Ed Notes Online: Randi/Unity Caucus Lauded Elia/Bill Gates and Booed Those Who Walked Out at 2010 AFT Convention

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Randi/Unity Caucus Lauded Elia/Bill Gates and Booed Those Who Walked Out at 2010 AFT Convention

AnonymousSunday, July 11, 2010

All of those teachers applauding and cheering for Gates will come to regret it.

NYC EducatorSunday, July 11, 2010: It's remarkable they will tolerate those who would destroy us, but no variation from their strictly prescribed point of view.

At the 2010 AFT convention in Seattle, Unity Caucus and allies cheered Elia and Gates over the Hillsborough Fl teacher evaluation project. We had some fun with Gates and Randi (though I didn't do the Gates photoshop). Video here:

Here is a point Leonie made about Elia's resignation:

The serious concerns we expressed yesterday and shared with the Board of Regents about NYSED's new proposed privacy regs were overwhelmed in news of Commissioner Elia's sudden resignation. What wasn't reported on in the media crush, at least as far as I've noticed, is that the Regents were set to discuss whether to fire her during their annual retreat that started yesterday afternoon. Clearly, Elia jumped the gun with her announcement and as a result, she was able to control the narrative, with many of the news stories featured overly positive review of her regime.

Last year, the final RAND report on the teacher evaluation project was released, showing that the initiative she led in Hillsborough County before she was fired by that school board and came to NY had no positive results and in fact, resulted in less access to effective teachers for high-needs kids. In addition, the initiative left the district in severe fiscal disarray....
Leonie Haimson: https://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2019/07/commissioner-elia-resigns-lets-hope-for.html

The NYC Unity machine booed us as we walked out on Bill Gates.

Notice how they now go silent. They will never admit their mistakes and will continue to make them.

Here is coverage at Ed Notes and by George Schmidt at Substance:

Gates's controversial speech to the AFT - Substance News

www.substancenews.net/articles.php?page=1529

Jul 11, 2010 - [A separate report in Substance will cover the walkout and protests from some of the delegates]. ... 2010, as delegates listened to the speech of billionaire Bill Gates. ... Speech To AFT Convention By Bill Gates, http://www.aft.

Ed Notes Online: Video - Bill Gates at the AFT: Bringing in a Trojan ...

https://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/2010/07/video-bill-gates-at-aft-bringing-in.html

Jul 11, 2010 - There were 3,000+ delegates at the AFT convention, maybe 40 walked out in protest. ... And many anti-Gates appearance people did not walk out - most of the ... California Teacher Tuesday, July 13, 2010 at 9:12:00 PM EDT.

Ed Notes Online: Bill Gates at the AFT: Bringing in a Trojan Horse

https://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/2010/07/bill-gates-at-aft-bringing-in-trojan.html

Jul 2, 2010 - Beginning July 8, the AFT convention will take place in Seattle. That city's favorite son, Bill Gates will address the convention. .... Michael Fiorillo Friday, July 2, 2010 at 10:33:00 AM EDT ..... shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, organized a national walk outto memoriali.

Some of the comments from 9 years ago are interesting:

NYC EducatorSunday, July 11, 2010 at 4:44:00 PM EDT

It's remarkable they will tolerate those who would destroy us, but no variation from their strictly prescribed point of view.
Reply
AnonymousSunday, July 11, 2010 at 6:44:00 PM EDT

I was supposed to go to the convention, but I had no choice but not to attend. I am appalled that those in attendance did not walk out with the other 60 delegates. Here's a man who destroyed public education, who had an obvious ulterior motive to put a halt on unionism in the public schools, who wanted to keep minority children behind the eight ball as much as possible so that the achievement gap would be as wide as the grand canyon and was hailed as an advocate for public education by giving him a standing ovation by those who stayed behind to hear his speech. What the hell is happening to the freaking members? Do the delegates think that having these rapist's reforms (yes, I feel that gates and the billionaire boys raped public education) of the public schools by gates, walton family, et al is something to be proud of? The shame of seeing the delegates stand up to give gates a standing ovation is as sickening as allowing a murderer/rapist/robber/psychopath to dine with your immediate family.

I am ecstatic that I didn't go because I would have walked out, too. Just seeing the video stirs up more anger at the Randi and the stepford delegates.
Reply
Michael FiorilloSunday, July 11, 2010 at 7:15:00 PM EDT

Like Bloomberg, Gates is one of tjose who thinks they can buy whatever they want. So, what did it cost him to get Weingarten to invite him to speak at the convention?

Or, is she instead like the pol Murray Kempton once wrote about, who gave away what a lesser soul would have sold for money?
Reply
AnonymousSunday, July 11, 2010 at 7:58:00 PM EDT

All of those teachers applauding and cheering for Gates will come to regret it.
Reply
NYC EducatorSunday, July 11, 2010 at 8:37:00 PM EDT

I'm not sure about that. I think they like the free trips, feeling important, and the hope that one day they too will have a union job with a second salary and pension.
Reply
AnonymousMonday, July 12, 2010 at 12:33:00 AM EDT

Randi shows her true colors!

Telling some of your members" I thought you were leaving"

What a display of solidarity!

Oh yeah! that's right you're a lawyer not a union leader.
Reply
AnonymousMonday, July 12, 2010 at 2:44:00 AM EDT

Norm, your coverage of this is just as slanted as the regular crud found daily in the NY Post.

Tell the truth for once.

There were 3,000+ delegates at the AFT convention, maybe 40 walked out in protest. Several of them were your ICE/GEM friends who were not there as elected delegates but still somehow managed to finagle their way in posing as visitors with other locals.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the video tape you provided is priceless. Watch it. That's not your hated UFT delegates leading the cheers. It's 3,000 delegates from various locals all over the country unhappy with the lack of professionalism. Look at the various union identifications they are wearing. They are clearly visible.

Why did you neglect to mention the emotional pleas before the protest from the Washington State AFT President about not embarrassing her in her home state? Others echoed her comments. Not one of them was from NYC.

Why not write an expose on how your fellow ICE/GEMers managed to get on the floor when they were not elected delegates? How did Lisa North and Gloria Brandman manage to legitimately get on the AFT convention floor?

Why not mention the interruptions during educational, political, and international resolutions from a handful of people which stopped debate on important policy to make juvenile anti-Gates comments? Why not mention how they were booed by 3000+ elected delegates?

Finally, why is there no mention of Yvette Felarca's role in the protest? Felarca tried to rally people to join the Gates protest before the previous session ended. The 3,000 delegates swatted her attempt like a fly. She then ran against Randi for the AFT presidency and lost big time. Randi received 95% of the vote. The UFT delegates alone could not have provided that landslide victory. Clearly others voted for her as well.

Maybe your perspective is just skewed and wrong.
Reply
ed notes onlineMonday, July 12, 2010 at 11:13:00 AM EDT

In case you don't get it - ed notes is BIASED. Just like you Unity slugs have your version of alternate reality.

Sure, I'll tell the truth just like the NY Teacher does.

So I put up a video that tells the truth even according to you.

After 30 plus years of going to conventions you should full well know that visitors are allowed on the floor. Gloria and Lisa registered legally.

And many anti-Gates appearance people did not walk out - most of the Chicago delegates were opposed but did respect - they just sat there and didn't applaud - probably you'll attack them for not singing na-na.
Reply
California TeacherTuesday, July 13, 2010 at 9:12:00 PM EDT

Thanks for that video... his suck-up verbiage made the talk seem a little conciliatory to me. I wonder how many remained in the hall out of curiosity to see what he would say. If I had been there, I would've definitely been interested in how he would address a room full of teachers, especially after placing us in the same category as malaria and AIDS. Judging by this video, he seems to be a fairly vapid speaker. I think I would have been unimpressed. He made me think of Arne Duncan. For a guy with a lot of power, he comes off like a meal worm.

I wonder how many of those 3000 cheering teachers work in the suburbs and are clueless about current education policy and politics. When I talk to my counterparts at more affluent schools, they seem to occupy a parallel universe. It's pretty amazing.
Reply

Jack Covey on you tube 5 years ago

Those mindlessly loyal morons supporting and cheering Gates at Randi's behest---and yelling "Nah nah nah-nah, hey, hey, hey, Goodbye" when the anti-Gates protesters were being ejected from the auditorium---were made up of retired or soon-to-be-retired teachers. Well guess how Bill Gates thanked them for their support later that week? He gave a speech condemning those same retired/soon-to-be retired teachers as greedy and selfish for sucking down excessive and undeserved pensions, and those teachers selfishly take that money that could have gone to schools. That's Bill Gates' way of thanking them for cheering him.

No comments:

"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

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Randi/Unity Caucus Lauded Elia/Bill Gates and Booed Those Who Walked Out at 2010 AFT Convention

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