receive training on how to identify and support students with dyslexia.

While this initiative is an admirable idea, we are concerned that there are still many more questions than answers about this effort. The city’s experience with the Universal Literacy Initiative demonstrates the kind of challenges this new literacy initiative may face. That program launched in 2016 with the goal of getting all students reading at their grade level by the end of grade 2 but experienced pushback as principals rebelled against outsiders telling them how to handle a core piece of the curriculum. To avoid similar challenges, we urge the DOE to address issues such as the recognition of dyslexia on IEPs, superintendents’ role in ensuring principals’ implementation of the initiative, development and delivery of the necessary professional learning and support to staff, and clear expectations around progress monitoring. Each of these questions and more will need answers if students identified as dyslexic are to get the support they need and deserve.

In addition to the literacy curriculum work, a new algebra curriculum will also be implemented in 178 high schools, spanning seven districts, starting in September. The new curriculum, Illustrative Mathematics, is for Algebra 1, typically offered in grade 9 and sometimes in grade 8. Algebra is the focus because it is considered foundational to all higher-level math, and in the inquiry-based model used in Illustrative Math, content begins with a problem being posed and students engage in questioning and discussion to find the answer. The UFTTC has collaborated with the DOE to provide six experienced teachers trained in professional learning to serve as math coaches for schools in the seven pilot districts for this program. Our math coaches are currently providing tailored supports such as modeling Illustrative Math lessons, providing individualized coaching support for teachers, and leading weekly professional learning sessions open to all educators in the pilot districts as the rollout moves forward.

Changing how we teach reading in every classroom is no small feat. But the research tells us that we must forge ahead down this path to ensure that every New York City public school student has the opportunity to become a confident and fluent reader. The UFT and our UFT Teacher Center are here to support our educators and our learners every step of the way, and we look forward to working with the Council to ensure the success of this urgently needed initiative.