The head of New York City's influential teachers union has publicly criticized Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration over its NYC Reads literacy initiative, following a recent report indicating that over half of the city's public school students in grades 3-5 failed their state English Language Arts exams. United Federation of Teachers (UFT) President Mike Mulgrew stated that the Department of Education needs to ensure each school has a clear instructional plan for the program.
Mulgrew called for streamlining school activities, aligning programs, and reducing unnecessary paperwork and assessments. He indicated that the UFT would not support the NYC Reads program if it is implemented as it was during the past school year. This criticism comes as city public school students in grades 3-8 saw a 6% decrease in ELA scores compared to the previous year, with only about half achieving proficiency.
The NYC Reads program, which began under former Mayor Eric Adams, was continued by Mayor Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels. Mulgrew voiced concerns that supplemental programs added to the core literacy curriculum have been ineffective, though the Department of Education has disputed this characterization.
Mayor Mamdani defended the reading program, stating his confidence in its effectiveness and its foundation in research on successful literacy strategies nationwide. He expressed a desire to continue conversations with the UFT to build upon the program's successes.
The public criticism from Mulgrew is seen by some as an attempt to preemptively address the fallout from the declining test scores and to deflect blame from unionized teachers. The UFT president's remarks also occur amidst ongoing negotiations regarding the pay of paraprofessionals, a key issue for the union.
Mamdani had previously promised to support legislation that would increase the pay for paraprofessionals, a group that earns a base salary of approximately $32,000 annually. He appeared at a press conference with Mulgrew during his mayoral campaign, endorsing a bill to raise their pay by $10,000 outside of collective bargaining agreements. The City Council passed this legislation last month.
However, a City Hall spokesperson indicated that the administration believes pay raises are best resolved through collective bargaining and that the council's bill could violate state collective bargaining law. This stance represents a shift from Mamdani's campaign position. Mulgrew has argued that the low pay for paraprofessionals contributes to staffing shortages, particularly impacting services for special needs students and leading to significant costs for the city in lawsuits.