A pitch for governor is conspicuously missing from the New York State Union of Teachers’ recent list of endorsements for federal and state offices.
NYSUT also sat out the 2010 gubernatorial race, in which Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, prevailed. Cuomo has tussled with NYSUT over several issues, including his support of more charter schools and teacher evaluations tied in part to student test scores.
This is interesting—if inside-baseball—also because an internal split within NYSUT largely had to do with the union’s relationship to Cuomo and just how forcefully it should oppose him.
Union critic Mike Antonucci notes that this turn of events means whoever ends up winning the election won’t be beholden to NYSUT.