From James Eterno: ACTIVATE YOURSELF THIS WEEK TO SAVE JAMAICA!

James Eterno is running for President of the UFT on the ICE/TJC slate. But if you don't see him around doing much campaigning, he has other fish to fry. Like trying to save his school. His fighting spirit is one of the reasons so many people support him.

GO GET 'EM JAMES.

UFT
Jamaica Chapter News
December 14, 2009

ACTIVATE YOURSELF THIS WEEK TO SAVE JAMAICA!

PHONE BANK LATER TODAY TO BUILD FOR WED RALLY

Everyone must do their part this week if we are to have any chance of saving Jamaica High School. Today (Monday) we will be going to the UFT offices at 97-77 Queens Blvd at around 5:00 p.m. to use their phone banks to call every parent, UFT member who lives in this area and anyone else who might be able to help with our rally on Wednesday.

Please see me or a member of the Save Jamaica Committee as soon as possible today (Monday) so we know who is coming. The Committee is Maria Giamundo, Tanya McKetney, Debbie Saal, Julia Schlakman and a few others. We need as many people as possible tonight so that this job is something we can finish within a reasonable amount of time. Please help.

On Tuesday, four of us will be meeting with Assemblyman Rory Lancman and Council Member Jim Gennaro. We will make the case to save Jamaica to these politicians.

ALL HANDS ON DECK FOR WEDNESDAY’S RALLY & MEETING

`Wednesday, we need everyone to be here at 5:30 p.m. for a rally preceding the so called information meeting that will take place in the auditorium at 6:00 p.m. The rally and meeting are not optional in my opinion. While the UFT is not your employer and as such we cannot compel attendance at the rally and meeting, I would term it a moral obligation. This is our biggest challenge yet as a UFT Chapter and we need our biggest turnout. We have to show the DOE we really care about our school by rallying outside the school at 5:30 p.m. and then by filling as many seats in the auditorium as possible. Our power is collective and not individual. We can kiss Jamaica goodbye if all of us aren’t there: staff, also parents and students.


LOG ON & EMAIL THE PEP & STATE REGENTS

The Public comment period on the proposal to close Jamaica is now open. Every, UFT member, DC 37 colleague, parent, student or friend of Jamaica High School needs to go onto the site and email the Panel for Educational Policy with your opposition to the closing of Jamaica. Please students, no text message language; use proper language in the emails. The state regents are also meeting today and they should also be notified.


TELL THE CHANCELLOR HOW YOU FEEL ON THURSDAY

You can email Chancellor Joel Klein at any point but you can talk to him personally on Wednesday after our meeting here. He will be at PS/IS 266 on Wednesday. The location is 74-10 Commonwealth Blvd. in Bellerose (Glen Oaks/Frank Padavan Campus), Thursday, the Panel for Educational Policy will be meeting in the Bronx at 6:00 p.m. at New World High 921 East 228th Street.


I will be there and as many of you as possible should join me. The next big date will be January 7, 2010 when the public comment period will be held at Jamaica. Finally, the PEP will vote on our fate at a meeting on January 26, 2010 on Staten Island. We are attempting to have the meeting moved to a more central location. Go to sign the online petition.

Also on Thursday - rally at Norman Thomas HS in Manhattan there is a rally to save Norman Thomas HS. That’s at Park Avenue and 34th Street. We should support them.

[ED. NOTE: See more on protest in our post: Defend Your School]

James Eterno
UFT Chapter Leader,
Jamaica High School


Move Jan. 26 PEP Out of Staten Island to Central Location
Tell Joel Klein to move the Jan. 26 PEP meeting out of Staten Island.
Click the link above and copy and paste the letter and circulate or sign and send back to me.