UFT Evaluation Committee Meets Today at 4PM, Will Ratify at Jan. 17 Delegate Assembly With Rumor of Money on the Table

UFT, Students First, E4E all on same page while MORE opposes. Anyone from MORE at the special meeting today will say one word. NO!

The UFT, after 6 months if inaction has called its quasi-democratic Unity packed Evaluation committee into a meeting at 4PM today to make it look like democracy but to force feed a deal that none of the sworn to secrecy members will be allowed to discuss with their own schools.

Oh, the drama continues.

The story is breaking but the scenario means the deal is done and probably has been for a while, but the posturing must continue to convince the members the UFT leaders are putting up a fight.  The DA was moved from Jan. 23 (originally set for Jan. 16) and is not Jan. 17 the last day before going over the edu-cliff.

Why call a DA on the afternoon of the final day when we know the state must have the signature of Mulgrew and has to read and approve the deal? You mean right after the Unity cannibals call the question to end debate to ratify, Mulgrew will sign and have the doc rushed up to Albany?

Oh, the drama continues.

The phones are ringing with rumors there is a contract attached to the deal but my guess is that there is not a contract or at least anything that could be classified as a contract as that would force a vote of the membership. The leadership does not want to get this to the membership and besides that would take us past the Jan. 17 deadline. So in my book, no contract.

But there may be some money on the table with guesses around the idea of it being related to some professional development. Meaning, teachers can get bucks. No idea of details but I have heard this for a few months from various sources.

So, what has all the posturing been about? Whether a teacher can or cannot get a post-observation meeting with the principal? Give me a break.

Oh, the drama continues.

Mike to Mike:
Mulgrew: Hey Bloomie, I have an idea, why don't you compare us to the NRA?
Bloomberg: Great idea Mike. Then you call a press conference and also run some ads denouncing me
Mulgrew: Brilliant, Mike.

Day of action - will there still be on on Monday?

People were spitting blood at the idea of a poorly organized day of action on Monday to "force" Bloomberg to negotiate. "You see, just the very threat has forced him to capitulate," will be the line we will be hearing.

As I reported yesterday, Jeff Kaufman belittled the Day of Action idea (Jeff Kaufman to UFT on Day of Action: You guys are kidding, right?)  and here he continues the debate with a chapter leader (I'm betting Unity) who criticized him. [There are more follow-ups which I will post later.]
Note the Children Above Politics and the rest of the leaflet. Could have been written by E4E or Students First. (See MORE blog -No Deal for Teachers or Students on the similarities.).

-------

Thank you, -------, for your comments. While I disagree with you it is helpful to engage in a dialogue; something Charley Turner is vehemently opposed. To correct one point, although it is much less important than the issue of how we organize to fight this process, the only way that an agreement can be imposed on us is first the declaration of an impasse (the stage our contract is in) then a fact-finding proceeding and then if no further agreement takes place a legislatively imposed contract. This has not occurred since 1971 and has never occurred in our Union’s history.

The main issue, however, is the refusal of the UFT leadership to treat the evaluation issue with the seriousness it deserves. You state you are going to hand the flyers to your members. Great. Shouldn’t they know about the new evaluation system already? The feeble UFT use of the flyers was not for our members but for the public. If you want to sway public opinion we’re supposed to rely on a few ads and us going out to undisclosed transportation hubs to give out this meaningless flyer. We need a leadership that regularly informs the membership and the public about how basing any part of our evaluation on student test scores or VAM will subject us to arbitrary discipline. We need to stop the imposition of the parts of the law which already make accused ineffective teachers bear the burden of proving their competence, the end of tenure as we know it.

We don’t hear any of this because the UFT leadership doesn’t want us to know they sold us out. While I support holding up the evaluation system for a contract I can only imagine what we will lose when they say it is settled.

I don’t have to tell you how much we have lost over the past 10 years. How our teachers are targeted and how we have little or no say in how and what we teach. Until teachers, hopefully guided by their Union and other well-meaning people, speak with the concerted voice we once had. And not told what to think by a leadership that is trying to hide its own self-centered incompetence.

Jason, I hope that you keep your eyes opened and see what is being done to us. Don’t conspire with leaders who are only interested in themselves and buy all the nonsense that the so-called education reformers put out because they are no position to fight for us.

Good luck leafleting your members.

Jeff Kaufman
Chapter Leader
Aspirations High School

Jeff was responding to this email from a chapter leader critical of his stance.

Jeff,

Hi, we have not met at any meetings, so we have not become acquainted yet. I read the emails that have gone between you and Charley today, and I felt very dismayed. I do not think that it is my place to lecture you on the meaning of being leaders in our union movement or how the email list should be used. However I do feel that I should correct two points. First, that I speak for myself, and for my chapter. Second that as a point of fact, Charley is right. If we do not engage in discussions about the new evaluation law that it can be imposed on us. If you read 3012c carefully it refers to article 14 of the NYS civil service act. The NYS civil service act is also known as the Taylor law. It states that when collective bargaining fails, the chief executive of the State can impose a decision. You can read about the exact process below as I have copied and pasted it.

Regarding the fliers. The Union leadership is doing a thankless job for us. There are hardworking people who are trying to make the best possible agreement for everybody while negotiating with a relentless union busting Department of Education. It is important to remember that regardless of the quality of the agreement that there will be people, (hopefully not you) that will only recognize the loss of the things that they are comfortable with; while failing to recognize that we must comply with the law that our legislature passes. The flier and the call to action is a small part of a greater whole. I am sure that you have noticed the television commercials that have been airing lately. In my opinion that is a true measure of commitment to all teachers. By broadcasting our message to millions of people the UFT is shaping public opinion on a large scale. Personally I will give out the flier to my chapter. I will ask them to continue educating the public on the true nature of the difficult negotiations that our leadership is having with the Department of Education, and I will wait for a final agreement. I am sure that you are an intelligent and fair minded person who is passionate about our issues. I know that you care as much as I do. I hope that we can continue to have productive conversations about what it means to stand side by side as fellow union members, and chapter leaders. I look forward to seeing you at a chapter leader meeting or a high school committee meeting where we can join forces in doing what's right for teachers, students, and our union.

Best Regards,