Education Briefs
In still more pushback for the unions, United Federation of Teachers’ (UFT) members in New York City are threatening to pull their money from the union’s “political activities fund” after the UFT endorsed radical socialist Zohran Mamdani for Mayor. The New York Post reported that
“UFT President Mike Mulgrew and his top allies infuriated rank-and-file members by pushing through a resolution to back Mamdani,” which was approved “by 63 percent of more than 1,000 delegates — with the vast majority of teachers on summer recess and caught off guard.” The next day, 90 teachers gathered on a Zoom call initiated by “the United Jewish Teachers and NYC Public Schools Alliance, groups battling antisemitism in city schools.” These groups are concerned about Mamdani’s record, which, says a spokesperson, “includes deeply troubling associations with antisemitic and anti-American views.” Many of the city’s public-school teachers are asking their union reps how to drop donation payments to the Committee on Political Education or COPE, and some are considering leaving the union altogether. One school chapter leader and union delegate based in the Bronx asked: “Why should I pay dues to a union endorsing a guy who is a socialist and whose beliefs I vehemently oppose?” The UFT has almost 200,000 members and reportedly collected “dues and agency fees totaling nearly $174.5 million for the fiscal year ending July 31, 2023,” according to its most recent federal financial filings. It spent “$4.5 million on ‘political activities and lobbying’ and another $4.3 million on ‘contributions, gifts and grants.’” Organizers of the Zoom call predict an exodus from the UFT in the coming weeks.
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen last month signed into law the Stand With Women Act, which bans biological men from competing in women’s sports, including sex-specific interscholastic athletic programs in public schools. LifeSite News reported that LB 89 also prohibits government entities, licensing or accrediting organizations, or athletic associations from filing complaints, opening investigations, or taking “any other adverse action against a 
public or private school or a public or private postsecondary educational institution for maintaining any separate interscholastic athletic team or sport for female students.” The new law states the obvious, that “(1) Males and females possess unique and immutable differences that manifest prior to birth and increase as they age and experience puberty; (2) Differences between the sexes are enduring and may, in some circumstances, warrant the creation of separate social, educational, athletic, or other spaces in order to ensure safety and to allow members of each sex to succeed and thrive; (3) Physical differences between males and females have long made separate and sex-specific sports teams important so that female athletes can have equal opportunities to compete in sports while reducing the risk of physical injury....” The bill’s lead sponsor, Nebraska State Sen. Kathleen Kauth, said: “LB 89 is about protecting women in their athletics, protecting them in their private areas like their bathrooms, locker rooms, [and] making sure that their opportunities remain their opportunities ... athletic competitions or even things like grants set aside for women should be for women.” The pro-parent group, Defending Education, reported on July 15 that 32 states “are in compliance [with President Trump’s executive order ‘Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,’ dated Feb. 5, 2025] and have passed bills and/or made statements to that effect.”
New data shows that investing in a college education is worthwhile only for some. An article on msn.com described a 2024 Gallup and Lumina Foundation poll which showed that “only 36 percent of adults said they have a ‘great deal’ or ‘quite a lot of’ confidence in higher education,” a significant drop from 10 years ago,
when 57 percent expressed support. Despite these findings, the Gallup poll showed that “people continue to see college as a pathway to success.” According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Americans aged 25 and over with bachelor’s degrees had a median income of around $1,493 a week in 2023, 66 percent more than their peers with just a high school diploma.” But this wage gap alone “can provide a misleading picture of a college education’s impact on earnings,” says author and economist Bryan Caplan of George Mason University in his book, The Case Against Education: Why the Education System Is a Waste of Time and Money. Caplan points out that “not everyone who goes to college graduates,” and he estimates that as many as 82 percent of students at a four-year college in 2007, for example, “failed to graduate on time,” earning their bachelor’s degree “six years after enrollment.” The information platform Stacker published an analysis that showed “college is a good bet, at least for those with a good academic record. Excellent students can expect an ROI of about 14.1 percent at public four-year colleges, while poor students can expect only a 4.6 percent return.” These finding suggest that students planning to attend a four-year college or university, despite the high costs and other pitfalls, should at least be well prepared.
Want to be notified of new
Education Reporter content?
Your information will NOT be sold or shared and will ONLY be used to notify you of new content.
Click Here
Return to Home Page