New York’s teachers get an A grade — for lobbying.
The state and city teachers unions spent a combined $4.8 million trying to influence legislation in 2013 — tops in the state, according to the Joint Commission on Public Ethics.
The city’s United Federation of Teachers spent $2.6 million and the New York State United Teachers spent $2.2 million to push their agenda in Albany and at City Hall.
Key issues last year included the Common Core curriculum and teacher evaluations.
“The teachers unions are consistently among the top interest groups in the state. They spend millions of dollars on lobbying every year,” said Bill Mahoney, research director for the New York Public Interest Research Group.
In all, clients spent a record $191 million to lobby, up from $180 million in 2012.
The research found that ex-Sen. Al D’Amato is still squeezing lawmakers’ arms.
D’Amato’s lobbying outfit — Park Strategies — saw its lobbying business soar 62 percent last year, to $6 million.