One of the driving forces for the Chicago strike is that all the leaders have directly experienced the impact of ed deform on themselves and their friends. So anyone who wants to compare Karen Lewis to Randi is talking apples and kumquats. But one thing they do have in common: both have been readers of Ed Notes.
I actually saved a phone message from Karen Lewis urging me not to stop doing Ed Notes. So I guess she actually reads some of the crap I write. But I bet not today. I didn't even have my camera on when Karen introduced me to some of the teachers from Chicago at a rally for Detroit teachers at the AFT convention in July. (Funny but I was on the same bus with Randi and we had a nice chat walking over to the rally). Karen told them that she reads the blog every morning and I turned on the camera and asked her to do a promo. Later that night she said the same thing at the AFT Peace and Justice meeting. It is an honor.
Karen is a delightful lady with a giant and warm personality. Could Chicago have found a more perfect union leader? And the remarkable thing is until 2 years ago she was teaching chemistry for over 20 years. I think as I said above, that coming directly from classrooms that have been under assault to running the union has hardened them to not offer any more givebacks. I'll get to some of the issues like the ed eval and the demand that laid off teachers (the ATR equivalents) be hired before the 5-week TFA wonders. I wonder how many TFAers will be used as scabs?
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If you don't read the comments, you missed that Howard Dean left a comment on this post: Randi and Howard Dean Report #2
saying his son does not run charter schools. Hmmm, would be be ashamed if his son did run charters? I would be too.
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Let me add this link from Diane Ravitch:
Those who are saying the worst thing is to close the schools in a strike while they are perfectly willing to accept open schools with conditions that they wouldn't want their own children to be in.Superintendent J.C. Brizard says a strike will only hurt the kids.This teacher tells Superintendent Brizard what really hurts the kids in Chicago public schools.
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I can see the two ugly halfs of the reform butt (Duncan & Weingarten) rearing their heads at the Chicago strike. If I were Karen Lewis I would not let Weingarten enter the room as she is a shill for management. The CTU if carrying the fight that both the AFT & UFT should be fighting.
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