Will UFT Frustration Post-Bloomberg Speech Lead to Distruptive Acts?

Increasing support seen for this week's Fight Back Friday events from the UFT with signs some schools are encouraged to go further.

There are signs that the UFT, feeling boxed in on the ed evaluation issue, is beginning to strike out at WalBloom in various disruptive ways. Some speculate the militant activities of the people who have challenged the leaders is pushing the leadership. Some say they have reached a level of frustration and are just striking out to make a point.

There was the hastily called action at last week's PEP (UFT members protest at PEP meeting, then walk out en masse), with robo-calls to members that didn't have much impact but the union brought out its loyalist Unity Caucus honchos to create various disruptions at the meeting before walking out (it was interesting to see our crew from GEM/TU/NYCORE/ODOE/ICE standing shoulder to shoulder with them).

Then there was there confrontation between Walcott and UFT Queens borough rep Rona Freiser along with Dermot Smyth at the PS 215 closing school hearing Friday night (Walcott Takes Heat From Parents, Teachers and UFT Officials at Contentious Closing School Hearing (PS 215) in Rockaway).
where they followed my suggestion to use mic check to get their point across when Walcott didn't let then speak. His "this is  not a UFT chapter meeting" comment is priceless and an indication of how own growing frustration at being thrust into being the front man for a sinking operation by Bloomberg to rescue him from the Cathie Black debacle (which Walcott and the PEP supported all the way).

Now today a phone call comes in from a SIG school that the level of militancy is rising to a fevered pitch with indications that the UFT is pushing things such as calling for assistance from Occupy DOE to use mic check when confronting DOE officials, who always like to play the innocent "don't kill the messenger" role while putting the knife in your back.

Well, apparently, some teachers are pissed off enough to want to kill the messenger. We will report details --- maybe with some video --- if things break.

If the leadership actually releases its Unity chapter chair people (who often try to hold the most militant people back) to take things to another level we may see it as a temporary way of getting Tweed's attention by turning up the heat. 

In the past, the UFT was telling its people to avoid our branded FBF events, even changing the term to Friday Fight Back. But I'm beginning to hear a different tune emerging. There is not question a greater sense of urgency and militancy is emerging (later I'll tell you about the amazing group of parents I met on Sunday at our film showing).

Here is an email from a John Dewey teacher:

STOP SCHOOL CLOSINGS!

Please support our schools as the DOE tries to get rid of committed, experienced staff, close schools, and bust the union. If anyone can attend the community meetings where the superintendents come into the school and only report the negative data about our schools. We need support. Get involved. FDR is having their meeting Monday, Tomorrow at 5:30. Dewey is having ours on Tuesday at 5:30. Post any others so we can all support each other and call 311 and talk to someone who can log your call as you voice your opinion of these school closings and the job Bloomberg and Walcott are doing.

Also, attend the Fight Back Friday Rallies if you can. Dewey is having one every Friday. Details to follow.


Thanks,
In Solidarity,
xxxxx xxxxx
Dewey Teacher

Here is our FBF announcement:

School Closings, Increased Charter Co-locations, Larger Classes, Merit Pay, Firing Half the Staff at 33 Schools AND A Flawed Teacher Evaluation System...

The Education Mayor?

It's time for the first Fight Back Friday of 2012

(soon to be occupy Friday??)

THIS FRIDAY: JAN 27th: 

        PROTEST OUT IN FRONT OF YOUR SCHOOL!

                 LEAFLET AROUND YOUR SCHOOL!

OR JUST......

WEAR BLACK!

Fliers and stickers and such to follow.

PLEASE FORWARD AND POST EVERYWHERE!!

  Please respond to this email or email: 

FBFCommittee@gmail.com

if you think your school might participate.

Or to ask for more info or help in planning an action.

We want to get coverage for all the actions and let the public know that parents and teachers are fighting back!

Last spring over 50 schools participated on several Fridays. It’s a great way to build solidarity among your staff, reach out to parents and students and to begin to create the coordinated city-wide effort we all know is needed.

It is time for rank and file teachers, parents and our students to move towards becoming ungovernable.

Mayoral control, the attacks on our livelihoods, and on our students' education will not end simply because we want them to. 

It will take mass mobilization at the school and city-wide level. 

We need to end the privatization of Public Education through charters and merit pay!

 End the destructing of education through the abuse of high stakes testing!

Say NO to school turn-arounds that will destroy school communities, our student's education and the lives and careers of our colleagues.

WE MUST DEMAND AN END TO MAYORAL CONTROL!

PARENTS AND EDUCATORS MUST HAVE A CONTROLLING VOICE IN EDUCATION!

JOIN SCHOOLS ALL OVER THE CITY ON JAN 27TH!

And please let us know that you will be participating!

Here are some times articles covering FBF in the past. We have had lots of other coverage as well.

 And the FBF Blog from John Dewey HS. 

They have an action planned for this Friday as well.

http://fightbackfridays.blogspot.com/

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/19/fighting-closure-of-a-high-school-on-the-brink/http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/31/makeshift-groups-rising-to-oppose-cuts/

in solidarity

sam

for the rank and file Fight Back Friday committee

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Check out Norms Notes for a variety of articles of interest: http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/. And make sure to check out the side panel on the right for important bits.

Fight Back Friday at PS 193K

SEE ENLARGED PHOTOS BELOW FOLD

March over the bridge with other Fight Back Friday Schools!! Tuesday, 4pm

Fight Back Friday Coverage :

http://carrollgardens.patch.com/articles/the-education-mayor-some-local-schools-think-not-4


http://eastvillage.thelocal.nytimes.com/2011/06/10/park-protest-over-teacher-layoff-plan/

If you or folks you know are marching over the bridge and plan to meet at Brooklyn UFT Office . . . (335 Adams street, 2,3,4,5 to borough hall, A,C,F, R to Jay street/metro tech) 

 . . .Come march with the Fight Back Friday Banner!!   4PM!!!

Then meet up with other FBF schools and grassroots teacher groups at the corner of Chambers and Center, 4:30.

Over 50 schools have participated over the last few months!  

Show your support for grassroots, school based organizing of teachers, students and parents!!!

That is what Fight Back Friday is all about!!

Check out Pictures and videos of some of the actions from last Friday

Sam,

for the FIght Back Friday Committee

Video from Lehman HS, Bronx    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb6aORwHHLs

  

PS 157

Lyons School

 

More on Friday Protests at Lyons School and Lehman HS

I posted pics last night from 2 rallies. Here is a followup from a GEMer who was present on the arrest of a teacher for writing on a mailbox with chalk.

I didn't know who the teacher was.  I was caddy corner so i don't know if he was cuffed, but I think not.  He was taken in a car to the 90th Pct.  The principal immediately went over to the police stattion.  She was out rallying too. Then the head honcho officer spoke with some folks and said he was going to find out what happened and explained the rules of demonstrating to the group that was left.  Many others went to the precinct.  The group was given a warning by a detective who was going around in a car.  They were not blocking the street or traffic.  In fact cars were honking in agreement.  Anyway I think this teacher wrote on the mailbox with chalk and then erased it.  Well they were on him as if he committed a crime.  it seems like harassment.  The head officer seemed to think he was going to be held and then let go.  We will know by Monday what happened unless you have an e-mail of someone from Lyons to inquire.  The group was well organized and calm, but needless to say very upset.  We joined them because the school is across the street from my house. This school could lose quite a few teachers because of the cuts and it would devastate them.

Lehman HS follow-up
Here are some excerpts from a wonderful email from a former student of Fordam's Dr. Mark Naison who was a major speaker at the rally at Lehman. It was her first rally. I've been on a listserve with Mark and he is one powerful voice against Ed Deform and for Real Reform. I really have to start blogging some of his posts.

Hi Dr N

It was good to see you this afternoon at the UFT-organized Rally against Budget Cuts at Lehman HS- The coverage from News 12 Bronx is up online as well -

http://www.news12.com/articleDetail.jsp?articleId=283880&position=1&news_type=news

Although I'm not a NYC public school teacher, it was important to me to attend because of what I learned from your Senior Values Seminar several years ago  - never let others stand alone.  Support isn't about large and grand gestures, but its in the simple human camaraderie of not letting anyone stand up alone-

The most memorable parts of the rally, aside from the much-welcomed passing shower to cool the marchers down, was when a Fire Truck and later a Con Edison Service truck assed by honking their horns! The firemen, who are also facing severe budget cuts, were enthusiastically throwing their hands in the air cheering along with us.  Although I was a bit hesitant at first (since this was my first rally), the longer I marched the more I found it to be "really exciting" as you put it.

You mentioned that there was another rally taking place this afternoon in downtown Brooklyn with public school professionals from all around the borough. Although the size and scope of that rally surpasses the gathering this afternoon at Lehman, what's most impressive was to see the positive response from the community. I don't consider myself to be a social justice activist, but this was a small step to add a voice in my community. As I mentioned, I'm not a public school teacher, I'm not an alumna of Lehman HS, and I'm not a member of a union. But I have friends, family and colleagues that are public school teachers and I am the product and beneficiary of the NYC public education system - it is these people with whom I stand beside in this fight.  I believe that we are in the midst of a challenging time, a time when traditions, values, and systems are being tested and re-evaluated.

Although the conversation and policies are shifting towards a more corporate nature with focus on business efficiency and returns on investment, I believe that my Fordham education instilled in me that the pursuit of excellence should never come at the expense of respect for humanity and ethics.  You're right that the education system has become distilled into performance measurements, exams, bonuses, and new investments in charters - but there is still the possibility of making it right. Education is about service - service to the students, no matter what age, gender, ability, religion, socioeconomic standing, parental education background of the student.

------------------

Check out Norms Notes for a variety of articles of interest: http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/. And make sure to check out the side panel on right for news bits.

Pics From Fightback Friday at Lyons School/Cops Arrive Over Teacher Writing With Chalk/Pics From Lehman HS Rally

I got back at noon from my 3 day trip to FIRST HQ in New Hampshire for the annual robotics conference just in time to head into the city for the Fight Back Friday press conference at City Council Speaker Christine Quinn's 30th St. offices (video will be up tomorrow). There were lots of activities going on simultaneously. Here are pics from 2 locations:

The Lyons School (East Williamsburg - actually at the old IS 49 building a few blocks from where I taught. As these pics came into the Blackberrys there were rumors a teacher was arrested for writing in chalk on the sidewalk mailbox (and erasing it).  (there goes Skelly and other chalk-driven memories of childhood.)
 
Pics below the fold

Next Fight Back Friday is June 10th

We began the idea of Fight Back Friday as a way to brand an action that many schools could easily plug into. We feel it builds from the ground up and allows each school to reach out to the local community with issues THAT school feels are important. These decentralized actions are important but the citywide branding and coordination from a central body is also important, along with culminating actions in the afternoon after school. Some schools have begun to reach out to their neighboring schools, thus growing small neighborhood cores. This Friday is the last one of this school year. There is still time to join in - even if it's just a small informational morning picket with a few teachers. We have tool kits for you to use. Email Julie Cavanaugh (juliereed15@hotmail.com) with any questions. Shee will send you the tool kit with all the fliers and stickers and such. We are happy to help you think through all the steps.
 
That's my spiel. Here is the official one.

Next Fight Back Friday is June 10th

From the FBF blog:

FBF gives every school community a chance to stand up and say NO to the cuts and lay-offs at whatever level the community can be organized.

• Everyone wears black (Wear black, take our schools back!).  It can be as simple as just that.
• We have stickers people can print out with messages about the cuts and the kinds of changes we would all like to see in education that folks can wear and give out. 
• We have fliers that you can adjust to fit your school, which you can use on the day of.
• Many schools have a picket outside of school either before or after the school day. We have fliers you can use to publicize the picket during the week leading up to the 20th.
• The fliers will be in at least English and Spanish, and if we can, Chinese.
• We have post cards that we are asking people to get signed that will then be delivered en-masse to city council members. You can print those out, or come get them at a couple of different locations.
• We ask everyone to take pictures to send in that then go on our fight back friday blog and face book page.

We will be putting out a press release and press statement and pushing the press to cover as many school events as we can. And the more schools participating the more coverage we will get.

Please, even if it sounds hard or overwhelming, consider pushing your school community to join in. Email Julie Cavanaugh (juliereed15@hotmail.com) with any questions. We will send you the tool kit with all the fliers and stickers and such. We are happy to help you think through all the steps.

This is a way for your whole community to work together, parents, students and staff, to build solidarity within and across schools. These actions are great for training ourselves to do the organizing that we need if we are to turn the tide of the destruction of public education. In order to fight for the transformations we all want to see in our education system, we need to do the grassroots educating, organizing and mobilizing that it takes to move whole communities.

Photographs from the May 20th Fight Back Friday

https://picasaweb.google.com/108122375451944539262/FightBackFriday52011?authkey=Gv1sRgCMCKyYvbr9GTpgE

----------------------------

Though some of the schools below are not officially branded as a FBF school, all are holding some action this Friday.

Participating Schools

PS 261, Brooklyn

PS 321, Brooklyn

Sunset Park High School, Brooklyn

PS 306, Queens,

PS 69, Queens

PS 503, Brooklyn

PS 254, Brooklyn

Facing History School, Manhattan

International School for Liberal Arts

Lehman High School, Bronx

PS 368, Bronx

PS 230, Brooklyn

Paul Robeson High School, Brooklyn

PS 24, Brooklyn

MS 136, Brooklyn

PS 193, Brooklyn

Bushwick School for Social Justice

Academy for Urban Planning

John Dewey High School, Brooklyn

PS 157, Brooklyn

Green School, Brooklyn

PS 123, Manhattan

Frederick Douglass Academy 5, Bronx

El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice

PS 15, Brooklyn

East Brooklyn Community High School in Canarsie

PAIHS, Queens

Neighborhood School, Manhattan

Childrens' Workshop School, Manhattan

James Baldwin School, Manhattan

Humanitites Prep, Manhattan

Lyons High School, Brooklyn

FDR High School, Brooklyn

Goldstein High School, Brooklyn

Jamaica High School, Queens

Bronx International HS, Morris Campus

High School for Excellence, Morris Campus

Alfred E Smith High School, Bronx 

If your school is not taking part let me know your feelings why.

Fight Back Friday - School Communities Across the City to Participate, UFT Delegates Serenaded at DA

Fight Back Friday at the UFT Delegate Assembly

I know I've been haranguing you about the importance of getting your school involved in Fight Back Friday. I was part of a coalition of groups supporting FBF at yesterday's Delegate Assembly.

I tried to tell the delegates that a consistent monthly action in front of their schools would have a bigger impact than the mostly uncovered May 12 rally. But rallies are easy. Go, march, go home and forget about it.

Organizing at the school level is hard. Some of FBF supporters have reached out to neighboring schools and are now working in tandem. Imagine a bunch of elementary schools along with the local middle schools affecting an entire neighborhood! The UFT says it wants this to happen but is not actively supporting FBF.


Many of the participants in this action are new to the action at the DA, which was poorly attended. Many of them are young idealistic teachers who haven't yet been featured on the front page of the NY Times - maybe because they actually support teacher rights and oppose the use of high stakes tests to measure teacher performance.

Serenading UFT Delegates as they depart Delegate Assembly
At the end of the meeting, the group serenaded the departing delegates, urging them, most of them Unity Caucus, to join in union solidarity songs. Few did. They seemed embarrassed.

Here is a brief video I shot of the singing (we will not be appearing on American Idol) followed by the FBF press release. Link here to watch directly on you tube: http://youtu.be/EkXNf_Ff6aE

Date:  Friday, May 20, 2011     

Contact:

Sam Coleman, Educator, PS 24K, NYCORE/GEM:  646-354-9362

Lisa Donlan, Parent, President CEC1:  917-848-587

Yelena Siwinski, Educator, PS 193K, ICE: (917) 628-3588

School Communities Across the City to Participate in Fight Back Friday

Bloomberg and the DOE must stop wasting our money and start prioritizing public education:  No school-based budget cuts and no educator lay-offs!

On Friday May 20th, school communities across the city will take differentiated actions to protest Mayor Bloomberg's destructive education policies, including his latest budget announcement that includes the elimination of 6,000 teaching positions, 4,700 through lay-offs.  Individual schools will hold rallies, sign postcards directed at City Council representatives, disseminate flyers to spread awareness about where Mr. Bloomberg’s spending priorities lie, and they will wear black to, “take our schools back” as well as stickers proclaiming the Real Reforms our Mayor should be fighting for.

$350 Million dollars is needed to prevent educator lay-offs and prevent disastrous consequences for our children including increased class sizes and loss of programming.  Mayor Bloomberg’s budget allocates $700 million for charter schools, $542 million in new technology, and hundreds of millions on testing. Parents, educators, children, and community members stand united in demanding our City Council reject the Mayor’s budget and call on Mr. Bloomberg to stop wasting our money and start to prioritize public education and local community public schools.

Fight Back Fridays began last June when school communities united to fight proposed budget cuts, lay-offs and other disastrous educational policies.  This year, Fight Back Fridays have continued throughout the city.  To visit a school community that is participating in a Fight Back Friday or for more information, please contact the parents and educators listed in this release.

Some Fight Back Friday participants include:
PS 261, Brooklyn, PS 321 Brooklyn, Sunset Park High School Brooklyn, PS 306, Queens, PS 69 Queens, PS 503, Brooklyn, Facing History School, Manhattan, International School for Liberal Arts, Lehman High School, Bronx, PS 368, Bronx, PS 230, Brooklyn, Paul Robeson High School, Brooklyn, PS 24, Brooklyn. MS 136, Brooklyn, PS 193, Brooklyn, Bushwick School for Social Justice, Academy for Urban Planning, PS 157, Brooklyn, Green School, Brooklyn, PS 123, Manhattan, Frederick Douglass Academy 5, Bronx, El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice, Brooklyn, PS 15, Brooklyn, East Brooklyn Community High School in Canarsie, PAIHS, Queens, Neighborhood School, Manhattan, Childrens' Workshop School, Manhattan, James Baldwin School, Manhattan, Humanitites Prep, Manhattan, Lyons High School, Brooklyn, FDR High School, Brooklyn, Goldstien High School, Brooklyn, Jamaica High School, Queens, Bronx international HS, Morris campus, High School for Excellence, Morris campus, Alfred E Smith High School, Bronx Families, teachers, and school staff are also meeting in front of PS 10 in Brooklyn and will march along 7th avenue to join PS 295, MS 88, and New Voices respectively.

Endorsers include: Grassroots Education Movement (GEM), Teachers Unite (TU), People Power Movement (PPM), Teachers for a Just Contract (TJC), New York Collective of Radical Educators (NYCORE), Concerned Advocates for Public Education (CAPE), Independent Community of Educators (ICE)

Additional Contacts:

Mark Torres, Educator, Frederick Douglass Academy 5, Bronx, People Power Movement, 646-696-8485

Emily Giles, Educator, Bronx International High School, Teachers Unite, 917-575-2936

Fightback Friday is Coming as Schools Across the City Stage Local Protests Against Bloomberg’s Budget Cuts

Friday, May 20th is Fight Back Friday! School communities across the city are uniting to fight budget cuts and lay-offs locally. If you are interested in sponsoring a Fight Back Friday, to sign on and receive a tool-kit, or if you want more information please email peter.lamphere@gmail.com.

At the risk of repeating myself, I know many of you participated in the rally on May 12 but may be ignoring the opportunity to join in Fight Back Friday events where schools citywide take independent action around their schools. Frankly, I feel these actions over time will have a bigger impact than rallies like the May 12 event (how much coverage did it get? What do you think the impact was?) One of the reasons FBFs are worth doing is that over time they pressure the UFT from below. But it also builds links (that have been missing) with the local community. Imagine all 1600 schools building these links to fight the budget cuts and layoffs?

A FBF toolkit has been produced and the organizers will send you one. This FBF too soon for you? Start organizing for June 10. Too soon? Come to the GEM meeting May 23 to think about expanding next year.

You can follow Fight Back Friday events on the FBF blog maintained by our pal at John Dewey HS.
http://fightbackfridays.blogspot.com/. You know, this factoid reminds me of why, despite how bleak things look, I am optimistic. The level of cooperation between the various groups and individuals has been unprecedented.

Here is the latest FBF flier that can be cut down the middle to double your fun.

 

 A message from Sam Coleman (GEM/NYCORE).

Hi all,

Just a reminder. This Friday is a city wide Fight Back Friday. Staff, students and parents all over the city will be dressing in black, wearing stickers, getting post-cards signed and having pickets at their schools.

Wear black, take our schools back!! from the corporate takeover and purposeful underfunding of our cities schools.

-If we add a small tax surcharge for those households with over $175,000 in income we would completely eliminate the need for any lay-offs.
-Hundred of millions is spent on testing!!
-Half a billion will be spent next year on technology infrastructure, much of that given in contracts to private companies with ties back to Tweed and the State Ed. department.

Get your colleagues and school community to wear black, send in pictures, or let us know your school is participating. The more participating schools, the more press we get, the more we can pressure our council members to vote down the mayor's insane budget!!!

Email sam@nycore.org for an email copy of the tool-kit with stickers, fliers to advertise your action, post-cards to the city council you can have people sign.

Its easy and fun!!!!

Sam, for the fight back friday committee

Here is one school's call - Lyons Community School based at the old IS 49 building in Williamsburg, a short distance from where I taught (our school used to feed into it).

Schools Across the City Stage Local Protests Against Bloomberg’s Budget Cuts

This Friday the 20th is being called “Fight Back Friday,” a day in which schools across the city will express their opposition to Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed layoffs.

Activist teacher groups such as New York Coalition of Radical Educators (NYCoRE, Grassroots Education Movement (GEM), and Teacher’s Unite have helped organize the event (the UFT unfortunately has not helped organize the event). Every participating school (30-50 are expected to participate) will stage demonstrations of their own determination, with the baseline factor that all teachers will be wearing black.

At Lyons Community School, a low-income public school in Williamsburg, teachers will take to the streets, reaching out to community members in an effort to halt the proposed budget cuts.

Teachers at Lyons Community School have mobilized significantly around the proposed cuts. Teachers have created t-shirts, posters, fliers, and postcards that urge action against the cuts and provide information to the community about how to fight back.

This Friday, Lyons Community School teachers will take to the streets right outside of the school with creative artwork and posters, talking to community members, distributing information packets, and getting postcards signed.

Contact:
Joshua Sol Lewis, ESL Teacher
347 406 1156

All fliers are available, including stickers to hand out in both English and Spanish.
Email me if interested: normsco@gmail.com

Fight Back Friday a big success: Press Release, Press Conf, Please send pictures

Hi all,

Hope everyone had a successful day! A little bit goes a long way. This is how a city wide movement grows, and the fact that there were double the number of schools (30!!) participating yesterday than 2 months ago means a lot.

So thanks to everyone, and especially folks who made the fliers, did translating, made the survey and spread the word.

There was some press yesterday at my school (Cable channel 12 and some local papers) and ch 47 and the chinese language cable station was at the press conference along with gotham schools and some other smaller papers. If you got any coverage please share.

Please send any photos or video to me and to Michael at: mmvs1226@aol.com so we can publicize our actions and make the next one even bigger. And if you woudnt mind a sentence or two describing your actions, something we can post with photos, that would be great.

Also, if people are feeling it, feel free to continue to rock FBF at your school, and if folks are down, maybe lets think about another even bigger one in early June. . .?

Have a great weekend, and probably see some of you at the nycore conference in a few hours!
in solidarity

Sam

PS if you got any push back from your chapter leader or other union folks on your action, please let us know.

VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z29djIHBMCc

Press Release
Date:  Friday, March 25, 2011     


Contact:
Sam Coleman, Teacher PS 24, NYCORE/GEM:  646-354-9362
Lisa Donlan, Parent and President CEC1:  917-848-5873
Julie Cavanagh, Teacher PS 15, GEM/CAPE: 917-836-6465

Fight Back Friday:  After More Than a Week of Protests and Outrage, School-Communities Mobilize to Demand Our Governor and Mayor Put Our Children First

Today parents, students, teachers, and community members across the city took differentiated actions to demand our Mayor and our Governor put our children first.  Education stakeholders city-wide protested Mayor Bloomberg’s destructive education policies, including his threat of over 4,000 teacher lay-offs and his attacks on our experienced educators, as well as Governor Cuomo’s devastating proposed education cuts.  Individual schools picketed, signed petitions and letters, held teach-ins, engaged in teacher appreciation activities and disseminated flyers to spread awareness about budget cuts, proposed lay-offs, teacher protections, and what our Mayor and Governor should be fighting for if they were really interested in putting children first.  


"On Thursday, March 24th thousands of average New Yorkers expressed their outrage against Bloomberg, a failed public ed system, Cuomo, Wall Street  banksters, and the 'givebacks' and job losses being set in motion with the help of city and state legislators. One day later, during another Fight Back Friday, parents, teachers, students and community members around the city continued that struggle at their respective schools, more confident than ever, that in unity there is strength." Muba Yarofulani & Akinlabi Mackall Co-chairpersons,Coalition for Public Education / Coalicion por la Educacion Publica.


Tory Frye, parent at PS/IS 187 said, "Last year my son's elementary school lost the art teacher and the science teacher to budget cuts.  The music teacher has no music room or instruments; there is no dedicated room for art and class sizes are uncomfortably high.  We lost 7 faculty members altogether last year and now we are being told that we will lose another 5 teachers?  There is no one left at my son's school to cut!  I cannot begin to understand how we can allow budget cuts like the ones proposed by Governor Cuomo and supported by Mayor Bloomberg to occur, this is not putting our children first. There is a solution; we can maintain the tax on millionaires and billionaires, which would mitigate the impact of these budget cuts and simultaneously address the growing income disparity that sadly has come to characterize New York City."


Continued Sam Coleman, teacher, “My elementary school, PS 24, has lost over $1 million in the last year to budget cuts. Our school is made up of largely immigrant, working class and poor students of color. Due to budget cuts, students in our school have lost after school programs, arts programs, teachers and materials. It is morally and ethically unjustifiable for the mayor and governor to take these resources away from our families while granting millionaires and billionaires tax breaks. Poor and working class families of color and immigrants should not have their children's education short-changed in order to pay for a new yacht, or a new summer home for the wealthiest citizens of our city and state. Fight Back Friday's are a way for school communities to come together - parents, teacher and students - to say enough is enough. We are united in this fight, and we are not going to sit by quietly anymore.”


“We have witnessed the privileged few dominate the education conversation over the last year and we have seen our elected leaders capitulate to their interests over the needs of the more than 95% of us who are not millionaires and billionaires, most notably our children, more than 20% of whom are living in poverty.  This week we have learned that Governor Cuomo accepted tens of thousands of dollars from the Koch brothers, individuals who seek to dismantle our democracy and protections for the average American.  We have seen our Mayor spend millions of his own money to promote his own policy interest against the wishes of the overwhelming majority of New Yorkers who want the millionaire tax left in place and who support experienced educators.  We do not live in an oligarchy or a plutocracy where the privileged few get to make decisions for the rest of us, we live in a democracy where representatives are supposed to serve those who elected them.  We will fight for our children, for public education, for workers rights, and for the promise of a democracy and an elected leadership that truly represents the will of the people,” said Julie Cavanagh, teacher at PS 15 in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

Casey Fuetsch, public school parent at the Earth School added, "It's ironic and disturbing that, on this 100th Anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire,  we are still fighting to keep the most basic rights of mostly female workers intact.  One hundred years ago it was a safety issue; this year it is common respect and job security for teachers.”

Fight Back Fridays began last June when school communities united to fight proposed budget cuts and other disastrous educational policies.  Over the course of this school year, Fight Back Fridays have continued throughout the city.  

“John Dewey H.S. is continuing our Fight Back Friday actions to unify our school community in the face of a city-wide and national campaign to discredit teachers, destroy seniority rights, and sabotage our public schools. Labor rights are civil rights and these are rights that we must fight to protect for the sake of our students and the future of public education. Our goal is to make our school better and stronger by keeping teachers teaching and helping our students receive a dynamic and quality education,” said Michael Solo, Dewey teacher.

Rosemarie Frascella of NyCORE and teacher at Prospect Heights High School said, “Fight Back Fridays give educators the agency to design their own way of organizing around the issues that are directly affecting our students, classrooms, and communities.  We are organizing Fight Back Fridays to educate and organize our communities around the issues directly affecting our school communities.  From Wisconsin to New York City teachers are coming together to stand up for quality education for every student across the United States.  Our working conditions are our students' learning environments.”

Added Stefanie Siegel, teacher, Paul Robeson High School in Brooklyn, “The Coalition for Public Education (Brooklyn Chapter) has been meeting with students and staff on Tuesdays for the past two months.   Their consistency and resiliency keep us engaged and believing that justice will prevail after all.  The work has empowered, politicized and raised the consciousness of  students and we hope, if nothing else, the teach-in on Fight Back Friday spreads the word and broadens our impact.   The presence of the CPE at Robeson has made us feel as if we are part of a bigger picture, a larger cause as well as a global community.”

Participants in Fight Back Friday and parents, educators, and students across the city have expressed immense frustration with the Bloomberg administration for attacking teachers and seniority rights, using parents and teachers as political footballs with threats of massive layoffs rather than seeking to find a solution to Governor Cuomo’s misguided budget cuts.  Fight Back Friday participants and stakeholders across the city have demanded an end to wasteful city contracts such as CityTime and ARIS, for the state to continue the fair tax on Millionaires and Billionaires, for the DOE to cut middle and upper management at the DOE instead of further cutting school-based budgets and to prevent teacher layoffs, to stop wasting money on over-testing and for our local and state elected officials to do the hard work of putting our children first, by protecting and preserving public education.

“Our community believes in high quality education. However, over-testing has not proven to be effective. We need local community engagement and control that requires high standards for our schools,” Harvey Epstein Denise Soltren The Neighborhood School PTA Co Presidents.

Lisa Donlan, President of CEC1 concluded, “Parents and teachers have come together to send a message in their school communities and to the city at large that the budget cuts, the attacks on teachers, the misuse of high stakes testing and increase in class sizes MUST STOP if we are to deliver on the promise of tomorrow that is our children's education TODAY. Cheating these kids, schools and communities hurts all of us, now and in the future. We will fight back today and every day until our city gets what it deserves-  adequately funded and staffed, good, public schools in every neighborhood!”

More than twenty-five school-communities city-wide participated in Fight Back Friday including: 
The Academy for Environmental Leadership, Brooklyn
The Academy of Urban Planning, Brooklyn
Bushwick School for Social Justice, Brooklyn
James Baldwin High School, Manhattan
Humanities Prep High School, Manhattan
PS 307, Brooklyn
Pan American Internnational HS, Queens
PS 24, Brooklyn
PS 15, Brooklyn
PS 157, Brooklyn
The Earth School ( PS 364 Manhattan)
The Neighborhood School (PS 363 Manhattan)
Lehman HS, Bronx
PS 193, The Gil Hodges School, Brooklyn
John Dewey HS, Brooklyn
Lyons Community School, Brooklyn
PS 368, Manhattan
The Green School, Brooklyn
PS 347, Manhattan
PS 187, Manhattan
Alfred E. Smith high school, Bronx
PS 230 Brooklyn
International High School at Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
PS 254, Brooklyn
PS 134 Manhattan
Rafael Hernandez School of the Performing Arts IS 217, Bronx
Banana Kelly HS, Bronx
PS 3, Brooklyn
PS 3, Manhattan




Additional Contacts:
Tory Frye, Parent and SLT Member PS/IS 187:  646-418-6435
Stefanie Siegel, Teacher Paul Robeson High School: 347-721-2152
Michael Solo, Teacher Dewey High School: 917-750-7510

Liza Campbell Captures the Spirit of Fight Back Friday

At the Left Forum yesterday I heard a teacher tell all about how Fight Back Friday in her school brought the staff together in a way they hadn't seen before. Almost the entire staff wore black - "to take their school back" (I've even heard of some principals wearing black in unity). It turns out this is the same school that in a piece at Gotham's Community Center (which many people do not read due to Ruben irritation) GEM/NYCORE's Liza Campbell talked about. One of 3 on a campus, they have reached out to the other schools and things are moving toward actions taken by the entire building. Let me point out that these are mostly young teachers far from the madding ME4ME slugs.

Links to FBF: http://fightbackfridays.blogspot.com/ and www.grassrootseducationmovement.blogspot.com

Liza wrote a fab piece. Here is a short shot:

Tenure protects teachers who defend their departments from harassment, inform parents or DOE officials about negligence in their school, or who have personal or political disagreements with principals. Protections and contractual agreements make schools better places to work, which means lower teacher turnover, happier teachers and thus happier students in turn. A sign outside the capital in Madison, Wisc., last week made the case for teacher protections clear: “My Working Conditions Are My Students’ Learning Conditions.”

In response to the relentless attacks, Sam Coleman, a member of both the Grassroots Education Movement and NYCORE came up with the idea of supporting schools in organizing school-based actions for educators, parents and students across the city who wanted to push back. He named his intitiative Fight Back Friday. The idea also developed because there was an urgency for more actions at the local level, yet the UFT leadership seemed unwilling or unable to take on organizing of that kind.

On Friday, Jan. 21, members of my school community participated in our first Fight Back Friday. We joined parents, school staff and community members across the city to raise awareness about, and stand in solidarity with, schools facing closure and co-location votes at upcoming Panel for Educational Policy meetings. The theme for the day was “Wear Black and Take Our Schools Back.” Nearly all of my colleagues wore black on that day. It was an incredibly unifying experience that was better for staff morale than anything I could have anticipated. Over 30 schools have participated in Fight Back Fridays since the movement began last year. Each individual school’s action takes on a different tone depending on the particular concerns that are most pressing for that school, but they all heighten dialogue and raise awareness about critical issues facing education right now.
The next Fight Back Friday is planned for March 25, and it will focus on some of the most pressing issues facing public education. These include the devastation that would be caused by layoffs and budget cuts, plus the importance of teacher protections like tenure and seniority in making schools stable and rich environments for children. The message for the day is, “We are all Wisconsin! Same Struggle, Same Fight.” I have heard this sentiment, which refers to the battle against union rights started by Wisc. Gov. Scott Walker, expressed repeatedly from teachers in my school, and we have decided we don’t want to wait any longer to start educating our communities and mobilizing ourselves.

READ IT ALL:
Anticipating Fight Back Friday

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AFTER BURN: WHAT IF?
What if Bill Gates or DFER made an offer to Gotham to pay or subsidize the salary of the reporter they are looking to hire to replace Maura Walz? Of course they will say, "We're not looking to influence the reporting in any way." But maybe they follow with, "I have the perfect person in mind." Well, whatever, you get a picture of how the press can be subverted - but I can't imagine Gotham going for such a thing.

Now, Accountable Talk has thrown his hat in the Gotham job ring

I don't know if you've heard, but GothamSchools is hiring! This is huge news for a small time blogger like me--my chance to make the big time! I hope you, my faithful readers, won't mind if I audition right here? I know the three of you are skeptical. I can hear you thinking: "Mr. Talk writing for Gotham? Why, he's pro-union, anti-Unity, and borderline socialist!" Never fear. I'm willing to be employed by a hedge fund manager for a price, which is one of the main qualifications for this gig.

MORE AT: Mr. Talk Shoots for the Big Time

Hey, ya never know.

The Resistance Grows: Actions this week- GEM Meets Monday and FIght Back Friday

Reminder: GEM meeting tomorrow -

There's a busy week coming up for The Resistance Fighters fighting the ed deformers. I'm having trouble keeping up.

Fight Back Friday: We are all Wisconsin!  Same Struggle, Same Fight!
I was interviewed by a reporter on Friday who was asking about what we hope to accomplish with Fight Back Fridays. I told her this was a rank and file led movement coming directly out of the schools and not led and promoted by the UFT leadership as March 22 is (we support that too.) But in order to build a union from the bottom up these kinds of actions touch base with people - staff and parents and community who might not be fully informed. So far pockets of activity in long dormant schools have been activated. FBF is a grassroots movement that if it ever reached a couple of hundred schools could begin to have an impact both on the DOE and more importantly, push the UFT towards a stronger defense of public education. Interesting that the reporter didn't seem to like it when I used the term "defense from the attacks on public ed" and tried to put words in my mouth. I haven't seen any article quoting me yet - I think this was the Daily News - the reporter was covering 3 Queens schools FBF actions -Jamaica HS (see the video I posted yesterday), PS 30 and another school.

A FBF tooklit for schools to use with ready made leaflets has been created. So even if all your school does is have people wear black to take your school back or have a lunchtime teach-in on Wisconsin, sign on to the list by email Sam to get your school on the list and get the toolkit: Sam_p_coleman@yahoo.com

One other thing developing: some of the activists are turning FBF into after school Happy Hour meetups with neighboring schools. I'll keep you posted as they come in so you can pop in if one's in your area - or better still, let me know of your school happy hours so others can join.

Events this week
I had a busy last couple of weeks and have not had much time to do much blogging. I was at the Left Forum all day yesterday taping 3 panels, including our standing room only viewing of our filmed response to Waiting for Superman (The Inconvenient Truth Behind WFS) Here is what I have so far for this week. Ed Notes will try to cover as much as possible with video and commentary.

• Monday, Mar. 21: GEM Meeting at CUNY, 5PM: 34st and 5th ave, rm 5414. See the GEM blog for meeting agenda and updates. (Fightback Friday
• Tuesday, Mar. 22: EDUSolidarity- bloggers
  
  As we all know, teachers and our unions, along with those of other public sector employees, face unprecedented attacks in the national media and from local and state governments. It is easy for politicians and the media to demonize the "unions" and their public faces; it is far more difficult to demonize the millions of excellent teachers who are proud union members. Those of us who are excellent teachers and who stand in solidarity with our unions are probably no stranger to the question "Well, why are you involved with the union if you're a good teacher?" It's time for us to stand up and answer that question loudly and clearly. http://www.edusolidarity.us/
  Citywide actions in schools - Wear red
• Weds, Mar. 23: PEP meeting at Brooklyn Tech
• Thurs, Mar. 24: Day of Rage Against City Budget Cuts, Rally-5PM @ City Hall, March to Wall Street @ 6PM
• Friday, Mar. 25: Fight Back Friday - school level actions plus press conf at Tweed at 4:30
• Saturday, Mar. 26: NYCORE conference all day at Julia Richman HS campus

Did I leave anything out?

Here are some details on the GEM/NYCORE promoted actions :

***More than a dozen schools already signed on!!

To all Educators, Students, Parents and School Workers of NYC Public Schools:

 PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY!! 

FIGHT BACK FRIDAY IS BACK!!

For information, or to get the Fight Back Friday tool kit, email:

Sam_p_coleman@yahoo.com

NYCORE and GEM are sponsoring actions at schools across the city.

Fight back Fridays have been happening since last June and have been growing in strength!

Next Friday, March 25, Schools all over the city will be taking actions to make our voices heard!

 We are all Wisconsin!  Same Struggle, Same Fight!

• Teacher Protections, Protect Children
• Layoffs Hurt Children
• Budget Cuts Hurt Children
• Let's Put Children First

A Fight Back Friday action can be as simple as having folks wear black and wear a sticker.“Wear black, take our schools back!”.

Schools can have informational pickets, where just a few people are out fliering about the cuts and layoffs and other attacks. Other schools will have full blown pickets before or after school, with staff, parents and students.

WHAT WE ARE OFFERING TO SUPPORT YOUR ACTION:

We will send you a “tool-kit” either by email, or you can come pick up material from mid-town on Monday. The tool kit will have fliers in 3 or 4 languages that talk about the cuts, the layoffs, the attacks on seniority etc. We have stickers that people can wear with various messages, petitions you can get signed, chants you can use and other goodies. We can send someone to meet with your staff and help you plan.

We will be sending out press releases to announce our actions as well as holding a press conference on that day at 4:30 at Tweed. We will be collecting pictures and video to spread awareness of our actions.

These actions will continue to build the base of teachers and community members willing to stand up for justice in education.

We will push our union to become more militant in the face of these attacks.

We must stop being afraid to take action. We must build a fighting union that works WITH the families we serve and that FIGHTS for justice.

WE WILL LEARN FROM EGYPT, TUNISIA AND WISCONSIN!

Email: sam_p_coleman@yahoo.com to get information or to get the tool kit.

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Check out Norms Notes for a variety of articles of interest: http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/. And make sure to check out the side panel on right for news bits.