Staten Island Advance: Gene Prisco, liberal lion of Staten Island, educator, and activist for the disenfranchised, dies at 70

Excellent obit on Gene. Though I knew this was coming for the past month - and probably longer than that, I'm still having trouble breathing. Just last January we all celebrated Gene and Loretta's 70th birthday - I have some really bad video and so sorry I didn't bring the good camera -- dumb, dumb, dumb. Glad the old crew got to see him a few times since things went downhill starting in August. What could go wrong, did go wrong. We will tell the entire medical story as we know it soon. Many lessons for all of us with the main one being: if you can stay out of a hospital, do so. And I swear, when I saw Gene last Tuesday he didn't look much worse than he looks in this great photo. Astounding that Gene's mom died about a year ago with him taking extraordinary care of her. I keep smacking myself in the head over the entire story.

One of the ironies is that if Gene were well there was going to be a push for him to be the Staten Island rep on the PEP. How much fun would that have been?

If I haven't made it clear to people, Gene and Loretta were part of our hard-core activist crew from the early 70s. He was a founding member of the Coalition of NYC School Workers and of ICE -- I think it was Gene at ICE's first meeting on Oct. 30, 2003 who got up and said we had to run in the 2004 UFT elections and we all cheered in affirmation. Always funny and sharp and with brilliant insights into general politics and the UFT. 

By Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance

November 27, 2013 at 6:28 PM, updated November 27, 2013 at 6:37 PM

http://www.silive.com/obituaries/index.ssf/2013/11/gene_prisco_liberal_lion_of_st.html

 
Members of the political, education and activist communities are mourning the loss of Randall Manor resident Gene Prisco, shown here in 2012. 
 

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Eugene (Gene) Vincent Prisco, 70, of Randall Manor, a liberal lion of Staten Island politics and a longtime educator who also aided immigrants and refugees through his work with the African Refuge organization, died of complications from surgery on Monday in the Villanova, Pa., home of his daughter and son-in-law.

Mr. Prisco, a stalwart Democrat who made runs for U.S. Congress and state Senate and also helped generations of Island students as a school guidance and substance abuse counselor, was born in Queens and raised in the Bronx.
He moved to Grymes Hill in 1967, to Sunnyside in 1971, and to Randall Manor in 1974.

Vexed that the Democrats had long endorsed GOP state Sen. John Marchi, Prisco in 1994 launched a primary against Marchi for the Democratic nomination. Marchi prevailed, but Prisco successfully aired the issue of cross-endorsements.

In 1998, Prisco ran against GOP Rep. Vito Fossella. Though Fossella won the election, Prisco was praised for raising the issues of gun control and campaign finance reform during the race.

A proud liberal known also for his larger-than-life personality and sense of humor, Mr. Prisco was a longtime member of the Staten Island Democratic Association and belonged to the party's county committee.

"Gene was one of the most passionate and articulate voices on behalf of the Democratic Party that I have ever known," said borough Democratic chairman John Gulino. "He was a man of principle, a man of vision and a man with a deep and abiding love for his family, Staten Island and the Democratic Party. With Gene's passing, we have lost a champion for the values of the Democratic Party and it is a loss we all feel deeply."

Members of the North Shore Democratic Club observed a moment of silence in Mr. Prisco's honor before their meeting on Tuesday.

Sadness at Mr. Prisco's passing crossed party lines.
"Our politics never jibed, but we always got along," said GOP Borough President-elect James Oddo. "We always appreciated each other's candor. He was very passionate about education and teaching. I'm sorry to hear of his loss."

Mr. Prisco spent 33 years in the city public school system, most of it at Morris Intermediate School, Brighton Heights, where he was a social studies teacher and guidance and substance abuse counselor. Mr. Prisco also ran a bereavement group for students at Morris.

He also taught 6th grade at PS 18, where he started a free breakfast program, and was a substance abuse and guidance counselor at numerous Island elementary schools.

Mr. Prisco retired in 1999, but served as a teaching mentor at the College of Staten Island and Pace University.

Mr. Prisco belonged to the Community School Board for five years, and was a United Federation of Teachers delegate.

He also belonged to the Staten Island Alliance for Responsible Education , the Independent Community of Educators, the Coalition of New York City School Workers, the Staten Island Teacher's Action Committee, and Communities United for Respect and Trust.

Mr. Prisco was a member of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence.

Mr. Prisco earned a bachelor's degree in history from Iona College. He received a master's degree in Asian Studies from St. John's University, Queens, and an All But Dissertation degree in Asian and Russian Studies from New York University.

Mr. Prisco was chairman of the board of directors of the African Refuge organization, which runs an after-school center in Clifton and numerous other programs.

Mr. Prisco's family said it was that work he was most proud of. He was honored by the group in May as part of the African Refuge's 10th anniversary celebration.

The Rev. Judy Brown, executive director of African Refuge, said Mr. Prisco was "an inspiration in my life."
"He was a source of hope for many communities here on Staten Island," she said. "Gene had a unique personality full of warmth and humor, was genuinely concerned about disenfranchised people, and worked for justice and equality for all humankind. African Refuge and many other organizations on Staten Island will greatly miss him."

Mr. Prisco was vice president Neighborhood Housing Services and worked tirelessly on behalf of group clients right up until the time of his death.

Mr. Prisco had a rich and fulfilling family life.

Mr. Prisco and his wife of 47 years, the former Loretta Gallo, also a public school teacher, were an inseparable pair.

"Ours was an almost 50-year love affair," she said. "We did everything as a team, from working together to advocacy to haircut appointments."

Mr. Prisco was a pioneer when in 1975 he took child-care leave in order to stay home and care for his daughter, Gabrielle Horowitz-Prisco.

Daughter Francesca Molinari remembered Mr. Prisco as a hands-on father at a time when many dads were typically less demonstrative.

He doted on his granddaughter, Isabelle Molinari, and the two frequently visited the Staten Island Zoo, West Brighton, to see the porcupines. They also enjoyed visiting The Corner Book Store in Manhattan.

Mr. Prisco loved to read, and would often quip that his two favorite things were naps and novels.

An exceptional cook, Mr. Prisco was known for his Italian dishes.

He had a deep love and encyclopedia knowledge of jazz music, and was a film buff, enjoying foreign films in particular. He regularly attended the Montreal Film Festival.

World travelers, the Priscos took many trips aboard old-school ocean liners with the Cunard Cruise Line.
Toward the end of his life, with friends and family gathered at his bedside, Mr. Prisco said, "What I have come to see is that at the core, it is about love; it is the most important thing. It is the only thing. Without love, there is nothing."

Mr. Prisco was also close to his children's spouses, Steven Molinari and Re Horowitz-Prisco.

In addition to his wife, Loretta; his daughters, Gabrielle and Francesca, and his granddaughter, Mr. Prisco is survived by a brother, Peter Prisco.

Funeral arrangements, which are pending, are being handled by the Harmon Home for Funerals in West Brighton.

Frank Bruni Coddles Ed Deformers

I'm not sure where to draw that line. Its my kids. Its all personal... Patrick Sullivan in response to "Let's minimize getting personal just because someone has a an opposing viewpoint" on the NYCEd listserve.

So much reaction to another no-nothing NY Times columnist: Are kids too coddled: Op-Ed NY Times

Raging Horse took 2 shots at Frank Bruni:

Are New York Times Opinion Writers Too Coddled?

On “Left Wing Paranoia” and the Conspiracy to Privatize Public Education

In case those people still reading Ed Notes haven't noticed, I try not to leap in on major topics of the day until almost a week later. One reason is because my mostly younger blogging colleagues are so much quicker, analytical, and more eloquent than me. The other is that it gives me time to gather links to their great stuff and also include comments from the listserves. Assailed Teacher is up next:

Does this mean that because I cook and eat food that I can be a food critic as well? Does this mean that I can be a critic of food critics?  How would Bruni respond if I supported a program to make food criticism more rigorous because these damned food critics get coddled all of the time when they go to restaurants? After all, all of the cooks and wait staff go out of their way to accommodate the high and mighty food critics when they enter a restaurant. Back in my day, the wait staff barely paid attention to me and the cooks left hairs in my soup. How will food ever get better in America if these critics keep getting a skewed version of what food is all about? Our cuisine is falling behind other nations. We must catch up to France! ---  Assailed Teacher: Everyone is an Expert at Everything

 There are so many good takedowns of Frank Bruni’s New York Times piece supporting the Common Core that I did not bother to read it for myself until yesterday. I was glad I did. It gave me a bit of masochistic pleasure, like when you pick at a scab or push on an aching tooth. Bruni the food critic demonstrates the same thick assumptions and caricatured impressions of public schooling shared by many Common Core advocates. One only need to read the myriad comments under the article heaping praise upon him for confirming their own uninformed biases about youth, education and parents to get a glimpse of the armchair education expert parade in action.

Reality-Based Educator did his hit:

Frank Bruni LOVED "Won't Back Down"

NY Times restaurant critic/columnist Frank Bruni has some propaganda piece out about the Common Core State (sic) Standards that equates opponents of the standards as purveyors of the self-esteem movement in which every child is a winner and everyone gets a trophy no matter how they do in life's competition. Alas, before we take anything Bruni writes seriously, let us remember how much he enjoyed the propaganda film "Won't Back Down" last year (see here and here for my take on that.)

I love the accumulation of voices. Here are some from the various listserves.

I just tweeted that NYT columnists are coddled; opining on education issues w/out speaking to educators or parents. Leonie H

Diane Ravitch responded to a comment I made challenging a right wing teacher who always trashed students as the problem and loved Bruni's column by raising the point that we are abusing 8 year olds.

Norm,
No one at the NY Times sees any problem with high-stakes standardized tests. They all got high scores.
Diane

They did? Can't tell by the quality of their reporting or editorials. Let's have Danielson for reporters. I rate them ineffective. --- norm

Perhaps Duncan and the ed-deformers are the ones that are "too coddled"? They always get someone to defend them and slam the people raising concerns. Lisa N.

Thanks for sharing, Lisa. Frank Bruni (formerly the food critic) doesn't display much intellectual rigor in this piece. It could have been written to defend the old state standards or any crusade to raise the bar or get back to basics. Except he does quote David Coleman who "told me that he’s all for self-esteem, but that rigorous standards 'redefine self-esteem as something achieved through hard work.' "
Many people commenting seem to feel a need to say they aren't for coddling either but that the CCSS are grossly inappropriate, poorly written, etc, etc. This roll-out mess should also be an opportunity to refute the pernicious assumptions that self-esteem must be earned at school, and learning is just drudgery that will eventually lead children "somewhere big and real."

John

Fred Smith: Mayor Bloomberg's Education Turkey

			Panel for Education Policy			Testing, Testing, Testing
	Teacher Ratings								Consultant Stuffing
	School Closings								Charter Schools
									Co-locations
	Chancellor Klein
									Flouting Laws, Rules
									and Regs.
	Overcooked Grad Stats
									Phony Test
		Bus Drivers Strike							Scores
	Walcott Giblets								Promotion Policy
	No Teacher Contract								Office of Public
									Misinformation
	Rubber Rooms						ATRs
			Disrespect for Parents and Communities					Re-Organizations
								Prepared by Fred Smith -11/27

Democratic Committee of Richmond County Annouces Passing of Gene Prisco

Having been a fellow activist and friend for over 40 years, at this point I am not capable of commenting on Gene's passing. We saw him last Tuesday when we picked up Loretta to drive her back to Staten Island from her daughter's place in Villanover where Gene was in hospice care for the past month. There is the medical story, the political story, the friendship story to tell. Due to Loretta's being ill at this time, the wake and funeral are on hold. Any change and announcements will be sent out. Here is the announcement sent out this afternoon from the Priscos' Democratic Club -- yes Virginia, there are progressive Democrats in Staten Island.

I regret to inform you of the passing of Eugene Prisco, Democratic Congressional candidate in 1998 and a longtime party activist and community leader. Gene was one of the most passionate and articulate voices on behalf of the Democratic Party that I have ever known. He was a man of principle, a man of vision and a man with a deep and abiding love for his family, Staten Island and the Democratic Party. With Gene's passing, we have lost a champion for the values of the Democratic Party and it is a loss we all feel deeply. For those who have had the privilege of knowing Gene, I hope you'll carry his memory with you and I ask that you pray for his family and friends during this difficult time.

Services are still in the process of being arranged. When the details are finalized we will announce them.

Yours Truly,

John P. Gulino

Chairman.

 

Report on John King/Merryl Tisch Dog and Pony Show in Binghamton

Bearing signs reading “We are human, not machines,” “Oust the King” and “End Fed Ed,” Binghamton area residents let state Education Commissioner John King see — and hear — their discontent with Common Core state standards. “Tell the assembly we’re coming for them. We’re coming for them, we’re angry and we vote,” said Christina Bangel, a seventh-grade social studies teacher at Owego-Apalachin Middle School and mother of two third-grade students at Owego Elementary School....King gets earful on Common Core

Below are two reports. One personal and the other press.
When I saw Doug Green's headline (Dr. King's Binghamton Tour) I misread it as Birmingham and assumed this was a retrospective of Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement. But hey, John King, you are no Martin Luther King. In fact you are the very opposite -- MLK would be standing with the real reformers instead of the ed deformers.

There's a great slide show with pics like this:

http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20131125/NEWS02/311250077/King-gets-earful-Common-Core?nclick_check=1

(See the entire article below the break.)

Here is an edited version of Doug's report.

Last night (11/25) was Dr. King's Binghamton tour. He was accompanied by Ms. Tisch, and regent Talon. They visited three school districts and viewed what sounded like "dog and pony" shows. At 2:00 pm they did a closed Q & A at the local PBS studio. There was a lottery that determined who got in and questions had to be submitted before hand. The event lasted exactly one hour and was pretty tame. There wasn't any hint of passion from the crowd and the answers all sounded pretty canned.

At 6:00 there was a public event at a Binghamton Middle School. The first 45 people who asked to speak were sorted into three groups of 15. After a brief introduction, the first 15 spoke one after another while the folks on stage, which
included local state legislators sat and listened. 

It started out with a bang as the first speaker let them know how bad the common core and the testing is for kids and teachers. The beat went on as the speakers varied in tone from highly critical to hostile. As each one spoke, most of the packed crowd stood as a show of solidarity. Each speaker received applause in spit of the moderator asking them several times not to applaud. 

After the first 15 speakers Dr. King made a few statements in response to some of the comments. Then the next 15 spoke with the same passion about how screwed up they thought the system was. Many talked about their kids crying and hating school. Many non ELA/Math subjects were represented by teachers. 

As King spoke after this bunch, the crowd got rowdy and Ms. Tisch spoke up to chide them for their behavior. That seemed to work. The final 15 was more of the same with the final speaker drawing a standing ovation as he called out the legislators to do something. He was a former elementary principal and friend. I was going to speak, but I gave him my spot as what was needed was his passion as opposed to my nerdy analysis.
Regent Tallon commented at the end with the basic pitch that we can't go backwards. King blamed the feds for the testing and told the audience that pre tests that seem to be part of the problem are a district decision. He also said he has seen great common core lessons by teachers who adapted them.

King gets earful on Common Core

The Opt-Outers: Focus on Change the Stakes in NY Mag

Despite some inaccuracies, overall a positive article featuring Change the Stakes parents and Jane Hirschman from Time Out From Testing. Here are some comments from the CTS listserve, some focused on one serious factual error in the piece.

Article shows opposition NOT driven solely by white suburban moms... Leonie Haimson

It was a great article. But the part about losing federal funds is not true. I emailed and let him know... CB

Terrific article. I hope Mr. Kolker will follow up with a correction to this point. If I were only just now considering opting out, reading this would make me less sure of my decision. It's also not great for principals who are already resistant to parents who want to opt out. Where did he get this information?
http://www.nysape.org/if-my-child-refuses-state-tests-will-my-school-lose-funding.html
This link is particularly helpful to share when people refer to this as if it were a threat.... Janine

Families and teachers protesting high-stakes testing in front of the offices of the Department of Education in April.

(Photo: Greg Dunkel)

I like the picture, especially since I took it. Was an exciting demo and I am gad I could make it real. I wouldn't have taken the picture or followed the struggle against testing without being in the AFT Peace and Justice caucus. Here is a URL for the other pictures I took that day:
www.flickr.com/photos/drdunk_greg/sets/72157633349827329/
---Greg

http://nymag.com/news/features/anti-testing-2013-12/index4.html#print

Also check out this video from Parent Voices, another parent group. "We are all hoping that our new Mayor will take some huge steps away from the last 12 years of Bloomberg policies. This video was created to express how parents and children feel about their educational experience. Please watch and share, post and spread the word! Please look at the 3 minute film on the front page of www.parentvoicesny.org It is a great film about high-stakes testing, Mayor-elect De Blasio, and the possibility of change.

The Opt-Outers

What happens if enough New York parents say they don’t want their kids to take tests?

• By Robert Kolker
• Published Nov 24, 2013 

http://nymag.com/news/features/anti-testing-2013-12/index4.html#print

Susan Ohanian Reports, November 26, 2013

Ten  Top Reasons the U. S. Congress Would Be a  Good Place to Field Test the Common Core Tests
Susan Ohanian blog 2013-11-23 http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=626

I usually post Susan's stuff on Saturday morning but call this a Thanksgiving special. Susan's point about Bill Clinton joining hands with Lou Gerstner should be amended with the 3rd party - Al Shanker, who led the UFT/AFT into the entire neo-liberal ed deform morass from the early 80s right through today. The Richard Kahlenberg Shanker bio has lots of stuff about the alliance between him and the Clinton's and the business community -- that sucked the AFT/UFT into this entire nonsense. Those chapters of the book about the 80s and early 90s are chilling.

Someone told me a story that when the Business Roundtable "A Nation at Risk" report came out in 1982, people in the UFT, including Sandy Feldman, reacted against it -- and were shocked when Shanker supported it -- but of course, Unity followed along like sheep. If the UFT were a vibrant democratic organization we could have put a stop to the madness well before the ball got rolling.

From here on it's all Susan -- even if you don't get to all the links -- we at least have them recorded for research purposes.

As noted for years, the Common Core exists to deliver the national test that business interests have pushed for ever Arkansas governor Bill Clinton joined hands with Lou Gerstner to spearhead the Business Roundtable version of ed deform. President Clinton tried to get a national test. Now Obama has two tests but opposition is skyrocketing. If the Common Core tests collapse,  the curriculum will crumble.
Let's listen to 'Joe Hill' again. And remember that we are all in this together--one class against Ed Deform, working for equity in the schools.
Susan
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More states delay Common Core testing as concerns grow
Valerie Strauss
Washington Post Answer Sheet
2013-11-24 http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=631
A national test was the goal of the Common Core and may now bring it down.
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Note to New York Times Columnists: Shut Up!
Susan Ohanian
New York Times
2013-11-24 http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=629
Once again a New York Times columnist exhibits total ignorance of the topic, and no it isn't Thomas Friedman this time.
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Where Is the Students' Lobbyist?
Senator Jack M. Martins
letter
2013-11-21 http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=628
New York Senator Jack Martins has a few words to say about the Common Core, with a link to a forum he called on the topic.
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Stop This Train: The Common Core and the Uncommon Student
Paul V. Hogan, with Ohanian notes
blog
2013-11-19 http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=627
Read this and you'll know that we'd better start rolling on the Revolution today.
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Ten  Top Reasons the U. S. Congress Would Be a  Good Place to Field Test the Common Core Tests
Susan Ohanian
blog
2013-11-23 http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=626
Yes, there are 10 reasons.
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PARRC Task Prototype: Turning Literature Into Pedagogical Chop Suey and Cyanide
Susan Ohanian
blog
2013-11-22 http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=625
Sample PARCC questions. How long will educators, their unions, and their professional organizations keep their silence about this?
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Complicated, Imported Solutions Do Not Work
Jason Kass
New York Times
2013-11-19 http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=624
You'll see why my letter about this article did not get published.
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N.Y. school principals write letter of concern about Common Core tests
Valerie Strauss and NY principals
Washington Post Answer Sheet
2013-11-21 http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=623
I applaud this letter even as I worry that it seems to imply that what is needed is a better test.
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Education reform backed by the wealthy
James M. Odato, with Ohanian notes
Albany Times Union
2013-11-24 http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1737
New York Regents show us that you'd better look a gift horse in the mouth.
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LAUSD iPad program gets mixed review from committee
 Pasadena Star-News
2013-11-21 http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1736
Lots of controversy, not much sense.
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Order the CD of the resistance:
"No Child Left Behind? Bring Back the Joy."
To order online (and hear samples from the songs) http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/dhbdrake4
Other orders: Send $15 to
Susan Ohanian
P. O. Box 26
Charlotte, VT 05445

Opt-Out Grows: Long Island High Stakes Testing Forum Monday Nov. 25, 7:30

A reminder to those who can make this.

Morna McDermott: Flow Chart Exposes Common Core's Myriad Corporate Connections

The friends of my enemies are not my friends. I can't find the AFT/UFT and NEA connections on this chart. Where would you put them on this chart? Where there is the biggest chance to get a brown nose.

Here is Morna McDermott on the video version:

Walking the Labyrinth of the Corporate-Owned-Common Core

And the Truthdig article:

U.S. education reform isn't so much a "Race to the Top," because no matter which schools climb to the top of the ladder first, corporations always win.

Morna McDermott mapped the Common Core State Standard Initiative's corporate connections in a new flow chart, which reveals how corporations and organizations that are members of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) have funded and perpetuated Common Core standards throughout the states.

More:  http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/18442-flow-chart-exposes-common-cores-myriad-corporate-connections#.Uo7no3Hdtis.email

Arjun Janah Responds to my analyis of Paul Krugman column and principal/teacher power relationship

The labor unions made advances when socialist (including communist) movements were highly active around the globe. Could it be that concessions were made to labor from fear that socialists might take over the unions or that workers would see advances made in other countries and demand a greater share of the pie -- including political power? Yes, the red-baiting worked, with the more radical unions and their leaders neutralized in many ways -- and we are seeing the long term consequences of that.... Arjun Janah

There some reactions to my parsing of the Krugman's column on Friday -Paul Krugman on the imbalanced boss-worker power relationship applied to NYC principals and teachers. The most in-depth was from long-time NYC high school teacher Arjun Janah who is often so thoughtful.

Here he points out that even the virulently anti-communist Albert Shanker benefitted from the push from the left and when he and other union leaders helped stamp out the left in the unions they suffered - and are suffering today - the long term consequences that threaten the very existence of unions.

Some areas where I disagree:
I believe he may be wrong on the column in the NY Times point since I think Randi does run something.

Also his point about only attacking the UFT leadership - where his  affiliation with the New Action point of view emerges. That point of view lets the UFT leadership off the hook for their level of complicity and enabling of the ed deform movement -- unless they are called out constantly they will get away with obfuscating/muddling the issues and confusing the membership. The only way to fight back against ed deformers is to declare them as enemies and treat them as so.

And on the "quitting" factor. Yes the economy is bad and yes there may be 10 people lined up to take every job for the health benefits and other perks alone -- but then why do so many people quit in the first place? And of course the whole idea is to encourage this turnover so as to create a revolving non-career teaching force which will be so much cheaper.

Arjun's blogs are

The Humble Subject Teacher

http://subject-teacher.blogspot.com

I would like to elaborate on a small point that may be significant. The labor unions made advances when socialist (including communist) movements were highly active around the globe. Could it be that concessions were made to labor from fear that socialists might take over the unions or that workers would see advances made in other countries and demand a greater share of the pie -- including political power?

Yes, the red-baiting worked, with the more radical unions and their leaders neutralized in many ways -- and we are seeing the long term consequences of that.

Albert Shanker voiced strong anticommunist views, and even defended an indefensible, criminal, murderous war abroad (in Vietnam and contiguous countries), but he and the union benefited from the socialist groundswell that struck fear into the hearts of the wealthy and their corporate and government hirelings. Also, the terms of the public conversation were different, with basic socialist premises (without the explicit label) being accepted, despite the anti-red rhetoric, by the public as being for the public good. So we did not see the questioning, belittlement, scapegoating and imminent or ongoing privatization of public institutions -- not just public schools, but public libraries, the federal post office, the public jails, state and city universities, even the military corps -- and of public workers that we are now seeing. Instead, we saw an expansion of these things, along with things like Social Security, Medicaid, SSI, Food Stamps, Medicare... All of these are now under attack. While the advances on social issues -- on civil rights for African Americans, women -- and now gays, may be around a while longer, the advances on economic issues made by workers are being rolled back. Rightly or wrongly, a large segment of the public has been persuaded that many of these things are benefiting others than themselves, at their expense. Much of the public has also been persuaded that public workers are lazy, incompetent and feeding at the public trough supplied by taxpayers.

The mistake made by the collaborative unions (and I would include even Shanker's union among these) is that they made deals with the owners (be these private holders or the government) that benefited the union members (in particular the senior ones) but not the general public -- except by example or precedent. This is a mistake that socialist unions would not have made. By doing this, divisions were created between the general public and union workers -- and between unions, which led to the resentments and disunity that you see today, with crabs in the barrel trying to pull each other down, rather than lift everybody up and out. In the unions' heydays, the unions had strong public support -- no doubt in part because union membership was greater, with each household in an urban or industrial area likely to have members or relatives who were union members. The loss of much of our manufacturing sector, automation and the increased outsourcing of even high-tech services, has contributed to this erosion. But so has weak union leadership -- and a divided, apathetic, brainwashed and increasingly overworked membership, let us not forget. Now, we rely on backdoor deals with politicians that unions support. But this has long become less and less tenable.

If you look around the world, labor is (with a few notable exceptions) in disarray, disunited and fragmented, with workers battling one another across all kinds of divisions. Workers in one school know nothing about what's happening in another (with the weak, "collaborative" union leadership no doubt being a factor in that). But most workers in the schools in NY City also know next to nothing about what auto and other workers in Detroit are going through, save what they read in Murdoch's New York Post. Our Klein is now in a powerful position in NewsCorp, and this anti-union rag is still being distributed for free in the schools and widely read and discussed, with some social studies teachers even basing lessons on articles from this paper!

Of course, even the so-called "liberal" (only on "social", not on economic matters close to home) New York Times is not much better when it comes to union issues. One should look at its ownership and its editorial staff. They are part of the wealthy elite in this country that has little knowledge or interest in workers' issues, except for an instinctive aversion to these. Each class protects its own interests-- except for the working class, which can be intimidated or manipulated, with a bit of bribery in the way of crumbs going a long way in ensuring dog-like status for workers.

Among print dailies in the city, the Daily News, nominally Democratic, also regularly picks on teachers and other public workers. Newsday was better, but was run out of town. About the only widely available paper in which you can find reportage favorable to union workers, with in-depth discussion of our issues, is the weekly Chief Leader, which costs only $1 a week. It is worth reading. But when I mentioned this to a former union chapter leader in our school (who retired as an A.P., after switching to administration, something I have seen happen too often in our schools), he berated the Chief as a "socialiist paper" and so not "his cup of tea".

Albert Shanker used to run a weekly column in the NY Times (I think as a paid advertisement). Ask our leadership to try and do that now. Firstly, they would decline. Secondly, even if, by some device, you got them to agree, the NY Times would say "No." Times have changed.

Of course, what our leaders would write might be drivel in favor of (the unworkable, given our realities) Common Core standards, teacher evaluation and "collaboration" between labor and management. They're not that different from the ones (including governments, such as the French) who collaborated with the Nazi occupiers in WW2 in this regard.

But are our colleagues that different from the leadership in their views, shaped by the media barrage that has been ongoing for decades? I have mentioned only the mainstream print media in our "liberal" city. The less said about the other mainstream media, the better.

Meanwhile, capital is increasingly globalized, and working in tandem all around the planet to put the squeeze on workers.

So, while making no excuses for our union leadership, one has also to see this struggle in its broader context. Attacking only the leadership will not make the Kleins, Rhees, Duncans and their political and financial mentors (such as Bloomberg and Obama and those who are far worse) go away.

Thanks, though, for the information, Norm.

Fraternally -- Arjun (Janah)

Note Added:

One more thing should be mentioned. In addition to the "fear factor" arising from a poor economy that deters workers from quitting a job and allows employers to force them to work yet more as well as to follow even more unreasonable work guidelines that they might otherwise question, the increased workload also often leaves certain workers little or no time to attend rallies, be otherwise politically active or even to inform themselves of the issues. One can see this with many overloaded teachers, whose work often extends well beyond work hours, which have also expanded. In New York City, the breaking up of the big schools into smaller ones further isolates UFT members.

Other requirements on beginning teachers (such as getting a Masters' degree within two years, and having to jump through all sorts of other hoops) also contribute to this. In a profession in which many of the workers are women, family responsibilities also weigh heavily on many -- especially on single parents of either gender. The delay (increasingly indefinite) in getting tenure, adds, as you mentioned, to the mental, emotional and physical pressure, leaving little mental workspace free for other things.

You do suggest that all of this might compel teachers and others to quit or change jobs -- in addition to those being forced out, especially the ones who are senior and so cost more, even as Bloomberg and others squeeze the schools financially. My naive guess would be that the poor economy trumps this exiting, with ten younger people, desperate for work (and perhaps the benefits, such as healthcare for family, that public employees still retain) lined up to take the job of whoever quits or is fired. Even if there is a net contraction in the public school workforce, with some past positions remaining unfilled, the remaining (or new) workers have to scramble to get the same (or more) work done, and the "fear factor" drives them in this. Of course, the quality and integrity of the work inevitably suffers, with even more attention to "educosmetics" and even less to what is truly needed for the students.