Memo from the RTC: Arthur Miller’s A View From the Bridge Opening Sept. 21

For The Wave, Sept. 21 edition

Memo from the RTC: Arthur Miller’s A View From the Bridge Opening Sept. 21

By Norm Scott

After months of preparation the Rockaway Theatre Company of the Frank Caiati directed  production of “Bridge” is opening September 21 for nine performances over three weekends. Written by one of America’s great playwrights, Arthur Miller,  the story is set in the 1950’s in a working class Italian American neighborhood of Brooklyn within sight of the Brooklyn Bridge. The docks of pre-Ikea gritty Red Hook is pretty much the prototype.

I checked on Arthur Miller’s biography (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Miller). He was born in 1915 (died in 2005) to a wealthy Jewish family in Harlem that lost all its money in the 1929 depression and moved to Gravesend Brooklyn where he graduated from Abraham Lincoln HS.

Being lazy, let me jump to the Wikipedia description of the play.

“…. an I near the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. It employs a chorus and narrator in the character of Alfieri. Eddie, the tragic protagonist, has an improper love of, and almost obsession with, Catherine, his wife Beatrice's orphaned niece, so he does not approve of her courtship of Beatrice's cousin Rodolpho. Miller's interest in writing about the world of the New York docks originated with an un-produced screenplay that he developed with Elia Kazan in the early 1950s (entitled The Hook) that addressed corruption on the Brooklyn docks. Kazan later directed On the Waterfront, which dealt with the same subject. Miller said that he heard the basic account that developed into the plot of A View from the Bridge from a lawyer who worked with longshoremen, who related it to him as a true story.”  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_View_from_the_Bridge

Scarlett Johansson won a Tony in a 2010 Broadway revival for the role of Catherine and Mark Strong was nominated for best actor in the 2015 revival. I’ve never seen the play, nor do I know very much about it other than the above. I do know, as I’ve been reporting, that Frank as a certain vision, as witnessed by the poster of the upside down Brooklyn Bridge and the daring set with the tilted stage.

The serious dramas at the RTC are too often overlooked by some of the regular audiences who love to attend musicals.  On the Waterfront is one of my favorite movies and there are echoes and historical antecedents in this play.

One more reason to see the play is to answer these burning questions:
Can Miller, an intellectual left-oriented Jewish writer effectively capture the working class Italian-American experience? Can Frank, an Italian-American 30-something director/actor/scenic designer/set builder capture the essence of Miller’s work 60 years after it was first written?

You are invited to A View From the Bridge

The Rockaway Theatre Company Proudly Presents

A Great American Drama

SHOWTIMES

September 21st, 22nd, 28th, 29th, October 5th & 6th at 8pm

Matinees September 23rd, 30th & October 7th at 2pm

Tickets may be purchased on our website

www.rockawaytheatrecompany.org

Ticket Prices:

Adults $20.00

Seniors/Children $15.00

**Please Note: Online ticket purchases close 48 hours prior to the date of each show, but tickets are still available for purchase, at our box office, one hour prior to showtime.

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A Tacoma Teacher Strike Reflection

Tacoma, thank you. Teachers owe the parents and community a massive debt. You had our backs! You brought provisions, you organized a 2,000+ member Facebook group, you told us to fight and keep our heads high. Every honk, every donut, every text was appreciated, and I thank you. You’ve always supported our schools through levy votes, voting for bonds, and random fundraisers (I mean seriously, wrapping paper?). But the support you showed during the strike went above and beyond and brought tears to my eyes, repeatedly. 

We also need to thank the labor community. Doctors, nurses, firefighters, ILWU longshoreman, and pipefitters all came out and walked the lines. Teachers, if we don't return this solidarity when they need us--especially to the paras, school bus drivers, and food service workers who serve our students--shame on us.

http://www.natebowling.com/a-teachers-evolving-mind/2018/9/15/a-tacoma-teacher-strike-reflection

Thanks to Abby Shure for sending this link. It proves that don't even think about a strike unless you have the support of the community and other workers.

More of the article:

The strike is over and school starts Monday. When I got the email letting me know we’d reached a tentative agreement, I was so giddy I screamed to my wife “TA, TA, WE GOT A TAAAAAAAAA.” Words can’t describe how glad I am this is over. But, before I move on to my usual fall routines: learning names, custom handshakes, teaching about the Federalists vs the Anti-Federalists, and Friday Night Lights--I think it’s important to stop and take stock of what happened in our community.

To Tacoma’s students, we all owe you an apology. Adult issues kept you out of the classroom where you belong. That’s an injustice and there’s no way to spin that. There shouldn’t have been a strike. I found the last two weeks mind-numbingly frustrating because it was preventable. If the McCleary Settlement was done with transparency, rather than dead-of-night-last-second deal making, we wouldn’t be here. If a fair contract had been offered from the beginning of negotiations, we wouldn’t be here. If young teachers in our city felt valued and knew they wouldn’t have to pick-up side-hustles to stay in their apartments, we wouldn’t be here.

Lastly for the school board, we elect school board members not spokespeople. Canceling school board meetings, ghosting from social media, and responding to community members with auto-form replies is not the way for school board members to lead. The community didn’t vote for the district public information office, we elected you. If you don’t want to face an angry public when things are bad, perhaps elected office isn’t your calling.

This will be my thirteenth year of teaching. I have worked in Tacoma my entire teaching career. But, my mentor in the profession departed during this strike. I am still not over that. Despite reaching a contract agreement, I have lingering concerns about our ability to retain many of the great teachers we have. I want for Tacoma Schools to be the world-class system our students deserve, but nothing that happened over the last two weeks brought us closer to that.

I’ve heard from a lot of parents and community members. People are angry and we have to win their trust back. I often say in my talks that “teaching is relational.” Classrooms are places where if trust is absent, learning will be as well. For the sake of my students, I hope Tacoma Schools can spend this year rebuilding that trust.

I’m off to go lesson plan.

More good news election results on IDC from City/State

https://www.cityandstateny.com/articles/politics/campaigns-elections/idc-new-york-primary-results-2018.html

As New York's state primary election results come in, it's looking like a strong night for insurgents, with Julia Salazar navigating a host of controversies to knock out state Sen. Martin Dilan in Brooklyn and a number of remarkably solid performances by challengers seeking to oust former members of the Independent Democratic Conference, which had drawn attacks for partnering with state Senate Republicans in Albany.

With results still coming in, a number of former IDC senators were trailing, including state Sens. Tony Avella, Marisol Alcantara and even Jeff Klein, the group's former leader. At least two others, state Sens. Jose Peralta and Jesse Hamilton, were projected to lose, according to NY1. 

Each of the eight former IDC members faced challenges. Although the breakaway group of renegade Republicans rejoined mainline Democrats in April, it did little to temper the newly awakened political engagement in the wake of the 2016 presidential election and anger towards the Democrats who shared power with Republicans.

Another challenger, Blake Morris, fell short against state Sen. Simcha Felder, who is not a member of the IDC but has caucused with Republicans since he was first elected and gives them their one seat majority. 

Additionally, there are several Assembly elections of note, including the possible first transgender state lawmaker and several vacants seats that need filling. This post will be updated throughout the night, so continue checking back for the latest in each race.

RELATED: New York’s 2018 statewide primary results  
 

STATE SENATE

District 11, Democratic Primary 

John Liu: 49.89%

Tony Avella: 46.02%

With 200 out of 224 election districts reporting.
 

State Sen. Tony Avella was first elected in 2010, when he defeated Republican incumbent Frank Padavan. He joined the IDC in 2014, the same year that former New York City Comptroller John Liu first ran against him. At the time, Democrats wanted to get rid of Avella because of his decision to join the breakaway conference. However, the IDC promised to return to the fold after the election. Whether or not that ultimately impacted the 2014 election would be hard to prove, but Liu lost that contest by six points. In the general election, Republicans won an outright majority in the state Senate and the IDC continued to ally with the GOP. This year may be different for Liu considering shifting political attitudes since Trump got elected. The knowledge of and desire to defeat the IDC is stronger than in 2014, which is what Democrats are banking on when they recruited Liu late in the game.
 

District 13, Democratic Primary

Jessica Ramos: 52.31 %

Jose Peralta: 40.27%

With 138 out of 159 election districts reporting.
 

Although a long-time incumbent, state Sen. Jose Peralta had the shortest stint with the IDC, having joined in January 2017. He faced perhaps the most backlash for the decision among the former IDC members, when members of the his community held an angry town hall in February to express their displeasure with his decision. Peralta has defended his decision by saying that by joining the IDC, he was getting much needed resources for his district.

Jessica Ramos, a former aide to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, was one of the people at the February town hall and is now looking to capitalize on the new political engagement to defeat Peralta. The district overlaps with the congressional district that Ocasio-Cortez won when she defeated the powerful Queens kingmaker Rep. Joseph Crowley in an upset victory. While the two races are not exactly alike, Ocasio-Cortez’s win may help bolster Ramos’ efforts and could have served as a sort of litmus test for which way voters will swing on Thursday.
 

District 17, Democratic Primary

Simcha Felder: 59.53%

Blake Morris: 36.05%

With 185 out of 196 election districts reporting.
 

Since he was elected first elected in 2012, state Sen. Simcha has not faced either a primary or general election challenge. He has run on both the Republican and Democratic lines, and may appear on both again this year if lawyer Blake Morrisfalls short in the Democratic primary as expected. Even if Morris loses, a close primary would suggest that Felder is losing some of his grip on the district and the Orthodox Jewish community that make up his political base, a development that would be welcome to many on the left who blame Felder for letting Republicans in control of the state Senate even after the IDC dissolved earlier this year.
 

District 18, Democratic Primary

Julia Salazar: 54.11%

Martin Dilan: 38.42%

With 221 out of 244 election districts reporting.
 

In this unexpectedly high-profile state Senate race, socialist Julia Salazar knocked out eight-term state Sen. Martin Dilan to represent the 18th District. Salazar galvanized support among progressives for her identification as a democratic socialist who wants to empower unions and immigrants while instituting universal rent control and single-payer health care.

In a strange turn, the race became a referendum on the challenger rather than the incumbent following media reports that challenged the working class, immigrant, Jewish image that Salazar presented on the campaign trail. There were reports that she had been a pro-life, pro-Israel Republican until recent years, as well as questions about whether she really was raised by a working class, single mother.Later reports highlighted a past arrest, a lawsuit involving the ex-wife of former Mets star Keith Hernandez and her allegation that she was sexually assaulted by a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Dilan has maintained a lower profile, but that has not prevented uncomfortable headlines, especially regarding the large amount of donations he has taken from the real estate industry. Salazar now is likely to win the general election handily.
 

District 20, Democratic Primary

Zellnor Myrie: 51.89%

Jesse Hamilton: 42.80%

With 181 out of 213 election districts reporting.
 

Lawyer, activist and first time candidate Zellnor Myrie has defeated two-term incumbent and former IDC member state Sen. Jesse Hamilton. Myrie gained significant support during his campaign, gaining the endorsement of the entire Brooklyn congressional delegation, including Brooklyn political powerhouse Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. Myrie also got the backing of all the other local lawmakers in and around the district, a favorable editorial in The New York Times and support from several powerful unions. Hamilton joined the IDC shortly before the general election in 2016. The race was a contentious one, ending with emails alleging that Myrie is anti-black apparently funded by a nonprofit with ties to Hamilton. The state senator denied any involvement. Myrie campaigned heavily on addressing the district’s housing crisis and attacked Hamilton for his ties to real estate.
 

District 22, Democratic Primary

Andrew Gounardes: 51.88%

Ross Barkan: 38.07%

With 184 out of 202 election districts reporting.
 

State Sen. Marty Golden has represented southern Brooklyn for 16 years as a Republican, despite a nearly 2-1 voter enrollment advantage for Democrats. He has rarely faced a challenge during those two decades. Andrew Gounardes, counsel to Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, put up a fight in 2012, but Golden still won by over 15 points. Gounardes wants to try his luck again this year, but first much face journalist Ross Barkan in the primary. Barkan has covered politics in New York for years, but is a first-time candidate. Though the two Democrats have similar platforms, Barkan has positioned himself to the left, supporting universal rent control, calling for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and rejecting corporate donations. He has also received the endorsement of Ocasio-Cortez. Gounardes has a long history of community engagement and government experience that he is running on. Democrats are hoping the winner of this primary will be able to ride a blue wave in November to replace Golden.
 

District 23, Democratic Primary

Brandon Stradford: 11.27%

Diane Savino: 59.89%

Jasmine Robinson: 18.38%

With 189 out of 221 election districts reporting.
 

State Sen. Diane Savino in Staten Island is facing challengers Jasmine Robinson, who has been endorsed by anti-IDC groups, and Brandon Stradford. Robinson at one point asked to be taken off the ballot when she learned some of her petition signatures were fraudulent, but quickly changed her mind. The Robinson’s campaign does not appear as strong as some of the other former IDC challengers.
 

District 31, Democratic Primary

Tirso Pina: 3.77%

Marisol Alcantara: 36.67%

Robert Jackson: 52.95%

Thomas Leon: 1.36%

With 237 out of 264 election districts reporting.
 

Unlike her fellow former IDC members, state Sen. Marisol Alcantara is a freshman legislator and does not have the same incumbency advantage of some of the others. She joined the IDC soon after she won the Democratic primary in 2016, which was a four-way race that included former New York City Councilman Robert Jackson. That primary split very closely three ways – Alcantara took 32.7 percent to win, Upper West Side lawyer Micah Lasher received 31.57 percent and Jackson came in third with 30.65 percent. This year’s primary is a four-way contest once again, but the other two candidates, Thomas Leon and Tirso Santiago Pina, have been all but non-existent so far – Leon has not filed a financial disclosure report and Pina has only raised about $3,000. Additionally, Lasher is not running this year and endorsed Jackson early in his campaign. A big question now is if the voters that turned out for Lasher in 2016 will support Jackson this year.
 

District 34, Democratic Primary

Alessandra Biaggi: 51.20%

Jeff Klein: 46.18%

With 223 out 274 election districts reporting.
 

State Sen. Jeff Klein is facing a rare primary challenge this year from lawyer and community activist Alessandra Biaggi. Klein founded the breakaway Independent Democratic Conference in 2011 and served as its leader until the conference disbanded under pressure from Cuomo in April. At the end of 2012, the IDC formed a majority coalition with Republicans that helped keep the GOP in power without an outright majority, and Klein co-led the state Senate. In another potential vulnerability for the incumbent, Klein earlier this year was accused of sexual misconduct by a former staffer.

Biaggi is one of eight candidates running against former IDC members. Although Democrats unsuccessfully attempted to unseat Klein in 2014 by running former Assemblyman and former New York City Councilman Oliver Koppell, anti-IDC sentiment has grown this election cycle ever since President Donald Trump got elected in 2016 and progressive activists have seen a more engaged and informed citizenry. Although there is no public polling in the race, it would appear that Klein is taking the race seriously – he has spent a mind-boggling $2.4 million dollars as of a little over a week ago according to state financial disclosures. By comparison, Biaggi has only spent less than $300,000. Klein has the support of many major unions, including 1199SEIU, RWDSU and TWU. Meanwhile, Biaggi has been endorsed by 32BJ SEIU, as well as U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, The New York Times and congressional candidate and progressive darling Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
 

District 38, Democratic Primary

David Carlucci: 0%

Julie Goldberg: 0%

With 0 out of 265 election districts reporting.
 

Former IDC member state Sen. David Carlucci is facing a challenger from Julie Goldberg, a librarian. Goldberg is part of the broader slate of anti-IDC candidates, though her campaign does not appear as strong as some of the others seeking to unseat former conference members.

Election Results Looking Wild as Salazar Wins and IDC Scum Take a Hit

https://www.cityandstateny.com/articles/politics/campaigns-elections/idc-new-york-primary-results-2018.html

As New York's state primary election results come in, it's looking like a strong night for insurgents, with Julia Salazar navigating a host of controversies to knock out state Sen. Martin Dilan in Brooklyn to a number of solid performances by challengers seeking to oust former members of the Independent Democratic Conference, which had drawn attacks for partnering with state Senate Republicans in Albany.

With results still coming in, a number of former IDC senators were trailing, including state Sens. Tony Avella, Marisol Alcantara and even Jeff Klein, the group's former leader. At least two others, state Sens. Jose Peralta and Jesse Hamilton, were projected to lose, according to NY1. 

Each of the eight former members of the faced challenges. Although the breakaway group of renegade Republicans rejoined mainline Democrats in April, it did little to temper the newly awakened political engagement in the wake of the 2016 presidential election and anger towards the Democrats who shared power with Republicans.

Another challenger, Blake Morris, fell short against state Sen. Simcha Felder, who is not a member of the IDC but has caucused with Republicans since he was first elected and gives them their one seat majority. 

Additionally, there are several Assembly elections of note, including the possible first transgender state lawmaker and several vacants seats that need filling. This post will be updated throughout the night, so continue checking back for the latest in each race.

Sept. 13 - 10:15 PM
I was listening to Brian Lehrer and it seems that there are some big wins or close races all around.


Fox News reports (that must be driving them crazy).

Controversial Dem socialist candidate Julia Salazar wins NY state Senate primary

Julia Salazar, a democratic socialist whose campaign for a seat in New York's state Senate was overshadowed by a series of bizarre revelations about her past, unseated a 16-year incumbent in Thursday's Democratic primary.

With 88 percent of precincts reporting, Salazar led state Sen. Martin Dilan by 58 percent to 42 percent. She will not face a Republican opponent in November.

Salazar's victory in the Brooklyn-based 18th Senate District added her to the list of insurgent Empire State Democrats who have knocked out established incumbents this primary season.

Okay -- we knew Cuomo would win. And Tish James seems to be winning. So I am 0 for 2 so far.
If not for that slime Maloney and the Cuomo Stalking horse Eve, Teachout may have won. This is a real victory for the real estate interests who didn't want Teachout.

Jumaane is still neck and neck:

Lieutenant Governor

Democratic Primary

CANDIDATE	VOTE	PCT.
Kathy Hochul*	417,118	50.9%
Jumaane D. Williams	402,605	49.1

819,723 votes, 54% reporting (8,196 of 15,083 precincts)

Primary Election Day - Nixon, Williams and Teachout Plus Labor Day Photos

Talking politics with Arthur, Patrick, Moi and Mindy at Labor Day Parade

I Just VOTED NIXON, WILLIAMS, JAMES IN DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY

James Eterno gives a great reason to vote for Tish James - she came to the defense of his school when they closed it -- http://iceuftblog.blogspot.com/2018/09/im-voting-nixon-williams-james-in.html
-- but I can't get over the real estate industry's going nuts against Teachout. She is the best chance to go after real estate, which benefits from public works that they don't want to contribute to pay for -- ie. see expensive 2nd Ave subway and how much property values rose. Or check out Williamsburg which became expensive due to the L train.

Eve seems to be a stalking horse for Cuomo. Shaun Patrick Maloney  is just that too. (Harry Lirtzman laid him out on FB.) If so many power brokers don't want Teachout to win she is my gal -- and I, like Eterno, always liked Tish James. She works for Verizon for Christ's sake. I also don't care for people like her and Cuomo who are political princes and princesses based on parents. It's like they inherit their rights.

The vote for Nixon was easy. Any educator who votes for Cuomo is nuts. Also consider that Nixon supports our right to strike. Cuomo and our union leaders don't seem to agree.

The other day the national morning show in CBS had a report that 66% of the American public thinks teachers should have the right to strike. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/school-matters-americans-say-teachers-have-the-right-to-strike-poll/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/school-matters-americans-say-teachers-have-the-right-to-strike-poll/.

I got to take some selfies with Jumaane Williams and Zephyr Teachout at the Labor Day parade.

I'd vote for Mindy too if I could

Arthur Goldstein, Ellen Fox, Patrick Walsh and Mindy Rosier

School Scope: Democratic Party Needs Reform – Start Locally with New Queens Dems

In this column, submitted for Sept. 14, 2018 publication to The WAVE www.rockawave.com) I go from pre-civil war slavery to the current situation in the Queens Democratic Party, an example of my irrational response to a looming deadline, where I throw stuff against a wall and see what sticks.


School Scope: Democratic Party Needs Reform – Start Locally with New Queens Dems
By Norm Scott

Slavery was recognized in our original constitution. Remember the good old days when slavery was legal and you could be arrested for protesting the law? I think of that when I hear complaints about protests.

In the pre-civil war mid-19th century, as the anti-slavery movement grew in power in the north from a smallish protest movement in the early part of the century into a moral imperative by the 1850s, the United States Congress became a physical battleground, with canings and duels, as many southern “gentleman” members of Congress took any attack on slavery as a personal and political insult. This story, “The Violence at the Heart of Our Politics” was chronicled in the Sept. 9th Sunday NY Times and talked about the 1830s through the breakout of the Civil War where political debates turned violent. Many of the elected were often packing heat, most from the south where gun culture was embedded more deeply than in the more industrial north. Some things don’t change all that much. (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/07/opinion/sunday/violence-politics-congress.html)

Some of the issues separating people today are similar to then, with race at the top. There were 4 million slaves in 1860 and most southerners felt that was OK. (I think there are still people who lament the end of slavery.) I don’t follow the right or alt-right but I’ve heard fragments of comments saying we were less bad than others. I wonder when the newly encouraged anti-Semites will argue Jews were better off under the Pharaohs and Moses made a mistake when he opened up the Red Sea.

Studying the evolution of both parties over the past 160 years is a fascinating exercise. Two-party system was solidified by the mid-late 1850s, with the newly formed Republican Party standing for anti-slavery. The pro-slavery Democratic Party was shaped in the 1820s by Andrew Jackson, a noted racist.

Switching gears to local Democrats: They say all politics is local and our little sliver of paradise here in Rockaway would certainly make for an interesting study of party politics, especially given the outcomes of the 2016 Presidential election on the peninsula where the west end went overwhelming for Trump while as you move east the vote switched to Democrats.

A couple of things caught my eye recently. A NY Times piece uncovered the seemingly corrupt Queens Democratic Party machine which focused on the Queens County Committee and how membership has been manipulated as progressives seeking to be members were denied entry. How Party Bosses, Not Voters, Pick Candidates in New York – a must read if you are interested in reforming a corrupt system. (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/18/nyregion/new-york-politics-party-bosses.html).

The way party business is done is not the way to take on Trump and the Republicans. Is our county Dem party machine still headed by Joe Crowley whose defeat by a democratic socialist has resulted in international attention? Is the machine shutting out Bernie Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez types as a way to keep control? Crowley may be gone from Congress, but the machine he runs seems to live on.

There were two letters in the Sept. 7 WAVE addressing the local Democratic Party situation. Norman Silverman made a plea to the local party clubs to broaden the base. “The party that preaches democracy must actually practice democracy.” The other letter was from the The New Queens Democrats, who describe themselves as “a progressive, grassroots organization advocating for transparency, inclusionary democracy, and accountability within the Queens Democratic Party. NQD serves as an encouraging environment for those looking to become more engaged. NQD hopes to foster a new generation of elected Queens Democratic leaders.” I went to their web site and signed up for their newsletter and hope to do more reporting on them in the future. https://www.newqueensdems.org.

And speaking of corrupt, education superstar Diane Ravitch reported: Cuomo Campaign Smears Cynthia Nixon as an Anti-Semite, Which is Demonstrably False. (https://dianeravitch.net/2018/09/10/new-york-cuomo-campaign-smears-cynthia-nixon-as-an-anti-semite-which-is-demonstrably-false/).

Since you will be reading this after the primary, I won’t get deep into this story but the slime will keep oozing out of the Democratic Party machine and until we see massive reforms, the even slimier Republicans will continue their own oozing.

Norm tosses his own slime at phony ed reformers at ednotesonline.com.

What Spurred a 98% Strike Vote by LA Teachers? Plutocrats Pushing Charter Schools

...teachers and other educators were “outraged” last month to see school board member Ref Rodriguez plead guilty to charges of political money laundering. The charges had been brought last year, according to Inouye, yet Rodriguez continued in his school board post while he negotiated a plea deal with local prosecutors. Throughout his career, Rodriguez has consistently voted in favor of the charters—and has been strongly backed by the California Charter School Association and other pro-charter groups... In These Times

An article and a video on the LA upcoming teacher strike. Yes, Virginia, the ed deformer assault on public ed in LA is one of the reasons for the strike, the most definitive response yet to the assaults.

You might also want to check out the NY Sunday Times mag - which finally takes a critical position on ed deform:

Teachers Just Want to Teach but the Classroom Has Become a Battleground

We don't know of course how this will all turn out but so far UTLA is doing things right. I know there are people out there, some of them have been colleagues, who believe the union should stick to bread and butter issues. If you don't think fighting off the charter threat and the entire ed deform movement to undermine the teaching profession is not bread and butter you are living in Alice's Wonderland.

I met Arlene Inouye and other UTLA activists in July 2009 when we went out to LA to meet with progressive teacher groups, the earliest stage in the formation of a progressive national teacher network. They held positions in the union at the time but a true coalition didn't win election until just a few years ago.

In 2009 the Chicago CORE people were a new caucus and contemplating a run for union leadership the next year. This was also 3 years before MORE, GEM was a new group and ICE and TJC were still the official opposition caucuses in the UFT while New Action was still in its deal with Unity.

The Real News Network on the looming teachers strike in Los Angeles.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dO4ZoaqYRNM

What Spurred a 98% Strike Vote by LA Teachers? Plutocrats Pushing Charter Schools

BY Bruce Vail

Public school teachers in Los Angeles voted overwhelmingly in late August to authorize a strike over stalled contract negotiations, but the issues really energizing the union membership go far beyond a new contract. Instead, say union leaders and rank-and-file members, the teachers are growing increasingly alarmed at a small clique of billionaires that has won considerable sway over the L.A. school board and is aggressively promoting charter schools as a replacement for public education.

In a stunning display of solidarity, 98 percent of some 28,000 union members voted to authorize strike action. Arlene Inouye, co-chair of the contract bargaining committee of United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) union, tells In These Times that the vote reflects the dismay of the teachers and other education professionals at the actions of the school board.

For many teachers, the focus right now is on Austin Beutner, the new schools superintendent chosen by the board of Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) earlier this year. Beutner is a former investment banker with no experience running public schools who replaced a former teacher as superintendent. The appointment was “a scandal,” says Inouye. One of Beutner’s first moves in his new job was to lead the LAUSD into an impasse with the union over the new contract.

The Beutner appointment is merely the tip of the iceberg as far the union is concerned, Inouye continues, noting that teachers and other educators were “outraged” last month to see school board member Ref Rodriguez plead guilty to charges of political money laundering. The charges had been brought last year, according to Inouye, yet Rodriguez continued in his school board post while he negotiated a plea deal with local prosecutors. Throughout his career, Rodriguez has consistently voted in favor of the charters—and has been strongly backed by the California Charter School Association and other pro-charter groups.

The Beutner and Rodriguez episodes came hard on the heels of a May election that saw unprecedented charter school money pouring into races for two seats on the LAUSD board. In a strategic blow to the union, pro-charter-school forces gained strength. The May victories were a culmination of a long campaign by pro-charter forces to gain board control, and foreshadow “a fight for the very soul of public education in this city,” says Inouye.
Rodriguez resigned in July, reducing the voting power of the pro-charter forces on the board, although they still wield considerable power on many issues, the UTLA leader explains. Attention is already turning to a special election planned for next March to fill the Rodriguez seat. According to Inouye, some UTLA members have already stepped forward with their intentions to run, so a repeat of the expensive and highly contentious elections of earlier this year seems likely.

Much of the funding for these pro-charter elections come from what education reformer Diane Ravitch has called “The Billionaire Boys’ Club” – a clique of rich business owners dedicated to overthrowing public education. Particularly prominent in Los Angeles are Netflix executive Reed Hastings and billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad.
That was the background then when union members voted to authorize a strike. The vote was less a declaration of a desire to strike, Inouye says, than a signal flare to LAUSD that teachers are united in their determination to push back against the pro-charter forces. Most teachers hope for a fair and peaceful settlement, but neither are the teachers afraid if LAUSD wants to provoke a strike, she tells In These Times.

Reflecting that fearless spirit, the UTLA held a leadership conference in late July and invited teachers fresh from the picket lines in West Virginia, Arizona and Puerto Rico. The strikers were roundly celebrated at the conference, inspiring the L.A. teachers with their stories of struggle, Inouye says. “They were genuinely inspiring for us," she says, adding that “there is definitely a change in consciousness for teachers” since the West Virginia teachers electrified the teacher unions.

For rank-and-file ULTA member Michael Gearin, the strike vote was an affirmation that the union membership is committed to battling privatization of the public schools.

“The main reason teachers voted yes is they feel disrespected by the school board,” Gearin says.

Gearin describes Beutner as a “corporate hatchet man.” According to Gearin, the push for more charter schools is a statement that the current board wants to replace public education with privatized classrooms.

“As teachers, we are asked to do more with less, over and over again,” Gearin emphasizes. “And then that is turned against us to justify destroying the public school system.”

Bruce Vail

Bruce Vail is a Baltimore-based freelance writer with decades of experience covering labor and business stories for newspapers, magazines and new media. He was a reporter for Bloomberg BNA's Daily Labor Report, covering collective bargaining issues in a wide range of industries, and a maritime industry reporter and editor for the Journal of Commerce, serving both in the newspaper's New York City headquarters and in the Washington, D.C. bureau.

State Education Department under fire for embargoing test scores - NY Post

“If the scores are there, why the heck aren’t they releasing them?” asked Carol Burris, a former Long Island principal and testing critic.

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“Embargo and double talk surrounding the 2018 results are just one more example of how we are kept in the dark,” said Fred Smith, a former test specialist for NYC public schools.
 “One can only speculate that they want to delay the release until after school has begun and they have figured out how to portray the results in a positive light,” said education advocate Leonie Haimson.
----- State Education Department under fire for embargoing test scores

 Sue Edelman has quotes from three of our favorite people. Her article speculates that the embargo is due to the primary election as a way to possibly protect Cuomo from attacks by Nixon, an educational activist, in case scores are not very good. This point is also made: "The state could also be tinkering with the “cut scores” — where to set the lines between passing and failing — to shape the overall results." That is always a given -- that they will tinker to make things look the way they want.

Leonie issued this disclaimer about the election speculation:

"I’m quoted here about the fact that I’m suspicious about delay in NYSED releasing student test scores to parents/public but want to make clear I do NOT think it has anything to do with elections or geared to help Cuomo as might be implied by the position of my quote  in the article."

I can't figure out why they will be out so late, especially since late September makes them even more useless than usual since the tests were last April and May. I can believe anything about Cuomo, even this.

State Education Department under fire for embargoing test scores

By Susan Edelman

September 8, 2018


https://nypost.com/2018/09/08/state-education-department-under-fire-for-embargoing-test-scores/