Stamberg/Mendel on UFT Suppression of Debate on Obama Nomination at Delegate Assembly

Unity Beware! Continue to bully our delegates and members and you will soon become an opposition party!--- Jeff Kaufman, comment on ICE blogs 

When Marjorie tried to motivate her resolution, Mulgrew properly stopped her. However, the leadership did not stop here as Secretary Michael Mendel (usually a sensible and fair person) took the unprecedented step of not allowing Marjorie to even read her motion. He would only allow her to read the title. He said that Delegates have it already so they can read it to themselves. This is absurd since there must have been twenty handouts given out at the door so to even find this motion in our packets was very difficult. Mendel came to me afterwards to talk about what happened and said that Marjorie was trying to motivate the resolution and that is why he stood up to halt it. I agreed with him on this but I told him that DA policy has always been to allow someone to read their motion.  How can someone make a motion if they are not permitted to verbalize it?  We will see if silent reading is now the new policy at DA’s.

----UFT DELEGATE ASSEMBLY REPORT: MULGREW MAKES A MOCKERY OF DEMOCRACY -- James Eterno on ICE Blog

Please read James' entire piece on the DA.

More info is flowing in about the pile driving of the Obama nomination. Remember the Chicago teachers in Detroit while not opposing, stood in the aisles with "Stop Race to the Top" signs while the 800 insipid Unity Caucus people danced in the aisles for Obama/Biden celebrating the end of public education. That same crew was operating at the DA on Weds. Really, do you need anything more to join MORE?

I know that some of the arcane rules of debate might confuse people. Making a motion for the current meeting is not debatable. But when I was a delegate I used a different strategy--- I didn't make a motion as Marjorie did but demanded time as a speaker against their motion and during my speech referred to my reso which was printed in Ed Notes. Since you can call a point of order, which I did all the time, to demand the speaker against, I used the opportunity to speak "against" lots of stuff that no one else would get up to speak against. Like Motherhood --- your reso is not strong enough, therefore I oppose it.

Below are some comments between Marjorie and Mendel. First some reactions from delegates.

I attempted to speak at the UFT Delegate Assembly tonight on a union resolution supporting the re-election of President Obama. I thought that there had to be some discussion about "Race To The Top." The union leadership cut off debate by having someone "call the question" before anyone could speak. DAMN FUCKING SHAMEFUL! --- VW, a delegate

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I opposed the motion for obama. I wrote on my vote card "RTTT" and "Rahm", a man who sold out rhode island, offered zero support to Chicago or wisconsin got 45-60 minutes at a DA, ATR's got zero, contract 1-2 minutes--- MS, delegate

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I was sitting in the hall last night as I am no longer a delegate and the 19th floor was full. There was talking and people getting Obama shirts, laughing and carrying on so it was a little hard to follow all that was happening inside.. I heard Mendel yelling and blasting you. It was embarrassing and a deja vu of a not so long ago meeting where he went off. He was totally out of line as was Mulgrew for allowing him to go on.

When I was downstairs handing out fliers, a woman came over and began to speak with a UFT member She was very upset that the AFT and the UFT were endorsing Obama uncritically and unquestionably outright. She asked for people to think about endorsing so quickly this man who has helped to decimate  our educational system. They spoke and she left hoping that Obama's endorsement would be brought up and questioned.

The "Unity bureaucracy was totally out of line and very disrespectful of you - this was just uncalled for. I'm telling you that those of us outside the assembly were cringing. This is NOT how we (the UFT) should be conducting business on any topic, but especially one as important as this. I respect your tenacity to demand that the right thing be done. You represent your colleagues well. More delegates should be as strong and vocal.You are definitely not a victim, but a proud union member who wants to see strength and equality in decision making.  --- PD

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Marjorie Stamberg responds to Michael Mendel (below):

I have never cast myself as "a victim of the big bad UFT." How dare you? I am not a victim of, but an active delegate in, the UFT. And the UFT didn't censor me. You did, i.e., Unity Caucus bureaucracy. We the membership are the UFT. --- 

I absolutely asked to motivate my motion, then to summarize it briefly, and when that was denied to read the motion and the resolves.  You refused and said I could only read the title and nothing else. "Reading the title only" is a new one at the D.A., and unknown to Robert's Rules.  If you have selective memory on this, that is your problem.

No one with a brain would believe you would have accepted my counter-motion against Obama in opposition to the motion being raised for Obama.  I was refused the right to speak at all, so how could I have raised it as a counter-motion.  This was a manuever from Unity Caucus which "called the question" before any "con" speakers were allowed (in total violation of Robert's Rules, by the way).  How do you know if I was going to present it as a counter - motion, which I actually was, since I was not allowed to speak at all.

By the way, Michael Mulgrew began the meeting telling delegates the leadership was always willing to "help" those who wanted to get a point across in the D.A.   In fact, I have been bullied from the podium time and again at Delegate Assemblies because my "points" are in opposition to your class collaborationist line.

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Michael Mendel To: Marjorie Stamberg

Thursday, October 18, 2012 12:41 PM

RE: How opposition to UFT Endorsement of Obama was Suppressed at the D.A.

First of all that’s not what happened. If you asked to read the one sentience resolve I believe it would have been appropriate. But don’t change what happened. That’s not at all what you asked for. You asked to EXPLAIN your resolution. And that is a violation not of Roberts Rules but of our Delegate Assembly and it has been for as long as I’ve been going to the DA’s. It says under on the agenda page and it has for years, RULES OF ORDER, 1. TO PLACE AN IEM ON THE AGENDA OF THE CURRENT MEETING-A motion to suspend then rules is required. IT IS NOT DEBATABLE and needs a 2/3 vote. Not debatable has always been defined as not explaining or motivating the reso. You did not ask to read the resolve and you cannot make that claim now. You clearly said you wanted to explain (motivate) the resolution. You are not new to the DA. You have seen this happen many, many times. For you to claim anything else is just disingenuous. By the way since you saw the Pro Obama resolution on the agenda you could have risen at that time and presented your motion as a substitute and that would have absolutely been appropriate. What is clear here is it is more important to you to claim to be the victim of the big bad UFT and me rather than see a way to do what you want but do it in the right way.

One Chapter Leader Reports on the UFT DA/UFT Charter Follow-up

Here's a report:  Had to listen to Randi give a nauseating speech about voting 4 Obama. WHAT A FUCKING WASTE OF MY TIME!!!! -- Chapter Leader

Joe Williams, executive director of Democrats for Education Reform, said the union’s secondary school’s innovative methods, which include staggered teacher shifts to allow a longer school day, could become models for other unions. --- Williams quoted in NY Times article, Dec. 3, 2008

..... when he [Drew Goodman] tried to revise the school charter to cut the number of students in each grade and increase collaboration between the elementary and secondary charter schools, he angered union leaders who thought he had overstepped his authority, the individuals said. --- NY Times article, Dec. 3, 2008

I did see Randi racing in before the DA yesterday. Are you telling me that she has to come to a union event in NYC to get out the vote? Pathetic waste of everyone's time.

UFT Charter school chaos?
I wonder if there was any discussion at the DA about the attacks on the UFT charter school and Randi's responsibility for making the union a laughing stock to the extent that Harlem Success Academy parents can leave comments about how even a unionized charter school run by the UFT can't compete? Really, can you give the deformers any more fodder? Read the NY Times 2008 article below to see how the UFT inside political machine may have undermined its own charter school. Whose toes was Goodman stepping on? Maybe Michelle Bodden who herself was booted from Randi successor to charter school principal. Oh, what a den Unity Caucus runs.


Here are the links to the must-read Gotham story about the UFT charter:

Comments of the week: Blame for UFT Charter School’s demise

One of the really funny comments:

Emp315
When drew goodman was principal the school was one of the top charter schools in the state! He left because of an issues with the board of trustees. The parents and students loved him. As soon as he left the school fell apart. 

Gee, I wonder who Emp315 is?

Drew Goodman, the son of 2 former UFT District Reps (dad is Peter Goodman also known as the apologist for the UFT on his Ed in the Apple blog), was the first principal of the UFT middle school charter housed at the JHS I attended (Gershwin) but was forced out within a few months and replaced by Diane Ravitch pal Mary Butz.

See story below on his removal in 2008. I believe Drew became an AP in Dist 19. His latest resurfacing has been as an ATR supervisor.

Drew Goodman tweeted when the story surfaced
 drew goodman ‏@drewg03

Anyone who wants the real story on why the UFT charter is failing hit me

Norm Scott ‏@NormScott1

@drewg03 Is it really failing? 

drew goodman ‏@drewg03

@NormScott1 yeah let's put it this way the school it's housed in is doing better and it's on the closure list..

The story in the Times below has signs that Drew might actually be correct. I wonder what dad Peter Goodman thinks. Think Peter will defend the UFT charter school which I believe he pushed as a great thing in 2006?

At School Union Runs, Principal Steps Down

By JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ
Published: December 3, 2008
The principal of a charter school run by the city’s teachers’ union, a rare type of school that has been described by some supporters as proof that charter schools could flourish even under strict labor rules, has resigned after clashing with teachers and union leaders, people affiliated with the school said.

Drew D. Goodman stepped down last week as principal of the union-run school, the United Federation of Teachers Secondary Charter School in East New York, Brooklyn, after union leaders grew dissatisfied with his handling of brewing teacher dissatisfaction. He has been replaced temporarily by Mary Butz, a school system veteran who led a mentorship program for city principals, until a permanent leader is found.

The departure marked the latest flare-up in the union’s efforts to nurture a successful, labor-friendly alternative to traditional charter schools, which are publicly funded but operate independently of the school system and typically shun union rules in order to provide longer class days and give principals more freedom in hiring and firing staff.

Mr. Goodman’s resignation mirrored a shake-up last spring at the union’s elementary charter school, also in East New York, when the principal resigned amid complaints by teachers and parents of heavy-handed governance. Mr. Goodman has moved to Public School 215 in Far Rockaway, Queens, where he is assistant principal, and declined to comment.

Mr. Goodman, 36, who led the school since its opening in 2006, had struggled to navigate a hazy line between administrator and teacher. In designing the school, the union defined his position as “first and foremost an educator” whose authority “will stem not from title or rank,” according to the union’s Web site.

Several people at the school or active in the union, speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear that they would suffer professionally if they were named, said Mr. Goodman’s support among the faculty dwindled as some teachers saw him as making unilateral decisions. When he asked staff members to supervise middle school students who were performing community service at an elementary school, for instance, teachers complained that he was taking away time that they could be spending at professional development seminars.

Edward Morrissey, a language arts teacher at the school, said Mr. Goodman often got caught between teachers and the union leaders who run the school. When textbooks arrived late or photocopy machines remained broken, teachers blamed Mr. Goodman, even if the problem was the result of delays above him, Mr. Morrissey said.

This fall, when he tried to revise the school charter to cut the number of students in each grade and increase collaboration between the elementary and secondary charter schools, he angered union leaders who thought he had overstepped his authority, the individuals said.

In a letter to the school’s trustees sent on Wednesday, Randi Weingarten, the teacher’s union president, described Mr. Goodman’s departure as a mutual decision. In an interview, Ms. Weingarten said the school was simply working through the kinks facing any new institution, noting: “It’s tough to be the founding school leader of a school that may be one of the few that really believes in teacher collaboration.”

She pointed to high test scores among students at the union’s elementary school — this year, 81 percent of third-graders passed state English tests and 98 percent met math standards — as evidence that the schools were succeeding.

Teachers and principals at the union-backed schools said they posed unique leadership challenges. Michelle Bodden, who took over the union’s elementary charter school in August, said that satisfying all constituents can be hard, but that she has built good relations by seeing her role as “secondary to what’s going on with the teachers.”

“I think you listen a lot, I think you encourage conversation,” she said.

Joe Williams, executive director of Democrats for Education Reform, said the union’s secondary school’s innovative methods, which include staggered teacher shifts to allow a longer school day, could become models for other unions.

Mr. Morrissey, the teacher at the union school, said many of the students had viewed Mr. Goodman as a role model. “I think the kids are in complete shock,” he said.

UFT Delegate Assembly/MORE Announces Election Candidates

MORE chooses Julie Cavanagh, Brian Jones, Camille Eterno and Marissa Torres to head slate in UFT elections with more candidates to come.

The first UFT Delegate Assembly of the year, and the last one for many new chapter leaders and delegates will take place this afternoon. I have been at these meetings since 1972, with over a decade hiatus in the 80s through '94 when I became chapter leader and resumed going to the meetings. Ed Notes has been a regular since 1997. See my late August post (on the 6th anniversary of the ednotesonline blog): My Path from Ed Notes to MORE Through ICE and GEM Part 1 of 4. (Okay, okay, so I never did do the other 3 parts -yet.)

Before I get to the news of the MORE candidates (check the MORE blog - morecaucusnyc) –

Today is a special DA that takes place every 3 years. Let me explain.

Elections for chapter leaders and delegates take place on a 3-year cycle (2009, 2012, 2015) and the October DA following the previous spring election is the first one the newly elected will attend. With enormous turnover in these positions in so many schools, expect a vast new crop of people to show up. (Portelos as the only CL ever elected from the rubber room should be there -- I'd love to see him live stream the DA but that would get him more severe penalties than he is getting from the DOE -- imagine, being put in a UFT rubber room.)

And once these newbies experience the level of control exerted over the meeting by the Unity/leadership, many often never return. Though do expect a batch to have already been recruited into Unity -- they know not what they do.

I should point out that with over 1700 schools and at least one delegate and chapter leader in each, plus extra delegates in the larger schools, plus the potential 300 Unity caucus retirees and assorted other delegates, the potential audience could be 3700. But the main room only holds 860, with the overflow sent to overflow rooms so they can watch on TV. (Hope they show reruns of the Simpsons instead of Mulgrew pontificating and laughing at his own lame sense of humor.)

What does that tell you about the interest in the leadership in holding meaningful meetings?

Over the years I've seen up to 1500 people show up at these triennial meetings, the highest total over the 3-year period. Expecting these numbers in the past, the meetings were often held at a major hotel to give at least a semblance of interest in a democratic process (and those macadamia nut cookies at the Brooklyn Marriott were oh so delicious). But that has long been abandoned by Unity, so expect a very crowded and often unruly crowd jostling in narrow spaces. Some will turn around and just go home in disgust.

MORE chooses Julie Cavanagh, Brian Jones, Camille Eterno and Marissa Torres to head slate in UFT elections with more candidates to come. 

Well, this is getting long enough and I will wait to do my own personal tribute to Brian, Camille and Marissa later on. But just a few words.

How interesting that Brian has a 3 or 4 year old, Camille a 2 and a half year old and Julie a 14 week old. And Marissa is so young. Truly a mixture of an old and new generation of teacher/parent leaders.

I love working with Marissa on any project we have worked on --- I'm sure many will get to know her well.

Camille is one half of the wonderful power couple with her hubbie James. Just amazing long-term activists who broke away from New Action in 2003 when they sold out and helped found ICE.

On November 9 Brian will be doing a one on one at Cuny with the great Jonathan Kozol -- what does that tell you about the enormous respect there is out there for the work he does? And his work on our film has made him a national figure.

I don't have to tell you how much I have admired Julie since I met her a little over 3 years and have been proud to call her not only a political colleague but a true friend (and I don't always make many) --- you know, the kind you feel perfectly comfortable calling in the middle of the night if you need help (and she has promised to visit me in the home). I wanted to do a film for so many years and Julie was the key to making that happen, the kind of partner I so desperately needed to work with. I am eternally grateful.

I truly believe Julie has the same leadership potential as Karen Lewis --- interesting that both did not have extensive involvement in union politics until the ed deform crunch hit them and their kids head on. Both truly organically (Julie's favorite word) grown activists. I know Karen knows and admires Julie very much. As do teachers and parents and activists around the city and all over the nation who have worked with her and seen what she can do.

But Julie really does not want this election to be about her and she will probably be pissed at me for even writing this.

Anyway, I look forward to assisting with the installation of the nursery in the president's office at 52 Broadway.

Support the MORE slate in the 2013 UFT elections

Julie Cavanagh for President.

Julie is a UFT chapter leader who has been teaching in Red Hook, Brooklyn since 2001 and contributed extensively to the fight for public education. In 2009-2010 Julie, alongside a NYC parent and student, sued Mayor Michael Bloomberg for the right to protest school closings and charter schools, and later she joined with parents as the only teacher petitioner in a lawsuit to fight the appointment of then NYC Schools Chancellor Cathy Black. Since 2009 Julie has worked with various grassroots groups to organize protests and forums in an effort to educate and engage the public to challenge the corporate education reform movement and to promote real reform in our schools and communities. Much of this work can be seen in the film she co-narrated and co-produced, The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman. Her writings have been featured in the Huffington Post, Daily News, Labor Notes, and Public Sector Inc and she has appeared on MSNBC’s Up with Chris, Fox and Friends, and Inside City Hall.

Brian Jones for Secretary.

Brian has taught elementary school grades for nine years, and has organized teachers and parents to challenge budget cuts, charter co-locations and the high stakes standardized testing. Brian faced off against Michelle Rhee and Geoffrey Canada on national TV, and co-narrated the film, The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman. Historian Diane Ravitch has called his writing about public schools "brilliant". Brian has contributed to several books on education, and to publications as diverse as SocialistWorker.org and the New York Times.

Camille Eterno for Treasurer. 
Camille has been an English teacher in New York since 1996. In her second year as a teacher, she was elected to be chapter leader at the Queens Gateway to Health Sciences. As chapter leader, Camille won grievances that even the UFT leadership said were not winnable. She helped organize her chapter into an activist force that was a major presence at many union rallies. As a leader in the Independent Community of Educators, she was instrumental in the nearly successful battle against the giveback laden 2005 contract. Camille developed a well deserved reputation throughout Queens High Schools as a chapter leader who was not afraid to stand up to management when they wrongfully abused UFT members. She is currently serving in her third term as a teacher delegate from Humanities and the Arts High School in Queens.

Marissa Torres for Assistant Treasurer




Marissa has been an elementary school teacher and a union activist since 2002. She taught ESL students in West Harlem where she served as Co-Chapter chair and organized teachers and parents to challenge budget cuts and co-locations. She now serves as a delegate for PS261 Brooklyn. She is committed to the fight for public education and is excited to be a part of a caucus that wants to build a broad social justice movement with parents, students, and teachers.

Tom Crean Comments at the June Delegate Assembly

Here's a follow-up to our report (Getting Physical and UFT Delegate Assembly Reports from James Eterno) on the UFT Delegate Assembly from Tom Crean, Chapter Leader of MS 218K who was the lone voice who spoke against the budget deal.

Hi Norm


As you have already stated on ednotes I was unfortunately the only speaker allowed at the Delegate Assembly against the UFT's deal with Bloomberg that averted layoffs. There was, as James Eterno has pointed out, much more that could have been said especially about the position of ATRs. I chose, however, to look at the wider question of cuts to education, how this will affect teachers as well as students and parents and how the cuts could have been stopped.


Anyway here is the gist of what I said: 

Michael Mulgrew in his report stated correctly that the budget the City Council is about to agree contains a range of cuts to social services and the layoff of 1,000 city workers. What is not correct is to suggest that the budget won't contain major cuts to education on top of all the other cuts to education in this city in recent years. We are all greatly relieved that there will be no layoffs of teachers. But the deal we are discussing implicitly accepts a reduction in the teacher workforce of 2,600 which in addition to previous cuts amounts to a reduction in the order of 8,000 teachers in the past three years. In my school, IS 218, we experienced class sizes of 37-38 in the 7th and 8th grade this year and it wasn't until well into the school year that we got partial relief in the 8th grade. With cuts this big in the workforce, our experience at 218 will be increasingly common. It may be true that our pay and benefits are not being cut in this deal but it is inevitable that, for large numbers of us, our working conditions will be further degraded.


The cuts and attacks against public education are part of a wider corporate offensive against the public sector and the working class in this country. Bloomberg is the sharp end of this in New York but Cuomo is not far behind. The question may be asked: how could we stop such an onslaught? The answer history gives us is social struggle. If you are looking for a model look at the civil rights movement. On May 12 we took a step in that direction. As Micheal Mulgrew stated previously it was good that we got out of the pens. We marched on Wall Street alongside other unionized workers and activists and gave vent to working class anger. And there are a lot of angry working class people in this city right now. From there we should have steadily escalated the resistance and made clear that business as usual was over until ALL the cuts were taken off the table [as we all know the resources are there; it's a question of priorities, those of Wall Street vs the needs of ordinary people] If necessary there should have been mass civil disobedience; instead in the end we chose to break the front of labor.


All the best,
Tom Crean
Chapter Leader MS 218, Brooklyn

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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.

Getting Physical and UFT Delegate Assembly Reports from James Eterno

UPDATED: Weds. June 29, 7:45AM

Balancing the budget on the backs of ATRS is not quite as awful as balancing it on the backs of newer teachers who would have been laid off but it was totally unnecessary. With Bloomberg’s poll numbers on education sinking to "Bushian Post Hurricane Katrina" levels, the UFT was holding all of the cards and should have insisted that to save money that the DOE should be compelled to place all of the ATRS into positions in their districts. 

Teacher bashing continues. When firehouses close, the firefighters aren't blamed and they are sent to another firehouse. When police precincts redeploy whole precincts because of corruption scandals, the clean cops who worked in the corrupt precinct don't have to apply to other precinct captains. They are transferred. Only teachers face the indignity of having to pound the pavement to seek a job because a program was downsized or closed. President Mulgrew said this union leaves no educator behind. This is not totally true as the ATRs have certainly been left to basically fend for themselves.--- James Eterno at the ICE blog

As much as it pains me to admit this, it's not really a bad deal for most of the membership.- Miss Eyre at NYC Educator

It is absolutely a bad deal for most of the membership - at least anyone in front of a class--- Norm Scott

I hope you all had a great final day of school. It wasn't all that great for the people who had to miss school parties to attend the UFT Delegate Assembly to vote on the recent budget agreement - see some of my posts on that over the last few days.

Today: UFT Delegate Assembly to Sell Deal, Bloombe...
For Shame! UFT Victory Lap at Settlement Pilloried...(MUST READ FROM LORETTA PRISCO)

(E$E also had an end of school year party at a bar on the high line - fancy shmancy - for all their people who are not popular enough to be invited to their own school parties. I know one thing - I bet there weren't 2400 people who supposedly support them there.)

Health and welfare
I had my annual physical with Dr. Mark, who all my pals from the UFT activism of the 70s are using because he is such a good doctor. He's a pretty liberal guy. He brought up an article by Joel Klein in the Atlantic and said it made some sense. My blood pressure shot up. I gave him a copy of our film to set him straight and we talked ed deform. He gave me a prescription to lower my horrible cholesterol and told me to lose about 15 pounds. "I don't care if you drop dead tomorrow," he said - did he join Unity Caucus? - "but a stroke that disables you is something you don't want to happen." Clarence Clemmons dying at an age only 3 years older than me is certainly scaring me into trying to avoid those Little Debbies, (though the first thing I did upon leaving his office before heading over to the DA was to grab a slice of pizza). Before I left his office I went over to pay anything I owed - nada - thank goodness for Medicare.

The Delegate Assembly
They actually let guests into the DA because the place was not full but I am not in touch enough to give a cogent report of the DA. But the Unity faitful outdid themselves in patting themselves and Mulgrew on the back to such an extent chiropractors had to be called in to deal with wrenched shoulders. Many of their speakers were pre-planned (I heard conversations downstairs).

There were lots of winks but no details from Mulgrew on how the ATRs were protected but he couldn't talk about it - like he was the smartest guy in the room. After the meeting PS 193 chapter leader Yelena Siwinski and I paid a visit to Bloombergville where I took some pics and video (I'll post later).

Yelena got the floor at the DA yesterday to remind Mulgrew of the SOS march in Washington on July 30 after Mulgrew announced a major labor march on Washington on Aug. 27. Mulgrew said the UFT is supporting the SOS march but labor has to get is act together - he said he and most major ed leaders will be in South Africa at the end of July. GEM is going down for the showing of our film at American U on July 29 and we are doing a workshop on July 28. Come march with GEM on July 30.

Later in the eve, 13 of them were arrested for civil disobedience, a tactic I am hearing more and more of being used. NYC teachers have been intimidated from participating in CD due to stringent enforcement of the DOE - like jaywalk and you can be fired  - especially if you are an ATR -   ok, so I'm exaggerating a bit.

I'll repeat James Eterno's important reports from the ICE blog below which also talk about the lack of democracy (does the earth turn?). When Mulgrew had to allow an opposition voice IS 218K chapter leader Tom Crean spoke eloquently on why we should not agree to this deal - I asked Tom to write it up for Ed Notes and he said he would - even Mulgrew was impressed and said he couldn't disagree with many of the premises - thus the Aug. 27 march and call for a millionaire tax (I better check my TDA.)

James Eterno on the DA on ATRs

Tom laid out the big picture as to what people will be facing with the cuts, especially with rising class size (Mulgrew admitted during Tom's speech we have lost 8-10,000i teaching positions in the last few years) in essence a response to this statement by Miss Eyre over at NYC Educator that it is not really a bad deal for most of the membership. It is absolutely a bad deal for most of the membership - at least anyone in front of a class.

As much as it pains me to admit this, it's not really a bad deal for most of the membership. Although ATRs will be doing per diem substitute work, they'll be doing it for appointed teacher pay and benefits.  It's not good for them, I realize, and they're in the original situation for the terrible crime of having worked in a school that closed.  But they do still have jobs, with the same pay and benefits they've always had, and it's going to be pretty tough to U-rate them now because they can't be expected to properly plan or participate in the life of a school.

Well, I wouldn't bet they are not going to be U rated. I think that's the plan. What does the DOE lose in U-rating someone? It can take a year to adjudicate and in the meantime the teacher is barred from earning extra salary (there may be some other penalties) and can get so stressed that they end up leaving, especially those nearing retirement age. Call this an end run around LIFO.

This question was raised on ICE-Mail:

How assignment in district for a week at time will work for ATRs in D79 who could be sent anywhere in the city. The answer at last night’s Executive Board was that it will be looked at by the Joint Oversight Committee that is part of the agreement.

James had 2 reports, one focusing on the ATRs and the other on democracy at the meeting. I'll let you read the latter at the ICE blog (A DELEGATE ASSEMBLY THAT LEONID BREZHNEV WOULD HAVE BEEN PROUD OF) while here is his report on the ATRs. Personally, I think long-term the ATRs are in trouble - the problem is most teachers don't see themselves as potential ATRs (which they may very well be once Bloomberg gets LIFO killed and they can start closing down any schools they want without worrying about the ATR issue) while I say every teacher should wear the emblem: "Ich Bin un ATR."

CITY BUDGET BEING BALANCED ON THE BACKS OF UFT'S ATRS

We have an agreement between the UFT and the city that eliminates the possibility of over 4,000 layoffs this year. We also gain increased hiring opportunities for Absent Teacher Reserves to be hired provisionally and to get considered for positions at reduced costs to principals. In exchange the UFT has agreed to suspend sabbaticals for 2012-2013 and to allow the DOE to move Absent Teacher Reserves who are not lucky enough to secure a permanent position from school to school on a weekly basis.


UFT President Michael Mulgrew's report at tonight's emergency Delegate Assembly highlighted the no layoff part of the agreement, which we are all happy about. Nobody in their right mind wants to see over 4,000 teachers lose their jobs. Mulgrew also thanked everyone for doing work with the state and city council. He told us the mayor said he wanted non seniority layoffs. He talked about opposing the mayor with the city council. He didn't, however, talk for too long about the part of the agreement that dealt with Absent Teacher Reserves becoming nomads.


The new agreement forces each principal to interview at least two ATRS per semester if they have vacancies and they are supposed to hire ATRS for vacancies and leave replacements. I don’t quite understand what happens if they interview two and don’t like them. Can they then hire someone from outside or give the classes away in a secondary school as a sixth class for special per session pay or to substitutes? UFT leadership believes these new procedures will lead to a big reduction in the ATR pool. I hope they are correct because anyone unfortunate enough to be left behind in the ATR pool risks becoming a teacher gypsy.


The agreement on page three contains the following ominous clause: "An Excessed Employee/ATR shall be assigned to a school within his/her district/superintendency each week. A 'week' shall be Monday through Friday, or shorter if the work week is less than five(5) days." Then there is clause C which says: "An Excessed Empoyee/ATR shall be notfied no later than Friday (or the last work-day of the week) if he/she will be assigned to a different school the following week and, if so, to which school. An ATR who has not been notified that he/she has been assigned to a different school by Friday shall report on Monday, or the first work day of the work day of the work week, and for the duration of that week, to the last school to which he/she was assigned." In other words, if a teacher does not find a permanent job on his or her own, buy a good GPS.


Besides the obvious problems of ATRS not having stability from week to week and not being able to bond with students, or know which person in each particular school to go to in order to resolve issues with payroll or their sick bank days or other items, this makes it virtually impossible for ATRs to do any per session work (extra activities for money that are pensionable.) We are truly worried that ATRS will now become third class citizens.


One of the worst parts of the horrible giveback laden 2005 contract was the loss of placement rights for members whose schools close or are excessed because their school or program is downsized. Since then, there has been a pool of teachers ranging from the hundreds to thousands called ATRs who have no permanent job and must substitute. Under current rules, ATRs usually stay in a school for a year and then can be reassigned. It is not a very professional existence but we are told by UFT leaders that at least the ATRs have jobs. In 2008 the DOE and UFT came to an agreement to allow principals to hire ATRs and only get charged on their budget the cost of half of a starting teacher for seven years. (The teacher still gets full pay.) The UFT predicted this would basically end the ATR problem but it didn't. The reasons ATRs are not hired are either because they have obscure licenses or they are activists who are not going to say, "How high?" when a principal tells them to "Jump!"


UFT Secretary Michael Mendel told me the ATRS will have a much greater chance of getting a full time position under this new agreement. Again, I truly want him to be right but I fear he might be wrong. The subsidies didn't lead to the withering away of the ATR pool and neither will this as I see it because unfortunately some principals don't care about cost as much as they care about control. Furthermore, having teachers do coverages is much cheaper than hiring someone they don’t know.


Balancing the budget on the backs of ATRS is not quite as awful as balancing it on the backs of newer teachers who would have been laid off but it was totally unnecessary. With Bloomberg’s poll numbers on education sinking to "Bushian Post Hurricane Katrina" levels, the UFT was holding all of the cards and should have insisted that to save money that the DOE should be compelled to place all of the ATRS into positions in their districts. That would save some money for sure as it would eliminate the ATR pool if DOE was not allowed to do any new hiring until every ATR in a license in a district was placed. Any remaining ATRs could cover classes in an individual school so as not to create the potential chaos that this agreement could bring.


Teacher bashing continues. When firehouses close, the firefighters aren't blamed and they are sent to another firehouse. When police precincts redeploy whole precincts because of corruption scandals, the clean cops who worked in the corrupt precinct don't have to apply to other precinct captains. They are transferred. Only teachers face the indignity of having to pound the pavement to seek a job because a program was downsized or closed.


President Mulgrew said this union leaves no educator behind. This is not totally true as the ATRs have certainly been left to basically fend for themselves.

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

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.

Ed Notes Report to the October UFT Delegate Assembly

UPDATED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Saturday, Oct. 23, 8am

When I woke up Wednesday morning I had no intention of handing out Ed Notes that day. But realizing not doing so would make me miss my 15th anniversary and also that there might be a whole new batch of delegates and chapter leaders (there really wasn't) I decided to put together a document chronicling the history of Ed Notes. It kept growing from one page into a second before I had to stop or go to 9 point type to get it all in.


I had been intending to write something like this since the summer when Ed Notes online completed its 4th year as a blog but never seemed to have the time. The time pressure of writing and getting it printed on the morning of the DA forced me to focus for a change and it was done in about 2 hours. There is a lot more to say but I need a deadline of sorts to actually get it done.
  
I remembered the push-button issues for me that got me re-started as a union activist (I had been active in the 70's): lower class size, high stakes testing which drove me out of the self-contained classroom, being under attack by my principal for being chapter leader, and union complicity or being oblivious to all of it.



Education Notes at the Delegate Assembly: October, 2010

As we begin the 15th year of Education Notes at the UFT Delegate Assembly and the 5th year of Ed Notes as a blog, there is much to reflect back on. When I began publishing in 1996 I was in my third year as a chapter leader at an elementary school in District 14 in Williamsburg. Facing a hostile principal who threw a hissy fit and punished the entire staff for “allowing” me into office, I threw myself into trying to organize the chapter into an effective force (with clearly mixed results). I made great use of the power of the press, putting out an enormous amount of material, aided by my little laptop that I took to all meetings to take notes. The output was enormous and my chapter was probably as well informed as any in the city as during the 1996 school year I put out over 45 newsletters, all of them with a few jokes (remember in the early days of email jokes flew around the internet) but none sent to me by Carl Paladino.

A brief history
The principal took over in 1978 and instituted one of the first high stakes testing/test prep-all-the-time regimes. As a progressive educator I fought her all the way through the early to mid 80’s, fighting to teach my way to my self-contained classes (4th, 5th or 6th grade) over the years. Eventually she wore me down and from 1985-87 I took time off to pursue an MA in computer science. Yes, I was thinking of leaving teaching after 19 years. Of course, needing one more at least to make a pension magic number of 20, I went back in ‘87 and remained in the school for another decade (I turned out to be a lousy computer programmer). But my years as a self-contained classroom teacher, which I loved, were over. You see, she didn’t want teachers who would not go along with the test prep regime to endanger her scores. So I became a computer cluster, which I also loved doing, but those intense relationships I had developed with children and their families in my 17 years as a self-contained teacher were over.

Over the next 8 years or so my relationship with the administration had ebbs and flows. I was openly critical of the school policies but not being directly involved in the testing program, I was able to stand aside. I guess things heated up when it was time to appoint an AP and her pal who was acting was clearly going to get the position. I ran for the committee and the principal spent 2 days going around the school lobbying (and threatening) people to vote against me. I got the highest vote total by far. That got me to thinking about running for chapter leader. When the principal crossed the old chapter leader he threatened her. He would stand aside and let me take over to make her life miserable. And so he did. And so I did (make her life miserable - my principal friends told me she would get up at meetings and say she had the chapter leader from hell).

Over the next 3 years I faced threats of retaliation - not in terms of my job - one thing about my principal – she didn’t go after people and in today’s world I would run over and hug her - but against my ability to build a computer program. When I appealed to the District 14 union leadership, I found they were tied in with the district admin, in essence, an alliance between the UFT and the people running my district. When I finally left the school in 1997 after 27 years for a district computer job (I always felt the only reason I was offered the job was to get me out of her hair) she told my new boss, “My car was stolen today but this makes up for it.” That she was thrilled to lose a teacher who put a lot of time and effort into the school in favor of a lackey who knew little made it clear that loyalty was valued over education. I saw that unfettered power in the hands of a principal was dangerous for teachers, children and parents (she constantly manipulated the PTA elections).

As chapter leader in those 3 years, I learned that you couldn’t get people organized unless you first give them the information they need to make a balanced decision. On school issues and beyond. They were getting one side from my school administration and on bigger issues from the UFT.

I had been an activist delegate throughout the 1970’s as a member of the opposition to Unity Caucus, the ruling party in the UFT since its inception in the early 1960’s, but had lost interest through most of the 80’s. I had also been part of an activist group of teachers in District 14 through those years, attending school board meetings to challenge the ruling powers, an alliance between local politicians and the UFT (the UFT District Rep eventually became the Superintendent as he built an unassailable machine. My principal came out of that machine, so our relationship was strained from the day she came to our school.)We put out a newsletter called "Another View in District 14" and were viewed as Public Enemy #1 throughout the 70's as we raised issues over the use of funds for political favors instead of going towards reducing class size. Sort of just like the BloomKlein regime.

Becoming chapter leader in 1994 brought me back into the fray both at the district and citywide level. I started attending school board meetings and Delegate Assemblies after over a decade of absence.

In terms of the opposition in the mid-90’s I wasn’t happy with what I saw (I won’t go into details.) So I began to function at DA’s as an independent voice, especially focusing on teacher rights, protection of chapter leaders, limiting the power of principals and high stakes testing. Mostly I was interested in getting the classroom teacher more influence over educational policy. Frustrated at not being able to get called on at the DA, I converted my chapter newsletter into DA Notes, later changed to Education Notes. By getting my positions out to the delegates before the meeting it wasn’t all that important to get called on. But because everyone seemed to be reading Ed Notes during the meeting, my position was significantly strengthened and I got called on fairly often. And I had a hell of a lot to say. Ed Notes grew over time from 1 page to a full-sized 16-page tabloid during the 2002-4 years. I was able to do that kind of work because I retired in July 2002.

Relationship to Unity caucus and the leadership
Having grown up under the Shanker/Feldman regime, I initially found Randi Weingarten a breath of fresh air. And she reached out to me with late night emails and friendly overtures (even an offer from an emissary to join Unity Caucus), at one point holding up Ed Notes at the beginning of a meeting and declaring, “I love to read Ed Notes.” Thus, from the late 90’s through 2001 I was a friendly critic of union policy but didn’t attack the leadership as my goal was to convince Unity to move the union in another direction, which Randi and her pals were giving me the impression they intended to do.

The education deform movement takes hold

The Talk at the UFT Delegate Assembly - Mulgrew was not as annoying as usual

That was the take of one of one delegate - in her second year of attending these meetings - a fairly young, new breed of activist who never saw Randi run a meeting. To me, Mulgrew can never match her in the annoyance factor and if you scratch most Unity people, they will concur.

There is certainly a lot to talk about the first UFT Delegate Assembly, Oct. 20 with the big news being the upcoming Klein's greatest hits: Releasing Teacher Data Reports. Funny, but Maria Colon who was chapter leader of JFKennedy high school spent years in the rubber room and had her career destroyed when she was charged with faxing a student record whose grades had been changed by the principal to a reporter - and she redacted the kids personal info. Can she get a redo?


James Eterno has a preliminary report at ICE:  REPORT FROM OUTSIDE DA

I was there with a few leaflets. The GEM closing schools meeting announcement for next Tuesday.
And my 15th anniversary Ed Notes which I only decided to do this morning at around 8am as a short ad for this blog but ended up writing a 2-sided 1300 word historical piece related to the history of Ed Notes (I'll put it up later.) Actually, since the 4th anniversary of ed notes online passed in August I've wanted to do this piece but the first DA of the year seemed to turn out the right time.

The Unity caucus leaflet had some funny stuff:

Klein breaks his promise to teachers.

I swear, when I read that I fell over. It was followed by:

As soon as UFT learned that Chancellor Klein was breaking his word that teachers' 'Teacher Data Initiative' reports would be confidential, UFT President Michael MulGarten drew together a [crack] legal team to take the Chancellor and DoE to court."

Well, that one just knocked me off my chair. Lucky I have a new carpet in my man cave that hides the blood. Why does that old joke keep coming back whenever I see the UFT leadership in action?
They are like the guy who murders his parents and pleads mercy on the grounds he's an orphan.

I know I don't have to tell readers of this blog why I was laughing so hard. But if you don't get it look for my more serious pieces coming up over the next few days.

I spend most of my time down stairs handing stuff out - since I can't get in watching MulGarten on TV is almost as much fun as the Shopping Channel, where at least you can get a bargain once in a while.

I expected some overcrowding and a bunch of new chapter leaders and delegate at the first DA trying to squeeze into a room that holds only 850 people (there are over 3000 delegates). They just don't want people to come back.

Usually people have to be shunted off to different floors and the hallways are crowded with people watching on TV screens. Real democracy at work. (This was tragic since there was no chance to get a banana. But I did get an apple and a green orange.)

A bunch of people were out there to hand out resolutions. I put some up here(Loss of Black and Latino Educators) and here(Rikers). When I went upstairs to go to the bathroom - you can't even get away from Mulgrew's voice in there, I heard a discussion about a strike over the data testing. I don't know where that came from but it gave Unity a perfect opportunity to waste time over useless debate and the meeting ended I hear without getting much done.

Well, some of you know my feelings about these resos. Let's say they get passed. The Rikers one did while I don't think they got to the other one. What will the UFT actually DO to get it released - and why haven't they done something up to now? I know, I know, I'm just a gripe. But I have no faith in asking the UFT to do anything. But if people want to try I support them.

As one delegate said to me, "Why do you waste your time here? This is totally dominated by Unity and pretty much a useless body." I agreed but also feel it is the only opportunity once a month where it is theoretically possible to have someone from every school. Ed Notes being there for 15 years is an established entity and there are at least some people who read it regularly. But it is also an opportunity to drive some traffic to this blog from my target audience- NYC rank and file teachers.

But it certainly not worth a lot of effort. I did go with Ed Notes and a leaflet advertising the GEM meeting this Tuesday (Oct. 26) on closing schools where GEM is trying to build a coalition of the 19 schools from last year and the new crop coming up. This is not an anti-Unity thing and even Unity people involved in these schools have been invited to share their experience. The appearance of such a group might force the UFT into some concerted action on school closings instead of the weak-kneed approach they have taken in the past. Not holding my breath or anything.

Anyway, I left before 5:30 to head over to Brooklyn where we are editing "The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman." My young delegate friend who thought Mulgrew wasn't as annoying got there about a half hour after I did and I reaped the benefit of the UFT Superman tee-shirt which they gave out at 6Pm for those lucky people who remained. She thought they should have put an RR for Real Reformer until I pointed out the UFT is far from being Real Reformers.



COMING NEXT: THE BATTLE OVER THE LITERATURE TABLE WITH UNITY HACK SANDRA DUNN-YULES.

Report from the UFT Delegate Assembly

John Elfrank-Dana, Chapter Leader
Murry Bergtraum High School

5/12/2010

I expected a rancorous evening and that’s what I got. With the news about the UFT agreeing to a teacher evaluation plan that includes student test scores I knew there would be a hard sell by Mulgrew to the independents present. Never a problem for the Unity Caucus faithful as they would be prepared to tow the line.

The report came out in the Times about the new scheme which describe a total test component of 40% of your evaluation (25% from state exams and 15% from local). Mulgrew went to work saying that was misleading ( I have attached the UFT’s summary of the agreement).

So, why the agreement? Mulgrew explained that Federal legislation was inevitable requiring districts to tie teacher evaluation with some form of testing in order to receive Title 1 and all the other forms of funding. He checked it out with his people in D.C. who confirmed there’s no stopping it. Since NYC depends heavily upon such finding we had to act. He stated that we are in a better climate now to discuss this rather than wait a year.

The attached summary was handed out and we were asked to vote on it. Objections came that we needed more time to review before making a decision. Also, that since this was done on Monday, why didn’t the UFT e-mail the chapter leaders the agreement so they’d have time to review? This is a common Unity practice of rushing things through so you don’t have time to think and ask the nuanced questions. It’s the old “The Sale Ends Today” approach, so you’d “better buy now”!

Nonetheless, Mulgrew claimed that the agreement meant only 20% of your assessment will come from tests while the rest from 8 other criteria (see in attached summary). Also, that it fixes a broken system of assessment which allowed principals to U-rate teachers based upon whim. Now they would have to produce more objective criteria. As expected, VP Michael Mendel and Grievance Director Howard Solomon spoke passionately in favor of it. For Mendel it was enough that the Chancellor was quoted in the press as unhappy with the agreement.

The agreement, Mulgrew went on, requires the DoE to negotiate the fine points with the UFT. This was another reason for supporting.

Concerns were raised. Bronx Science HS chapter leader urged caution, saying we need to get the right to grieve unfair letters in the file back. Also that he’s never seen a rubric (the new eval system has us graded by rubrics) that a principal couldn’t manipulate. He also said the details should be negotiated in public and not in secret. Marjorie Stamberg called the agreement “merit pay in drag” and a capitulation to the privatizers and union busters. This is because the agreement allows for special compensation for those of us who score high marks on our rubrics and student tests. Those special teachers may be given new titles (like Master Teacher) for which to anoint the higher pay. Therefore, according to Mulgrew, it’s not “merit pay” in the strict sense of the word.

I will mull over the summary and hope you do too. I have my reservations about all of this. I remember hearing the testing industry, which are the big winners in this, gave Obama a ton of money. This is probably payback. It’s a poisonous premise that we can measure student achievement via standardized test scores. Standardized tests were never developed for this but only to rank students. Plus, it starts out at 20% test scores. But, now that the foot is in the door, you can bet that percentage will only go up. Also, knowing firsthand how the UFT Grievance Department, and the corresponding boro grievance committees operate like health insurance companies, i.e. make it their business to deny service, I’m not confident this will end up a win for us. There will probably be a lack of enforcement of the provisions we do negotiate.

I had to leave early but David Gordon and Joel Puelle, your delegates were also there. You can ask them for their take. There was a conversation about budgets. I know we have to keep calling and demonstrating to avoid layoffs. More on that coming soon.

Remember, review the attachment and give me your thoughts.

John

--
John Elfrank-Dana
UFT Chapter Leader
Murry Bergtraum High School
www.Elfrank.com/UFT

ED NOTE: I have the pdf attachment but don't have time to process it. Email me if you need a copy.


Another report

I'm a chapter leader at the UFT DA right now and would like to report this anonymously:

The scene was surreal to start. The room was packed but the tone was hushed. It felt like the crowd had come to listen to Mulgrew explain himself and the recent overhaul of the evaluation system.


He began by going through what he called ''inaccurate'' reporting by the NY Times. He had prepared an FAQ sheet that answered some of the questions that members might have.


He mentioned that this new system only calls for 20 percent of overall score to come from tests. He also stated that there were parts that had yet to be negotiated by the Union-like the Value Added scores. He stated directly that this did not change the tenure system.


As he went on, you could feel the tide of the delegates turning - he was starting to bring comfort to those who were anxious about this deal.


There were good questions and voices of dissent from the crowd. Some asked why this had been brokered secretly without teacher input. According to Mulgrew they had done this to keep the DOE and Klein out of the negotiation. This was a deal with the state, he said

Delegate Assembly Reaction 2: Seung Ok

Seung called a Point of Order, asking to be allowed to speak as someone from a closing school. Not one person called on was from a closing school. The Unity pre-DA rehearsals must have gone quite well. Nina Tribble was assigned to call the question to close debate, a job shared by people like Washington Irving's Greg Lindahl and our own Beach Channel's Dave Peccoraro. Some Unity idiot keeps commenting how rude Seung is. Wish we had a video (and maybe we do) of Mulgrew's condescening attitude towards Seung. He might as well have called him "boy!" Mulgrew was also pretty obnoxious with Kit Wainer, one of the true gentlemen. And TJC's Nick Licari, who you would want in the foxhole on any day of the week, was also denied the chance to address the DA because even though he led Norman Thomas for 20 years, is no longer a delegate. Sure, they let deputy mayors and politicians speak, but not Nick. I never saw Mulgrew in action much before now, but he may make us wish for Randi. Hmmm. Is that why she picked him?


Here Sueng is issuing a call to arms to pay a visit to Bloomberg at City Hall or at his home on Jan. 21. Get out the tea and crumpets Mike.

Seung Ok, Maxwell HS

I just came out of the UFT Meeting, and it looks like teacher's union leadership are selling out those schools in danger of closure. In fact. they didn't even allow me, a teacher from Maxwell HS and another teacher from Norman Thomas, to even get a chance to talk to the assembly. They talk the talk, but they absolutely do not want a citywide rally.

How is it possible, that they pass a resolution on school closings without asking for the opinions of the schools that are being closed? The resolution they passed tonight is so weak, the best they can come up with is a rally at the PEP meeting in Jan. 26 at Brooklyn Tech. How many New Yorker's even know what the PEP is? It will be too late by then! They voted down the idea of a citywide rally before that date.

Before people get the wrong idea, and start fuming about how the teacher delegates could allow this - let me explain a little about UFT politics. The same way Michael Bloomberg acts with intimidation and undemocratic rule, Michael Mulgrew (the president of the UFT) acts towards the Delegate Assembly. He learned his trade working under Randi Weingarten.

There are 3000 delagates in NYC, yet they meet in a room at the UFT that can only fit 800, and they want it that way. They stack the room with employees of the UFT union, many of whom don't even teach anymore. So they win every single vote that Mulgrew wants. In tonight's debate about an amendment for citywide rally, Michael Mulgrew called on 8 of his cronies to argue against this admentment in a row (which breaks the rules of the UFT union constiution). The UFT leadership does NOT represent the views of the majority of the rank and file teachers!

So it is up to us. They may have a few powerful people, we have the truth and thousands of people on our side. Imagine, if you will, the communities of all 22 closing schools entering Manhattan and rallying in front of the Mayor's apartment residence. He wants to mess with our community? We will go into his neighborhood...and shout our lungs out, until people realize, that he is not the civil rights leader he portrays himself to be.

Now the DATE is set. Some have decided that Thursday, Jan 21st is a great day. It's a 5 days before the PEP will make their decision!

So set the calendar, and tell everybody.....parents, students, teachers, cousins of teachers, cousins of cousins - to keep THURSDAY, JANUARY 21st open. We are going to rally, either at Bloomberg's residence or City Hall. Please visit our blog at ........to see more information as the date gets near.

http://grassrootseducationmovement.blogspot.com/

= Lay off our schools!!

UPDATE: Seung appeared on WBAI Thursday eve and here are some reviews:

Great job on WBAI this evening, Seung! Informative, persuasive and powerful. The students you had with you were extremely well spoken and exemplified why Maxwell should not be closed! Gloria

Seung, you were great! You really told it like it is and certainly painted a terrific picture of Maxwell. I am truly in awe of you. Peter

UFT Delegate Assembly Reaction 1: Michael Fiorillo

....writes an open letter to UFT President Mulgrew:


Hello Michael,

I attempted to get the floor on a point of personal privilege today, not to make the DA chaotic, but, as someone who always signs his blog posts and comments, claimed that a contract was already in place. You stated that I and others like me who've made the same claim should be "ashamed" of ourselves. You also lumped my opinion pieces with "leaks" of union strategies to an unfriendly press. Since I couldn't speak there, I'll respond here:

- It's true: I have said in numerous forums that I believed there was a tacit or explicit understanding. In fact, I still believe that was so, but that objective conditions created a temptation for Bloomberg to renege that was too strong for him to resist. And after all, why shouldn't he renege? Your predecessor gave him pretty much everything he wanted: silence on term limits that equalled assent, continued mayoral control - which would not exist at all if she had not initially supported it - and "neutrality" in the mayoral election that guaranteed the mayor's re-election. Was it so unreasonable for someone, living in the Age of Impunity that we do, to think that the Union might not have insisted on something in return? Are you saying that the UFT leadership gave those things to the mayor without extracting the promise of something, perhaps even a contract? Would that be so far-fetched?

In fact, things are even worse than I surmised. Think about it: either the Union gave Bloomberg everything he needed to continue his attacks against teachers and the public schools, while not even asking/demanding something in return - which is what you seem to be saying - or it had what "somebody" thought was a deal and got stabbed in the back, on the assumption that it was too weak to retaliate? Which sounds worse?

So, I'm far from ashamed of myself. Randi Weingarten should be ashamed for making these catastrophic decisions over the years, in a vain attempt to ingratiate herself with our enemies. And while I don't think that you, as a comparative newcomer, bear the same degree of responsibility as her, you've supported and spoken for those policies in public, and as President they now belong to you. And what's far worse, the membership must live and work under them.

- Your comparison of me and others to those who leak information to the Post, News or other publications is borderline slanderous and McCarthyite. There is no comparison whatsoever to be made. I sign every piece I write, and it's clear to all that I am voicing my opinion, which people are free to accept, reject or ignore. This is totally different from surreptitiously feeding information to the press, which I have never done. For you to suggest they are the same is a smear.

- And by the way, as for the "security" of information given out at the DA: isn't it axiomatic that nothing is said at an open union meeting that is not expected to make its way back to the Boss? Come, now.

So, we will see how things progress, or regress. As long as the Union accepts the premises of the people who are clearly trying to destroy us and privatize the system, here and nationally, we'll continue to lose ground. There's no changing that, and I will continue to write and speak up about it.

Sincerely,

Michael Fiorillo
Delegate, Newcomers High School


Ed Note:
I'm going to post a series of reactions to the UFT Delegate Assembly yesterday, including mine. I'll keep them separate for easier reading but number them. Feel free to jump in. (At the same time as the DA, ICE/TJC Presidential candidate James Eterno was leading the fight to save Jamaica HS. Francis Lewis HS CL Arthur Goldstein (ICE/TJC candidate for HS Exec Bd) was there to support James and had this comment:

James was great.  Passionate, compelling, excellent.

Michael Fiorillo, is another ICE/TJC candidate for the HS EB and wouldn't you want he and Goldstein along with the ICE's John Lawhead and TJC's Kit Wainer, Marian Swerdlow and Peter Lamphere on the EB after the upcoming election? So if you are in a high school, start alerting your colleagues to check the ICE/TJC box on the ballot when it is received in March - don't also vote for any individual candidates if you check this box or your vote will be invalid. In the last election well over a thousand votes were invalidated.

Russia’s Leaders See UFT Unity Caucus as Template for Ruling

52 Broadway — Nearly two decades after the collapse of the Communist Party, Russia’s rulers have hit upon a model for future success: Unity Caucus.

Like an envious underachiever, Vladimir V. Putin’s party, United Russia, is increasingly examining how it can emulate the UFT's ruling Unity Caucus.

United Russia’s leaders even convened a special meeting this month with senior UFT officials at UFT headquarters at 52 Broadway to hear firsthand how they wield power.

Russia in recent years has started moving toward the UFT model. “To me, the meeting demonstrated that United Russia wants to establish a single-party dictatorship in Russia, for all time,” an observer commented.

"100 percent of the members of the UFT executive Board are endorsed by the Unity Caucus," said Putin, "an awesome display of one party control that exceeds even the old Communist Party in Russia," Putin continued. "They control the entire media of the UFT and have ingeniously packed the monthly delegate assembly meetings with their supporters by holding meetings for 3300 delegates in a space that holds only 850. Brilliant.

"And they don't even have to send assassins to remove their opponents," Putin said shaking his head in wonder. "Not yet at least. But we have a deal with Mulgrew. He tells us how to have total power and we show him how to remove his critics. We told him to start small by removing visitors from the Delegate Assembly hall by forcing them to watch it on TV on the 19th floor, where windows can easily be left open. Accidents do happen. Heh, heh heh."

Ed Notes News report based on original article in the NY Times

Delegate Assembly Ramblings

Some would think that the major item at yesterday's first UFT Delegate Assembly of the year was all about contract. But it was way more than that, with the physical conditions of trying to hold a meeting that could potentially attract 3300 people in a space meant to hold 850 creating just a few logistical problems, that issue became as much a story as the contract. Add the greater security and the fact that it was turned from a chapter chairman meeting that usually attracts no more than 600 people into a DA on a few days notice and there was mass chaos, to such an extent that a few first timers said they would never come back.

James Eterno (ICE/TJC candidate running for UFT President) posted a brief report on the ICE blog: CONE OF SILENCE COMES TO DA
James came out the hero to many people for standing up to the leqdership on a point of order and speaking against the basic contract proposals for leaving out any call for taking back the givebacks. One delegate came out disgusted after his first meeting saying, "I can't f** believe it. They voted down seniority protection with any discussion. Mulgrew sucks." He vowed never to return to a DA, significantly improving the odds of my getting a banana.

I avoided the "cone" by leaving as they were beginning to talk about the contract so they could not accuse me of being the leaker, as they so often have done in the past. I hung out outside with Anna Philips from Gotham Schools and send various people over to talk to her as they came out of the meeting. Anna was there from around 3pm until well after 7. Give that woman a raise, Gotham. Here is her report: Speaking to UFT, Mulgrew calls for a new contract, and fast.

I saw so many new chapter leaders and delegates at the meeting that I knew. All told I hear there may be a thousand new people, with about 350 new chapter leaders. I asked a bunch of them to write up some impressions of the the UFT in action at this level at first glance after hearing words like "bizarre" and "surrealistic."

One of them, an old buddy, was the first out of the box:

As a newly elected chapter leader attending my very first delegate assembly I was tickled with excitement. The atmosphere was like the seventh game of a playoff series. Having finally made it up the stairs amid all the chaos I was not allowed into the hall. My first thought was "You gotta be f'ing kidding me? I'm a chapter leader now!" I guess she's seen it all before and kindly mentioned that I may have better luck around the other way. Well no luck there either so I watched Mulgrew on tv outside the hall along with other blue card carrying orange eating sticky fingered members. I finally found a standing room only spot near the doors and began to absorb the proceedings. At the end of the DA, I walked away believing change won't ever come at this level. Change is going to have to come with us from the trenches.

If you attended your first DA, send me your impressions or add to the comments.

I got home at 9:30 (one has to eat, doesn't one) and was so tired I hit the sack. Now it's 3 AM and I have lots to report and comment on but I want to go back to sleep so I'll add to this post later or post a second piece – if I survive a dental appointment. And the eye doctor. And the gym. (I am falling apart. And then there is tonight's CEC hearing on the slimebag PAVE charter school attempt to move into PS 15 for eternity. You should hear these stories, which I will be posting.) Check back in, especially if you are a subscriber. I may actually report on some nice things I heard said about Mike Mulgrew by unnamed UFT staffers who were clearly suffering from Randi fatigue.

UFT Delegate Assembly, Democracy NOT

A New Star rises. No not Mulgrew.

Gem's Seung Ok gives us this brillaint and scintillating DA report. I've only known Seung for a few months, but it is meeting people like him that keeps me in this business. I've always maintained that the opposition is too polite at DA's or unwilling to take the slings and arrows of Unity harassers. I didn't give a crap. Neither did Jeff Kaufman. Seung looks like a comer.

UFT Delegate Assembly 6-24-09

I’m sorry to inform my colleagues (although many of you have already suspected), that our UFT right now is as much an undemocratic and farcical scene as the NY Senate and the Mayor’s Office. The lack of transparency, the façade of democratic input from its constituents, and the intolerance for opposing views shows us why our UFT, city, state, and country is in it’s dire situation today. The events of the meeting seem to be "par for the course" of how things run there.

The vast majority of us were surprised to hear when we came into work this morning that there was a new agreement on Tier V in which Weingarten basically sold off wholesale some of our pension benefits for future teachers. And what did our master negotiator get in return for this – two non- teaching days back before Labor Day.

Now one would think that a decision as important as changing our profession’s pension benefits requires input from us as a whole - perhaps a referendum, or survey to get the thoughts from the rank and file. If there had been transparency, Weingarten would not have sold us off so cheaply with a mere two days. In her own words at the meeting, she saw the two days before Labor Day as,” ….the most important issue that she has heard coming from the delegates affecting our teachers.” Really? I guess the fact that seasoned ATR’s in our schools cannot find positions, in spite of the DOE hiring freeze and budgetary concessions, is not as important as two extra days of summer vacation.

Let’s not forget to mention the detrimental effects of Mayoral control on our professional autonomy, parental input, and student learning. Had such a prize for Governor Paterson and Mayor Bloomberg not been given so cheaply, in the least, the alteration of future pensions could have been used as leverage to add more checks and balances in mayoral control rather than the dictatorship that seems destined to be renewed.

Also, how much weaker are we know, as we head into contract negotiations in October. Had we not given up our hand so quickly and easily, we would have had something the Mayor and Albany would want. But now, thanks to the wonders of “Democracy Lite” that is the UFT, we are now left holding a weak hand yet again.

The meeting went as follows. First, Weingarten frightens all the delegates (Ala George Bush post 9/11) by playing off their worst fears in what may happen: working till 62, the loss of our pension plans, etc. Now once everyone is good and scared, she comes to the rescue and pats herself on the back about how she saved our benefits. Gee, all by yourself Randi? (Add applause and glee by the union faithful) Then she congratulates herself by adding that she saw an opportunity to get back our two days before Labor Day and she took it! Quick thinking sport!

Of course she then asks for input from the delegates. Somehow she manages to “randomly” choose 4 delegates in a row who gushingly admire her great efforts in securing this wonderful new deal. Then, to highlight how contrived this debate was, she graciously noted that it would be remiss on her part if she didn’t allow the opposition view to be held. So she called on those with opposing views to raise their hands. One delegate noted that we indeed were “giving back” yet again, which a few delegates from past meetings decried. Of course, the shouting down of this delegate ensued by the rest of the delegates – at which point Weingarten, in her graciousness, asked for calm. Then magically, two more people were called on, that were in favor of Tier V. So, the viewing audience can scratch their heads now in bewilderment – I thought this was the dissenting voice’s turn. Finally, Weingarten suggests that one more person speak up for the dissenting view. A delegate suggests that such an important matter as this should be given as a vote for all union members in the schools, which was of course, ignored by Weingarten in her response.

As she began to start the vote, I and a few other delegates shouted out that the debate was not fair. The opposing view did not get equal time to state its case (2 versus 6 speakers) At this point, Weingarten spewed off some Robert’s Rules of Order process rule - that she had asked for one more dissenting view, and that there was no objection. Again, note how parliamentary procedures are used to discourage rather than encourage true democratic vote (can anyone say the state senate?).

Now during this whole fiasco, I was raising my hands and my voice, - sometimes standing to get her attention. Interestingly her body and face slowly started to face the opposite way. Interesting, considering that her UNITY caucus usually sits on the end where I was. But alas, I was never called. Okay, that’s understandable – I mean, there are many delegates and there is such precious few moments together.

Then the vote happens. Many voices boomed “Aye!” And it seemed only a few of us yelled “Nay!” Then there was much rejoicing and hoop and hollering.

Then the question portion of the pageant commenced. There were several questions about the Tuesday we get back from Labor Day and how some principals are threatening to give letters if their classrooms are not set up and ready by the end of this school year. Much booing and “that’s intolerable!” was heard. Weingarten, on cue, decried how many evil and treacherous characters were allowed to become principals. Much cheering and clapping followed. She suggested, and it seems the crowd knew what she was going to say, cause they mouthed it too – “get it on paper”.

One delegate asked about the handout that lists all the local politicians that the UFT endorses. She wondered whether it was appropriate for us to endorse many of the politicians on that page that voted FOR mayoral control. At this point, since Weingarten, didn’t want to do her own dirty work, referred the question to suit B. He managed to fumble through the response by noting that these politicians voted for key issues that affected the union. I guess mayoral control doesn’t count in the Union’s mind, but okay.

Then Weingarten, in an earnest and reflective repose, asked the delegates if she can let the media in, so she can avoid announcing her retirement twice. The delegates deeply moved, voted a unanimous “Aye!” and “Hear! Hear!” Apparently everyone turns into a 17^th century Britain at such moments. The media came in and then the show started.

She began by noting that her mother was a teacher, and she remembered how after striking all day, her mother would come home tired yet vigilant. Wow, too bad the daughter didn’t become an educator herself. Then she humbly stated how she is leaving the Union stronger and healthier than how she found it. I at this point I couldn’t contain myself. Let’s just put it this way. Just imagine how men act watching the super bowl, and they see a ridiculous fumble – “What?! Are you kidding me?!” I basically turned into John McEnroe. I looked around the room in amazement, and all I could see was shimmering eyes, welling up with deep gratitude. The tissues were definitely out.

Then she began listing all her accomplishments, stating that when she first began working for the UFT, the starting salary was 14,000. Wow, can anyone get her on a stamp please – I mean really. At this point, the Johnny Mac in me took possession, and I screamed out,” Don’t forget Mayoral Control!” Now, I’ve never been tarred and feathered before, but let’s just say that the Brits at this point were getting the cauldron heated up. Several of the mob called me a jerk, and the several men in front and to the side of me looked like I just stole their baby’s pacifier. The latter glared,” You better stop shouting in my ear.” I suspected that this unfortunate man had hearing only in this ear, because he had not been agitated by the shouts of “Hear! Hear!” coming from the other end the whole meeting up to that point.

The momentous and tearful scene was capped off by flowers being brought forth to a teary Weingarten. Then unknown suit C got up and asked for a tribute to her highness Weingarten the I. This included a long litany of whereas and whereforths too long to list here, but I’ll give you a tasting of the deliciousness of this treat:

Whereas as the tribune of the New York City public school educators, Randi Weingarten has successfully led us through many perils and challenges, and now leaves our profession and our union stronger than ever.

Wow! Tribune. I almost wanted to cry out, "Hail Ceasar!"

Of course, I had to shout out a whereas myself, “ Sell OUT!” But with the graciousness befitting the queen, she nobly and befitting her aristocratic stature ignored me with impunity.

After the pageant winner left her stage, suit D – went on to announce that volunteers who wanted to be on the committee for contract negotiation should fill out a card. He was about to close the meeting, and asked if there were any further questions. I raised my hand and shouted,” I do.” If you could see the begrudging look he gave me, it would make your toes curl. At this point, Randi was taking pictures with her adoring fans, as she was making her way out of the pageant with her flowers in hand. I was actually given the mic, and I quickly noted,” Will Randi actually listen to her own committee this time (alluding to the fact that she went against her own year long committee and flip flopped in favor of mayoral control).

I could not get out the rest, since the parliament started to Whig out, and the tar was hot and ready by this point. I then made the mistake of asking if I can finish my statement – which was a crucial error, since unbeknownst to me, suit D was Alex Trebeck, who immediately informed me that a statement is not in the form of a question, so I was,” Out of Order!”. Then with 2 seconds left on the clock, the man in front of me snatched the microphone from my hand (not a joke, true democracy at work). Then the crowd cheered with frenzy as the home team counted down the seconds to victory.

I will leave you with some immortal words by an unknown ancient sage:

“Don’t eat yellow snow.”

Your colleague:

Seung Ok