President Iannuzzi responds to State of the State speech
In more than a dozen media interviews following Gov. Cuomo's State of the State speech, NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi advocated for what students and teachers need, noting that more information is necessary to assess some of Cuomo's key proposals, and stressing that the union welcomes the governor's commitment to keep public education a high priority.
Below is a distillation of NYSUT's response in print, radio and television interviews:
As long-time advocates for our students, we would welcome the governor to work shoulder to shoulder with us in ensuring all children receive a quality public education. Teachers, in partnership with parents, have always been lobbyists for what children need. That historic advocacy has resulted in smaller class sizes, better technology, high standards for teacher effectiveness, anti-bullying legislation and hot lunches for children in poverty. Gov. Cuomo's advocacy would be invaluable in jump-starting the current state bureaucracy, which certainly has been frustrating to teachers as we work to achieve meaningful change.
We applaud the governor for emphasizing the need to make sure no