March 6, 2015
LaborPress
Several hundred people turned out Feb. 28 for a “Call Out Cuomo” rally in the northern New York town of Massena. The speakers, who included American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten and New York State United Teachers President Karen Magee, stood next to a cardboard cutout of Gov. Andrew Cuomo at Massena High School and criticized his plans to give schools only about half of the $2 billion increase recommended by the state Board of Regents.
Cuts in state aid over the past few years have forced major staffing cuts and elimination of courses at many North Country public schools, they said. Colton-Pierrepont Central Superintendent Joe Kardash added that the governor’s proposed teacher-evaluation system would decrease local administrators' input from 60% to 15%of a teacher’s rating. NYSUT also held similar rallies in Plattsburgh and Watertown. Read More
