Posts tagged Democrats for Education Reform
Op-ed: Why teachers unions fear, and fib about, new federal program
July 7, 2026 // Perhaps the unions are right to be scared. Anything that introduces competition into the educational landscape threatens their monopoly. When you read between the lines of Weingartner and Pringle’s letter, you can almost hear the death rattle. But in the end, this isn’t about the unions. This is about kids who deserve a high-quality education regardless of their household income or zip code. And anybody who gets between them and their parents would be wise to choose their words more carefully.
Union poll ignores reality about charter schools
February 20, 2023 // The controversial NYSUT/UFT poll was conducted by Hart Research Associates, which progressive jobs website Idealist called “one of the leading public opinion research firms in the U.S., specializing in political polling for Democratic candidates and survey research for progressive causes, public affairs, nonprofit organizations, foundations, variety of advocacy groups and media outlets.” The misrepresentation of the NYSUT/UFT poll points to a much deeper issue than just a poorly conducted survey. The vast majority of teachers unions’ revenue comes from traditional public school teachers’ dues payments. If those traditional public schools are forced to compete with charters, causing them to lose teachers (which is happening across the country), unions like NYSUT will take a financial hit. Ultimately, the NYSUT/UFT poll highlights the unions’ grip on the charter school narrative and the importance of maintaining a healthy skepticism of union-backed narratives in the public square.