Ed Notes Online: UFT Fiddles as Christine Rubino 2-Year Suspension Ends Today

Friday, June 14, 2013

UFT Fiddles as Christine Rubino 2-Year Suspension Ends Today

Thursday, June 13, 2013
To: mmulgrew@uft.org, mmendel@uft.org, Amy Arundell, aabrams@uft.org, asolomon@uft.org, hschoor@uft.org,

I am sure you all are well aware of the fact, that my 2 year suspension is supposed to be over-effective tomorrow. I have yet to hear from anyone regarding this matter. If possible, can someone please contact Laura Brantley or Claude Hersch to find out what is going on with this issue? Maybe, Theresa Europe can be consulted?

Thank You,
Christine Rubino
A union is "supposed" to stand by their members and seek information that will help them... [My NUSYUT attorney] kept telling me the benefits of resigning. I was completely shocked. Why would a NYSUT lawyer even suggest that was an option? ... The App division affirmed the lower court decision [negating the firing] and the 2 year suspension is now over--- effective 6/14.... I make phone calls and visit UFT offices and get no response.... I went to go see Amy Arundel in the Manhattan office and she actually said.."What can we do for you? You have your own lawyer?"... I would like to know who or what can be done, so that on 6/14 I know where to go... It has been 2 years, I have lost my career, my house, my whole life, and my identity.... Christine Rubino, letter to UFT officials (excerpts from June 11 letter).

Well, today is the day that Christine's suspension ends and she is due back on payroll. [For background links see below].

The fundamental thing unions must do it protect their members, which it is clear the UFT leadership does not do. Christine admits she made a mistake --saying something privately on facebook to her "friends" -- one of which obviously wasn't -- that I heard so much worse in teachers rooms. Yet the UFT leadership seems to be making a value judgement on a teacher -- they don't want to be seen as defending a teacher who might make a comment they don't deem proper?

When we had breakfast with George Schmidt, in from Chicago a few weeks ago, I brought up Christine's case and George made the emphatic point: we don't get into judging people -- especially with the attacks going on against teachers -- we defend people and stand up for the role a union plays in doing that, especially in a case that has nothing to do with in school issues. This is just the Tweed lawyer gotcha squad being allowed to run rampant to justify their existence while the UFT sits by -- sort of like watching someone in the middle of the road with a truck bearing down but not bothering to holler, "Watch out!"

(MORE put out a statement of support for Christine a few weeks ago: A Call For Fair Discipline: MORE Supports Christine Rubino).

Here is the full email Christine sent to all of the above plus Randi Weingarten the other day:

My name is Christine Rubino and I was a due paying UFT member until June 2011, when I was fired for a Facebook comment. When, I first received charges, I could not believe how quickly my union abandoned me. My "crime" did not seem like an offense worthy of termination.

When, I was assigned to a my NYSUT attorney, Mr. Sean Kelley, I could not believe what I was hearing. There I was – a 14 year teacher with nothing but satisfactory ratings and wonderful write ups from my principal, being chased down for one minute of stupidity.

The first time, I met Mr. Kelley, he was hell bent on having resignation papers drawn up. He kept insisting, it was much easier to resign, than to be fired. He kept telling me the benefits of resigning. I was completely shocked. Why would a NYSUT lawyer even suggest that was an option?

Through diligent research I came to realize the whole 3020a process is completely skewed against the teacher. In fact, I came to realize, that the whole process is INDEED skewed against the teacher. I have even spoken to many other teachers who say, they were told the same thing. I kept my mouth closed, and sought outside counsel. This came in the form of a wonderful man, named Bryan Glass.

Mr. Glass, has been by my side since the beginning of this nightmare, and although we couldn't win at the hearing (of course, not...the cards are stacked against teachers) I continued to work closely with Mr. Glass. We took case to Supreme Court, we won.

NYCDOE slapped a stay on order, we asked App. Division to lift the statutory stay, and they did. This forced the NYCDOE...to negotiate a new penalty---before the App. Division would here the case. The NYCDOE needed to have a remand hearing. They chose to do this on paper, with the same arbitrator who fired me, presiding. Of course, she came back with a 2 year suspension, which would take me through the Appeal case.

The App division affirmed the lower court decision [negating the firing] and the 2 year suspension is now over--effective 6/14. The time is here, I have been a VERY PATIENT GIRL. I make phone calls and visit UFT offices and get no response. Nothing. I would like to know who or what can be done, so that on 6/14 I know where to go. I do not want to let that day come and go. I have been out of work long enough and have gotten to where I am, BECAUSE, my lawyer hard faith in the case, when my own union did absolutely nothing to help me. A union is "supposed" to stand by their members and seek information that will help them. To this day, I have not heard from anyone who has any information about returning. NOTHING.

As a matter of fact, I went to go see Amy Arundel in the Manhattan office, and she actually said.."What can we do for you? You have your own lawyer?"

My lawyer is my lawyer... he works with the law, he is not a direct pipeline to NYSUT, UFT, or the DOE. I would appreciate some answers as to my current situation, and what can be done, to get me back on the payroll.

It has been 2 years, I have lost my career, my house, my whole life, and my identity. I am the only person who has suffered through this, and yet people who have been accused and found guilty of far worse...have been returned to their school and are working. I look forward to hearing from someone soon, as I have many questions I would like answered. Please feel free to reach out to me...anytime...

Thank you
Christine Rubino

Outrage at Christine Rubino Two Year Suspension for Facebook Transgression,

The Arbitrator's original decision can be found here. Barbara Jaffae, ruling

The Assailed Teacher: The Human Cost of Teacher Bashing: The Christine Rubino Case , The DOE’s Long War on Christine Rubino

Perdido Street School: A Two-Tiered Justice System

SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL

If Only Christine Rubino Were Either Michelle Rhee, Mychael Willon, Derrick Townsend, John Chase JR, or Jose Maldanado-Rivera

Chaz's School Daze:

The Christine Rubino Facebook Decision And Why The Arbitrator's Award Is Excessive.

NYCDOENUTS: Rubino Plans To Appeal the Two-Year Suspension

Betsy Combier: here and here and here.

Francesco Portelos: The Christine Rubino Story

Afterburn:
Look for multiple posts today -- I feel like a July day at Kennedy airport with all the backups.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...: Please keep us updated on this, Norm.
Thank you,
Roseanne; Monday, June 17, 2013 at 5:02:00 AM EDT

"A Black Agenda Radio commentary by Glen Ford

What media call "philanthropy" for the public schools are actually seed monies to establish a private "market" in publicly-financed education - an enterprise worth trillions if successfully penetrated by corporate America. Cory Booker, one of the "New Black Leaders" financed by the filthy rich, is key to creating a "nationwide corporate-managed schools network paid for by public funds but run by private managers.

"Ed Reformers" want to cash in on public education and to control its content and outcome, not improve it. Provide great education? Baby boomers had as close as this country has ever gotten to it when we were growing up. The Ed Reform Movement has no interest in seeing such a well-educated, democratically astute population ever again.

http://blackagendareport.com/content/cory-booker-clear-and-present-threat-public-education

History of the UFT Pre-Weingarten Years

This award-winning series of articles by Jack Schierenbeck originally appeared in the New York Teacher in 1996 and 1997.

Naturally, from a certain point of view. But, despite certain biases, Schierenbeck, a great guy, was one of the best NY Teacher reporters so this is worth reading. Jack suffered a debilitating stroke many years ago (I used to get secret donations to ed notes from him through a 3rd source.)

This chapter looks interesting:

Class struggles: The UFT story, part 3

“The schism in the union over radical politics [is] a major reason for stalling the growth of a teacher union for decades.” Revolutionary politics and ideology take center stage, as the original Teachers Union becomes a battlefield, pitting leftist against leftist and splitting the union.

Clarence Taylor's "Reds at the Blackboard" focused on the old Teachers Union which disbanded in 1964 after suffering from anti-left attacks.

Of course for another view, check out the review at New Politics of the Kahlenberg Bio on Shanker by Vera Pavone and me: Albert Shanker: Ruthless Neocon

Effective Union Organizing

A video series put together by Jason Mann from the British Columbia Federation of Teachers about social media and how to use it for effective union organizing.

The first series was called New Media For Union Activists Roadmap and it's still available on-line at:
http://www.newmediabootcamp.ca/welcome/
I watched some of them and need to rewatch as they are loaded with information.

The second series started last week and it's called "Online Campaigning for Union Activists"

You can sign up for this free series at :
http://act.bcfed.ca/online-campaigning-for-union-activists/

You Don't Have A Choice - Join the Revolt

Ex-Harlem Success Teacher Comments on Eva the Diva

Ex-HSA Teacher has left a new comment on your post "Fear and Loathing at Evil's Harlem Success Empire ...":

I am a former Harlem Success teacher. Not many people who work/worked for her like her very much. I once made the comment that she is very nice when I first was hired. Two of her closest colleague responded immediately almost in unison, "Eve is not nice!" Over time I realized that there was a lot of political games going on. Another colleague once said to me that he was tired of "being part of a political campaign." Sending out 15,000 applications for only 400 seats in a school is reprehensible. The money that paid for those mass mailings could have paid the yearly salary of another teacher not to mention the heartache of all those parents who applied but did not get a spot. She does good work trying to give disadvantaged students a quality public school education but at a great cost to staff AND the school's educational budget! school budget.

Davis Guggenheim Compared to Riefenstahl

“Waiting for Superman" is the second most intellectually dishonest piece of documentary work I have seen. It is surpassed only by Leni Riefenstahl's "Triumph of the Will," the pro-Hitler propaganda classic, in that regard. Uses personal narratives of adorable children to create narrative suspense that overrides public policy discussion with pure emotion in unscrupulous attack on teachers and their unions, among others

Timothy Tyson
Professor of African American Studies and History
Duke University

How Teaching Experience Makes a Difference

Even as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Michelle Rhee and others around the nation are arguing for experienced teachers to be laid off regardless of seniority, every single study shows teaching experience matters. In fact, the only two observable factors that have been found consistently to lead to higher student achievement are class size and teacher experience, so that it’s ironic that these same individuals are trying to undermine both.
- Leonie Haimson on Parents Across America web site

Full article with charts here.

Weingarten/Gates Foundation announce drone-driven teacher evaluation

According to a press release issued by the Gates Foundation, the AFT and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, these three have entered a ground-breaking partnership to evaluate teachers utilizing the drone technology that has revolutionized warfare in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. A bird-size device floats up to 400 feet above a classroom and instantly beams live video of teachers in action to agents at desks at Teacher Quality Inspection Stations established by the AFT and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.

When asked if the drones were authorized to drop bombs on teachers who exhibit inadequacy, Chester E. Finn, Jr., president of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, replied, "Don't be ridiculous. Gates money puts other methods at our disposal."

Randi Weingarten, president of the 1.5-million-member American Federation of Teachers said the powerful union has signed on to the drone project...

More at Substance

The Real Reason Behind Push for Standardized Tests: It's All About the Adults

On standardized testing in our schools

A must read article about the standardized test industry.
Written by an insider who has worked as a test scorer, the article outlines a multinational industry based on an army of temporary workers paid by the piece at $0.30 to $0.70 per test, translated in the need to grade 40 tests per hour to make a $12 salary. The article goes on to show how the companies gauge the grading "results" based on the need to ensure new contracts to continue profiting off of our youth. The original article is from Monthly Review. Here it is on Schools Matter blog.

http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2010/12/on-growing-use-of-corporate-test.html

Parallels between America today and Germany in the 1920's and early 30's

"Resentment and obstruction are all the right wing in America have to peddle. Their policies are utterly discredited. Their ideology - even by its own standards - is a sham. They are so bereft of leaders, their de facto leader is a former drug addicted, thrice-divorced radio talk show host. That is literally the best they can muster. But they have built a national franchise inciting the downwardly mobile to blame the government, not the right, for their problems, exactly as Hitler did in the 1920s."

The US Is Facing a Weimar Moment

Published on Sunday, March 15, 2009 by CommonDreams.org

Chicago View of Unity/UFT on Charters

After many meetings and debates, the Chicago delegation succeeded in working with the New York United Federation of Teachers, Local 2 (UFT) to push the AFT to take stronger stands on charter school accountability and school closings — though many delegates from Chicago would have liked the language to have been even stronger.

Generally speaking, the New York delegation represented organizing charters as the best model for handling their role in reshaping unions, despite the fact that according to many reports few charter schools in New York have been organized as is the case in Chicago. This logic is the same touted by the Progressive Caucus of the AFT. The few that have been organized are a part of the UFT local though they have separate contracts negotiated with the help of UFT. The Chicago delegation reflection the mindset that allowing new charters to continue to proliferate while attempting to organize existing charters is an end game in which public schools and the union lose.

Jen Johnson, CTU, Local 1 in Substance

Ed Notes Greatest Hits: HSA Rally and Founding of GEM

SEE MY VIDEO ON HARLEM SUCCESS RALLY 2009:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEp7rg_L5JI

Angel Gonzalez and I attended that rally and used the footage to promote our conference on Mar. 28, 2009, which is where the concept of a group like GEM emerged. Until then we had basically been a committee of ICE working with the NYCORE high stakes testing group. The actions of Eva and crew helped spawn GEM. Mommie Dearest!!

I have more video somewhere. I was hoping to get Leni Riefenstahl to edit it but she died. We would have called it "Triumph of the Hedge Fund Operators."

Ed Notes Extended

Friday, June 14, 2013

UFT Fiddles as Christine Rubino 2-Year Suspension Ends Today

1 comment: