{"id":321731,"date":"2026-08-15T00:10:15","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T00:10:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/321731\/"},"modified":"2026-08-15T00:10:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T00:10:15","slug":"nyc-teachers-union-president-blasts-mayor-zohran-mamdani-administration-for-wasting-everyones-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/321731\/","title":{"rendered":"NYC Teachers Union President Blasts Mayor Zohran Mamdani Administration for Wasting \u2018Everyone\u2019s Time\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">New York City Mayor <a data-ylk=\"slk:Zohran Mamdani;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/globemagazine.com\/tag\/zohran-mamdani\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Zohran Mamdani<\/a> is taking the heat from the head of the United Federation of Teachers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">UFT President Michael Mulgrew <a data-ylk=\"slk:appeared frustrated;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/globemagazine.com\/nyc-tenant-groups-fight-back-against-landlords-trying-to-upend-mayor-zohran-mamdanis-rent-freeze\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">appeared frustrated<\/a> with the Mamdani administration \u2014 which announced a major expansion of the NYC Solves and NYC Reads initiatives \u2014 after reading scores of the city&#8217;s public school students dropped.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The UFT has supported the NYC Reads initiative since it was announced in 2023. However, Mulgrew said in an interview with the <a data-ylk=\"slk:New York Daily News;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nydailynews.com\/2026\/08\/12\/teachers-union-threatens-to-pull-support-of-nyc-reads-after-poor-reading-scores\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">New York Daily News<\/a> on Wednesday, August 12, &#8220;We&#8217;re not going to support it if they want to implement it the way they did this year.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;If this administration wants to continue to waste everyone&#8217;s time and not <a data-ylk=\"slk:get the better results;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/globemagazine.com\/new-york-city-mayor-zohran-mamdani-reacts-to-alexandria-ocasio-cortezs-woke-1-was-crazy-comment\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">get the better results<\/a> that we know we need, then we&#8217;re not going to support it,&#8221; Mulgrew continued.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;We like the idea,&#8221; he added. &#8220;We&#8217;ve been supporting it from the beginning, but somebody&#8217;s got to put them in check.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">According to the Daily News, recent data released by the state shows that 50.3% of students in grades 3 through 8 scored as proficient in reading, which is a drop from about 56% the year prior.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"&lt;span class=&quot;wp-desc-text&quot;&gt;&lt;\/span&gt; &lt;span class=&quot;wp-caption-text&quot;&gt;Mega&lt;\/span&gt;\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"539\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/globe_458\/c2842e299338a0ec02a18c4dd6c2844b.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The <a data-ylk=\"slk:New York Post;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/08\/14\/us-news\/uft-boss-calls-out-mamdani-admin-after-embarrassing-nyc-school-reading-scores\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">New York Post<\/a> reported that Mamdani, 34, defended the program during a press event earlier this week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;I <a data-ylk=\"slk:continue to be confident;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/globemagazine.com\/nyc-mayor-zohran-mamdani-announces-upstate-vacation-leading-to-social-media-debate\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">continue to be confident<\/a> in NYC Reads. And it is developed with the real findings of what&#8217;s been effective across the country in mind,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And we know that it is a critical thing that we equip our public school students with.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;We look forward to being in conversation with the UFT as we look to not only build upon the successes of the last few years, but to go beyond that,&#8221; Mamdani added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In May, the <a data-ylk=\"slk:mayor&#039;s office;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nyc.gov\/mayors-office\/news\/2026\/05\/mayor-mamdani-and-chancellor-samuelsannounce-expansion-of-nyc-so\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">mayor&#8217;s office<\/a> said that the expansion of the education initiatives marks a step toward ensuring every student learns to read confidently.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;This administration is <a data-ylk=\"slk:investing in what works;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/globemagazine.com\/nyc-mayor-zohran-mamdani-backs-delivery-bill-despite-fears-it-could-cut-jobs-and-slow-amazon-packages\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">investing in what works<\/a>: rigorous instruction, strong support for teachers and a public school system that doesn&#8217;t give up on anyone,&#8221; Mamdani said in a statement at the time. &#8220;This expansion will help make sure every student, in every neighborhood, succeeds.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">This story <a data-ylk=\"slk:NYC Teachers Union President Blasts Mayor Zohran Mamdani Administration for Wasting &#039;Everyone&#039;s Time&#039;;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/globemagazine.com\/nyc-teachers-union-president-blasts-mayor-zohran-mamdani-administration-for-wasting-everyones-time\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">NYC Teachers Union President Blasts Mayor Zohran Mamdani Administration for Wasting &#8216;Everyone&#8217;s Time&#8217;<\/a> first appeared on <a data-ylk=\"slk:Globe;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/globemagazine.com\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Globe<\/a>. 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