Fed Judge Calls Emergency Hearing on Rubber Room Suit

Updated Monday, Jan. 28, 9 AM

• When? Monday.
• RR group, Teachers4Action, growing by leaps and bounds.
• Randi and UFT not supporting teachers. Writes letter to elected officials disavowing suit.
• Randi is sent "cease and desist" letter by lawyer who accuses her of attempting to undermine RR teachers.
• Details to follow as they come in. I'll put a direct link to this posting on the upper right corner of the blog, so check back.

That the UFT will oppose any independent action on the part of teachers is a given. Unless they can coopt it like they did the rally at the PEP in November. Remember the mantra: The "job" of the UFT leadership is to control the members and dampen any militancy that might arise in the rank and file.

I believe both the DOE and the UFT are working together to eliminate the rubber room, not for good reasons, but to find a way to keep people away from each other so such militancy won't occur again. The key was the favorable mainstream press some of the outrageous cases were getting, which embarrasses both Tweed and the UFT.

Who knows? Maybe there is enough anger to cause a lot more people than have come in the past to stand outside the Delegate Assembly on Feb. 6 and tell people what is going on.

Tonight, another group, TAGNYC, will be at the PEP at Tweed to give Klein a lecture.

Check out Chaz's School Daze for his Jan. 21 report.

UPDATE: I only have pdf's and jpegs of Randi's Jan. 16 letter to elected officials. I am working to get them clear enough to read and will post them below Fagan's letter later today. Fagan nails a bunch of stuff in this excerpt:

teachers were forced to take action because, in part of the UFT’s failings to do its job to protect teachers. Unfortunately, you did not see fit to provide a copy of your response to my clients and instead circulated your proposals in a typical political maneuver.

Via Fax # 23 January 2008
Randi Weingarten, President
United Federation of Teachers
52 Broadway
New York, NY 10004

Re: Teachers4Action et al v. Bloomberg et al 08-cv-0548 (VM)

Dear Ms. Weingarten,

I represent Teachers4Action in the above referenced matter. We have just received a copy of the letter you circulated to elected officials on Jan.16, 2008 in response to my clients’ Jan. 15, 2008 letter to Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Chancellor Joel Klein.

My clients’ Jan. 15th letter was faxed to you to inform you of our/their demands and actions. My client’s letter was sent so that you would realize the seriousness of the problems that exist, the immediate, irreparable and ongoing damages that the teachers are suffering and the fact that the teachers were forced to take action because, in part of the UFT’s failings to do its job to protect teachers. Unfortunately, you did not see fit to provide a copy of your response to my clients and instead circulated your proposals in a typical political maneuver. Your Jan. 16th letter illustrates (i) the failures of the UFT to address these problems and (ii) the UFT’s knowledge and failure to take action related to the ongoing damages which Teachers4Action members suffer because of the "Rubber Room“ practices. Your Jan. 16th letter also underscores the need for the above referenced complaint filed by Teachers4Action.

My clients and I consider your Jan. 16th letter as an attempt to undermine their efforts to protect their rights. Your Jan. 16th letter gives the impression that you have labored long and hard to find a solution for my clients and the other teachers and DOE staff who have been, or continue to be, caught up in the mayor’s and the DOE’s scheme to reduce salaries by getting rid of senior teachers. However, the truth is that my clients and Teachers4Action members were forced to take action because you and the UFT failed them and violated your obligations to them.

My clients demand that you and the UFT advise us immediately that you will (i) cooperate with and support Teachers4Action members individual rights to protect themselves and prosecute these claims; (ii) stop interfering with/undermining legitimate efforts of teachers who are UFT members to protect their own rights and interests; (iii) stop misrepresenting what actions the UFT has and has not taken related to teachers in “Rubber Rooms”; (iv) cease and desist interfering in Teachers4Action’s efforts to protect themselves and their members; and (v) immediately produce any and all UFT correspondence, letters, emails, faxes, computer stored records and other documents related to “Rubber Rooms” dating back to 1999.

We look forward to receipt of your direct, full and prompt response to this letter.

Sincerely,


Edward D. Fagan