Norms Morn Report - June 26, 2021 - Last School Day, DSA - Wiley not left enough, Adams Big Theat to left and UFT, Go Felicia Singh, CC32

A new Ed Notes wrinkle 

I've had problems deciding what to write on this blog due to so much interesting

info coming in all day, to the extent that I often just don't bother blogging. So now I'm going to try to do bits and pieces of info with links, morning and maybe even evening and even midday when I can. Look for Norms Morn and Norms Eve. And maybe Norms Noon.

School's over

For 35 years this was the happiest day of the year. Then I'd wake up the next morning and think - damn, only 65 days before I have to go back. And then I'd end up going in the last week of July to set up my room. But since I retired 19 years ago, I only notice school is over when there are no school buses coming down my block and loads of parking spaces. Anyway, congrats to all in-service members. Next year may be a normal one - or maybe not if Delta variant goes wild.

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UFT member Erik Mears at Provocations blog delves into DSA and future mayoral campaigns

There is a popular narrative on the left that although left-leaning candidates are not faring well in this year’s NYC mayoral election, a DSA-backed leftist could win city-wide in 2025 or 2029. Here is why I view that as an almost-worthless prediction:

The left’s tepid support for Maya Wiley bodes ill for its future in city-wide elections

I met Erik through MORE. While he doesn't mention MORE in his blog, I was thinking that he describes MORE which is so connected to DSA. MORE pushed the UFT to overthrow Stringer (due process be damned) and give the faux leftist Morales a holler and ignored Wiley, just as Mulgrew did. Well, at least Unity and MORE came to agreement -- bipartisanship -- and we end up with Adams.

Erik's blog is on my blogroll -- He hasn't done much blogging and his is a reasonable progressive voice that should be heard. I left this comment:

Good analysis. The hard left always celebrates even modest gains and ignores any negatives. Buffalo was a success of course but the Cuomo attack is not totally false - low turnout and terrible campaign by incumbent. DSA is now on the radar of billionaires and a major assault on anything to do with socialism is coming. I'm a DSA member and like a lot of their organizing ability but they have to go reach into communities of color. I often see the hostility towards left ideas from that community coming out of that community at Delegate Assemblies. But that is Unity Caucus which is in a category of its own. UFT will never endorse a DSA person unless they are an incumbent.

I'm very wrapped up in DSA analysis - I'm a member but with questions -- because they present the first serious challenge to the Dem Party machine at the grassroots level. They are viewed as an enemy of center Dems, including the UFT, and Republicans and billionaires. Their success has made them a target.

Also see Gotham: How Far Left Will These Two Centrist City Council Seats Go?

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Eric Adams a threat to the left and to UFT

The big threat to the UFT will be lifting the charter cap and Mulgrew by not having Wiley as second choice will pay a price - unless the Dem Socialists ironically have enough influence to kill the charter cap lift --- don't expect UFT usual allies in the Dem Party to save them. I bet the next Chancellor will be super charter friendly - maybe even Eva gets to choose. Ross Barkan has two article worth reading.

Eric Adams and the Weapon of Identity:  The Left doesn't quite know what could hit them

Eric Adams, Unleashed

Adams will weaponize identity politics while allying with billionaires and real estate interests to make left criticism toothless as he accuses the mostly white groups of racism. Just watch a group like MORE, so wrapped up in identity politics, try to dance around this one. One thing I used to notice when I was in MORE, my pleas to really go after charters met with some interesting lack of interest. I guessed fears of the pro-charter elements of the black community -- how dare these white leftists tell us where to send our kids? 

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Felicia Singh with slight lead over UFT endorsed Scala in CC 32 race

Singh is not a Dem Socialist but pretty progressive and had local DSA members active in her campaign. She was a charter school teacher and by some accounts did not have a clear message on education.

Scala was endorsed by the UFT but they don't seem to care about ed records as long as the candidate is not too left. I didn't list Scala at all.

Severino who was backed by Leonie and others in KidsPac dropped out. So Singh would need other candidates' #2 choice. I had asked some of her campaign workers about #2 strategy and they didn't seem to have one. But if they had made a few deals with say Alamarie or Sheikh - she'd probably win. I'm thinking that their 1400 voters might just pick Singh based on her name alone.

Member of the City Council 32nd Council District - Democratic (Unofficial Results from Round 1+)
Name Party Votes Percentage   1   Felicia Singh  Democratic   3206  36.23% 2   Bella A. Matias  Democratic   702  7.93% 3   Michael G. Scala  Democratic   3094  34.96% 4   Shaeleigh Severino  Democratic   221  2.50% 5   Kaled A. Alamarie  Democratic   601  6.79% 6   Helal A. Sheikh  Democratic   880  9.94% 7   WRITE-IN     145  1.64%   8849     Percentage of Scanners Reported: 98.41 %

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John Lawhead (ICEUFT and Solidarity Caucus) has been running a series on UFT history that has been fabulous. We focused on Dave Seldin's book  - he was Shanker's mentor. Really great stuff. Most Fridays at 6 PM -- if interested email me.

This week we are returning to David Selden's fascinating story of the power struggles within the AFT in 1968-69.  I'm hoping we can cover chapters 13-18 of The Teacher Rebellion.  Whatever we don't get to, we can take up on July 9, which will be our next chance to meet.

At that time I would also like to discuss the final chapter of Blackboard Unions, "Professionalism and Unionism in the 70s and 80s" by Marjorie Murphy.

 

See you later - maybe.

Norm