To Our
Members

We know we must reimagine education to meet the future head on, and, in New York, educators are more than mere witnesses to this transformation.

We are driving it.

From dense urban school settings to rural mountainous districts, NYSUT members are challenging the status quo so our schools can better reflect what today’s higher education and job markets really need.

In November, NYSUT’s More Teaching Less Testing Task Force set the stage with new recommendations to finally end the state and nation’s over-reliance on high-stakes testing. These ideas were reflected in the State Education Department’s recent proposals to add multiple pathways to high school graduation requirements.

That’s not the only revolution we’re leading.

Innovative hands-on learning programs are skyrocketing across the state, a renaissance of joy and connection for students who are learning through hands-on experience. Kids are launching podcasts, growing and selling their own organic vegetables, and practicing forensics skills through mock investigations, all within daily curricula.

These programs are equipping students with real-world expertise that will plug them into the advanced jobs of today and tomorrow. They are also developing a world-class workforce that will lure major industry players into communities across the state.

In December, chip manufacturer Micron Technology Inc. announced a deep investment into educating students for jobs in the semiconductor industry, and they are asking New York teachers to help them develop the program in a first-of-its-kind partnership.

Micron saw what educators already know: from robotics courses to cybersecurity training to model UN debates, our schools can be launching pads, propelling New York to stay at the forefront of technology, communication and industry.

It can often be hard to see beyond our day-to-day work: educating, advocating, organizing. But I want you to know that your showing up is paying off.

Amid transformations in our economy, job market and schools, NYSUT members are not waiting around to adapt; we’re igniting the change that will prepare our students, workplaces and communities for an exciting future.

Melinda