On July 7, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced  New York City's Academic Recovery Plan

In response, UFT President Michael Mulgrew issued the following statement: 

All of the folks that I speak to, whether it be a psychologist, a guidance counselor, a teacher, a paraprofessional, they all say, 'Let's do this. We're up for this challenge. We all know that there's a lot to do here, but this is what we signed on for. It's about the children of our city, and it's about our school system.' 

They feel more than ever that this school system is theirs, and they take ownership of it and they understand that it is there for the community and for the children. That's the challenge we're going to win next year because we have a good plan.

This money is being allocated in a way that makes perfect sense. Now, we just have to make it work for each and every child in every classroom.