We, the members of the MORE-UFT Caucus (Movement of Rank and File Educators), are proud to announce that the Department of Education heard the demands of parents, students and school staff today to make Monday, December 23, 2019 a part of the Winter Vacation. Our online petition collected over 32,700 signatures, and it is clear that this problem was more than just a nuisance. This win is a perfect example of what we can accomplish when educators, students, and families organize to make our voices heard.
As we stated in our petition, the last four times that a December 23rd has fallen on a Monday there has been no school. Working that day would have meant that many teachers and families would have had to pay more to travel on December 24, and have less time to celebrate the holidays with their loved ones. Many students and families would have still taken the day to travel and would have been absent from school resulting in low attendance and a waste of a school day.
We thank everyone who signed our petition and invite you to join us in building a stronger, more democratic union and a school system that reflects the needs and listens to the voices of students, teachers and families.
