A funding plan under consideration for the state budget would pay parochial and nonprofit pre-K programs substantially less than those at public schools, advocates involved in the talks charge.
Gov. Cuomo and legislative leaders are considering a measure that would give pre-K programs $10,000 per student if they have fully credentialed teachers.
But programs with teachers who don’t have certifications would get $7,000 per student, insiders said.
The better-financed public schools have substantially more credentialed teachers than smaller community-based and faith-based private programs, sources said.
The result would be a two-tiered system favoring union-run public-school pre-K programs at the expense of faith-based and nonprofit programs, which will get fewer resources leading to lower-paid teachers, sources claimed.
Community-based operators said they were stunned by the 11th-hour proposal.
“This proposal provides inequity in the pre-K system. It puts the nonprofit providers, the yeshivas and Catholic schools, at a tremendous disadvantage,” said Jeff Leb, policy director for Orthodox Union Advocacy.
Leb said the private programs would be paid $90,000 less to teach 30 students.
Sources claimed the city teachers union, the United Federation of Teachers, pushed for the measure to steer more funds to pre-K programs at public schools, where its members are employed.
“The UFT is trying to get as many of the pre-K classes as possible in the public-school system. The disparity in payments will make it harder for the CBOs [community-based organizations] to expand pre-K quickly,” said a source tied to the budget talks.
Gregory Brender of United Neighborhood Houses, a coalition of community groups, said the plan would hurt its pre-K services.
“This proposal is a shock. I don’t know where it came from. It will definitely impact our ability to teach kids. We would have less funding to support our teachers, our curriculum, and buy materials and provide class trips,” he said.
Mayor de Blasio has said he wants pay parity for all pre-K teachers, union and nonunion in public and privately run programs.
“What we are trying to do in each and every case is focus on quality and talented teachers and, obviously, make sure that we have the resources to give them the kind of pay that would encourage their presence in these programs,” he said Tuesday.
Pre-K teachers in private programs make as much as $10,000 a year less than those in public ones.
Cuomo declined to comment.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver also declined, with spokesman Michael Whyland noting, “It’s pointless to respond because there is no final deal.”
The UFT had no immediate comment.