Norm in The Wave - Teachers And Police: The Unions

Taken from the front of my house looking towards Manhattan

Published Jan. 2, 2015

Teachers And Police: The Unions

By Norm Scott

“Mommy, are they going to shoot you too?” I overheard this heartbreaking comment as two female NYPD moms, one current and one former, were discussing events. They have five children between them. Not enough attention is given to the impact on NYPD families, especially when mothers are involved.
It’s hard to find good feelings surrounding the recent tragedy, but one way was seeing every tree on my block festooned with large blue ribbons on the day of slain policeman Rafael Ramos’ funeral. By all accounts, he was a remarkable man. He had been a school safety officer for many years before becoming a cop and probably had a sense of the similarities and differences that exist in the school environment in the roles played by teachers and cops.

 

I began exploring these relationships in my last column. The political backdrop of recent weeks requires a bit of a detour. But where to begin? I’ll start with the unions, the PBA and the UFT, and their leaders, Patrick Lynch and Michael Mulgrew.
While teachers are evaluated based on student performance, teaching as a profession and teachers unions have been under assault from all directions. The public, politicians and the press vilify teachers while bowing at the feet of police. I would be laughed at if I were to suggest that cops in the relatively low-crime west end of Rockaway were clearly better than those in the higher crime east end. Or that the public in high crime areas should have a choice of police forces by setting up privatized charter police forces to compete. Yet that is exactly the way teachers are being portrayed.

When the news broke recently that over 95 percent of the teachers in the city were highly rated, the response from slug politicians like Cuomo, who declared public schools were a monopoly he was going to break, was “teachers couldn’t be that good, given the low performance of the students.” And the public seems to buy that the major problem facing education is bad teachers.

Lynch’s absolute, no questioning support for cops and their actions on the job has led some teachers to jump on a bandwagon of comparing him to Mulgrew. A teacher admiring Lynch wrote, “NYPD union leader Pat Lynch is doing what my union leader has never done, speaking up and defending his rank and file…. compare this to our union. The mayor and governor stick an evaluation down our throats, we say thank you. In fact we ask for more. We demand 22 components and test based evaluations, even when our parents don't want it. Common core standards, created without one actual teacher, and the UFT president says he'll punch anyone who tries to take it away from us, even though teacher after teacher hates it….they close down schools and the profiteers come in to take up space - our Union leader says no problem. He even decides that we're going to get in the business of running charters. Contracts canceled in Philadelphia, unions destroyed in Wisconsin, schools closed en masse in Chicago, no one in the UFT cares.”

A 52-year-old Brooklyn high school teacher under assault by her administration died recently of a heart attack. She had serious physical issues, even having to use a walker at times. Because they wanted to be rid of her and her high salary, the school administrators gave her difficult assignments in multiple classrooms while constantly harassing her. Some of her colleagues attributed her sudden death as being brought on by the enormous stress the admins put her under. Was this a case of there really being blood on someone’s hands? Should Michael Mulgrew have made such a declaration, even blaming the mayor who is in charge of the school system?

A teacher blogger commented, “The UFT has been systematically attacked and disenfranchised. Cops are seen as heroes, while teachers are seen as incompetent bunglers who probably aren't qualified to be in the classroom.”

I do not admire Lynch’s absolutist approach, which in the long run will result in a public backlash. The mayor has taken a big hit for giving counsel to his son where he most likely told him to be respectful in any encounter with police because not doing so could lead to unfortunate escalations. It may have not been the smartest idea to say this publicly but he had the kind of conversation with his child that parents should be having.

New York Times columnist and regular teacher union basher David Brooks recently set his sights on police unions in his Dec. 22, 2014 column:

“GETTING RID OF BAD COPS - A small percentage of cops commits most of the abuses. A study by WNYC News in New York found that, since 2009, 40 percent of the “resisting arrest” charges were filed by just five percent of New York Police Department officers. … Most officers rarely get in a confrontation that leads to that charge, but a few officers often get in violent confrontations. But it’s very hard to remove the bad apples from the force. Trying to protect their members, unions have weakened accountability. The investigation process is softer on police than it would be on anyone else.”

In future columns I’ll delve further into the intersection of teaching and policing with some commentary on why police turning their backs to make a political statement during the funeral was the wrong thing to do.

Norm Scott is a retired educator. He lives in Rockaway, and blogs at ednotesonline.org.
 

A Tale of Two Cuomos at The Doenuts Blog

I was a poor twelve year old boy who had been left behind by Reaganomics when Mario Cuomospoke at the 1984 Democratic National Convention. I didn't realize this before the speech. But I never forgot it after....The Doenuts Blog

A remarkable read despite the fact I was not a fan of either Cuomo.

The Doenuts Blog

A Tale of Two Cuomos

UFT Opposition Caucus Historical Reference -- UFT Election Results - 1977, 79, 81

Some of us are going to be meeting  to talk about the past history of opposition groups in the UFT. For those few interested in UFT historical trends over time, we have been looking back in order to move forward. If the opposition in the UFT over time has made little progress in denting the Unity machine then what exactly is the point of continuing the traditional route of running in elections every 3 (until 2004 it was every 2) years?

It is worth examining the entire concept of "opposition" caucuses.

I was one of 2 votes in ICE about a year before the 2010 election urging ICE not to run. I felt it was a fruitless endeavor, especially given the state ICE was in at the time and knowing I would have to do a lot of work. But the decision was to go ahead, and being a political junky I threw myself into the details of petitioning and other minutia of UFT elections - in fact I became an expert UFT election petionologist.

I was one of the few people as MORE was forming in 2012 urging MORE not to run in 2013. I went along with the majority even though it was pretty clear how things would end. I was following John Lawhead's "Uncaucus" proposal which is still intriguing (I will publish more about that idea soon.) "First build it from the bottom before running," I urged, feeling the mistakes of the past where caucuses focused on election cycles, were being relived.
There was so much enthusiasm at the time, I felt I had to support them and put my petionologist skills at their service. I

We uncovered this chart the other day in the files Vera had in her home. Lots of other good stuff too. All the caucuses in the late 70s put out 4 page tabloid editions of their newspapers - an incredible amount of production for those times.

Note the higher number of people voting and also how in 1981 the opposition got almost 2200 elementary school votes with 22,500 ballots sent out. Compare that to the 2013 election where 36000 elem ballots were sent out and MORE got about 1100 (New Action got around 400) and Unity got around the same number of votes as they did in 1981.

https://www.scribd.com/doc/251369305/UFT-Elections-77-81-

UFT Elections 1977-79-81

Caucus notes: (my memory may be short so correct me if I am off).

In the 1977 election our group - the Coalition of School Workers ran a joint slate with Teachers Action Caucus under the banner of United Action. Another caucus - New Directions ran separately -- the totals have been combined.

In 1979 I believe CSW didn't run with TAC - so it was TAC and New Directions on separate slates. Merry Tucker reminds me that Chalk Dust was also part of the coalitions either in 79 or 81.

In 1981 for the first time all opposition groups ran under one banner - New Action Coalition -- NAC - note the jump in numbers voting.

In 1985  NAC for the first time won the High school VP seat and HS Ex Bd seats but Unity contested the election and forced a new won for HS VP which NAC won again.

In 1990 Bruce Markens won the District Rep election for Manhattan High Schools - elected by the chapter leaders -- this was cataclysmic for Unity which spent the next decade trying to vote him out but couldn't until he retired around 2000. In 2002 Randi eliminated District Rep elections. I consider this as more grassroots than anything related to the elections. [Some of us are meeting with Bruce this week to get more historical background.]

In 1991 NAC won 13 seats on the Ex Bd. High school and middle schools.

In 1993 the opposition won no seats. At that point Unity changed the constitution to remove the VP positions from the divisions and make them at-large positions where everyone voted, thus making sure that there the opposition could never again repeat the 1985 election.

In 1995/6 TAC and New Directions merged into New Action which won HS Ex Bd seats in the 95, 97, 99, 01 elections.

Fearing they would lose in the 2004 elections (the UFT changed from 2 to 3 years terms) NA made the deal with Unity and at that point the new caucus - ICE and TJC ran and won the HS seats - (Unity did not run for those seats).

In 2007, 10 and 13 NA and Unity ran a joint slate for the HS seats and won them by combining the votes.

In 2013 - MORE got 1440 HS votes while Unity got 1580 and New Action around 400+. Over 19000 ballots were sent out
In 1981 12,000 HS ballots were sent out. (NAC got 2544) and Unity 3077.

So interesting how there has been a loss of interest in the UFT over time.

More historical results:

 UFT Election Results 1999-2013
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8qnFCTQLOqoQkRmVmpMR0dIR0U/preview?pli=1

Recent posts on this subject:

• Retro UFT History Lesson: How Unity Killed Divisio...
• Peter Goodman Paves the Way for Union Cave-in to C...
• An ‘Uncaucus’ Proposal to Boycott UFT Officer Elec...

Retro UFT History Lesson: How Unity Killed Divisional Vice President Elections

Most teachers don't know that Unity changed the UFT constitution to preclude high school teachers from selecting their own academic VP. This is because Mike Shulman committed the unpardonable sin of winning with New Action one year. That was back when New Action was a real opposition, before Randi bought Mike and the rest of them off with patronage jobs....

NYC Educator, Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Dues Deduction Without Representation is Tyranny

Prepping for today's meeting with Bruce Markens, Ira Goldfine and Vera Pavone for some insights into the past and how that affects the present and future, Mike Schirtzer found this old Ed Notes post from Dec. 2006. It looked to be well-written so I assumed it was from NYC Educator. But no, it was actually me. What a pleasant surprise. We'll get into more details on the history of New Action and the impact of its sellout to Unity in 2003/4 in future posts.

By the way, Mike Shulman collected $12,500 for his UFT patronage job as reported in the most recent LM-2 (2013) report. There is some fiction going around that New Action people only make around $1200 a year and that is too little to make them sell out. Most do but not at the top.

One note -- the 1995 contract battle where the membership voted it down the first time was led by NAC (or New Action -- not clear it the merger of TAC and New Directions had taken place yet) and also by Bruce from his position as District Rep.

Here is the Ed Notes post from Dec. 28, 2006:

Unity Spins and Grins: A History Lesson

NYC Educator has posted a proposal for a petition calling for divisions to elect their own VP's instead of at-large. Here is an explanation of the history of the change.

There is a debate going on at the NYC Educator blog in UFT democracy, or lack thereof. Since 1994 Unity caucus amended the constitution to eliminate the direct election of divisional vice-presidents -- e.g. Academic HS, Vocational H.S., Middle Schools, Elementary Schools--by constituents of each division and instead had these Vice Presidents elected on an at-large basis by the entire membership, including retirees.

A Unity spinner on the blogs actually claimed this is a good thing, ("The notion that the executive branch should be elected together, in order to provide a minimal unity for governing, is hardly an anti-democratic one.") even trying to compare this to having the US President and VP come from the same party. Naturally he distorted the facts of what really happened to make his case, which NYC Educator trashed in his response.

I asked former Manhattan HS district rep Bruce Markens what occurred while his memory is still intact. (Bruce's long tenure as the lone non-Unity Dist. Rep. despite constant attempts by Unity to defeat him was one of Weingarten's motivations in ending the election of DR's.)

In the mid-80's the opposition was still a coalition called NAC (New Action Coalition, a combo of 3 caucuses with a piece of the name from each one -- some of the founders of ICE were with the Coalition of NYC School Workers).

Mike Shulman won the 1985 election for HS VP by 94 votes over the Unity incumbent George Altomare, one of the founders of the UFT. This sent shock waves throughout Unity and they got Alomare to challenge the election claiming improprieties, a joke since the Unity machine ran the elections.

Naturally, the election committee upheld the protest and they refused to seat Shulman. They finally agreed on an arbitrator and his report called for a new election. This time, without a slate headed by Shanker at the top, Shulman got 62% of the vote. He was not allowed to take his place on the AdCom until Jan/Feb 2006.

With the next election coming in 1987, Unity dumped Altomare and recruited John Soldini from SI (where they could get the large HS vote out for him) to run against Shulman and Unity geared up all forces for the ‘87 election. Schulman almost won again, losing to Soldini by only 21 votes.

He lost again in '89 and by 110 votes in '91 election. But in that election, NAC also won the junior high ex bd seats, giving them 13, the most they ever had. Their JHS VP candidate also lost by about 150 votes. With the opposition seemingly getting stronger, Unity clearly had to do something to keep the wolves at bay.

Their opportunity came after the '93 election when inexplicably, New Action lost the high schools and junior high schools, giving the opposition no voice on the ex bd.

Unity formed a task force to "improve" the election process. It had no specific mandate to deal with the issue of changing the divisional vps to be elected on an at large basis.

At an ex bd meeting in early Jan. '94 they sprung the " improvement" - taking all divisional elections of VP's out of the divisional and making them at-large. A few days after, they sprung it at the Jan. DA, (historically one of the least attended of the year). There also just happened to be a snowstorm that day (Did Unity rig the weather?) guaranteeing an even lower attendance of non-Unity people.

But Unity assured a quorum would be there to make the act legal by threatening Unity Caucus members with the loss of their part-time union jobs and banishment from the slate, which assured a free trip to the AFT and NYSUT conventions. Thus, Unity was able to steamroller through the "improvement" in the election process.

In our so-called democratic union the Unity way, you can change the constitution without having to get membership approval.

But even if they had gone that route, the Unity machine would have spun this “improvement” to the members in some fashion. Without an effective opposition to oppose it (the inability of New Action even at that time to put up a semblance of a fight is indicative of some level of ineffectiveness) the members are helpless against the machinations of Unity. One more argument for the building of an effective opposition to Unity as opposed to the phony bogus opposition New Action has become with all their leaders on the UFT/Unity payroll.

Carol Burris - Tisch calls for an APPR system designed to fire more teachers -

Sheri Lederman, is a gifted and beloved fourth-grade teacher in Great Neck, New York. Her principal adores her and relies on her to help mentor her colleagues. Over twice as many of her students have met the state standard than the average percentage for the rest of the state. Sheri is also a scholar. She received the 2012 H. Alan Robinson Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation award for her research on how 10-year-olds learn science. Yet her growth score based on the results of student Common Core standardized tests found her to be an “ineffective” teacher... Carol Burris,  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2015/01/01/teacher-evaluation-going-from-bad-to-worse/

Tisch, Cuomo et al want to screw Sheri Lederman and many other teachers.

First a sincere Happy New Years. Very quietly this week, and without input from the rest of the Board of Regents, Tisch answered Cuomo's letter by proposing an APPR plan that doubles the weight of test scores for evaluation.  Here is my blog on it, seen through the perspective of a wonderful teacher who got an ineffective this year on that part of the score that Tisch says should now make her Ineffective overall.

Read, and then please share.  The implications for students, teachers, and principals  if this comes to pass would be enormous.

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2015/01/01/teacher-evaluation-going-from-bad-to-worse/

Peter Goodman Paves the Way for Union Cave-in to Cuomo - UPDATED

Here are links to other bloggers on the Goodman piece:

PERDIDO ST: UFT/NYSUT Signal They Will Cave To Cuomo On Teacher Evaluations/Charter Cap

NYC Educator: No One Pushes UFT Unity, and UFT Unity Falls Down Anyway

 I left this comment:

The UFT/NYSUT people will make their high salaries as long as the union exists. That is why they want that little stool at the Democratic table no matter how much crow they have to eat -- the Dems are different than the Republicans in that they want to keep the union structure so they can use it to control the members from militancy which they do very well - ala the Goodman post. Thus calls to get rid of agency shop would so harm Unity and the UFT that I would bet Cuomo would fight to keep that because he knows in the long run they will always come around.

Mindy Rosier at anti-Cuomo rally

We'd extracted a promise that NY Governor Andrew Cuomo would delay Common Core-related junk science while rating teachers, and he simply broke it. Screw teachers, screw NYSUT, and screw Randi Weingarten, says Governor Andy... NYC Educator

Now NYSUT is coming out against Cuomo.  Really! It was never Cuomo's intention to support this bill.  The proposition was only made to get an endorsement or to prevent a Teachout endorsement.  And NYSUT/UFT/AFT leadership fell for the trick.  Instead of whining now about this bill that we all knew he would veto, how about working to block a statewide APPR?...Beth Domino, Stronger Together - NYSUT PROTESTS OUTSIDE GOVERNOR'S MANSION BUT AN OPPOSITION NYSUT LEADER WANTS A STRONGER FIGHT.., ICEUFT Blog


As a history teacher I’m reminded of “Going to Canossa (“Canossa” refers to an act of penance or submission), Henry IV, the Holy Roman Emperor, dressed in “sackcloth and ashes, humbled himself in the snow outside of the castle of Pope Gregory seeking absolution from the threat of excommunication. Henry retained his throne.... Charter school quotas and the teacher the evaluation system are negotiable, and, the core issues are the Gap Elimination Adjustment and the property tax cap, the union has to seek absolution from Pope Andrew and move on to resolve the core issues..... Peter Goodman, https://mets2006.wordpress.com/2015/01/01/education-politics-is-a-blood-sport-chancellor-tisch-responds-to-the-threatening-cuomo-letter/

Michael Mulgrew as Henry IV, wearing sackcloth and ashes kneeling in the smow at Cuomo's mansion would make a perfect meme for the union. Any photoshoppers out there?

Goodman is like an advanced scout for UFT/Unity leadership thought process. How are they going to get out of THIS mess?


Goodman criticizes even the tepid union response to Cuomo thugism:

I mentioned to a teacher activist to expect “consequences” if the local endorsed Teachout. He thought Cuomo “would understand.” Politics is a blood sport. When your guy/gal wins you expect them to support your issues and when your guy/gal loses you can expect the winner to seek retribution. A deeply embedded political aphorism: screw with me and I screw with you. Maybe you didn’t learn this in your civics class and maybe you’re willing to take the heat and continue to battle and maybe you’re simply an idealist.

Funny how the UFT didn't endorse de Blasio in the primaries and he didn't seek retribution. But he's a mensh compared to the slimebag. Goodman represents the general thinking in the UFT for the past 50 years - no spine. But Goodman's job is to diss the idea of militancy, the kind that Beth Domino and Stronger Together espouse (OPEN LETTER TO CHANCELLOR TISCH).

How about this message to Cuomo: WILL WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO KEEP YOU FROM EVER EVEN SNIFFING A RUN AT PRESIDENT.

An ‘Uncaucus’ Proposal to Boycott UFT Officer Elections

The boycott would be a protest aimed at making the union more democratic through specific, substantial reforms. It would be attempting to break the stranglehold of unity caucus not in favor of this or that organized grouping but on behalf of the membership in general. ... Our system of union leadership is corrupt. The membership can't control it until it's been made to work democratically. ... John Lawhead, "An Uncaucus Proposal"

From the winter of 2012 as MORE was forming, John Lawhead made this intriguing proposal, which I raised in early pre-MORE meetings. Back in 2009 when ICE was deciding whether to run in the 2010 UFT elections some of us also called for a boycott - let Mulgrew look like Putin and get 100% of the vote - expose the UFT election process for the sham it is.

John was very prescient and pointed out the impact of the predicted low turnout - but lower than even we expected - 52% of the voters were retirees - an embarrassment to the Unity Caucus leadership.

An ‘Uncaucus’ Proposal (c. March 2012)
By John Lawhead.

There must be a fuller discussion of any decision to launch a new caucus. Another possibility I find more appealing would be to form an "uncaucus" -- a movement aimed at undoing caucus perogatives and making the union itself more democratic. Why not make it clear from the get-go we have no interest in the spoils?

Our strategy might be to boycott the election for union officers unless specific reforms are implemented. This would not be a passive boycott but a loud campaign based on a demand for substantial democratic reforms. The leadership could risk ignoring it, run against New Action and maybe TJC as usual, and then let us trumpet any low turnout as a "victory." They might try to outdo us by revving up their PR machinery to promote the vote in a big way but in that case they'd be putting a trust in the membership that goes against all instincts. 

We could still concentrate on rebuilding school chapters and running for school reps on local issues. Indeed there'd be more time and energy available to be put there rather than tied up with things like discussing a general political platform encompassing enough and amenable to the various tendencies in the opposition. I personally think building collective power in the schools is more important than electing school representation to the delegate assembly. There's currently no way for DA resolutions to be enforced. Our system of union leadership is corrupt. The membership can't control it until it's been made to work democratically. 

I want to clarify also that this would not be some stunt that's really meant to promote any "shadow list of candidates" or some alternative political platform. 

The boycott would be a protest aimed at making the union more democratic through specific, substantial reforms. It would be attempting to break the stranglehold of unity caucus not in favor of this or that organized grouping but on behalf of the membership in general. 

It should be obvious that an effort concerned with reforming election procedures, access to union media and union facilities on behalf of everybody is going to have very different priorities than an effort that's aimed at putting together a "winning" political platform and building support for it. 

Cuomo's Roll in the Slime

My fellow bloggers have been on the Cuomo story so there is little I can add. I have no level of outrage at his actions regarding education because I expected nothing less than what he has done. The guy is a slimeball beyond the normal range of slimeballs. Do you think those stories about Sheldon Silver's (another slimeball sa far as I'm concerned) money-making schemes are just surfacing now by coincidence? Silver has been viewed as a last bastion for the UFT to keep Cuomo at bay -- not that he has been all that helpful. So today NYSUT had a "rally" in Albany (NYSUT rallies outside Cuomo’s open house (updated X2). 75 people.

Some bloggers:

Damned if You Do

NYSUT Visits "Clueless" Cuomo and Fabulous Sandra Lee

Merryl Tisch To Andrew Cuomo: Let's Fire More Teachers, Raise Charter Cap In New York City

Here are links from Chalkbeat.

Evaluation battles

Reneging on his own call to protect teachers whose poor evaluations were based in part on Common Core-aligned student test scores, Gov. Andrew Cuomo vetoed a bill he drafted in June.

• New York Times,
•  Schoolbook,
•  New York Post

In response to Cuomo’s veto, the state teachers union is holding a New Year’s Eve protest outside of his mansion where he is hosting an event.

• Capital New York,
•  New York Daily News,
• NY Post

Opinion: Vetoing the teacher evaluation seems more like political payback against the teachers union than a serious effort to improve the teacher evaluation system.

• Journal News

Cuomo’s "zig-zagging history on education reform" could hurt his credibility when it's time to convince lawmakers to go along with the aggressive education agenda he has next year, Daily News columnist Bill Hammond writes.

• Daily News

Remembrance of Things Past: Xmas at Radio City With the Rockettes

Yesterday the family met up for lunch, the tree and the Xmas show at Radio City - both my wife and I remembered childhood notes of going to Radio City to see the Rockettes and a movie. We think we both saw Cary Grant in Hitchcock's "North by Northwest" as kids.
No more movies and a show. The crowds were immense. My wife's brother and his wife came from New Jersey and our niece and family from Pennsylvania. Later we tried to get tickets for some added shows for Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga in June but no dice.

Radio City Music Hall is quite a place -- and they used a lot of technology, including drones, in the show. (I still dozed at times.)

Will Police Get Scrutinized Like Teachers?

GETTING RID OF BAD COPS A small percentage of cops commit most of the abuses. A study by WNYC News in New York found that, since 2009, 40 percent of the “resisting arrest” charges were filed by just 5 percent of New York Police Department officers. In other words, most officers rarely get in a confrontation that leads to that charge, but a few officers often get in violent confrontations. But it’s very hard to remove the bad apples from the force. Trying to protect their members, unions have weakened accountability. The investigation process is softer on police than it would be on anyone else. .. David Brooks.

I've been meaning to post this 10-day old column from ed deform supporter David Brooks who raises some interesting points regarding police who will get increasing scrutiny. Is a version of VAM coming to policing?

The Union Future
David Brooks
NY Times Dec. 18, 2014
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/19/opinion/david-brooks-the-union-future.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Fdavid-brooks&_r=1

Mulgrew, Patrick Lynch, De Blasio - Commentaries and Opinions

Comments have been popping up on recent posts along these lines:

I think the only thing the protestors are accomplishing at this moment is the political destruction  of  de Blasio and creating the climate for a return to a Giuliani-type mayor. 

It's certainly beginning to look that way. Some teachers seem to be also taking an anti-De B stance, with one commenter wishing for the good old days of Bloomberg and even Giuliani. No matter what people think they think I still think that behind a lot of these feelings is the race issue. I'm just not articulate enough to flesh out my thoughts - it's the same feeling I have about the hatred for Obama that somehow seems to go a bit beyond what I saw even against Clinton. deB is coddling "them." And we know who "them" are.

And then there's the well-stream of support by some teachers for Patrick Lynch. Here is one with some ambivalence:

Lynch is a big problem and I have no respect for any union leader who does not want to be part of the solution. And his comments were truly disgusting, and I really don't like the guy. But the public and his dues-paying members love him. 

I personally despise Lynch. Sure he is standing up for his members as he should and don't we wish we would see Mulgrew doing the same. I reported on a teacher under assault by her administration  died recently at the age of 52 (Popular Teacher Dies Suddenly) a death some of her colleagues attributed to being brought on by the enormous stress the admins put her under I thought "is there blood on the hands?" But I didn't quite write it because I felt that would be going too far. Maybe not.

Then there was Lynch a few days later making what I thought was an outrageous comment about deBlasio blaming him for the murders of the cops using these exact words. I know some people - maybe like the commenter below - think Mulgrew should be like Lynch and call out administrators when a teacher under assault dies. I have mixed feelings. I'm guessing Mr. U below might not be ambivalent.

Union leadership
By Mr U.

Like him or not NYPD union leader Pat Lynch is doing what my Union leader has never done, speaking up and defending his rank and file. They organized job actions, went to the press, used social media, mobilized their delegates, and everyone spoke up for the PBA. They coordinated a media blast, turning their backs on a mayor who they feel betrayed them, even rumors of a work slow down. PBA members pooled money together and flew a sign over New York City attacking mayors. Say what you will, but every NYPD officer knows that their leader got their back. Police offers are closing ranks in New York City, they are defending each other. Officers are flying in from all over to show solidarity with their brothers.

Now compare this our teachers union. They mayor and governor stick an evaluation down our throats, we say thank you, in fact we ask for more. We demand 22 components and test based evaluations, even when our parents don't want it. Common core standards, which were created without one actual teacher, UFT president says he'll punch anyone who tries to take it away from us, even though teacher after teacher hates it. The mayor closes down schools and the profiteers come in to take up space, our Union leader says no problem. He even decides that we're going to get in the business of running charters. Contracts canceled in Philadelphia, unions destroyed in Wisconsin, schools closed en masse in Chicago, no one in the UFT cares. We can't can't even get the members from one school to show up to a protest against co-location at a public school 5 blocks away, never mind fly across the country.

Here's the deal, don't like him, don't agree with, doesn't matter: every PBA member knows Lynch and the officer standing next to him has his or her back. Go ask the average UFT member if they feel the same about Mulgrew, we all know not one of the 80,000 will say yes. PBA is winning the public relations battle, they have the mayor scared, and no way are they settling for the garbage contract now that the UFT got. Like it or not, Pat Lynch is showing you what a Union leader looks like.

===
Some more comments:

	deBlasio could have chosen his rhetoric a bit more carefully when he made his public comments because it did cause a shit storm. Lynch is a big problem and I have no respect for any union leader who does not want to be part of the solution. And his comments were truly disgusting, and I really don't like the guy. But the public and his dues-paying members love him. Can't say that about Mulgrew who never should have sided with the likes of Sharpton. And wasn't it you who reported our Cope dollars are going to Sharpton??? It's like paying the Mafia for protection!! But it will be interesting to see how Lynch handles the up-coming contract. and if he does a better job than Mulgrew, then I have to respect that. Otherwise, Lynch would be a much better union leader if he works to repair the damage that is dividing this city. And I don't see that happening. on Teachers and Cops, Does de Blasio Have Blood on His Hands? -- Teacher Bloggers Peter and Patrick Chime in
	Calling for a moratorium was not wrong. It was just a call and not banned. We still have free speech. But it would have been nice if it was honored to show the world that the protests are not about all police, but those that defy civil rights. But that's just me and it has nothing to do with being Liberal or not. The gesture would have done more good in the end because it's all about "public relations" no matter what the cause. And sometimes Liberals, Conservatives etc. forget that hence the closing of the government. There is a giant rift in this city and all sides need to be addressed. deBlasio made some huge errors in judgment IMHO, but I feel that way about his broken promises to educators during his campaign. It's his job to bring all sides together rather than enlarge the rift. I doubt he will be re-elected, and not just because of this. He has had an arrogance about him with the press, keeping appointments, and the new teachers' contract. But most of all on Marches Continue and Retro: Love me, I'm a liberal --- Phil Ochs

Marches Continue and Retro: Love me, I'm a liberal --- Phil Ochs

I'm inspired by the movie "Selma". I was thinking of my own ambivalence about the people who continue to march and protest despite the call for a moratorium.

In Selma, MLK was told by LBJ to take a moratorium of sorts and not hold that march. It struck a note in me that there is a broader movement out there to end the protests -- like let's get it settled behind closed doors with a few people and not masses of people in the streets pushing.

UPDATE: NY Times - After Killing of Police Officers, Protest Movement Is at a Crossroads

The movie deals with the conflicts between King and SNCC and Malcolm X. Having a radical wing never hurts - as Malcolm says in the movie shortly before he was killed.

I'm putting the Phil Ochs cutting song up for my own self-criticism and flip-flop on these issues - you know the drill - as I get older I move right- not that some of the actions of people I know on the left doesn't help push me in that direction.
 
But people I know and respect, like Josmar Trujillo, of New Yorkers Against Bratton, help me see the other side. Josmar is part of a coalition opposing the broken windows theory of policing. I  filmed Josmar, a former Rockaway resident, in an anti stop and frisk march out here in July 2013. And I run into him in the local gym a few times a week. Josmar was on Brian Lehrer the other day. You can listen here.



We should never forget the work of Phil Ochs. We lost our albums in the hurricane. Thanks to Glenn Tepper for reminding us -

İ cried when they shot Medgar Evers
Tears ran down my spine
I cried when they shot Mr. Kennedy
As though I'd lost a father of mine
But Malcolm X got what was coming
He got what he asked for this time
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I go to civil rights rallies
And I put down the old D.A.R.
I love Harry and Sidney and Sammy
I hope every colored boy becomes a star
But don't talk about revolution
That's going a little bit too far
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I cheered when Humphrey was chosen
My faith in the system restored
I'm glad the commies were thrown out
of the A.F.L. C.I.O. board
I love Puerto Ricans and Negros
as long as they don't move next door
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

The people of old Mississippi
Should all hang their heads in shame
I can't understand how their minds work
What's the matter don't they watch Les Crain?
But if you ask me to bus my children
I hope the cops take down your name
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I read New republic and Nation
I've learned to take every view
You know, I've memorized Lerner and Golden
I feel like I'm almost a Jew
But when it comes to times like Korea
There's no one more red, white and blue
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I vote for the democratic party
They want the U.N. to be strong
I go to all the Pete Seeger concerts
He sure gets me singing those songs
I'll send all the money you ask for
But don't ask me to come on along
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

Once I was young and impulsive
I wore every conceivable pin
Even went to the socialist meetings
Learned all the old union hymns
But I've grown older and wiser
And that's why I'm turning you in
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

• • "Love Me I'm A Liberal (Live Version)" by Phil Ochs

A Merry Jewish Xmas - Chinese Food and a Movie - and "Selma", the Very Best, and Essential Movie

We did our usual jaunt into the city today - free and ample parking everywhere - for a movie, followed by Chinese food - General Chang's Chicken. We hit the Union Square area before noon and the lines at the theater were long - funny, they all didn't look Jewish.

There were a few options for movies to see - Unbroken was already sold out until the 7PM show. But after reading the exuberant A.O. Scott review of "Selma" in today's Times that was our target. And lucky we were there early as the theater was sold out for the 12:50 show."Selma" is a must-see for everyone. Living history and some context for the anger emanating from the black community today. Plus some of the most amazing performances you can see on the screen and a top-notch directing job by Ava DuVernay. My wife's comment: it may be the best movie I ever saw.

Here is the New Yorker review.
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/12/22/living-history

Fred Smith: The Day Before Xmas (With Arne Duncan and John King)

Don't mean to spoil this season, but it's truly a bummer;
The DD logo really stands for dumber and dumber. ... Fred Smith

Heeeeere's Fred:

Tis the day before Christmas and I figured out something
About the devious marriage of John King - Arne Duncan.

Like all else they have done, it's not about education.
No, their goal is to take over our fat, fast-food nation.

It's really quite easy to discover the end game;
Their two year plan is as obvious as what's in a name.

We hear that America Runs (To The Top) on Duncan.
The slogan and donuts and coffee have long since sunk in.

And who's behind the Big Whopper more than John 'Burger' King!
So, the Duncan-King merger is a natural thing.

But because of their backgrounds, they have come up with a twist
Of catchy choice items that will go on their menu list.

There's the Double Cross San'wich Meal loved by Andrew Cuomo;
Have It His Way, or else you'll need more than a Bromo.

And Campbell's Hash Browns will honor the justice she seeks;
While she knows less about teaching each time that she speaks.

There's the Bloomberger slider -- only two ounces of meat;
You should be done in two bites, but beware it will repeat.

And Rhee Burger! Rhee Burger! is about to be added;
We're sure its nutritional value was greatly padded.

King couldn't resist the all-new Common Core on a bun.
Looking for a burger in between? You'll find there is none.

Now in races Arne with an assortment of sweets
For all kids and their parents he brings many treats.

There's a special on lemon-filled for each Long Island mom.
While Stars and Stripes donuts salute his NCLB bomb.

He makes sure all munchkins are sugared, jellied and glazed
As they prep for rigorous tests that will leave them half-crazed.

And his preservatives and false flavors ain't going away;
He's building capacity to reach every Pre-K.

Soon high school grads will get jobs in a Duncan-King store
Taking orders for burgers and donuts -- Kids of the Core.

Making minimum wages, and will it really be strange
When they take in cash for their bosses but they can't make change?

Don't mean to spoil this season, but it's truly a bummer;
The DD logo really stands for dumber and dumber.

~fred smith

The 12 Days of Christmas With Principal Kathleen Elvin at John Dewey HS

In case you haven't been following the saga at John Dewey HS in Brooklyn, these posts continue to get a lot of traffic and a lot of comments:

John Dewey HS Update: Popular Teacher Dies Suddenl... Dec 17, 2014, 15 comments	1145
No Change of Tone at John Dewey HS: Principal Kat... Jun 26, 2014, 183 comments

 -----over a 1000 page views a week.

(We also continue to get comments on the PS 399 principal situation. "PS 399K Principal Marion Brown Accused).

I hope to be able to report one day on some of the stuff going on behind the scenes at Dewey. Based on the comments, a major issue is a phony credit recovery scheme and some ridiculous work rules imposed by the Elvin administrators, some of whom seem to be so awful. Hearing about how these slugs continue to operate a year after Bloom/Klein/Cott are gone is more than discouraging. Until the UFT goes head to head with Farina to rid the system of these people, nothing will change.

Here is the latest comment to celebrate Xmas - I some of it but some effort was put into it so it is worth sharing up top.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "No Change of Tone at John Dewey HS: Principal Kat...":

Elvin's New Year Resolution: 

1. Work harder to create a "Workers' State Island" at The John Dewey High School Campus; 

2. create a link with the soon-to-be-commercially-viable-for-American capital Cuba's Tourist Dept. and propose an "Ineffective- Teacher- Non-Stop- Balsero -Caravan to Mariela Harbor (with the hope of renaming it "Catalina Harbor" in the future!); 

3. contact Denis Rodman to come and give a "pep talk" at the next Faculty Enhanced -Information-Gathering Session (i.e. "Faculty Meeting") on the topic of "Using Sports Teams and Personalities to Promote Healthy Groveling Before Maximum Leaders"; 

4. create a bulletin board for "Dewey Honors Ferguson's Finest", with an auditorium event featuring the Principal's hero, Officer Darren Wilson, interviewed by Our First Lady herself, via Skype; 

5. Inaugurate the Joel Klein-Kathy Black Memorial Garden, with a flower bed reserved for future to-be-deceased-staff members (purchaseable by staff with their Teacher Choice funds); 

6. break ground for the first-ever "I Can't Breathe Fun Run" ,and schedule the Gym for an upcoming weekend (now that those bothersome Flames are out of the picture!); 

7. Hold a combination "Hedgefund Wedding" (to replace that odious "Hippie Wedding"!) and Cross Burning on the Athletic Field honoring personal "galpals" Eva Moskowitz and a sensational robotized effigy of a "pregnant" Eva Braun, (created under School Safety's armed "persuasion" by Dewey's very own Robotics Team!) and culminating in the "immaculate/digitalized conception" of "The Sapphic Kathleen", a rabid unbreakable cholera-spewing "doll" that will birthe at the entrance to The Loading Dock on the anniversary of "Dewey's Dowager Queen"'s first working day at Dewey ; 

8. funnel all remaining ATR's and "3020A"ers into the former Teachers' Lounge on the 2nd floor, and rechristen it "The UFT Waiting-To-Be-Terminated Room"; have supervisors escort all OSI "visitors" into the former Teachers' Lounge on the 3rd floor, and run continuous relays of hash brownies and mescaline-dowsed smoothies from the former Teachers' Cafeteria into the locked-from-the-outside room; 

9. sharpen the Cook's knives in the Student Cafeteria; 

10. have the Parent Coordinator start a rumor that the Dishwasher is having an affair with the Cook's wife; 

11. schedule a "behind-the-scenes tour" of the cafeteria upon the Parent Coordinator's return from her assignment; 

12. contact NBC to see if they could use a highly- effective high school principal for the next season of "Undercover Boss", and buy an Imelda Marcos mask in anticipation of the episode, so as to work unsuspected side-by-side with the rodents- I mean the teachers...

let's stop at 12 in honor of "The 12 Days of Christmas"!!! 

"Ah, Humbug!" 

Teachers and Cops, Does de Blasio Have Blood on His Hands? -- Teacher Bloggers Peter and Patrick Chime in

South Bronx School blogger writes in this post -Wingnut Right and New York Post Hypocrisy: God forbid if a teacher so much as did something wrong and the Post and the wingnut Right (And crazy Governor Andy in Albany) would be calling for that teacher's keyster. Or worse, what would they say if that teacher had been charged in the past with misconduct in several past instances, like... Officer Pantaleo? 

...was the subject of two civil rights lawsuits in 2013 where plaintiffs accused Pantaleo of falsely arresting them and abusing them. In one of the cases, Pantaleo and other officers ordered two black men to strip naked on the street for a search and the charges against the men were dismissed.

Where there is smoke there is usually fire. Speaking of fire how long will it take to terminate Officer Pantaelo? Faster than a teacher? Will the Post and the wingnuts of the Right be calling for a speedier process to fire cops? To keep bad cops off the job? To do away with due process? A way to better evaluate cops? To be sure that cops that are hired are from the highest 1/3 of their college class?

...we aren't hearing about charter precincts or busting up the NYCPBA or the monopoly that the NYPD has over policing or more stringent and punitive measures to evaluate cops and other inane stuff that we as teachers have been subject to for the last 12 years. ....http://www.southbronxschool.com/2014/12/wingnut-right-and-new-york-post.html?spref=fb

Peter wrote a great piece today. I wrote the other day (John Dewey HS Update: Popular Teacher Dies Suddenly  about the death of a 53-year old teacher at John Dewey who was partially disabled and was harassed by the school administration to the point that people are saying the administrators have blood on their hands -- not a story you will read about in the Post. Or even the NY Teacher. Can you imagine Mulgrew going before the microphones and talking about the principal having blood on her hands? Actually, I'm not advocating he do that - even though teachers are leaving comments about how much they admire PBA head Patrick Lynch for backing his members and compare how little support the UFT gives its members on the ICE blog (POSSIBLE PBA V DE BLASIO ENDGAME). I get it, but though the union needs to defend everyone, Lynch goes way too far in defending and justifying every single act while also fighting any oversight of the police.

I was going to write something about the response to the murder of the 2 cops but am still having problems sorting it all out. There has been heated discussion on the MORE listserve over whether to say something at all and if so exactly what to say. MORE did put out a statement - Peace and Condolences -

MORE wishes to express our deepest condolences and sends our warmest thoughts to the families of murdered NYPD officers Wenjian Lui and Rafael Ramos. All murder is wrong. All murderers should be brought to justice. This is true when police officers are victims and when civilians are victims. While we reject the language of those who would exploit this horrific event for political gain, let us work as a city and a nation, together, to create a better, peaceful, compassionate, and equitable world. Losing a loved one, because of the violent act of civilian or officer, should be something we can all agree must end.

As so often happens, Julie Cavanagh wrote the basics of this statement, bringing her unique world view to the table - which is why I would follow her anywhere.

Bloggers associated with MORE have posted some excellent pieces. More from Peter:

I support the police. I have come across a lot of cops that are jerks and a lot that are good people. That is the same in all walks of life. Some people suck, some don't. What happened in Bed-Stuy was completely FUBAR. BUT! De Blasio did not egg the protestors on nor is he anti-cop. But he has every right to inform his son of the perils he faces. He is a father first and a mayor second. .... Eric Garner should be alive right now. Watching the video one wonders why 4 cops could not take Garner down in a way other than he was. Garner was not a danger to anyone. A NYPD inspector once told me that best cop is one who does not let a situation get out of hand. Garner's situation got out of hand...

Read it all: http://www.southbronxschool.com/2014/12/wingnut-right-and-new-york-post.html?spref=fb

Patrick at Raging Horse blog (http://raginghorse.wordpress.com/) has written 2 must-read pieces:

In America nothing is sacred. Even before the bodies of the dead policemen Wenjin Liu and Rafael Ramos were cold, politicians seeking a soundbite, former politicians seeking the spot light and would be politicians seeking to jump start their careers ,were suddenly all over the place spewing venom and idiocy to all who would listen or could read as to the real reason why two policemen, ambushed in their patrol car in Brooklyn in a period of extreme racial tension, lay dead. They did not lie dead because a psychotic from Baltimore shot them at point blank range who earlier in the day had threatened suicide and then shot his girlfriend.
They lay dead because of Mayor Bill de Blasio.
They lay dead because of protestors.
This, at any rate, has been the line echoed back and forth across the country since hour one.

Nothing Is Sacred: Capitalizing on Horror is the American Way

Beyond the Pale: Blaming de Blasio for Murdered Cops

At the ICE blog, there is a piece by James Eterno, who has a new-born bi-racial son and will one day have to hold a conversation with him similar to the one de Blasio held with Dante. James' brother John was a police captain so James represents the unity of the various points of view on these issues. James does not trash Mulgrew and in fact praises his response. He then goes on to analyze some of the politics behind the response of police union leaders. Also interesting are the comments from teachers who seem to love Lynch while trashing Mulgrew. While I have been a big critic of the UFT leadership over their lack of support, I would also be extremely critical of a union leader like Lynch.

Bringing the story back to teachers and cops and the hypocrisy of ed deformers and how they only "care" about the children when teachers are involved, Peter says:

Oh, but the argument always will be that it is all about the children. But what about Eric Garner's children? What about the children of all the unarmed African-American's shot by the police? Are they not affected? Aren't all the African-American children not affected by NYPD in some sort of negative way?

Yesterday when I responded to another bullshit Students First tweet referencing Campell Brown:

StudentsFirstNYVerified account ‏@StudentsFirstNY

In an interview w/ @campbell_brown, Dr. @HowardLFuller discusses the role of #education in improving life outcomes: http://thebea.st/1zlhZo0 

Norm Scott ‏@NormScott1 18h18 hours ago

@StudentsFirstNY @campbell_brown @HowardLFuller Did Campbell talk about police and black youth relationships? Did she discuss stop and frisk

I guess not.

Why Teachers Need Guns - Accountable Talk Blog

Today, ed deformer David Brooks examined police unions in a similar manner as teacher unions have come under scrutiny in his NY Times column. It won't be long before there are demands for a VAM approach to cops' performance. See my Wave column  on Teaching and Policing

Is Patrick Lynch leading police into the same kind of hell Randi led teachers?

....despite both being part of powerful unions, teachers and police are treated very differently by politicians and the media. Why is that?.... http://www.accountabletalk.com/2014/12/why-teachers-need-guns.html

This fits right into a theme I've been working on - comparing policing to teaching and how the attacks have come on teachers - Blogger Accountable Talk takes aim:

Why Teachers Need Guns

It's time to arm teachers.

But not for the reasons you might think. Allow me to explain.
 
Here's what has NOT happened in the wake of the Eric Garner case in NYC:

• Governor Cuomo has NOT made it a major policy issue to break the PBA, which he clearly does not consider a monopoly like the UFT.
• He has NOT demanded a new evaluation system of any sort that would help weed out the "bad" cops.
• Eva Moskowitz has NOT called for the opening of a series of "Police Success Academies" to study best practices for police officers.
• Wendy Kopp has NOT opened a "Kopps for America" boot camp to train tightly selected individuals to patrol the city's most dangerous streets after six weeks of training.
• Campbell Brown has NOT called the unrest in minority neighborhoods (ignited by incidents like the Garner case and the cop who twice punched a subdued teenaged boy) the "civil rights issue of our time". 
• Campbell has likewise NOT called for an end to seniority rights nor job protections of police officers, nor has she filed a lawsuit to end those rights.
• The New York Post has NOT written stories on a daily basis vilifying police officers.

No, all those things were directed at teachers.

More at http://www.accountabletalk.com/2014/12/why-teachers-need-guns.html

A Funeral for a Cousin - #5 at MSG

The very idea of going to a funeral is depressing. Especially a funeral of someone younger - 57 years old to be exact. But once you get there and talk to people and celebrate a life instead of mourning you end up feeling better.

We spent most of Sunday in New Jersey at my cousin's funeral and post funeral lunch. He was my first cousin's son - my mom was his dad's aunt. His dad died about 10 years ago and left a 2nd wife with 3 grown children, who became the deceased step-family. One of his wife's daughters called me on Thursday to tell me the news - the cause was complications from pancreatic cancer - a disease that is the scourge of the earth - Loretta Prisco died of it last June. Recovery rates from Ebola are significantly higher than pancreatic cancer - my mother-in-law also died of it at 71. And she is buried in the same cemetery we went to today. Funerals - so many memories of so many people.

The post funeral lunch at a nearby Olive Garden was hosted by the step-family -- the deceased father's wife and her children, one of whom is married to the CBS/FOX helicopter traffic reporter Joe Behrman, who today played the role of host to a mob of people and was so funny and so gracious. It was not the first time we met Joe but got to sit with him at the luncheon and he helped turn what could have been a sad occasion into somewhat of a celebration.

I didn't know my cousin very well - whatever contact we had over the years related to a few areas of common interest. Sports, the stock market and his brief time teaching math in the DOE about a decade ago -- he was a brilliant math guy but had some typical problems with horrendously run schools and soon left to do private tutoring.

He was a heavy day-trader in the 90s - until the tech crash of 2000 -where we both got smashed -- but his smashing was pretty bad and he seemed to lose some interest in the market. A few years earlier I met him downtown where some broker had some real-time computer stock tickers - he had a system and when some stocks would drop or go up an eighth he would race to the phone. We played with the computers for a few hours - the screens were loaded with info -- that was the early days of the internet and getting such info in real time was rare.

Then he took me to a fancy Brooks Brothers clothing store on 5th Ave where they had a Bloomberg Machine that was available to the public. What's a Bloomberg Machine I asked -- I had never heard of a guy named Bloomberg who made his fortune renting out these machines. It was an amazing real-time news, financial, etc machine -- sort of like our cell phones today. Neither of us looked like we belonged in Brooks Brothers. I was pretty uncomfortable. He wasn't -- being self-conscious wasn't his thing.

He left a career as an actuary where he was making good money to work as an usher at just about every sporting and entertainment venue in the metropolitan area.

Many of the people who came to the funeral were fellow ushers. 
Every time I would go to a Yankee or Met or Knick or Ranger game I would ask the ushers if Lance was working that night - and a few times he led us to seats right behind the hockey net or the backboard. (Steinbrenner got rid of all the guys at the Yankee games so I couldn't get to see him there.)

There were flowers sent from the Mets. And his health insurance came from Madison Square Garden.

Even after working at some of these venues for decades Lance had trouble rising in seniority because guys rarely left. That was why he mostly worked on top levels -- they system work based on who showed up each night and then they got assignments based on seniority -- I guess Campbell Brown may show up to complain about it. Sometimes he got to work the lower levels when senior guys didn't show for lousy games. I hadn't realized he was still working at MSG - I thought they replaced many of the ushers with security people. I should have asked for him when we went to the Fleetwood Mac concert last year - the last time I was at MSG. We found out today that his seniority had risen in a serious way over the years.

Apparently one of the things Lance was proudest of was rising to #5 on the seniority list at MSG.

Most of the sports and entertainment venues in the metro area will never be the same without Lance.

Here's one for #5.