Video: CTU chief of staff and founder of CORE, Jackson Potter, speaks on "Lessons of the Chicago Teachers Strike"

In an incisive video, Jackson Potter covers many of the issues we face here in NYC. The old union leadership in Chicago, much as Unity here in NYC, had the attitude that the members don't care and act accordingly. Top-down, lack of democracy, a sense of helplessness -- listen to Jackson as he describes the visit of a union VP to his closing school telling him to tell the teachers to get their resume together.

If you want an example of the same attitude here of UFT collaboration in the closing of schools, read this account of a visit to Far Rockaway HS by then Queens HS District Rep (now Queens borough leader) Rona Freiser when its closing was announced in 2005 written by an outraged teacher. I posted this reprise the day after Xmas, 2006:

Ed Notes Online: Where's Waldo – er– the Union at Far Rock?

Dec 26, 2006

Where's Waldo – er– the Union at Far Rock? With the recent announcement that 5 schools would be closing, 3 of them large high schools in south Brooklyn, I thought this story of how the UFT operates in relation to these ...

Actually, as I reread this I realize more than ever just what a sellout the UFT had for so long been on the closing school issue. Make sure to click the link above to see what I am talking about. Now Unity slugs go around saying "forget the past." Sure.

Back to Jackson, who is one of the most impressive people I have met, combining great political, organizing and leadership tools. I met Jackson around the same time I met Julie Cavanagh and in some ways they reminded me of each other. Everyone who works with Jackson comes away marveling at his skills. Same with Julie's skill set. I had the absolute pleasure of introducing them to each other in July 2011 at a conference in Chicago. It is no accident that Julie was the unanimous choice to be MORE's presidential candidate.

Jackson Potter is in many ways the architect of CORE. In the summer of 2009, Sally Lee of Teachers Unite worked with Jackson, who she met a year before at the Trinational conference in LA, to organize a 5 city meet-up in LA. Megan Behrent who was in TJC at the time and I, representing ICE and GEM, joined Sally (who was 8 months pregnant with her first child) spent 3 days in intense conversations and social interaction with some key CORE and LA Teacher Union people.

After the conference ended I was fortunate enough to spend an entire day hanging with Jackson, Al Ramirez, Kristine Mayle (now financial secty of the CTU), and Kenzo Shibata (now head of social media for the CTU) as we roamed around LA. Now this was almost a year before they won the election and only a year plus after forming CORE so the conversations were illuminating as to their thinking at that time when they were just considering how a run for office would play out. (You can read some accounts of that trip here:LA Deamin' and LA Confidential.)

This was early in the life of GEM, which a year later initiated discussions between all the other groups, discussions that led to MORE. Let me say right here that without the work of GEM which accomplished so much in such a short time, MORE would not have come into being. GEM, which had people from ICE, TJC, and NYCORE has sort of morphed into MORE -- at least the teacher segment -- while the parent segment, along with some teachers had morphed into Change the Stakes, the group battling high stakes testing and organizing around the opt-out movement.

Here is a link to the you tube video followed by the embedded coded version.

http://youtu.be/qdeemfIrDfU

MORE at CUNY Today and James Eterno Reports on MORE At NYCORE

I have some video and will put it up by tomorrow. See you if you can make it today at CUNY at 3pm to hear Lois Weiner, Francesco Portelos, Harris Lirtsman and Brian Jones moderating. We don't often get to see and hear Camille Eterno so last night was a real pleasure for those who haven't seen her laser-like focus on teacher rights and working conditions. What an interesting blend of activists from social justice to trade union issues with Michael Fiorillo's ability to forge them all into a coherent whole.

As I was watching last night I was thinking that Julie and Brian are elementary school teachers, a division that has often been marginalized in UFT elections, at least from an activist mode. Julie is the first elementary school teacher  -- and special ed teacher - to run for President in UFT history. Brian has always taught elementary school.

The gap between elementary school and high school teaching experience is very large and as an elementary school teacher myself, with such close contact to the community and parents, you bring a different perspective. Which is often why you hear elementary school people spend so much time talking about kids and parents while high school people often focus on the contract. I know, I know, a wide generalization, but that is how I've seen it.

The opposition in the UFT has always had some disdain for elementary school teachers -- until ICE, that is. In 2002 I attended an Ex Bd meeting of New Action and the co-chair seemed astounded I was an elementary school teacher and practically blurted out, "But you seem so smart..." Well, the people I worked with are amongst the smartest and toughest people I have ever met. As Debbie Meier has said, teaching kindergarten was the most intellectual challenging thing she ever did.

MORE OFFICER CANDIDATES TOGETHER AT NYCORE MEETING

Last night downtown Manhattan had a chance to see and hear four MORE candidates for top UFT offices speak at a public forum.  To say the least, they were at the top of their game.

UFT Presidential candidate Julie Cavanagh, Secretary candidate Brian Jones, Treasurer nominee Camille Eterno and Assistant Secretary nominee Michael Fiorello addressed a number of union and public education concerns and then they fielded questions from the audience at a NYCORE meeting.  Issues covered included bloated union officer salaries and double pensions which leads to our leadership being out of touch with the membership, the history of the UFT, how to stop principals from abusing the UFT contract, what a member driven union would look like in practice, how destructive closing schools is for communities, privatization of education both here and abroad and many others.

A main theme is that now the UFT has a top-down bureaucratic structure that does not work for the benefit of the membership or the schools.  If MORE is elected, the pyramid will be inverted with the members put into the driver's seat. The recent activism of the Chicago teachers can serve as a model.

I hope to see these four and other MORE candidates in action again.  I was sitting in the audience imagining a debate between MORE"S top candidates and the UFT's current leaders from the Unity Caucus. I couldn't think of a bigger mismatch.  I can see why Unity's President Mulgrew and company would never want a debate. I think we should have several.

Today is part 2 of the activist weekend at the CUNY Graduate Center.

Movement of Rank & File Educators Weekly Update #44 - February 22nd, 2013

Friend on Facebook Follow on Twitter Forward to a Friend Upcoming: Democracy & Dignity in Education  Sat., Feb. 23 3:00-5:00 PM 365 5th Ave., Rm. 5414 Planning/Election Committee Mon., Mar. 4 5:00 PM Cosi (55 Broad St.) General Meeting Sat., March 9 12:00-3:00 PM 224 W. 29th St., 14th Fl. Planning/Election Committee Thurs., Mar. 21 5:00 PM Cosi (55 Broad St.) General Meeting Sat., April 13 General Meeting Sat., May 18 Dignity and Democracy in Education:   A Public Forum About Blowing the Whistle on the Culture of Fear and Corruption in NYC Public Schools Saturday, February 23rd 3:00 to 5:00pm CUNY Graduate Center 365 5th Ave., Rm. 5414 (@ 34th St.) Photo ID Required Panelists include: Lois Weiner, Ed.D. scholar-activist; author of The Future of Our Schools: Teacher Unions and Social Justice; Professor of Education at New Jersey City University  Francesco Portelos - S.T.E.M. teacher; UFT Chapter Leader and whistleblower; "rubber roomed" for exposing alleged financial corruption of school administration Harris Lirtzman - former Special Education/mathematics teacher charged with "employee misconduct" after reporting misadministration of his school's special education program Moderated by: Brian Jones - teacher and co-narrator of the film "The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman" (http://vimeo.com/41994760) Pizza will be served afterwards to all those who stay to help with petition signing and MORE's election effort. Make sure to bring any and all signed petitions to the event! THIS IS A FREE EVENT - BUT PLEASE BRING YOUR CHECKBOOK TO MAKE A DONATION TO MORE'S ELECTION EFFORTS Come hear speakers from MORE's UFT election slate, help circulate our petition for a membership vote on the evaluation system, and join the movement! Click links to RSVP Friday, March 1 4:00pm-7:00pm The Harp Irish Pub 7710 3rd Ave (btwn 77th & 78th Sts.) Bay Ridge, Brooklyn Queens: TODAY, February 22 4:00pm-7:00pm Terrazza 7 Cafe  40-19 Gleane St. Elmhurst, NY (7 Train to 82nd St.) *************** Friday, March 1  5:00pm-7:00pm Nancy’s Restaurant 255-41 Jericho Turnpike (near Little Neck Parkway) Floral Park, Queens Find out what you can do to get out the vote! Check out MORE'slatest blog post and find out how to help mobilize UFT members to vote. Reply to this email to become part of MORE's discussion listserv. Also, our message has crept into the Ivy League! Check out this Yale student on why we should "Just Say No" to Charter Schools Help Distribute Literature for MORE! Volunteers needed help distributing campaign literature at your school and schools nearby. Reply to this email or check our website... Fundraising Skills? MORE Needs Help Raising Money Please reply to this email if you would be interested in helping to organize fundraising events during the election season

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Responding to Ed Deform Ideas in AFT Report

There she goes again. Randi sponsoring an ed deform-laden report (of which you will not hear one word of criticism from any of the Unity gang, especially Take-Away-Our-Collective Bargaining-Rights, Please, Mulgrew). Agreementwith attack on the teaching profession and public ed are echoed in this union report.

At The Chalkface, there is a response from Julie Gorlewski. Some excerpts:

The document is grounded in the notion that the profession is ineffective, substandard, and intrinsically flawed. This assertion is emphasized through comparisons with other, presumably more authentic “professions,” specifically those associated with law and medicine. The claim that teacher education and induction are ineffective is erroneous; the myth is perpetuated as part of the attack on public education, labor unions, and the teaching profession.

When US student performance is controlled for poverty, our student achievement (and, by extrapolation, our teacher performance), consistently ranks near the top.  In a pluralistic nation, standardization and consistency do not guarantee quality. Standardization is not beneficial for students in a multicultural society, nor is it beneficial for teacher candidates who will be working with those students.

 Despite the report’s continual refrain about the significance of “evidence,” the CCSS has absolutely no evidence of effectiveness. Assessments and curriculum are being developed at a frantic pace; however, the standards remain unproven. It is bad enough that K-12 instruction and assessment will be aligned to these unproven standards, but to link teacher preparation to them is absurd. The CCSS, and its related assessments, represent a massive financial opportunity – not an authentic learning opportunity.

Read it all:

atthechalkface.com/2013/02/22/guest-post-julie-gorlewski-responds-to-aft

MS 80 - Bronx Parents Need Your Help - 2/28 Rally

Hi brothers and sisters

This goes out on behalf of one of our Bronx parents.  We could really use your support in this.

Bronx community groups and parents will be holding a rally in support of MS 80 parents. MS 80 really suffering under this new principal Emmanuel Polanco.  MS 80 was one of the schools slated to close last year, however the community at large fought to keep the school open.

The DOE assigned a new principal to the  school, a principal who has no idea what he is doing, in turn further harming and putting in jeopardy the children at this school.  Below please see the NY Daily News article about said principal.

Thursday - 2/28/2013
3:30 PM
149 East Mosholu Parkway North
Bronx, NY
Van Cortland Avenue

 http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bronx/principal-sparks-outrage-internet-rap-video-appearances-article-1.1258463


Please circulate the attached flyer.  I really urge you to attend this rally.

Thank you.

Julie Cavanagh and MORE Candidates at NYCORE Tonight and at Begtraum on Weds. Feb. 27, 4PM

Come to NYCoRE's February Meeting for a Panel Discussion from MORE's Top Slate Candidates - 6PM at NYU


Murray Bergtraum appearance: announcement to come- contact chapter leader who also invited Mulgrew to debate Julie but he didn't respond. Who's afraid of the big, bad Julie?

John Elfrank-Dana
UFT Chapter Leader
Murry Bergtraum High School
212.964.9610 ext. 6591

The Distributive Law

Some people ask why I am so pissed at the UFT/Unity operation. Amongst many reasons is the fact that if the UFT had taken an early stand against the assault on the neighborhood schools - at all levels, but in particular the high schools, there was a chance to kill the ed deform closing/opening/closing/multiple schools in a building policy in its infancy. Having attended the Sheepshead Bay HS closing hearing last night (video coming) reinforced my reaction today. I told this to UFT Brooklyn Borough Rep Howie Shore as I handed him a leaflet with good talking points about how closing ANY school is bad policy. That only if the UFT had been able to look ahead -- like so many progressive people were able to do ... well, that's spilt milk.

Having been out of schools for the last 8 years or so other than UFT election time, today was the first opportunity in this election cycle I had to get to schools to put MORE election materials in mailboxes. I started at the school on my corner where despite showing an AP the letter giving us permission she told me: "we cannot let you put things in the mailboxes. Give it to me and the chapter leader will do it."

I explained I couldn't do that since there were different caucuses in the union and she might not be interested in handing out our info. Then she tried: "I'll have a school aide do it." I explained that the DOE doesn't want its employees being used on school time to do a chore like this which is why they give us permission. She still refused. "I'll have Tweed give you a call," I said. A slight look of panic on her face. "I'll be beck," I said in my best Arnold voice.

I then headed to Beach Channel High School campus where there are 5 schools located. Until you roam through one of these institutions you just don't get a complete picture of the disaster the Bloomberg multiple-schools-in-one building has become. After going through metal detectors I ran into an ICE/MORE supporter, one of the 19 remnants at Beach Channel, who said he'd do the leaflets for that school. Great. Now how to find the other schools. Most people didn't seem to know just how many schools were in the building or where they were if they did. I ran into loads of security people sitting in all the hallways who had little idea. BCHS campus is a massive 3 story building that used to be chock full of all kinds of activities going on as all comprehensive high schools used to have. Now it looks so empty with little visible signs of activity but little pockets for each school as I tracked them down one at a time. Every single person I met was extremely cooperative and friendly and I did all the schools in about a half hour.

I had a great conversation with one secretary. We knew many people in common and did some Sandy talk.

There were 2 secretaries in each of the schools and we talked about workload and how when a school like BC had 10-12 secretaries there was an efficient division of labor. Now each pair had to do all the work. Imagine: paying 5 principals and their APs and who knows how much duplication of work? And some people think Bloomberg is a great business manager? I told the secretary that just as ATT was broken up and then has recombined into basically 2 companies, one day all these fragmented schools will start merging or absorbing each other and we will find ourselves back with large schools.

Then it was on to the local middle school across the street, now transformed into a 6-12 school competing with the 5 high schools at BC. Already one of them that opened just a few years ago and was flying high is suffering from the attrition as this top rated 6-12 school draws some of their best students. (Makes sense to many parents to leave their child in one school for 6 years). But imagine: 6 high schools within 200 feet of each other. Of course this hard to get into 6-12 school can't take most kids, so there have to be other schools that will be forced to. Thus, the reinforcement of a dual school system – for both students and teachers – think of the different conditions teachers face in the schools with different populations. And they could be in schools down the hall or across the street. I mean, how crazy is this?

Then off to another elementary school building with 2 elementary schools competing for the same kids. The former neighborhood school in that building was closed down -- twice in a 5 year period with mostly new teachers each time. I remember going there with GEM leaflets in Jan. 2009 when the school was being closed/phased out for the second time. Really, someone ought to do a book. Or if there are any real investigative ed reporters left in town, an expose on this entire sham.

How interesting that the NY Times does exposes on China but turns its back on its own neighborhood.

Lois Weiner, Francesco Portelos, Brian Jones and More at MORE, Saturday: Dignity and Democracy in Education

Blowing the Whistle on the Culture of Fear and Corruption in NYC Public Schools  
 
For Immediate Release

Media Contact- Michael Schirtzer 

917-683-7014  

New York, NY --- New York City teachers are under siege.   In schools across the city… usually in hushed tones… teachers talk about their contractual rights  ---  rights hard-earned over many years of service: tenure; fair, objective and honest performance evaluations; the freedom to openly discuss educational issues without fear of retaliation. They worry that these rights are being gradually eroded or simply given away. After 10 years of living with a hostile, anti-union, and anti-teacher Department of Education, some educators have decided to confront this mentality head-on.

WHAT:  A Public Forum on New York City Public Schools.

WHEN:   Saturday, February 23, 3:00-5:00pm

WHERE: CUNY Graduate Center; 365 5th Avenue; New York, NY 10016 Room 5414 (34TH ST MIDTOWN)

WHY: MORE believes that teachers can't teach --- nor can they advocate effectively for students --- in the existing culture of fear.

This forum will include a panel of accomplished educators who have bravely chosen to confront the Department of Education directly on these issues. They will tell their own stories --- stories that involve putting their own careers in jeopardy by publicly advocating for their students and suffering vicious reprisals from the system as a consequence.

Together we will consider how to push back against the culture of fear; how to challenge hostile work environments;  the role of the UFT and union chapters in fighting for freedom of speech and freedom of thought; ways we can all work together to protect our rights on the job.

WHO: The Movement of  Rank & File Educators (MORE) – The Social Justice Caucus of the United Federation of Teachers is sponsoring this event. 

Panelists include:

Lois Weiner, Ed.D. Scholar-Activist, Author of "The Future of Our Schools: Teacher Unions and Social Justice" & Professor of Education at New Jersey City University 

http://www.loisweiner.org

Francesco Portelos - S.T.E.M. Teacher, UFT Chapter Leader & whistleblower, "rubber roomed" for exposing alleged financial corruption of school administration

http://protectportelos.org

Harris Lirtzman - Former Special Education/Mathematics Teacher charged with "employee misconduct" after reporting misadministration of his school's special-education program

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/07/nyregion/state-backs-up-accusation-by-harris-lirtzman-bronx-teacher-on-special-education-gotham.html

Moderated by:

Brian Jones - Teacher and Co-Narrator of the film "The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman"

http://brianpjones.tumblr.com

For more information contact: Michael Schirtzer media@morecaucusnyc.org

RSVP ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE

 www.morecaucusnyc.org                                                             more@morecaucusnyc.org

www.facebook.com/MOREcaucusNYC                                        Twitter.com/morecaucusnyc

NEW Caucus March in Newark Thursday

MORE's sister caucus in Newark, NEW Caucus, fought the Randi Weingarten negotiated regressive contract.

TOMORROW - 3:30 PM 

The MARCH FOR STRONG SCHOOLS, STRONG COMMUNITIES is finally here!

The march begins at George Washington Carver at 3:30, and will march east on Lyons Avenue before turning north on Bergen.  

We will then march past Belmont-Runyon and Shabbaz, and then on to Miller Street before turning north onto Broad Street.

We arrive at the Board of Education at 5:30 for a rally.  

We are asking ALL education workers, ALL parents, ALL concerned community members to come out to this show of solidarity against school closures, charters, "renews," and "turnarounds."  

We are also asking all of you to bring friends and colleagues to the march!

See you all tomorrow as we march in solidarity!

In Solidarity,

Newark Education Workers Caucus

(NEW Caucus)

 

NewarkEducationWorkersCaucus.com

862-367-9211 

Facebook.com/NEWCaucus

Twitter.com/NEWCaucus

YouTube.com/user/NEWCaucus

Google Calendar: NewarkEducationWorkersCaucus@gmail.com

Hear Me Tell a Story Thursday Night

I took a course in storytelling and we are telling our stories tomorrow night. I wrote this for this Friday's Wave but missed the deadline so it will be in the Mar. 1 edition, 2 days before my - gulp - 68th birthday. The reason I am posting this is that there will be a very sparse crowd as our storytelling class is down to 4 people and the others are all from out of town. So if you're in the neighborhood, come on down to 3 of Cups at 83 1st Ave at 5th St. Manhattan, NY 10003 (212) 388-0059 at 8PM tomorrow night. And my story won't have a word about edu-politics, ed deform or the UFT.
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Have I Got A Story to Tell

by Norm Scott

February 20

Is it safe to come out of the post-Sandy waters by writing about education issues again? Well, maybe not. Possibly when we are all enjoying the beach (I already bought my new Costco beach chairs and umbrella) again – if there is a beach. With most of my garden probably gone I’m thinking of turning my front lawn into a sandy beach, with a little pond full of salt water. Every so often I’ll toss something in to simulate a wave. 

While waiting for the beach season, I have been taking a weekly 5-session 3-hour class in storytelling where each week we all tell a story or two – not made up stories but based on real things which have happened to us. The idea is to shape our story with a beginning, middle and end while using narrative, some dialogue and some scenes – sort of like writing a piece of fiction except that these stories are expected to be true maybe with a light shading when memory fails. Afterward the class and instructor comment with the goal of developing the story into a coherent piece that would be presented in front of an audience. 

The day of reckoning has come and we are performing – actually not the right word – telling – our stories to an audience of invited friends and enemies at the “3 of Cups” restaurant on the lower east side. There are four of us left in the class as there have been a few dropouts. These personal stories have been fascinating, especially since I am old enough to be most of the other members’ of my class dad. The stories from the two young ladies (roughly 25) have been enlightening as were the two stories of the two older ladies, both of whom have dropped out after telling their “men are swine” stories (yes they are). The two other guys include a well-known artist from Shanghai and a financial analyst who told some wonderful tales. I was surprised at the stories from the young women and the relative lack of romance in their lives. Certainly an interesting insight given that I don’t get to talk “personal” with women that age. Everyone have been so totally supportive. What began as a whim – a way to kill a few winter weeks – has turned into an enriching experience. 

Each week I tried out a different story. My first kiss – a disaster. Another about my first trip to Europe on my own. I tried out a personal “day-of” Sandy story expecting that would be my performance piece. Somehow it didn’t feel right. While it had a beginning and a middle there is still no ending and it was hard to find a punchy closing line.

I really do have a whole lot of stories to tell and at times it was hard making a choice. Just the 35 years in the NYC school system contained a gold mine of material. What I ended up deciding to do was tell the story of how badly I wanted to go into space and basically having given up on the idea of being an astronaut, found the opportunity of a lifetime when NASA announced in the mid-80s they would send a teacher into space. I was one of 16,000 applicants. When the shuttle was due to take off we were in Antigua with the power out and not able to watch the launch. I was thinking about myself being at the top of that rocket as we were sitting on the plane waiting to take off when the captain announced the shuttle had crashed. I was in a state of shock the entire way home. As I went through the mail when we got back, there was a postcard from a friend with the message, “Norm, I’m so sorry you didn’t get to go on the shuttle.”

Well, I let me tell you one education thing – that we are in UFT election season with a new group I am associated with called Movement of Rank and File Educators (MORE) running as the alternative to the Unity Caucus ruling party with Julie Cavanagh as out presidential candidate opposing Michael Mulgrew. I will be visiting all the schools in Rockaway with election leaflets.

Julie Cavanagh Challenges Cathie Black on Schools She Chose for Her Children, UFT's Michael Mendel Confronts Black

Watch Julie in action here. OK. I'm going to be bi-partisan here by presenting strong speeches by both Julie and Michael at a PEP event. Why? Because I like Michael who I used to sit behind at NY Ranger games and have always had a cordial relationship with, as he does with most people. I do not consider him a Unity slug. Besides, I'm too lazy to re-edit the tape.

Note Julie's strong challenge to Black on the resources at the school she sent her children -- class sizes of 12 with an experienced teaching staff. This was the Jan. 2011 PEP. And by the way, Julie helped organize a rally at City Hall that month where 200 people showed up despite it being a snow day with about 15 inches. Mendel was supposed to speak at that rally but called me to say he was snowed in. Leo Casey took his place and we used footage of Leo in our film. Mendel makes a strong statement. I wish the UFT leadership always acted accordingly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qglFL2HGBSo

Come to NYCoRE's February Meeting for a Panel Discussion from MORE's Top Slate Candidates

RSVP for NYCoRE's General Meeting - Friday, February 22nd    Learn MORE about the Upcoming UFT Elections   The UFT election season is right around the corner and it's time to meet the candidates.  Join NYCoRE and the top candidates from the Movement of Rank and File Educators (MORE) to discuss the UFT elections and the MORE platform.  MORE's top candidates include Julie Cavanagh, Brian Jones, Camille Eterno, Michael Fiorillo, and Marissa Torres. In addition to our political education piece, there will be more ways to engage in critical discussions around issues affecting education.  Check out the following breakout groups: Anti-Racist White Educators Group People of Color Working Group of NYCoRE  UFT 101 - Join UFT members to learn more about the your rights as UFT members and the structure of the UFT. MORE UFT Election Campaign - Join MORE members to discuss ways to be involved in the upcoming elections.   New Teacher Group - Join other newish teachers in NYC to discuss issues affecting you and your classroom. Conference Planning Committee - Members will continue their awesome work of planning this year's conference.  Registration is open!  If you are interested in leading a break out group please e-mail Rosie at rosie@nycore.org.   Location: NYU Pless Hall 3rd Floor Lounge 82 Washington Square East New York, NY Time: 6:00 to 8:00 PM There will also be a NYCoRE 101 Session at 5:30 for folks who are new to NYCoRE and who would like to hear more about the organization and ways to plug into it. If you are interested, please RSVP here . Some food will be provided Please Bring ID Please  RSVP to give us a head count for food, and to notify security. For questions, or if you would like to facilitate a breakout group, please e-mail Rosie at Rosie@nycore.org Thanks, NYCoRE Member Committee http://www.nycore.org Support provided by the Union Square Award, a project of the Tides Center. New York Collective of Radical Educators www.nycore.org

MORE's Julie Cavanagh Exposes Eva Charter Schools

On May 21, 2011 (2 days after the premiere of the GEM film response to the ed deform film Waiting for Superman, The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman that Julie co-narrated, co-produced and co-wrote), Community Board 12 in upper Manhattan convened a panel to discuss charter schools.

Dennis Walcott was supposed to be on that panel but never showed up [he was as scared of Julie as Mike Mulgrew is]. Also Pedro Noguera, [former] chairman of the SUNY Charter Schools authorizing committee (which authorized both Eva/Success and UFT charter schools) and James Merriman, CEO of the NYC Charter School Center. They said their pieces and left before Julie Cavanagh got to go, clearly not wanting to hear what they were doing to undermine the public school system.

Merriman, as the charter school movement usually does, blamed the UFT for resistance, which if you know Julie, it was their LACK of resistance to a co-location of a charter in her school that activated her in the first place. In the early part of the 20-minute video Julie refutes this, showing the opposition to charters is growing from the grass roots far from being led by the UFT.

In the full presentation she presented a comprehensive case against the charter school movement (view it in full here) as she goes into details of her activation as she saw PAVE, with the complicity of Tweed, grab more and more at the expense of her school while the UFT stood on the sidelines.

Here is a short excerpt where she focuses on the inequities the Eva Moskowitz Success Academy brings into the schools.
http://youtu.be/z3XSm3b64Gk

UFT Shill Peter Goodman Lays Groundwork for UFT Continued Support of Mayoral Control

• I favor mayoral control....  – perhaps a broad-based screening panel, an appointed school board serving fixed terms. [TWEAKS]
• Geographic school boards did create a sense of community, unfortunately, too many were dominated by local politics and too many superintendents were mediocre at best.... 
• Whether we call them districts or networks, whether they are geographically contiguous or theme/affinity based the goal must be to build professional learning communities (PLC)... 
• Is it mayoral control or the specific mayor and the chancellor/superintendent?.... 
• In the era of Citizens United, elected school board candidates can raise unlimited dollars and partisans of vouchers or easing the firing of teachers and principals or the privatization of education could win elections. Mayoral control ties mayors to education – both the successes and the failures.... Peter Goodman (Ed in the Apple).

At least Goodman is willing to say openly what the UFT leadership is hiding -- that they support mayoral control --- maybe with a few tweaks -- like a fixed term for the PEP and maybe some different appointment procedure. At least until the UFT elections are over they won't say openly. Just see some of the Unity crybabies on the MORE blog asking: did Mulgrew ever say he supports mayoral control? We can say one thing for sure: that Goodman would not have written this piece if Mulgrew was opposed to mayoral control.

On his blog Goodman lays out the rationale the UFT will use in its refusal to join with others in calling for an end to mayoral control. Basically, as you read through the lines he in essence supports the Joel Klein type of reforms -- his main criticism is that Klein chose the wrong people.

It's not mayoral control but the mayor. Just because at least 32 out of the last 36 years we had mayors who trashed us should not be a factor. We want to hand all the power to one person instead of actually having people with a real stake in the system -- parents and teachers -- have any real power.

But then again why expect anything different from a shill who was an active supporter of the authoritarian top-down structure of the UFT? I was a witness for many years when Goodman was a District Rep -- an elected district rep -- I'll give him that. (I haven't heard him call for the election of district reps since Randi abolished them a decade ago.)

Elected school boards? The rich will buy them anyway. While he's not wrong here the idea of neighborhood school board elections here in NYC would give anyone who wanted to buy all of them a tough proposition. But he trashes that idea too. I will maintain that with all their corruption and crap local elections was still a better system than exists today under the mayor -- and it was a system that was being repaired and could have been reformed. (And Goodman as the UFT rep in district 22 flourished in that system.)

Goodman's blog makes it clear the UFT will never support such a system again, much preferring even a Bloomberg. I will say one thing: they have been consistent over the past 45 years in opposing any vestige of local control, even though they helped create the semi-coma like system following the '68 strike. But they never felt comfortable in that role, much preferring to deal with one person, even if it Bloomberg because they can always claim to be waiting whatever ogre is in power out, knowing full well the Unity shills will trumpet the waiting game as the perfect game plan.

Goodman essentially justifies the basic UFT/AFT support for much of the underpinnings of the ed deform movement, one of the major assaults being disassociating neighborhoods from the local schools and teachers, opening the way for them to be closed, privatized and replaced by charters.

In the world of Goodman: Neighborhood schools and support networks? Nah, not so important. Geography be damned. Let's have networks where people are scattered all over the place.

Oh, charters? Goodman supported the opening and co-location of 2 UFT charters inside public schools, with his son being placed in charge of the middle school (until booted) located in George Gershwin MS whose closing hearing will be held this Thursday. Not a word

Goodman was a noted supporter of closing schools, as was the UFT for so long, serving on a state committee that recommended closing many schools, including my high school alma mata, Thomas Jefferson. Yes, the Goodman family has had a role in closing 2 of the 3 public schools I went to. I'm not telling them my elementary school.

Susan Ohanian Update

Confiscated Plan Books Languish in Death Valley Repository

NOTE: The product below is gluten-free; contains no peanuts, pesticides, or growth-enhancing hormones. However, exposure to sensitive content may cause rapid heartbeat, dizziness, blurred vision, rash, seizure, or temper tantrum.

by Susan Ohanian

Death Valley--At 282 feet (86 m) below sea level in the Mohave Desert, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation maintains the Substation for Confiscated Lesson Plans. It is a secure site that bears all the marks of a prison: high stone walls topped with concertina wire, uniformed guards shouting into walkie-talkies, forsaken teachers pacing the compound's edge, waiting for a sign of hope.

Jennie Worthsome, 15-year-veteran kindergarten teacher, waited as Foundation officials reviewed the seizure of her lesson plans twenty-three months ago. Ms. Worthsome's planbook indicated time for fingerpainting.

http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_news.php?id=892

http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_cartoons.php?id=855

George posted this Eggplant--with funny illustration--and better headline:
http://www.substancenews.net/articles.php?page=4002&section=Article

Forgive me, I've read it half a dozen times and still think it's funny. Hey, if you don't enjoy your own writing, then it's time to shut up.

Warning to Put on So-Called Education News
http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_cartoons.php?id=856

Compare Tarantino Body Count with Gates Foundation Body Count
http://susanohanian.org
/show_nclb_cartoons.php?id=854

Occupy Kindergarten
http://susanohanian.org/cartoon_fetch.php?id=723

I ordered this T-shirt. It comes in every color imaginable.

The Rich Really Are Different
http://susanohanian.org/cartoon_fetch.php?id=722

Even Radiologists Miss the Gorilla in the Room
http://susanohanian.org/cartoon_fetch.php?id=720

Our Tax Dollars at Work Creating Huge Teacher Memory Hole
http://susanohanian.org/cartoon_fetch.php?id=719

I'm late in discovering Doug Martin's remarkable work:          The Truth Behind The Project School Closing: The Indiana Corporate School Complex. It was a bear to post with all the valuable hot links and having to rekey all the diacritical marks. Whine. Whine. Having done the work, I've posted it in two places--as Outrage of the Day and as Research Worth Reading. When you'll see why. Think about the work it took to dig up all this information, and here I sit griping about the work to post it.

Susan

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STEM as Vermont's urban myth?
William Mathis
Vermont Digger
2013-02-18
http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=423

Yes, it says 'Vermont' in the headline but this is a piece EVERYONE needs to read.  Read and send to media, school boards, etc.

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Former education commissioner blasts Common Core process — update
Valerie Strauss and  Robert Scott
Washington Post Answer Sheet
2012-02-13
http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=422

Former Texas Commissioner of Education Robert Scott spills the beans about being asked to sign on to the Common Core before the standards were written. He's on the stump in various states fighting the Common core. In Kansas, he teamed up with Sandra Stotsky.

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Strike for America: The CTU and the Democrats
Micah Uetricht

2013-02-17
http://susanohanian.org/show_commentary.php?id=1074

The Chicago Teachers Union can teach the rest of the country an important lesson. . . if they have the guts to learn from it. The article documents  the corrupt neoliberal education policies of the democratic party.

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Professor Leaves a MOOC in Mid-Course in Dispute Over Teaching
Steve Kolowich
The Chronicle: Wired Campus
2013-02-18
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1520

LOTS of students drop out of MOOCs. Here's a story about a professor who dropped out mid-course.

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‘This American Life’ Looks at a High School Marooned in Violence
David Carr
NY Times Media Decoder blog
2012-02-15
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1519

Here's a strong piece about a strong program from This  American Life. Don't miss either!

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The Truth Behind The Project School Closing: The Indiana Corporate School Complex
Doug Martin
Common Errant
2012-07-21
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1518

You'll find below a meticulous documentation of 'Follow the Money'. It documents a horrendous corporate takeover of community schools and community values.

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Popular Public School Loses Out to Charter School for Space in Harlem
Jeff Mays
DNA Info: NY Neighborhood News
2012-02-13
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1517

The New York DOE gives Harlem space to charter with deep pockets instead of progressive public school with proven track record.

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The State of the Union: an old fartish complaint
Doug Henwood
LBO News: Insta-punditry on Political Economy
2012-02-15
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1516

Henwood takes a look at the reading levels of presidential state of the union addresses.

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Why wealthy foreigners invest in U.S. charter schools
Valerie Strauss
Washington Post Answer Sheet
2012-02-15
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1515

It turns out that super-rich foreigners are forking over big money to American charters.

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Foundations Fund National Education Reform Program at UK
Press Release
University of Kentucky
2012-02-11
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1514

This is a love (of money) fest--everybody clapping everybody else on the back.

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Occupy Kindergarten
Susan Ohanian

0000-00-00
http://susanohanian.org/show_yahoo.php?id=802

Every teacher should occupy her/his own classroom.

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The Truth Behind The Project School Closing: The Indiana Corporate School Complex
Doug Martin
Common Errant
2012-02-08
http://susanohanian.org/show_research.php?id=512

Here is a meticulous documentation of 'Follow the Money.' It documents a horrendous corporate takeover of community schools and community values.

It shows what's likely coming to your community next.

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Confiscated  Plan Books Languish in Death Valley Repository
Susan Ohanian
blog
2013-02-18
http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_news.php?id=892

I can't help myself.

Youth Justice Event, Saturday February 23rd

We are having a large event this upcoming Saturday 2/23 to promote our work to raise the age of criminal responsibility in New York- currently we are one of only two states in the whole nation where all 16 and 17 year olds in the justice system are treated as adults. --- Gabrielle Prisco

Gabrielle is the daughter of our pals Gene and Loretta Prisco who have been part of the teacher union political movement since I met them c. 1971. Amongst the founders of the Coalition of School Workers in the 70s and of ICE in 2003 and working with MORE nowadays, they are also key political players in many areas beyond education, mostly in Staten Island.
Gabrielle is a social justice lawyer working with juvenile justice issues. Here is her announcement.

Please join the Correctional Association of New York's Raise the Age Campaign, the National Black Theatre and Lyrics From Lockdown at a FREE COMMUNITY TOWN HALL on Saturday, February 23 at 3:30 pm at the National Black Theatre, where impacted youth, parents, and community members will discuss New York's shameful practice of prosecuting children as adults.

The Town Hall is free and open to all who wish to attend, but we do request that you RSVP.  Register for the FREE February 23 Raise the Age Town Hall here.

You are also invited to purchase tickets for Lyrics From Lockdown, a phenomenal one-man show by Bryonn Bain exploring his own wrongful imprisonment after graduation from Harvard Law School and the story of Nanon Williams, sentenced to death in Texas at age 17. On Saturday February 23rd (the day of the Town Hall) there are shows at both 2pm and 8pm.

After the Sunday February 24th 4pm Lyrics performance (closing night) there will be an Artist talkback featuring Harry Belafonte, Executive Producer of Lyrics From Lockdown.

To purchase your Lyrics from Lockdown tickets, please visit the National Black Theatre’s website: www.nationalblacktheatre.org

NEW YORK IS ONE OF ONLY TWO  STATES IN THE NATION that automatically treats all 16- and 17-year-olds in the criminal justice system as adults. These young people are subject to lifelong criminal records and if detained or incarcerated are almost always right alongside adults in adult jails and prisons. New York also prosecutes children as young as 13, if charged with certain serious offenses, as adults. Children in adult jails are 36 times more likely to commit suicide than children in juvenile detention. Children in adult prisons are twice as likely to be beaten up by staff, five times more likely to be sexually assaulted, and far more likely to be attacked with weapons than youth in juvenile facilities. Children in adult jails and prisons are frequently placed in solitary confinement for up to 23 hours a day.  To learn more about this issue and join in our efforts, please contact the Correctional Association's Raise the Age Campaign Manager Angelo Pinto at apinto@correctionalassociation.org.

http://www.correctionalassociation.org/news/join-us-for-lyrics-from-lockdown-the-raise-the-age-community-conversation-series.

Dewey Chapter Leader On Union Capitulation

It is clear that the UFT will continue to engage in the Big Lie of "due process" with the rating sheets for as long as they can hide behind the veil they have perfected: they cannot over-rule the DOE, no matter the unjust nature of the rating- they can only "go through the motions" of giving you your "day in (kangaroo) court!!!"
 ---- Martin Haber, Chapter Leader, John Dewey HS, Brooklyn

Marty Haber was elected chapter leader at John Dewey HS this past fall, defeating the incumbent Unity Caucus candidate by more than a 2-1 margin. Marty's election, considering he is not a guy known for being light on the trigger, is a signal to Unity that people are just plain fed up.

Norm, and all,

Another example, close to home for me, of union capitulation: I went for my "sham due process" (my "U" rating "hearing" at the DOE); just the fact that my principal can sit back in her office and communicate by speakerphone while "the accused" has to be there in that little shite office in person says a whole lot about who holds the cards, and who gave up their hand; even "skype" would allow me to "face my accuser", she'd have to look me in the eye as she lies. 

And then to defend myself and have a really strong, lawyerly advocate take the principal's argument apart for a good hour, and THEN be told by that same advocate that "someone in the district office"- NOT the functionary "hearing officer", who is just a "ref"- decides if the "U" stands or not- and they ALWAYS decide (the first "U", at least!) that it STANDS, well, that's really the height of cynicism. So, I got "my day in court", and now that I'm "shop steward" at Dewey, I have to get ready for the 2nd "U". But maybe I will take the route that Peter Lamphere did, and hire my own defense. It is clear that the UFT will continue to engage in the Big Lie of "due process" with the rating sheets for as long as they can hide behind the veil they have perfected: they cannot over-rule the DOE, no matter the unjust nature of the rating- they can only "go through the motions" of giving you your "day in (kangaroo) court!!!"

Martin

NYSUT Ianuzzi Echos Weingartenization of our Union

The message from NYSUT Prez Dick Ianuzzi was:  Hey folks I got us the best deal we could hope for : half a turd  sandwich. But look on the bright side, we don't have to eat the whole thing.  
 We need to be careful not to let our passions get the best of us says this NEA/AFT mouthpiece. What we need to do is remember that we are negotiating with enemies.... Another of this so called leader's aphorisms is "We don't do ourselves any good by dying on the barricades." Hmmmm. Is this Ghandi talking or is this more of the Randi Weingartenization of our unions? ---- b-loedscene blog

All you have to do is go to the MORE blog and read the Unity caucus whiners about how tough it is to fight Bloomberg (as it was too tough to fight Giuliani and Koch and Lindsay -- the last mayor who was easy was Wagner.) You can see their campaign theme all over the place. These commentors clearly have a big stake in keeping MORE from making inroads.

 
One thing we know. There is no Churchill in the spines of the leaders of the UFT/AFT/NYSUT.

NYSUT Comes to Town, Reminds Us We Need to Know Our Place

Queens UFT District Rep Under Scrutiny

And the District Rep sell-out tour continues. So many have such cozy relationships with principals and beyond.

Well, we knew that over time the end of elections a decade ago, with people retiring (many of the older DRs who were appointed by Randi after 2002 had been elected so still had some loyalty to the chapter leaders) many in the new crop don't feel they owe the chapter leaders anything.

Unrest from below: Received from one school:

What do you do when a certain Queens District Rep gets too cozy with the principals?

Teachers in this DR's district are completely FED UP with this DR:

• misinforming chapter leaders and members
• discouraging any grievances from being filed
• telling chapter leaders principals can "do whatever they want"
• having inappropriate friendships with principals and superintendents 
• not being trusted by members
• only being in it for the perks
• not addressing complaints on principals
• misrepresenting the contract

I take the position that MORE will be build one brick - and one school at time. This is coming not from the usual activists inside the UFT beltway, and the MORE these come, the MORE MORE will grow. That's how I measure growth, not by vote counts every 3 years but by what is happening underneath. But if MORE doesn't provide whatever support it can to these schools (which currently it not much) it will come to seem as distant as the leadership. MORE is in the early days of developing a structure but to do this bottom up requires some analysis and thinking it through.

If this school and district become a MORE outpost that would be a breakthrough in an historic Unity support area. That takes putting some organizational effort into this but it is not always clear to me how to go about this. Right now MORE is still basically centralized but must figure this stuff out. I am just too old to get into the kind of effort this will take but I hope the younger gen of activists are capable of doing this.

Unity Caucus: 15 Minutes From Destruction

If the earth's orbit had been delayed by 15 minutes, the 150 foot long meteor aimed at the earth would have landed at 52 Broadway instead of passing 17,000 miles away. The UFT leadership took immediate credit for saving the UFT building and possibly much of New York itself, though many at 52 Broadway were seen using body language to try to nudge the meteor towards City Hall.

Unity Caucus members were quick to give President Mike Mulgrew credit for delaying the orbit long enough for the meteor to pass by going to court and suing Mayor Bloomberg over closing schools, an act that slowed down time but will not delay the closings. Inside the UFT there were mixed feelings as the meteor landing would have been the only way to stop this year's school closing agenda.

"The fact that so many in our union take what we have for granted is proof that the UFT does a great job. Those union dues go a long way," said Unity Caucus member John Bartley who was quick to blame MORE for not doing enough to deflect the meteor.