The Delegate Assembly of the United Federation of Teachers today voted to endorse Mayor Bill de Blasio in his re-election race this fall.
UFT President Michael Mulgrew said: “The Delegate Assembly — the union’s highest governing body — overwhelmingly backed Mayor de Blasio based on his leadership for our schools, our students and their families. The delegates know that with the new national administration and the recent elevation of Betsy DeVos as U.S. Secretary of Education, New York City needs a fighter for our schools. Mayor de Blasio’s creation of the largest pre-K program in the nation, his respect for teachers and their work, and his commitment to ensuring that all our children have access to a school that meets their needs make him the clear choice to lead our city for the next four years.”
Mayor de Blasio said: “No one fights harder for New York City’s students than our teachers. I am grateful and proud to have the support of the United Federation of Teachers as we work together to give every child the education they deserve. In the last three years, we have created full-day pre-K for tens of thousands of our youngest learners, expanded after-school programs, and put in place plans to offer every student access to computer science and AP courses and ensure every child is reading at grade level by third grade. We have done this all while graduation rates and test scores continue to improve, and none of it would be possible without the work our teachers do in thousands of classrooms every day across this city. Together, I know we will keep this progress going and fight back against any attacks on public education from the Trump Administration and Secretary DeVos.”
The United Federation of Teachers represents nearly 200,000 active and retired workers, from classroom teachers, guidance counselors, paraprofessionals and other public school personnel to nurses, administrative law judges and home day care providers.
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