Join MORE in its Quest

I hope you read the post by NYCEducator on Unity Caucus along with the comments. Read the Unity C defender and the responses (including mine). And add yours.

Really, right now is there an alternative to MORE which is in the early stages of building positive alternative leadership (PAL) to Unity? Unless you support Unity policies (contrast to Chicago) how can you stay away?

I've had little internet access except through my phone. I'm in the Lisbon airport waiting for a flight to Madrid where we catch the plane home. If we make the tight connection after a 2-week trip to Portugal I will be home in time to attend the Oct MORE meeting tomorroe where I hope to see a rousing endorsement of the top 5 candidates on the MORE slate running against Unity and who knows whatever else pops up in the election?

I'm excited at the progress MORE, which didn't have a name until this past May, has been making with very few resources, both material and personnel. Starting out with meetings of key activists from many of the already existing groups over 2 years ago, there was a decision to start from scratch rather than try to merge existing cultures.

The Chicago CORE model has been a guide but we still have to find our own way - the struggle to be as open and democratic as possible while not getting bogged down makes us walk a fine line, especially in choosing candidates that many of us know well from having worked with them while giving new people access and opportunities. Even more importantly, building a working structure that works well beyond the elections. I was initially one of the lone voices against running because I felt we might take a step backwards through the election efforts and end up weaker than where we started in April 2013, esp if we do very poorly in the elections, which given the process is always a possibility. I'm interested in the longer term because in the past I found the elections were debilitating rather than growing a caucus. But I have more hope this time. I am telling people they better get it right so I see some progress soon just in case I drop dead.

Though not everyone from the old orgs have signed on yet, a blend of new and experienced activists have signed on. I hope you've been reading the amazing stuff coming out of MORE members like Julie, Brian, Patrick, Michael, Megan and others, with lots more people to come, a wonderful blend of people.
Hope to see some of you tomorrow where you can sign up with MORE for the 10 buck membership fee and get immediate voting rights.
MORE does ask that people support the mission statement while, unlike Unity, leaving people free to debate the points in public forums.

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October 13th 12-3 pm
            CUNY Graduate Center365 5th Ave @ 34th St.

Join MORE for our next general meeting this Saturday, October 13th. 

We will be discussing the upcoming UFT elections and voting on the top five positions of the slate. 

Bios of the candidates will be sent out this week in our weekly update.

We will also hold committee meetings as well as breakout sessions to tackle the work we face in the coming months.

Did you know 217 schools qualify for closing under the New York City Department of Education guidelines? 

We will hold breakout groups to launch our efforts to support, educate, organize and mobilize around this issue and MORE!

October 13th 12-3 pm
CUNY Graduate Center
365 5th Ave @ 34th St.
Rm. 5409.  Bring ID.

Cheers,
Norm Scott

Twitter: normscott1

Education Notes
ednotesonline.blogspot.com

Grassroots Education Movement
gemnyc.org

Education columnist, The Wave
www.rockawave.com

nycfirst robotics
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