Can UFT Close Achievment Gap Betweem Thompson and di Blasio?

14% pts bigger gap than Weiner had in 05-dropped out for unity. Thompson should DOASWEINERDID.

But the elites, including the UFT, fearing di Blasio won't let him do it. They want to squeeze very ounce out of this race.

So if we don't see 40% watch them all jump on board for Thompson. Bloomberg (behind the scenes) etc plus the UFT.

So tell me my friends, which side are they on?

Here is a comment on my previous post by Ira Goldfine:

Ira Goldfine has left a new comment on your post "Once Again Randi and Mulgrew May Give Us a Bloombe...":

Its amazing that I have yet to see one article in the NY Times pointing out that Meryl Tisch was the chair of Thompson's campaign while her husband James was finance chair of the Lhota campaign. Need more be said.

Remember that Lhota will not agree to public financing of his campaign which means he will have no limit on his fund raising abilities while Di Blasio being the good liberal will surely stay inside the limits of public financing. So those that think Thompson was the only weak candidate I believe Di Blasio will be torn to shreds as a "leftist" and weak on crime by the "elite" as the NY Times called them this morning. They will spend unlimited amounts of money to get the white working class along with many of the private industry unions to go with Lhota. This has been the scenario for Giuliani and Bloomberg and it will be repeated again.

 And the UFT and Randi (see her insipid grin last night on the stage with Thompson) will be right there with the ed deformers.

Ravitch and New Book Today at Judson Church

I'll be there taping and interviewing and some MOREistas will be there to distribute the hot off the press new newsletter, MORE Stuff in Your Mailbox. If there is one thing to fault Diane on in her book (and I haven't finished all of it) is her allowing the unions off the hook for their complicity in ed deform. I do get there are long-time relationships she has. But there were also long-time relationships with ed deformers that have been broken. There are ways to tweak them and I believe Ravitch has at times begun to put her toe in that water though I can't be specific. I hope someone asks her about the UFT and Thompson at this point in the mayoral race.

Oh, you have to have a ticket.

 Diane Ravitch to Present New Book on Education, Following Voters’ Rejection of Bloomberg’s Policies in Democratic Primary

*First Major Discussion of Education Following Blowout Victory for Democrats Seeking a Break from Bloomberg*

**TODAY, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 6PM at Judson Memorial Church, 55 Washington Square South, Manhattan, NY** 

 

WHO: Diane Ravitch, education leader and expert; Parents, Advocates from Alliance for Quality Education, Class Size Matters and New Yorkers for Great Public Schools *400 attendees expected*

WHAT: Noted education leader and expert Diane Ravitch will deliver the first major remarks on education and the mayoral race following voters’ massive rejection of Bloomberg’s policies in the Democratic primary; she will discuss her new book “Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools.”


Ravitch has endorsed Bill de Blasio for mayor, and will lay out solutions for a successful school system that can work for every student under the next mayoral administration. A question and answer session will follow.

WHEN: TODAY, Wednesday, Sept. 11^th 6PM-7:30PM

WHERE: 55 Washington Square South, Manhattan, NY

###

Once Again Randi and Mulgrew May Give Us a Bloomberg Like Candidate

After all, the reason D'amato and Tisch and some of the other plutocrats and their functionaries backed Thompson was to cause maximum damage in the Democratic primary and, if possible, have an anemic candidate like Thompson in the general election. If anybody gives Joe Lhota a shot to win, it's an awful candidate like Bill Thompson. ... Reality Based Educator.

You really can't make this stuff up, given what happened in the 2001 election where the UFT leadership played a major role in making Bloomberg mayor with its failed endorsements. They also helped give him a 3rd term in 2009. Then this year they were all wearing buttons that said: Dec. 31, 2013, the end of Bloomberg's term. Now with a clear choice ahead of them to urge Thompson to pull a 2005 Weiner move and drop out to a candidate than beat him by almost 15 points, they are engaging in a destructive act of possibly handing the mayoralty to Lhota.

They are already printing buttons that say: Dec. 31, 2021 for the end of Lhota's term.

More later when I get back from yoga -- so much to say -- but check front page of NY Times which expresses the panic over de Blasio's victory by the elite -- and ask yourself which side the UFT is on?

Check Perdido St School for more commentary like this:

98% Counted - De Blasio 40.2%, Thompson 26%

There are still votes to be counted, but if the trajectory of the race stays essentially the same, will Thompson challenge de Blasio and try and force a runoff?
The public polls showed Thompson losing to de Blasio in a runoff by 12 points or more.
Thompson lost last night's primary to de Blasio by a little more than 14 points.
While he would have a shot to beat de Blasio in a runoff, it would be an uphill battle for him.
The damage done to the eventual Democratic nominee might not be fatal, but it would definitely hurt.
Lhota would be getting ready for the general election while the Dems would still be damaging each other like they have the last couple of weeks.
I am sure that the powers that be who were behind Thompson's campaign would like for him to force a runoff.
After all, the reason D'amato and Tisch and some of the other plutocrats and their functionaries backed Thompson was to cause maximum damage in the Democratic primary and, if possible, have an anemic candidate like Thompson in the general election.
If anybody gives Joe Lhota a shot to win, it's an awful candidate like Bill Thompson.

Read this from WNYC and weep:

As Thompson Refuses to Concede, So Does the Teachers Union

Wednesday, September 11, 2013 - 12:43 AM

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  Bill Thompson on primary night, 2013 (Beth Fertig/WNYC)
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The teachers union spent a lot of political capital by endorsing Bill Thompson's in the Democratic primary race for mayor. It hasn't endorsed a mayoral candidate since 2001. But with rival Bill de Blasio the clear winner of Tuesday's vote, the union is now in the awkward position of hoping for the next best thing: a runoff.

Thompson's hope all along was to get into a runoff with one of the candidates. But as de Blasio surged ahead of the pack in recent weeks, the goal was to stop him from hitting the 40 percent needed to avoid a runoff. The Board of Elections will now determine the final tally.
One day before the primary, United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew was asked by WNYC if de Blasio's lead was a sign that his union had picked the wrong candidate. His response: "We don't pick winners we make winners."
Late Tuesday night, Mulgrew wasn't in the mood for much conversation as he left Thompson's campaign headquarters at a hotel near Penn Station. An aide said he was rushing to see Scott Stringer, who had just defeated Eliot Spitzer in the Democratic primary for Comptroller.
"We're waiting for every vote to be counted and clearly that has not happened at this point," Mulgrew said on his way to the elevator. When asked if he was pleased with his candidate's performance, he said, "We're very comfortable right now."
He also added, "In the end were going to make that winner."
But the union doesn't have a great track record in mayoral races. In 2001, the U.F.T. backed candidates who went on to lose in the Democratic primary, the runoff and the general election. It then stayed out of the next two mayoral races, declining to back Fernando Ferrer's bid to unseat Bloomberg in 2005 and Thompson's candidacy in 2009.
On Tuesday, former U.F.T. president Randi Weingarten - who now heads the American Federation of Teachers - put a more positive spin on the current situation.
"What's happened is people are shocked that Bill Thompson came in second," she said adding that she looks forward to a three-week campaign that's not a "slug-fest" like the last debate.
"At the end of the day there's always an issue when you have so many candidates," she went on to explain, the difficulties facing Thompson.

American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten, at Thompson's campaign headquarters Tuesday (Beth Fertig/WNYC)
The teachers union said it made 380,000 calls to its members, both live and automated, since September 4. It organized phone banks and about 1000 teachers were said to have canvassed neighborhoods before and after school on primary day. The union's political action committee also spent over $1 million on Thompson.
But not all teachers embraced Thompson. Several told WNYC they preferred de Blasio or Comptroller John Liu.
There weren't many teachers at Thompson's headquarters Tuesday, most likely because it was a school night. One who attended, and who declined to give her name, said she strongly supported Thompson. But she was glad that both de Blasio and Thompson would take a different approach to education from Bloomberg.
When asked if it was a poor reflection on the union that Thompson was about 15 percentage points behind de Blasio, Weingarten said, "There are many people that put a lot into this."
In the end, she said, she looks forward to a runoff between the two candidates. She also noted that people dismissed Thompson in 2009, when he ran against Mayor Michael Bloomberg, but he wound up losing by just 5 percentage points despite being vastly outspent.

De Blasio at 40.02% With 95% Precincts Reporting

I have an entire post ready to go talking about a Big Bill, Little Bill runoff. Thompson is about 26%, just a point or two off my prediction earlier in the day. I am surprised deB has held up at around 40%. I was expecting some blow-back to drive him down to about 36%.

What a difference a few votes will make. My Sal Albanese vote may be the difference. My Rockaway loyalty drove me there, as Sal came often and deB never did.

I have mixed feelings about a runoff. As a political junkie, how much fun would that run-off be?

If Big Bill holds on, wither the UFT? If I were the leadership I would call an immediate meeting to endorse him. And they probably will -- will Randi take back her attacks on him?

But it is really going to be a close call.

Thompson at the podium now as they shout "3 more weeks." I see Randi. Where's Mulgrew?

Funny, he just said that on the 3rd Bloomberg term, some people said nothing can be done about it. Isn't he talking about the UFT?

Leticia James in Strong Showing But Faces a Runoff, Stringer a Winner

My wife just asked me who she voted for for Public Advocate based on my recommendation and when I said Leticia James, she said, "Who's she?"

Right now James and Squadron are neck and neck at around 33% but with 4 candidates neither will get 40% and there will be a runoff. James has real potential as someone with a future. If you haven't seen her speech challenging ed deform at a PEP, check it out.

Squadron, as one of our parent activists reported is pretty bad:

• Schumer boy
• Madoff money won and lost
• Married to a Bloomberg gov administrator
• Takes charter $$
• DFER$$
• Tisch $$
• etc.

I didn't expect James to run even with Squadron given her lack of recognition and his resources and hand it took Reality Based Educator's astute political analysis in pointing out she had a good chance to win:

I disagree that she is a long shot. She has many of the unions, which matters in a down ballot race like this. She has the most name recognition of all the candidates as well (although it's still pretty low.) Money is a problem, but the union endorsements counter that a bit. Things still have to go right for her, but she has a real chance to be public advocate.

 Let's hope this holds true in the runoff.

 As for Stringer, his appointment of Patrick Sullivan to the PEP got my vote.

And Yippee - Charles Hynes lost for Brooklyn DA - I almost moved back to Brooklyn to vote against that criminal.

Betting on Thompson Surge as I Pulled the Lever for .....

Don't count your di Blasio chickens yet.

On my short 2 minute walk to the polling booth I was listening to Brian Lehrer and a woman said she changed her mind about di Blasio because of the Wayne Barrett and Slate articles -- they bothered me too.

She was going to Thompson. I detect a late Thompson surge and some wearing away of diBlasio support and will make a rough guess that di Blasio numbers will drop to the mid thirties - say 35-6% and Thompson's will head toward the late 20's. A very competitive run-off I will bet at the power forces push Thompson. Where will Quinn's votes go for instance? Thompson, mostly.

My gut instincts that both Thompson and di Blasio will screw us but if I look at self interest alone -- a) A runoff between them would be lots of fun and b) Better Thompson, the UFT choice, screws us.

But I also feel that diBlasio's electoral constituency would hold him more accountable than Thompson's, so better to have Big Bill rather than little Bill.

However, in the booth I just had to give Sal Albanese a pop, especially since Kevin Boyle my editor at The Wave is so passionate about showing that there is a constituency for guys like him. Since Big Bill will be in the runoff we can go there next time. Or maybe not given how much fun it would be to watch Little Bill tilt to Tisch rather than to Mulgrew.

At any rate, yesterday I raised my problem in who to vote for for Queens Borough President and lo and behold there was dropout Tony Avella, my fave politician, still on the ballot. And so I wasted yet another vote.

But did vote for Scott Stringer who is clearly a hack but Patrick Sullivan influenced me there. Spitzer doesn't seem to be able to win but it would be fun to watch if he did.

Oh, and of course Leticia James who I feel has great potential as a populist politician.

Breaking: NYPD String Safety Nets Around 52 Broadway in Case Thompson Doesn't Make Runoff

With so much at stake for the gang running the UFT and AFT (Randi) -- but not so much for NY city teachers -- who one would think are their main constituency -- there is fear that bodies will come crashing down from the roof of the UFT headquarters if Bill Thompson doesn't make it into the runoff, though I agree with Reality Based Educator that he probably will (2013 Election: Predictions And Endorsements).

[I interrupt this report to report that Ednotes online just passed 2 million page views since July 2009 when I started using the Google counter].

Just think of it. Can Bill di Blasio really be worse for UFT members than Thompson? Though I also agree with RBE not to trust di Blasio, Thompson is worse (Bill Thompson Hit The Brooklyn Streets Yesterday With Al D'amato Trolling For Votes).
Actually, much worse.

But this past weekend we saw the desperation with Leo Casey whining on twitter about how irresponsible MORE has been in not endorsing a candidate given that this is the most important election in poor Leo's life. We also saw New Action's Halabi tag teaming with his pal Leo in also making a point about MORE's non-endorsement. Yes, if Thompson loses it is all MORE's fault - as if the endorsement by a small caucus in the UFT would actually make a difference. We are not as pretentious as New Action was 4 years ago in endorsing Thompson and making that a big issue in their campaign in the UFT elections. Yawn.

I'm not going to get into the details of why on paper di Blasio seems better for educators and education than Thompson but this is all about power at the top, not about what is good for the rank and file. And for students and parents. So what else is new?

I saw that Thompson's big move is to allow parents to chose a member of the PEP. Gee wiz. Hey Bill, how about allowing parents to choose the entire PEP (other than the 5 borough president choices)?

You can't tell me that a guy supported by D'Amato and Tisch is good for us.

If di Blasio actually cuts into the charter lobby and makes charters pay the damn rent - which I am ready to bet he won't - then that is worth seeing him in office. As RBE points out (Bloomberg Furious He Can't Stop Attacks On His "Legacy), just having a guy win who trashes Bloomberg's legacy brings a smile to my face. But I really think he will turn into another Obama.

And there was that Wayne Barrett piece - What you don't know about Big Bill- Digging deeper into de Blasio's associations.

Scary stuff.

Imagine this scenario: di Blasio wins and screws us and the UFT leadership says "we told you so." As an organizer in the union trying to get people to join MORE, I would much rather have Thompson screw us so we can say "told you so."

By the way, I'm sure you noticed RBE's amazing election coverage and analysis at Perdido Street School blog.

He is holding his nose and voting for diB. I was thinking of going for Sal Albanese but am also thinking that if my vote puts Bill D over the 40% I'd hate to lose that opportunity. Sal was endorsed by The Wave out here (It’s Sal) and they made a good case for that not being a wasted vote. (If the link above doesn't work, you can read the endorsement editorial below the break. -- but here's a sample:

If you’re not crazy about any of the candidates—and admit it, you’re not -- hold on. Say the polls are fairly accurate and Sal will finish far behind. Your vote for Sal still holds value. Your vote will actually signal something to those left standing. Your “Sal” vote will be considered an “undecided” vote and will be sought after in a runoff or the general election.

I actually have mixed feelings about the idea of a runoff with Thompson. I'm thinking of the advantage of keeping that race alive and giving less time for the Lhota dogs to come out in force against dB.

I agree with RBE about Tish James for Public Advocate. She has steadily been moving in the direction of the forces battling ed deform.

I do not agree with his points about not endorsing Stringer though the idea of Spitzer winning (which I think he won't) in office putting burs in everyone's butt. I am voting Stringer out of loyalty to Patrick Sullivan who he appointed to the PEP even if I agree with RBE that he could get away with it given that Patrick was often a lone voice. Still .... Patrick is a Stringer guy and I am going with that.

I have a problem with the Queens borough president race since my guy Tony Avella dropped out. I don't like Valone or Katz, who is  the partner of Curtis Sliwa who makes me gag. And the BP picks a PEP person so it is important but if I had to hold my nose I would go for Katz --- no, I can't do it.

My local Assemblyman, Phil Goldfeder, is a great guy and has made himself a Rockaway fave, so that's a no brainer.

Well, gotta go exercise my voting arm -- those old voting machines are rusty.

MORE Weekly Update #66 - Sept. 9, 2013

Lots of info packed in here. The highlight is that I picked up the first edition of our newletter: MORE Stuff in Your Mailbox.
This is the one committee in MORE that I have tried to be fairly active on. How nice to have all these young whippersnappers doing all the work while old folk like me rest.

Let me know if you will distribute the newsletter in your school. The only way to beat the Unity machine is to get info countering their propaganda with info of our own, not just every 3 years in the election cycle, but on a regular basis. I've been pushing for this type of initiative for a long time and how nice to see it become reality -- thanks to the great MORE newsletter committee: Brian Jones, Don Doyle, Megan Behrent and Bill Linville. (And how great as an ICEer to be working with TJCer Megan -- so far the synergy of putting lots of smart people from different groups together in MORE is working).

... help distribute the new MORE Newsletter to your colleagues! View this email in your browser

Weekly Update #66 September 9, 2013 Share Tweet Forward to Friend

Join MORE Today DON'T FORGET TO VOTE! Tuesday, Sept 10th Read the results of MORE's survey and position on the Mayoral race. FALL GENERAL MEETINGS 3rd Saturday - Noon to 3pm Sep 21 (Evaluations) 224 W. 29th St., 14th Fl. Oct 19 & Nov 16 Location TBA Make Sure You Are On Our Listserves! Click below to join:  News (announcements/articles) Discussion (debate/back-and-forth) Chapter Leader (discussion for chapter activists) COMMITTEES: Contract Committee contract@morecaucusnyc.org After the citywide CL meeting Wed. Sept. 12th at 6PM Au Bon Pain 70 Myrtle Ave Steering Committee steering@morecaucusnyc.org Mon. Sept. 16th at 5PM CUNY Grad Center, Rm. 5409 Meeting minutes here Newsletter Committee news@morecaucusnyc.org Chapter Organizing Committee chapters@morecaucusnyc.org Happy Hour/Discussion: Evaluations Thurs. Sept. 26 ​at 5pm  - Killarney Rose  Meeting minutes here Media Committee media@morecaucusnyc.org High Stake Testing Committee testing@morecaucusnyc.org STAYING IN TOUCH:  Comments? Suggestions? Email update@morecacusnyc.org with items for future updates Facebook Twitter Email MORE Newsletter MORE's newsletter, "MORE Stuff in Your Mailbox" is hot off the press, with articles on the New Evaluation System, the Contract Fight, "Ask a Chapter Leader," and Community Voices. Sign up to help distribute it to your colleagues. Reply to this email if you can pick up copies or would like to help distribute at the Citywide Chapter Leader Meeting on Thursday September 12th at the Brooklyn Marriott If you can't make it there, email our Borough Distribution Centers: Brooklyn:  jcavanagh15@gmail.com Bronx: peter.lamphere@gmail.com Manhattan: brianpjones@yahoo.com Queens/Staten Island: donal@mindspring.com And read the newsletter online: morecaucusnyc.org/newsletter Most teachers, students, and parents agree that the city's new teacher evaluation system is a misguided attempt to distract New Yorkers from the real challenges faced by our schools and students.  But what's a teacher to do? Take Action - Share the video and sign the petition for a moratorium on the new evaluations system Brooklyn Back to School Happy Hour  Friday, September 13th* 3:45 to 6:00 Franklin Park 618 St Johns Pl  Brooklyn, NY 11238 Phone Banking! Sunday, September 15th* 11am to 3pm in Crown Heights, Brooklyn To attend (or host your own) email rosiefrascella@gmail.com. *We understand that many will not be able to attend because of Yom Kippur, but we are hoping that those who do not have holiday engagements will be able to join us) Brunch Fundraiser: Saturday, October 5th – 11:30AM-1:30PM Church of St. Luke & St. Matthew 520 Clinton Ave (betw. Fulton St. and Atlantic Ave.) C train to Clinton/Washington Clinton Hil,  Brooklyn   First MORE Meeting: September 21st - 12-3PM NYC location (pick up hard copies of the petition and newsletter; focus on explaining eval and how we are fighting back against it) Day of Action Around Evaluations October 9th – outside/city-wide at schools Moving? If you are changing schools, phone numbers, or addresses, make sure we can stay in touch by updating your information with MORE.

Copyright © 2013 MORE Caucus, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you are excited about changing the UFT and signed up at a MORE meeting or our website, MORECaucusNYC.org. Our mailing address is: MORE Caucus New York New York, NY 10001

Why MORE?

Speaking with you the day before meeting with my principal was very helpful. It allowed me to better register what really is, as Julie has stated, "clear as mud." The UFT selected part of our committee was the only prepared party at the the table. The principal and her supervisors were unprepared and relied on our take and interpretation of the choices to be made. We advised that our school trigger the default model for the local MOSL. The principal agreed. Could not have done this without MORE support and Julie's wonderful ability to break down the entire task before us so that we could choose between the "noose or the sword."
Thanks for everything.

Ahhh! The smell of Democracy and open and diverse discussion. Our pals running the UFT should try it sometime. MORE did the hard work the UFT leadership would not do in analyzing the impact of the new world of evaluation.

If it wasn't for Julie and others dissecting this nonsense (Julie Cavanagh Analyzes Teacher Evaluation Options...) I would be totally clueless.  I couldn't get our DR to come to our school to explain this to us. She kept saying, "If you attended our spring info sessions you'd know..." BS, we know this thing was far from finished then.  MORE was there for me and my chapter with information and discussion. The petition will be circulated tomorrow. .. High School chapter leader

MORE activists and their supporters have been on the case. MORE members comment on the work of MORE on the evaluation.

Thank GOD for MORE and my brothers and sisters here I walked into school knowing more than anyone, including my administration, on how to explain the ridiculous "advance."

There is no one to turn before I joined MORE and here we are educating, helping, supporting each other. Its awesome, I'm happy to have each other. I always feel disconnected at UFT DA's. There is no solidarity, no personal connections. Next time you walk into a MORE meeting take a look at the smiles, laughter, embrace of each other. This is what a union meeting ought to be, this what we do.

The meetings and discussion over email and in person, blog posts, summer series, have done for me what my union was supposed to do. Everyone I know is turning to MORE for advice and push back against this asinine system.

We are here, we are answering questions, we have a petition, newsletter, and a day of action on 10/9 to fight this. Our union leadership sends out an email meant to do nothing but appease....

Thanks to MORE I'm able to be a better leader, organizer, and more importantly than ANYTHING I'm a better teacher. Frankly MORE meetings do more for my pedagogy than any DOE PD ever has ever.....

Usually I go to services for the high holy days, as I did yesterday and the 3 or 4 hardcore retired Unity folks make every effort to avoid me, although they're good friends with my mom. Well they couldn't run to me fast enough at Rosh shashona services. They wanted to know all about the new eval system, how bad it is, and one even said they saw our petition and it's awesome (he never acknowledged before that I was in UFT/MORE). This made me feel like we accomplished something, very little, but something....

Thanks so much to everyone else who shared advice, links and asked great questions, wrote emails posts, brought interesting things to meeting. And the Change The Stakes/High Stakes Testing crew for explaining how we ought to tell parents that this is wrong, the eval crew for writing a POWERFUL petition. I am more convinced than ever that WE are the union....

There is no one to turn before I joined MORE and here we are educating, helping, supporting each other. Its awesome, I'm happy to have each other. I always feel disconnected at UFT DA's. There is no solidarity, no personal connections. Next time you walk into a MORE meeting take a look at the smiles, laughter, embrace of each other. This is what a union meeting ought to be, this what we do....

"What MORE should do" is where I say, WE are MORE, every member can have a voice and put into what we do. That's what keeps me going and able to start the school year with a hope that would, otherwise, not be possible. Recently, colleagues from my last school called me because of my affiliation with MORE and NOT the Unity District Chapter Leader to ask about the evals. So, that's a huge sign of success for everyone here....

Video: SUPE Student Slams Michelle Rhee and Deformers at LA Town Hall

I used to stand by reformers.... But after seeing the facts, and the data and everything, and my own lived experience. I cannot –  I’m sorry — stand by what you preach if it has to do with high-stakes accountability, this “school choice,” which sounds great, you know, choice — who can argue against that? But, I don’t agree with the fact that charter schools, and how they push our certain students, and I’ve seen it happen.... Hannah Nguyen to Michelle Rhee

Kudos to Hannah Nguyen! We have also had many courageous students stand up in NYC around the closing of their public high schools and some are beginning to speak out about high stakes testing. If the Rhee's of the world won't listen to the teachers, they should listen to the students. They are OUR future. They see the folly. They are living it. Hopefully they will be able to bring sanity back to our country and to its public education system... Pat D, NYC teacher

I want to share this video of Hannah Nguyen (twitter: @hbnguyen18), a sophomore at University of Southern California, and my fellow SUPE National Organizer, speaking up for public education and students at Michelle Rhee's Teacher Town Hall last night. I hope you all will not only watch how powerful her voice and courage is, but will help me share this widely.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL4zOuJe0hQ... Stephanie Rivera, Rutgers

Michelle Rhee is on a tour to hold conversations with teachers, a sign of how she is on the downslide. Astro turf Students for Education Reform is losing traction. [See The Nation's Astroturf Activism: Who is Behind Students for Education Reform? -

SFER has received $1.6 million from Education Reform Now, whose PAC, Democrats for Education Reform (DFER), shelled out $1 million to attack the Chicago Teachers Union. 

Students United for Public Education on the rise
Former SFER supporter Hannah Nguyen a student at USC who has joined with Rutgers student Stephanie Rivera in the true grassroots students real reform movement Students United for Public Education (SUPE), to smack the deformers. Here are some of their tweets about becoming a teacher.

• Hannah Nguyen ‏@hbnguyen18 5 Sep Yo @KenzoShibata, I channeled one of your tweets during my two minute speech. "Poverty shouldn't be. Period."

1. Hannah Nguyen ‏@hbnguyen18 20h

   @stephrrivera is going to be a fantastic teacher someday. I am lucky to consider her my teacher and even luckier to consider her my friend.

    
2. Stephanie Rivera ‏@stephrrivera 15h

   @hbnguyen18 Right back @ ya. It's going to be a scary time to be a reformer when me, you, 

Stephanie attended the conference we held in Chicago on social justice unionism last month. There is hope!

Here is the SUPE announcement if you want to check them out further.

Dear SUPE Supporter,

This past Thursday, September 25th, Michelle Rhee, the CEO of StudentsFirst, held a Teacher Town Hall in Southern California. 

Having enough of Rhee's union-bashing, Hannah Nguyen, University of Southern California's SUPE Chapter Leader and Co-National Organizer, stood up to have her voice heard.

You can watch the video of her here: http://youngist.org/post/60559465736/the-most-brilliant-thing-youll-see-today-watch

We have a lot of new things planned for this semester, and we can't wait to share them with you as the rest of the year moves forward. We have a bunch of new chapters this Fall, so make sure to check out our full list here and get involved with your local if you can!

In Solidarity,

Students United for Public Education (SUPE)

Like Us On Facebook!

Follow us on Twitter: @SUPEnational

Valerie Strauss blogged the story:

Los Angeles town hall was when a University of Southern California student, Hannah Nguyen, called out Rhee on her “school reform” movement. It turns that Hannah Nguyen is a former big supporter of Rhee’s brand of reform, once belonging to Students for Education Reform. She changed her mind after looking at what really happens in schools and now is involved with Students United for Public Education.

As did Diane Ravitch with an expanded story on Rhee's upcoming visit to Philly where Diane will also appear.

Video: A "must watch" for every UFT member!

In case you missed it last week, this video was also posted at the MORE blog:

“Advance” – The Movie

by morecaucusnyc

A very helpful video that explains the new evaluation system and provides suggestions for how educators should prepare themselves. A "must watch" for every UFT member!

Created by John Elfrank-Dana

Teacher/UFT Chapter Leader

Murry Bergtraum High School

https://sites.google.com/site/uftmbhs/home

Please sign MORE's petition calling for a moratorium of the new teacher evaluation system

Online here

Print and circulate at your school here