City officials are weighing in on the teachers union's attempt to shape the debate at a recent education hearing by giving City Council members notecards with specific questions to ask.

The questions by the United Federation of Teachers were critical of charter schools and were meant to be directed at education officials and charter school advocates.

"UFT has the right, I guess, to give out cards and people have a right to take them and use them. They probably should have disclosed that those questions were written for them by a party that has a vested interest," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

"As it relates to the issue of the UFT giving out cards with questions written on them, I think I share the sentiments that the UFT president Randi Weingarten expressed, which was that the manner in which their concerns were expressed was regrettable," said City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

Some say there is nothing wrong with the practice and note that all advocates are trying to inform elected officials about their concerns.

Critics argue it is an example of the council being manipulated by the teachers union.