State bill would lower class sizes in New York City

Capping a yearlong push by educators and parents to lower class sizes, state lawmakers passed a bill on June 2 to cap the number of students per classroom in New York City public schools at 20 to 25, depending on the grade, by 2027. If signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul, the legislation would help bring New York City’s class sizes in line with the city suburbs and the rest of the state. UFT President Michael Mulgrew said smaller classes would boost student learning and improve teacher retention by making the profession more sustainable. “This legislation marks a milestone in the years-long struggle to bring the benefits of smaller classes to the city,” Mulgrew said. The state legislation calls for maximum class sizes of 20 in kindergarten through grade 3, 23 in grades 4-8, and 25 in high school. Read the New York Teacher article.

UFT pushes back on mayor’s proposed cuts to school budgets

As Gov. Kathy Hochul considers signing state legislation to reduce class sizes in New York City, Mayor Eric Adams is threatening cuts to next year’s school budgets even as he sits on billions of dollars of federal education aid. Adams, this week, told principals to expect large cuts to their school budgets for next school year due to the drop in enrollment, and some UFT members received preliminary excessing notices as a result. Find out how much the mayor is threatening to cut from your school’s budget. If you or your members are on Twitter, tweet at the mayor to tell him why our students need more funding to recover from the pandemic, not less. 

This year, many New York City public schools had class sizes comparable to the rest of the state, but the threatened budget cuts would roll back those gains. The mayor’s executive budget eliminates $375 million for education, offset by some federal funding. But New York City has spent only $3 billion of the $7.6 billion it received in federal stimulus funding for public schools. Gov. Hochul has committed to foundation aid increases for New York City to add $1.3 billion in annual state aid for city schools by 2024. “The city has the money,” Mulgrew said. “Educators and parents fought for federal funds to stabilize schools as we moved through the pandemic. This additional funding was supposed to hold schools harmless.” 

Join us at the March for Our Lives on Saturday, June 11

The UFT will be out in force at the student-led NYC March for Our Lives rally on Saturday, June 11, a national day of action to protest gun violence. Due to a permit issue, the organizers moved the rally from Washington Square Park to Cadman Plaza Park in downtown Brooklyn. The UFT contingent will gather in Whitman Park, in front of the Office of Emergency Management, next to Cadman Plaza Park, starting at 11:30 a.m. Look for the UFT banners. Then, we will march over the Brooklyn Bridge to Zucotti Park on Broadway in lower Manhattan. 

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File reorganization grievances by June 28

If your members wish to grieve their programs or assignments, they must act quickly. Within two school days of knowledge of his or her new program, a member must ask you as chapter leader to submit a Step 1 grievance no later than Tuesday, June 28. The online grievance form is now available only in the Chapter Leader Hub. Be sure to also print out a copy of this grievance and submit it, or have your member submit it, to the principal. The principal has two school days from the date he or she was notified to meet with the member and render a decision. If the grievance is unresolved, an appeal to the superintendent must be filed within two school days of the grievance conference, so contact your UFT district representative immediately. The superintendent then has three school days to schedule and meet and four school days to write a decision. Please note: During the summer, the online grievance process is suspended as are the contractual timelines for filing, scheduling and hearing grievances. After June 28, reorganization grievances can be filed only when school resumes in September.