Saturday, July 24, 2010

How the UFT/AFT Fights Smart - Readers Choice

OK, gang. You've seen numerous examples of the how the UFT/AFT is executing its new slogan:

Fighting Back.
Fighting Smart.

In Washington DC the AFT under Randi Weingarten forged a deal with Michelle Rhee for a new contract, all the while making sure there would be no regularly scheduled election since one of the leading candidates was opposed to that contract. Now that Randi handed her the power, Michelle Rhee is firing scads of teachers.* See Afterburn

In NYC, the UFT under Randi's successor Michael (Ironing Board) Mulgrew went to court to stop the closing of schools, but did not go to court to stop Klein from discouraging potential enrollees at these schools and then made a deal to allow Tweed to insert new schools into the building that were being closed.

Given these brilliant moves, now it's your turn to come up with more ways how our union leaders can continue to FIGHT BACK. FIGHT SMART.



I'll get you started:

Here's an idea that fits right in. Get Bloomberg to give us our 2% raise and in exchange we let them fire ATRs who can't get a job in a year. That's the FIGHT BACK part. We FIGHT SMART by telling the members Bloomberg wanted to fire the ATRs immediately but we held out for a year. Leo Casey before he leaves to join Randi in DC will lecture us on how we don't understand the conditions in today's world and besides, look at the Autoworkers Union.

The UFT continues to organize teachers in charter schools but makes sure there is a blackout on the use of the words "Merrick Charter." Here is the FIGHT SMART part. Whisper to charter school managers that all the UFT wants is to be able to list the school as UFT organized for PR purposes but they can write any contract they want and the UFT will sign it. As long as the teachers have to pay dues.

LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS. READERS WILL VOTE FOR THE BEST FIGHT BACK, FIGHT SMART IDEA. MULGREW HAS PROMISED THAT THE UFT WILL MAKE THE WINNER OFFICIAL POLICY.

-------
After burn

  • Michelle Rhee fired 241 of 4,000 D.C. teachers (6%) today citing poor performance. (WashPost)
  • 737 of D.C. teachers were rated “minimally effective” by the new IMPACT eval. (Teacher Beat)

It takes a WaPo blogger to go after Rhee while the FIGHT SMART crowd at the AFT are silent. Leonie wrote:

Valerie Strauss points out the absurdity of the DC IMPACT system, supposed to measure 22 aspects of teacher quality in 30 min. observations; including designing teacher to fit “tactile” learning styles. Not to mention that the DC exams, meant as the base of 50% of the eval system for teachers in 4-8 grades, weren’t designed to evaluate teachers. Neither were the NY state exams, now shown as fraudulent, but still will be used as basis of 40% of NYC evaluation system for teachers in grades 3-8th. Is there any area of public life where the reigning ideology is as patently absurd as in public education?


The problem with how Rhee fired teachers

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/dc-schools/the-problem-with-how-rhee-fire.html?wprss=answer-sheet

13 comments:

Pogue said...

Here's what the UFT and AFT's version of "Fight Back, Fight Smart" means...
If they punch us in the face enough, sooner or later, their arms have to get tired. We're gonna' wait till their arms get tired.

It is called "collaboration". And, D.C. is currently getting hammered.

Anonymous said...

INSIDE THE UNITY CAUCUS.
HOW ABOUT A CONTEST?
How many ways have Weingarten and Mulgrew and their Vichy suck-ups watered down the contract, sold out the rubber roomers, stopped exposing horrible and corrupt principals (see JFK HS), allowed the ATR's to twist in the wind, backed down from the age discrimination lawsuit (like nobody saw how Master TEachers were being harassed), lied to us in the Caucus and tried to have us sell two raises at 4 per cent each so we could f..u...c...k.. over Billy Thompson, lied to us about how the city is broke (it's not), won't even tell us what the real deal at PERB is.
First Prize: dinner with Mulgrew, Engler and Barr -all you can eat and drink on the members dime.
Second Prize (or is that First Prize): dinner without Mulgrew -you can spend the same dough on your entire chapter!
Third Prize- you get to ride on Bloomberg's plane! Just like Weingarten did when she flew to Ted Kennedy's funeral on the Charter SChool Express Air Line-- after she gave KEnnedy the Dewey Award, which was mailed to the family of Mary jo Kopechne. If Mary Jo was a UFT member, Weingarten and Mulgrew would say it was her fault for getting in the car!

Brooklyn Teacher said...

All who think this "inside" person is really inside are fools. Norm is a hack who is great a slicing people to bits but wouldn't know how to handle any of these situations--just ask him. Norm- you are an over the top and hill loser in every sense of the word.

I dare this insider to step forward...problem is there is no one to do so.

And-- DC was in stambles long before Weingarten got there.

ed notes online said...

Feeling the heat Unity hack?

Let me give you a hint. Look for a guy who wears funny looking shorts to AFT conventions.

Got news for you - there's more than one Unity snitch.

And thank goodness for Randi coming in to save those DC teachers. Now they don't have to worry about collecting a pay check.

NYC Educator said...

Nothing like a nasty personal attack when you have nothing of substance to say. Problem is Unity people are not free to speak their minds. David Selden wrote of their being expelled for having opposed the Vietnam War. Turned out they were wrong about that war.

Just as wrong as they are about Bill Gates, in fact. A few hundred DC teachers just learned that very well.

Anonymous said...

Randi found the answer in Washington. Just support the guy who cancels union elections. She better not tell the teachers there where she lives or they will picket her house to thank her for what she did.

The Lord God said...

NYC Educator, you did it throughout grade school and college, but it is inappropriate for you to play the victim card here.

When the author refers to others as "slugs" and "hacks", then nasty personal attacks are already happening.

No double standards. I didn't write it, but the Golden Rule would seem to be very appropriate in this matter.

Anonymous said...

unlike the unity slug/hack, nyt educator has something of substance to say.

not sure why the golden rule should apply when someone has a knife in your back.

ed notes online said...

Let's see now Lord. Have we seen one comment from you hacks and slugs that doesn't confirm that you are hacks and slugs?

I have no problem with you calling me name and engaging in personal attacks. What NYC seems to be saying is that there is nothing else you say. I don't blame you. It would be trying to defend the indefensible. Your main goal after all, is to try to protect your 6 figure salary.

When am I getting those shorts?

Unknown said...

Rhee's own incompetence lies in the fact that she does not know how to lead since she has never been there. If you don't have the experience in working with teachers and building their leadership and capacity in a formative rigorous way, then one should not be in a leadership position. Whether it is Impact or Performance Management in Chicago, it is all a smoke and mirrors. These metrics used to evaluate teachers is quite absurd. The absurdity may be in the fact that these systems of evaluating teachers speaks more about the folks who put them into place. The Rhees, Hubermans and Klein's want to bring the globalization of teachers home to roost. These folks want cheap labor. They don't even want good schooling for kids. They proved they don't know how to get there. They are ruthless and without morals. To those sitting on the sidelines, time to stand up to the machine!

ed notes online said...

Totally agree Vinicius. What is missing are the activists - people who organize in their schools and communities. The Chicago crew seems to have been activated in that way. Maybe it takes 15 years of ed deform and attacks on teachers and the union to make this happen.

Anonymous said...

Weingarten and Mulgrew -what rating would they have received? Or would Leo Casey-he is not called "The Beard" for nothing- have to stand in for Weingarten when she got her U rating?
Is it true that Weingarten and Mulgrew threw Nobile the Whistleblower down the stairs as a favor to Weingarten who was being rat f...u. c..k...e..d by Klein, complete with dossiers on her personal life and how she became a teacher for six minutes to earn a full pension?
Is she still collecting D.O.E. pension credits? Is Mulgrew? How much lucre do they need?
Is it true Randi?
Why did you cover up for Condon who destroyed the lives of so many teachers?
Were there, as Nobile claims on Gotham Schools blog today, really witnesses to the conversation you had with Nobile about you owing Condon a big favor?
Why didnt you sue for Klein's "secret files," if they existed?
Why is Mulgrew still covering up for Condon now that the TRC members are being sprung and sent back to their jobs with a fine or suspension?
Is Klein keeping files on Mulgrew too?
Do Tell Weingarten. Do Tell.

Anonymous said...

When the Unity "Lord God" from Queens quotes the Ten Commandments, does he send copies to his Unity Caucus pals who covet their neighbor's wives/mistresses/secretaries, administrative assistants on union time? What was that about having "relations" with your subordinates that could lead to a sexual harassment lawsuit?
Does Mulgrew know and pretends not to know? Or, as usual, he just doesnt care about how women are being used as playthings on his watch?
-Conrad (Just call me Garry) Hilton