#AFT14 Report: When Will the UFT/AFT Reclaim the Promise of a Democratic Union?

....independence of thought is a liability in Unity.  The democracy is a sham and I pledge to challenge it as I also pledge to challenge misguided corporate reforms... Arthur Goldstein 

AFT President Randi Weingarten kicked off the AFT national convention.... by outline a bold plan to both fight back and fight forward to reclaim the promise of America and create economic and educational opportunity for all.... AFT News Press Release 

You know I'm not all negative, having had some great conversations with so many people here and even with Unity folk -- we often get along great when we are away. And I even hear what some of them are saying. But you cannot watch some of the stuff I've seen and heard from Mulgrew and Randi that are so hypocritical and in some cases outright lies.

Who can disagree with the "Reclaim the Promise of America" theme of this convention? It is an attack on the people who have deformed not only education but the economy, the political structure and just about anything else that could be deformed. [And let me say here that my creation of the "ed deform" term has even made it her as part of some official events. Darn, I shoulda trademarked it.]

But behind it all is the fact that the very concept of a democratic society has been deformed and unless that is reclaimed - or claimed in the first place - there is no reclaiming any of the rest. Yet the slavish devotion of Randi, the AFT, the UFT and most of American labor to the deformed Democratic Party - see one Andrew Cuomo as exhibit #1 -- undermines the very nature of the "reclaim" theme.

But even worse, is the lack of democracy in the AFT/UFT Union Educational Industrial Complex (thanks to Lenny Isenberg for this one). Let's brand it UEIC - which can be morphed into YUCK!

At last night's social justice unionism SRO event with Mulgrew, Karen, Alex and others - which Randi just had to crash - I heard statements that had us MOREistas smacking our heads and rending our garments. I won't get into this astounding event that mixed dozens of Unity people with dozens of CORE and LATU people in one space. I have some video which will say it all (and I'll leave it to the readers to find the mis-truths and outright lies.)

Alex and Karen both said social justice unionism is not possible without starting out with a democratic union down to its roots. So at this point I'll let my pal Arthur Goldstein take over and address the point that Randi must first reclaim the promise of a democratic union that doesn't send a block of 800 votes with one brain or that doesn't have a 100% Executive Board endorsed by Unity Caucus.

Will Weingarten Pledge to Stand with Us in Supporting True Union Democracy? - 

Ms. Weingarten sent me a pledge from the halls of the AFT Convention in L.A. today.  The pledge concluded with these words:  "While we're fighting for big things, no action is too small.  We need you to do whatever you can.  Commit to engage your colleagues in the fight.  To build power at the ballot box.  To share our work online and in person.  To work hand in hand with the communities we serve."
I must know whether Ms. Weingarten is sincere and if her invitation applies to all.  Will UFT Unity delegates be able to engage their colleagues and their communities if the views differ from those of Unity's leadership?  The AFT can never truly represent the views of its rank and file in a democratic sense so long as UFT Unity, the tail that wags two dogs,  both NYSUT and the AFT, is not truly democratic.
Some of the most committed and experienced individuals have faced a Unity lockout for years now because, put quite simply, they refuse to swear to vote the Unity line and adhere to all Unity policies in public.
How will I know whether our Union truly wishes to represent its rank and file and tolerate free discussion or whether it merely wishes to represent the views of a mysterious few in leadership positions whom largely seem out of touch with active members?
1.  UFT Unity would need to discard loyalty oaths and palm cards (which instruct delegates how to vote), cutting the purse strings of a vast patronage system that provides lucrative employment in union offices, double pensions, fancy trips and other privileges only to those who sign away the right to vote their conscience or that of their constituency if they differ from the Unity party line.
2.  The slate voting tied to a winner-take-all system in UFT elections would need to change.  MORE received 40% of the high school vote in the last election.  Yet, not a single MORE rep. is allowed to sit on the Executive Board.  This is not democracy.
3.  District Reps. would need to be elected.  In the past, chapter leaders were allowed to pick their reps.  Now, they are appointed, in a completely undemocratic way, and they are all Unity.
4.  The UFT would need to allow more debate in which all sides are allowed equal time and the voice of critics, who are die-hard unionists, are not summarily dismissed or stifled.  There would need to be far greater transparency as well. We deserve to know a lot more about how our representatives vote on each issue and we need to hold them accountable.
5.  The U.F.T. should stop the charade of empowering retirees with greater voting power as a means to guarantee its stranglehold on elections.
If Unity cannot share power with those who have differing views, it is really no better than a bully on the playground. It intimidates its own caucus members to fall in line by threatening to withdraw lucrative benefits and access to the party.  It bullies nonmembers by marginalizing them and failing to give them the representation they deserve.
As an educator, I favor free thought and expression. As it stands now, UFT Unity doesn't want its delegates to choose wisely, as advised by Roosevelt in the quote above; it simply wants them to rubber stamp leadership decisions.  They don't need much of a brain to do that.  And, it's a terrible shame; as an educator I hate to see intelligence go unrecognized.  Yet, independence of thought is a liability in Unity.  The democracy is a sham and I pledge to challenge it as I also pledge to challenge misguided corporate reforms. 

#AFT14 Updated - Former Chicago TU Pres Debbie Lynch Calls for Arne Duncan Resignation

Lynch, who was CTU president from 2001-04 and ran and lost in '07 and '10 and is now a delegate from a college, made a special resolution calling for Duncan resignation. This came as a surprise to Randi and pretty much everyone in the house it seems since there was already a planned similar reso, as pointed out by Randi, that she knew about in advance. She suggested they be combined. They are finishing the committee nursing resos.

5PM. I think I reported earlier that word was out that the leadership would not openly oppose this -- as some have pointed out - the AFT never likes to look less militant than the NEA, which called for the end of Duncan's reign. And so it is

Lynch at mic captures the limelight. Needing a 2/3 vote to put on agenda tomorrow's calendar, it passes unanimously. Will be on agenda tomorrow.

Afterburn
Mulgrew got a lot of air time this afternoon, making a few speeches, showing a video introducing de Blasio and being praised to the sky by Cynthia Nixon and her partner, who works at Tweed now.

Lots going on in next few hours. There is the panel at 7PM with Caputo-Pearl, Lewis, Mulgrew and others. And a rally at Staples protesting their role in breaking postal workers.

#AFT14 Report - Recaps and Trends

CTU is the outlier in this convention, battle-scarred and ready to fight. The NYC delegation has the numbers to vote them down.  ... Diane Ravitch, On AFT Convention

..the UFT delegation votes in lockstep, regardless of how the individual members think, and thus the result is foregone... In the Bronx, we know that Gates money broke up our schools, created a mess, and then disappeared. We live the aftermath every day....  Jonathan Halabi

So lots happening on many fronts. I'm not getting into speakers I have no interest in. Some quickies - no chronological order.

Diane Ravitch has excellent report based AFT reports from Unity shill Peter Goodman -Diane goes as far as I've seen trashing them if you read between the lines. Peter Goodman: A Report from Inside the AFT Convention.
I'll try to get back with a close reading of this post later.

Peter Goodman regularly blogs about education in New York. He is close to the UFT leadership in New York City and thus has good sources. Here is his update from inside the AFT convention. Reading this, I conclude that the AFT will not call for Arne Duncan’s resignation. This is the first time in my memory that the AFT was less militant than its larger brethren and sisters in the NEA. It appears that there will be a floor debate about the Common Core. The Chicago Teachers Union is opposed to it. If my reading of the tea leaves is right, the New York City delegation is prepared to shoot that resolution down too. CTU is the outlier in this convention, battle-scarred and ready to fight. The NYC delegation has the numbers to vote them down.

We reported that they already shot the CTU common core reso down yesterday. Great that Diane recognizes some realities - there are Diane bashers out there - not me - she continuously evolves but won't break all the eggs with unions like some people want - not her place to do that but I do feel she must not enable Randi by praising her when she plays political games. I see this post by Diane as one of her stronger pieces on the union.

LA Mayor Garcetti, a Vergara decison supporter, in a Bill Gates moment, is now speaking. UFB and WTF.
He is sick and tired of seeing teachers getting beat up - he's holding a truncheon behind his back.

Jeez they talked about another AFT dues increase - which you will see reflected in your union dues. Double Jeez - Detroit Fed of Teachers Keith Johnson rises to support dues increase. Let's just take it out of Detroit teacher pensions - You know I would not oppose a dues increase - not that I have a vote - but we know they are not accountable to anyone on how they spend the money.

Interesting how Randi controls things. 10-year old Chicago superstar, Asean Johnson, who keynoted at the NYCORE conference and also highlighted the May 17 SOS rally in NYC is the speaker. Many were looking forward to Karen Lewis speaking after him but she was given a very limited role after Asean to introduce someone else.

Karen looking much slimmer -- getting in shape to run for mayor against Rahm? -- looking increasingly more likely according to some observers. How that event would affect the union is leading to some speculation. Who would take over as CTU head? Betting is on Jesse Sharkey who would be excellent, though there will be red-baiting due to his being ISO. If anyone can deal with that issue, it is Jesse.

Interesting question: CTU contract expires June 2015. Mayoral election is Feb. 2015 with a runoff in May of no one gets majority. Imagine Karen and Rahm in runoff a month before CTU contract. Bette scenario - Karen wins and has to negotiate with Jesse. Oh, what fun.

Another interesting question: CORE must run again in May 2016. How much of a toll will assault on union with closing schools and layoffs take? What about a scenario where due to whatever, Karen doesn't run?

Obviously I'm speculating here because I am bored over Rules report.

Met an adult ed teacher from LA and connected him up to adult ed teacher from NYC.

Ran into Jonathan Halabi who is sitting in press section. [I felt we made some peace with each other after Julie and I from MORE met with some New Action people met back in November]. He is blogging and had some astute observations that seem more pertinent and directed than what I've been doing - here are a few with a link to his blog below.

On Arne Duncan, Jonathan told me UFT/AFT will not oppose - openly at least - meaning Unity is free to vote the way they want? Watch final vote to see if they are not opposing behind the scenes - see my last post [on Proposed Anti-Duncan Reso - Let the Members Decide].

There’s not a “Duncan Resign” resolution coming from the leadership to the floor. On the other hand, what will the AFT tops and UFT do if someone else brings one to the floor?  Earlier this year NYSUT (New York State United Teachers) replaced most of their top leadership – largely because the previous year that leadership, confronted with a “John King Resign” resolution, animated by anger and frustration, said no. The UFT stepped aside, and the President and all but one VP were replaced. And the UFT walked away unscathed. So now it’s national, the AFT, and the anger is aimed at Duncan, not King, and if there is a “Dump Duncan” reso from the floor, maybe that’s a big if, but if there’s one, wouldn’t the UFT do the same thing, step aside and let the anger be directed towards passing a resolution that really doesn’t mean much anyway? Duncan has two years left. And the AFT’s voice would be a late addition to a fairly loud chorus.

Jonathan brings up some points on AFT and international events below. I have a long blog post coming up on this point - Vera Pavone is back home slaving over a document we hope we can give out at the UFT history event Wed night. The other night I heard stories of how Randi continues AFT 60 year policy of trying to influence teacher unions - much more left than the AFT - around the world - away from militancy. Then I see that Peter Goodman chairs the AFT International committee and it is an AHA moment. Not much has changed since AFT and Vietnam. Back to Jonathan:

The AFT’s has a long history of taking pro-war positions, and only later modifying some of them (eg Viet Nam). When I was a delegate in 2010 in Seattle, the AFT pushed an Iran resolution that was clearly meant to encourage the hawks in DC. And this time? A Ukraine resolution. No real news, except that it barely squeaked out of committee – just a two vote margin.

Some good points on the competing Common Core resos from Chicago and AFT/UFT.

The Chicago Teachers Union resolution “Oppose the Common Core Standards” was defeated in committee. The AFT tops / UFT resolution “The Role of Standards in Public Education” was passed. These are counterposed.
The official resolution continues bad AFT policy from the past. In a section at the top, they laud the standards, in seven bullet points creating a slide show that looks like pure promotion (it would be interesting if this turns out to have been lifted). In another section at the top of the resolution, they say “some AFT members oppose and distrust…” Notice the weak argument, based on “some people.” But then in seven bullet points, they dwell on testing and implementation. This echoes a June 20 e-mail many of us received from Mulgrew: “Everyone recognizes that the Common Core, while the right direction for education, had a terrible rollout.”  No. Not everyone.
“The AFT” it reads “will continue to support the promise of CCSS…”  That’s the bottom line. And will support a shift away from “excessive testing” begging the question of which tests those are, and exactly how much high stakes testing and standardized testing the AFT is happy with.
There will be debate on the floor, but the UFT delegation votes in lockstep, regardless of how the individual members think, and thus the result is foregone.

Halabi comes to the same place Ravitch did in her post.

And here he nails them to the wall on the Gates money.

That committee also rejected a resolution (California Federation of Teachers) to reject any more Bill Gates money. It’s hard to fathom how Ed Reform $$$ do not buy influence. In the Bronx, we know that Gates money broke up our schools, created a mess, and then disappeared. We live the aftermath every day.

Finally, on Randi speech, voice, and continuous use of Badass term:

[Randi] completely appropriated the term “badass” to the point that, when she asked Badass Teachers to stand up, only a small numbers of those present did. I’m assuming embarrassment kept others in their seats. Weingarten’s writers have a voice problem. Her natural Rockland – big words, not all of them bungled, many of them used correctly - it’s not what you want for a long speech. But what to do? As she moved section to section, the voice, the register, they changed and shifted. A good speaker might pull it off, maybe to great effect. Here, many of us focused on the words, since the delivery jumped rapidly from awkward, to natural, and back again. Even the attempts at self-deprecation often seemed forced. And the audience seemed to cringe collectively at her “homey” moment.

Here is a link to his full post.

AFT 2014 Convention – Friday

AFT Convention 2014 Video: Randi Laugh Riot - on Proposed Anti-Duncan Reso - Let the Members Decide

Saturday, July 12, 2014
I have a stitch in my side from laughing after watching this video. OK. We can stop laughing now and watch the short segment I am putting up on the Duncan censure issue that I taped at Randi's press conference yesterday. (I have more video to post on the common core issue, also with her "let the members decide" - and I taped this moments before the Unity machine stepped on the Chicago CC reso.)

Randi's claims she is letting the members decide and her response to my question touching on how things really are done in the AFT/UFT Educational Industrial Complex (thanks to my new best friend Lenny Isenberg for this line) will give our usual readers a howl. Especially if you followed the antics yesterday of the UFT shock troops - led by Mulgrew - in stepping on the Chicago Common Core reso. (AFT Convention Update: Chicago CC Reso Goes Down Overwhelmingly in Committee)

And to my Unity pals who claim Mulgrew is "different" than Randi and his own man - well, you know.
Oh - and to some of my Chicago friends who also believe that crap being pushed on them by Mulgrew himself - that he has increasing differences with Randi - double "well."

And Randi's claim that she and I were separated at birth is absolutely true.

http://youtu.be/6WtNCNMXVNU

AFT Convention Update: Chicago CC Reso Goes Down Overwhelmingly in Committee

UPDATE: Heard tonight that suddenly lots more people were added to the committee, apparently to overwhelm Chicago on the reso, according to some sources. When you control the machinery you have many areas where you can manipulate outcomes..

Normie's lesson of the day: A group not in power cannot win aiming for a simple majority. 60% may translate into 50-50 or worse. In other words, out-muscle them.

Voters supporting CTU CC reso stand in support - est 25-30%.

Since we were not allowed in, we were watching the Education Issues Committee debate from outside the glass doors. With long lines at the mic, it was clear that Chicago TU people did not have the muscle to win the room over to its anti- common core resolution to counter the Weingarten pro common core - with conditions.

Stephen Sawchuk @Stephen_Sawchuk  · 

Press not permitted in resolutions committees, but through window it was clear only @CTULocal1 delegates supported the tougher res. #AFT14

Stephen Sawchuk @Stephen_Sawchuk  · 

It looks like the softer #CCSS resolution passed committee. #AFT14

But just like at home where winning a majority is not enough, the Unity Caucus block voting machine (they model the block-voting Hassidic community) which controls the AFT did bit leave any stones unturned.

Having experienced Unity tactics in the last 2 conventions, the CTU crew tried to get a step ahead. One of them asked me how much earlier they should get there to gain seats near the mics. "You should have left yesterday," I said.

Well, they got there early enough to get seats at the mics. Seeing the situation, never underestimate the slugs. They just cleared the room to force the CTU people out of their seats and had everyone re-enter, thus allowing Unity and allies to capture the seats around the mics. One CTUer left a bag on the seat. But when she got back, the bag had been moved and Mulgrew was sitting in the seat (photo right).

The CTU should have brought chains and locked themselves to their chairs - make Unity use a fork lift to get them out. Actually, I need to share some of my "I refuse to move, call the cops" stories with Chicago. Just don't move when they tell you to and invite them to call the cops. I once lay down on a table in the lobby at the DA when they told me to remove our lit. Think that is why they think I'm crazy or is it just my imagination?

I think mid-westerners are just too nice.

-----
On the Arne Duncan reso front -- I was at Randi's press conference today where she told the press that she and I were separated at birth - some stuff only our crew in NYC will find funny. I have a tape but gist is this -- Randi is letting the members decide what to do - ho, ho, ho -- and if someone brings a reso on Arne up it will be debated -- pretty interesting in admitting in essence that she can stop any debate by calling out the Unity machine.

Stephen Sawchuk at Ed Week has a report:

Will AFT Call For Sec. Duncan's Removal?

Breaking - AFT Rumor - Reso on Duncan Coming? Randi Crit Duncan in Keynote - But Doesn't Go Deep

Just heard rumor that special order of business will be proposed for a reso either calling for resignation or censoring of Arne Duncan is coming from California Teachers Association - NEA crew who have some people here.


Keynote still on:
Randi just mentioned NYSUT call for State Ed Comm John King resignation - and mentions NEA Duncan reso -- now attacking Duncan but not calling for resignation.

Let's see how things play out tomorrow as this afternoon is all about the committees.

She just defended due process - as opposed to going back to patronage system - but now talks about we won't tolerate sexual predators -- of course - what is she - Campbell Brown -- I mean why go there? She says we must protect people targeted and also those with distorted ratings based on VAM - you can't make some of this stuff up.

I'm at press table with Ed Week  Stephen Sawchuk 
who is tweeting at 
@Stephen_Sawchuk
 

AFT Convention Roundup: Travel Day Part 2 - Common Core, Mulgrew Joins Caputo-Pearl and Lewis on Social Justice Unionism Panel -

See Part 1: LA Confidential: AFT Travel Day, Part 1

See - RBE at Perdido: Is Randi Weingarten REALLY Getting The Message?

NYC Educator touches on the AFT Convention: The Myth of the Myth of the Blogger Beast.


OK - lots to report in this part 2 of yesterday's activities - I'm writing this up Friday around 10AM while sitting at the press table listening to opening speeches so I will flip back and forth at times. Lots of rousing speeches -- and they will change little.

Note - convention is being live-streamed - AFT.org - so I won't be taping much -- I will focus on the debates tomorrow and Sunday.

First let me catch up from yesterday: Thursday, July 10, 4-10 PM

Mulgrew on social justice unionism panel with Lewis and Caputo-Pearl

Some  people are raising questions on how Mulgrew got on Saturday's social justice unionism panel with LA Pres Alex Caputo-Pearl and Karen Lewis -- along with the St. Paul TU president who gets mixed reviews from real reformers ---  see the bottom of this piece for Lee Sustar's description and analysis.

Behind the scenes there is talk that the there was a lot of pressure to include Mulgew on the SJ panel so he can enforce his claim in NYC that Unity/UFT is a social justice organization doing similar work to other SJ unions -- oh, they love that astro-turf - never needs watering.

After the Chicago party I went with about 20 CTU folks to a place called Perch where you have to take 2 elevators and stairs and other paths to the top of a building with a great view and where if you drink too much... well - I took a gander and hit the wall - and with a long walk back to my hotel, left around 10PM.

Hanging with Jia Lee

There is no better way to spend a few hours than hanging out with Jia Lee (MORE, CTS) – as I find out since Jia is always doing so many things at once this is the first time we’ve had the opportunity to just hang and chat. After we register we decide to get something to eat since for me it is around 7PM. We run into CTU folks who invite us to their reception tonight (7-9PM) at a place on 5th Street, just a few blocks from my hotel.

As we walked by the Progressive Caucus (national Unity but without the loyalty oath) table, we considered spending $25 each to join so we could go to their 5PM meeting to hear how they will try to trash the Chicago reso opposing common core. I like to expose the hypocrisy of the so-called progressive Unity people as they fall in line totally behind Randi -- message to Unity people who say Mulgrew is not totally in line with her.

It took us about 3 seconds to decide it wasn't worth it.

Over dinner we shared some interesting stories. I didn't know that Jia came to us 2 years ago after seeing our web site on our film. Since then she has been a whirlwind of activity as chapter leader, teacher, parent, opt-out activist and MOREista. She's staying out at her parents' house at Laguna Beach for the summer and we'll miss her but she will get some much needed down time. Let me say that it is Jia and people like her who will remake the UFT from the bottom up - but only if more like her have the same kind of switch turned on by some issue or event. That's how I count progress in growing an alternative to Unity -- by units of Jia.

We walked over to the Chicago event before 7PM in a very nice outdoor space. We were a bit early so we grabbed a table and called Mike Schirtzer to send some tranquilizers over the airwaves. (Is there a 3000 mile dart we can fire?) Mike was low-key after his trip to the World Cup in Brazil --- for a few days.

The place filled up - from a distance I saw Karen Lewis looking fabulous. Former CTU president Debbie Lynch, who won election as a reformer in 2001, was there, which seemed to surprise some people. Older CORE people had been part of Debbie's PACT Caucus which still ran in the 2010 election and got 15% of the vote which Debbie through to CORE in the runoff.

Meeting R.E.A.C.H. from Minn

After Jia went home I was invited to join a table of CTU and Minneapolis people. There were 5 ladies from REACH - a fairly new caucus - wearing the same red and white tees we have in MORE. What a great group of people who won 9 seats on the Ex Bd in the recent election and between high 30s and high 40s for officer positions. "But we didn't win an officer position," one of them said. I laughed just thinking that we will pass through a cycle of global warming and a new ice age before we win one here in NYC.

They've done quite well for a new caucus, as others around the nation have proved -- pressure on Randi from below -- but far from having an impact other than to get her to modify her rhetoric to appeal to the folks around the nation -- but none of them are buying it - at least from my conversations so far.

Some said they were inspired by our film to become active. "You know MORE stole the name we were considering for our caucus." What does REACH stand for? Rank and File Educators Advocating for Change - a mouthful. Someone suggested they could have used Mini-MORE. Another said MORE could also have called itself SORE. I loved meeting them - they are part of the national coalition. And also - St. Paul across the river has their own union -- they will be hosting the next AFT convention in 2016 - right after the UFT elects another 800 delegates - even if MORE got 49% of the vote, they would get no delegates. Let that day come and you will see a court case.

People were starting to leave so off to get another drink where a batch of people from various cities continued the discussions. The great parent activist from Philly, Helen Gym, was there and she filled us in on the horror story going on there. Helen also reminded us that she is keynoting a PAA event in Washington DC honoring Leonie Haimson on July 28.

Some discussions about the issues facing CORE and the CTU - firing so many teachers - some say Rahm's revenge for the strike, others that it might have been worse if the union had not been militant.

An interesting conversation with someone regarding how the AFT operates internationally -- don't we know that -- read the pamphlet I posted (Democracy and Politics in the UFT, 1976 Ed.) and also George Schmidt's AFT and CIA pamphlet.

And more talk about Mulgrew on the SJ panel and speculation on what went on behind the scenes.

Common Core to the fore - I'll be blogging about this throughout today and tomorrow.

The big discussions were about the common core battle to come over the next few days. A lot of CORE Chicago people trash the Randi CC multi-page unreadable reso on CC which endorses it. They say it is not amendable.

A text came in that Progressive Caucus had indeed rejected the Chicago common core reso.

Let me divert from Thurs to right now (Friday, 10:30 as I sit at the press table listening to speeches and waiting for Randi's keynote.)

I explain some of the process to go on today in these comments I left on RBE and Mercedes blogs upon speculation the AFT will move towards more militancy

Comment at Perdido: Is Randi Weingarten REALLY Getting The Message?

I am at the press table in front of the AFT right now as it opens. Last night Randi's Progressive Caucus - natl version of Unity without the loyalty oath - voted down the Chicago anti-common core reso -- today Chicago and Unity will continue to fight it out in the closed committee room - but we'll be outside getting reports of the battle - Unity will use very tactic to keep the Chicago reso from coming to the floor. Anything militant you hear coming from the Randi wing is pure rhetoric. Yesteday a retired Unity former official asked me if I thought the leadership would match NEA on the Duncan issue and laughed. Even some of them are cynical.

Mercedes thinks there will be a debate on CC as she warns the a fatally flawed CC can't be fixed. I'm not so sure the debate will go much beyond what we see at a UFT DA.

The Problem with the AFT Offer for Teachers to “Rewrite” the Common Core

I’m at the AFT convention and I am not sure there will be too much of an open debate on the floor. The Unity Caucus NYC crowd will be ready to stifle debate or cut it off like they do at Delegate Assemblies here in NYC. Last night the national version of Unity, Progressive Caucus – yeah, I know — voted down the Chicago reso and this afternoon the debate will take place behind closed doors in committee between Chicago and NYC — and the early betting is that Randi will win and the committee will bring out 3 resos for debate on the floor — and will endorse the Randi one. That means the debate may involve amending what is an awful reso – there will be a lot of out of order calls and Randi’s troops will surround the mics. A CTU member asked me how much earlier they should get there to be near the mics – an hour, she asked? “Better be there the day before,” I said.

Lee Sustar on the panel:

...panel discussion on social movement unionism sponsored by the CTU and UTLA, which will bring together polar opposites among AFT local leaders.

On the left is CTU President Karen Lewis and UTLA's Alex Caputo-Pearl, who both have long records of organizing alongside community allies as well as experience as tough union activists on the job.

On the right is United Federation of Teachers (UFT) President Michael Mulgrew, who recently presided over passage of a concessionary contract for New York City teachers [10] that spreads out sub-inflation retroactive pay from years without a contract until 2020, brings in merit pay, weakens job security for displaced teachers, opens the way for union-bashing "thin" contracts at 200 schools, and locks in a punitive evaluation system.

It isn't quite clear what Mulgrew--whose local is the power base of the AFT--will have to say about social movement unionism, since he kept the UFT membership in the dark during negotiations, and community mobilization for the contract was precisely zero.

Another panelist will be Mary Cathryn Ricker, president of the St. Paul Federation of Teachers and a major player in the AFT hierarchy. After a recent successful contract campaign with community outreach that was influenced by the CTU, Ricker may have more credibility than Mulgrew in attempting to square the circle between the AFT's bold position papers and its actual policy of retreat.

Whether or not sparks fly at this discussion or on the AFT convention floor, the debate over the direction of teacher unionism will continue. At the center of the discussion is an emerging national network of teacher union militant caucuses [11], a few of which, like Chicago's Caucus of Rank-and-File Educators, hold union office.

We have a bunch of MORE folk going to Chicago in a few weeks for this national meeting. What is disappointing is that there has been no attempt to get people together here this week in LA given that so many people are here already. To me a missed opportunity. Only out of this group will come any serious opposition to Randi nationally. But not this year. As far as I can tell she is running unopposed.

12 noon - watching videos -- when a clip came up on how bad the VAM formulas - some of us on the press table looked at each other, incredulous since Randi and Mulgrew supported them.

Randi is back - screeching -  "I'm with my homies in the UFT" - she took a selfie after someone showed her how to do it - I recognize one of the classic Unity slugs.

She's now strolling the aisles doing Oprah.

She just asked BadAss teachers to stand up. Where's Naison?

She's baaack - on stage -  to give the keynote - crap - was going to head over to press area for some m&ms.

Ya think if I laid down on the rug and took a nap someone would notice? I'll set the alarm and get back to you later with the common core.

LA Confidential: AFT Travel Day, Part 1

Friday, July 11, 5AM, LA time

Don't expect deep analysis or insights from these reports. Not much time for that. I'm doing them sort of stream of consciousness, diary-like in rough chronological order as the day went. I had lots of conversations with lots of people through the day and want to get them down before they're gone. Luckily my time clock is totally screwed up and I woke up at 3AM - after joining a Chicago TU pub crawl to the top of some building in a bar called The Perch. But read on. Here is what happened yesterday. Some stuff I heard I can't repeat.

Thursday, July 10, 2014
6-7:30 AM - wonderful wife drives me to airport. My ticket had priority check-in so no shoes, belt or computer stuff to do. Boarding - whole bunch of Unity on plane - let's hold a DA. I remind Briget Rein, who I always refuse to give leaflets at DAs just to bug her, that I ain't giving her one here. I get a kiss on the cheek as a reward.

8AM - "Have you ever heard of something called The Common Core? Me and my friends hate it."
This may be the highlight of the day and I told this story to everyone later in the day. My seatmate is a 16-year old junior in high school in a high income area of LA, returning from a trip to Europe with a cousin her age from Kansas and her grandparents.

I don't usually chat on planes but this girl is very friendly and so after a few minutes of talking about school, etc. she asks me that golden CC question and I say "Have I heard of the CC, boy" - the million dollar question.

And I tell her about the upcoming struggle at the AFT convention (Friday) over the Chicago reso opposing the CC and the AFT/UFT/Unity reso sitting on the fence -- it's great but implementation, bla, bla bla. (More on this aspect later on). She loves hearing that people are against it. (But not the Unity crew sitting around us, I whisper to her.)

She laughs and tells me her stories about the CC and how she and her friends have been affected negatively, especially in math. "Why can't I just do the math instead of all the other stuff they throw in which can confuse people about the actual math?" I bring up the story going around about how many wheels on 6 cars? What about kids who see stretch limos or 3-wheel cars in cartoons?

Then she tells me how in Greece her cousin from Kansas starts telling her about this awful program in school called the Common Core. "You have it too," she asked? "I thought only California had it."

I love it - YOU HAVE IT TOO? Like a plague -- I can see some of our creative film types doing something about kids trying to shake off the disease known as the Common Core? Is there an antidote? Maybe the reso from Chicago which the UFT/Unity machine will squash in committee today. (Progressive Caucus - natl Unity - vote late in the afternoon against the CTU reso - more later on this).

I already wrote shitful and didn't even get off the ground yet. Plane is great - with little screens and free movies, etc - only complaint is it took me hours to figure out how to turn on overhead light - you do it from screen - even flight att didn't remember. Waiting for shuttle to downtown - when Jia Lee texts she could pick me up at airport and take me to her parents house in Laguna Beach for dinner. Jia and her son are spending the summer out here. I can never resist hanging with Jia - but I really need to get to the hotel and clean up and get over the convention center to register, etc. So then she says she will drive to the hotel to pick me up and back to parents and then drive me back. That's like an hour each way for her - 4 hours - but my brain is too clogged to figure that out right away. I tell her to meet me at the convention center so she can register.

2-4PM:
It's about a 10 minute walk to the convention - which is why I chose the hotel (a bit shabby, but they have free breakfast.) First person I see is Jonathan Lessuck (MORE, Progressive Labor (PL) - which always has a presence at national conventions.) He is manning the AFT Peace and Justice table. Next to him is the Progressive Caucus - Randi's national caucus. Not like Unity - anyone can join for 25 bucks, which I did at the 2010 and 12 conventions - I reported in Ed Notes - no time to find link - how Washington Sanchez and Leroy Barr tried to have me removed in '10). They are meeting at 5 to decide which resos they will back and there I could see Unity people pushing their waffling CC reso and turning down the Chicago reso. Good stuff to write about by identifying which Unity slugs are doing what.

Hmmm. I told Jia I would go back to Laguna Beach with her - no real choice here. Hang with Jia - and save 25 bucks too. So I don't join and head over to register.

 "Did you get your stipend? The important thing is did you get your stipend. All the rest doesn't matter." ... one retired Unity Caucus member to another who was complaining about something minor.

The minute I enter the hall almost everyone I run into are faces from the Delegate Assembly - not just the current DA but people from DAs 40 years ago. If you do the math, probably one out of 3 people to see at an AFT convention is in some way connected to Unity Caucus -- I'm betting our dues payed for close to a thousand people - and oh that travel stipend -- at least 2 grand each - if not more. And there's the sign for people to pick up their meal tickets.

So I register as press, covering for The Wave and there is Leo Casey sitting in the press section, wearing a straw hat and looking like one happy feller. It is actually nice seeing him. We talk sports. In fact despite my nippiness re: Unity, it is nice seeing and chatting with them in this environment. I see people I knew from the DA who I never thought were in Unity. One woman who always comes over to ask for 5 copies of everything I give out for some of her colleagues, says hello. I never imagined she was Unity since so many of them refuse to touch any leaflet that has touched my hands.

"Do you think our leaders will have the guts the NEA had - to call for Duncan's firing? Probably not, they don't have the nerve." ... retired UFT official, who I always liked but had some contention with over the years. I'm paraphrasing to capture the gist of the conversation. Interesting, that a loyal Unity guy would say this -- but I also think it reflects a general sense in Unity of Randi weariness. They don't see Mulgrew this way because he gives the outer appearance of being more of a fighter than Randi.

Jia calls and she has arrived - she hit traffic. So we modify the plan since it couldn't work - I will forego the home-cooked Korean dinner - she will hang around until traffic lets up -- and then run into 2 CTU people who invite us to their reception at 7PM.

Enough for now. I still have 6 more hours to talk about but am heading down for that free breaky.

Coming next: The Adventures of Jia and Norm and the storm over Mulgrew being pushed onto a social justice union panel Sat night with Karen Lewis and new LA president Alex Caputo-Pearl

Must Read: Democracy and Politics in the UFT, 1976 Ed

In preparation for next week's MORE summer series on the history of caucuses and what we can learn, thanks to Vera Pavone, we have created an online version of the pamphlet we produced almost 40 years ago (minus the graphics). I will have some hard copies with me next week but I urge you to download it and read the 25 page pamphlet to see just how much has remained the same.

Some of our suggested changes read pretty funny today but that we put them forth at the time is a sign of how we saw possibilities then. How about calling for direct election of district reps by the members in the district? 25 years later Randi would end DR elections even by chapter leaders despite the fact that every DR except one was in Unity -- see she didn't even trust Unity people to elect people she wanted.
The Coalition of NYC School Workers was not strictly a caucus in that we never would run in an election without being in coalitions with other groups. I'll share some more info about the CSW at the MORE event. James and Ellen are covering New Action, Kit is doing TJC, I'm doing Ed Notes/ICE and I will put out a timeline for each group along with some history of how Unity consolidated power -- I imagine I will have to find some down time in LA at the AFT convention to get it all done.

UPDATE - This did not translate very well so it is best to read it or download it on scribd: http://www.scribd.com/doc/232878840/Democracy-Politics-in-the-Uft-Finalmodforscribd

Democracy and Politics in the UFT, 1976 Ed

NYC Parents Union Plaintiffs' Use Their Own Kids for Naked Self-Interest

Did Mona serve the best interests of her own daughter by keeping her in a lousy charter school so she could further her political aims? When Moaning Mona and Sam use their kids for their own political advantage and put them in the public eye in this way can that be termed child abuse? Doing worse to your own kids than any tenured bad teacher could do.

Why isn't the press looking at the real story behind Mona Davids and her antics? So many long-time ed reporters either roll their eyes or break into outright laughter when Mona Davids' name comes up. All know she is just a PR hound.

What can one say when people like Mona Davids and Sam Pirozzollo use their own kids for blatant political purposes? I focus on these two (and not the other parents who I consider being duped by Mona) because these two know better. But I also consider Sam Mona's dupe - or just a dope.

But especially Mona, who I once knew well - she understands that Bloomberg put in numerous bully principals who run rampant over the rights of parents, students and teachers -- yet she is suing to give more power to these principals so they can fire any teacher they don't like and then run over parents even more.

That is what makes this suit worse than Campbell Brown and Vergara - it is people who know how the NYC system works and are cynically trying to use this suit for personal gain -- the idea is trying to draw funding.

One must ask why they were so willing to put their children in the eye of the storm given there is so little to gain for their kids? We know that Mona's daughter was accepted to Brooklyn Tech (but chose not to go there) so charges that she was negatively affected by tenured teachers is irrelevant. Mona's son is too young for him to have been impacted. I don't know about Sam's kids but I would imagine if their test scores were made public we might find that the impact of their (probably mostly tenured) teachers would not be negative.

This is not the first time Mona has used her own children to promote her interests. She had her daughter in a charter school that she told us was pretty bad but didn't want to pull her out because that would negate her claims to be leading charter school parents. Did Mona serve the best interests of her own daughter by keeping her in a lousy charter school so she could further her political aims?

When her daughter went to a public high school (loaded with tenured teachers) she had to switch from calling herself a charter school parent org and created the faux NYC Parents Union. Ask Mona to call her "people" out and see how many actually show. That is why she issues press releases since few people will touch her even with a 10 foot pole (you can see the mark on her forehead from all those poles. )


But the press loves to use Mona for their political purposes even though reporters know all about her games. Al Baker at The Times seemed to get it in his story but people like Ben Chapman at The News salivates whenever he can use Mona. As he did over the Portelos tweets.

The Daily News and NY Post jumped on Francesco Portelos tweets trying to make a point about the so-called parents union's kids. We know that when you survive years of harassment trying to protect yourself, and the kids and teachers in your school you can get emotional when people like Moaning Mona Davids and Sam Pirozzolo are advocating for your being fired before you ever got to defend yourself. So it is understandable that survivors like Portelos will strike out.

RBE at Perdido defends him: How Is This Tweet Harassment?

Once you put your children into the public sphere in this manner they will have to be examined in public to see just how "damaged" they have been by their tenured teachers. To me, given that they full well know their own kids are successful in school, that verges on child abuse.

I don't place blame on the parents, other than Sam,  Mona is using in her suit -- they will learn in due time what it means to lie down with a snake like Mona.

When Moaning Mona and Sam use their kids for their own political advantage and put them in the public eye in this way can that be termed child abuse?

Here are some of Portelos' tweets from yesterday.

Francesco Portelos 2 hours ago

"Izaiyah, Ms. Oke said, has been acting out in school, throwing tantrums and harming himself and other students. He was recently given a diagnosis of a mood disorder."
Unfortunate story, but child is now a plaintiff in the teacher tenure lawsuit. Teacher's fault? Mother Escapes Abuse, Only to End Up in Shelters With Her Weary Son http://ow.ly/yQeCM

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Francesco Portelos 9 hours ago

Did Franklin have a sub par education at PS 69 Sam? Was Ms. Silva an incompetent teacher that should be fired?
In Our Schools: PS 69 students write their hero, Army Spc. James Lee, wounded in Afghanistanhttp://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2014/03/post_772.html

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Francesco Portelos 10 hours ago

Hey Sam, I'm an ATR and I teach. I taught over 1,000 Staten Island students in 6 different schools since May. Ask the administration and staff at PS 4, PS 6, PS 35, PS 38, PS 54 and IS 24 how I "didn't" teach. Yes, I don't have to do lesson plans, but you can't paint everyone with one wide brush. Drop the lawsuit. I know you want to use this for another run in politics, but you are going about it wrong and using your kids as pawns.

Are there people who shouldn't be teaching? Yes and they should go. Tenure is not a job for life, but allows for due process. I spoke up in December 2011 and January 2012 and was attacked by Principal Linda Hill of IS 49 and former Superintendent Erminia Claudio. Hill made $40,000 in overtime, including days she was sick and while working a second program. Claudio's signature was missing from from every single document.

They spent 826 days and over $600,000 to try and fire me. I came to you at the CEC several times and sent over 50 emails to you. Safety issues...ignored...theft of services..ignored.

Today is 892 days that the investigation on IS 49 and double dipping is open. Must be those lousy and lazy teachers.

Ignored Misconduct http://protectportelos.org/all-down-hill/

I wonder what your kid's past and present teachers are thinking, If you are reading this teachers, please email me at mrportelos@gmail.com

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Francesco Portelos 10 hours ago

It's sickening that it is mostly Staten Island parents behind this frivolous law suit.

Fellow parents, you NEED us teachers to be protected. See what happened to me after I spoke up for your children and your tax dollars. http://protectportelos.org/a-case-for-tenure/

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Francesco Portelos 10 hours ago

You have to love the fact that three of the plaintiff's mother called her children's teachers "wonderful" two years ago and is now suing. Angela Peralta, who I am sure is a great mother, just pushed her daughters onto the front line of the wrong battle.

PolarExpressions 1 day ago

Wow. After reading that website, I fear for my child's teachers even more. I WILL consider joining the PTA, though. My son & his school deserve my collaboration, not my litigation.

SI Supt to Kathleen Grimm: Sam (Pirozzolo) is a Fool

.... and this was before Pirozzolo hooked up with Moaning Mona Davids in their rediculous copycat Vergara tenure law suit.

A Jan. 2013 email between District 31 (Staten Island) Supt. and Deputy Chancellor Kathleen Grimm, over Francesco Portelos' appearance at a Dist. 31 CEC meeting shows just how high up concerns over his actions had reached and explains the willingness of Tweed to spend upwards of half a million bucks to get rid of him. A joyous sidelight of the email is the Supt. referring to CEC member Pirozzolo as a "fool."

How nice to see Grimm, the Grim Reaper of Closing Schools, continuing to enjoy her status after being kept on by Farina as Deputy Chancellor -- sort of like promoting Nazi prison guards after the war.

Happy 2nd Birthday to Jack Cavanagh

The funniest point of the day was when Lisa Donlan and her husband JC, very big soccer fans (their son is a top level player) handed Jack his present. The minute he unwrapped it and saw a soccer ball, he forgot all about the other presents and went running off with the ball. I think we have a star for the 2034 World Cup.

I was in Prospect Park attending the 2nd birthday party of Jack Cavanagh, son of Julie and Glenn, along with other teachers from PS 15.

Julie had invited parents of children in her class and I spoke to one. Julie teaches special needs kids of the highest order. I spoke to one of the parents who just raved about this tenured teacher who has been able to stand up for children, parents and teachers and her school time and again -- because she is tenured. His child has been in Julie's class for the past 3 years, with one more to go. "What happens with middle school," I asked, knowing that leaving Julie must be causing some anxiety. "Whatever she says," he said pointing to Julie. "All the parents trust whatever she says. She has already started looking for the best options for us." There are principals out there who would resent Julie's bonds with parents as somehow threatening - luckily not her principal - and her general advocacy and community building and without the tenure protections she would be at risk.

Julie doesn't just talk about these ideas but practices them every day in her classroom and her school.

UFT/Unity Caucus Early History

I'm publishing this chapter on the founding of the UFT and how Shanker consolidated power from the book "City Unions" as prep for the July 16 MORE summer series event on the history of caucuses in the UFT. There is a lot of insight into how Unity has controlled the UFT since its inception. Read it here or download it.

CItyUnionsch8yannoUFT by morecaucusnyc

Moaning Mona Davids and Ally Sam Pirozzolo Want Francesco Portelos Fired?

I'm not surprised that CEC 31 (Staten Island) Sam Pirozzolo is in on this as he ignored years of pleas to help students of troubled schools. No doubt he will use this to make another run for office. http://samforassembly.com.... Francesco Portelos

Mona and Sam Pirozzolo should be sued for child neglect-- Ed Notes  

Updated:
How ironic. Moaning Mona henchman Sam Pirozzolo has joined her in the Vergara copycat suit here in New York City. Did Sam (or Mona) every think of bringing a law suit over the half million dollars the DOE wasted in trying to fire Francesco Portelos? Did they consider suing over the destruction of the technology and robotics program at IS 49, possibly the poorest school (poorest run by Principal Linda Hill) on Staten Island? And have you heard one peep from them over this outrage? 77% Of The Race To The Top Award Money In NYC Went To Pay For Consultants, Central Office Work, And Support Staff

Sam Pirozzolo is making blatant use of his own kids (as is Mona) who I assume attend schools in Staten Island and apparently have received an awful education because of their tenured teachers. Did Sam speak up at CEC meetings and talk about that lousy education at what were apparently lousy Staten Island schools, probably with the highest numbers of tenured teachers of any borough in the city? Gee, I hope Sam's kids can read after suffering all those tenured teachers.

Hey, Sam, show you are a good parent -- there are those charter school options, where there are NO tenured teachers (have fun). If Sam were a responsible parent he would remove his kids immediately from having contact with those horrible tenured teachers. He should be sued for child abuse - by his own kids.

Sam – YOU ARE ON THE CEC, which is supposed to support students and parents. I know, I know Sam, you've got more ambitious things to do than REALLY helping kids and parents at schools like IS 49 (while you ignored Portelos' pleas for help).

Ahhh, I remember Mona putting her daughter in a charter school to get out of the clutches of those public school teachers with tenure and then complaining about how poorly the charter school was run. Then she bragged how her daughter had been accepted to Brooklyn Tech, a school just loaded with tenured teachers. She ended up sending her to Laguardia HS, also loaded with tenured teachers.

Moaning Mona was perfectly happy to put her child in the specialized schools despite their tenured teachers. She could always try Success or KIPP where she wouldn't have that problem. After all, she is now suing over the "lousy education" her daughter has received - in I guess both the charter school with no tenured teachers and at the public school with tenured teachers.

I just can't wait to see Sam and Mona respond to these questions when the case gets to court. If it ever gets to court -- as I pointed out in my previous pieces, I see this as a trolling suit to get some PR and pray the big money boys come across with some bucks.

And where is the press asking these very questions? (Hear me Chalkbeat?)

Previous Ed Notes posts on Moaning Mona Davids:

• Moaning Mona Vergara Copycat Suit Is Also An Attac...
• Dissecting Moaning Mona Davids

Susan on Sunday

Good reading for a lazy Sunday afternoon from Ohanian. Don't miss the "Famous writers describe their affection for the Common Core" piece.

This cartoon offers an overview of today's assaults.
Sent from the Q Train in New York City http://susanohanian.org/cartoon_fetch.php?id=949
I just bought the ingredients for lunch for 70 at the Senior Center. Cooking is fun. Shopping is not.
Speaking of fun, I enjoyed gathering content for 'Common Core, light of my life, fire of my loins. . . .

Susan
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Common Core, light of my life, fire of my loins. . . .
Susan Ohanian
2014-07-04 http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=720
Famous writers describe their affection for the Common Core.
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Center for American Progress Claims to Offer Roadmap for Success to Common Core
Susan Ohanian
2014-06-25 http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=719
It comes as no surprise that the neo-liberal Center for American Progress would fully support the Common Core. They have  promoted the corporate approach to education from the get-go, not to mention their very close ties to the Obama administration.
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Facebook’s Unethical Experiment
Katy Waldman
Slate.com
2014-06-30 http://susanohanian.org/data.php?id=558
This Facebook experiment makes me wonder how researchers will use all the data being collected on children.
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To the editor
Stephen Krashen, Rossier School of Education, USC
Chicago Sun-Times
2014-06-30 http://susanohanian.org/show_letter.php?id=1700
It is a very positive thing to get this letter published.
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To the editor
Stephen Krashen
Wall Street Journal
2014-07-01 http://susanohanian.org/show_letter.php?id=1699
Good for Krashen for knocking down Hanushek's straw man.
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The Technology Agenda of the US Department of Education
Susan Ohanian
2014-07-04 http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1838
Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer at U.S. Department of Education Jim Shelton's job history is the history of corporate education deform.
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'Disruptive innovation' policies hurting state's children
Wendy Lecker
Stamford Advocate
2014-06-27 http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1837
As noted historian Jill Lepore notes, a quick buck -- not long-term consequences -- is the focus of disruptive innovation.
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Arne in the News: Look at Choice He Makes
Susan Ohanian
2014-06-30 http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1836
Two education groups met in the same work. Guess where Arne put in a word.
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School starting age: the evidence
David Whitebread
research
2013-09-24 http://susanohanian.org/show_research.php?id=554
Cambridge University researchers call for more play for young children.

Karen Lewis vs Rahm Emanuel for Mayor?

Lewis, who is African-American, would have powerful appeal to black voters who overwhelmingly disapprove of Emanuel (only 8 percent of them would support him against a challenger)... Daily Beast

How much fun would this be? Though I'd rather see Karen run against Randi at the AFT convention next week.

Not mentioned is that Karen Lewis is also Jewish, as is Emanuel, and might attract the Jewish vote too.

Could Rahm Lose to This Infamous Union Leader?

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/07/03/could-rahm-lose-to-this-infamous-union-leader.html

The firebrand union president, Karen Lewis, may run against Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Pass the popcorn!: These two absolutely detest each other.

For the past week, political junkies throughout my home city of Chicago have been rubbing our hands in giddy anticipation. The mother of all political battles, it seems, is on. 

Karen Lewis, the fiery president of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), announced she was “seriously thinking” of running against Rahm Emanuel for mayor. With the city plagued by gun violence and cutbacks in vital services, Emanuel’s popularity has been in freefall. In a recent poll, only 29 percent of voters said they would support him for re-election. Nevertheless, until Lewis’ announcement, no major challengers to Emanuel had emerged. The potential candidate who would pose the most serious threat to Emanuel, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, has said she’s not running. 

Moaning Mona Vergara Copycat Suit Is Also An Attack on Parents and Students Facing Bully Principals

Parent activists are rightfully outraged at Mona Davids' claims that  "the NYCPU, is the leading independent voice of New York City public school students and their parents."

In fact the very idea of an attack on tenure is an attack on parents and students as much, if not more, than on teachers.

Bully, abusive principals, of which there are many, not only abuse teachers but parents and students too. It is often the teachers protected by tenure who build alliances with parents in their schools who are savaged by these principals.

These Principals hunger for the attack on tenure to be successful so they can shut down all voices of dissent in the schools. Think of people like the teachers who could stand up against the assault on PS 15 by Bloomberg and the charter lobby, an assault Mona Davids in one of her earliest incarnations, gleefully joined in. Or James Eterno's brave defense of the doomed Jamaica HS. Or teachers like Francesco Portelos whose tenure protected him against 2 years of attack, until he ultimately prevailed after the DOE spent almost half a million dollars trying to terminate him and failed. Or the teacher in Queens under assault by a psychotic principal who was causing harm to students through financial and other irregularities who worked with parents to organize the resistance until the principal resigned. That teacher would have been gone in an instant if suits like these prevail.

Mona Davids' claims to be defending students and parents are blatant lies and distortions and should be exposed as such.

And let us not forget that Mona Davids eagerly participated (and was of invaluable assistance) in the making of the film, The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman, one of the strongest defenses of tenure - going way beyond anything the UFT has done.

Just another flip-flop on her part in the pursuit of self-interest.

 See: Dissecting Moaning Mona Davids

Dissecting Moaning Mona Davids

Moaning Mona Davids has switched sides more times than a tennis ball.... and burned more bridges than the retreating German army..... Ed Notes

Local 372 President Santos Crespo Jr. fired [Mona] Davids in December, then sued her in January, claiming she failed to turn over passwords to databases containing confidential information about the union’s members and its contacts.... NY Post, Feb. 10, 2014

Just 3 years ago Mona Davids supported and took part in a film that took a strong pro-tenure stand for teachers. She even paid for and set up the web site for that film but destroyed the site when she decided to switch sides (once again) in an attempt to cover her tracks.... Ed Notes

Mona Davids is a virus... Anonymous teacher

The news that self-serving Moaning Mona Davids, hoping  to get a piece of the hedge fund ed deform anti-tenure action, has filed a Vergara copycat suit over teacher tenure, has spurred me to dredge up this blog post that's been lurking in draft mode for many months. I hadn't bothered  because the idea that anyone actually takes Moaning Mona Davids seriously causes me constant amusement as to just how naive so many people are. Her press release regarding the suit is laugh out loud reading.

I'd like to see if this law suit has any real financial backing. Mona may just be trolling, knowing full well there will be a well-financed suit coming. Her hope is to get her pitiful attempt combined with others. If you had a choice between Moaning Mona Davids and Crappy Campbell Brown, both desperate to use the teacher bashing issue in an attempt to remain relevant, who would you choose? Hmmmmm.  Let's see if there are any ed deform funders out there will to take a chance on venturing forth into a Moaning Mona minefield loaded with IEDs. Today's NY Times piece indicates that this is a trolling law suit looking for publicity.

Education reform groups, some of them supported by Wall Street philanthropists, are expected to support a wave of Vergara-inspired suits. Ms. Davids contended that her suit was different because it was not being bankrolled by outside interests.

However, Ms. Davids said she expected that if multiple cases were to be filed, they would eventually be lumped together by the courts.

Sure, not bankrolled by outside interests because they are too smart to get involved in Moaning Mona's shenanigans. Her main hope is to have hers combined with the heavy hitters and pick up a few crumbs on the way.

About a year ago I also laughed myself silly when I heard DC 37 Local 372 had stepped in it by hiring Mona Davids, who we nicknamed "Moaning Mona" after she made anti-teacher racially tinged comments at various meetings in 2009 - before seemingly switching sides. But more on all that in future posts.

Self-serving Moaning Mona Davids as Local 372 Political Director -- to help stop Anthony Weiner's mayoralty campaign? Really, Comedy Central material.

I was tempted to post some of my Mona files at the time, but, knowing there would be some delicious stuff to come - that Mona would find a way to alienate everyone, I decided to sit back and watch things play out. And so they did. I don't want to call Local 372 leader Santos Crespo dumb for even letting Mona anywhere near the union's confidential information. But.... anyone who shares a password with Moaning Mona should be examined by a doctor.

“Davids exhibited an attitude of spite, anger and refusal to follow directions,” Crespo said in a court affidavit. In papers filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, Crespo also suggested Davids engaged in “commercial piracy” by refusing to hand over passwords linking to the union’s proprietary databases.... NY Post

I'm shocked, just shocked that the always self-serving Moaning Mona Davids would engage in such activities. Concerns about parents and children are in the back of her plate. In fact, not even on the plate.

The entire NY Post article below the break.

Oh, if anyone has time on their hands, go check the financials of the NYC Parents Union --

And a blast from the past featuring Moaning Mona:

...https://groups.yahoo.com/group/nyceducationnews/message/17324 Oct 23, 2009 -

I'm posting a letter from a teacher at the Patrick Daly School (PS 15) in Red Hook, Brooklyn to "Moaning" Mona Davids, self-proclaimed ...

How the UFT Sits By and Watches Discontinued Teachers Go Down

Plainly, the UFT basically doesn't give a shit when teachers lose their jobs.

With the new tone between the UFT and Farina, why won't UFT Officials pick up a phone and save a teacher's career? One of the major reasons for the weakness of the union at the school chapter level is the unlimited power principals have to blackball probationary teachers from the system for life -- in addition to all the other powers principals have, powers the UFT refuses to take a stand against -- possibly because of their "partnership" with the supervisors union, the CSA. (Their leader Ernie Logan should be held accountable for the actions of his members.) But really, does the UFT leadership really care if the union at the school level disintegrates as long as they get theirs?

I often get calls from the Discontinued - non-tenured who have been let go by their principals resulting in a lifting of their teaching license and a blackball from the system pretty much forever (if they have another license they might get back in on that.) [No time now but search this blog for The Dreaded D or other articles on this issue over many years.].

Think of it -- some of these people are teaching for a few years. Others for a few months. BOOM! You're out. What kind of human being would do that to a fairly new teacher? - Unless that teacher was deemed so incompetent the children were in danger. My investigations have found no instances of that. Instead, in every case the problem were principals so vicious they do not deserve to run a school.

In some cases these teachers find another principal who is willing to give them another chance but when they check the system they find they can't even hire them because the actions of another principal have prevented them from doing so. Pure vindictiveness.

Meanwhile the UFT/Unity leadership just skates by when they are as responsible for the Dreaded D situation as the perpetrators. You know what advice the UFT often gives these people? Resign. Portelos at DTOE counters that advice: Probationary/Untenured Teachers Threatened with Discontinuance DO NOT RESIGN. THEY’RE BLUFFING!

The UFT could have done something about the process of allowing principals unfettered power over probationary teachers (which severely weakens the school union chapter) in the new contract but did nothing other than tweak the process a bit.

Recently a case came across that reinforces my low opinion of the people running the union from top to bottom. A teacher with a Discontinue can appeal to the Superintendent and until that ruling takes place no one will hire that teachers. Everyone knows this appeal is a farce and that superintendents always rubber stamp the principal. But the poor teacher, desperately clinging to hope, hangs on pinning some hopes that this time it might be different.

Then, after they lose the appeal to the superintendent that are told by the union they could appeal but it might take months or even a year - also with dim prospects.

So the teacher is effectively silenced hoping without hope - unless you are a Lydia Howlrika who has teamed up with Portelos at DTOE (what a dynamic duo they are).

What the UFT won't do is put any political capital on the game by fighting for these teachers as if their very lives dependent on it -- ie - put some skin in the game. For instance - a back door call to Farina when known bully principals engage in these extortion plots to undermine the union at the school level. But the UFT/Unity Caucus leadership is perfectly comfortable with the way things are. They get access to get what they want. And what they want does not include standing up for teachers.

Afterburn
I haven't dealt with the royal screwing the UFT is giving Portelos because he can take care of himself. But check out how the UFT is comfortable with his removal as chapter leader - illegally, thus leaving the IS 49SI chapter defenseless against incompetent principal Linda Hill. (Behind the scenes DOE people will flat out say she is incompetent.) I'm trying to find a Portelos posting about his new "job" offer and why he turned it down. When I get the details together, this will be another grand slam against our union leaders.

Read all the stuff we are posting and you will see that calling them Vichy may be too kind to them.

Worse than Michelle Rhee: Teachers and public schools have a shocking new enemy

Isn't it time for teacher unions to issue a Declaration of Independence from the Democratic Party? Thomas Jefferson for AFT president.

Again thanks to Jeff Kaufman for coming up with this article by Jeff Bryant writing at Solon. Note that our fearless union leaders keep sucking at the teat of the Democratic Party no matter how much they smash teachers and their union.


TUESDAY, JUL 1, 2014 12:55 PM EDT

Worse than Michelle Rhee: Teachers and public schools have a shocking new enemy

George W Bush's education secretary called teacher unions terrorist organizations. Post-Vergara, do liberals agree?