New York Sells Out Children Again

Gov. Kathy Hochul reverses teacher tenure and accountability reforms as a payoff to the teachers unions

WSJ editorial. 

"This being an election year, Democrats are looking to reward their union allies. Look no further than New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who recently signed a bill repealing hard-won school reforms. The new law reverses changes to teacher tenure and evaluations that were negotiated in 2015 between former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republicans who then controlled the state Senate.

“Members are celebrating a victory that will transform classrooms,” New York State United Teachers president Melinda Person crowed. She’s right the new law will be transformative, though not in a good way.

It repeals a mandate that districts consider student performance in teacher evaluations. Districts were also allowed to use expedited procedures to remove tenured teachers who received two consecutive “ineffective” ratings and were required to do so for those who rated poorly three years in a row.

Now, local districts and unions will be allowed to bargain collectively over performance reviews, which no longer will have to take into account student performance. This means fewer teachers will get bad marks, and those who do won’t face the threat of removal. Ms. Hochul has reversed one of Mr. Cuomo’s few achievements. Why isn’t he screaming, since he still has ambitions to return to politics, perhaps in a run for New York City mayor?

Ms. Person said the law “is about restoring the daily joy of teaching and learning” and “evaluating our educators like the professionals they are.” No. The intent is to protect union members, especially the worst performing. Most professionals in any field are evaluated, paid and promoted based on some quantitative performance measures. But the unions want no accountability, and their political friends agree in return for money and endorsements.

Unions paid no price for keeping schools closed during the pandemic. Democrats in Albany instead rewarded them by giving schools more money despite falling enrollment. In 2022, only 28% of fourth graders in New York scored proficient or higher in math on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, down from 37% in 2019.

Parents will have to look for charter school alternatives, if the politicians in Albany don’t kill those too."