United Federation of Teachers News

United Federation of Teachers News From AOL News

State Budget Cuts Could Mean Mass Teacher Layoffs

The recession may have officially ended in June 2009, but school districts from New York to Los Angeles are grappling with state budget proposals that include massive spending cuts and teacher layoffs. A look at some of the major problems around the country: New York City New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced...

Opinion: Teachers Unions in the Forefront of Education Reform

(Nov. 12) -- Disparaging our children's teachers and blaming teachers unions won't improve public education. While, sadly, bashing unions is the specialty and mission of the Center for Union Facts, as it demonstrated in its AOL News opinion piece last week ("Will Teachers Unions Bend to Education Reform?"), the American...

Court Rules New York City Can't Close 19 Schools

(July 2) -- A state appellate court has ruled that New York City cannot close 19 schools it had deemed as "failing" in December. In its decision, the court agreed with a lower court ruling that the city had failed to provide adequate information to the public about the impacts of the closings on students and communities,...

Opinion: City Schools Reform Must Include Parental Choice

(June 29) -- New York City's schools are quiet for the next several weeks as more than 1 million students take summer break. But while children are at home, parents wonder if and when K-12 education will ever turn around in the nation's largest school district. At least with New York City schools Chancellor Joel Klein,...