Bloomberg Lets the Cat Out of the Bag: We Need the UFT to Help Manage the Members- oops - the Schools

I missed the radio program starring the two Michaels the other day but I hear Bloomberg said he was not anti-union - and in fact needs the union. And so he does. What if the membership starts going wilding - like taking mass sickouts or other wildcat actions? The UFT  leadership will be right there to help reign them in.

With tonight's buzz of the UFT giving up on --- you name it ----- here are some email leads coming in:

Mulgrew has been quietly lobbying for the turnaround plan behind the scenes.

WNYC WNYC News Blog
RecommendSharePrintEmail Bill to End Last In, First Out Narrowly Clears Senate
Tuesday, March 01, 2011 - 12:43 PM
By Beth Fertig

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said before Cuomo's bill was released that the teachers union and state education department are already working on a policy to replace LIFO as part of the requirements for receiving federal Race to the Top funding in time for the 2012-2013 school year

It seems that the UFT has agreed to a turnaround plan that not only involves charter conversion to Green Dot (whose teachers, while unionized have less job security that public school teachers), but also would mean at least half of the school's teachers would lose their position and become ATRs, outside of any seniority order. 

A major concession, if true.  Given that the UFT appears to be the major source for this article and then DOE remains noncommittal, it appears that the union is committed to this. I hope it raises major questions at tomorrow's Delegate Assembly.

New Strategy Weighed for Failing Schools: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/09/nyregion/09greendot.html?src=me&ref=nyregion

From The New York Times:

City Eyes New Tactic for Failing Schools: The Turnaround

Rather than closing two Bronx schools, the Bloomberg administration may try to overhaul them with help from a charter school network.

http://nyti.ms/einOwx

(And lots of talk about the UFT's fave charterites: Steve Barr and Green Dot. Too much info to put up here but here are some links at Norms Notes: Green Dot and Steve Barr Updates.)

Here's the best:

From: UFT Political Action Department <noreply@uft.org>
Subject: Take action: Thank the governor

Date: Tuesday, March 8, 2011, 7:50 PM

Take action: Thank the governor
Dear colleagues,
When our elected officials do the right thing by our schools and our students, we want them to know.
Please take a moment to call Governor Cuomo to tell him that we appreciate his leadership on workers’ rights and our schools.
Call him at 518-474-8390.
Here’s what you can say:
Governor Cuomo, because of your efforts, everyone knows that New York is not Wisconsin.
I want to thank you for standing up for both the city’s children and the rights of union members by insisting that the state budget should not require local layoffs, despite Mayor Bloomberg's threat to lay off thousands of teachers and send class sizes skyrocketing.
In addition, while the system you are developing can lead to more objective teacher evaluations, the mayor's proposals would return our system to the days of cronyism and discrimination on the basis of race, age and gender.
Your leadership stands as an example to other states where workers' rights and critical services for children are under assault.
Sincerely,
UFT Political Action Department

 "Shameless!" was one comment. I just gagged.

Well, you know the drill. The Delegate Assembly Weds afternoon should be a bowl of laughs. I better get there early to get the banana. Join a bunch of us to drown your sorrows post-DA:

From Teachers Unite - POST-D.A. DRINKS! 3/9 Happy Hour: Send Support to Wisconsin workers!

Join fellow teachers and allies following the UFT Delegate Assembly in writing solidarity/thank you cards to Wisconsin workers standing up for collective bargaining.

Wed., 3/9, 6pm
Killarney Rose Bar (Upstairs Lounge)
127 Pearl St.
$4 drafts and bottles

Directions from UFT Headquarters:
Broad St. to Pearl St. and make a right

Link to Killarney Rose Bar with map: http://bit.ly/htUzAn

(A monthly affair after every DA)

THIS JUST IN:
READ A GREAT PIECE AT GOTHAM COMMUNITY BY GEMer Liza Campbell, a third year teacher who I've been working with on a bunch of projects. Democracy And Reform: A View From A PEP Newbie

I was at an ad hoc meeting organizing for Fight Back Friday (March 25 - get your school to join) on Monday with Liza, Julie Cavanagh and about 15 other mostly young teachers, all of whose ages don't add up to mine. What an amazing crew. I'm starting to feel sorry for the ed deformers. And for ME$ME. They don' need no stinkn' full time organizers paid for by Bill Gates and DFER.

See where all this is going: Social Justice Unionism

Check out Norms Notes for a variety of articles of interest: http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/. And make sure to check out the side panel on right for news bits.