Poll: Most voters have no opinion of recently passed teachers contract

Just 14 percent of city voters said they thought the new teachers contract would lead to better education in the city’s public schools, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday.

Thirty-four percent of voters thought the contract would make no difference in the quality of the city’s public education, and another 44 percent said they hadn’t heard enough to say.

Still, the poll showed most of the city’s voters were in the dark about the teachers contract, which 77 percent of city teachers union members voted for. Fifty-seven percent of respondents said they hadn’t heard enough to approve or disapprove of the contract, under which teachers will see wage increases and some will be able to take on new responsibilities to increase their pay. It also will allow a limited number of schools to redesign their schedules.

The poll also showed that Chancellor Carmen Fariña’s approval rating increased from 34 percent to 39 percent since a mid-March poll, which came after her decisions not to close schools during snowstorms.