Thursday, November 1, 2007

UFT's Leo Casey Wants Open, Lively Debate

Guess what? He won't find it at UFT Delegate Assemblies or Executive Board meetings or just about anywhere in the UFT. Here's what he wrote on Edwize about Kathryn Wylde's assault on Diane Ravitch:

"Education policy thrives in a vigorous, dynamic public sphere where ideas and initiatives — new and old, good and bad, half-baked and well-formulated — are subjected to open, lively debate and contestation. What is essential in this sphere is that it is the policies, not the persons advocating them, which are the center of debate."


Nice to know the red-baiting attack on Kit Wainer by Unity Caucus in the elections was not personal. Or Casey's attempt to brand an entire opposition Caucus as Nazi sympathizers because of the colors used on their web site.

Casey goes on to say, "It seems that for some, markets should rule all education — except for the free marketplace of ideas. There, their monopoly must go unquestioned and uncriticized."

If you've read this blog you see how the UFT leadership attempts to suppress debate on a consistent basis. Don't believe me? Check anyone who is not in Unity Caucus to tell you how much open, lively debate and contestation there was at the October Delegate Assembly over the merit pay deal as Unity Caucus faithful hooted and hollered to close debate as soon as they could. How they rejected attempts by delegates to go back to their schools to discuss the issue before voting. You see, in the UFT open lively debate consists of springing something on the delegates without any advance notice on the agenda even after months of discussion with the DOE, taking an hour to have the president present it, "allowing" less than a half hour to talk about it before voting.

Or how when Jeff Kaufman rose to amend an ATR resolution there were immediate calls from Unity that he did not have the right, followed by about a hundred violations of Robert's Rules by Randi Weingarten as she constantly interjected herself while Jeff attempted to talk.

Wylde unfairly called Ravitch hypocritical. Call Casey and the rest of the UFT hierarchy hyper-hypocritical.

Free marketplace of ideas indeed!

8 comments:

NYC Educator said...

Call them hypocritical, but not on Edwize. They deleted my comment within minutes of posting.

ed notes online said...

Yes. They pay a full-time deleter. Probably with a double pension.

Anonymous said...

maybe they will raise our union dues to pay this deleter.

proofoflife said...

Hey Norm, when I brought up this very issue at a chapter leader meeting in the Bronx I was told that Randi should be given tons of credit for even bringing it( Merit pay) up at the DA. According to the Bx. Boro Rep. she didn't have to do that... because it was already included in our last scam of a contract.

proofoflife said...

P.S. What is Robert's Law?

proofoflife said...

Sorry, Robert's Rules? lol

ed notes online said...

Rules to run meetings. But Randi violates them so often Robert is rolling around in his grave. Now they use Randi's Rules which means you say 10 words and she says 20.

proofoflife said...

Got it. Thanks. Have a good weekend.