Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Mulgrew/Unity Caucus Leadership Mocked: The MulCave and MulgrewCare - defining words for his regime

We are going to try and get 90% turnout [in UFT elections] from my school. UFT staff number over 150. We had a meeting last week and had the largest turnout I have seen for a union meeting in many years. There is a LOT of anger at the leadership in my school.... Twitter

How is the Mulgrew/Unity machine doing? Certainly not well on canpaign donations to losing candidates and on the class size push focusing on Corey Johnson who the UFT endorsed. 

[Note - Unity stalwart Dave Pecoraro and friend of Ed Notes opposed the Johnson nomination and was tossed off the Unity Delegate Assembly slate - Call it the Pecoraro revenge.]

Leonie Haimson: Weak & even irrelevant evidence offered by city to back up their claim that in-school transmission is low

https://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2021/12/the-citys-claim-of-low-in-school.html

“He [Chockshi] said that even if virus rates continued to rise across the city and in schools, “we estimate that in schools about 98 percent of close contacts do not end up developing Covid-19.”  Where’s this data? 

Where is this data should be the kind of question being asked by UFT leadership.

Mulgrew and his small coterie of advisors are not doing too well on the COVID response either, with the open schools at all costs despite raging infections movement gathers steam with Mulgrew making weak ineffective noises.

 

And the Memes Mocking Mulgrew --MMM 

Here is a collection of public and private comments gleaned from FB, twitter and emails. Not just from the oppo activist wing but rank and file. When the UFT leader becomes a laugh out loud joke it spells trouble. Enough to lose an election this spring? Odds have dropped from "no way" to a thousand to one.

Here's one on how the union has been breaking down.Where do you file a concern?



You understand you have a revolt brewing in the ranks, yes? That members are scared, angry and concerned about January, and are going to take this out on leadership for not doing anything effective to keep them safe, yes? You understand this was a bridge too far?--- rbe @perdidostschool to UFT Paid shill

Is Mulgrew some sort of secret genius whose plan it is to topple his own caucus? I say crazy things sometimes. ----Do Your Job, @straightplimp

Also like...big announcements today. Where's Mulgrew lol??... Brewing something up in the Mulcave... Brewing up a strongly worded email that implies he will fight this all and then another email from Sunday night saying we'll we got everything we wanted so we're going in...anon.

The MulCave and MulgrewCare may become defining words for his regime.
I am disgusted by what is being spewed by
@NYCMayor and @DOEChancellor
... the email that I was just asked to send to all families is convoluted, does NOTHING to keep us safe. It is not easy to understand, and does nothing to prevent spread on 01/03. They want us all to get covid!
Anonymous comment on ICE Blog...

I was diagnosed with Covid two weeks ago and the Situation Room NEVER CALLED ME. My principal was in charge of all quarantine procedures. Also, many other teachers at my school developed Covid in the last week of school. The NYS covid dashboard is not listing the new numbers of staff who have covid. This whole thing is a total fucking sham to hide the real numbers. I am hoping Adams can clean this mess up but who knows..  It's Official: The UFT Does Not Give a Shit and Mike Mulgrew is the Grim Reaper

There was a positive case in my class every week since Thanksgiving. Anyone really believe the DOE gonna us weekly rapid tests? And how does this work in h.s. when the positive student has 7 different classes they attend with 7 different groups of students and teachers?

So many kids will get sick we’ll be teaching small class sizes. Half the staff will be out all of the time. I feel like I’m in a fucking experiment.

The lack of compassion is beyond anything I could have imagined even a year ago
Dear parents:
@NYCMayor
says schools are safe and will be open. He doesn’t have children in a school. He maybe talks to our
@UFT
president who is zooming for work these days. Ask your child’s school: are they prepared to be full contact tracers?
 
They're gonna be so mad when they told parents schools will never close again, and a) people keep their kids home not believing their bullshit and b) instruction grinds to a halt when staff call in. literally the exact same people will be like you have all the safety measures you need and also you don't need any
A retiree mocking UFT retiree healthcare committee: 
I couldn't refrain from laughing out loud when I read on page 6 of the 12/16 issue of New York Teacher that Mulgrew plans to have member input when negotiating the next contract and health benefits and that he wants to form a negotiating committee. 
"The health care group," he said, "would work much the same way as has the 50-member retiree health care committee that was formed last spring to provide feedback on retiree health care priorities . . . a group of informed health care advocates who can talk about the issues and challenges in this area with other members." Good luck to this new health care committee in actually getting their voices heard!
Jen Jennings is a professor at Princeton who has been on target regarding the push to keep schools open no matter the spread. Are we surprised that the union leadership at the city and national levels are more interested in supporting the economic system than the safety of the members and the children they serve?
@eduwonkette_jen

The blogs have been active.

Arthur points up the folly at the DOE:

NYC Educator
Old Mayor, New Mayor, & Governor Enact Low Standards to Keep Schools Open at Any Cost - The NY Times, which drank the COVID Kool-Aid well before it was even served, is out with the latest account of the mayor's zany antics. Because the Times...
James at  ICEUFT focuses on Mulgrew

MULGREW CALLS FOR FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF LATEST CITY SCHOOL SAFETY PLAN

MULGREW KEEPS AGREEING TO SEND UFTERS INTO SCHOOLS WHEN HE KNOWS THE SAFETY SYSTEMS ARE COMPLETELY BROKEN

Michael Mulgrew's latest email is below. Mulgrew states: "But we won't stop pushing until we are confident that this new plan has been implemented fully by Jan. 3." In all likelihood it won't be fully implemented and then what does Mulgrew intend to do? You know the answer.

South Bronx Schools too:

Mike Mulgrew Folds Like a Cheap Suit For Eric Adams and a Mayor Who is Gone in Three Days

It's Official: The UFT Does Not Give a Shit and Mike Mulgrew is the Grim Reaper

Mulgrew Doesn't Care Anymore About COVID or the Health and Well Being of Members.

Unity hacks and trolls complain that our hands are tied. Compare and contrast:


More memes:



 
 
The NY Post mocked DOE Educrats, morphed into UFT Fat Cats:


 

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Tuesday, December 28, 2021

UFT Solidarity survey on COVID testing

A good idea to check the pulse of the membership.  ICEUFT Blog TAKE THE UFT SOLIDARITY COVID TESTING SURVEY and The Doenuts Blog NYC Teachers See posted yesterday and already over a 100 people have filled it out. 

UFT Solidarity survey on COVID testing.

Testing in NYC Public Schools- A Survey by UFT Solidarity (with the support of folks in the UFC Coalition)

Per an email sent out by UFT President Mulgrew on December 2, "the city will now allow the testing of school staff on a voluntary basis. Beginning on Monday, Dec. 6, school staff can request to be tested on their school’s scheduled test day. 

"According to the new policy:

1. Student testing must be completed before any adults can be tested.

2. Test providers must maintain their schedule and may not extend their time at the school to accommodate staff who want to be tested.

3. Test providers may test up to 10% of staff.

4. All COVID-19 testing of DOE staff is voluntary, but staff must give consent via the DOE’s daily health screening form. It may take up to five days for the DOE to process your consent so please submit it as soon as possible."

We have been hearing troubling reports from schools. Some staff have not been informed of what days testing is scheduled to arrive at school. In other schools, we are hearing of staff members being turned away. 

What is happening in your school? 

Remember, we keep each other safe. 

This information will only be shared with a small group of people so including your name and email is optional.

Start the survey.

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Saturday, December 25, 2021

Fred Smith 2021 edition of his Annual ‘Twas the night before Christmas - in Daily News

I first met Fred, a testing expert who used to work as a statistician for the old NYCBOE, when he contacted me about getting ICE members to assist in gathering data for his exposures of the evils of testing I think sometime around 2008. He then got involved with groups like GEM and Change the Stakes and was a co-winner with me and Danny Dromm of Leonie Haimson's Skinny Award in 2018 - (June 19 - I'm a Skinny: Honored to be honored by Leonie Haimson along with the Great Danny Dromm and Fred Smith.)

Fred Smith has done it again for 2021 with is yearly Xmas specials.

Fred Smith with his annual 'Twas The Night Before Xmas—2021

Here are his previous years, each with a different theme. 2019 seems to be absent.
Fred is also a statistician for the NY Jets - don't blame him for their absence from the Super Bowl for over 50 years.

Fred Smith convincing Jets dancers to boycott field tests - he's the one in the middle

‘Twas the night before Christmas: 2021 edition
By FRED SMITH                             NEW YORK DAILY NEWS                DEC 24, 2021 AT 5:00 AM
[Text in red was not part of the DN article. Thanks to Fred for the mention.]


In a year filled with trauma on this Christmas Eve,
I’d just taken a booster shot under my sleeve.
 
And then starting to fade in-and-out woozy,
I dreamt of getting a hot tub jacuzzi.
Soon my vision was clouded, my eyesight grew dim
As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t spot him.
 
For the guy in the red suit had been chased away.
I saw Amazon trucks, not his wonderful sleigh.
And with Bezos’ boxes flying off of the shelves,
Santa couldn’t find work for his beloved elves.
 
But he emailed the names on his naughty-guy list,
And said what he’d have given each one as a gift.
His roll covered miscreants across all levels
From the state to the fed to a broad range of devils:
 
For Andrew, a thick pair of anti-grope mitts;
Melissa gets valium to curb her mean fits.
A special surprise awaits Jim Malatras:
Strong itching powder to rub in his gatkes.
 
To those congressmen who block legislation,
Cartons of Ex-Lax to relieve constipation.
For roadblock senators Manchin and Sinema,
Dollars for programs far more than the minima.
 
And Donald gets a golden bowlful of kale,
And sentenced to life in a health foodie jail.
A Clorox colada for his counselor Rudy,
And Mitch gets a voracious turtleneck cootie.
 
Community service — what Trump’s racist friends need,
Posting BLM banners ‘til their hateful hands bleed.
And to all the crazies of his insurrection,
Poison pills to choke down for the “stolen election.”
 
And fittingly, for all climate change deniers,
Full-time sweat labor putting out raging fires.
For all anti-vaxxers and anti-mask wearers,
The names and addresses of local pallbearers.
To Proud Boy gents and those QAnon ladies,
Immediate transport to hovels in Hades.
 
For the same “Breaking News!” droning on all the day,
Cable news gets a free pass to go far away.
 
For donors and lobbyists who bought Mayor Bill,
A backhoe that recoups their ill-gotten fill.
For Michael Mulgrew and his right of retention,
50 years to teach shop for a Tier 20 pension.
 
To Pearson executives, who are truly villains
Killing 8-year-old minds with bubble sheet fill-ins:
Here’s an endless supply of sharp No. 2s
To suck all the lead out, as your brains start to ooze.
 
The roster of evil includes many foul names
Equally worthy of being consigned to the flames.
So, he filled up their stockings with hot burning coals,
An appropriate payment for selling their souls.
 
From the time I came under my glum Pfizer-ish fog
He hadn’t named anyone on his A+ log.
Such a negative Santa made me melancholy
There was no ho, ho, ho; what happened to jolly?
 
Then suddenly he sent me a rose-colored wink
To show that his spirit was still in the pink.
 
Reminding me how he loves kids most of all
And those who protect them who won’t let our schools fall.

So, all was not bleak on this dark Yuletide night;
The greatest gifts always go to those who do right,
Who like his own reindeer outlast any storm
With unblinking vision to create a new norm.
 
On Leonie fiercely striving to lower class size;
On Ravitch and Burris puncturing charter school lies;
On Rosa and Cashin up high, seeing the light
On Rebell and Jackson, winning equity’s fight
There’s steady Norm Scott always keeping the score
With faith in our teachers who deserve so much more.
And Jeanette and Lisa working at the grass roots.
Giving parents their voices and speaking the truth
 
Though the online business has invaded our lives
“Yes, Virginia” still lives; and kindness survives.
 
Smith is a former city Department of Education official.

 

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Friday, December 24, 2021

United for Change Key Candidates and Program for School Safety - Camille Eterno to oppose Mulgrew for President

Anonymous said... The candidate for president is smart, tough, collaborative, creative, ethical, kind, good manager, respectful, realistic, tiptop teacher, deeply concerned about young people, stalwart CL with a sense of humor. We had divergent opinions on some issues. Just part of life. As CL, she always had our backs. When you work in the trenches, Camille is the person you want next to you! 

Friday, December 24, 2021

After months of deep discussions and building a working coalition out of constituents parts, United for Change (UFC) made its first public statement Sunday evening. I gave some background on the constituents of the United for Change coalition: Four Caucuses and an Uncaucus - What Is United for Change? 

The focus of the announcement addressed the health and safety issue re the massive COVID outbreak. Since Sunday, things escalated in the schools, with Mulgrew coming under increasing criticism for seeming indifference to the crisis UFT members, especially those with children of their own, have been facing. The DOE/UFT endorsed testing program is a disaster. Now Mulgrew is talking - for PR purposes - about testing. But he is toothless to do anything about it unless he called for teachers to walk out of unsafe schools -- and he will not do that because the UFT/AFT doesn't want to face media criticism that they want unsafe schools to close. Our unions are part of the educational industrial complex.

Of course I'm thrilled that Camille is the candidate. I met Camille when James invited me to a Queens diner to meet with some dissidents over 20 years ago and we attended their wedding around 17 years ago. James was the ICE/TJC candidate for president in 2010 - the first time a husband and wife have run for that office -- except for the Clintons but let's not go there. Camille has been receiving comments of support from many of the people she has worked with over the years -- there's no better endorsement than from your colleagues.  

How the pandemic will affect the elections is a growing concern. How do you petition in schools? And campaign? This certainly benefits Unity.

Blogs made the announcement days ago but I've been too busy doing retirement couch potato things.

 





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Tuesday, December 21, 2021

The winter solstice of our discontent - Angry Unity Longtime Chapter Leader Slams DOE/UFT, Eduwonkette - History will judge those who sacrifice children health, Petitions Going Around like hotcakes

How does the UFT endorse and support and back these half-baked policies of the DoE? Is accountability vestigial? It’s almost like those in charge of the UFT and the DoE simply couldn’t be bothered because Covid, whilst rampant in the schools, does not directly impact any of you. How many of you work in sparsely populated offices, with ideal ventilation. When was the last time any of you spent seven hours in an over-crowded school-building (196% capacity) for five days in a row, since September?  .. ..  Please be safe and always maintain a safe social distance from others. We cannot, where I work, so we'll fake it for now. ...... 

Adam C Bergstein, Chapter Leader Forest Hills HS, Longtime Unity Caucus member.

What happened to testing in NYC?-- Jonathan Halabi --

We are in a health emergency, and tests should be widely available. Running out of capacity at one site and supplies at another represent small breakdowns – but repeated breakdowns make a pattern – a scary one.... The City, de Blasio, doesn’t like testing because it hurts the stats on sick people. But testing is needed to limit (not stop, unfortunately) the spread. Lots of testing is needed. The City needs to make widely available testing a priority. And it has clearly not done so so far.

Breaking - January regents, Adams inauguration event cancelled but schools remain open with no remote option- 

Here is just one of many examples of the anguished issues people in schools are facing. 

 

 

 

Eduwonkette - the extraordinary Jennifer Jennings - put out this tweet this morning:
 

Look at that rising chart. I commented that UFT leadership is among the complicit and she replied with "Can we have an amen?"

Tuesday, December 21, Winter Solstice - the winter of our discontent

Winter is officially here and while today is the longest day of darkness of the year, tomorrow the daylight starts getting longer - but not for the UFT leadership's constant mishandling and mismessageing of the growing crisis. Mulgrew sent out a letter Friday. He's already given up on his buddy de Blasio and aiming at Adams while acting like this week of hell for educators and students is over.


Have we reached a Nero fiddles while Rome burns moment for UFT president Michael Mulgrew? 

 

 

It's one thing when the opposition slams the leadership over the growing healthcare crisis -- UFT retirees of the virus/testing chaos in the schools - but when a long-time Unity Caucus stalwart chapter leader who has done battle with the opposition in the past writes a letter like the one below as posted by James on the ICE blog, the signs of disarray inside the mother ship are growing as the disconnect between those who are  safe at 52 and the borough offices and the Unity rank and file in the schools seem to be growing.

Below the Bergstein letter is a petition organized by a still current member of Unity and a 2019 voter for Unity. These three are the most dangerous signs for the UFT leadership.

Here is the full Forest Hills HS letter on the ICEUFT blog:

FOREST HILLS HS CHAPTER LEADER EMAILS CHANCELLOR AND UFT PRESIDENT ON LACK OF COVID SAFETY

This came our way late last night. We are printing it with the permission of Adam Bergstein, the Chapter Leader of Forest Hills High School.

To: M Porter, Chancellor NYC DOE & M Mulgrew, UFT President

From Adam C Bergstein, Q440 Chapter Chair

Date: Sunday, December 19th 2021

Re: Covid Mismanagement

Attn: M Porter & M Mulgrew,

I have but one question to ask. Does the DOE and/or UFT actually have a plan in place to deal with all of the Covid outbreaks happening throughout the NYC school system? Is the prevailing ideological philosophy for all NYC schools to channel their inner-ostrich and basically wait until 3 PM, December 23rd? And if so, what then will be the plan come mid-January, when Covid has another spike and numbers are exponentially greater?  Should we prepare now for the spin, and just expect an apathetic, doppelgänger of a response? And what will the administrative guidance be in three to five weeks, invariably to sit back and wait until the February recess arrives? I would like to say I’m awestruck or dumbfounded by the ineptitude, but having spent two decades working for this bureaucracy, sadly I am just inured to the distribution of the bovine fecal accumulation. 

And how does the UFT endorse and support and back these half-baked policies of the DoE? Is accountability vestigial? It’s almost like those in charge of the UFT and the DoE simply couldn’t be bothered because Covid, whilst rampant in the schools, does not directly impact any of you. How many of you work in sparsely populated offices, with ideal ventilation. When was the last time any of you spent seven hours in an over-crowded school-building (196% capacity) for five days in a row, since September? I’m no psychic, just a huge fan of the redundantly rhetorical.

And this quasi-scientific theory that schools are still the safest places to be, care to peruse any security footage of a Q440 hallway during passing? This DUOFET propaganda is just another manifestation of an autocratic Big Lie to dupe the rubes! Empirically, sending thousands of human beings into a poorly ventilated petri dish is reprehensible. The fact that you’re all completely aware of that and instead game the system to make it look like everything is safe, is malfeasance extraordinaire. Please do not feign umbrage with my accusation. I’m in a school with 4,000 humans and only 1.5% of all people are being tested weekly, that includes only 30 staff in total! Care to debate my intentional and deliberate syllogism? What is the situation with the Situation Room? How do you have a central reporting system that does not allow anything to be reported? Please See Criminal Negligence.  

The fact is that the Department of Education and the UFT could work in concert to remove all staff and students, in order to give this virus some time to run its current course. However, you choose not to out of political allegiance and a saccharine sense of propriety, that’s mendaciously feckless. Unless something changes, the actions of DUOFET are all but assuring and guaranteeing that children and adults will unnecessarily contract and spread an opportunistic and ever-mutable virus. And please, please, don’t send some Deputy Superintendent or Deputy Chancellor or Safety liaison to pram the halls in an attempt to project concern, it’s demeaning and reeks of a dysfunctionally bloated bureaucracy. 

Please be safe and always maintain a safe social distance from others. We cannot, where I work, so we'll fake it for now. 

Sincerely,

Adam C Bergstein 

Petitions: MORE has one going and this one initiated by another Unity defector, Nick Bacon and Daniel Alicea, who voted for Unity in 2019 ------- Bergstein, Bacon and Alicea are the real signs of danger to the UFT leadership. This one is focused on chapter leaders and delegats, though anyone is welcome to sign.

Are you a UFT chapter leader, delegate, educator activist, or parent/family advocate and want to add your name?  Fill out the form here and your name will be added:

https://forms.gle/RKvnU5UgUmmJYysf7

December 21, 2021

Dear Mayor Bill de Blasio, Mayor-Elect Eric Adams, The NYC Department of Education, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and UFT President Michael Mulgrew:

The undersigned New York City public school UFT chapter leaders, delegates, educator activists, and parent/family advocates have joined together to support the petition initiated by MORE UFT, and in collaboration with the calls for action and demands of United For Change, are seeking an immediate response to the current COVID surge emergency.

We echo and support these words and demands:
https://forms.gle/RKvnU5UgUmmJYysf7

The number of COVID cases in NYC is the highest it has been since the beginning of this pandemic. The NBA, NHL, and other professional sports have postponed games, colleges and Broadway shows in NYC have shut down in-person events due to the rise in cases, and nations across Europe and the rest of the world are re-engaging in lockdown protective measures. Despite this, there have been no additional safety measures implemented in NYC schools as students and staff now make up hundreds of NYC positive cases daily. From 12/13-12/19 alone, 4,584 staff and student cases were confirmed by the Situation Room, comprising 23% of all school cases reported so far this school year, and this number of cases is likely an undercount due to little COVID testing and data transparency.

Early data suggests that the Omicron COVID variant is much more infectious than other COVID variants and may evade vaccine and antibody protections, contributing to the current surge in known school cases. Early data show that those with two vaccine doses may not be as protected against Omicron; as of Dec. 19th, only 40% of children ages 5-17 have been vaccinated with two doses, and as of Dec. 9th only 8% of children 5-11 were. Those with booster doses may have more protection against the Omicron variant, but there is no available data for how many NYC adults have gotten boosters, and children 15 and under are currently not eligible for boosters. Children under 5 cannot be vaccinated or tested at all.

Due to this alarming spike of cases in NYC, rank and file members of the UFT are calling for immediate policy action to stop the spread of COVID-19 in New York City Public Schools, including: 

Short-term transition to remote learning for schools with COVID cases 
An immediate remote option for students and families 
Universal Weekly and Baseline COVID testing 
Increased citywide testing resources and schools used as vaccination sites 
Data Transparency 
Those exposed to COVID quarantineVentilation Fixes
 

Remote Learning Options

We demand a short-term transition to remote learning for all schools with current COVID cases. While in-person learning is best for our students in healthy conditions, the spike in COVID cases has made it impossible for many schools to staff classrooms and for students to stay safe due to staff and substitute shortages. Furthermore, lack of COVID testing and ambiguous school closure guidelines have led to a lack of trust in the DOE’s ability to identify and abate school spread. Transitioning to remote learning temporarily will stop COVID from spreading in schools, allow students and staff time to test and quarantine, and keep students and staff safer in-person in the long term. Students and families need to be prepared with devices and WiFi to access remote learning. The threshold for the amount of cases leading to a transition to remote learning needs to be clear and known to the public; schools that meet said criteria should transition immediately to remote learning.

We demand an immediate remote option for students and families with concerns about COVID, without punitive measures taken against students, staff, or their families. While the DOE has not publicly shared attendance data, frontline staff know attendance numbers in NYC are dropping as families grow more concerned about COVID cases and large groups of staff/students are in quarantine with no remote option. Students, staff, and families are rightfully worried about the rapid increase in cases, especially right before winter break and gatherings to come. This school year, families who have chosen to keep their children remote due to COVID concerns have not only been denied a remote learning option, but have had ACS called on them, despite legitimate concerns about COVID.

Universal Weekly and Baseline COVID Testing

We demand universal weekly PCR testing of all students and staff, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, including for 3K, Pre-K, and Kindergarten students. The current policy of testing a random 10% of consenting non-vaccinated 1st-12th grade students is woefully insufficient. PRESS NYC reports that last week only 4.5% of students were tested in-school and about 87% of all positive NYC schools cases were found from outside testing. Weekly PCR testing is done at NYC private schools like Poly Prep and throughout the Los Angeles school district, the second-largest U.S. school district after New York. In addition, all people entering school buildings with symptoms of COVID should, in addition to passing the health screener, be required to take a rapid test to stay in school buildings, and schools must be supplied with rapid tests for this purpose.

We also demand baseline PCR testing results for all students and staff prior to returning to schools in January and prior to returning from other breaks such as Mid-Winter Recess and Spring Break. Prior to school reopening this fall, Los Angeles had baseline testing of all students and staff in its schools and found 3,654 cases that did not get into school sites. New York should implement the same policy for our safety. Schools should be used as testing sites during breaks towards this goal. If it is not possible for students and staff to receive results of PCR testing by January 3rd, school reopening should pivot to remote and resources be allocated so that students and staff can get PCR tested prior to returning to school in-person.

We demand that students and staff have increased and ready access to COVID tests towards this goal. All students and staff should have ready access to antigen at-home testing in addition to weekly PCR tests. Mayor de Blasio closed 20 city-run COVID sites prior to the onset of Omicron and winter COVID surges; these and other sites should be restored, and people who are immunocompromised, disabled people, and essential workers at high-risk of COVID such as educators should be prioritized for testing.

Schools as Vaccination Sites

Many schools this fall served as city-run first-dose vaccination sites for our students; this program should continue and with second doses offered to students. Schools should be trained as sites of vaccine education.

Those Exposed to COVID Quarantine

We demand that all staff, including but not limited to out-of-classroom educators, aides, and providers be informed of possible exposures and be able to give information of other possible close contacts, students and families be informed about classroom cases, and that those who are considered close contacts quarantine. Current DOE policy directs only those who have tested positive and those who are unvaccinated within six feet for 15 minutes to quarantine for ten days; however, based on what we know about COVID know this may not be enough to stop COVID spread at schools. Due to the collapse of the Situation Room, close contacts are often not notified. Close contacts must also include those who share space with others while eating and drinking unmasked. Staff and students whose household members test positive should also quarantine. If test-and-trace responsibilities fall to school staff, time spent should be compensated.

Data Transparency

We demand data on school attendance and COVID cases that is current, accurate, accessible and user-friendly to the public. The NYC Department of Education has not been transparent about attendance rates, number of staff and students testing positive in schools, or about cases in schools. The NYC Situation Room has not kept up data on schools, including on its Daily COVID Case Map, as it is completely overwhelmed with cases. Situation Room data has also recently been inaccurate: according to Professor Jen Jennings of Princeton University, between 12/13-12/19 the Situation Room dashboard undercounted daily cases by 1,470 when compared to cumulative positive cases reported on the same dashboard. The Situation Room should remain adequately staffed and open evenings and weekends to provide logistical support to students, staff, and schools.

Ventilation Fixes

We demand actual HEPA filters be provided to classrooms, including possible provisions of supplies for Corsi-Rosenthal boxes, especially for classrooms and schools that do not have mechanical ventilation. Gothamist found that classrooms without mechanical ventilation had higher rates of COVID. All schools have CO2 monitors to measure air changes per hour (ACH), which should be utilized regularly to test classrooms occupied with students and staff and results posted publicly for the public to see. Classrooms found not to have adequate ACH should immediately be provided HEPA filters or not be used. Meals should be scheduled outside when possible. All non-essential meetings and events should not be held in person until COVID rates are curbed.

We demand the United Federation of Teachers, our teachers union, advocate for its members rather than wait for the next Mayoral administration to fight for school safety and protections for students, staff, and our community.

In solidarity,

Daniel Alicea - Delegate, MS 53, Far Rockaway

Nick Bacon - Chapter Leader, High School for Law and Public Service, Washington Heights


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Sunday, December 19, 2021

Four Caucuses and an Uncaucus - What Is United for Change?

The United for Change (UFC) coalition could have turned into Four Weddings and a Funeral regarding the UFC coalition of groups that have come together for the UFT elections, which are taking place this spring. Some wags were saying the Palestinian/Israeli conflict would be easier.

What are the formal caucuses?
New Action, Solidarity, MORE and Retiree Advocate (RA).

The non - or Uncaucuses - ICEUFT. EONYC, Independent non-affiliated. I'm part of this strand -- we don't think any one caucus or even a bunch of caucuses can reach deep enough into the schools  unless indendent non-affiluated are attracted to the campaign. Too far left turns the center off and too far center turns the progressives off so a meeting of the two is necessary. There are actually some right of center anti-Unity people angling to get in on the action.

Represented so far are people from various left points of view, some non-left progressives, some center left and even some center right people. So far, no funeral, but I always expect the worst so I don't get too disappointed.

Let me explain some thinking. There is a wide range of opinion in the UFT outside the dominant Unity caucus and its supporters. Trying to bring a sense of a united front against Unity from across political lines requires some very sensitive negotiating along the fault lines. Unity can only be seriously challenged if there is one united opposition even if they all don't agree. Now there can be dangers if the group happens to win and I will address the chances of that happening and what it would mean in a follow-up piece,

Let's remind people that just two and a half years ago in the 2019 UFT elections the first three opposition caucuses independently ran against Unity and the results were a disaster with Unity sweeping every elected position overwhelmingly. The oppo vote dropped drastically from 2016.

RA was not formally involved in 2019, though key members were with New Action. ICEUFT, a founding member of MORE, having recently disengaged - or been disengaged from MORE -- sat the election out, though individuals supported carious candidates and caucuses. In essence, ICE had Uncaucused.  I remember one semi-sage urging the groups to run together or just sit the election out with a boycott and let Unity run unopposed--- OK I was the semi - or quarter - sage. 

So this time I did whatever I could to support a coming together while also supporting the alternative idea that if they couldn't agree they shouldn't run -- but also calling for a general uncaucusing for the election. My original idea was to actually uncaucus and form a general election committee that would ask individuals to run, not formal caucuses but that clearly was not an option. I wrote about the United Front idea in April - The United Front: Retiree Advocate/UFT

Retiree Advocate leading role in bringing people together 
Looking back a year ago, I can see that Retiree Advocate, though running in the spring Chapter leader elections with a cast of 130 retirees and its militant leading of a fightback against Mulgrew Care

 (All- Star Cast Joins Retiree Advocate/UFT Slate to Challenge Unity Caucus in Chapter Election)  played an instrumental role in forging the coalition as all caucuses and many independents came out to support us.

RA itself is an example of a merger of various caucus elements. It began as a New Action project over 25 years ago but around 2014 voted to no longer be solely affiliated with New Action in order to attract non-caucus members. 

That turned out to be a good move in that some of us from MORE, ICEUFT and independents joined RA and became part of the organizing committee. The experience of bringing different perspectives to the table was an example of working together --- I often joke that I was now working with people who I hadn't  talked to in three decades. The positive experience was a lesson.

We also received support from independents voices, the most prominent of which was Educators of NYC led by Daniel Alicea, a working teacher who lent us his tech and political expertise. He became a conduit to some of the caucuses and when we proposed joint inside and outside actions at the Delegate Assembly around healthcare issues, a basis was set for all the groups to work together at the Delegate Assembly in the final months of last school year.

That joint work escalated at the September CL meeting and the  October and November and the UFT elections.

 Behind the scenes feelers went out to the various caucuses and independents (like the venerable Jonathan Halabi) about setting up a potential structure this fall to address the spring UFT elections. That this has actually come together, no matter the ultimate outcome, is an exciting event in UFT oppo history. maybe the first time since the 1980-early 90s era.

 Coming next: Does UFC think it can win? Define Win.

See -Ed Notes Sept 12, 2021 - 

UFT Elections: Boycott?- Why Run at all if Unity stacks the deck? - The Sunday Special

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Friday, December 17, 2021

MulgrewCare Snafu - UFT/Unity Silent as New York City Mailed Misinformation on New Health Insurance to Retired City Employees — and Won’t Send Out a Correction

Guides sent to a quarter million retired city employees contained false information on the availability of dozens of treatments under the new plan....  Legal documents show that under the new plan, health care providers will have to get approval in advance from insurance companies before conducting certain doctor’s office visits, mental health care treatments, home health care services, and tests such as bloodwork and x-rays, along with dozens of other procedures or treatments. But the city mailed enrollment guides falsely saying that these and other treatments would not require pre-approvals to all retirees who will be covered by the new plan....

Reporter Sam Mellin, NY Focus

This is excellent coverage and I spoke to Sam Mellin who wants to expand the coverage of the UFT role. I gave him a UFT 101 primer.

He was not surprised that the city would try to impose a plan like this to save money but was surprised that the unions were complicit. I explained that this is not just the city but a partnership with Mulgrew and the UFT, which is the largest component of the Metropolitan Labor Council (MLC). Our union bears equal responsibility. 

That the city purposely sent out false info as a way to sell the plan and used car salesman Mulgrew didn't say boo to the members to correct the false info is not incompetent but purposeful malfeasance.

Mulgrew alter ego

Now the city is nor correcting the false info because they claim there is a paper shortage -- Double LOL.

But how about the UFT using its resources - like the NY Teacher - to correct the false info? I know, I know, no one reads the NY Teacher -- but there is also a UFT web site and social media. 

I just made sure to hit every doctor I have over the past month.

Let's remind people that Mulgrew is denying MulgrewCare is privatized because Medicare is paying a private entity to run it. That's the same bogus argument charters use when they claim to be public schools -- they are getting public money to run a private system.  Both charters and health insurance companies make profits even when they say they don't. Our union is working with the scammers to help bankrupt Medicare, which both parties which are bought by private insurance want to accomplish and funnel all that money into profits. 

Just look at the Joe Namath MedAdv ads - Mulgrew is claiming MulgrewCare is not the same - maybe it isn't but these companies are not in it to make no money -- and even if a lot of that money is coming our of Medicare, the long term effect will be to kill it. Does it surprise you that the UFT is perfectly in line with anti-Medicare for all policies of the Dem Party? 

Check this Intercept article out -

The stealth privatization of Medicare is afoot --

In January 2019, ahead of the launch of a new direct contracting model, the Office of the General Counsel for the Health and Human Services Department warned, in comments on a draft of the proposal, that it appeared as if the new project was being set up to benefit specific companies.

“We are concerned based on [Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services]’s regular references to organizations like Chen Med, Oak Street Health, and Verily in the comments and otherwise, that this model has been designed with specific private sector entities in mind. If accurate, this could create ethics concerns, as the creation of this model would give those entities a leg up in the market,” read the guidance, a copy of which was obtained by The Intercept.

The direct contracting model was announced publicly in April 2019 and began its implementation phase in October 2020.

Our union is being pulled into that orbit -- what next? Take social security away from government hands and give it to the financial crooks? Can't you see Mulgrew saying that is not privatization. (MULGREW SAYS PRIVATIZED HEALTHCARE ISN'T PRIVATIZED).

Here is Sam's article ----

New York City Mailed Misinformation on New Health Insurance to Retired City Employees — and Won’t Send Out a Correction

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