"Today's state budget requires New York City to provide every school with the funding it needs to lower class sizes -- a critical investment in our public schools. 

The budget agreement specifies the penalties that will be imposed on the city if it fails to budget appropriately to meet the class size reduction requirements in state law. It requires the city to increase funding to build more classroom seats. It also ensures a maintenance of effort in education funding, and that the city cannot dilute its support for schools by replacing city money with state funds. 

The reforms to Tier 6 in the budget are a welcome next step as we seek to reverse a historic injustice and improve the recruitment and retention of educators and other public sector workers. 

While more work needs to be done on mayoral control, the introduction of independent leadership to the Panel for Educational Policy provides more checks and balances in school governance. I want to thank the Governor, legislative leaders, and elected officials for their work on behalf of the children of New York." 

--Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers