Posts tagged low-income students
New York Teachers’ Unions Latest Lawsuit to Limit School Choice
July 14, 2026 // NYSUT has pursued legal action to prevent additional charters from opening. Earlier this year, it sued SUNY to block new charters on Long Island and previously tried to prevent Vertex Charter School from opening. These actions ignore student outcomes; for example, Vertex is located in a Bronx district where only 7 percent of high school graduates are prepared for college. Strive Charter School has an innovative model focused on low-income families: it will be open every day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., including weekends and summer, to support families that struggle to afford child care. NYSUT is responding to declining student enrollment in New York State, which is expected to reduce teaching positions—and, consequently, dues-paying members.
If Only Low-Income Kids Had a Union
March 21, 2024 // Lawmakers failing to align with the unions’ objectives may jeopardize their backing during election season, which not only includes financial funding but also campaign support such as organizing get-out-the-vote efforts and door-to-door canvassing to secure the victory of their favored candidates. Parent activists are growing increasingly frustrated with being overshadowed by teacher unions. During a Feb. 28 press conference at the Legislative Office Building, the Connecticut Parents Union (CTPU), an advocacy group focused on educational reform, joined forces with activists from Danbury and Middletown to urge lawmakers to fund and open charter schools in these cities. The state Board of Education has already given approval to the schools in question, but the General Assembly has yet to allocate the required funds. Specifically, Danbury Prospect Charter School received approval in 2018, and Capital Preparatory (CPREP) in Middletown was greenlit in 2023.
CTU president suggests new teacher contract could cost taxpayers $50 billion
March 7, 2024 // The Chicago Teachers Union is preparing for collective bargaining talks with the city, and the union's president suggested the new terms would cost taxpayers $50 billion. “We are asking you to give us an opportunity to tell our story. It will cost $50 billion, and three cent,” CTU President Stacy Davis Gates said Tuesday at the City Club of Chicago this week, setting the stage for upcoming negotiations with the city. "And so what? That's audacity."
Will the Teachers’ Union Crush Education Opportunity in Connecticut?
March 5, 2024 // Ultimately, their reluctance to embrace opportunity scholarships forces one to question the priorities of those who lead the teachers’ union: Is it to teach children so they’re prepared to engage in the world and lead lives of dignity and purpose? Or, cynically, are union leaders afraid that if students opted for private schools, their coffers would receive less funding from local and state boards of education?