Video: MORE Brunch, Please

MOREistas and supporters gather for a great day of brunching - great food ala chef/teacher Sean Ahern, great music from Patrick Walsh and Fred Arcoleo, great conversation with everyone, and inspiring words of wisdom from Julie Cavanagh, Jia Lee and Megan Moskop.

https://vimeo.com/76258078




Amongst many interesting conversations with people I had never met before was this one. I see a young lady sitting at a table all by herself. She looked young but could have been a teacher. She tells me she is a senior in one of our elite high schools. "How did you end up here," I asked? "One of my favorite teachers - a young energetic teacher she tells me -- is so inspiring and urges us to get involved -- told us about this event - so I am here." I never heard of her teacher but did know one of our contacts had put our newsletters in the mail boxes. She said she wants to study film. Boy we need socially conscious film makers.

Here are some pics:

Jack Channels Daddy the musician

Happy B-Day Diana

Jia and son

Megan and Peter: MULTI-GEN MOREistas

Megan: New MORE leaders emerge

Patrick and Fred

Master chef Sean

Join Me and Other MOREistas This Saturday at MORE Brunch

REMINDER FOR SAT. at 11:30AM to join us for brunch and meet the MOREistas growing corps of members.

Here's a good sign with this message just in: MORE is looking for a space for our general meetings as we have outgrown the space we have been using.
 
But we will have to pay for this space. So for $20 you get a good meal, (and I think MORE may be a tax free deal now) and good company.

Do I have to tell you if you are a NYC teacher that the only way to have a chance to turn the tide of ed deform is to capture leadership of the UFT/AFT. Now that may be a long march I may not live to see but the first step is building a viable democratically run alternative with a MORE rep in as many schools as possible. Let me emphasize "democratic." If we could win power by being like Unity I would say "no thank you."

Been reluctant to attend a MORE meeting because you are all meeting out? Here is you chance to rub elbows - and noses if you prefer - with an entire gaggle of MOREistas in this fund raiser. As you know, we are not e4e getting money from Bill Gates. Or the UFT with its $200 million budget.

And we have a great new project -- MORE Stuff in Your Mailbox -- a new newspaper being distributed to schools all over the city (you can sign up as a distributor for your school at the MORE website -- and I'll hand deliver them to you -- if you treat me to a school lunch). Yes, Virginia, we have to pay to print those suckers and you can help by attending this lunch -- and if you can't come support it anyway.

Sean Ahern, a master chef and cooking teacher, has been heading the project. Sean was one of the first people who contacted me in 2002/3 when I went citywide with Ed Notes and we quickly became good friends. He was one of the key people in helping form ICE and has jumped into the work of MORE with enthusiasm.

When I met Sean, he was in the early stages of his 3rd career - teaching. He began as a transit worker, inspecting tracks. Walking over an icy bridge he decided it was time to switch careers and he became a chef, working with Eli Zabar and others. Then he went on to offer his services and skills to the kids of the New York City school system, as needed a service in vocational training as can be found.

Not only will you be helping MORE but you will get a great meal as Sean is joined by another cooking teacher, Michael Lynch. And you also will get a chance to meet the great new generation of activists working with MORE like Julie Cavanagh, Rosie Frascella, Mike Schirtzer, and a slew of others -- yes I will be playing the part of grandpa.

The closest subway stop is Washington/Clinton on the C line. Or go to the Barclay Center on Atlantic Ave and walk about 10 minutes.

MORE Brunch – Saturday, October 5th

September 29, 2013 — Leave a comment

Two experienced NYC chef/educators, Michael Lynch and Sean Ahern will be preparing a delicious and affordable Brunch (vegetarian and vegan options included) all homemade and from  the highest quality ingredients and professionally prepared.  We have trained many of NYC most talented students who are now working in some of the top restaurants in the city.  

The proceeds will go to help the Movement of Rank and File Educators with its organizing efforts in the coming year.  Teacher singer songwriters of note, Fred Arcoleo and Patrick Walsh will entertain you. MORE’s Presidential Candidate Julie Cavanagh and other leaders will be in attendance.  A great morning awaits you.  Invite co workers, friends and family for a relaxing and enjoyable saturday brunch.  Its a fun crowd. 

Make your reservation today:

http://morebrunch.eventbrite.com/

Parent Calls for Support of Oct. 9 "Win Back Wednesday"

Janine Sopp issues a call to her network. There are links to the Toolkit prepared by MORE for use in your schools, plus a great video prepared by MORE Media. The day will culminate with a rally outside the UFT Delegate Assembly (52 Broadway) on Oct. 9 at 4PM with a focus on the evaluation system the UFT leadership is pushing. If only the usual suspects are there they will be ignored.

The game will change when the day comes that we see hundreds of people with connection to hundreds of schools outside the DA putting pressure on the UFT leadership. (I still have to tell you my story of the Sept. emergency DA and the crap Unity tried to pull on distribution of lit.)

I know people -internally and externally who are critics of MORE for not coming up with an alternative system of evaluation. That is an issue for further discussion, though frankly, given there is no real way to judge a teacher's work through the use of data, maybe what we had (S or U - maybe add a middle rating like I) was the best way -- though I would create an independent investigative unit to take a close look at abusive principals who target certain people for political or economic reasons.

In Ravitch's "Reign of Error" she points to a question asked of many foreign educators: "What do you do about a bad teacher? Answer: We help them. Q: And if they are not improving? A: We help them some more. And if that doesn't work we help them find another profession." Actually, if they are basically competent in some ways but can't seem to manage the classroom situation, there must be some position in the ed structure for them.

Here is Janine.

Greetings Fellow Parents, Teachers and Friends,

As most of you know, we are facing a new year in our children's schools where standardized tests will have even higher stakes attached to them.  Because NYS has created a teacher evaluation system that is tied to the tests our children are mandated to take, we expect an even higher level of stress throughout the year.  With the implementation of the Common Core Standards and the creation of new tests that have not been fully aligned yet, and are often poorly designed, our kids will be used somewhat as guinea pigs, but the stakes are too high for this kind of experimentation.  Even our youngest students, in K-2, will be subjected to these measures and we will see the quality of teaching deteriorate under these circumstances.  

If you find all of this troubling and feel you have no power over what is happening, you are wrong. Now more than ever, parents are taking charge of their children's educational destiny and saying NO. At a time when we are choosing a new mayor to lead our schools in a new direction, we actually have more influence than we may realize.  We have the power to vote, we have the right to opt out, we have a voice that needs to be heard and many organizations with which to organize.  

Whether you are a parent, a teacher, an administrator, a student or a concerned citizen, you can show your support by joining others who are actively working toward shifting the conversation and the direction of education, the runaway train that needs us to step on the brakes.

Attached is an incredible tool kit, created to help your schools organize for a day of action to kick off "Win Back Wednesdays" on October 9.  Please share this tool kit with your school leaders, PTA, SLT, PAC, your families, teachers and administration.  There are ideas for actions, small and large, to support the empowerment of our students and our schools.  Know that there is a state wide movement to end the use of high stakes standardized testing and it's punitive effects.  Adding your voice, your action, will help grow the movement to make the shift to a more balanced, holistic approach to our children's education and give our children the schools they deserve.

Feel free to post photos of your actions to Change the Stakes and MORE Facebook pages.  Check out and share this Win Back Wednesday video.

 Want to learn more, come to Brooklyn for one or both of these events.

With regards,

--
Janine

october9thtoolkit.docx
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More Labels UPPER CASE without template.pdf 1514K   View   Download

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MORE First General Meeting, Saturday, Sept. 21, Noon-3PM

General Meeting and Brunch

September 16, 2013 — Leave a comment

Saturday September 21st 12:00-3:00pm will be at our first general meeting of the school year. All are welcome!

224 West 29th St 14th Fl. Btwn 7th and 8th ave – Midtown NYC

Facebook link here

We will discuss how the new evaluation system and continued emphasis on high stakes testing is affecting educators, students, and parents.

Join us in organizing against “advance” and the testing culture that has harmed our schools. We”ll plan for our day of action on 10/9 and future events in support of our demand for a moratorium of the new evaluation scheme.

Our new newsletter will be available in bulk to distribute at your school and pick-up/drop-off our petition for a moratorium.

Join us for Brunch with MORE (The Movement of Rank and File Educators)

Come enjoy home-made treats, meet wonderful educator activists, learn about our movement, and support our work to improve teaching and learning conditions!

Bring you colleagues, friends, and family!

Saturday October 5, 11:30am-1:30pm

@ The Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew’s Parish Hall

520 Clinton Ave

Brooklyn, NY 11238

Suggested Door Donation: $20    Youth 10-20: $10      Children Under 10: Free

*Brunch cocktails, gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options will be available.

RSVP online HERE to reserve your place at the table! (http://morebrunch.eventbrite.com)

More about MORE:

MORE, the social justice caucus of the UFT, is building a movement, and we need your support.  This fall, we’re focused on petitioning for a moratorium to end the hastily created, inaccurate NYC teacher evaluation plan, based on faulty data from high-stakes standardized tests that we believe undermine the quality of our childrens’ education.  To read our mission statement, and the need for a democracy within the teacher’s union, click here.

To join our movement, sign up Here!

MORE Weekly Update #66 - Sept. 9, 2013

Lots of info packed in here. The highlight is that I picked up the first edition of our newletter: MORE Stuff in Your Mailbox.
This is the one committee in MORE that I have tried to be fairly active on. How nice to have all these young whippersnappers doing all the work while old folk like me rest.

Let me know if you will distribute the newsletter in your school. The only way to beat the Unity machine is to get info countering their propaganda with info of our own, not just every 3 years in the election cycle, but on a regular basis. I've been pushing for this type of initiative for a long time and how nice to see it become reality -- thanks to the great MORE newsletter committee: Brian Jones, Don Doyle, Megan Behrent and Bill Linville. (And how great as an ICEer to be working with TJCer Megan -- so far the synergy of putting lots of smart people from different groups together in MORE is working).

... help distribute the new MORE Newsletter to your colleagues! View this email in your browser

Weekly Update #66 September 9, 2013 Share Tweet Forward to Friend

Join MORE Today DON'T FORGET TO VOTE! Tuesday, Sept 10th Read the results of MORE's survey and position on the Mayoral race. FALL GENERAL MEETINGS 3rd Saturday - Noon to 3pm Sep 21 (Evaluations) 224 W. 29th St., 14th Fl. Oct 19 & Nov 16 Location TBA Make Sure You Are On Our Listserves! Click below to join:  News (announcements/articles) Discussion (debate/back-and-forth) Chapter Leader (discussion for chapter activists) COMMITTEES: Contract Committee contract@morecaucusnyc.org After the citywide CL meeting Wed. Sept. 12th at 6PM Au Bon Pain 70 Myrtle Ave Steering Committee steering@morecaucusnyc.org Mon. Sept. 16th at 5PM CUNY Grad Center, Rm. 5409 Meeting minutes here Newsletter Committee news@morecaucusnyc.org Chapter Organizing Committee chapters@morecaucusnyc.org Happy Hour/Discussion: Evaluations Thurs. Sept. 26 ​at 5pm  - Killarney Rose  Meeting minutes here Media Committee media@morecaucusnyc.org High Stake Testing Committee testing@morecaucusnyc.org STAYING IN TOUCH:  Comments? Suggestions? Email update@morecacusnyc.org with items for future updates Facebook Twitter Email MORE Newsletter MORE's newsletter, "MORE Stuff in Your Mailbox" is hot off the press, with articles on the New Evaluation System, the Contract Fight, "Ask a Chapter Leader," and Community Voices. Sign up to help distribute it to your colleagues. Reply to this email if you can pick up copies or would like to help distribute at the Citywide Chapter Leader Meeting on Thursday September 12th at the Brooklyn Marriott If you can't make it there, email our Borough Distribution Centers: Brooklyn:  jcavanagh15@gmail.com Bronx: peter.lamphere@gmail.com Manhattan: brianpjones@yahoo.com Queens/Staten Island: donal@mindspring.com And read the newsletter online: morecaucusnyc.org/newsletter Most teachers, students, and parents agree that the city's new teacher evaluation system is a misguided attempt to distract New Yorkers from the real challenges faced by our schools and students.  But what's a teacher to do? Take Action - Share the video and sign the petition for a moratorium on the new evaluations system Brooklyn Back to School Happy Hour  Friday, September 13th* 3:45 to 6:00 Franklin Park 618 St Johns Pl  Brooklyn, NY 11238 Phone Banking! Sunday, September 15th* 11am to 3pm in Crown Heights, Brooklyn To attend (or host your own) email rosiefrascella@gmail.com. *We understand that many will not be able to attend because of Yom Kippur, but we are hoping that those who do not have holiday engagements will be able to join us) Brunch Fundraiser: Saturday, October 5th – 11:30AM-1:30PM Church of St. Luke & St. Matthew 520 Clinton Ave (betw. Fulton St. and Atlantic Ave.) C train to Clinton/Washington Clinton Hil,  Brooklyn   First MORE Meeting: September 21st - 12-3PM NYC location (pick up hard copies of the petition and newsletter; focus on explaining eval and how we are fighting back against it) Day of Action Around Evaluations October 9th – outside/city-wide at schools Moving? If you are changing schools, phone numbers, or addresses, make sure we can stay in touch by updating your information with MORE.

Copyright © 2013 MORE Caucus, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you are excited about changing the UFT and signed up at a MORE meeting or our website, MORECaucusNYC.org. Our mailing address is: MORE Caucus New York New York, NY 10001

Why MORE?

Speaking with you the day before meeting with my principal was very helpful. It allowed me to better register what really is, as Julie has stated, "clear as mud." The UFT selected part of our committee was the only prepared party at the the table. The principal and her supervisors were unprepared and relied on our take and interpretation of the choices to be made. We advised that our school trigger the default model for the local MOSL. The principal agreed. Could not have done this without MORE support and Julie's wonderful ability to break down the entire task before us so that we could choose between the "noose or the sword."
Thanks for everything.

Ahhh! The smell of Democracy and open and diverse discussion. Our pals running the UFT should try it sometime. MORE did the hard work the UFT leadership would not do in analyzing the impact of the new world of evaluation.

If it wasn't for Julie and others dissecting this nonsense (Julie Cavanagh Analyzes Teacher Evaluation Options...) I would be totally clueless.  I couldn't get our DR to come to our school to explain this to us. She kept saying, "If you attended our spring info sessions you'd know..." BS, we know this thing was far from finished then.  MORE was there for me and my chapter with information and discussion. The petition will be circulated tomorrow. .. High School chapter leader

MORE activists and their supporters have been on the case. MORE members comment on the work of MORE on the evaluation.

Thank GOD for MORE and my brothers and sisters here I walked into school knowing more than anyone, including my administration, on how to explain the ridiculous "advance."

There is no one to turn before I joined MORE and here we are educating, helping, supporting each other. Its awesome, I'm happy to have each other. I always feel disconnected at UFT DA's. There is no solidarity, no personal connections. Next time you walk into a MORE meeting take a look at the smiles, laughter, embrace of each other. This is what a union meeting ought to be, this what we do.

The meetings and discussion over email and in person, blog posts, summer series, have done for me what my union was supposed to do. Everyone I know is turning to MORE for advice and push back against this asinine system.

We are here, we are answering questions, we have a petition, newsletter, and a day of action on 10/9 to fight this. Our union leadership sends out an email meant to do nothing but appease....

Thanks to MORE I'm able to be a better leader, organizer, and more importantly than ANYTHING I'm a better teacher. Frankly MORE meetings do more for my pedagogy than any DOE PD ever has ever.....

Usually I go to services for the high holy days, as I did yesterday and the 3 or 4 hardcore retired Unity folks make every effort to avoid me, although they're good friends with my mom. Well they couldn't run to me fast enough at Rosh shashona services. They wanted to know all about the new eval system, how bad it is, and one even said they saw our petition and it's awesome (he never acknowledged before that I was in UFT/MORE). This made me feel like we accomplished something, very little, but something....

Thanks so much to everyone else who shared advice, links and asked great questions, wrote emails posts, brought interesting things to meeting. And the Change The Stakes/High Stakes Testing crew for explaining how we ought to tell parents that this is wrong, the eval crew for writing a POWERFUL petition. I am more convinced than ever that WE are the union....

There is no one to turn before I joined MORE and here we are educating, helping, supporting each other. Its awesome, I'm happy to have each other. I always feel disconnected at UFT DA's. There is no solidarity, no personal connections. Next time you walk into a MORE meeting take a look at the smiles, laughter, embrace of each other. This is what a union meeting ought to be, this what we do....

"What MORE should do" is where I say, WE are MORE, every member can have a voice and put into what we do. That's what keeps me going and able to start the school year with a hope that would, otherwise, not be possible. Recently, colleagues from my last school called me because of my affiliation with MORE and NOT the Unity District Chapter Leader to ask about the evals. So, that's a huge sign of success for everyone here....

NEW MORE VIDEO: MORE Teaching, Less Testing!

I am wowed by this film by the MORE Media committee.



Posted at:
http://morecaucusnyc.org/2013/09/02/more-teaching-less-testing/

Sign the petition here: MORE Petition for Moratorium on NYC Teacher Evaluation System « Movement of Rank and File Educators

 

Julie Cavanagh Analyzes Teacher Evaluation Options

If only our current union leadership could communicate to teachers how best to protect themselves in what is going to be a very challenging and dangerous school year for everybody - students, teachers and administrators - as well as Julie Cavanagh does. ....Perdido Street School blog

Decide to get involved:  I am convinced the overwhelming majority of educators, after navigating this evaluation system, will be moved to action.  Do not get discouraged; do not believe we cannot affect change.  Whether you donate, sign a petition, attend a rally, come to a meeting, run for office, or join an organization-- the time is now to stand up and fight the tidal wave of attacks on public education.... Julie Cavanagh

Julie has spent a lot of time this summer learning the ins and outs of this mess. She shares her thoughts in this post on the MORE blog which I am cross posting.

This is not only about Julie's wonderful work in breaking all this down but also expresses Julie's philosophy of working together which so attracts people.

Make decisions based on what will bring you together:  do not allow these decisions to divide you.  Stand in solidarity together, take care of each other, and do what benefits students and teachers collectively.

This is important stuff to working teachers but for people like me the details give me a headache. But if you want clarity, read this all the way through. Julie's piece should actually be a pamphlet.

The Noose or The Sword: Choosing Your Evaluation

by morecaucusnyc

Analysis and Guidance Regarding Teacher Evaluation Choices and Decisions

By Julie Cavanagh PS15k Chapter Leader

I have yet to meet a parent, teacher or student from a school community who tells me they believe the new teacher evaluation system being implemented in NYC is a good thing, for anyone.  It seems most people understand this system is nothing more than another cog in the wheel of a machine with one clear purpose:  the destruction of our public education system.  This system and the accountability and testing measures and movement preceding it, reduce our students, our teachers and our schools to numbers and data, dehumanizing our schools and our profession. 

There is a growing movement that says, “Don’t feed the beast! Deny the data!” My heart lies with this sentiment, but in terms of the teacher evaluation framework, it may not be the right one.  Let me be clear, this system is irrevocably flawed, and the illusion of choice is no choice at all.  But while the system is fundamentally flawed and hurts our schools and profession, we can choose to participate in order to mitigate the damage to individual teacher jobs as well as our schools and students.

MORE members and allies have received multiple requests for guidance and analysis concerning the decisions UFT members and local committees must make regarding the teacher evaluation system.  Below I attempt to lay out, as I see them, the pros and cons of the choices individual teachers and school-based evaluation committees must make in the coming weeks.  This is by no means complete and it would be immensely helpful if folks offer their additional comments, analysis, and suggestions in the comment section!

The Lay of the Land

There are basically three “paths” to journey on as you make decisions as an individual UFT member and as a committee:

Ed Notes Redux: UFT Election Results, 1999 - New Action Vote Drops 75% Over Years But They Gain More Ex Bd Seats

New Action Off the cliff

New Action  received 31% in ‘91. New Action received 24% in ‘99. PAC received 2%.... Ed Notes, May, 1999 election analysis

New Action with this tremendous drop in vote totals between '99 (11,500) and '13 (3600 - half from retirees) goes from 'winning" 6  Ex Bd seats in '99 to ten EB seats in '13. Ahhhh, democracy at work! 

I've been going through the archives for a project geared to making print copies of ed notes available online. Until that is done I am publishing items of interest that might provide perspective.

Note the trend from '91, soon after NA was formed from a merger of Teachers Action Caucus and New Directions in 1990 when they got 31% of the vote. By '99 the opposition totals dropped to 26% -- call it the Randi effect -- she was initially selling reform of the union. That had disappeared by 2001 but NA was not capable of organizing and when totals dropped again in the 2001 election Randi jumped in to buy herself an opposition caucus.

For the record, as an independent Ed Notes, after the 2001 election I tried to broker a united front between all opposition forces but it fell apart, which led me to start thinking of the need for an alt caucus and the concept of a citywide edition of Ed Notes (beginning in Fall, 2002 after I retired) which became the basis of ICE. It took another 10 years to forge the highest degree of a united front with MORE (except for the now outlier, New Action). So much irony all over the place.

There were 2 opposition caucuses running in 1999: New Action and Progressive Action, a group focused on the licensing issue. Note return totals- so much higher than today. Did the NA sellout have an impact on lowering vote totals? NA in the high schools with Paul Milstein running for HS veep received 2880 to John Soldini's 2517 yet Soldini was elected because the entire union voted for that position. Union dues without representation. Throw that tea in the bay.

In the 2013 election New Action got 452 slate votes to MORE's 1430 and Unity's 1592. Even better. NA's total votes has dropped in 14 years from 11,500 to 1900 working people plus 1800 retirees, many of whom still think NA is a real opposition. In other words almost half the NA vote came from retirees in '13. So how is that collaboration deal with Unity working out?

Yet, even better, New Action with this tremendous drop in vote totals goes from 'winning" 6 (or 7) Ex Bd seats in '99 to ten EB seats in '13. Ahhhh, democracy at work!

Think of these numbers given that 30,000 more ballots were mailed out in 2013 and about 4000 more in HS. Also note that over 17,000 votes were returned by retirees in '99 and about 22,000 14 years later with a much larger membership pool. Even though 52% of the total vote in a weak turnout, even retirees (with 25,000 more ballots mailed) are losing interest.

Here is my commentary from the May 1999 edition of Ed Notes:

UFT Elections: Looking at the numbers (non-slate votes not included). PAC votes basically irrelevant,except in Academic HS, so not included. 

Interesting Points 

Retirees are the happiest people in our union. They returned the highest percentage (51%) of the ballots, because they clearly had the time to wade through all the names. (The other 49% were too busy getting ready for The Earlybird Special.) Retirees are happy with the way things are going and voted for Unity by 85%. The 33,000 retirees are the 3rd biggest block in the union. After the massive retirement expected in 2 years, they will clearly be the largest voting block. At some point we have to deal with the issue of the impact retirees have on the working conditions of active teachers. If retirees didn’t vote, Unity would have received 67% of the total vote in- stead of 74%, still a significant victory.

Election Facts
Ballots mailed: 136,565
Ballots returned: 49,108 (36%)
Ballots not returned: 103,023 (64%)
Ballots mailed to active members: 103, 023 Ballots returned by active members: 31,908 (31%) Ballots mailed to retirees: 33,542
Ballots returned by retirees: 17,200 

There has been little change in voting patterns for last 5 elections. Unity’s share of the vote has grown from 69% in 1991. NAC received 31% in ‘91. New Action received 24% in ‘99. PAC received 2%. Their impact was minimal, other than perhaps causing some people who would have voted with the opposition, to not vote at all and could explain, to some extent, the higher than usual (69%) of ballots not returned by active teachers. That’s over 70,000 ballots not returned
by ctive teachers. Is it apathy or a silent vote against all caucuses?

Academic High Schools
The only division where New Action had some success. They won half the Academic high school Executive Board seats (the rest were at large) and received about 52% of the vote. With PAC’s vote added in, the opposition polled 55% of the vote in this division. They did not win the Academic HS VP position because these positions are voted on at large, a change instituted by Unity Caucus after the last time an opposition candidate won this position.This is a bad policy for the union as it disenfranchises the divisional voters.