UFT Says "Don't Blame Us" For Unplaced Teachers

WNYC News | Jul 12, 2010

The head of the city's teachers union says his members are not to blame for a situation in which teachers collect pay, even though they have yet to be placed for the school year. United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew says many of the 2,000 teachers in an excess pool, lost their jobs when their schools were closed.

MULGREW: We're stuck in this position and we're being disparaged in the public by the person we did a good job for. And that gets them quite angry and I understand that anger and I feel it myself.

Mulgrew blames the chancellor for bad management. A Department of Education spokeswoman says most of the teachers in the excess pool lost their jobs because of budget cuts. The department's held job fairs to help the teachers find new positions. Principals must fill openings from the excess pool and can't hire any new teachers, except in certain shortage areas.

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