Randi Spends Dough on Clinton Projects While AFT Affiliate in Newark Runs Go Fund Me Campaign

The Newark Teachers Union (NTU) an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) opened a gofundme.com account as reported on Bob Braun's Ledger Facebook page on Friday.  Donated funds are to be funneled through ERC Foundation. Repeated Google searches, however, have unearthed no information on the mysterious charity. Requests for clarification from the NTU have not been returned.
To make matters worse, the AFT is flush with cash. Opensecrets.org totaled up $1,273,694 in 2016 AFT federal campaign contributions. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton raked in $22,880 while former Democratic candidate Senator Bernie Sanders got a measly $8,229.  Unfortunate Democratic Senator Corey Booker was only granted $15. Back in 2015, watchdog.org detailed AFT donations to Clinton affiliates as $250,000 to Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Foundation, $250,000 to Clinton Global Initiative and $100,000 American Bridge 21st Century (a Clinton allied research group).
The AFT has plenty of money to spend on political candidates and politically aligned organizations with questionable agendas in regard to the future of public school education, whereas the teachers the union purports to represent have to resort to begging.
Abigail Shure, Newark Teacher

UPDATE FROM THE RIGHT:

Newark Teachers Union Goes Begging

Written By: Mike Antonucci - Sep• 19•16

GoFundMe is an online fundraising site usually reserved for people with steep medical expenses or charitable causes, but now it’s the home of an effort by the Newark Teachers Union to “stop the war on teachers.”
The union of about 3,000 members has a goal of $100,000 for its campaign, but after the first four days it has raised zero. The union claims this unique project is necessary because “we don’t have access to the same funding sources as those who want to destroy our public schools.”
That might be literally true, but NTU has an annual budget of about $3.4 million and is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, a parent organization whose budget is $188 million. The idea that it requires a GoFundMe campaign for $100,000 is laughable.
It’s possible this is merely a PR stunt to rouse the zeal of activists in the state, or perhaps AFT refused to fund this particular scheme. But if you have a few extra bucks, I suggest you bypass NTU’s page and instead donate to Bonnie’s bullet removal surgery.

Ed Notes Newark Stringer Abbie Shure on Teaching in Newark

We ended up participating in a group about assisting struggling teachers. I came out as a struggling teacher despite my advanced age... Abigail Shure

It was so nice to catch up in person at the UCORE conference with Ed Notes Newark stringer, Abigail Shure, who came over to say hello and then hung out for a few hours. Here are some comments.

As I embark on my second year of providing additional support to children at Camden Elementary in Newark, I am filled with trepidation. Last year, I filled three roles; library aide, academic interventionist and teacher of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). I had no crutches to lean on since my twenty-five years of teaching experience were in the field of English as a Second Language (ESL). Thankfully, my mother was a librarian so I grew up listening to her endlessly talking shop. I am more than capable of providing academic interventions, but how could I offer emotional support to girls with psychological issues ranging from suicide attempts to cutting? What is SEL? I quickly Googled that to discover that it falls under Psychology. If I recall correctly, I have completed a total of nine credits in Psychology over a lifetime of study. I spent six months investigating the SEL curriculum and seeking additional materials online only to be told that the the program was to be discontinued the following year. Of my three evaluations, two were Partially Effective and one was Effective resulting in an annual Partially Effective rating. This was a shonda (Yiddish for disgrace) for the person who was always the smartest girl in the class, or wanted to be.

This past weekend, I was honored to be invited by Norm to stop by the UCORE conference at NJIT. We ended up participating in a group about assisting struggling teachers. I came out as a struggling teacher despite my advanced age. Am I a district target? Am I being set up to fail in a career I love and in which I have invested so much time, energy and money in ongoing preparation? While, I was being led through the wringer, there were ESL students right in my school who were receiving no services. The message clearly was that it was preferable for them to receive no instruction than to be taught by the likes of me.

What does the future hold for me? What hoops will I be required to jump through? If I were to receive a Partially Effective designation at the end of this coming year, I would most likely be brought up on tenure charges. Am I really half way down the road to being accused of incompetence? Are the TFA and the uncertified teacher down the hall better prepared and more able? As a child, I was taught to respect elders and betters in appreciation of the trials and tribulations they had endured in their life journeys. As I approach my golden years, I have rapidly transformed into an individual lacking in skills and knowledge. How do the children of Newark benefit from the demoralization of veteran teachers?

Abigail Shure

Newark Teacher Union Election in Midst of Turmoil, as Del Grosso steps down

[Brandon] Rippey, a social studies teacher at Science Park High School, lost to Del Grosso by just nine votes in the last election. Nonetheless, the “New Visions” slate allied with Rippey won control of the union’s executive board, and he is expected to be a formidable challenger to Abeigon and Dixon. “What’s at stake: the

Newark public schools, the teaching profession, and the union itself,” Rippey said last night, following a debate with Dixon. “The (New Visions-led) caucus has been the only group that has stood up consistently in their defense.”... NJ Spotlight

Brandon Rippey and NEW Visions are part of our national alliance of caucuses, UCORE. (We are meeting in Newark in July- how nice it would be to celebrate a victory by Brandon.) I've been at various events with Brandon and would love to see him become president of the NTU.

[By the way, Diane Ravitch reports on the new LA teacher contract - LATU has also been captured by one of the UCORE associated caucuses with Alex Caputo-Pearl as president. Note that they got some class size limit assurances - something you will never see with Unity Caucus in charge here.

Los Angeles Teachers Agree to Néw Contract]

Remember how Del Grosso brought Randi in to negotiate the contract between her and Cami Anderson and Cristie - a contract they hailed and ended up screwing the teachers - and also led to a new caucus - the NEW caucus to almost push Del Grosso out of office. NEW won the Exec Bd and only lost the presidency by a few votes. (Is the 3rd candidate a New Action like stalking horse designed to split off enough votes from NEW Visions so Abeignon can win?

Knowing Brandon and the politics behind him, they will reach out deep into the parent and student community to build ties so that if they ever take actions like strikes or sick-outs, they will have extensive community backing.

So, suddenly, the Del Grosso people - Abeignon -  to stave off the challenge from Rippey, who would be Cami Anderson's worst nightmare, became militant - as we reported recently: Newark Teachers Union Upcoming Job Action..

Then came the sickout rumors for next week we reported on yesterday.

Newark: Will there be a mass sick-out next week? 

Abeignon is "repositioning" himself for the election as a "militant" to fend off Rippey. Until the day after the election  - if he wins.

Bob Braun had a report on the reaction to the proposed sick out from a Cami slug:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=672952396167713&substory_index=0&id=343757852420504&refid=17

Her reference to a "faction" within the union representing Newark teachers is an apparent allusion to the ongoing, three-way union election that is happening just as the NTU leadership has promised to take job actions in an effort to block subjecting eight more public schools--including East Side and Weequahic high schools--to s-called "turnarounds" in which faculty hours and programs are changed.

John Abeigon, the chief organizer for the NTU and one of three candidates for the union's presidency, denied the union had plans for a sick out which he said would subject participating teahers to the same punishments as would a strike. He said the union would pursue "job actions" designed to "escalate the chaos" within the schools and the community.

"Nothing, not even a strike, is off the table," Abeigon said. "But it certainly wouldn't be our first dish."

Teachers Union Leadership Change Comes at Critical Time for Newark Schools

John Mooney | May 7, 2015

Del Grosso to end 20-year tenure at helm as contract talks loom and controversy continues over Anderson’s ‘One Newark’ reforms

For the first time in 20 years, Joseph Del Grosso won’t be running for reelection as president of the Newark Teachers Union.
Marking the end of two decades of union leadership in the state’s largest school district, Del Grosso will step down as leader of the vocal and influential union at a time when the city’s schools are still in turmoil over state-appointed superintendent Cami Anderson’s “One Newark” reorganization initiative.  His decision to not seek reelection wasn’t a big surprise, as he had hinted for several months that he might step down and has not been in good health for longer than that. Repeated efforts to contact him over the last two days were unsuccessful. Still, Anderson is not likely to see any greater support from any of Del Grosso’s likely successors.
The three candidates certified by the union on Tuesday are:

• John Abeigon, the NTU’s director of organization and a close ally of Del Grosso;
  
• Michael Dixon, the union’s elected secretary-treasurer; and
  
• Branden Rippey, a leader of a dissident faction of the union, who says the NTU has been too easy on Anderson.
  

 The union vote is taking place by mail-in ballot, starting May 26. Ballots will be opened and counted on June 23.

Newark's Crooks: Cami Goes After ATRs - Wants Tenure Abolished - Asks Cerf for Ruling

Will this be CamiGate3 or 4? I'm losing count. The Three C's -- Cami, Cerf and Cristie -- are aiming a missile at Newark teachers. Hey [NTU leader] Joe Del Grosso and [AFT Pres] Randi Weingarten, how has that contract you raved about not even a year and a half ago worked out?

Bob Braun's Ledger has the gory story:

He [Del Grosso] said he believed Anderson, a former executive director of Teach for America (TFA), is invoking the rule to protect the jobs of many TFA graduates hired by the Newark schools. Under the program, recent college graduates with six weeks of training can be hired to teach, usually in inner-city schools. Although many drop out after an initial two-year term, they do provide schools with cheap, if untrained, labor.....

Cami asks state approval to ignore seniority in teacher layoff 

Duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Gee, I'm shocked, just shocked, gambling?

Well, let's not pile on over the horrendous policy pushed by our own unions that lead to them going over the cliff. Randi is not an idiot -- she knows full well what the results will be -- she may actually think they can buy time by giving up some rights.

One of my sources has indicated that senior teachers are already being pushed with inordinate demands in an effort to "find something" on them.

Chief among Anderson’s targets apparently are the so-called “employees without placement”—or hundreds of school employees who, for a variety of reasons, have not been assigned to specific schools. Many were caught up in so-called “renew” schools where employees must reapply and be rehired–or not–every year.

Here in NYC we saw how the UFT's signing on to allowing schools to close without placing the teachers has led to the ATR situation. The goal all along was to bring in TFA as replacements and then engage in a public relations and extralegal battle to protect them if layoffs should hit.

“She is totally ignoring not just the idea of tenure but the changes made in the tenure law just enacted. It’s an end run around the new law and frustrates its provisions.”
The new tenure law, pushed through at the height of Gov. Chris Christie’s anti-teacher and anti-union initiatives, gives teachers time to try to overcome poor evaluations in order to avoid the elimination of their tenure.
Not only does the “waiver or equivalency” provision ignore the new tenure law but it also trashes decades-old seniority rules that would allow teachers with seniority to “bump” more junior teachers in the face of what schools call “RIFS”—or reductions in force.

You know those millions the UFT has spent on those commercials? Did you see one word explaining tenure and defending ATRs? Maybe this explains the Revise (Rebury NYSUT) fear of Cuomo -- maybe the thug threatened them that he will go this route too.

Maybe there is some hope.

The plan has provoked stiff opposition from many community members and their cause has been picked by Ras Baraka, a mayoral candidate. His rival, Shavar Jeffries, has supported Anderson.
The controversy has become heated, especially after Anderson suspended five school principals after they criticized her plan and banned a parent leader from his children’s school for posting notices of a meeting that was viewed as critical of “One Newark.”
Earlier this week, a special legislative inquiry began into the way Anderson has handled “One Newark.” State Sen. Ronald Rice (D-Esssex), the co-chairman of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Public Schools, has said he would ask for subpoena power to conduct a full investigation of the plan.
Del Gross said he expected opposition to the plan when the Newark school board meets Feb. 25 and the state Board of Education  meets March 5.
He also said the union would seek a court injunction against the planned layoffs.

The mayoral race will be a key and it I were a Newark teacher I would get my ass onto any Raz Baraka unburned campaign bus I could. 

 Full story here.