A Parent Activist New to the Movement Shares Her Thoughts

I only met Janine Sopp last spring at a CEC District 14 meeting in Williamsburg where her daughter goes to school. She urged parents to fight the budget cuts. Since then we in GEM have grown increasingly close to Janine. She jumped into the work of the GEM testing committee and recently joined the GEM steering committee. Her insatiable desire to find out about everything and share what she learns with everyone is inspiring. Meeting people like Janine is why I'm still involved in this mishegas 9 years after I retired. Here is an email she sent out expressing her wonder at what she has and is continuing to learn.

To Friends, Family, Parents and Teachers I have been in touch with regarding Education,

Welcome back to PS 2011-12. I hope you all had a wonderful summer. What seemed to be slow in arriving was quite enjoyable for my daughter and myself once it kicked in. The cold spell with hurricane-like rains sent a little chill down my spine thinking about the upcoming long and cold season, but the heat of last week helped me relax a little into the more gentle transition toward the fall season.

Now back to school, some of you may be thinking about what this new school year will bring. After putting a tremendous amount of energy into the issues around budget cuts during the spring, I began to learn and understand that these cuts were just the tip of the iceberg as to the state of affairs of our Public Education System. I guess having a child IN public school makes one become aware of these surroundings. Little did I know that much of what is happening is due to policies put in place long before my daughter was born by the Bush Administration, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), in 2001. At this time because I did not have a child in school I was not thinking about education. Now, it seems like the only cause I can find the time for. The learning curve has been dicey at best, but I spent the summer reading and meeting and have a much better handle on why things look the way they do.

If you are (still) my facebook friend, you have seen my posts. If I had time, I'd become a blogger, but there are others who do this extremely well. Though delighted by the teacher my daughter has and our love for her school, I can hardly believe that the circumstances that we now face daily are such a travesty. That the stakes are so high to not only her, but to her beloved classmates, teachers and the survival of her school. Not to mention the 1.1 million school children in NYC, NYS and far beyond in our nation.

I did not sit down to write this while simply preparing to forward this particular petition, but I was moved to give you the back story of what I have come to understand. Some of you may already know what our kids are facing, others may not, or simply might agree with how things are. I make no judgement because we all perceive things differently and have different needs. I only share what I am learning because if you feel as though something does not feel right to you, you are not alone. If you feel that the priorities of your school (or all schools), it's curriculum, the Department of Ed's focus, the issues surrounding high stakes testing, the concerns of your child regarding these tests, the lack of funds, the 10 minute recesses, the loss of art, music, etc., the increase in class sizes and the general state of education is just not right, you are NOT alone.

I did not realize when I began to find my voice and look for support that there are many, many organizations already working on these issues. There are websites, blogs, books, internet radio shows, facebook pages, the list is endless. I felt like I found a wealth of information just because I was looking. Maybe you are afraid that if you do share your opinion or begin to discuss these concerns you will be met with negativity from others (teachers, principal, parents, spouse, etc.) Or maybe you don't think anyone else shares your concerns and you will stand out like a sore thumb. I know I have and do, even with people I seem to have so much else in common with.

It has not been easy to come to terms with the information I have attained. I suppose if it was happening to someone else, maybe in another town or country, I could turn away and just keep my life going. But this is not the case. It is happening in my school, in my town, and with my child. It is happening in my State and in our Country. What I see is not right in my eyes. What I feel goes against the grain of all I believe in for my child, our children and what all children should have. I have never felt so much passion for anything in all my life, and believe me, my passions run deep. I have been interested in world affairs for a long time, but this one, this one that affects our kids, has me in knots.

I realize I cannot save the world (tried that before). And I realize this is a long journey to freedom. This world will likely not become the vision I have in mind, at least not in my lifetime, so I have accepted I may never see the changes I'd like to see while my child is in school. But since there are children younger than her, and many more who haven't been born yet, I can only hope that at some point in time, the way we educate (the masses of) children will be very different than they are today. I also believe that if we do not step up now, we will have tremendous trouble bringing Public School Education back on a healthy track (much like Global Warming?)

Having said all this, I guess I am asking those of you who would prefer not to receive my emails to kindly just let me know. I won't be offended because it will ease the guilt I tend to feel about taking up unsolicited space in your inbox. But for those of you who want to share in learning more, discussing some and possibly taking steps toward making changes, please raise your hand by emailing me back. If you don't respond, I'll just keep sending you my news until you tell me to stop. Sometimes it just helps to learn a new piece of information and you don't need to do a thing. Knowledge is Power as I see it.

Other than this, what I really meant to do was just share this. I look forward to seeing you around.

All the best,
Janine

Postcript:
A little over a year ago, Julie Cavanagh asked me what my goal was in all this. I really don't have goals and  don't look too far ahead. Long term for me is about a day. I thought about her question and finally responded, "My goal is to find 50 more people like you." Basically, I'm a talent scout.

Since then I've met people like Janine and Liza Campbell and her crew in NYCORE and the New Teacher Underground. I view "growth" of a movement not in thousands but in double digits - a relatively few key organizers and activists who will go forth and organize and find more organizers and activists. Now, when you start putting these people together you eventually get to spontaneous combustion.

Let me give you one example. In December 2009 I introduced teacher Julie to parents Leonie Haimson, Lisa Donlan and Khem Irby. Boom. The combination of people of this quality working together is like splitting the atom. So I'm incredibly optimistic from my very narrow point of view at the growth in opposition to the ed deformers. If I were Bill Gates, I would be scared. Very scared.

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Check out Norms Notes for a variety of articles of interest: http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/. And make sure to check out the side panel on right for news bits.

The Jim Callaghan Files: The UFT and Race at the Top

I'm going to be putting out a series of posts by former UFT NY Teacher reporter Jim Callaghan who was fired in the summer of 2010 for attempting to unionize. I'm not going to claim I agree with everything Jim has to say but they deserve an airing.

I once told Randi Weingarten she had done more to promote people of color than any UFT leader before her. I was referencing the UFT Exec Board and what looked like a lot more diversity in Unity Caucus. So this is a very interesting commentary from Callaghan on the UFT and race at the top (not bad, eh - the old brain cells are still functioning). I never thought of race being a factor in the UFT but Jim from his unique perspective gives one food for thought. It reminded me of this point:

Jim left out that the original heir apparent to Randi was the very popular Michelle Bodden (who seemed to really think like a teacher), the elementary school VP, the highest ranking black in the union hierarchy. Elementary school teachers, mostly chapter leaders, who attended her meetings told me they were the most useful and least political (in pushing the union line) meetings. Then one day Bodden was replaced by Michael Mulgrew and disappeared into the UFT elementary charter school as principal . Hmmmm!

Weingarten and Mulgrew refused to let me write a story about Racqnel James, a black teacher at Fordham  HS for the Arts who was railroaded-accused of leaving a death threat in the principal's mail box two years ago by the principal Iris Blige. When the main accuser turned on Blige and wanted me to write the story clearing James, Weingarten and Mulgrew refused and refused to let me take a vacation day to attend her trial.

Ms. James was fired and two years later, after being indicted for a misdemeanor -think Tucson- still hasn't had a trial. The Bronx D.A. - elected with help from the UFT - has asked for 17 postponements. Blige was later fined for telling her A.P's to recommend Unsatisfactory ratings  BEFORE  teachers were observed.

The main decision makers at the UFT are almost all white.

While people like Mulgrew and his top staff make $200,000 to $300,000 per year, the starting salary for a secretary is $23,000 –constantly abused by Hickey – they are almost all black and Latina women.

Weingarten filed a phony lawsuit years ago claiming that firing para professionals – black and Latinas- was racist. After she got her headlines, she dropped the case.

The $50 per day free UFT parking spots given as rewards to UFT insiders are given predominantly to whites. That is a $100,000 per year- the cost of parking downtown – perk to Unity Caucus loyalists – money that could have been used to upgrade the salaries of the low paid mostly Black and Latina staff.

When a long time UFT Unity Caucus activist – a black woman, complained about shakedowns and fraud in the Staten Island rubber room by security guards, Weingarten and Barr ordered me out of the room- which is a five minute drive from my house. Weingarten had told me to investigate, but a Brooklyn UFT official -who was sending my emails to the DOE- wanted the probe closed down. The company guards who were working the racket  are employed by a company owned by a billionaire who is a close friend of the mayor. So much for loyatly to a black woman.

Weingarten and Mulgrew fired or demoted five consecutive black writers, forced out a competent black lawyer, took the Safety Dept. away from a black man and replaced Leroy Barr- a black man -with two whites because Weingarten said he was incompetent. He was allowed to keep his title and salary.

Mulgrew fired his press secretary - a black man with 19 years experience at the union who used to appear as a union spokesman when Sandy was President, with a white guy (Dick Riley- Maureen Salter's friend) who had quit the union years before right after his five year pension vested to go to work for Harold Levy. The black man was given a bullshit title in the communications department. Randi had once told a staff meeting she made a mistake in passing him over all those years. [Ed note: Riley has been back and forth at the UFT like a yo-yo.

Anyone see a pattern here?

On Election Day, 2008, -I was suspended for two days without pay because Weingarten, my editor Deidre McFadyen, staff directors Barr and Ellie Engler, Garry Sprung, CFO David Hickey were off the wall with rage  that I sent a pro-Obama article to UFT staff the week before the election - which writers were always allowed to do. Weingarten was still bitter about her close pal Hillary losing and wanted to sabotage the Obama campaign. Weingarten refused to allow the members to vote for the 2008 presidential endorsement because her internal polling showed overwhelming support for Obama. She promised Hillary it was in the bag with the executive board.

When it appeared to UFT staff that there was a predominantly black presence in the rubber rooms, Weingarten and Barr refused to let me do the story.

When a progressive black woman sought the UFT endorsement for a City Council race in Staten Island, Weingarten endorsed a conservative Democrat in 2005 who later backed Bloomberg. She repeated this shanda in 2009, endorsing and even more Conservative Democrat. The black woman won.

Weingarten and Mulgrew sold out Bill Thompson for mayor in 2009 -like she did with Carl McCall for governor, telling the Unity Caucus that Bloomberg promised her two, four percent raises- using public funds as a bribe- if the UFT stayed out of the race. The members clearly were for Thompson. Have Teachers noticed the increased take home pay as they come up to two years without a contact?

Coming soon: Callaghan blows the lid off the collaborations between the UFT and DOE as he's pulled off stories that might embarrass Bloomberg cronies and Weingarten shares pre-pub copies of one of his stories with Dennis Walcott.

More ATR Outrage

I received a phone call on August 30th informing me that my program had been cut and I was now excessed. I had been at the school for 10 years teaching business and computer classes. What I discovered was that the principal wanted to hire a friend's husband who had been laid off from his job. The class codes were changed from business to social studies to allow this man to take my job. This man is a day to day sub! How can the union allow this? I filed a grievance but the union has given me little hope of winning! I am angry and frustrated! Now, after 17 years of service, I feel I have been thrown out as garbage. ATR's have little rights! I am nervous of an uncertain future and do not know where to turn for help and guidance since all I hear is "Well, you still are getting paid!"

Angry ATR

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Check out Norms Notes for a variety of articles of interest: http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/. And make sure to check out the side panel on right for news bits.

An ATR Speaks Out: How UFT Abandons Chapter Leaders

The more you look at the UFT agreement on layoffs that abandoned so many ATRs to a life of Ronan (See- Revolt Brewing in ATR Ranks/GEM ATR Support Group) the more it stinks.

But James Eterno was pointing that out on June 28 the day after the UFT Delegate Assembly rose to cheer Michael Mulgrew for preventing layoffs (CITY BUDGET BEING BALANCED ON THE BACKS OF UFT'S ATRS). Our thought: UFT scammed again.


James followed up with a post on how he was gagged at the DA when he tried to raise warning flags (A DELEGATE ASSEMBLY THAT LEONID BREZHNEV WOULD HAVE BEEN PROUD OF).

I keep raising the issue here about people even inside the opposition in the UFT disagree with me when I say the UFT leadership is Vichy-like collaborator, not inept and bumbling fools. But I am also admonished for not offering people who see things the way I do an alternative - what a union that would defend members while also fighting for a just school system for teachers and students could look like. Here is one comment from one of my colleagues:

I think this is good norm. If ed. notes is going to go down this road, I think it would be good to also provide a vision for what the union could be. To me the more egregious failures (or more disgusting betrayals) are not the petty theft, but the collaboration on sickening contracts that Randi supports, or the co-sponsorship of a merit pay program in NYC. . . . etc.  As well as calling out the fact that the absence of internal organizing IS a unity strategy. That they don't do any internal work to build the unions democratic strength IS a corrupt policy, much worse than the cost of a hotel room. And, my 2 cents, as you are calling them out on things, remind people of the work that our orgs ARE doing with no funding, to organize and mobilize the rank and file. We want to get people used to thinking about what COULD be and how they can be part of making that happen.

This is from a teacher half my age and I guess I'm just too much of an old war horse to make that point but I should include this vision with every post critical of the UFT because there is a new generation of activists.

Here is an account of union betrayal from another new gen member of the GEM ATR committee.

I was elected chapter leader of a Bronx high school in January 2003.  After many years of dealing with a recalcitrant principal I found myself a victim of harassment and Unsatisfactory ratings.  Thankfully I participated in the PIP Plus program and my principal was unable to 3020-a me.

She was however successful this summer when she improperly excessed me on July 21.  I knew then it was improper as our programmer sent an email stating we had 750 students and needed 4 social studies teachers.

I was unable to resolve this issue before the first day of school, due to a UFT on vacation.  I was told by the Bronx office on July 26 that everyone was on vacation and I would have to wait until the first day of school.  I question how the DOE can excess people and the UFT has to wait to the first day of school to do anything.

After spending a long day at the school I was told to report to, I trekked to the Bronx office to file a grievance.  I spent a half hour with two full time staffers, the High School District Representative and another who specializes in grievances. Despite my attempts to explain to them that people with less seniority had been excessed it took that time for them to get it. 

I explained that my school’s budget showed 4 positions for social studies and I am the 3^rd most senior. They both said this was not a violation of the contract and if there is no violation there is no grievance.  Both of the staffers said they could not access the school budget online and I asked to get on my email where I had the budget.  Once they saw it the said they could file a grievance.  They did not tell me what I learned later that evening.

‘Thankfully I participated in a conference call that night with someone who knows the contract far better than full time UFT staff.  I learned all I need to do is send a Right to Return letter under Article 17, Rule 8.

Does the UFT staff not know the contract or are they just unwilling to help?  Clearly ATR’s need a group to organize and protect themselves because the UFT has been derelict in their duties.

CONTACT THE GEM ATR COMMITTEE: EMAIL GEMNYC@GMAIL.COM

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Check out Norms Notes for a variety of articles of interest: http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/. And make sure to check out the side panel on right for news bits.

Revolt Brewing in ATR Ranks/GEM ATR Support Group

CONTACT THE GEM ATR COMMITTEE: EMAIL GEMNYC@GMAIL.COM

I felt like I was an extra in Chushingura, a Japanese play about the forty-seven samurai who took revenge after the forced suicide of their lord Asano Nagamori. Asano had drawn his sword in the Shogun's castle after being humiliated by the chief of protocol. Forty-seven of his samurai who had become ronin after Asano's death, waited two years to exact vengeance. (Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Kodansha, p. 404 vol. 1, ISBN 4-06-931098-3)

Read Marc Epstein's great report writing at NYC ATR

New York City Ronin Teacher, by Marc Epstein

THEN READ THE INVITATION TO ANOTHER WASTED BUT REQUIRED HIRING HALL FOR ALL MANHATTAN AND BRONX ATRS IN WASHINGTON HEIGHTS BELOW THE FOLD.



One former ATR commented:

Up in Washington Heights???? Are they KIDDING? If that isn't proof that they are trying to harass ATRs into quitting, I don't know what is. If I had to go to that thing, I'd be looking at at LEAST 2.5hrs to get home. At least Citifield was more central to everyone, and there was parking. Though, I think the job fair would have been much better if they had opened the bar in the VIP lounge and offered drink specials with every ATR placement. Probably would have had everyone placed in an hour if they did "Two Free Drinks with Every Placed ATR."  Certainly would have made it more fun.

I get a report from a newly retired teacher that there were 5 newbie teachers in her math department while experienced ATRs are floating around. The UFT deal with the DOE only calls for the principal to have interviewed some ATRs before hiring newbies. We're not sure he did but what difference does it make if he wanted newbies anyway?

GEM brings ATRs together
The Grassroots Education Movement has been holding conference calls with ATRs to gather information and the situation is turning ugly as teachers from the closing schools are sent hither and yon. We have been funneling people to the great voice of the ATRs at the NYCATR blog (links on sidebar and in our blogroll). 

And Jamaica HS chapter leader, ICE's James Eterno, has joined in the calls to offer advice as people tell as many horror stories about the UFT (you're lucky to have a job) as the DOE. In our last call James informed an ATR who was excessed illegally that she must file a "right of return" letter ASAP - something the union reps neglected to tell her. 

James, who represents 30 excessed ATRs from Jamaica HS (even though they are gone from the school with the union mute they have nowhere else to go)  has some advice for ATRs at the ICE blog:

The DOE has the right to send ATRs on interviews during the regular school day.

The DOE does not have the right under current conditions to assign anyone out of his/her district/superintendency. For example, a high school ATR in Manhattan should be assigned to a Manhattan High School and not to an elementary school or an ATR in District 28 should not be assigned to a school in District 26.

Finally, anyone in excess should know that according to contract Article 17 B Rule 8 that there is a right of return to the school in which the person is excessed. Feel free to use the sample letter below that all excessed teachers

Read it all at the ICEUFT Blog

BRIEF ATR SUMMARY


I'll be doing lots more on the ATR situation. Also read Chaz's School Daze

The DOE Is Encouraging Principals To Hire TF and TFA Teachers While Experienced Teachers Are Not Even Granted Interviews. "Children First". Really?

If you are in touch with an ATR have then touch base with me. NYCATR has offered his blog as a place to tell their stories as I will do here too.

Here is the next so-called hiring hall from the faceless bureaucrats at the DOE.
May the Ronin revolt and slay the oppressors.

From: Atrassignment
> Sent: Thursday, September 08, 2011 7:37 PM
> To: Atrassignment
> Subject: Mandatory Teacher Recruitment Fair for ATRs assigned to the Bronx and Manhattan
>
> Dear Teacher,
>
> Welcome back to a new school year! While the school year is getting underway, we want to let you know of an upcoming event to meet with principals who have vacancy needs for teachers. On Tuesday, September 13, 2011 the New York City Department of Education will be holding a mandatory recruitment fair for teachers in the Absence Teacher Reserve (ATR) pool assigned to schools in Bronx and Manhattan. Unlike hiring events held throughout the summer, as a teacher in the Reserve pool from one of these boroughs, you are required to attend this event, which is being held from 1:00 p.m. (specific check-in times below). You will be expected to stay until the end of the school day and encouraged to stay until the end of the event at approximately 4:00 p.m.

Morning Commentary - September 9, 2011

Friday, Sept. 9
Every morning I wake up to a slew of email with so many interesting items I would love to share. But by the time I get through them and part of the NY Times, it is almost noon. Such is the tough life of a retiree. So today I decided I would begin a morning post and add to it as I read things and try to post it no later than 10AM. We'll see how long this lasts.

I just did two tweets:
NYT reports new fossil- apelike with human features. New species dubbed Australapithecus RickPerry.

NormScott1 Norm Scott

@nancyflanagan Duncan to Ravitch: What am I going to do about Detroit? Ravitch: give it to KIPP. Arne pract falls off chair laughing

Me, say something in 140 char? I may get the hang of it one day. 

I had to add these 2 great posts from NYC Educator:

Increase in Homeless Students Attributed to Bad Teaching

Walcott Offers Valuable Lip Service to Civility

Today:
I'm working on the Jim Callaghan Files - so much stuff - call it the Jimi-leaks. But it's a busy day so I may not get something up until tomorrow.

I've been invited to attend and speak at a screening of our film, "The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman" at a NYC high school – shhhh. Don't tell Walcott. The teachers are opening the school year in what seems like an exciting fashion - doing a documentary series. They're showing Michael Galinsky's great film "The Battle for Brooklyn" in the morning and our film in the afternoon.

(Our film is also being shown in Denver at The Equity in Education Film Festival this month:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/193439. Thanks to Susan Ohanian for the tip.)

Then I have to race home to video "Crossing Delancy", another great show at the Rockaway Theatre Company at Fort Tilden.

My wrist is healing enough to allow me to do more but I still have a long way to go. Yesterday's phys therapy session really took a toll but I'll never have full flex unless we really work it. Yesterday was 9 weeks since the July 14 break. Nice summer!

I realized that the Ed Notes Online blog passed its anniversary date at the end of August 2006. So I am into my 6th year now. I do want to point out that Ed Notes had a pre-blogging life for almost a decade as a newsletter, then a newspaper that I began in 1997, pretty much when Randi Weingarten's became the head of the UFT, a real archive of history - from my point of view of course. I put out an edition almost every month until I began this blog - which with this post reaches 3099 - plus another 375 in draft mode. "Write a book," people tell me. I would try but then I would have to give up being an activist and hunker down and concentrate. I'm too ADD - which is getting worse with age - to do that. Working with so many younger activists who actually remember things, I often have to ask, "What was I supposed to do again?" I put the words "Bedpan check" in the subject line so they know what's coming.
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For a real hoot, check out the trailor for the Yes Men - http://theyesmenfixtheworld.com/
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Great Daily News article on Testing and Cheating with links to all the cheating scandals (the big one has not hit NYC yet and WalBloom will do what it takes to make sure whatever surfaces is tamped down - the culture of Atlanta exists here and people act the same in response to such a culture all over.)

Our testing culture is out of control: No wonder so many schools are cheating

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Good class size quote from newly retired Pissed Off Teacher: On Being Back
"I had mixed feelings walking into the building today.  A couple of people were surprised to see me so I had to explain why I was back.   I loved my class, but I always love that class.  Walcott should  know, but won't admit that part of its success is its cap at 25 students.  The kids, while motivated, are not always the brightest and some have to be prodded to make it on time to period 1.  But, with 25, it is easy to keep tabs on all of them.  And, since we don't have any uniform exams, it is easy to let the kids lead the way, spend more time on the things that interest them and just let them enjoy learning the math.  It is always a class in which fun and learning go hand in hand."
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 From the great Andy Borowitz reports - you really should subscribe:

Rick Perry Needs to ‘Tone Down’ His Rhetoric, Says Kim Jong-Il

‘He Scares Me,’ North Korean Dictator Says

PYONGYANG (The Borowitz Report) – Gov. Rick Perry’s performance in this week’s Republican debate, in which he called Social Security a Ponzi scheme and took pride in executing an innocent man, “made him seem like a totally unhinged lunatic,” said North Korean President Kim Jong-Il today.

The reclusive Kim, who rarely speaks out on U.S. politics, said he was breaking his silence in this case because “quite frankly, he scares me.”

The North Korean dictator said that Gov. Perry would have to “tone down” his rhetoric considerably if he were to become a head of state.

“When you’re President of a country, you can’t go around spouting the first crazy thing that comes into your head,” Mr. Kim said.  “That man I saw onstage gave me the willies, and I don’t think I’m alone on this.”

While the North Korean dictator said there was still a chance that Mr. Perry might “dial it back a little,” watching the Texas Governor at Wednesday night’s debate left him “shaken.”

“I’ll tell you this,” Kim said, “I would not want a person like that to have access to nuclear weapons.”

Elsewhere, some Republican lawmakers said they were unable to hear President Obama’s jobs speech due to fingers stuck in their ears.

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Check out Norms Notes for a variety of articles of interest: http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/. And make sure to check out the side panel on right for news bits.

Coverage of DC 37 Press Conference Opposing 800 Layoffs of Lowest Paid School Workers

See Brooklyn Eagle article on the press conference below.

I taped almost the entire event until it started raining. There were some excellent speeches exposing the hypocrisy of the high spending on consultants by the BloomCott administration while stripping schools in the neediest areas of the people who work in the lunchroom and put children on the buses. Who will be asked to do these jobs now? Why the teachers of course, the people who are already overloaded with so much bullshit work in addition to the teaching load which will be exacerbated by higher class sizes.

Teacher Kelly Wolcott shows school supplies for the year

Here are the first cuts of videos. City Councilman Jumaane Williams, whose arrest I wrote about. where I pointed to the reality of so many kids of color who get stopped by police so often and asked where are the ed deformers on monitoring bad police instead of bad teachers on this so-damaging an aspect of kids' lives. Williams shows up at everything and is one of our fave politicians.

Then Leonie Haimson, who needs no introduction as Noah Gotbaum paid homage to her incredible work for over a decade.

And the UFT's Michael Mendel. To some people's surprise, Michael and I have had a great relationship over the years. He goes out of his way to be civil to everyone and puts politics aside. (He even called me twice after I broke my arm.) What I love about his speech is his putting the UFT on the line on class size. Of course, always watch what they do not what the say.

Finally in this batch is UFT Chapter Leader and 9 year teacher Kelly Wolcott who has started to make a big splash on the young activist scene who talked about the importance to a school of the workers being laid off and held up the entire year's supply of paltry supplies. Kelly is a core member of Teachers Unite.

The narrators are Noah Gotbaum, whose dad Victor headed DC 37 for so many years, and Magnificent Mona Davids, who was the major organizer behind this event. More vids up in a post later tonight.

What's Worse for Black Kids? Bad Teachers or Bad Police? Or Bad Politicians?

UPDATE: Weds. Sept. 7: I'm reposting this to include the NY Times article.

Where are the ed deformers on the issue of how some police (a minority I believe - I hope) treat young men of color? Maybe those Moskowitz troops will be out there when their HSA kids are teens and instead of calling for the heads of public school teachers they will look at the bigger picture.

Councilman Says Racial Bias Led the Police to Detain Him at a Parade

reflected a pattern in which the police unfairly single out young black men.
Mr. Williams said he was stopped recently by the police in South Brooklyn while driving a new car with temporary tags; the officer, he said, “wanted to make sure it was my car.”
He said that none of these incidents would have occurred “if I did not look the way I look — young, black, with locks and earrings.”
What their arrests demonstrated, the two concluded, was a classic case of racial profiling and a policing culture exacerbated by the department’s “stop, question and frisk” policies, which critics say are aimed unfairly at young blacks and Latinos.

Sunday, Sept. 4
I got a personal call today from a local guy running for office. He will probably win so I made sure to get my 2 cents in.

We had met when he was campaigning at a supermarket and chatted about education. I guess the call may have come due to my recent column in the Wave (I Have a Feeling We May Be In Kansas---or Texas).

So we talked education. When he said, "We have to retain our best teachers," I cut him off. "That's ed deform code for getting rid of LIFO," I told him. "We don't retain 50% of the teachers - good, bad or ugly - after 5 years and all we hear about is that some 2nd year untenured teacher might be let go while a 15 year (higher paid) teacher maybe retained.

"What about lousy politicians," I said? "You will never open your mouth about another awful politician and they can cause much more harm to children than a bad teacher."

"And cops. Talk to any black kid, even the best behaved. Every single one will tell you of being stopped on the street for doing nothing. But beyond that is the way so many are talked to and treated. Like they were slime. Profiling supreme. How much more damaging to young men than the effect of a poor teacher? Where's the campaign to remove police who abuse their authority? Do I think they are a majority? Not at all. Probably the same percentage of bad teachers.

Given the above, note this Labor Day item from Chris Owens:

Paranoia Will Destroy Ya'

Today's arrest of City Council member Jumaane Williams at the West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn is a reminder of the reality facing so many men of African descent in New York City:  prejudice still rules ... and prejudice within the New York City Police Department remains a lingering cancer.

Mr. Williams, a distinguished public servant who happens to be tall, dark-skinned and wears braided hair, was allegedly thrown to the ground and handcuffed when police officers refused to acknowledge his status as an elected official as he was walking in a restricted area along the parade route.

The City of New York owes Mr. Williams an apology -- specifically Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Commissioner Ray Kelly.  The Police Department owes it to all of us to examine this incident closely and make immediate changes -- again.  How many more times must this prescription be demanded?

This may be the "age of profiling," sadly, but the truth is that "paranoia will destroy ya'!"  Our greatest enemy are our own fears.  And we don't need police officers on duty in Central Brooklyn who fear the people who live there.

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AFT/Weingarten Celebrate Cuts? AFT President to Visit Two Long Island Schools to Highlight Reforms in the Face of Cuts

What else says it all? Instead of engaging in a battle for more funding, Randi Weingarten will be highlighting schools that "made do" in the face of cuts. What worse message to send to the ed deformers? "See, we can do it with less."

Leonie Haimson pointed out:

“Freeport had a $5.5 million reduction in school aid from the 2008-09 school year to the 2011-12 school year; Hempstead saw a $1.8 million funding drop from 2008-09 to 2011-12. Despite the cuts, both districts have implemented reforms that are yielding improved student achievement.”

Strange message; when school budgets are being cut to the bone, thousands of teachers are being laid off and excessed, and class sizes are increasing at unprecedented rates.

Does this mean that the AFT agrees w/ Klein and Gates that resources don’t matter?

This is not a strange message at all from the leading teacher unions that gave up the fight for more resources a long time ago and instead sends a message of: cut, cut, cut - we are professionals and will make do.

I responded:

yes, yes, yes, yes, yes- they practically scream it from the rooftops. They celebrated in NYC when test scores went up. They agreed to merit pay, and the premise that the classroom teacher is the most important element. They leave off class size from major policy statements. They partner with Bill Gates.

What else do they have to do to convince people they are enablers of ed deforms - wolves in sheep clothing?

As long as people view and woo them as "potential allies" the ability to fight back for public education in this war will be weak because they will make some move in what appears to be the right direction but will break your hearts every single time.

What is the alternative as they are the big dogs in town? Build a movement from the ground up that will put the leadership of battle for public education in the hands of people who will stay true to the cause and will not waiver from the commitment to fight for resources instead of continually compromising until there are few resources left to fight for.

For Immediate Release September 6, 2011

Contact: Scott Stephens 202/400-7940 sstephen@aft.org

American Federation of Teachers President to Visit
Two Long Island Schools to Highlight Reforms in the Face of Cuts

WASHINGTON—American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten will visit two schools in the Long Island, N.Y., school district tomorrow as part of the AFT’s coast-to-coast back-to-school tour highlighting schools that have persevered with reforms despite deep funding cuts and other challenges.

On Long Island, Weingarten and New York State United Teachers President Richard Iannuzzi, who also is an AFT vice president, will visit Archer Street School and Freeport High School in Freeport, N.Y., and Alverta B. Gray Schultz Middle School and Barack Obama Elementary in Hempstead, N.Y.

Freeport had a $5.5 million reduction in school aid from the 2008-09 school year to the 2011-12 school year; Hempstead saw a $1.8 million funding drop from 2008-09 to 2011-12. Despite the cuts, both districts have implemented reforms that are yielding improved student achievement.

Reporters are welcome to join Weingarten as she visits schools. She will be available for interviews following the visits.

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The Callaghan Files: Mulgrew Ordered Story on ICE's Yelena Siwinski to Be Held Until After UFT Election

I began a series addressing the UFT/AFT in this post: How Far Do We Go When Criticizing the UFT/AFT Leadership?  that addressed the issue of whether Ed Notes should function as a wikileaks for UFT dirty laundry.


Before getting to the revelation of how the leadership uses the NY Teacher to make sure members of the opposition get no recognition, I want to mention my response to the comment from Chaz about whether airing the union's dirty laundrey in public weakens the union and assists the ed deform assault. I posted it in the comments section but also as a postscript at the end of this post along with some other comments.

 As you will read, Yelena Siwinski who is one of the top chapter leaders and would have made a great district rep had no chance for that job because she was not in Unity Caucus. Even Mulgrew recognized that and offered her an after school job, which she accepted, one of the few opposition people working at the union.

Yelena Siwinski is chapter leader of PS 193 in District 22 in Brooklyn. She ran for Elementary School Vice President against Karen Alford in the spring 2010 UFT elections on the ICE-TJC slate. In 2010 she applied for the vacant District 22 District Rep position, knowing full well the position would not be given to a non-Unity candidate. She was interviewed by Mulgrew who offered her a job as a PM staffer in the Brooklyn office, where she still works one day a week. She is core member of ICE and GEM and active in Teachers Unite.


Jim Callaghan after seeing Yelena was appearing on the radio on Labor Day posted this:

I remember Yelena well; Mulgrew ordered that a story I wrote about her taking her class to the Aviation Museum be held until after the election because he told me she "wasn't with Unity." Mulgrew of course doesn't know its illegal to make such distinctions but he does so every day.

Deidre McFadyen, my tyrannical editor, held the story from Feb. to June 2010. McFADyen told me she got in trouble for assigning the story before checking to see if the member had proper UNITY credentials.

Some shake down racket Mulgrew is running- pay up -to the Unity bank account- or we ignore you.

Jim Callaghan

Yelena responds:

I was suspicious that this was the reason they didn't run the story.  They actually wanted to wait until August to run it and I told them my students had been waiting to see it published so they finally ran it in June.  This teaches you that sometimes when you think you're being paranoid there's a real reason that you are!  It's great that Jim can let all these secrets out now.

My Response to Chaz:
I believe the union is weakened by the very nature of the type of accusations being made. We don't need ed deformers to do the dirty work - our leaders in their grasp for total and permanent power have made us ripe for pickings. Taking your cue we have no hope for any change at the top if we can't be critical of the leaders.
That you received so little help from the union that was supposed to protect you means that you are getting precious little for the silence. Reform movements in the union weaken the ed deformers in their attacks as such reform movements grow.

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How Far Do We Go When Criticizing the UFT/AFT Leadership?

When we do so are we aiding the enemies of unions?

There are people who will argue that publishing negative information about our union leadership helps our anti-union enemies attack unions by providing them with ammunition on how corrupt unions are. Plus it undermines whatever faith union members still have left in their union, thus weakening the unions even further. The argument goes: with teacher unions under such attack, we must remain united by stressing the positive.

I am increasingly sensitive to these arguments. But where does adhering to this line lead us? Basically to where New Action, which was the leading opposition, joining in a partnership with Unity Caucus in 2003, thus removing a major voice of criticism and leaving the leadership to force through any policy it wants without open discussion or vetting.

How has that stance worked out over the past 9 years as we have seen devastating policies eviscerate so much of both education programs that benefit children and teacher rights along with the rights of parents and community to have any say in their local schools (something the union leadership is actually happy about)?

The "we are under attack and should mute criticism to stay united" is an argument George Bush supporters used to attack critics. (Why not cancel elections to mute criticism?) As a member of the Independent Community of Educators (ICE) which ran 3 campaigns after the New Action move into the Unity camp with intense criticism of the leadership over their capitulation to so much of the ed deform program we saw vicious attacks on us for doing so. And I'm told that these attacks from both New Action and Unity resonated with people as ICE was branded as being obstructionist.

ICE differs from even the group that has run with us - Teachers for a Just Contract (TJC) – which has never come under the level of attack ICE has. Many of us see the UFT leadership as apart from the membership. Not only do we not view them on the side of the members, but many of us see them as being on the other side of the fence all too often, incapable of truly acting in our interests but with the ability – by dominating the total communications machinery to the members  – to fudge their message to the members to give them the impression they are fighting for them. It is mostly the few people who do the day-to-day hand to hand combat with Unity Caucus who understand the game being played on the membership by the leadership. But it seems to work.

This is not to say that even within ICE, there aren't varying degrees of feeling on this issue. The old hands like me who have been involved for 40 years tend to be the harshest critics, seeing the continuity from Shanker through Mulgrew. But as retirees we have the luxury to feel that way. People in the schools, even those who agree with us, have a different reality and have to walk the minefield of being critics since they often need the assistance of the union. And they often do find people who work for the union who are competent and who assist them in addition to the slugs (read: Washington Sanchez). They don't have the luxury to look at the bigger, long-term picture.

This polemic was inspired by a couple of recent events.

First was a debate I was involved with on the NYCEducation Listserve over my views of the union with no less than people like Deb Meier, Diane Ravitch, Leonie Haimson and others plus some of the internal debates I've been having with people in GEM, many of whom do not take as harsh a view of the leadership as I do, arguing that with a push from the rank and file the leadership can be made to move in a better direction. I totally disagree, thinking that the leadership will do something to MAKE IT APPEAR they are responding but in reality they will continue on the path determined within the narrow confines of the few people (maybe even one person) determining the direction the union is going in. I hope to publish some of the back and forth.

The second was the revelations of Jim Callaghan, not only in the comments section of Gotham Schools, but in private communications to me over the last year since he was fired by Mulgrew last summer. Truly a treasure trove of an array of accounts of cronyism between the UFT leaders and Bloomberg.

Jim Callaghan was the top investigative reporter at the UFT house organ, The NY Teacher. I have thought seriously about the role Ed Notes plays in disseminating this information and have hesitated, especially after the Wisconsin story, even though some of the actions of the union leaders leading up to and through that battle has been disturbing - we WILL NOT FIGHT YOU ON THE BEACHES type stuff until their backs were against the wall.

Sure I'm concerned when Eric Grannis, Eva Moskowitz' husband, tells me he is a fan of Ed Notes, mostly because of the union revelations. But I am on the side of full disclosure. UFT members should know what their leaders are doing behind the scenes and Callaghan is one of the few insiders to come out of the cold. I also think of the charges against Wikileaks. I personally think the amazing stuff coming out there has helped shake up the world for the better.

I don't want to do just a wikileaks like data dump. So I have been trying to parse the info and release it in some order, along with the background information I am aware of to flesh out the information.

Look for parsed releases of both published and unpublished information in upcoming posts.

Here's a tidbit from Jim:

Lots to come about malfeasance, nepotism, favoritism, incompetence, corruption, no-bid contracts and Mulgrew, Hickey and Weingarten allowing one of their top married  aides to  retire -with a Tier One and UFT pension---after he was caught taking kickbacks in the form of free hotel rooms so he could coerce his subordinate  into having sex with him on union time. She said she was going to the press and was going to file a lawsuit if he stayed (on the job). -----Jim Callaghan, former UFT staffer fired after 13 years.

By the way, many of us have known of this story, which took place during a NYSUT convention at the NY Hilton. The amount of money the person being referred to along with relatives took down in salary and benefits would make you scream. Have fun Eric.

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Use Your Teacher Voice

Going along with our branding article (Who are we? A common vocabulary is indispensable to building a movement), Chicago Teacher Adam Heenan (and CORE member), who we met at SOS in July, is spearheading this project. Subscribe to the videos and start doing your own. Contact me if you need advice.

Teacher Kim Bowsky talks to students on class size.

Teachers and Supporters across the United States-

Yesterday I testified before congregants at First Lutheran Church of the Trinity in Chicago as part of the Teacher in the Pulpit event organized by Arise Chicago and the Chicago Teachers Union.  The goal of Teacher in the Pulpit was to give educators an opportunity to speak and in their religious communities about working, teaching, and learning in Chicago Public Schools.  My theme was that our vocation, our life-work, is both art and science, and ultimately the work of the spirit.  I was amazed--but not surprised--by the warm responses from congregants. 

It re-affirmed my belief that people want to hear from teachers about education in America.

An emphatic thank you to those who are helping spread the word about UseYourTeacherVoice on YouTube.  I have received only positive feedback about the project.  There are now ten loaded videos and 39 subscribers waiting to see how you Use Your Teacher Voice.  We are growing, and with the school year underway, I expect to see many more videos.

If you are a teacher like me than I know how your school work can pile up on you.  Please make it a priority to make a video sooner than later.  For the sake of the work you do, for the sake of you students, for the sake of their families, claim your seat at the table, and Use Your Teacher Voice.

Subscribe to UseYourTeacherVoice on YouTube, find us on facebook, and tweet your followers.  

We are growing, and people want to hear from you.

Happy Labor Day.  Let's make this school year the one in which teachers' voices are prominent on issues surrounding teaching and learning.

Best,

Adam Heenan

Quick Tip #1: Pick Your Audience

If you are one of the many individuals who said to me, "I plan to do a video, I just don't know how to start, try addressing a specific group of people.  Are you speaking to school board members?  to students?  to parents? to the President?  What would you say to them?

--
Facebook: Use Your Teacher Voice

Twitter: @UseYrTcherVoice, #UseYourTeacherVoice

YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/UseYourTeacherVoice

Scan, copy, paste and repeat

"The Great Aim of Education is not knowledge, but action."  -Herbert Spencer

More Attacks on Public Workers - This time Post Office

 Today's NY Times on the Post Office catastrophe starts out by assuming even mail delivery isn't a guaranteed service that should be subsidized by the government. Let someone suggest that the Wars being funded by the fed should be self-funded. Maybe they need private defense departments to compete. 

Postal Service Is Nearing Default as Losses Mount

The agency is so low on cash that it will not be able to make a $5.5 billion payment due this month and may have to shut down entirely this winter unless Congress acts to stabilize its finances.

Naturally, they blame the union and the pensions:

Missing the $5.5 billion payment due on Sept. 30, intended to finance retirees’ future health care, won’t cause immediate disaster. But sometime early next year, the agency will run out of money to pay its employees and gas up its trucks, officials warn, forcing it to stop delivering the roughly three billion pieces of mail it handles weekly. The causes of the crisis are well known and immensely difficult to overcome....Congress is considering numerous emergency proposals — most notably, allowing the post office to recover billions of dollars that management says it overpaid to its employees’ pension funds.

But the best of all:

Cutting the work force is more difficult. The agency’s labor contracts have long guaranteed no layoffs to the vast majority of its workers, and management agreed to a new no layoff-clause in a major union contract last May. But now, faced with what postal officials call “the equivalent of Chapter 11 bankruptcy,” the agency is asking Congress to enact legislation that would overturn the job protections and let it lay off 120,000 workers in addition to trimming 100,000 jobs through attrition.

So the managers sign a contract in May guaranteeing no layoffs but a few months later are asking to overturn the agreement they signed?

Changing the subject
Here are some items from the listserves worth checking out

From @AnthonyCody (one of the national teacher leaders behind SOS): Business guru Steve Denning Helps us Reframe education reform in surprising ways  http://bit.ly/nWkLk4

This article comes from a post Denning had in Forbes.  Much food for thought in here!

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Check out this video of a professor who has studied Sir Michael Barber and the destruction he brought to England. He is amusing and right on point.

http://www.thesystemsthinkingreview.co.uk/index.php?pg=18&backto=18&utwkstoryid=257&title=Deliverology+destroys+service%3A+Professor+John+Seddon+addresses+the+faculty+of+California+State+University&in
 
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Check out Norms Notes for a variety of articles of interest: http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/. And make sure to check out the side panel on right for news bits.

Labor Day Special: Yelena Siwinski, Mark Torres, Brenda Walker, Clarence Taylor on WBAI, 6PM

Labor Day- Monday, September 5th, 6pmWBAI-Building Bridges Radio Show
Education Panel to start the program at 6PM on the issues ahead for this coming school year for parents/teachers/children - preserving and enhancing public education.

• Yelena Siwinski  (GEM/Grassroots Education Movement)
• Mark Torres (PPM/Peoples Power Movement)
• Brenda Walker (CPE/Coalition of Public Education)
• Clarence Taylor (Recently released book - "Reds At The Blackboard")

      WBAI’s Radio Building Bridges: Your Community & Labor Report
                           Produced by Mimi Rosenberg and Ken Nash
               Monday, September 5, 2011,  6  - 11 pm EST, over 99.5 FM
                           or streaming live at http://www.wbai.org            
                                           ******************
Fighting the Merchants of Austerity, a Building Bridges Labor Day Special
Now, in the U.S. one percent of the population rakes in almost a quarter of the national

income and has amassed forty percent of the wealth. That class sees this as a problem

– it’s simply not enough!

For corporate America, the recession has  meant the opportunity to mold the economy

into something approximating the Third World model: vast wealth, power and privilege

for those at the top, and chronic unemployment, falling wages, and inadequate or

nonexistent services for the rest of society.

The mantra of the “haves and have mores” has been to further slash benefits and

entitlements at a time of heightened need, while simultaneously calling for more tax cuts

for themselves. And, President Obama has as well advocated for cuts in Medicare,

Medicaid and Social Security, life-sustaining entitlements, as sacrifices on the altar of a

balanced budget, while talk of the pain of the ever increasing masses of theunemployed

has all but disappeared from the mainstream discourse.

The merchants of austerity across the country demean those fighting for  jobs, and those

seeking to hold onto jobs with benefits as some insidious special interest undermining

the public good.  The hope that the protests in the mid-west against ultra-reactionary

state governments and union busting employers would prove to be a catalyst to create a

national movement have yet to reach fruition.  But, there are voices raised offering

guidance and inspiration not only for fighting the cuts backs, but for forging a new agenda

for us, which must involve mass redistribution of the wealth.

This Labor Day join Building Bridges as we bring a diverse array of voices to you who not

only resist going backwards, but will provide new insights to reverse the war on the workers

and move forward.   
 *******************
                                     Listen on your Smartphone     WBAI live streams are available on the iPhone, BlackBerry, Android &
     other smartphones. For more information, go to http://stream.wbai.org            

                                             Listen When You Want        Building Bridges and most WBAI Programs are now being archived
     for 90 Days. These links will be live ca. 15 minutes after the program ends.
                         To listen, or download archived shows go to                       http://archive.wbai.org/show1.php?showid=bbridges            

                                                  Visit our web site -
                                     www.buildingbridgesradio.org 

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