Statements from NYS Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl H. Tisch and NYS Education Commissioner John B. King, Jr. on NYC and UFT's Failure to Negotiate Evaluation Plan

"The loss of state aid is devastating. But just as devastating is the failure to implement an evaluation plan to give educators the feedback they need to improve their practice and help their students learn and succeed. Unfortunately, the adults couldn’t or wouldn’t come together for the sake of New York’s 1.1 million school children. The goal of the Board of Regents’ reform agenda is to make sure every student graduates with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in college and careers. The failure to reach an agreement on an evaluation plan will keep that goal out of reach for far too many New York City students.”
New York State Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl H. Tisch 

“We tried to get the City and UFT to ‘yes’. We’ve been working with them for several days. We’ve provided technical assistance. We’ve given them answers and options from approved plans. We have a detailed understanding of the proposals from both sides and their compliance with the law. Our advance work prepared us to thoroughly review and approve a plan in time to meet the deadline. More than 680 districts large and small from across the state, including the rest of the Big Five, were able to reach an agreement, but the City and UFT just couldn’t get there. Once again, the students will pay the price for this failure. Even though they missed the deadline, the City and UFT still have a legal obligation to continue to negotiate. The state aid increase may be lost, but the students still deserve the benefits of a quality evaluation plan.”
New York State Education Commissioner John B. King, Jr.