Powerful UFT snags teacher pay bumps of up to $9.5K in compromise deal to delay NYC class size law

The powerful teachers’ union delivered a master class in wheeling and dealing — winning pay bumps of up to $9,500 as part of a deal delaying New York’s class size mandate.Under a compromise, the United Federation of Teachers agreed to amend the state law, giving Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his Department of Education two additional years to lower class sizes in city public schools.But there’s a catch: the city must shell out for “differential pay” — as much as an additional $8,500 in the upcoming school year and up to $9,500 the following year for teachers in schools being exempt from the mandate.The pay differential is a side deal worked out between Mamdani’s team and the union — and is not part of the amended class size legislation being voted on in Albany.Under the state’s original 2022 law, 80% of city public school classrooms by next year were required to have no more than 20-25 students, depending on the grade level.Absent waivers, all classrooms were to abide by those caps by the following 2027-28 school year — 20 students for K-3rd grade, 23 for grades 4 to 8 and 25 for high schools.But the new timeline gives the city DOE until the 2029-30 school year to be in full compliance.The city will need to be at 70% compliance by the upcoming 2026-27 school year, 80% by 2027-28 and 90% by 2028-29, under the agreement involving Gov.Kathy Hochul, the Democrat-controlled state Legislature, Mamdani and the UFT.UFT President Michael Mulgrew bent a little to help the mayor — but at a price.Schools can receive exemptions to help meet the citywide goals of 70% compliance next year and 80% in 2027-28.Under the side deal, teachers whose classes have a number of students exceeding the cap over the next two years — and who have snagged a waiver — will get a payout, according to the UFT.The pay bumps would take effect even if a school can’t meet the class size targets because of difficulty recruiting teachers in certain hard-to-staff subjects or lack o...