UFT ineffectiveness in defending chapter leaders a growing sore with teachers. On Friday, I published this story as a lead-in to the one below:
Does the UFT Bury Stories Exposing How Weak It Really Is When It Comes to Defending Chapter Leaders?
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| Rachel Montaganao, Chapter Leader, IS 216 facing 3020 charges |
I've been reporting on the situation at MS 216 in Queens where Principal Reginald Landeau Jr has railroaded and removed chapter leader Rachel Montagano (one of many CLs chopped by Landeau) who is under 3020a charges for supposedly being incompetent, causing teachers and students and parents to shake their heads in disbelief. Landeau brought Montagano into the school due to her impeccable record as an educator but turned on her when she took the CL job at the behest of union higher ups who have seemingly abandoned her despite telling her they would have her back. Sure, with a knife out.
Today I heard that UFT Queens rep Washington Sanchez, who earns the distinction of never having had a good word said about him (see my report from the AFT Convention in Seattle) was going into MS 216 to hold an SBO vote, a vote that should only have been conducted by Montagano and something the UFT should have insisted upon. But Sanchez by going in and holding a vote is helping Landeau undercut the legitimacy of Montagano who is still the elected chapter leader.Some teachers at the school are livid at the UFT reps they have been dealing with, with UFT VP Richard Farkas coming in for special condemnation.
Here are our previous posts:
Reggie Landeau Faces Student Protest Over Treatment of Teacher (Chapter Leader)
Reginald Landeau, Jr. - Triple Principal From Hell
The student who put up the facebook page was called in Landeau's office along with the parents and made no graduation threats and even threatened them with police unless it was taken down. There is a new facebook page supporting Montagano which you should go and support:http://www.facebook.com/pages/
where a student left this comment:
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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.
Lets not forget that the UFT "helped" or "caused" this situation after this article was published in the NY Teacher, the UFT's newspaper. After this published article, how can this situation NOT be PERB and retaliation related? (for those who do not know, PERB stands for 'public employment relations board).
ReplyDeletehttp://www.uft.org/news-stories/queens-principal-burns-office-staff
If you look at the picture of the NY Teacher article, all of the chapter leaders from that district are standing in front of this school, with the district rep. Now how can anyone turn their backs on the situation after 'helping' back in March?
A direct quote from the FB page, (to show you how these graders are really learning about social and democratic justice).
ReplyDelete"There was a threat on the last page. So the principal made the person that started the page take it down. He also "talked" with several students about the shirts that were made and the petition and about students rallying on Ms. Montagan...o's behalf. While threats should be taken seriously...petitions, t-shirts, and peaceful rallys are acceptable. I will say one last thing...There was great momentum last week. Lots of people were watching that page, and are now starting to watch this page."
***My thoughts, they must have had a great 8 grade social studies teacher who really taught them about social justice, democracy and rights. Too bad the DOE doesn't see it that way and supports a principal who burned down his office.
I thought SBO deadlines expired already? Did the principal at 216 pull some strings at the UFT to extend the vote, so he could get what he wants now that the CL is gone? What about the few teachers in Landeau's pocket that tried to hold the vote before the deadline without the UFT at all?
ReplyDeleteStrong unions have names (scabs?) and accountability for these types of members.
Washington Sanchez is a true UFT leader. He did a terrific job of telling teachers in Queens that they need not attend the ATR Rally in the Fall of 98 because they had plenty of people onboard already.
ReplyDeleteJohn Powers
Fall of 08...sorry
ReplyDeleteFrom what I hear the 2 "scabs" don't even have a license in what they teach at 216. Gee, I wonder why they feel it is necessary to push through what the principal wants. It could that they are noy "highly qualified" or it could be that they keep their cushy jobs by working against the other teachings. Scabs maybe, rats definitely.
ReplyDeleteChapter leaders are just sheep controlled by egotistical district reps claiming to have their backs. Wishful thinking. DR's won't hesitate to bash a CL in front of others. They have their own selfish agendas.
ReplyDeleteAS a CL in Queens, I can vouch for that. It's all about threats to get COPE money and abundant food. That's the face of the UFT: prizes and snacks for the members in the trenches.
ReplyDeleteTake away our 8.25% on fixed for the rest of your life in exchange for 2 crummy days every August til you retire.
Has anyone read the little blurb on the TRS statements? 7% for UFT working and retired members, everyone else still gets 8.25%
I never thought I'd see the day when these phony people were exposed. Everyone wants to be a wiseguy. Your next film, The Inconvenient Truth Behind COPE and Doughnuts.
ReplyDeleteHere's a thought. Would today's unions support Healthcare for All (expanded Medicare for all...HR676)?
ReplyDeleteHmmmm. Pension attacks plus no health care reward for being in a union = ?
P.S. Not referring to small union locals.
ReplyDeleteIt is now 2014. I still don't have anything positive to say about Mr. Sanchez. He is the kind of guy who comes to assist you at a disciplinary hearing with your principal and begins by kissing the principal on the cheek. By the time he's finished, he has metaphorically kissed the principal's ***.
ReplyDelete