New York State Teachers Union cries foul on FAIR
This was just sent to me (here’s a link to the NYSUT website). The NYUST is a powerful group. That they’re getting involved means trouble for Minariks minions.
Monroe County locals stand up for students
New York Teacher - October 15, 2007A coalition of NYSUT local unions is fighting a Monroe County plan to strip up to $29 million in county aid from school districts.
“If this ill-conceived plan goes forward, our students will be short-changed,” said Beverly Engel, president of the Monroe County Federation of Teachers.
“We’ll be looking at program cuts, larger class sizes and a giant step backward at just the wrong time,” said Engel, who is also president of the West Irondequoit Teachers Association.
The Monroe County School Boards Association earlier this month filed a lawsuit after the county legislature adopted a financial plan that would cut millions of dollars earmarked for 24 school districts.
The teachers federation issued a statement supporting the school boards’ action, saying the county plan disenfranchises voters who approved school budgets in May and, worse, hurts school children.
“Our students are making tremendous progress toward meeting the higher academic standards,” Engel said. “These cuts make absolutely no sense in this environment when we’re demanding more and more from our students and our teachers.”
Barbara Shapiro, president of Pittsford District TA, said voters and taxpayers should also be outraged.
“They supported their schools this spring by approving district budgets in record numbers,” said Shapiro, who is a member of the NYSUT Board of Directors.
The county proposal — scheduled to take effect Jan. 1 — was put forward by County Executive Maggie Brooks in an effort to cover the county’s Medicaid costs.
“NYSUT will stand by our sisters and brothers in Monroe County,” said NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi. “This proposal is outrageous and undermines all the good Monroe County educators are doing.”
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[...] tip to Exile on RochesterTurning.com for this piece of news. Here at DFE, attribution is [...]