Breaking News: For Immediate Release
Charges Against David Pakter Dismissed
After A 6 Year "David Versus Goliath" Contest,
A New York State Impartial Trial Arbitrator
Has Dismissed the Absurd NY State Education Dept. Charges Made Against A Former NYC "Teacher of the Year"
A Major Victory for Every Teacher in America
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David Pakter, A NYC Whistle-blower, Decorated by Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani for "Exceptional Achievement" in Education, has fought for years to be vindicated of the Retaliatory, knowingly bogus Charges brought against him after he wrote a letter to Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, on Oct. 2, 2003, alerting him to serious Federal Civil Rights Violations in New York City Schools.
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In a crushing blow to New York City's Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, who had sought for years to have Mr. Pakter fired, the Hearing Officer dismissed such preposterous charges against the Educator of Medical Illustration as the charge he had brought a plant to school, allegedly without getting official permission and awarding fashion watches to high achieving students, something Pakter had been doing for three decades.
He was also charged with giving a gift to a school aide and showing the film, "El Mariachi" by Robert Rodriguez, an Internationally known Director, to one of his High School classes. The film has been the recipient of a multitude of Cinematic Awards around the world and launched the career of Robert Rodriguez.
The charge that Mr. Pakter stopped reporting to a small, windowless, so-called "Rubber Room" after years of being ordered reassigned to such punitive assignments, where Teachers just sit all day, was not considered in today's verdict.
Mr. Pakter was a Lead Plaintiff in a Federal Lawsuit to shut down these teacher "Gulags" which New York City has announced will cease to exist after this school year ends.
These so-called "reassignment centers" were widely seen as a means to punish Teachers as well as instill fear in those who spoke out and reported wrongdoing as well as corruption and unethical behavior within the 23 Billion dollar NYC schools system.
The charge that Mr. Pakter had allegedly tried to influence a Dept of Education employee to furnish him with a printout of his personal work history on an expedited basis was also not considered in today's decision.
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For the past several months the NYC Dept of Education had been attempting to pressure Mr. Pakter to resign by offering to drop all the absurd and contrived charges made against the Award winning Educator- all of which offers were rejected by Mr. Pakter who insisted on a verdict regarding the pending charges alleged against him.
Mr. Pakter has brought Federal Lawsuits against the New York City Dept of Education seeking tens of millions of dollars in Damages.
At one point the City attempted to remove Mr. Pakter from his position for a year claiming he was not Medically "fit for duty", by having Dept of Education doctors intentionally suppress and alter their own Test Results reflecting Mr. Pakter's stellar results of fitness.
That decision was challenged by Mr. Pakter and he eventually was awarded a year of back pay plus interest. Most of the City doctors who were responsible for knowingly Railroading Mr. Pakter have all since left the the NYC Dept of Education Medical Office including the Medical Director who personally signed the letter that falsely claimed Pakter was not "fit for Duty". One year later that same Medical Director recanted that knowingly false and erroneous conclusion in a signed statement.
On March 21, 2010 The NEW YORK POST printed a story that included the statement that Mr. Pakter had been removed from the NYC schools system for quote "sexual misconduct"- a knowingly false statement since the paper had previously written about Pakter in another article about NYC Teachers in March of 2007.
The newspaper attempted to retract the false and Libelous statement one week later on March 28, 2010 by publishing a "Correction" Notice in a later Edition that included the words that the newspaper had, quote:
"incorrectly stated the allegations against David Pakter. The Dept of Education only alleges that he was insubordinate. Pakter claims he brought in a plant and offered watches as honor-roll incentives".
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Mr. Pakter has already filed a $ 10,000,000 (Ten Million) NOTICE OF CLAIM against the NEW YORK POST newspaper as well as the NYC Dept of Education for the publication of false, libelous, defamatory, slanderous statements".
Both the NEW YORK POST newspaper as well as the NYC Dept of Education have been served with papers to appear in NY State Supreme Court on June 16, at 80 Centre Street, Manhattan, Room 328, at 9:30 A.M. before State Supreme Court Judge, the Hon. Cynthia Kern.
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The David Pakter Charges
Please note my response to each charge appears in CAPITAL LETTERS.
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OFFICIAL NYC DEPT OF EDUCATION CHARGES AGAINST DAVID PAKTER
SPECIFICATIONS
( Important Note: Virtually all of the following charges, (except the charges relating to attendance at the small windowless Rubber Room located in Harlem), were shown and proven at Trial to be either outright lies or distortions of fact to such an extreme degree as to make the charges little more than knowing falsehoods.)
NOTE ALL MY RESPONSES & COMMENTS ARE IN UPPER CASE/CAPS
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Below is a Verbatim Copy of ALL NYC DOE Charges against David Pakter
DAVID PAKTER (hereinafter referred to as "Respondent") is a tenured teacher, under File # 407530, Social Security # XXX-XX-XXXX, formerly assigned to The High School of Fashion Industries in Manhattan. During the 2006-2007 school year, Respondent engaged in misconduct and was neglectful of his duties as follows:
In Particular:
SPECIFICATION 1: In or about October and/or November of 2006, Respondent promoted his and /or his family's watch business during school hours. DISMISSED
I INFORMED STUDENTS (AS I HAVE FOR 3 DECADES) THAT ANYONE WITH A 90% AVERAGE WOULD EARN A WATCH DESIGNED BY PAKTER
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SPECIFICATION 2: In or about October and/or November of 2006, Respondent gave watches as gifts to students during school hours. DISMISSED
YES, YES AND YES- LIKE JOEL KLEIN GIVING OUT CELL PHONES
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SPECIFICATION 3: In or about October and/or November of 2006, Respondent gave a watch to School Aide during school hours. DISMISSED
ABSOLUTELY YES- I GAVE A WATCH TO A SCHOOL AIDE DURING MY LUNCH BREAK
ISN'T THAT MY CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT OR DO I NEED THE PERMISSION OF THE NYC DOE EVEN TO GIVE SOMEONE A GIFT.
The official New York City Ethics Charter states I violated no Rule or Regulation but I was charged despite that fact.
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SPECIFICATION 4: In or about October and/or November of 2006, during class time, Respondent:
(a) Talked about his and/or his family's watch business.
DISMISSED
(b) Provided the watch website address.
DISMISSED
(c) Showed students a book and/or a brochure and/or a catalog of watches.
DISMISSED
(d) Said words to the effect that he would give a watch to any student who achieved a gradepoint average of 90% or better.
DISMISSED
(e) Showed two watches to students.
DISMISSED
(f) Talked about his personal life.
DISMISSED
(g) Said words to the effect that he was fired from The High School of Art and Design for being a whistleblower.
DISMISSED
I STRONGLY ENCOURAGED STUDENTS TO STRIVE TO GET ON HONOR ROLL AND PROMISED THEM FASHION ACCESSORIES AS AN INCENTIVE AS I HAVE DONE FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS TO THE DELIGHT AND DEEP APPRECIATION OF COUNTLESS NYC DOE SCHOOL PRINCIPALS.
ALL ABOVE FALL WITHIN MY FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS RE FREE SPEECH.
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(h) Showed the class an "R" rated movie.
DISMISSED
FILM WAS R-RATED EXACTLY FOR THE SAME REASONS AS "SCHINDLER'S LIST", "SAVING PRIVATE RYAN", "THE PIANIST", ETC ETC ARE, R-RATED AS WELL AS THE DOZENS OF AWARD WINNING FILMS I HAVE SHOWN TO CLASSES FOR 37 YEARS WITH THE FULL KNOWLEDGE OF PEERS AND COUNTLESS NYC DOE PRINCIPALS I SERVED WITH DISTINCTION WHO RESPECTED MY GOOD JUDGEMENT TO SCREEN FILMS THAT CONTAINED STRONG LIFE LESSONS.
IMPORTANT NOTE: THE ABOVE ABSURD CHARGE ALSO BRINGS UP POSSIBLE CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLATIONS PERTAINING TO CENSORSHIP. ALSO TARGETTING TEACHERS BY ACCUSING THEM OF SHOWING A FILM IS AN OLD AND TIRED TACTIC OF THE NYC DOE.
THUS SUBCHARGE (h) VIOLATES AND GIVES RISE TO AT LEAST TWO CLEARLY SERIOUS CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES.
IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS CHARGE WAS WITHDRAWN BY THE CITY
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SPECIFICATION 5: In or about November of 2006, Respondent had two trees delivered to the school despite being previously told by Assistant Principal Giovanni Raschilla to wait until he discussed the matter with Principal Hilda Nieto. DISMISSED
THE ABOVE TOTALLY AND INTENTIONALLY DISTORTS FACTS
- I HAND CARRIED TWO SMALL ARTIFICIAL PLANTS IN WICKER BASKETS TO SCHOOL ON MY LUNCH HOUR WHICH I PLACED OUTSIDE DOORS TO THE SCHOOL AUDITORIUM WHERE EVERYONE AGREED THEY LOOKED TOTALLY GREAT AND VASTLY IMPROVED THE AMBIANCE OF THE SCHOOL LOBBY.
VERY INTERESTINGLY NO WHERE IN RICHARD CONDON'S SPECIALLY PREPARED SCI REPORT PREPARED FOR CHANCELLOR JOEL KLEIN IS IT MENTIONED THAT ON THE SAME DAY I PLACED THE TWO PLANTS OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL AUDITORIUM I ALSO HAND DELIVERED A LARGE BEAUTIFUL SILK PLANT, ALSO IN A WICKER BASKET TO PRINCIPAL HILDA NIETO'S OFFICE AND GAVE THE PLANT TO HER SECRETARY, MS. TUCKER REQUESTING SHE GIVE THE GIFT TO THE PRINCIPAL TO DECORATE HER OFFICE.
THE PLANT GIVEN TO THE PRINCIPAL WAS NEVER MENTIONED IN THE SCI REPORT AND I WAS NEVER CHARGED WITH GIVING PRINCIPAL HILDA NIETO A SILK PLANT BUT I WAS CHARGED WITH GIVING A GIFT TO A MINIMUM WAGE SCHOOL AIDE.
NIETO NEVER THANKED ME, VERBALLY OR IN WRITING BECAUSE SHE KNEW THAT IT WOULD PREVENT ANY PLANT CHARGES FROM BEING MADE AGAINST ME.
ALSO THE SCI REPORT TO KLEIN DID NOT MENTION THAT I BOUGHT AND HAND DELIVERED MYSELF, SEVERAL PLANTS IN BASKETS TO THE MAIN SCHOOL OFFICE WHERE I HAD TO SIT ALL DAY WHEN I WAS NOT COVERING CLASSES AS AN ATR SUBSTITUTE TEACHER.
ON THE DAY I WAS REMOVED, THE PLANTS I HAD PERSONALLY PURCHASED, PAID FOR AND PERSONALLY DELIVERED AND INSTALLED AT THREE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS IN THE SCHOOL WERE STILL THERE EXACTLY WHERE I HAD PERSONALLY PLACED THEM
NOTE THAT THE PLANT GIFTS TO THE PRINCIPAL'S PRIVATE OFFICE AND ALSO TO HER MAIN SCHOOL OFFICE ON A DIFFERENT FLOOR IN THE SCHOOL BUILDING, WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE 3020-a SPECIFICATIONS.
THINK ABOUT HOW EVIL AND MACHIAVELLIAN THAT MAKES THESE PEOPLE AND THE NYC DEPT OF EDUCATION IN GENERAL.
BUT IN ANY EVENT ISN'T IT MY CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO BE TREATED IN THE SAME FASHION AS ANY OTHER TEACHER IN NYC WHO DECIDES TO DECORATE HIS/HER CLASSROOM AND/OR SCHOOL.
IN SHORT WE ADDRESS HERE THE CONCEPT OF EQUAL TREATMENT AND EQUAL PROTECTION UNDER THE LAW AND THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION
SHOULD SOME TEACHERS BE ALLOWED TO BRING A PLANT TO SCHOOL AND NOT OTHERS?
NOTE: THE WEEK I WAS REMOVED I WAS ABLE TO GET GIOVANNI RASCHILLA, MY A.P. ON TAPE ADMITTING TO UFT CHAPTER LEADER JACK SANCHEZ THAT HE, RASCHILLA, KNEW THE WHOLE PLANT BUSINESS WAS ILLEGAL AND THAT HE WOULD REMOVE THE PLANT LETTERS FROM MY FILE IMMEDIATELY AS UFT SANCHEZ DEMANDED.
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SPECIFICATION 6: Respondent's actions caused widespread negative publicity and notoriety to the High School of Fashion Industries and the New York City Department of Education in general when his unprofessional behavior was referenced in the UFT Newspaper.
THIS IS THE FAMOUS CHARGE THAT RANDI WEINGARTEN ORDERED NYSUT TO WRITE A PROTEST TO CHANCELLOR JOEL KLEIN ON OCTOBER 24, 2007 TO WHICH KLEIN NEVER RESPONDED BUT WHICH THE NYC DEPT OF EDUCATION LATER WITHDREW RATHER THAN BE FORCED TO FIGHT THE UFT IN COURT OVER A FIRST AMENDMENT ISSUE.
WITHDRAWN
SPECIFICATION 7: During the 2006-2007 school year, Respondent was absent ninety-eight (98) times from work. (Rubber Room)
SPECIFICATION 8: During the 2006-2007 school year, Respondent worked a partial day fifteen (15) times. (Rubber Room)
HARLEM RUBBER ROOM WAS A VERY SMALL ROOM ON 125TH STREET, WITH NO WINDOWS, NO IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE DRINKING WATER, BARE WALLS UNTIL I TRIED TO HANG A FEW PICTURES AND WAS ORDERED NOT TO DO SO AND THE MUSEUM PRINTS REMOVED.
AND WORST OF ALL THIS SMALL ROOM CONVEYED TO THE PEOPLE HOUSED THERE A SENSE OF CLAUSTROPHOBIA AND INCARCERATION
A UFT HIRED AIR SPECIALIST, HIRED BY UFT SPECIAL REP-KLAUS BORNEMANN, USING SOPHISTICATED AIR TESTING EQUIPMENT WROTE IN HIS AIR QUALITY REPORT THAT THE CEILING VENTILATORS AT TIMES WERE BLOWING AIR OF SUBSTANDARD AIR QUALITY INTO THE ROOM.
THE ABOVE AMOUNTS TO CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT UNDER THE US CONSTITUTION AND IS THE REASON I STOPPED REPORTING TO THE SMALL WINDOWLESS RUBBER ROOM IN HARLEM.
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Please Note: The fact that the DOE would certainly deny that any, or all of these charges do not violate any of my Constitutional and/or First Amendment rights, (which is to be totally expected), does not make such an assertion and/or position true. It is only by challenging established customs and perceptions of what does and does not violate the Laws of the Land, that "old" laws are struck down, and new Laws and new legal precedents- established.
David Pakter
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Posted by A Teacher In The Bronx at 5:04 PM
Reactions:
Labels: 3020a, David Pakter
1 Strong Opinions:
Anonymous said...
Rubber plants and watches? The kids that win city track meets get gold watches. Who the heck cares? Should we charge the track coaches? This is a completely bad faith operation. This is the most ridiculous 3020a I have heard of and it is so ridiculous DOE is probably afraid to drop it knowing that is tantamount to admitting they never should have charged David in the first place. Nothing about his teaching and nothing about misconduct.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Washington Post Attacks Rhee Critics: From DC- themail
Self-Dealing
Dear Complainants:
Let’s review. Chancellor Michelle Rhee negotiated millions of dollars of grants from foundations that were given to the DC Public Schools on the condition that the leadership of DCPS not be changed — in other words, that she remain employed as schools chancellor (themail, April 28). Civic activist Robert Brannum, president of the DC Federation of Civic Associations, believed that it is self-dealing and a conflict of interest for a government official to negotiate grants from foundations to government that are conditional on her continued employment. He filed a complaint with the Office of Campaign Finance, seeking a ruling on the propriety of her actions, and the OCF found sufficient grounds in his complaint to open an investigation.
In response, the Washington Post published an over-the-top, shrill editorial that is nothing but a personal attack on Brannum for daring even to raise a question about Rhee who, it asserts, must not be questioned,http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/07/AR2010060703784.html.
The Post’s editorial board asserted that, “It’s hard to think that anyone could conclude that Ms. Rhee sought these monies to ensure her continued employ [sic] as schools chancellor.” Since the letters of agreement all make the donations conditional on her continued employment, it is hard to think that the editorial board really finds that hard to think. It is much more reasonable to believe that the Post is simply protecting one of its favorites from having to live up to the standards of conduct that it would apply to other public officials. The Post gives Rhee credit for soliciting these funds for DCPS, while at the same time pretending to believe that Rhee had nothing to do with them— with seeking them, with negotiating their terms, or with accepting them under those terms. The Post correctly notes that the foundations’ letters of agreement were not given directly to DCPS, but were in fact given to a nonprofit organization, the DC Public Education Fund, with the express purpose that it would funnel them to DCPS. The DC Public Education Fund was set up by Mayor Fenty and Chancellor Rhee to advance their educational plans and interests and to raise money for their programs. The only purpose of the DC Public Education Fund’s involvement in the grants is to shield DCPS from the legal ramifications of accepting the grants directly and from the open public scrutiny that would ensue. The pretense that the Public Education Fund is independent of DCPS and Rhee, when it operates in their interests and at their direction, may be enough to provide a legal smokescreen to allow Rhee to deny self-dealing, but it is far from clear that that pretense is good enough to succeed. That is a question that can only be answered by the kind of thorough investigation that the Post seeks to discredit in advance.
The Post accuses Brannum of making “half-baked allegations,” and it prejudges the investigation at the end of its editorial by saying that, “it’s disheartening to see this kind of small-minded hounding of those who seek to better reward teachers who do a good job helping children learn. There would seem to be no better way to discourage public service than to turn the District into a place where no good turn goes unquestioned.” That’s bad enough, but in the past three years we’ve become used to the Post’s judgments about local politics being based purely on its being a cheerleader for the Fenty-Rhee-Nickles administration rather than a fair and disinterested observer. What’s worse is thePost’s actions since. After it denied Brannum the opportunity to reply to its editorial, Brannum sent the E-mail printed below. As a result, the Post published (online only, and not linked to from the editorial) the item athttp://voices.washingtonpost.com/local-opinions/2010/06/good_reason_to_investigate_mic.html. The online item purports to be by him, but in fact was drastically rewritten by someone at the newspaper. The paper has so little confidence in its judgment and reasoning that it has denied him an opportunity to reply in print and in his own words to an editorial that attacked him and his motives personally.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
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Post Declines to Print Editorial Reply
Robert Vinson Brannum, rbrannum@robertbrannum.com
On Tuesday, June 8, The Washington Post published an editorial (“School Daze,” http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/07/AR2010060703784.html) reacting to my request for an investigation of DC Public Schools (DCPS) Chancellor Michelle Rhee. The editorial was critical of me for requesting a DC Office of Campaign Finance investigation of Chancellor Rhee for possible conflict of interest in the tentative contract agreement (later ratified) between DCPS and the Washington Teachers’ Union.
My request for an investigation was not motivated by politics, but rather by a public citizen’s desire to promote a principled public policy, which the Office of Campaign Finance determined to be credible. It was deemed a “cogent statement of facts alleged to constitute a violation,” with a “reasonable cause to believe that a violation has occurred.” Moreover, DC Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi, previously praised by the editorial board and others in the media as impeccable, alluded in testimony before the council these private donor funding conditions were unacceptable and he could not certify the tentative agreement.
Most reputable newspaper editorial boards, after singling out someone for editorial rebuke, particularly a private citizen, would print a response. Not so with the new reform-minded editorial board of The Washington Post. The editorial board of The Washington Post not only declined to print an initial response from me, it also has declined to print a shortened rewrite. Rather than permitting me to express my thoughts in my own words, the editorial board offered to print its own shortened rewrite expressing my thoughts of its rebuke of me. I believe I should be able to speak for myself. Even Ms. Katharine Weymouth, Publisher; Mr. Andrew Alexander, Ombudsman; and Mr. Howard Kurtz, Media Critic, should find this refusal unacceptable. [Finished online athttp://www.dcwatch.com/themail/2010/10-06-09.htm#brannum]
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Civic Activism
Dorothy Brizill, dorothy@dcwatch.com
As someone who, over the past twenty years, has closely monitored the work of the DC Board of Elections and Ethics and the Office of Campaign Finance, and who has filed numerous complaints with both bodies, I could not let the current controversy concerning the complaint Robert Brannum filed with the OCF on June 2 regarding School Chancellor Michelle Rhee go by without comment. Bill Turque reported in Tuesday’s Washington Post,http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/07/AR2010060703046.html: “The District’s Office of Campaign Finance will investigate a complaint, filed by an outspoken critic of Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee and Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, alleging that Rhee violated the law by soliciting donations from private foundations that reserved the right to pull their funding if there was a change in the school system’s leadership. Cecily E. Collier-Montgomery, the office’s director, told Robert V. Brannum on Friday, in response to his complaint, that there was ‘reasonable cause to believe that a violation has occurred’ and that ‘a full investigation is warranted in this matter.’”
The media response has been troubling. Jonetta Rose Barras wrote in her June 7 column in The Examiner, titled “Slaying the Chancellor, Sacrificing the Children,” http://tinyurl.com/2532rzb, that DC residents should “question the competence” of OCF for investigating Brannum’s complaint. She went on to write that “it’s all politics,” and to argue that Brannum’s complaint aims “to derail Mayor Adrian M. Fenty’s reelection, including discrediting his education reform platform and sullying Rhee’s reputation.” JoAnn Armao, in her June 8Washington Post editorial, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/07/AR2010060703784.html, writes, “it’s disheartening to see this kind of small-minded hounding of those who seek to better reward teachers who do a good job helping children learn. There would seem to be no better way to discourage public service than to turn the District into a place where no good turn goes unquestioned.”
Under District law, a citizen has a right to file a complaint with the DC Office of Campaign Finance if and when they believe the District’s campaign finance and/or ethics laws have been violated. After an initial review and inquiry of the complaint, the OCF’s director and general counsel only then make the determination as to whether to launch a formal investigation. Under OCF’s process, frivolous or unfounded complaints do not result in a full investigation. In the past, I have filed complaints involving public officials with the OCF and, indeed, in the past the Washington Post has always welcomed “independent” investigations of public officials by the OCF (especially Marion Barry). I am truly concerned that, if the media chooses to ridicule citizens who file complaints, however motivated or justified those complaints may be, it may have a chilling effect on the willingness of citizens to come forward and report violations of the District’s campaign finance and ethics laws.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Picket Bloomberg's House Thurs: Stop Harassment of Teachers - Justice for The Bronx Science Twenty
Stop Harassment of Teachers -
Justice for The Bronx Science Twenty
Justice for The Bronx Science Twenty
Picket at Mayor Bloomberg's house
- June 10th, 4:30pm -
79th St. and 5th Ave., SW Corner
Bring signs and noisemakers, and wear Bronx Science gold and green!
- June 10th, 4:30pm -
79th St. and 5th Ave., SW Corner
Bring signs and noisemakers, and wear Bronx Science gold and green!
The Department of Education's disregard of the fact-finding decision will only lead to increasing tension at the school, further demoralization of teachers, and a worsening learning environment for our children. We have no choice but to take our case to the Mr. Klein's boss, Mr. Bloomberg.
Please join us to show solidarity in the face of harassment of newer teachers, veteran educators, and union activists. The DOE and the national media would like to have the public believe that teachers are only disciplined in order to improve educational outcomes, but this fact-finder's report exposes that good teachers have fallen victim to supervisors who abused their power.
Please join us to show solidarity in the face of harassment of newer teachers, veteran educators, and union activists. The DOE and the national media would like to have the public believe that teachers are only disciplined in order to improve educational outcomes, but this fact-finder's report exposes that good teachers have fallen victim to supervisors who abused their power.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
On Seniority
When The Indypendent's John Tarleton asked me to do an article in defense of seniority, I starteded tossing in all the things I wanted to say, starting with a complete history of Joel Klein's use of the issue, from his early years to claim the "best" - senior teachers - were not in the schools most in need because of the UFT transfer policies - to the fair funding formula that made senior teachers an economic liability to the schools. The bullshit the ed deformers throw around would fertilize a small nation. Shill, baby, shill!
I had been leaving comments on various blogs with bits and pieces of ideas and also had been reading some of the comments Michael Fiorillo and many others made at the Diane Senechal piece on seniority at Gotham. When I stopped writing I had 2200 words, well over double the space John had given me.
John was the editor on the piece and we had a few very long conversations that revealed the complexities of the seniority issue. I found it a very rigorous exercise to go through a process like that with someone who was very astute but not tuned into all the details that boil up when you start drilling. John took my scattered thinking (see yesterday's front page article in the Times on the distractions of the internet to see why) and focused things in a way that makes sense, to such an extent that I hesitate to take total credit for the article.
The article is at http://www.indypendent.org/2010/06/03/teaching-under-assault/
and is called:
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Add-on
No time to add links. Heading up to Manchester, NH for my yearly trip with a carload of teachers, engineers and other parties working on robotics here in NYC. There will be reps from all over the nation and the world. The amount of time and effort put into making these tournaments run is almost astounding, especially since it is just about all volunteer driven. We even get to go to dinner at the home of the founder of the robotics program (the helicopter hanger is turned into a dining room for a hundred) - his house is one of the most spectacular I've ever been in, built around a giant Sterling engine. I will try to get pics.
I had been leaving comments on various blogs with bits and pieces of ideas and also had been reading some of the comments Michael Fiorillo and many others made at the Diane Senechal piece on seniority at Gotham. When I stopped writing I had 2200 words, well over double the space John had given me.
John was the editor on the piece and we had a few very long conversations that revealed the complexities of the seniority issue. I found it a very rigorous exercise to go through a process like that with someone who was very astute but not tuned into all the details that boil up when you start drilling. John took my scattered thinking (see yesterday's front page article in the Times on the distractions of the internet to see why) and focused things in a way that makes sense, to such an extent that I hesitate to take total credit for the article.
The article is at http://www.indypendent.org/2010/06/03/teaching-under-assault/
and is called:
FIRST PERSON: Teaching Under Assault: Two visions of education clash as Bloomberg prepares to lay off 6,400 teachers
I had to leave out a bunch of stuff I wanted to say. If you have anything to add leave a comment at the Indypendent and here so I can track them and add them to a more comprehensive piece. We have to do this ourselves since the UFT/AFT is unwilling and unable - because they are in tune in so many ways with the ed deformers.--------
Add-on
No time to add links. Heading up to Manchester, NH for my yearly trip with a carload of teachers, engineers and other parties working on robotics here in NYC. There will be reps from all over the nation and the world. The amount of time and effort put into making these tournaments run is almost astounding, especially since it is just about all volunteer driven. We even get to go to dinner at the home of the founder of the robotics program (the helicopter hanger is turned into a dining room for a hundred) - his house is one of the most spectacular I've ever been in, built around a giant Sterling engine. I will try to get pics.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Chance of Losing? Just don't hold an election: Randi Weingarten Ally Follows Course in DC
Typhoid Randi
[Washington DC teacher union president] George Parker REFUSED to provide the necessary information so that the elections committee could proceed with union elections. Now that's a way for Parker to stay in office.
Now if you New York teachers think this doesn't apply to you - after all Mulgrew, one of the 12 most effective labor leaders, [according to City Hall News] - won 91% of the vote because he talked like he was effective - the same type of shenanigans will take place if there is ever a contested election here. After all, Randi Weingarten is involved on Parker's side. She was quick to have the AFT intervene over a relatively minor issue on the constitution of the election committee, using that as an excuse to postpone the elections to give her pal Michelle Rhee time to get a vote on a new contract before Parker opponent Nathan Saunders could win an election and use his pulpit to campaign against the contract.
Randi won that round but then there was this pesky thing called an election that was SUPPOSED to still take place. A pro Saunders slate was elected to the NEW election committee.
Randi and Parker have to engage in these tactics because they don't have their own pet phony opposition like New Action to endorse the incumbent (like New Action has done in here in 3 straight elections and will continue to do forever) and create a distraction for the members. But I'll write more about how NYC differs from other cities in a future post.
See Candi's Peterson's Post:
No WTU Elections For You: If President George Parker Has Anything To Do With It
Now with the Chicago runoff between the Unity-like UPC and the chief opposition, CORE due to take place this Friday, observers are keeping an eye out for the kinds of procedural games the AFT (which has a full-time staffer assigned to work with the UPC) and the UPC might play. I would bet that they already have a procedural protest planned and all written up and ready to go just in case CORE, which ran a dead heat with the UPC in round 1 and has been endorsed by the caucus leaders of the next two finishers, might win on Friday. In round one over 30 ballot boxes were not picked up by the AAA and instead delivered by UPC staff people. This is Chicago. So CORE might have done even better.
Guess where such a protest goes? Why to Randi at the AFT. In 2004, the AFT clearly supported the UPC even though there were some serious doubts. So if there is a protest of Friday's election by the UPC people will be watching what the AFT does very carefully. Since CORE has a real base, unlike so many opposition parties which are heads with no bodies - see NYC for example - and if the election is stolen watch for a massive explosion in Chicago.
The election also has some impact on the AFT convention in Seattle on July 7-11. If CORE wins and sends 150 delegates - I know this pales in comparison to the Unity 800 - but if they start linking up with delegates opposed to Randi's taking the AFT down the ed deform road, there will be national implications.
But of course the real national implications for a CORE win would be for the Obama/Duncan program. Coming right from the belly of the ed deform beast of 16 years of mayoral control, having a group consisting of a lot of young, activist teachers take power would shake the tree. CORE has stood up over it's two plus years of existence against school closings and battled the charter school influx which has reduced the number of Chicago teacher union members from around 34,000 to 28,000. CORE stands firmly against the Race to the Top crap that the AFT is dishing out to help get laws changed.
Note how the press and the blogs have ignored this story. Anti-union "reporters" like Mike Antonucci who will expose a union leader for sneezing without using a handkerchief, seems to have forgotten where Chicago is despite the lovely reminders I send him.
And Alexander Russo, who writes the TWIE blog (which I don't read regularly but have not seen any reports on the Chicago election) along with the District 299 blog about Chicago education even though he lives in Brooklyn, also has precious little about the election on that blog. Living in Brooklyn must make it tough to cover. He should read George Schmidt's Substance so he would know what's going on. And all of you should too to see what the Unity-like UPC is willing to pull to hold onto power, with the support I might add of the Chicago power structure and behind the scenes, the AFT.
And here in NYC? We seem to be at least 3-5 years behind, but if you watch what Mulgrew has done in the two plus months since his 91% victory, you can see what is coming.
-----
About the graphic:
The other day, Michael Fiorillo branded Randi Weingarten "Typhoid Randi" for spreading toxicity through union compliance with the ed deform agenda. Just a few words to David Bellel and "Voila!"
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Rubber Souls
They are true nowhere men and nowhere women. People who were in the rubber room and released back to the schools after being found innocent or fined for some infractio
n. Forever marked. Living in fear. Walking targets. Many become ATRs. Given the lowest level assignments. Forced to grovel for any crumb.A lot of them are older - in their 50's. Many are second career people with not enough years in the system to retire, even if offered a buyout.
Then there are ATRs in this same age and pre-retirement status category. They go from school to school begging for a permanent job. I met one woman in her 50's who told me she was treated with a lot of suspicion by her younger colleagues when she got to the school, given a chance by a sympathetic principal – for teachers looking for jobs these people begin to seem like gods. She admitted she wasn't up on the new terminology at first, but learned fast. She was a jack of all trades and offered to do anything - even move people's cars when needed, giving up her lunch hours and preps, hoping the principal would hire her permanently for next year.
City Hall News chose UFT leader Michael Mulgrew as one of the 12 most effective labor leaders. with his 91% victory being the single thing they could point to (do you wonder what the results would be if the election were held today a scant 3 months later?)
Ask these nowhere people just how effective the Mulgrew/Weingarten UFT leadership has been.
Report of CEJ/AQE UFT political action day on Saturday June 5, 2010
Special to Ed Notes by a 10 year teacher
I attended the CEJ/AQE UFT political action day on Saturday June 5, 2010.
First person I saw, and was surprised I did, as I got up the stairs on the second floor was Michael Mulgrew. He was talking with some senator and a few people were gathered around.
It was a bit after 2pm so as always when I arrive late I ask someone if they could fill me in and if I missed anything important. I was told I had not missed much-----while glancing over the refreshments- they served fruit, chocolate cake and drinks.
When I entered the event room I was also surprised to see so few people ---- maybe 60 - 100 people there tops. (Roughly about what we had turn out at Tweed June 4,2010).
What really perplexed me was seeing so many UFT staff. Along with the UFT President was the Treasurer, Assistant Secretary,VP from Middle schools,VP for educational issues and many other representatives.
It felt strange. Mostly because I have been bothered by the fact that this event was not posted on the UFT website. But I guess I should have realized with important senators expected there it would only be natural the UFT officials would be too.
I mingled a bit and when I was introduced to the Queens reps Mr. Sanchez and Mr. Smith I asked them about why so little publicity on such an important event with all that is going on in public education.
Mr. Smith wanted to know how I found out about the event and he said they deliberately did it the way they did. I had no doubt it was deliberate but I wanted to know why. Why wouldn't you want to post on website and invite everyone? I never did get an answer as to why. I also asked which senator was there to represent Far Rockaway. I was told Malcolm Smith had already been there and left. I asked if there were people from his district to talk with him. The two reps said yes but oddly I never did get to meet anyone from the district. I guess these folks left along with the senator.
Ok so---the event itself had its weirdness. There was no agenda. People were offering personal stories and it became apparent most were parents and very few teachers-----as senators one by one would arrive they would announce who and what district and send those folks out to a room to talk and ask questions.
After a while of this-- the room became quite empty ---when about a dozen people were left I asked if anyone knew why International HS in Bensonhurst had so much money and were able to have such small class sizes ( I had 16 HS students in the Gym) but PS 104 in Far Rockaway was desperately struggling to get by with 23 kindergartners in a class and lost positions last year including their librarian. And why a public school would have a board of directors. ( see for yourself:http://www.internationalsnps.org/about-us/board-of-directors-and-principal-advisory-board.html )
Hoping to raise the issue of vast discrepancies across the city depending on area, neighborhood, what have you etc...Aminda Gentile said International HS is a model school throughout the country and they get some sort of grant funding.This I knew---- what I wanted to know was why such vastly different scenarios from one school to the other-- and what does this mean for NYC----- she said that this International school type of funding is not what you want.
This next part is where it really got interesting:
After awhile the room filled back up because senator Sampson was introduced by President Mulgrew.
The senator began with and repeated several times----Please don't let one vote determine our relationship. Sampson apparently voted no on budget. Then twice he said he was happy to be here to hear from the rank and file. Of course--I'm confused here looking around knowing there were few to none rank and file in the room---I guess he just assumed he'd be talking with the teachers and UFT school staff. Mulgrew, I guess, knowing the rank and file were not invited, quietly interjected and said communities are here too. But Billy Easton (AQE) who was MC for the day repeated we have people from the community as they opened the floor for questions for Senator Sampson. A sweet spoken elderly women stood up and introduced herself as Mother Edith Davis who works on Title 1 committee--Region 2-- she first commented on
#1) the fact that she had just found out about this meeting last night
#2) she and her committee had been traveling to Washington to advocate for title 1 parents (mr frier?) they are very upset that the parents are not being put in the November bill Blueprint for Reform and wanted to know what the senator would do to help.
I watched as Mulgrew said into his mic to please keep it short since the senator had to leave for a meeting with the public (at this comment I began scratching my head I thought I must have been imagining this but it seemed as if he was mocking the women) as I found it difficult as to why he would say that at that time --she really did not say too much or speak very long-- it was as if he was jumping in anticipating she would go on and on.
The next guy wanted to discuss the proliferation of charters and how they are hurting the union.The senator said he had previously spoke to the gentleman and said we can talk anytime. He said he wanted to give someone else a chance to speak. The man insisted on making his point though he did not get the senator to respond much publicly. I have his contact info he's a community organizer. I also met 3 teachers, chapter leader and delegate from 332. One of the schools on the closings list.
The UFT staff were becoming frustrated at the line of questioning at this point and asked folks to focus their questions on the budget cuts. Then a teacher, who was sitting with UFT special representative asked the perfect budget question and they ended the Q and A.
Well, that's my summary of the day --I'm wondering if Anyone knows Mother Davis or suggestions how to reach her-- I was on my way over to say hello and as happens at these events got held up talking and never did get the chance, but would love to make that connection.
I attended the CEJ/AQE UFT political action day on Saturday June 5, 2010.
First person I saw, and was surprised I did, as I got up the stairs on the second floor was Michael Mulgrew. He was talking with some senator and a few people were gathered around.
It was a bit after 2pm so as always when I arrive late I ask someone if they could fill me in and if I missed anything important. I was told I had not missed much-----while glancing over the refreshments- they served fruit, chocolate cake and drinks.
When I entered the event room I was also surprised to see so few people ---- maybe 60 - 100 people there tops. (Roughly about what we had turn out at Tweed June 4,2010).
What really perplexed me was seeing so many UFT staff. Along with the UFT President was the Treasurer, Assistant Secretary,VP from Middle schools,VP for educational issues and many other representatives.
It felt strange. Mostly because I have been bothered by the fact that this event was not posted on the UFT website. But I guess I should have realized with important senators expected there it would only be natural the UFT officials would be too.
I mingled a bit and when I was introduced to the Queens reps Mr. Sanchez and Mr. Smith I asked them about why so little publicity on such an important event with all that is going on in public education.
Mr. Smith wanted to know how I found out about the event and he said they deliberately did it the way they did. I had no doubt it was deliberate but I wanted to know why. Why wouldn't you want to post on website and invite everyone? I never did get an answer as to why. I also asked which senator was there to represent Far Rockaway. I was told Malcolm Smith had already been there and left. I asked if there were people from his district to talk with him. The two reps said yes but oddly I never did get to meet anyone from the district. I guess these folks left along with the senator.
Ok so---the event itself had its weirdness. There was no agenda. People were offering personal stories and it became apparent most were parents and very few teachers-----as senators one by one would arrive they would announce who and what district and send those folks out to a room to talk and ask questions.
After a while of this-- the room became quite empty ---when about a dozen people were left I asked if anyone knew why International HS in Bensonhurst had so much money and were able to have such small class sizes ( I had 16 HS students in the Gym) but PS 104 in Far Rockaway was desperately struggling to get by with 23 kindergartners in a class and lost positions last year including their librarian. And why a public school would have a board of directors. ( see for yourself:http://www.internationalsnps.org/about-us/board-of-directors-and-principal-advisory-board.html )
Hoping to raise the issue of vast discrepancies across the city depending on area, neighborhood, what have you etc...Aminda Gentile said International HS is a model school throughout the country and they get some sort of grant funding.This I knew---- what I wanted to know was why such vastly different scenarios from one school to the other-- and what does this mean for NYC----- she said that this International school type of funding is not what you want.
This next part is where it really got interesting:
After awhile the room filled back up because senator Sampson was introduced by President Mulgrew.
The senator began with and repeated several times----Please don't let one vote determine our relationship. Sampson apparently voted no on budget. Then twice he said he was happy to be here to hear from the rank and file. Of course--I'm confused here looking around knowing there were few to none rank and file in the room---I guess he just assumed he'd be talking with the teachers and UFT school staff. Mulgrew, I guess, knowing the rank and file were not invited, quietly interjected and said communities are here too. But Billy Easton (AQE) who was MC for the day repeated we have people from the community as they opened the floor for questions for Senator Sampson. A sweet spoken elderly women stood up and introduced herself as Mother Edith Davis who works on Title 1 committee--Region 2-- she first commented on
#1) the fact that she had just found out about this meeting last night
#2) she and her committee had been traveling to Washington to advocate for title 1 parents (mr frier?) they are very upset that the parents are not being put in the November bill Blueprint for Reform and wanted to know what the senator would do to help.
I watched as Mulgrew said into his mic to please keep it short since the senator had to leave for a meeting with the public (at this comment I began scratching my head I thought I must have been imagining this but it seemed as if he was mocking the women) as I found it difficult as to why he would say that at that time --she really did not say too much or speak very long-- it was as if he was jumping in anticipating she would go on and on.
The next guy wanted to discuss the proliferation of charters and how they are hurting the union.The senator said he had previously spoke to the gentleman and said we can talk anytime. He said he wanted to give someone else a chance to speak. The man insisted on making his point though he did not get the senator to respond much publicly. I have his contact info he's a community organizer. I also met 3 teachers, chapter leader and delegate from 332. One of the schools on the closings list.
The UFT staff were becoming frustrated at the line of questioning at this point and asked folks to focus their questions on the budget cuts. Then a teacher, who was sitting with UFT special representative asked the perfect budget question and they ended the Q and A.
Well, that's my summary of the day --I'm wondering if Anyone knows Mother Davis or suggestions how to reach her-- I was on my way over to say hello and as happens at these events got held up talking and never did get the chance, but would love to make that connection.
HENTOFF SLAMS UNIONS, LAUDS CHARTERS
By Brian D’Agostino
bdagostino@verizon.net
www.bendag.com
Here’s a conundrum. How many Village Voice writers does it take to screw the teachers’ unions? Answer: one, but only if he or she was a trade unionist in a previous life. In the June 2-8, 2010 issue of the Voice, Nat Hentoff joins the chorus of hedge fund managers, union-busting politicians, Eva Moskowitz-type social entrepreneurs and other custodians of public righteousness who are championing “school reform.” Before doing so, however, he makes a point of saying he organized fellow students working in a candy store during the “so called Great Depression” and was a shop steward at a radio station in Boston. From this lofty position as a champion of labor, Hentoff then confesses that he is “plain disgusted at the low point that the union crusade against charter schools has reached.”
To be sure, “some charter school managements are engaged in old-fashioned self-dealing and arrant unethical behavior that require strict accounting,” and some do discriminate against English-language learners and other students with special needs. But “a growing number of charter schools have opened their doors and are demonstrating that such students need not—and must not—be marginalized,” at least according to the New York Post (5/10/10), a credible authority on such matters for all thoughtful observers of public education.
Meanwhile, do the “leaders of organized labor” think black parents that want their children in charter schools are “stupid” or “gullible?” Well they’re not, Hentoff says—just look at the long waiting lists and superior test scores of charter schools in Harlem, at least according to the Post. Black parents want a quality education for their kids, unlike Michael Mulgrew, who doesn’t care about poor black children and only wants to use charter schools as a “punching bag.”
Some non-charter public schools, the author concedes, “create lifelong learners and future college students.” Rebelling against “the assembly-line teaching-for-tests imposed by No Child Left Behind,” they have students “charting their own academic paths with personalized student learning plans—electronic portfolios containing information about their learning styles, interests, skills, career goals, and extracurricular activities.” This should be the norm for charter schools as well, Hentoff opines, “no matter whether organized labor finds charter schools guilty of that.”
Now, I have to admit I’m having trouble following this. Hentoff says it’s the quality public schools—which are unionized—that are doing the portfolios and personalized student learning. Then he recommends this to the charter schools—which are not unionized—presumably because they’re doing too much “assembly-line teaching-for-tests?” So why would organized labor object to charter schools starting to do what unionized schools are already doing? Whatever.
Oh, and another thing. The example of state-of-the-art, personalized education that Hentoff cites was from a predominantly White and Asian, middle class secondary school in North Brunswick, New Jersey, having only 12 students for every teacher. No problem getting under-funded, inner city school districts to provide that kind of education to every minority child trapped in poverty, right? Especially now that the Post has assured us that charter schools will no longer be creaming the easiest-to-teach students. All we need is for the unions to get out of the way. But wait a minute, isn’t the school in North Brunswick unionized? Whatever.
Actually, the author realizes that poor communities can’t get the same educational opportunities as the middle class without an infusion of additional resources and services. He ends his article discussing just such a program, for which the UFT and some community groups (including Harlem Children’s Zone) are seeking federal funding. Which brings us to the moment of truth. Would Mike Mulgrew and Bill Perkins oppose this “Community Schools” program, Hentoff asks, if it chose not to have union teachers? Now there’s a knock-out blow against selfish labor leaders and misguided elected officials who don’t care about the needs of poor, minority children! What was that about a “punching bag?”
Brian D’Agostino is a former New York City public school teacher and UFT chapter leader. He is an adjunct instructor in education at Empire State College.
bdagostino@verizon.net
www.bendag.com
Here’s a conundrum. How many Village Voice writers does it take to screw the teachers’ unions? Answer: one, but only if he or she was a trade unionist in a previous life. In the June 2-8, 2010 issue of the Voice, Nat Hentoff joins the chorus of hedge fund managers, union-busting politicians, Eva Moskowitz-type social entrepreneurs and other custodians of public righteousness who are championing “school reform.” Before doing so, however, he makes a point of saying he organized fellow students working in a candy store during the “so called Great Depression” and was a shop steward at a radio station in Boston. From this lofty position as a champion of labor, Hentoff then confesses that he is “plain disgusted at the low point that the union crusade against charter schools has reached.”
To be sure, “some charter school managements are engaged in old-fashioned self-dealing and arrant unethical behavior that require strict accounting,” and some do discriminate against English-language learners and other students with special needs. But “a growing number of charter schools have opened their doors and are demonstrating that such students need not—and must not—be marginalized,” at least according to the New York Post (5/10/10), a credible authority on such matters for all thoughtful observers of public education.
Meanwhile, do the “leaders of organized labor” think black parents that want their children in charter schools are “stupid” or “gullible?” Well they’re not, Hentoff says—just look at the long waiting lists and superior test scores of charter schools in Harlem, at least according to the Post. Black parents want a quality education for their kids, unlike Michael Mulgrew, who doesn’t care about poor black children and only wants to use charter schools as a “punching bag.”
Some non-charter public schools, the author concedes, “create lifelong learners and future college students.” Rebelling against “the assembly-line teaching-for-tests imposed by No Child Left Behind,” they have students “charting their own academic paths with personalized student learning plans—electronic portfolios containing information about their learning styles, interests, skills, career goals, and extracurricular activities.” This should be the norm for charter schools as well, Hentoff opines, “no matter whether organized labor finds charter schools guilty of that.”
Now, I have to admit I’m having trouble following this. Hentoff says it’s the quality public schools—which are unionized—that are doing the portfolios and personalized student learning. Then he recommends this to the charter schools—which are not unionized—presumably because they’re doing too much “assembly-line teaching-for-tests?” So why would organized labor object to charter schools starting to do what unionized schools are already doing? Whatever.
Oh, and another thing. The example of state-of-the-art, personalized education that Hentoff cites was from a predominantly White and Asian, middle class secondary school in North Brunswick, New Jersey, having only 12 students for every teacher. No problem getting under-funded, inner city school districts to provide that kind of education to every minority child trapped in poverty, right? Especially now that the Post has assured us that charter schools will no longer be creaming the easiest-to-teach students. All we need is for the unions to get out of the way. But wait a minute, isn’t the school in North Brunswick unionized? Whatever.
Actually, the author realizes that poor communities can’t get the same educational opportunities as the middle class without an infusion of additional resources and services. He ends his article discussing just such a program, for which the UFT and some community groups (including Harlem Children’s Zone) are seeking federal funding. Which brings us to the moment of truth. Would Mike Mulgrew and Bill Perkins oppose this “Community Schools” program, Hentoff asks, if it chose not to have union teachers? Now there’s a knock-out blow against selfish labor leaders and misguided elected officials who don’t care about the needs of poor, minority children! What was that about a “punching bag?”
Brian D’Agostino is a former New York City public school teacher and UFT chapter leader. He is an adjunct instructor in education at Empire State College.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Humor for a Summery Weekend: Students Write Fiction
Every year, English teachers from across the country can submit their collections of actual similes and metaphors found in high school essays. These excerpts are published each year to the amusement of teachers across the country:
1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master.
2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.
More at Ed Notes Humor:
1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master.
2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.
More at Ed Notes Humor:
June 4th Reports -UPDATED
June 4th - PS 202K - click to see pics at GEM blog
Press Coverage:
http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=27&id=35871
I really thought the Grand finale was at Tweed today when the cars were honking for about 5 minutes straight just as we were ending the rally. And now Channel 7 News story!!!! Nice work every one!!!!! Check out the excellent remarks by Sam, Ann and all:
--Diane
SEE ABC COVERAGE:
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/education&id=7479077
PS 157K
It was good to see and march with such a diverse group rallying today in fron of Tweed against the proposed budget cuts to public education in our city.
At my school, PS 157K, several staff members helped to get about 65 signatures of teachers, staff and parents protesting mayor Bloomberg and his destruction of our public school system. Some important and insightfui conversations took place. One parent said, "He (Bloomberg) needs to see my name and address on this petition. I'm angry at what he is doing to our kids!" Several of the teachers said they signed up for the rally on June 16, some for the first time. People are not only worried about their futures, but are showing anger at this administration and the damage Bloomberg and Klein are doing to our public schools and ultimately to our children.
Google map of protests: Banana Kelly HS in Bx
http://maps.google.com/maps/mm?ie=UTF8&hl=en&ll=40.822562,-73.903012&spn=0.010977,0.01929&z=16&iwloc=0004882bd4b1ca75cffb9&msa=0&msid=109850829928444092466.0004882ac68ad94f6dacf
Report from IS 218K
Around 40 IS 218 teachers, paras, counselors and secretaries (most of the staff) participated in a very lively protest outside our school between 7:45 and 8:30 this morning. A lot of passing cars and trucks honked their support. We distributed a leaflet we produced (entitled "Defend Public Education: Stop the Cuts") to students and parents and which we intend to get out more widely. We were also joined by a few teachers from K 683, the high school opened this year in the 4th floor of our building where almost all the teachers would have been laid off if Klein had sent out the pink slips.
We are considering holding protests every Friday until the end of the year.
It is also worth noting that the New York Teacher sent a photographer who took quite a few pictures and said the protest would be covered.
All the best,
Tom Crean, chapter leader IS 218
Video of PS 193k and pics from PS 84k.
At the GEM blog
Here is the video I shot this morning at 193:
Friday, June 4, 2010
Ohanian Comment Triggers Memories
Susan Ohanian, one of the leading progressive educators in the nation, kindly mentioned me in a recent post on the trip we all took to The Woo in Birmingham, Al in an introduction to this post:
Another Comment on Believe Charter
Another Comment on Believe Charter
In March 2003, about 30 people traveled to Birmingham, Alabama to pay tribute to Steve Orel and The World of Opportunity (The WOO), giving the WOO The Courage in Education award. That's where I met Norm Scott, who made a number of trips to The WOO, taking needed supplies. Those of us who traveled to The WOO formed bonds that will never break.
Susan is so right about bonds being formed amongst people meeting for the first and in some cases only time (the only time I met her). I can never stop thanking John Lawhead for taking me down there. Face to face still works in building relationships, though the web certainly helps you keep in touch.
Just think of it - Steve Orel, Susan Ohanian, Bill and Joanne Cala, Juanita Doyon, Kathy Emory and too many others to name were there. Bill Cala, who should be state ed commissioner, and I are still in touch. I remember we just found so much to laugh about and had a lot of fun thinking about running a make believe campaign against the former awful State Ed Comm Richard (Dickie Boy) Allen. (Actually, on a subsequent visit to NYC Bill asked me to attend a meeting where I met Ann Cook from Urban Academy and Time Out From Testing's Jane Hirschman for the first time.)
Bill ran the Fairport schools for many years before retiring and then was asked to run the Rochester schools briefly before they hired Kleinite John Claude Brizzard, sort of like going from Cinderella to Godzilla. Bill is one of the leaders of the fight to keep Mayor Duffy, now Cuomo's choice for Lt Gov, from taking over the schools.
Susan's post gives me an excuse to talk a bit about Steve Orel, who is one of the great heroes of education. We made one trip down with supplies and got to see Steve when he was still hanging in and still running The Woo - saw him once more when he visited NY for medical care. I actually get ill at times just thinking about him not being with us. And I only met him 3 times. I captured just a flavor of Steve in my Wave column:
I recently revisited the WOO when I hitched a ride with friends driving down south. We were on the highway following our sketchy Mapquest directions to the WOO, which is in a remote high poverty area on the edge of Birmingham across the street from a housing project (with buildings no more than two stories tall) when a van cut in front of us and the driver started gesturing to follow.
Not sure if this was a carjacking or someone with a barbecue restaurant looking for business (we had been doing our share of damage to our cholesterol counts), we hesitated until out popped a yellow piece of paper that said "The WOO" on it. The driver was Steve Orel who just happened to come across our van. "You think I couldn't recognize three Jews from New York?" Steve told us later. Steve is Jewish and a civil rights activist - which must go over real big in Birmingham -- he has had his house shot at.
Steve paid me one of the greatest compliments I had as a teacher. I was working with a student doing one on one tutoring for about 2 hours when we were at The Woo. Steve was rushing around all over the place and I never thought he noticed me. The next day he told me he could tell what kind of teacher I was by the way I interacted with the student - who was a 24 year old high school dropout. "You never saw me with an entire class," I told him. "One on one I easy." "I can tell," he said. Steve understood what teaching was all about - a relationship between student and teacher. He made me think of that angle in judging teachers. Not the outcome only crap they are throwing at people.
Of course, Steve's immense sense of humor was always there. I wish I had a video of Steve telling stories of Steve the Jew at southern revival meetings with his wife's family. My side hurts just thinking about how hard I laughed.
I am reminded of Steve because The Woo suffered greatly with his death but is still functioning.
Contributions would be welcome. Here is an email sent out by his wife Glenda Jo.
Dear WOO Friends:
It has been far too long since you have heard from the World of Opportunity, but we now have to turn to our friends to help sustain us. There have been many changes at the WOO in the last few years following the untimely death of our founder and guiding spirit, Steve Orel. Over the last few years, the students who come to see us are younger and younger and, today, we are seeing 15-year-olds pushed out of high school and referred by their schools to us. We have just learned that other agencies that get these referrals are paid for each student they receive, but we have never received such an offer, although we are now regularly receive funds from the City of Birmingham. We have moved to a new location and, even without a listed phone number, we are seeing dozens of new students monthly. We keep a constant number of 15 students in our Patient Care Assistant (PCA) program and we have over thirty names on the waiting list. Almost everyone who has completed our Patient Care Assistant (PCA) program has found employment.
In short, the WOO has been remarkably successful in its mission. Unfortunately (and you knew this was coming), we have been less successful in getting money for our work, which is why we are writing you. We have been working virtually without pay for months and, while we have grant proposals in the works, we cannot sustain ourselves without immediate funding. The good new is that we have a new web site at www.worldofopportunitywoo.com and the even better news is that if you go to it, you can donate directly to us through PayPal. If all of you on our email list donate as little as $10.00, and as much as you can, and forward this appeal to your friends who believe in education, we will be able to continue our work until our other funding requests come through. Regardless, the WOO has always sustained itself through the generosity of hundreds of our supporters across the country. Because of the crush of the work, we have neglected our friends and for that we apologize. We hope you will forgive us. If you do, we will not make that mistake again.
I thank you and, even more importantly, our wonderful students thank you for the keeping their world of opportunity open to them.
David Gespass on behalf of the WOO Board
Bloomberg Machine to Run City Until 2225- at the very least
Term limits? Don' need no stickin' term limits. Today's NY Times puff profile on Bloomberg's mate Diana Taylor is practically an announcement that she will run for mayor when his term is over. And when her term is over, Emma will be ready. Add the Unity Caucus lifetime control of the UFT with designated successors and, you see, we do live in a monarchy. Long live the king (and queen).
Reasons to do school pickets this morning and go to Tweed this afternoon to give out pink slips
People started calling yesterday asking if today's school pickets and visit to Tweed after school were off and I said HELL NO!
First, do you really believe there will be no layoffs for sure? Already this morning we are hearing a different tune from some newscasts and we also hear about big cuts to schools that may force excessing - that means big growth in ATRs since these teachers are not automatically placed. Is that the plan all along? Use the ATR situation and use the massive hedge fund money to create a witchhunt for ATRs as the cause of the mess?
Next are the stories circulating about the outrageous raises given to Tweedies in the midst of budget cuts to schools and layoff threats to teachers.
Department of Ed doles out $340K worth of raises to 45 people as city plans to freeze salaries
Also see this post from Leonie Haimson which nails them. The only thing I question is the issue of to what extent the UFT actually has to agree to anything. (See James Eterno discuss this at the ICE blog.)
First, do you really believe there will be no layoffs for sure? Already this morning we are hearing a different tune from some newscasts and we also hear about big cuts to schools that may force excessing - that means big growth in ATRs since these teachers are not automatically placed. Is that the plan all along? Use the ATR situation and use the massive hedge fund money to create a witchhunt for ATRs as the cause of the mess?
Next are the stories circulating about the outrageous raises given to Tweedies in the midst of budget cuts to schools and layoff threats to teachers.
Department of Ed doles out $340K worth of raises to 45 people as city plans to freeze salaries
Also see this post from Leonie Haimson which nails them. The only thing I question is the issue of to what extent the UFT actually has to agree to anything. (See James Eterno discuss this at the ICE blog.)
Many of you have probably heard by now that the mayor has decided to cancel teacher raises in order to prevent layoffs.
There are a few problems however. First, the UFT has not agreed to this deal. Second, the mayor still plans substantial budget cuts to schools, leading to the elimination of 2,000 teaching positions, which will cause big increases in class size – as well as the loss of core programs.
School budgets have already been slashed to the bone in recent years, by 12% since 2007, according to the Daily News. Since 2001, the headcount at Tweed has expanded from 1,749 to 2,267. The Chancellor’s staff not only received big raises recently, but he also added four new Deputies at an expense of half a million dollars.
All this is to say that the battle is not yet won.
Participate in your school’s protest today; join us at Tweed at 4:30 PM to protest Chancellor’s determination to sacrifice our kids in favor of high-paid administrators, and then come to the UFT on Saturday from 1-4 PM, to ask your State Senator to support our schools.
Where: 52 Broadway, 2nd floor. (2/3/4/5 to Wall St ; 1/R/W to Fulton , or J/M/Z to Broad.)
And don’t be fooled by the young staffers hired by the hedge fund operators at Education Reform Now, who are using this crisis to try to persuade PTAs to back their campaign to eliminate seniority protections from teachers.
There are only two observable, quantifiable factors that have been shown through research to lead to more effective teaching, over and over again: experience and smaller classes.
Parents whose children attend private school or public schools in the suburbs don’t have to choose between these two critical factors; and we shouldn’t have to either.
Ohanian on Brooklyn Charter School Thug
Susan Ohanian has received a bunch of comments from a Brooklyn charter school operator. I have a few myself. Some anonymous person from the charter has been asking us to do anything we can to publicize the situation.
Here's a reprise from the greatest hits from a few years ago: Teacher Says Charter School Fired Her for Organizing to Improve Pay Scale
Susan had a post a few says ago on the situation:
Another Comment on Believe Charter
In March 2003, about 30 people traveled to Birmingham, Alabama to pay tribute to Steve Orel and The World of Opportunity (The WOO), giving the WOO The Courage in Education award. That's where I met Norm Scott, who made a number of trips to The WOO, taking needed supplies [Ed Note - only one trip]. Those of us who traveled to The WOO formed bonds that will never break. So when I received threatening messages from a New York City charter school thug, I knew who to talk to. So now Norm gets nasty messages too. I just keep thinking about what it must be like to work in such a place. This all started because I was outraged by the denial of public school access to the library which had been lovingly renovated by the librarian and volunteers she solicited. Take a look at the video. If you care about kids and about libraries, it will break your heart.
One of the funny comments at the NY Times Cityroom Blog
What can I say about Williamsburg Charter High School that hasn’t already been said about Iraq?
It has been named the “Believe” Network. Who came up with this name? Belief in what? By whom? At best it is an arbitrary title rooted in the presumption that the students are inherently unable to perform. As a result, success is dependent on faith. This is yet another example of framing the problem as a deficiency in these poor black and brown kids and not the irresponsible adults entrusted with their development (achievement gap, anyone? How about addressing the administration gap?).
The school mascot is the Wolverines. Why? No one knows. No one cares. There aren’t even any wolverines in Brooklyn. The closest wolverine is in Canada. How about a relevant mascot? Let’s go Williamsburg Animal Shaped Rubberbands!
Ultimate charity fund-raising event: A roast of Eddie Calderon-Melendez. Charge $50 a plate and invite current and former employees (mostly former). We’ll make enough to cure cancer.
Williamsburg Charter High School has been unfairly compared to the mob in these comments. The mob has consistent leadership.
Believe Network Definitions:
Irony: The network offices have glass walls yet are the least transparent part of the organization.
Sadism: the tendency to derive pleasure from inflicting pain, suffering, or humiliation on other people’s children (e.g. mismanaging a charter school network).
Masochism: the tendency to derive pleasure from one’s own pain or humiliation (e.g. sending your children to your own mismanaged charter school network).
Thursday, June 3, 2010
ALL OUT FOR JUNE 4TH! STILL!!!! We stand united in saying no layoffs, not now, not ever.
I know, they are saying there will be no layoffs. Bloggers like Accountable Talk predicted it, knowing full well BloomKlein couldn't stand to let the newer teachers go. But first they tried to pull their anti-seniority ploy. I still think that is coming next year when as closing schools swell (after the one year moratorium) so will the ATR pool and major costs to the city.As one commenter on ICE mail said, in 1995 Giuliani and the UFT agreed on a 2 year freeze due to massive threatened layoffs. The next year the city had a billion dollar surplus. As The Who said, "We WILL get fooled again!"
This was no brilliant move today, but planned all along. They tried to drag Mulgrew into it and first reports had the union complicit but they cleared that up. What difference in reality whether the union agreed or not? They have no power to do anything about it. And for all we know, who can tell what backroom deals there are. Could BloomKlein and the UFT be playing good cop, bad cop? You know me, I'm always suspicious.
Or maybe they just got scared by our 20 and growing school demo on Friday.
Here is the point. These are little actions at the school level. But overall they have a bigger impact in that people will be taking action. That has been missing so far. A sense of resistance. Now, I am getting calls from people about stuff their principals are doing and they are not sure what to do about it. They are acting as individuals and leaving themselves at risk. But if the chapter was really organized they would have a mechanism to fight.
So this June 4th thing (and they may do it again on June 11) is not just about budget cuts and info picketing or giving out "pink hearts instead of pink slips" like the AFT/UFT wants with no sense of how that plugs into building a long-term union spirit at the school level. But look at it beyond the school level. Schools are excited that other schools are doing it too. People want to talk to each other, something the UFT never tries to promote - they want each school isolated and forced to deal through the district reps, some of whom try to keep the CLs from sharing school info with each other at district meetings. That is why people are gathering at Tweed on Friday afternoon for a rally/party meet each other - similar to the great rally at Bloomberg's in January. Starting to end school level isolation and building school to school relationships is an important component in these events.
The entire June 4th toolkit is available at the GEM blog - well actually the links to the scribd pdfs are available. Click the link of the doc you want and when you get there look for the green download button. If you are taking part and want to post pictures and video we are working on it. Send along links to you tube and pics.
Here are a few posts from Wed night, starting with the June 4 coalition press advisory, followed by PS 24's Sam Coleman email and an analysis by Marjorie Stamberg.
Press Advisory -June 4th Coalition
Date: Wednesday, June 2, 2010Contact:
Sam Coleman: 646-354-9362, Teacher PS 24, NYCORE/GEM
Parents, Students, and Teachers Rally to Demand Mayor Bloomberg Prioritize Public Education Spending and Withdraw Proposed School-Based Budget Cuts and Teacher Layoffs
When: Friday, June 4th, Morning Pickets and Day-Long Actions (times and events vary by school community)
Friday, June 4th, 4:30 PM @ TWEED
Where: School Communities @ PS 24K, PS 15K, PS 30M, PS 197M, Jamaica High School, PS 123M, PS 193K, PS 41M, PS 84K, The Brooklyn New School, Prospect Heights International High School, PS 202K, PS 3K, PS 307K, IS 218, PS 89K, PS 321, PS 197M, The Earth School, Banana Kelley, Fredrick Douglass Academy 5, Benjamin Banneker High School, East Flatbush Community Research School, Humanities Prep and many other school communities city-wide.
On Friday, June 4th, Parents, Students, and Teachers will participate in a city-wide day of protest to demand Mayor Bloomberg prioritize public school spending and withdraw his intention to further slash school-based budgets as well as his initial plan to fire over 6,000 teachers. These cuts and proposed layoffs, will siphon approximately 400 million dollars from New York City public school children, this as the IBO projects a city-wide budget surplus in 2010 and 2011 and other government agencies under the Mayor’s control are projected to face no cuts at all. In addition, the education system in New York City has already experienced drastic cuts: approximately $546 million since June 2009's adopted budget, according to the Independent Budget Office. Of this, $261 million came out of classroom funding. These further cuts will increase class size, increase teacher student ratios, services and programs will be cut including after school, remediation, and enrichment; the entire public school system will be destabilized and weakened. As for the layoffs, the Mayor rescinded the proposal this week, and it must be clear we stand united in saying not now, not ever.
This grassroots day of actions grew out from a community public school in Sunset Park, Brooklyn where parents and teachers have been organizing around disastrous public education policies including the issue of testing. Sam Coleman, one of the lead organizers of the event, a teacher from PS 24 said, “The staff at PS 24 decided we could not sit idly by while our students’ education and our livelihoods were being threatened. We realized the only voice that will ever be heard is that of the whole school community; parents, students, and staff. We want to show the public and politicians that we are willing to take action in order to force a change in political priorities. The whole PS 24 community demands fully and equitably funded public education for all New York City children.”
Various school communities across the city will be taking differentiated actions in a unified protest of the Mayor’s education spending priorities. Individual schools will be holding pickets, signing petitions, and form letters, and will disseminate educational materials to spread awareness about the destructive educational policies and decision-making of Mayor Bloomberg and his Chancellor, Joel Klein. The day will end with a group protest at Tweed, where concerned citizens will join in solidarity and make their voices heard after taking community-based actions throughout the day.
Additional Contacts:
Lydia Bellahcene: lillytigre@yahoo.com, 347-463-9809, Parent PS 15, CAPE
Mark Torres: harlem120@msn.com, 212-348-5732, Co-Chair, CPE/CEP
Julie Cavanagh: juliereed15@hotmail.com, 917-836-6465, Teacher PS 15, CAPE/GEM
SAM WRITES
Over 20 schools are planing actions on June 4th before or after school!
We are rallying at Tweed at 4:30 to let the mayor and the DOE know that budget cuts and salary freezes are not an acceptable solution!
Today the mayor announced that he and the UFT made a deal to avoid the layoffs. This is a lie! Our union has not agreed to a salary freeze.
Nor should they. The mayor is playing dirty politics (even for him!). We cannot let him get away with this!
Now more than ever, our voices are needed on Friday. Our union needs to know that we are mobilized and ready to fight for a fair contract regardless of an underhanded mayor baiting us in the press. The families and communities at our schools need to know we are still fighting for our student's education.
- There will STILL be 2000 positions lost due to attrition which will mean bigger classes and more teachers forced into the ATR pool.
- The budget cuts to schools will STILL mean loss of after-school programs, art, summer school and other "non-essential" services to our students.
- With a hiring freeze, and salary freeze, they are STILL spending $5 million on recruiting new teachers.
- Teachers are STILL paying for Wall Street's greed.
We say thanks Mike, but no thanks. We STILL did not make this mess, we will not be forced to clean it up. Tax those in our city who can afford to pay more, ESPECIALLY THOSE ON WALL STREET WHO WALKED AWAY WITH 9 BILLION IN BONUSES COURTESY OF AMERICAN TAX PAYERS!
You cannot negotiate with our union in the press! We will not allow it! No budget cuts, no layoffs, no pay cuts, not now, not ever!
email: sam@nycore.org for questions or to let us know that you are with us.
Marjorie Stamberg writes:
It is crunch time in the UFT and Friday is the first of several important demonstrations where we need colleagues to come out and support the teachers and the students.
The situation is changing daily. Today the mayor declared there will be no teacher layoffs, but there will also be no raises for teachers in the next two years. Oh really? Bloomberg can't decide what raises there will and not be -- this is a contract issue. We have to keep on struggling to make sure the city doesn't try to make teachers pay for the economic crisis that we didn't cause.
Bloomberg's announcement was interesting -- it is clear the city could not afford to take the political hit on the layoffs. Particularly since it would have hit the teachers in many of the new small schools Bloomberg-Klein set up, and which are staffed with first year teachers. The layoffs would have virtually wiped out the teaching staff at these schools.
It is very important that we defend the jobs of ALL teachers and build the union's strength by supporting veteran and new teachers.
Here are upcoming protests, there may be others as well:
---Friday June 4, protest at Tweed-DOE headquarters, 4 pm, a protest called by two teacher groups, the Grassroots Education Movement NYCORE--New York Coalition of Radical Teachers. Directions: any train to Chambers St or City Hal).
This demo is calling for no teacher layoffs and no budget cuts. They are going to give out "pink slips" to the DOE top brass--the guys in the suits getting the 5 and 6 figure salaries while everything else is getting cut. The protest is culminating many local school-based activities and leafleting on that day.
June 10 is a picket protest outside Bloomberg's house on the upper east side to support the embattled teachers at Bronx HS of Science. Peter Lamphere, the chapter leader is facing major harassment as are all the math teachers at Bronx Science -- who were all U rated two years ago! The case went to arbitration but there are still many issues and we need everyone to come out and support Peter and the teachers at Bronx Science.
On June 16, the UFT is having a mega demonstration at City Hall with the other NYC Municipal Labor Committee public unions. You know, where they bring up the jumbo-trons and the rat and the whole nine-yards. This will be a big labor turnout--a gathering of a big chunk of the city labor movement. I am critical that the Delegate Assembly was called off for this demo -- that was an important place for teachers and their delegates to speak their piece about any proposed settlement. Still, it is important that everyone who possibly can, come out.
That's it for now -- I'll keep you posted with my "take" on rapidly changing events.
Marjorie
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Memories of Klein's Twists on Seniority
I was asked to write an article on seniority for The Indypendent by John Tarleton. My brain is semi-mush and I went off on a hundred tangents in trying to explain the entire mess. Thanks to John's brilliant editing, the article actually makes sense. It should be out in a day or two. In my original draft version I touched on some of the issues brought up here by Leonie, Lisa and myself below but there was no room for a full explanation. So this back and forth below fills in some of the gaps if you happen to read the article. (How interesting that two parent leaders are so adept at addressing this issue while you know which org doesn't even try or does it ineptly when they do try.)
On the NYCEdNews Listserve (where info flies like UFOs)
Leonie Haimson writes:
Does anyone besides me remember how Joel Klein used to complain that seniority transfers led to a dearth of experienced, accomplished and properly licensed teachers in low-performing, high poverty schools, because it allows those teachers to transfer out into high-performing schools? And that he needed to be able to perform“involuntary transfers” to move experienced teachers into high needs schools?
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/17/nyregion/klein-assails-job-protection-for-teachers.html
On the matter of seniority, he criticized the system whereby new teachers are generally placed in the lowest-performing schools, while senior teachers have the option to transfer into better schools, calling it ''so profoundly unfair to our children and to our youngest teachers.'' And now he has been complaining, endlessly, that seniority protections in the contract means that some schools would have to lay off their new, enthusiastic and energetic teachers, in order to accept more experienced ones?
I (Norm, in case you forgot) followed up:
I remember - it was bait and switch. Klein twisted the seniority issue every way into a knot. He also made the claim that schools with senior, higher priced teachers were getting unfair higher funding which he twisted into the fair funding formula that led to schools being charged for teacher salaries and principals wanting to dump salary. All part of a plan. The 2005 contract was the key that opened the door. In the business model, assume that any difference in skill between a 10 year and 23 year teacher is not worth the large difference in salary. Why keep anyone over 10 years? Like some twilight zone episode where the planet was so crowded the day you turned 30 you were put to death. Ideally for the ed deformers, the day you reach your 10th anniversary as a teacher - you are gone. The long term future of the teaching "profession."
Lisa Donlan added
Yes- this was the justification for inventing the so called Fair Student Funding Formula- which DoE said would finally stop the inequities among schools w/ unequal quality staffs. Quality teachers at that time were defined as the more "experienced" teachers and those trained in math and science.
Shortly thereafter the Tweedies began repeating that research showed that the best way to achieve academic progress- as defined by rising student test scores- was to hire high quality teachers - as defined by those that raise student test scores.
This tautology made it apparent that the last "accountability" mirage re-org strategy was to actually make the tests the curriculum, deprofessionalize teaching, reducing NYC schools to test prep factories w/ temporary workers.
Then they realized charters could do it all for them, and all they'd have to do is run the accountability data collection/measuring part.
Voila- no more pesky education to be bothered with at all anymore.
If we lose Race to the Top do we get our rights back? UFT Also Gave Away Public Schools to Privatization in Teacher Eval Agreement
As usual, Jeff Kaufman did a yeoman job slogging through the agreement and posting a deep analysis on the ICE blog, a must read for enlightened wonks. NYC Educator commented:
"Thanks for keeping a critical eye on things and having the patience and determination to sit and read that agreement."
My favorite quote: Measurement of student data is not only a slippery slope it is the entrance to a cesspool.
Jeff highlights this point:
See The New Classroom Teacher (and Principal) Evaluation Scheme: What Was Our Union Thinking?
Add-on
As more schools are privatized, I can forsee the day when the UFT membership of working teachers will dwindle to such an extent that the UFT HQ will be at 51 1/2 Broadway but members will be paying $2000 a year to enable Unity to send 800 people to AFT conventions to places like Seattle - I am checking plane tickets and WOWIE - 600 bucks or more. I may have to drive - and leave tomorrow to make it in time for July 7 (I'm old and drive sloooowly). But won't the Unity crowd love to see me and my video camera catching them in the act.
"Thanks for keeping a critical eye on things and having the patience and determination to sit and read that agreement."
My favorite quote: Measurement of student data is not only a slippery slope it is the entrance to a cesspool.
Jeff highlights this point:
Yes, let's hand over more public schools to private interests who will make sure to make a buck. Has anyone noticed that just about any private school management org has failed (can you spell EDESEN?) As Jeff asksAn Additional Tidbit (Where Did This Come From?)
Although nowhere mentioned in the media the new legislation includes a provision to permit private, profit and non-profit, organizations to take over the role of superintendent over failing schools. The new law allows the school district to enter into 5 year contracts to allow these organizations to turn around failing schools. While there are minimal protections to teachers in these failing schools (the collective bargaining agreement is still in effect and the teachers still work for the school district) it is unclear what these outside organizations will do to the schools and their staff to turn them around.
See The New Classroom Teacher (and Principal) Evaluation Scheme: What Was Our Union Thinking?
Add-on
As more schools are privatized, I can forsee the day when the UFT membership of working teachers will dwindle to such an extent that the UFT HQ will be at 51 1/2 Broadway but members will be paying $2000 a year to enable Unity to send 800 people to AFT conventions to places like Seattle - I am checking plane tickets and WOWIE - 600 bucks or more. I may have to drive - and leave tomorrow to make it in time for July 7 (I'm old and drive sloooowly). But won't the Unity crowd love to see me and my video camera catching them in the act.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Corrective Action
Last week I posted an item, since removed, about a GEM meeting attended by someone who works for the UFT. I assumed that person was sent by the UFT and made some dumb comments about her turning in a chit for per session work. Within hours I came under fire from people I know and respect - friendly and not so friendly fire - for maligning that UFT employee who apparently was not at the GEM meeting at the behest of the UFT but came because these people, some of whom I am pretty close to, had told her about GEM and she wanted to check it out. Ooooooops! Double Ooooooops!!
As one very trusted advisor told me, after slapping me around - verbally - my 40 years of dealing with Unity Caucus has made me very sensitive to signs of UFT infiltration. "Turn down the toxicity," was her advice. That will be very tough for someone who gets emails and phone calls every day detailing the horror stories the UFT has allowed to be perpetrated, but I will try. Are there any shrinks out there that specialize in UFT-itis?
Note: I am not repeating the mistake by naming that person again (for purposes of de-googling her), who by the way, my friends tell me is a wonderful young activist and is working for the UFT in a very good cause. So I send my apologies to all the offended - which by now numbers in the millions.
As one very trusted advisor told me, after slapping me around - verbally - my 40 years of dealing with Unity Caucus has made me very sensitive to signs of UFT infiltration. "Turn down the toxicity," was her advice. That will be very tough for someone who gets emails and phone calls every day detailing the horror stories the UFT has allowed to be perpetrated, but I will try. Are there any shrinks out there that specialize in UFT-itis?
Note: I am not repeating the mistake by naming that person again (for purposes of de-googling her), who by the way, my friends tell me is a wonderful young activist and is working for the UFT in a very good cause. So I send my apologies to all the offended - which by now numbers in the millions.
June 4th Stickers
Download from the GEM blog: http://grassrootseducationmovement.blogspot.com/
along with the entire June 4th toolkit: Leaflet, petition, form letter to Bloomberg and more. Coming tomorrow: press advisory.
Where?
The Steps Tweed Courthouse
52 Chambers Street
New York, NY 10007
When?
Friday, June 4th
4:30 to 6:00 PM
along with the entire June 4th toolkit: Leaflet, petition, form letter to Bloomberg and more. Coming tomorrow: press advisory.
Join students, school staff, parents,
and community members
at Tweed at 4:30 this Friday
for a protest where we will be
GIVING PINK SLIPS BACK TO TWEED!
and community members
at Tweed at 4:30 this Friday
for a protest where we will be
GIVING PINK SLIPS BACK TO TWEED!
Where?
The Steps Tweed Courthouse
52 Chambers Street
New York, NY 10007
When?
Friday, June 4th
4:30 to 6:00 PM
Join the June 4th Movement
The June 4th movement began at one school in Sunset Park when the teachers, who had been holding lunch-time meetings to discuss some of the crucial issues we are facing in education, decided to do something about the proposed budget cuts by holding an informational picket for parents and community members on Friday June 4th.
At another school in the Midwood section, after the chapter leader received one of those pro-charter/anti union ads she decided she'd had enough. She went to school and called a meeting where the teachers decided to do in information picket every Wednesday. When they heard about the June 4th date they decided to join in.
Other schools around the city began to pick up the refrain. Calls began to come in from schools wanting to join. (See below for list of schools I know about so far - email me if you are joining.)
The idea was that each school can shape their message the way they want. While some focus on budget cuts, others are looking at the teacher evaluation system or kindergarten testing.
NYCORE sponsored a picnic/sign making event in Prospect Park this past Saturday. About 40 people showed up - teachers, parents, students, young kids. We brought laptops. Some worked on a leaflet to hand out on the 4th. Others wrote up a petition and a press release. No matter how much frustration, taking action, even if small seemed to energize people. That schools are joining together instead of doing something in isolation seemed to multiply the energy and excitement.
The June 4th Toolkit
Out of all this has come a toolkit schools can use with a press release, petition, a June 4th leaflet that you can modify for your school conditions, etc. Some will be posted online or email me.
Giving Pink Slips to Tweedies, June 4 at 4:30
One activist came up with the idea of going to Tweed and handing out pink slips to the bloated bureaucratic bureaucrats as they come out. The plan is to gather at Tweed after school on June 4 at around 4:30 and hand out these pink slips. Some are talking about going back every week.
This is pretty ironic since the UFT is supposedly urging people to join the AFT "Pink hearts, not pink slips" campaign on June 4th. Think it a coincidence to try to pacify members to counteract a more militant grassroots movement?
Now don't get me wrong, these are not many schools, but the movement is starting at the school level and there is talk of doing it again on June 11th. No one shot deals like a certain 800 pound gorilla we all know. That gorilla has targeted June 16th for a mass rally (which we are all supporting) but has not done much organizing around yet. Like we don't know where it is but we expect to be out there in force on that date - hope they are holding it at Yankee Stadium.
So if it is too late to get on board for the 4th, think about the 11th.
The movement will continue. The GEM meeting on June 22 will focus on assisting schools in their organizing efforts to fight the budget cuts and layoffs. Check the GEM blog and back here for details.
A Message From Sam
This was sent out by Sam Coleman from PS 24 where the June 4th movement got started:
PINK SLIPS ARE COMING OUT THIS WEEK FOR TEACHERS! THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!
LIST OF SCHOOLS SO FAR -Email Normsco@gmail.com to have your school added
PS 24K, PS 15K, PS 30M, Prospect Heights International High School, PS 123M, PS 193K, PS 41M, PS 84K, The Brooklyn New School, Banana Kelly, PS 3K, PS 202K, Fredrick Douglass Academy 5, Benjamin Banneker High School, East Flatbush Community Research School, PS 307K
At another school in the Midwood section, after the chapter leader received one of those pro-charter/anti union ads she decided she'd had enough. She went to school and called a meeting where the teachers decided to do in information picket every Wednesday. When they heard about the June 4th date they decided to join in.
Other schools around the city began to pick up the refrain. Calls began to come in from schools wanting to join. (See below for list of schools I know about so far - email me if you are joining.)
The idea was that each school can shape their message the way they want. While some focus on budget cuts, others are looking at the teacher evaluation system or kindergarten testing.
NYCORE sponsored a picnic/sign making event in Prospect Park this past Saturday. About 40 people showed up - teachers, parents, students, young kids. We brought laptops. Some worked on a leaflet to hand out on the 4th. Others wrote up a petition and a press release. No matter how much frustration, taking action, even if small seemed to energize people. That schools are joining together instead of doing something in isolation seemed to multiply the energy and excitement.
The June 4th Toolkit
Out of all this has come a toolkit schools can use with a press release, petition, a June 4th leaflet that you can modify for your school conditions, etc. Some will be posted online or email me.
Giving Pink Slips to Tweedies, June 4 at 4:30
One activist came up with the idea of going to Tweed and handing out pink slips to the bloated bureaucratic bureaucrats as they come out. The plan is to gather at Tweed after school on June 4 at around 4:30 and hand out these pink slips. Some are talking about going back every week.
This is pretty ironic since the UFT is supposedly urging people to join the AFT "Pink hearts, not pink slips" campaign on June 4th. Think it a coincidence to try to pacify members to counteract a more militant grassroots movement?
Now don't get me wrong, these are not many schools, but the movement is starting at the school level and there is talk of doing it again on June 11th. No one shot deals like a certain 800 pound gorilla we all know. That gorilla has targeted June 16th for a mass rally (which we are all supporting) but has not done much organizing around yet. Like we don't know where it is but we expect to be out there in force on that date - hope they are holding it at Yankee Stadium.
So if it is too late to get on board for the 4th, think about the 11th.
The movement will continue. The GEM meeting on June 22 will focus on assisting schools in their organizing efforts to fight the budget cuts and layoffs. Check the GEM blog and back here for details.
A Message From Sam
This was sent out by Sam Coleman from PS 24 where the June 4th movement got started:
PINK SLIPS ARE COMING OUT THIS WEEK FOR TEACHERS! THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!
More and more schools are taking actions this Friday, June 4th at their schools. Attached you will find a petition, fliers, a form letter (stickers coming soon) that you can use at your school to protest the budget cuts (translations coming soon too). There are fliers in English and Spanish both to mobilize people to come to a protest at your school on the 4th (in word format and that have have spots to fill in your school's info, very easy) and some to give out on the day of. Feel free to change whatever you need to.
This mobilization needs to involve all members of our school communities. Parents, students and staff.
Even if your school is not ready for a picket, get teachers and parents to sign petitions, give out stickers. . . and then join us at Tweed at 4:30 this Friday for a protest where we will be GIVING PINK SLIPS BACK TO TWEED!
These actions will continue next week as well, so if you are not ready for this Friday, but think you can mobilize for the 11th please get started now!
Also, start mobilizing your staff and families for the UFT rally on June 16th. We need to show our union that we can mobilize.
Where the people lead. . . .the leaders will follow.
This is our chance to begin a true grassroots movement for educational justice. We cannot wait for our union or the politicians. We need to make this happen ourselves.
Email: sam@nycore.org for questions or to let us know you are on board for the 4th.
These actions are being supported by: NYCoRE (www.nycore.org), GEM (http://grassrootsed ucationmovement. blogspot. com/) and CPE-CEP (http://forpubliced.blogspot.com/)
PS 24K, PS 15K, PS 30M, Prospect Heights International High School, PS 123M, PS 193K, PS 41M, PS 84K, The Brooklyn New School, Banana Kelly, PS 3K, PS 202K, Fredrick Douglass Academy 5, Benjamin Banneker High School, East Flatbush Community Research School, PS 307K
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