Teachers Union Boss Slams Mamdani Over NYC Reading Scores
New York City's teachers union has publicly broken with Mayor Zohran Mamdani over the struggling NYC Reads literacy programme after more than half of students failed state reading exams.
Mike Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, has publicly criticised the NYC Reads initiative following dismal results from state reading exams, where more than half of public school pupils in grades 3-5 failed to demonstrate proficiency, according to Carl Campanile writing in New York Post.
The clash comes as Mayor Mamdani weighs whether to approve legislation increasing salaries for thousands of paraprofessionals—a commitment he made explicitly during last year’s mayoral campaign when the UFT endorsed his candidacy.
Union Demands Overhaul of Reading Programme
Mulgrew’s public attack centres on the implementation of NYC Reads, which was rolled out in phases this academic year. The union boss insists the Department of Education must establish coherent instructional planning at each school.
The UFT will not support the programme if officials continue implementing it as they did this past academic year, Mulgrew stated, demanding streamlined operations, aligned programmes, and elimination of unnecessary bureaucratic requirements and testing.
Overall proficiency rates for city public school students in grades 3-8 dropped 6% year-on-year in English Language Arts exams, with approximately half achieving proficient status. The mandatory NYC Reads programme was initiated under former Mayor Eric Adams and continued this year by Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels.
Mayor Defends Literacy Strategy
At a Thursday media appearance, Mamdani stood by the reading initiative, expressing continued confidence in NYC Reads as a programme grounded in proven methods from successful implementations nationwide. The mayor characterised literacy instruction as critical for equipping public school students and pledged ongoing dialogue with the UFT whilst building on recent achievements.
In an interview with the Daily News, Mulgrew criticised supplemental programmes added to the core literacy curriculum as ineffective—a claim the Department of Education has disputed.
Sources suggest Mulgrew’s pre-emptive offensive aims to deflect responsibility from unionised teachers for the disappointing examination results ahead of anticipated criticism over the declining scores.
Paraprofessional Pay Dispute Fuels Tensions
Education insiders believe the union president’s willingness to publicly confront the mayor stems partly from a separate dispute over paraprofessional compensation, which has become a contentious labour issue.
The base salary for paraprofessionals stands at just $32,000 annually, prompting Mulgrew to rally at City Hall last year supporting legislation to increase pay by $10,000 outside traditional collective bargaining frameworks.
During his successful mayoral campaign, Mamdani appeared alongside Mulgrew at a press conference where he accepted the UFT’s endorsement and pledged support for Intro Bill 1261, acknowledging that inadequate compensation had created excessive vacancies for paraprofessional positions citywide.
The City Council approved the controversial $10,000 salary increase last month, but government oversight groups warn that Mamdani signing the legislation would establish dangerous precedent by undermining collective bargaining processes, potentially encouraging other unions to bypass negotiations and seek legislative remedies directly from the council.
Mayor’s Campaign Promises Under Scrutiny
Following council passage of the paraprofessional pay bill, a City Hall spokesperson indicated Mamdani now believes salary increases should be resolved through collective bargaining rather than legislation—a notable shift from his campaign position. The spokesperson further argued the council’s bill directly contravenes state collective bargaining statutes.
Mulgrew insists the mayor must honour his commitment to boost paraprofessional pay immediately, condemning the reversal as unacceptable. The union president argues the school system’s inability to recruit sufficient paraprofessionals means special needs students are being denied legally mandated services.
The staffing crisis is costing city taxpayers over one billion dollars annually in legal settlements, Mulgrew noted, emphasising the urgent need for corrective action that remains within reach.
With information from New York Post
