Randi Weingarten

Some Public School Students Will Sit Out State Tests This Week in Protest

"These tests are harmful. They do nothing but stress us out and take away precious learning time. They don't make learning fun, they are all-consuming. ... We do not learn from these tests. Do we not go to school to learn?" Owen Hotaling, a freckled fifth grader in a sweatshirt and a bright red kn ... More >>

Educator of the Year—and Beyond

Teachers' Union Prez Mike Mulgrew Hit With Woodshop Sex and Blackmail Accusations

Nothing like a quick sex scandal to spice up a beautiful Sunday afternoon. In a 73-page lawsuit filed by a Manhattan teacher, the President of the United Federation of Teachers prez Michael Mulgrew, known for his heated relationship with Bloomberg's Education Department, has been accused of having ... More >>

Ignoring the Inconvenient Truths in Waiting for Superman

Davis Guggenheim ignores too many inconvenient truths in Waiting for Superman

New York's House Democrats Do Teachers' Union Bidding, Face Obama Veto

Every one of New York's 26 Democrats in the House voted for a budget amendment last week that President Obama had already threatened to veto. A New York Times editorial this morning blasted the amendment, which passed by a 239 to 182 vote, without even fingering the special interests that produced ... More >>

Black Parents vs. the Teachers' Union

Union intransigence hits a low point

Weingarten Steps Down as City Teachers Union Head; Mulgrew Expected to Take Over

Randi Weingarten is stepping down as head of the New York chapter of the United Federation of Teachers. Of course, she's also been head of the national UFT for about a year, so it's not like she didn't have her hands full. We don't know much about the man expected to replace her, UFT Vice Presiden ... More >>

Barrett: Dems Discuss Restricting Bloomberg's School Control

Assembly Democrats discussed mayoral school control for about four and a half hours yesterday, and virtually none of the dozens of members who spoke during the closed party conference supported continuing Bloomberg's control of city schools in its present form.    Speaker Shelly Silve ... More >>

Bloomberg and the Teachers' Union

It's (almost) summertime, and the Mayor's campaigning is easy. So easy, he can roll over the union this time—and should.

Mayor, UFT Head Getting Cozy; Whither Education Reform?

If you've read today Wayne Barrett story on Mayor Bloomberg's tendency to cut deals with the teacher's union, and why (if he's serious about school reform) he should cut it out, you may be interested in what PolitickerNY's Jason Horowitz reports about Bloomberg's mayoral control renewal campaign: he ... More >>

This Week in the Voice

In his previous mayoral campaigns, Mike Bloomberg has cut deals with Randi Weingarten's teachers' union that have eased his way to victory. But they also also stiffed charter schools and thwarted any hope of a real turnaround in our school system. Wayne Barrett tells us why this could be -- and sho ... More >>

Bloomberg Pops Up in Rupert's Post

As Mario Cuomo famously said, when New York Post publisher Rupert Murdoch likes a politician, he lets you know it. Back in 1982 when Cuomo was campaigning against Post favorite Ed Koch for the Democratic gubernatorial nod, he griped that when normal papers endorse a candidate  "you get one column ... More >>

Heads Up: Teacher with (Alleged) Bomb, The Bronx

A teacher has barricaded himself in at Middle School 328, aka New Millennium Business Academy, at 1000 Teller Avenue in the Bronx. He says he has a bomb. The Post says he's "protesting the mistreatment of teachers." Cops says they don't think he really has a bomb, but we'd give the place a wide bert ... More >>

Budget Battle: Feets in the Streets Today

Organizers are predicting the year's biggest demonstration so far late this afternoon outside City Hall. The targets are service cuts being demanded by both Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Paterson in their respective budgets. Big turnout is expected from the teachers union, SEIU locals 32BJ and 1199, ... More >>

The Sheekey Diaries

The daily schedules of Kevin Sheekey, deputy mayor for Bloombergian political ambitions, have been posted courtesy of a FOIL request and a good deed by Azi Paybarah, the NY Observer/PolitickerNY's indefatigable political watchdog. In addition to Paybarah's shrewd observations (he notes, for instance ... More >>

Bloomberg Looks at "Targeted Buyouts"; Teachers Eyed?

Payroll is a large part of the city's budget, and it has occurred to Mayor Bloomberg that dropping some workers might effect some savings, says the New York Post. He is said to consider "targeted buyouts to thousands of longtime civilian employees." The Post doesn't say which sectors would be targe ... More >>

Caroline Kennedy FTW? Complaints Grow, But CK Stays On Track

Midday Mashup: Shooting, Stabbing, Suing, Etc.

Letters 8.27.08

Losing Track of Dropouts—and Successes—in New York City Schools

DOE, City Council and Unions all fail to keep tabs on when NYC schools fail - or succede.

Letters 8.6.08

Randi Weingarten and the National American Federation of Teachers: No Child Left Unhealed

To work, a public school must be active in students' lives before and after class

UFT President Randi Weingarten Comes Out

Tick Tock Transit

Transit Breaks

Transit Countdown

Transit Showdown

Council Orgy

Erasing term limits and contribution caps amid a speaker battle

Visiting the Eva Empire

Dems Debate: They're All Winners in the Spin Room

New York's Real Poorest

Cops and teachers cry poverty, but it's minority day care workers who feel the pinch

The Underside of Bloomberg's School Reform

How the Mayor's Top-Down Revolution Locks Out Communities

The Best of Bloomberg's School Reform

How the Mayor Is Resuscitating Our Sick System

Fighting the Good Fight

Amnesiac Council Battles Bloomberg, Excuses Unions

Prelude to a Campaign?

Mayor Mike and Potential Foes Test Union Waters

Weingarten's War

The Teacher Boss Puts Bloomberg on the 'Bad Step'

Way to Go, Joe

Bruno Dumps Pataki, Sticks With Union Allies

Bloomberg at the Crossroads

With a Budget That Will Define Him, Mayor Mike Pushes Pataki, Unions

What the Unions Can Do

Bloomberg Could Save Millions If City Seized Slush Funds

Labor's 'No' to War

A New Generation of Leaders Makes a Different Choice

The 2002 Wacko Awards

Getting Away With Murder

Pataki's Fiscal Follies Pass Unnoticed in Re-Election Fervor

Hip-Hop Hollas at City Hall

But Were They Really Saying Something?

Malloy's Mess

Pataki, Spitzer Protect Construction Union Biggie

A 10-Point Plan for Bloomy

How the Newly Elected Mayor Can Begin Reviving a Wounded City

Labor’s Election Day Flop

The Union Coalition That Wasn’t

The Mystery Candidate

Hevesi Separates Himself From Rudy, Attaches Himself to UFT

Rudy’s Lesson Plan

Dirty Looks From City Hall as Teachers Seek a Raise

Which Side Are They On?