A teacher and co-principal at a unionized charter school, Renaissance, expose how the union betrays its own members at unionized charter schools:

The United Federation of Teachers and its president, Michael Mulgrew, recently sent a clear and ugly message to its members who teach in charter schools (and to potential members) when it refused to fight against the state's freezing of charter funding for the second straight year.

Because costs rise each year, such a freeze is tantamount to a huge funding cut.

We are proud, lifelong union members who believe in the ideals of unionization. We believe in unions for public-school educators; we believe in teacher voice. The Renaissance Charter School, where we work, was founded by teachers and has always been deeply committed to developing teachers as professionals and leaders.

But we know a double standard when we see it. And the UFT is enforcing such a standard, at the expense of charter teachers across the state -- including those in the union.

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