The UFT’s political power makes it a monster that’s destroying kids’ futureBy NY Post Editorial Board
July 14, 2023
For an example of how public-sector unions use their political power to boost their own interests exclusively, all the while pretending it’s purely for the public good, it’s hard to beat the United Federation of Teachers.
Declining enrollment in city Department of Education schools put the union in a pickle: Its membership would naturally shrink because fewer students means fewer teachers.
Most of the enrollment drop is pure demographics: fewer kids being born in the city. But part of it is families fleeing the DOE schools over the ongoing war on excellence (reduced opportunities for top students) and these schools’ disastrous performance during the pandemic.
Some history: UFT membership now stands at roughly 189,000, already down from the all-time high of 192,467 in 2020. (It was under 164,000 in 2010 but got a huge boost from Mayor Bill de Blasio’s pre-K and 3K expansions.)
Meanwhile, total DOE K-12 enrollment is down about 200,000 from its most recent high, and 100,000 over just the past few years.
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Source:
https://nypost.com/2023/07/14/teachers-union-political-power-is-destroying-kids-future/
