With almost three decades of service to public education, Stephen Allinger is the Director of Legislation for the 600,000-member New York State United Teachers. In that role since January 2006, Allinger is an advocate for the interests of millions of school children and college students, health professionals, their families and their educators.
NYSUT has developed a strong statewide program to meet its members’ legislative and political needs. Allinger works closely with NYSUT’s elected officers to articulate the union’s positions about the state of New York’s schools and how to constantly improve them. Together with the union’s leaders and members, Allinger meets with federal, state and local elected officials, policymakers and their staffs to keep public education issues a top priority.
Allinger had previously served as Executive Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for the New York City Department of Education – where he had city, state and federal responsibilities – and served as the liaison to the Council of Great City Schools and the Conference of Big Five School Districts, from 1994 to 2005.
Governor Mario Cuomo appointed Allinger as executive director of the NewYork State Special Commission on Educational Structures, Policies and Practices from 1993 to 1994, where he led work on school district finances and educational practices. Prior to that, he was the legislative director for the New York City Board of Education and was also deputy director of budget studies for the Assembly Ways and Means Committee.