(ALBANY) – Organized Labor is Extremely Unhappy With Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Proposed 2015 Budget State That He Outlined On Wednesday (January 21st), Including Issuing Tough Rebukes From the New York State AFL-CIO and the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) Union – Which says Cuomo Misrepresented the Reality of Public Education.

The Labor Movement Across the State, Led By The AFL-CIO, Suggested Cuomo’s Attacks On Public School Teacher Abilities Were an Affront to Organized Labor (http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/albany-politics/cuomos-budget-tries-to-appeal-to-everyone-20150121.)

“The ‘So-Called’ Education Reforms Proposed Include ‘Direct Attacks’ On ‘Basic Worker Protections’ and, as Such, Impact ‘All’ Workers, ‘Not Just’ Teachers,” said Mario Cilento, President of the State AFL-CIO, Whose Affiliated Member Unions Combine to Represent 2.5 Million Workers Across New York.  “Increasing Tenure Requirements is a ‘Roll Back’ of Due Process Rights and Ultimately Will Dissuade Teachers From ‘Speaking Out’ and ‘Advocating for’ the Children They’ve ‘Dedicated Their Lives’ to Educating.  (Cuomo’s) Proposal to ‘Tear Up’ Teacher Collective Bargaining Agreements in Failing Public Schools is a ‘Slap’ at the ‘Entire Labor Movement,’ and ‘Ignores’ the Plethora Of Socio-Economic and Other Factors That Impact Educational Performance.  We Look Forward to Working With Governor Cuomo, the Legislature, Our Affiliates and Community Partners to Solve ‘Real Problems’ in Public Education, Such as Massive Funding Disparities, and - in Turn – ‘Ensure’ a ‘Brighter Future’ for ‘All’ of New York’s Children.”

Some in the New York State Media Reported That the Governor Essentially Declared War Against the State's Teachers Union.  The Governor Heavily Criticized the State's Education System in His State of the State Address, saying Teacher Evaluations are “Baloney" and Need a Major Overhaul.  Cuomo said Teacher Evaluations Should No Longer Include a Local Score From Administrators and Should be Based 50% On State Test Results and 50% On Administrators' Observations (http://www.lohud.com/story/news/politics/politics-on-the-hudson/2015/01/21/nysut-rips-cuomos-proposed-teacher-evaluation-changes/22119861/)

NYSUT President Karen Magee Tore Into Cuomo's Proposal: "The Governor’s ‘Misinformed.’  New York Has ‘One of the Strongest’ Public Education Systems in the Nation And a Professional, Highly-Dedicated Teaching Force.  The Governor Should be ‘Celebrating’ That Excellence.  Instead, We Get ‘Intellectually Hollow Rhetoric’ That ‘Misrepresents’ the State of Teaching and Learning.  Students, Parents and Teachers, ‘Who Know Better,’ ‘Aren't Buying’ This Agenda, Which ‘Everyone Knows is Driven by the Governor's Billionaire Hedge-Fund Friends.’  The ‘Truth is,’ There's ‘No Epidemic’ of Failing Schools or ‘Bad’ Teachers.  There’s an ‘Epidemic’ of Poverty and ‘Under-Funding’ That Albany Has ‘Failed to Adequately Address’ for Decades.  Nearly One Million New York Schoolchildren - Including ‘More Than’ One-Third of African-American and Latino Students - Live In Poverty.  The State's ‘Systemic Failure’ to Provide ‘Enough’ Resources for ‘All’ of its Students and to Do So ‘Equitably’ - While Giving ‘All’ Teachers the ‘Tools and Support They Need’ - is the ‘Real Crisis’ and the One Our Governor is Trying to ‘Sweep Under the Rug.’"

NYSUT Executive Vice President Andrew Pallotta Also Chimed in: "What Comes Out ‘Crystal Clear’ is This Governor is ‘Misguided About What Teachers Do,’ What Our Public Schools ‘Do’ and What Our Students ‘Need.’  We ‘Again’ Invite the Governor to Attend Public Forums in Our Schools.  Instead of ‘Recycling Tired Rhetoric’ and Relying On Ideas From His ‘Billionaire Contributors,’ We Want Him to ‘Listen’ to the Aspirations of Students Who Want to Excel, But ‘Don't Have’ Art, Music, Foreign Languages or Guidance Counselors.  We Want Him to ‘Hear’ From Parents ‘Who Want a Greater State and Local Investment’ in Their Public Schools, So Their Sons and Daughters Can Have a ‘Full Range’ of Services and ‘Aren't Crammed’ in Classes of Thirty or Thirty-Five With Outdated Textbooks.  And, We Want Him to ‘Listen’ to the Experts - Educators and Administrators Who ‘Love Their Jobs’ and are ‘Dedicated’ to Their Students, Know a ‘Greater Focus’ On Standardized Testing is ‘Wrong’ and Know That 'Opportunity' is ‘Just a Word.’ Unless it's ‘Backed’ by Enough Funding That Goes to the ‘Right Places.’  The Governor's School-Aid Proposal and His Funding Agenda for Public Higher Education - SUNY, CUNY and Our Community Colleges - and Public Hospitals are Starting Points.  Still, in the K-12 Arena, the Governor's Proposal ‘Falls Short’ of the ($2.2 Billion) That’s Needed to Begin ‘Reversing’ Years of Neglect That ‘Hit the Hardest’ in Poor Communities Serving the ‘Neediest Students.’  There’s a Lot of ‘Fine Print’ in the Budget Proposal and We’ll be Studying it Carefully and Commenting in More Detail in the Coming Days.  As Always, We Look Forward to Working Collaboratively With Legislators in Both Houses and Both Political Parties to Ensure Every Child Gets the ‘Best Possible’ Public School Education.”

NYSUT Represents More Than 600,000 Members Across the State in Education, Human Services and Health Care, and is Affiliated With the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the National Education Association (NEA) and the AFL-CIO.

You Can Directly Access NYSUT’s Response to Governor Cuomo’s Comments On Education in His State of the State Address Directly at: http://www.nysut.org/news/2015/january/in-state-of-the-state-address-cuomo-misrepresents-reality-of-public-education-in-new-york-state