They came by train, bus, cab. Maybe by planes too. Some took time off from work. The waiting room at
100 Gold Street where DOE legal holds its witch hunts was overflowing
with 60 parents of Central Park East I who only began to be notified 15
hours earlier. Many more would have come. The entire room was
overflowing.Teachers can only dream about the kind of outpouring Marilyn Martinez received today from the parents at CPE I. Lisa, Gloria and I were there from MORE to show support. No one from the UFT was there. Ho-hum. They are working hard behind the scenes you know -- even when principal Monika Garg had 10 teachers put under investigation within months of her arrival at the school, put in as a hit woman. Ho - hum -- we endorsed di Blasio without asking for these outrages to stop -- but you know the UFT has to weigh stuff - and make sure they don't lose their little stool at the table. Parents were not saying very good things about the UFT.
I had to leave at noon - parents were drifting in as I left and word was that there was still a crew there at 3PM waiting for a batch of teachers to come down.
Tomorrow is Day 2 - what better way to spend my birthday - and I better get there early if I want to get in.
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| So proud to wear this tee-shirt |
UFT was not at this hearing? Pardon my French but, f*ck you UFT!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is extraordinary. Go Marilyn, go parents.
ReplyDeleteThe fact is if the UFT was not at this hearing that means the UFT would never be at YOUR hearing. Why should we support the UFT when they are not supporting us? You listening UFT? Right to work is almost at our door. You want my dues? You better start representing us!
ReplyDeleteHappy cumpleaños, Norm!
ReplyDeleteThe UFT is hiding like always, while good experienced teachers are sacrificed. Mulgrew you are a disgrace.
ReplyDeleteMulgrew barely bothers to show up for his own Executive Board meetings; why should he bother defending a a lowly dues-paying member?
ReplyDeleteI apologize for my snarky comment, when two more important things should have been mentioned or clarified:
ReplyDeleteFirst, happy birthday, Norm!
Second, is it literally true that this teacher had no union representation whatsoever? No NYSUT-appointed lawyer? If true, then that is a gross violation of the union's duty to represent, and something that should be publicized widely. Frankly, if true, it's so egregious that the press, l even the right-wing press, should be notified.
I don't know if he is corrupt, incompetent or merely distracted, but Mulgrew will be the death of this union if he's allowed to continue "leading" it.
Marilyn Martinez deserves better, and so do NYC teachers.
She had a nysut lawyer. What I meant was that uft should be there to lend public support to a chapter leader and send a message to doe legal. CL's under political attack for doing their job are special case. Nysut lawyer in portelos case used that argument as main line of defense to refute many of the charges.
ReplyDeleteNorman, try to use this example as a rallying point to target the District Representative for this school. Is there still a recall process for UFT officials and staff??
ReplyDeleteWhen Can We Have a Meeting?
ReplyDeletePlease Norm, Eterno, Chaz - we have to forget about the UFT for now. We have to fight this in spite of them! I went through a 3020 a in 2014 and I do not wish it on my worst enemy. The difference though is that I had 18 months in the rubber room prior to that trial which lasted 5 months. I am an ATR today which tells the story. I did not use NYSUT lawyer and even then it was not easy, with an arbitrator who to all intent and purpose was out to fire me.
You guys have the tool to get members organized - leave the UFT behind, dont waste time talking about what is not going to happen. Please can you organize a meeting (as youve done in the past) so that we can talk about the best way for teachers to support Martinez and the others facing 3020s. I am again facing another one because my ATR supervisors are making sure that I receive end of year U ratings and the DOE is making sure they rubber stamp the supervisor's ratings. We need to organize; picket, let the world know what is happening and we need to go to court. I stand ready. Otherwise they will pick us out one by one.
Today Martinez, tomorrow some lesser known person!
We don't really have the tools to get people organized. We only can report on it. We had nothing to do with getting Marilyn that support -- it was all parent organizing. People put MORE down for calling for alliances with parents -- the people in the UFT who are like Trump nationalists -- instead of America firsters -- teachers only. The story is not about Marilyn alone but about her qualities as a teacher that inspires such loyalty from parents. So who knew Marilyn before? Some lesser known person without support from a community - nor the UFT -- is fighting an uphill battle. Marilyn doesn't really need the UFT though she could use them -- in fact at the next hearing next Friday Mulgrew would be stupid not to show up. This is not due to anything Marilyn or we did but the parents.
ReplyDeleteAnno 1:52. I am very curious as to why you chose a private lawyer instead of a NYSUT appointed lawyer. What was the reasoning behind your choice? Did your private lawyer seem aware of DOE procedure in your 3020a hearing? Where did you find this lawyer? Would you recommend this lawyer? Were you happy with the lawyer? Any info is appreciated!
ReplyDeleteAs Norm noted above there is case law that supports the actions of chapter leaders over a non union leader or delegate: https://goo.gl/NJaq87
ReplyDeleteNot only when I was I the rubber room did my co inhabitants also have chapter leader and delegate titles, but even now the many reassigned are vocal union chapter leaders. ATR pool too.
No UFT representation? More of a reason to have reps elected again. UFT constitutional referendum.