I am doing a workshop titled "UFT 101" and will be joined by Bruce Markens, the only non-Unity caucus district rep for a decade (the guy you can blame for Randi eliminating elections for DR's). I believe every single ed activist (old and young) from the teaching corps will be in the room at some point. Head over and register at: http://stateoftheunionconference-estw.eventbrite.com/
Today I'm focusing on what many of us consider a failure of UFT leadership in responding to the attacks on teachers for political reasons and Tweed's continued support for principals who do so. That commercial running that attacks Bloomberg's failures? I can live with that but it doesn't do anything to make OUR case for resisting ed evals without some protection, including a call for an independent investigation of abusive principals (I presented such a resolution at a DA in 1999 or 2000 and Unity killed it).
Let's start with my 2-minute speech at the Jan. 18 PEP meeting:
"As long as you support U ratings for political activity we will dig in our heals on teacher evaluation." While the UFT walked out, GEM's Norm Scott does what the UFT doesn't: Challenge Walcott and PEP on political persecution of teachers at Panel for Educational Policy Jan. 18, 2011
http://youtu.be/a2kwh5qdS8M
Mulgrew letter to parents "lame" says Brooklyn chapter leader
Mulgrew response on the ed eval where he has openly said how much he supports Cuomo (and in the past how much he loves working with the lying, double-dealing Regent head Merryl Tisch).
A Brooklyn Chapter Leader, takes a shot at the Mulgrew letter to parents:
Philissa Cramer at Gotham Schools reported on this letter:How hard is it to explain that without an appeals process as part of teacher evaluation, teachers will have to put administrators first rather than the children and parents they serve? Not only the truth, but much more palatable narrative/ case to make to the larger community, especially parents. Instead the focus is on bashing Bloomberg (that kind of attack politic is never favorable in the eyes of the public) and "helping" teachers, which while true that is part of what an evaluation system must be/should be, not the strongest part of the argument in terms of mass public in an ad.Of course the UFT could be out there shouting Peter Lamphere [who was U-rated twice for being a functioning chapter leader] from the rooftops and getting him in front of any reporter that will listen, but we know why that is not happening. (Peter is one of the leaders of the opposition within the UFT.)
In the ad, Mulgrew also reiterates his call for third-party negotiation to hammer out the final details of a new evaluation system for at least some city schools. Both Chancellor Dennis Walcott and Mayor Michael Bloomberg have dismissed the call for arbitration, saying that the sticking point — whether an independent party would hear the appeals of teachers who get low ratings, as the union wants — is not open to discussion.But when push comes to shove Mulgrew won't trot out Peter Lamphere--- and I should point out that Gotham has given Peter a lot of space to tell his story while the NY Teacher has not. (See links below but search Gotham for Peter's name for more).
I also used my time at the Dec. PEP meeting to call Walcott out on the Peter Lamphere case and will continue to do so at every opportunity to make the point that Walcott is not really interested in quality teachers when he supports principals who U rate them for political activity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZEyvRRZbBME
Isn't it time for the UFT to gather Peter and others and call a press conference? Isn't it time for the UFT , which got NYSUT to fund his suit on one U rating to do the same on the other? After all, he was only doing his job as chapter leader. The UFT's failure to do so sends a chill down every CL's back.
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FEB. 4- STATE OF THE UNION: TIME TO FIGHT BACK
Register at: http://stateoftheunionconference-estw.eventbrite.com/
Saturday, February 4th, 2012
10:00 am to 4:00 pm
at The Graduate Center for Worker Education
10:00 am to 4:00 pm
at The Graduate Center for Worker Education
25 Broadway, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10004
By Public Transportation: Take 4, 5 to Bowling Green and cross the street. Other stations in walking distance include the : R, W to Rector Street; J, M, Z to Broad Street; 1 to Rector Street; A, C to Fulton Street/Broadway Nassau station to the 4 or 5 train. We are near the Fulton Street Transit Center, in addition to several local and express bus routes, the Staten Island Ferry and PATH train service to New Jersey.
Directions: http://workereducation.org/contact-us
Find us on Facebook: State of the Union
Find us on Facebook: State of the Union
$10.00 pre-regestration
$15.00 at the door
Scholarships available upon request.
Peter Lamphere | GothamSchools - do a search for articles -- see list below.
Aug 1, 2011 ... Peter Lamphere teaches mathematics in Queens. He has has been a teachers union delegate and chapter leader at the Bronx High School of ...
gothamschools.org/author/peter-lamphere/
Citing array of experiences, teachers argue tenure remains vital ...
Aug 1, 2011 ... In February, Lamphere wrote in the Community section about his experience receiving unsatisfactory reviews for the first time after lobbying ...
gothamschools.org/.../citing-array-of-experiences-teachers-argue-tenure- remains-vital/
After ruling, ex-Bronx Science teacher will lose poor evaluation ...
Dec 12, 2011 ... Peter Lamphere had gone to court to appeal an unsatisfactory rating he received when he was the union chapter leader at Bronx Science, ...
gothamschools.org/.../after-ruling-ex-bronx-science-teacher-will-lose-poor- evaluation/
“Merit”? My Experience With Arbitrary U Ratings | GothamSchools
Feb 11, 2011 ... Peter Lamphere teaches mathematics in Queens. He has has been a teachers union delegate and chapter leader at the Bronx High School of ...
gothamschools.org/.../“merit”-my-experience-with-arbitrary-u-ratings/
peter lamphere | GothamSchools
Dec 12, 2011 ... Peter Lamphere had gone to court to appeal an unsatisfactory rating he received when he was the union chapter leader at Bronx Science, ...
gothamschools.org/tag/peter-lamphere/
Rachel Montagano | GothamSchools
Aug 1, 2011 ... by Peter Lamphere and Rachel Montagano, at 4:12 pm. Mayor Bloomberg's comments on his Friday radio show that tenure “may have been ...
gothamschools.org/author/rachel-montagano/
Our Experience Proves Tenure Is Not Obsolete | GothamSchools
Aug 1, 2011 ... The other of us, Peter Lamphere, as a union delegate at the Bronx High School of Science, participated in a harassment grievance along with ...
gothamschools.org/.../our-experience-proves-tenure-is-not-obsolete/
Bronx High School of Science | GothamSchools
Dec 12, 2011 ... Peter Lamphere had gone to court to appeal an unsatisfactory rating he received when he was the union chapter leader at Bronx Science, ...
gothamschools.org/tag/bronx-high-school-of-science/
Paul Feinman | GothamSchools
Jan 3, 2012 ... Peter Lamphere had gone to court to appeal an unsatisfactory rating he received when he was the union chapter leader at Bronx Science, ...
gothamschools.org/tag/paul-feinman/
2011 December 12 | GothamSchools
Dec 12, 2011 ... Peter Lamphere had gone to court to appeal an unsatisfactory rating he ... Lamphere and other teachers said they had been targeted after ...
gothamschools.org/2011/12/12/
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See Norms Notes for a variety of articles of interest: http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/. And make sure to check out the side panel on the right for important bits.
Norm roasting them and speaking the truth. Here is something that some may find irritating. Obama and Unity/UFT have one dangerous thing in common. The don't believe in "belief." They jockey for perspectives on important issues that they can argue for or against depending on what ways the political winds blow. How about taking a rational, judicious, logical and MORAL stance? How about putting up a fight and drawing lines in the sand.
ReplyDeleteNorm, someone should be documenting your role in the resistance movement. I know it is not of interest to you but we all owe you quite a bit.
Yes we do!
DeleteLoved your last. Hope press will be there saturday. ADDams ouster is tip of iceberg on "bad principals"; about the BS on credit recovery, blatant changing of grades, rescoring of regents ( reduced by recent changes, but still possible ), pressure to pass, regrading on two term classes ( i.e. if fail term 1 and then pass term 2, especially if there was a regents, then term 1 grade is changed to passing - all endemic but difficult and dangerous to document.
ReplyDeleteYes, both the Mayor and Mr. Mulgrew can be a tad petty. As a veteran teacher who is a member of the roving ATR fraternity, I have the opportunity to see many schools in action ( Bronx high schools ). Teachers want an equitable evaluation system, as past efforts often had quotas of unsatisfactory ratings that often led to arbitrary evaluations. Nepotism and favoritism were not unknown factors in these quarters.
ReplyDeleteThat is why Mr. Mulgrew is demanding that an independent arbitrator review Unsatisfactory ratings without the DOE ability to override their decision. Currently only about 1/2 of 1% of these ratings are overturned regardless of the arbitrators findings as DOE has final say.
Teachers do not want incompetent colleagues; if there was peer evaluation along with group benchmarks self policing would carry the day.
As a former teacher of a "Specialized Bronx High School", Lamphere was scared to stuff teachers mailbox's with union material. You refer to this man as if he was a great leader. C'mon people you can't believe everything we read!
ReplyDeleteThe only great leaders are Randi and Mulgrew.
DeleteDo you mean Official union material that misinforms?
ReplyDeleteTo unity anon re Mulgrew
ReplyDeleteYes he is fighting for an independent arbitrator for a flawed, illogical and fascist evaluation system. That would be like... Maybe norm can finish this analogy with something from vichy France?
Mulgrew is fighting a flawed, illogical and fascist evaluation system? The same system Unity has done nothing about for 50 years? The same system that Unity in essence supported by removing the right to file letter in the file grievances? The same grievance procedure that Unity took away step 2? And the right of teachers to file step 3? The same system that despite calls from the opposition calling for an independent arbitrator for, oh, my 40 years of involvement, pleas Unity disparaged? Vichy indeed!
ReplyDelete