NYC teachers union holds ‘astonishing’ vote of no confidence against schools official

The city’s powerful teachers union is holding an “astonishing” vote of no confidence against a Department of Education cabinet member who recently came under fire over the apparent ousting of hundreds of early childhood staffers, The Post has learned.

Deputy Chancellor of Early Childhood Education Kara Ahmed has been at the center of the outrage aimed at the division she leads, including over the nearly 400 social workers and instructional coordinators whose jobs are in limbo.

The United Federation of Teachers sent a petition earlier this week to the staffers, who received notices in September that most of their positions would be eliminated, but who have remained on payroll while allowed to look for other gigs within the agency.

“Our school system’s early childhood education program, until recently considered the pre-eminent program of its kind in the country, is being dismantled before our eyes,” UFT chapter leaders Naomi Rodriguez and Raul Garcia wrote to early childhood staffers.

“The staff who built this program are being cast aside, preschool sites are shutting down, and the city’s youngest students are paying the price,” it read.

Memos were also emailed to elementary schools and others who interact with the division on Wednesday.

Ahmed — who reports directly to Schools Chancellor David Banks — is also facing criticism over delayed reimbursements for city-contracted early childhood education programs and an exodus of central staff at the division.

“We cannot let the staff who built this program be cast aside or allow preschool sites to be shut down. Our city’s youngest students deserve better,” said Leroy Barr, secretary of the UFT.

The UFT has held votes of no confidence on individual principals, a spokesperson for the union confirmed — but usually not higher positions. The union has also filed formal complaints about local superintendents, though not votes.

“I have never heard of the UFT having a vote of no-confidence in a deputy chancellor — or anyone at the central office for that matter,” said Eric Nadelstern, a former deputy chancellor of school support and instruction under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who worked at the DOE for 40 years.

Nadelstern frowned on the move against Ahmed, which came ahead of announcements expected later this week from the Department of Education on child care and preschool programs.

“Circulating a petition for a vote of no-confidence on the eve of the department’s release of its early childhood plans seems premature and ill-advised,” he said. “It doesn’t feel as though it’s in the best interests of UFT members to respond in this manner, rather than use a more thoughtful approach to influence policy.”

The DOE has signaled it’s willing to make improvements to the division, though the policy to reassign most instructional coordinators and social workers was introduced under this administration.

“I’ll be on the record saying the system that we inherited was a mess of epic proportions,” Banks told Brooklyn parents at a town hall last week.

“It’s all tied together, when I say there’s major challenges,” he added. “It just suffices to say, it’s not something I’m happy with at all… We’re going to make sure results are delivered.”

The DOE did not return a request for comment Wednesday.