Ed Notes Online: Don't Support IDC: UFT High School Ex Bd Members

Thursday, August 2, 2018

Don't Support IDC: UFT High School Ex Bd Members

We particularly would like to urge NYSUT to endorse: Jessica Biaggi, Robert Jackson, John Liu, Zellnor Myrie, Jessica Ramos, and Jasmine Robinson in their respective New York State Senate primary races. Especially since the victory of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, there has been heightened interest and a groundswell of support for progressive challengers to the status quo. Each of these candidates is running on a progressive platform..... Excerpt from Letter to UFT

Yesterday I blogged about the traitor Independent Democrats and how hedge funder John Paul Tudor and other charter backers are funneling money to some of them: Paul Tudor Jones, Hedge Funds, Charter Schools, and the IDC.
See also: https://nypost.com/2018/07/17/donations-to-rogue-democrats-may-have-been-illegal-board-of-elections-investigator/

The 7 opposition voices on the UFT Ex Bd have spoken out with a letter to the UFT leadership as described by Arthur Goldstein, an Ex Bd member, at NYC Educator blog where he has an apt description of what the IDC is. (UFT High School Reps Letter to Leadership on Opposing IDC

You've probably heard of the IDC, or the Independent Democratic Conference in the NY State Senate. They were elected as Democrats but caucused with the Republicans. There are a whole lot of bills that have been passed by the Assembly but withered and died in the Senate, not the least of which was one proposing universal health care for New Yorkers. We support candidates who oppose those who allowed this to happen.

The letter specifically talks about Robert Jackson:

We would like to highlight the career and contributions of Robert Jackson in particular. Jackson is an activist who has dedicated his career as a public servant to public education and children. In 1991, as CSB6 President, Robert Jackson co-founded the Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE). Jackson was lead plaintiff as CFE sued the State of New York for failing to properly fund NYC's public schools. The trial court agreed. Jackson walked 150 miles from New York City to Albany to dramatize the case. Jackson served in the NY City Council for a decade, where he earned our respect as Chair of the Education Committee. Jackson was honored with the UFT’s John Dewey Award in 2012.

For the UFT not to endorse Robert Jackson would be a crime in not showing loyalty to people who have delivered in the past. I usually don't give money to politicians but Jackson is one I do. Donate here.

Would anyone be shocked to see the UFT endorse an IDC candidate even if they take charter school blood money that is destroying public education and teacher unions? Not me.

Here is the full letter below the break:

Primary elections for New York State Senate will occur on September 13. NYSUT makes endorsements for state-level offices. The NYSUT Endorsement Conference is on August 6-7. At that conference, the UFT will be making some recommendations to NYSUT. We are especially concerned about NY State Senate primaries in New York City Districts.

We have not had an opportunity to speak to the recommendations that the UFT will make. Endorsements go through the Executive Board and Delegate Assembly. There is no such formal process for recommendations. But these recommendations carry nearly the weight of an endorsement, as NYSUT concurs with the UFT’s recommendation in the overwhelming majority of cases.

We are the elected representatives of high school members of the United Federation of Teachers, directly elected by those members. We would like to have voice on these recommendations.

We particularly would like to urge NYSUT to endorse: Jessica Biaggi, Robert Jackson, John Liu, Zellnor Myrie, Jessica Ramos, and Jasmine Robinson in their respective New York State Senate primary races. Especially since the victory of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, there has been heightened interest and a groundswell of support for progressive challengers to the status quo. Each of these candidates is running on a progressive platform.

We would like to highlight the career and contributions of Robert Jackson in particular. Jackson is an activist who has dedicated his career as a public servant to public education and children. In 1991, as CSB6 President, Robert Jackson co-founded the Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE). Jackson was lead plaintiff as CFE sued the State of New York for failing to properly fund NYC's public schools. The trial court agreed. Jackson walked 150 miles from New York City to Albany to dramatize the case. Jackson served in the NY City Council for a decade, where he earned our respect as Chair of the Education Committee. Jackson was honored with the UFT’s John Dewey Award in 2012.

Their opponents are former members of the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC). Tbey helped the Republicans control the State Senate for several sessions. They rely on anti-teacher union funding, either directly from Democrats for Education Reform (anti-union, anti-public schools), New Yorkers for Putting Students First (Michelle Rhee), Great Public Schools PAC (Eva Moskowitz), or indirectly through the Senate Independence Campaign Committee, which may in fact be an illegal campaign financing scheme (https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Sugarman-cracks-down-on-former-IDC-campaign-13100468.php)

The Executive Board is not scheduled to meet before the NYSUT Endorsement Conference, nor before the September 13 primary elections. The Delegate Assembly is not scheduled to meet before the NYSUT Endorsement Conference, nor before the September 13 primary elections.

We do not know how our voices can best be heard, but we have a few ideas: an in-person meeting, a call-in meeting, an e-mail discussion, or by allowing one of our representatives to speak for high school teachers at the conference in Albany. We are open to others.

We look forward to your positive response,

KJ Ahluwalia, United Federation of Teachers, Executive Board, High School Division

Arthur Goldstein, United Federation of Teachers, Executive Board, High School Division

Ashraya Gupta, United Federation of Teachers, Executive Board, High School Division

Jonathan Halabi, United Federation of Teachers, Executive Board, High School Division

Marcus McArthur, United Federation of Teachers, Executive Board, High School Division

Kate Martin-Bridge, United Federation of Teachers, Executive Board, High School Division

Mike Schirtzer, United Federation of Teachers, Executive Board, High School Division

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"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

Thursday, August 2, 2018

Don't Support IDC: UFT High School Ex Bd Members

The 7 opposition voices on the UFT Ex Bd have spoken out with a letter to the UFT leadership as described by Arthur Goldstein, an Ex Bd member, at NYC Educator blog where he has an apt description of what the IDC is. (UFT High School Reps Letter to Leadership on Opposing IDC

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