By a 2-to-1 margin, the public trusts teachers and their unions — over the governor — to do what's right for public education.
That was a key finding in a mid- March Quinnipiac University poll that found Gov. Cuomo's approval rating has dropped significantly since he started his war with teachers and proposed his anti-public education reform agenda.
The poll found New Yorkers disapprove of the way Cuomo is handling public education by a 63-23 margin. By a 55-28 margin, New Yorkers said they trusted teachers' unions more than the governor to improve public education. And, by 71-25 — nearly three to one — New Yorkers soundly condemned using state test scores for making high-stakes decisions about teachers.
"The public is saying to the governor: Put your ‘test-and-punish' agenda and other proposals that reward the billionaire hedge fund managers who contributed to your campaign in the trashcan and start working with parents and teachers to address the real needs of our schools," said NYSUT President Karen E. Magee.
The poll can be found at nysut. org/mediareleases.