Mexico President Sheinbaum rejects CNTE demand to revert teacher placement system

President Claudia Sheinbaum said the Coordinadora Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación (CNTE) is trying to bring back a past model for assigning and moving teachers that relies on joint commissions between unions and state governments. She warned that such a system has historically generated corruption and pledged not to adopt it, even though the teachers’ union claims the proposal reflects its base’s wishes.

Sheinbaum announced that, starting in August, the federal government will conduct a direct, school‑by‑school consultation with more than a million teachers to gather their opinions on key reforms, including the possible dissolution of the Unidad del Sistema para la Carrera de las Maestras y los Maestros (USICAMM). She stressed that dialogue will continue with union representatives but emphasized that decisions must come from the teachers themselves.

The CNTE has maintained a sit‑in protest in Mexico City’s Zócalo, arguing for the return to the old placement scheme and for other demands such as pension and salary improvements. The union says its members will vote on whether to keep the strike, while noting that striking teachers continue to receive their salaries under existing agreements. The administration also highlighted broader social programs such as universal pensions and the “La Escuela es Nuestra” funding scheme.

Critics within the CNTE have flagged the proposed direct consultation as insufficient, insisting that any change must reflect the decisions of their rank‑and‑file. The dispute remains unresolved as both sides prepare for continued negotiations and public demonstrations.