UFT Charter School Struggles

The UFT opened the first charter school run by the union, under the union contract, seven years ago with the aim of showing it was possible to run a successful school under their contact – and have (SURPRISE!) ended up proving exactly the opposite. Will they learn this lesson? When pigs fly…

New York City teachers union officials on Tuesday defended a charter school founded by the labor union as the school undergoes a crucial review period that will determine whether the struggling institution stays open.

The UFT Charter School was founded in 2005, when former United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten looked to demonstrate amid a growing reform movement that a school could thrive when its educators worked under the existing teachers contract. The school, which has roughly 1,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade, was said to be the first union-led charter school in the U.S. when it opened.

The Brooklyn school has faltered in many important measures, however. Students have performed inadequately on state tests, and several principals have come and gone. This year, the elementary and middle-school levels received their second D in three years on a city report card. They posted failing marks in how well students improved on state tests, which makes up the bulk of the overall grade. 

Continue reading...