tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33431390.post6599006554114599057..comments2024-03-26T11:07:03.496-04:00Comments on Ed Notes Online: How Unity caucus controls the UFT/NYSUT/AFT - An Analysis ed notes onlinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15018047869059226777noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33431390.post-71373103904571065882015-03-08T16:51:03.344-04:002015-03-08T16:51:03.344-04:00Hey Roseanne. I'm with you. I am not a communi...Hey Roseanne. I'm with you. I am not a communist or even a socialist. I consider myself a left=leaning social democrat.<br />Some of my colleagues in MORE are socialists, many from the Leon Trotsky wing. Others are independent. Some are very into the social justice stuff - which I admire. I am too - always was from my earliest days as a teacher. In fact these are often the very people who are willing to put in the enormous time and effort to organize a caucus and keep it running. Many are young(er) -- in their 30s and 20s. So good for the younger generation - and they have taught me a lot. their SJ comes from a humanistic point of view. Julie used to introduce me as her mentor - which I was about the union -- but believe me, I learned a lot more from her about being a mensh than she learned from me. ed notes onlinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15018047869059226777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33431390.post-54001427540692306262015-03-08T16:19:57.319-04:002015-03-08T16:19:57.319-04:00PART II
I don't agree with MORE on everything...PART II<br /><br />I don't agree with MORE on everything they stand for but they are fighting for things that are important to me while Unity hides under the covers again and again and again. Danielson is an evaluative tool that is inherently unreasonable. Are you willing to admit that Unity supporters? Tying teachers to test scores is a 4th amendment violation and should be fought in the courts. Are you willing to admit that Unity supporters? NYC cupboards were not bare and we could have done better. Additional PT night conferences were a slap in the face. Are you willing to admit that Mulgrew was wrong on anything? It's hard to take anyone seriously when they willingly allow Mulgrew to gag them. Unity people are forbidden from disagreeing with Mulgrew on anything. That's the hard truth. You are all Mulgrew's bitches. Completely and utterly owned by him. You accepted the censorship for the perks or the promise of perks. And now you're trying to convince us that MORE is comprised of commie pinkos and Unity is full of flag waving real Americans. Well, Archie Bunker I aint buying it. I'm pushing 50 and my only commie reference is from a 70’s tv show (All in the Family.)<br /><br /> <br /><br />Considering that I'm one of the oldest staff members in my school, I don't think you're gaining any sway with the young-ins with commie talk. More than half the teachers in my school were not born or still in diapers when the Berlin Wall came down so communism as a scare tactic is just plain silly to 20somethings. <br /><br /><br />For the record.... I support gay marriage. I believe religion has no place in politics or government or public schools. I want to pay taxes and help take care of the less fortunate but I want lower taxes for what's left of the middle class. I want welfare fraud investigated and prosecuted. I do not want to pay for your 2nd baby if you get pregnant while on welfare but I will pay for your abortion. I believe in student suspensions away from the school and teaching children there are consequences for their actions. Parents too. Can't get your kids to school on time every day? We take away your benefits. I want political corruption to be considered an act of treason with a death penalty for those convicted. I believe the corporate profiteers should be removed from health care and our school systems but I back the efforts of real business people and the supply and demand profits they make for themselves and their shareholders. I do not support gun control laws. I want organized labor unions and I’m willing to pay a little more for my goods and services to have them. So am I a liberal? A right winger? A communist? I consider myself a modern day political hybrid but who cares? It's all irrelevant. If Julie Kavanaugh (MORE) or Michael Mulgrew (UNITY) held the exact same beliefs as I described above, I would say, “Who the hell cares?” It would have nothing to do with my support for them as union president. My concerns remain the same regardless: Will you fight to unveil the inherent unreasonable of Danielson and the tying of teachers to test scores? We know the answer: MORE will fight. UNITY will not. Communism?? PUHLEEEZE!!!! No one cares. Roseanne McCoshRoseanne McCoshnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33431390.post-21401152800768464982015-03-08T16:19:13.476-04:002015-03-08T16:19:13.476-04:00PART !
We can debate left, right and in between an...PART !<br />We can debate left, right and in between and the extent of a caucus' social justice"ishness" til the cows come home. My concern remains the same: Unity lies and they are weak. LIES: Unity claims that Danielson is "not a gotchya system." Unity claimed the NYC cupboards were bare and we couldn't do better. Unity proclaimed full retro on the 8%. Unity conducted workshops during which members were told that we were getting 5% interest on money owed to us. WEAKNESS: Unity refuses to fight tying teachers to test scores. Unity refuses to engage in the opt-out movement. Unity doesn't demand the resignation of thieving, abusive principals like Linda Hill. <br /><br />Now let's consider the premise set forth by Anonymous 8:12. "MORE is more concerned with the eventual, long awaited triumph of world communism than it is with our profession." Even if true (but it's not) I'd still support them over Unity. Why? Because i'm tired of being lied to. I'm tired of pusillanimous leadership. Does red baiting even work anymore? Teachers I know are concerned about the unreasonableness of Danielson and their jobs being tied to test scores. And they're willing to back a caucus who will fight to change it. <br />Roseanne McCoshnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33431390.post-27698190448567539042015-03-07T11:30:59.300-05:002015-03-07T11:30:59.300-05:00What the leadership of the AFT has established are...What the leadership of the AFT has established are company unions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Company_union<br /><br />Defeat of the unions was at the heart of Nazi ideology when they took over. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/trade_unions_nazi_germany.htm<br /><br />phila.kenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04607358666445526445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33431390.post-73783506972338268902015-03-07T11:20:57.655-05:002015-03-07T11:20:57.655-05:00I don't assume joining Unity is out of just ge...I don't assume joining Unity is out of just getting perks. I'll give you your motivations. But the cost of being in Unity is supporting all the bad policies -- you can;t support opt-out or oppose common core or the charter school, and the dirty deal with New Action etc. It is you that empower them to be undemocratic and keep them making disastrous policy. You are the problem not the solution.<br />I can have it both ways. You guys have been in power for 60 years - so you are a target. My groups are miniscule and powerless. You cannot equate the two -- it is like the right wing that equate teacher union financial influence with that of billionaire ed deformers. You are the billionaires in this scenario and we use our pea shooters to take shots at you. That you so often feel the need to defend the indefensible on the critical blogs is a sign of insecurity in your own position. Stand up and object to retirees being 52% of the vote in a UFT election. And also tell me you turn down those perks -- did I see you in LA this past summer when I paid my own way?<br />ed notes onlinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15018047869059226777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33431390.post-1876397818280764832015-03-07T11:09:23.322-05:002015-03-07T11:09:23.322-05:00You're absolutely right, Anonymous: All Hail G...You're absolutely right, Anonymous: All Hail Great Leader Michael Mulgrew, the Heroic Unity Caucus and Its Loyalty Oath, and Down With the Running Dogs of Opposition!!!Michael Fiorillonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33431390.post-16008525261870101772015-03-07T11:03:56.741-05:002015-03-07T11:03:56.741-05:00If it concerns you that members of the Unity Caucu...If it concerns you that members of the Unity Caucus (allegedly) refer to other caucuses as "Poison", "Radicals" and "Crazies", how can you justify and endorse other blogs and caucuses who publicly make inflammatory comments about Unity, as evidenced by the illustrations on this page? You can't have it both ways. <br /><br />It also concerns me that these blogs and caucuses seemingly pride itself on focusing on worst-case scenarios, versus focusing on positive outcomes. There's an old Chinese proverb that states, "One cannot refuse to eat just because there is a chance of being choked". Nothing is perfect. But it would make more sense to make forward steps rather than remain stagnant and point out everything that could go wrong if you go forward. Case in point (and I adderessed this to you a few weeks ago): many, many, many members said the '09-'18 agreement was a bad deal partly because, as James Eterno put it, "Anybody can become an ATR at any time". Well, wasn't that the case before the new agreement? People argued more ATR's would be let go at a more frequent pace. I think it's safe to say that hasn't been the case. You know as well as I do, that the word would have been out en masse if they (ATR's) were being unjustly released.<br /><br />I also take offense that CL's join Unity out of blind allegiance. Can't we argue that people join other groups blindly, without fully understanding *their* agenda? A strong and documented history of social justice confirms my support for Unity. From MLK and Albert Shanker, to Bayard Rustin and Sandra Feldman to Randi Weingarten, Rev. William Barber, Rev. Al Sharpton, Michale Mulgrew and the NAACP, there is a marriage of civil rights, community activism and education. <br /><br />Mr.Hughesonlinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04829236000676765887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33431390.post-51660392807033548542015-03-07T09:05:32.158-05:002015-03-07T09:05:32.158-05:00Teachers are getting fucked left and right. Democr...Teachers are getting fucked left and right. Democrats and Republicans are united in their campaigns to destroy public education. Can we really afford to be debating amongst ourselves? No body is going to save us.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33431390.post-91044040751979672132015-03-07T08:35:19.192-05:002015-03-07T08:35:19.192-05:00Let me get this straight. You've seen MORE fly...Let me get this straight. You've seen MORE flyers extolling the virtues of Stalin and North Korea? How do you really know what MORE is concerned with? I advertize MORE events - like protecting chapter leaders and running for chapter leader and fighting testing. MORE is no more left than the Chicago Teachers Union - the VP is in ISO and Karen Lewis is probably to the left of me -- how have they done? Yes I am disturbed when I hear rhetoric on the left or right because that allows people like you to extract a few words and slander a group like MORE or ICE which obviously contain people on the left, thus feeding into the Unity line of attack. Yes you help keep them in power by spreading this nonsense. I guess you want a purge. You clearly are a red-baiter of the worst kind and have no clue about the left or the right. You might ask yourself why there is no right wing caucus and in fact there won't be one. I am proud to be left-leaning and find at least people on the left care enough to get off their asses and do something, even with their rhetoric. I taught in ghetto schools for over 30 years and if any teacher doesn't recognize the impact of race in schools like this they shouldn't be teaching.ed notes onlinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15018047869059226777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33431390.post-36194676354325891032015-03-07T08:12:56.903-05:002015-03-07T08:12:56.903-05:00You say that it disturbs you when friends get rile...You say that it disturbs you when friends get riled up after hearing leftist rhetoric. It's not clear why you're disturbed. It disturbs me when I hear references to "capitalist courts" and "proletarian values" and it disturbs me when I read flyers extolling the virtues of Stalin and North Korea's valiant struggle against injustice. It disturbs me because it makes me think that MORE is more concerned with the eventual, long awaited triumph of world communism than it is with our profession. So, I hope you're disturbed, not at the short-sightedness of those who are put off by such talk, but rather by the dangerous fools who continue to pursue such a line, and who make it so very easy for UNITY to stay in power. And please be honest, Norm, would you just look the other way and smile a bemused smile if a right wing caucus began agitating about the malign influence of, say, "rootless cosmopolitans," for example.?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com