Mr Mulgrew also sought to divert his anger at the reopening efforts from the union to the mayor.
The union leader, who has long been skeptical of mayoral control, will fight to change the system of governance in 2022, when its current extension expires in state legislation. But Blasio, who is on a definite term, will leave office at the end of 2021. Mr Mulgrew does not want to go back to the school board, but he is calling for a version of mayoral control that gives more power to teachers.
Mr Mulgrew’s position, which was not previously reported, illustrates that frustration among teachers and principals towards Mr de Blasio has become so intense that it could have serious consequences for the remainder of the turbulent school year, the mayor’s ability to deliver education. during the last term of his policy – and even how the next mayor of the city can govern.
Under mayoral supervision, the city’s 1,800 schools are run by the mayor and the school chancellor, not an elected or appointed school board. The union had significant influence over the Board of Education, which operated schools before mayoral control began in 2002 and lost some of its power under the new system.
Mr Bloomberg won mayoral control of urban schools after a campaign focused on school board inefficiency and occasional corruption scandals. But Mr Mulgrew said the union was no longer out of the fight over whether the legislature should renew mayoral control, where the UFT has a huge impact, especially in the General Assembly.
“Never again can any person be responsible for our school system,” Mr. Mulgrew said.
Mr Mulgrew’s position shows how serious the relationship between City Hall and the UFT has become in recent months, even as the Union continues to be involved in major educational decisions than it has been since 2014.
But at the beginning of his term, Mr Blasio showed his loyalty to the teachers by signing a contract that provided them with more benefits and salaries – including a scheduled increase in the epidemic. Prior to that, teachers worked for several years without a contract after discussions between Mr. Bloomberg’s administration and the union.
