Bethany Bump is reporting at Capitol Confidential New York teachers are suing the state over new regulations that allow superintendents to impose teacher improvement plans on underperforming teachers without negotiating them with their union first. The New York State United Teachers and six local unions are listed as plaintiffs in the suit. The Board of Regents and the State Education Department are listed as defendants, along with their leaders, Chancellor Merryl Tisch and Commissioner MaryEllen Elia (EH-lee-uh). Unions argues the new regulations violate their collective bargaining rights, and the state’s Taylor Law, which governs public employee contracts and negotiations. That law stipulates that all teacher evaluation and disciplinary procedures must be negotiated. Under the regulations the state was granted new authority to make corrective action on teacher evaluation plans that had already been negotiated and approved. That is a clear infringement of a binding legal contract, unions say. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.