#MORE2016 HOW TO VOTE in 6 EASY STEPS Plus Election Events in Brooklyn, Upper Manhattan

People tell me that their school is voting MORE/NA but I don't believe it since this happens every time and our vote totals in the past would have been way larger if this were actually  true. What must happen is hand holding - an in school event to encourage people to vote because this is not just a priority for most people. when the votes are counted 2 weeks from today people will be shocked at how low they will be and that will lead them to question the legitimacy of the process but as I pointed out yesterday (UFT Elections, #MORE2016: How to Vote and Can Unity Steal the Vote?) I see no real way for them to cheat once the ballot is sent in to AAA. I hear all sorts of ideas to increase the vote count, including in school voting which to me is an open invitation to steal the election. And just watch - if we ever get close Unity will call for in school elections to "get the vote count up" - yes, their vote count. But until MORE gets closer there is no reason for Unity to cheat.

One of the reasons the vote for the opposition is not higher is that not enough of our people on the ground do an in school get out the vote event. They just assume that putting leaflets in the mail boxes is enough. What is needed it to take an organization sheet and go to every UFT member in your building and take a poll.

Also read:

Eterno at ICEL GETTING OUT THE VOTE IN THE UFT ELECTION

 and

Staff Letter 3

FROM ARTHUR GOLDSTEIN, UFT CHAPTER LEADER
VOTE MORE/ NEW ACTION 2016

Well, this election crap can't end soon enough for me. Two more weeks and I am free from my sense of obligation. Never again. I have gardening to do and I want to take drawing and painting classes and get to the gym and yoga more often.

Requests keep coming in from chapter leaders who we don't know asking for MORE lit so their members can see both sides. MORE doesn't have full-time employees who work for the UFT to deliver these leaflets so I get to do it. I should send the union a bill for a partial dues refund to cover my gas since they are delivering leaflets and lobbying on my dime.

This morning I'm heading over to a high school in Queens to assist the chapter leader with a Get Out the Vote Campaign where people will bring in a ballot to show they are voting and get some strudel or other goodie to eat - the real reason I am going. We hope they will vote for MORE but will not lobby for that unless someone asks our opinion. This is a big school and the votes there can be a deciding factor in the high school vote.

Then this afternoon I'm heading to a Bay Ridge for an election GOTV happy hour sponsored by MORE/New Action teachers at a nearby large high school. The Kettle Black is the bar at 8622 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209 in case you want to drop by from 4PM on.

I'll have all the trimmings

The votes at these 2 few remaining large high schools where MORE has a presence are probably the key to winning the high schools, especially since Unity has control of many of the other large high schools in Brooklyn and Queens and certainly Staten Island. We hit them with leaflets but don't have a strong counter in the buildings to the Unity line. My guess is Unity is working overtime to pull out their votes in their large high schools, which is why I am not sure about winning the high schools - but if we don't I get compensated with that Luger steak Schirtzer has to treat me to.

There is also an uptown Manhattan event:

Join MORE-UFT for Happy Hour at Harlem Tavern on Friday

Thanks so much for all you’ve already done to help MORE/NEW ACTION win this election! You’ve been spreading the word, ballots are out, and it’s time for us to get together for some collaboration and celebration!

We’ll come together at Harlem Tavern this Friday, May 13th, from 4-7 pm. It will be a great chance to meet other educators, enjoy Friday, and share ideas for last minute getting out the vote & movement-building. As always, we're happy to talk shop and strategize around issues in your school too. 

RSVP on facebook, or by responding to this e-mail, and spread the word by inviting your co-workers there and with this flier.

In the meantime, be sure your co-workers know how to vote- just by checking of the first page! You can share this video to help.

Thank You,
Megan, Peter, and your fellow uptown MORE-UFT activists

UFT Elections, #MORE2016: How to Vote and Can Unity Steal the Vote?

The breaking news yesterday included the Sheri Lederman decision, the Success Academy cheating scandal, the interesting article on Chalkbeat about the UFT elections and a lot of other stuff  (I'm too backed up to even include the links but check my blogroll) but I was busy leafleting my old district with David Dobosz and we did a sort of walking tour through Williamsburg till us old guys - both in our 70s got tuckered out.

Apparently some people, as reported by Peter Zucker at South Bronx School, believe that the AAA is not to be trusted in the vote count. I've been an observer in the past 4 elections and since ballots are sent to homes and returned directly to AAA and are opened in front of us I have not seen how this vote can be manipulated. Don't get me wrong. AAA is hired by the UFT which makes the basic decisions on the process and even during the vote count they to the Unity Caucus people to ask for directions. We often have a group of observers and are able to be there when some of these things are discussed and even ask for certain data. I did find that last time when I had to leave at around 7PM and didn't have some info they promised to get it to me but never did so this time I will not leave until I have all the info.

One point about the charges that AAA may have also manipulated the 2014 contract vote. While the same process was followed then the major difference was that people voted in the schools and the chapter leader had to seal the package and mail it to the AAA. As you may have seen I published a list of at least 220 chapter leaders running with Unity and there are many other Unity CLs who are not running this time. Was it possible they could have tampered with the ballots before sending them to AAA? Hell yes that some rabid Unity people just might have - but enough to end up with a 75-25 split? I observed the count then too and the AAA followed the same process as in UFT elections so on their end I believe they are clean. But at the May 26 count we will be vigilant. (And if you are interested in coming by to check it out for yourself come on down and head over to the MORE party afterwards).

Meanwhile - James Eterno called me last night and talked about how even people he knows seem confused about the voting and we need to pay more attention to the process. People don't get the slate thing very clearly and are confused by the non-slate part of the ballot listing over a thousand candidates.

Relatively few people don't check off one of the slates. Those that don't forces the AAA to tear apart the booklets and run them through special machines and that delays the outcome by hours. And the total numbers have zero impact on the outcome - to the point where when we publish results we discount these votes altogether. But if going through the motions floats your boat have fun.

There is a reason for the idea of a slate -- MORE vets people for top level positions and also attracts people of like mind. So even if one doesn't "know" people the idea is to think "slate" because in the UFT one individual doesn't mean much -- and can't even have a prayer of getting elected without an organization behind them. It is a matter of trust. Splitting the ballot - which I used to do - is practically a meaningless act and is in essence throwing away your vote - if you know people and trust them and they are running for top positions in MORE to me it makes sense to trust their judgement in running with MORE in the first place.

But the process still confuses people.

From MORE:

We are receiving questions about the elections and lost ballots.

This flier attached is extremely useful and could be handed out at any election parties you may have or put in mailboxes.

The MORE Blog has some excellent "how to vote" instructions and links to great videos that are shared on our social media featuring many of our candidates.

 Please visit https://morecaucusnyc.org/

How to Vote MORE-New Action Relay
From Eterno at the ICE blog:

Halabi got it from Lauren Cohen and Eterno got it from Halabi. Now I am tripling up by simply copying James' post on ICE.

LAUREN COHEN'S HOW TO VOTE MORE-NEW ACTION GUIDE MAKES GROUND GAME A LITTLE EASIER

This is the time when UFT members have their ballots at home and will either place them on a bottom of a pile of mail, throw them out or fill them out to vote in the UFT election.

Lots of votes are out there now that could possibly be won over. Please talk to everyone in school and get out the vote for MORE-NEW ACTION. In politics they call this the ground game.

I recommend using a staff list and having a personal conversation with every UFT member in your school and then tell your friends in other schools. If someone does not understand the voting process, MORE-NEW ACTION Elementary School Vice Presidential candidate Lauren Cohen put out this how to vote guide that Jonathan Halabi pilfered and now we are double pilfering.

Please spread the word in your schools in whatever way you are able to.

 

Unity Caucus AFT Convention Candidates L-Z: Note One Rhonda Weingarten and Alan Lubin

I began posting the Unity Caucus candidates Sunday night with A List of 222 School Level Chapter Leaders Running and then we turned out attention to 500+ non-classroom names which include many blasts from the past. The UFT gravy train never seem to end for many people.

This post finalizes  the list of 750 or 800 - look at your ballot's inside pages to see all the names.

Unity Caucus is the gift that just keeps giving. Not only are most of the UFT top level staff on the lists - district, boro reps, special reps, other hangers on. 

You may have thought they were long gone but we go on paying for their junkets. AFT President Randi is our delegate? NYSUT's Alan Lubin who has been gone from the UFT for 25 years?

My guess is this summer's convention is going to cost us $2 million bucks to make Randi feel like a queen. Assume Hillary will make an appearance. I wonder if any Bernie delegates will boo at some point.

I see many names of long-gone Unity caucus members who will "represent" you at AFT and NYSUT conventions in the next 2 years.

Jai-Lin	Lambert
Shirley	Laney
Eliu	Lara	DR
Sheila	Laval
Anthony	Lavecchio
Anne	Lee
Lester	Lehon
Jason	Leibowitz
Kristine	Leonardi
Mae	Leung-Tokar
Josephine	Levine
Robert	Levine
Katherine	Lewis
Rick	Lewis
Nancy	Lieber
Jessica	Lisowski
Janet	Lo
Charles	Lobello
Yolanda	Loder
Rosemarie	Lomonaco
James	Losey Jr
Dolores	Louzupone
Alan	Lubin
Laurie	Lubman
Cleo	Lucas
Gregory	Lundahl
Thomas	Madigan
David	Mahl
Ronald	Mailman
Jadzia	Malinowski
Angela	Maloney
Diane	Mammolito
Alphonse	Mancuso
Armando	Mandes
Donna	Manganello
Marilyn	Manley
Richard	Mantell	Off
Ledia	Mara Drita
Sandra	March
Todd	Marks
Maggie	Martin
Marva	Martin
Robert	Martinez
John	Marvul
Nancy	Mazzella
Diane	Mazzola
Michael	McCourt
Belinda	McCrea
Cynthia	McDaniel
Leslie	McDonnell
Kathryn	McGrath
Luke	Meginsky
Lisa	Mendel
Michael	Mendel
Teresa	Mercado
Alain	Metellus
Fran	Miller	PTRet
Tammie	Miller
Danielle	Minor
Brenna	Mintz
Jorge	Mitey
John	Monteforte	FT
Cynthia	Monteleone
Elsa	Moquete
Maria	Moreno
James	Morris
Paula	Morrison
Jennifer Jo	Moyer
Michael	Mulgrew	off
Iradies	Munet
Marilyn	Munet
Thomas	Murphy
Phyllis	Murray
Toni Ann	Murray
Millicent	Myers
Barbara	Mylite
Evelyn	Negron
Charisse	Nelson
Deborah	Nesmith
Thomas	Nimmo
Jason	Norman
Nicholas	Norman
Jeannie	O'Conner
Renee	O'Conner
Adriana	O'Hagan
Kathleen	O'Hagan
Alice	O'Neill	DR
Patricia	O'Reilly
Maura	O'Sullivan
Regina	Olff
Carlos	Olivieri
Darnese	Olivieri
Norma	Ortega
Justin	Osterman
Jennifer	Pakulniewicz
Andrew	Pallotta	x
Denise	Palmeri
Frank	Panebianco	FT
Rosemary	Parker
Christine	Paul
Linda	Pearson
Marisol	Pena
Debra	Penny	FT
Arthur	Pepper	FT
Candido	Perez
Elizabeth	Perez
Susan	Perez-Gonzalez	FT
Jacquelyn	Peters
Jeffrey	Piekarsky
John	Pierce
Rebecca	Pietromonaco
Vincent	Pilato
Jaclyn	Pitula
Alice	Platt
Carol	Plotkin
Martin	Plotkin
Jamie	Polzin	FT
Suzy	Poon Huie
Darlene	Post
Debra	Poulos	FT
Jeffrey	Povalitis	FT
Margaret	Premus
Vanessa	Pressley
Eudelia	Price
Nicole	Puglia
Doreen	Raftery
Natalie	Ramsey Dexter
Melissa	Reed
Rose	Reid
Brigit	Rein	FT
Marvin	Reiskin	Ret
Parniece	Richardson
Suzette	Robbins
Sterling	Roberson	Off
Elba	Rodriguez
Irma	Rodriguez
Ivonne	Rodriguez
Naomi	Rodriguez
Rita	Rodriguez
Sean	Rokowitz
Carmen	Roldan
Lorine	Romero
Nanette	Rosario-Sanchez	FT
Ann	Rosen	Ret
Martin	Rosenblum
Patricia	Ross-Spiller
Sharine	Rowe
Hector	Ruiz Jr	FT

Laurence	Sachs
Meredith	Saladis
Joycelyn	Sampson
Washington	Sanchez	FT
Howard	Sandau
Ruth	Santiago
Michael	Santos
Mayra	Santos Torres
Claire	Scesney-Lundahl
Doreen	Schafer
Tinamarie	Schneider
Howard	Schoor	Off
Michael	Schoor
Diane	Schreibman-Duberstein
Alicia	Schwartz
Joyce	Schwartz
Bernard	Schwimmer
Karen	Schyboll
Denise	Scott
Albania	Sepulveda
Pedro	Serrano
Penny	Setoute
John	Settle
Kathleen	Sharko
Chantel	Shealy
Barbara	Shiller
Joel	Shiller
Cora	Shillingford
Kris	Sieminski
Michael	Sill
Servia	Silva
Winston	Silvera
Barry	Smith
Celeste	Smith
Marla	Smith
Ualin	Smith
Dermot	Smyth
Gloria	Solla
Angela	Solomon
Howard	Solomon
Yvette	Solomon
Geofrey	Sorkin	FT
Stanley	Sorongon
Jory	Stark
Rita	Stein-Grollman
Penina	Steinberg
Ari	Steinfeld
Erica	Stewart
Lourdes	Suarez
Joseph	Surpris
Danita	Susi
Veronica	Sutton
Edward	Sweeney
Stephen	Swieceiki
Bruce	Swinton
Janice	Sydney Smith
Laura	Tamburo
Corey	Taylor
Marian	Thom
Ron	Thomas
Winnie	Thompson	FT
Juan	Tineo
Richard	Tokar
Nina	Tribble	Ret
Charles	Turner	Ret
Lourdes	Urbaez
Mary	Vaccaro	DR 26
Vincent	Vaccaro
Evelyn	Vargas
Jose	Vargas	FT
James	Vasquez
Wilma	Velazquez
Denise	Verde
Christopher	Verdone
Patti	Vitucci
Dawn Ann	Vitulli
Frank	Volpicella	ret
Mary	Wade	DR 13
Phyllis	Walker
Paula	Washington
Diana	Watson
Monique	Watts-Harouna
Raquel	Webb Geddes
Greg	Weber
Ilene	Weinerman
Rhonda	Weingarten	x
Allan	Weinstein	DR 19
Anna	White
Veronica	Wilensky
Peter	Wilhelm
Abdul-Akeel	Williams	FT
Andre	Williams
Charlayne	Williams
Heather	Williams
Lisa	Wilson
Vanecia	Wilson
Barbara	Wisdom
William	Woodruff	DR
Diane	Yodice
Mavis	Yon
Betsy	Youman
Gail	Zahler
Jeffrey	Zahler
Bruce	Zihal
Anita	Zuckerberg
Joshua	Zuckerberg
Robert	Zuckerberg

Lois Weiner on MORE and A May Day Message to Teachers - On the Front Lines of a War on Public Education

We need to transform the UFT so that it defends all kids' rights to a humane school environment, public education's democratic responsibilities, the dignity of teachers' work and our profession, democracy in our union. My vote is going to MORE.... Lois Weiner, New Politics

I've had this lingering for a few weeks so here is some reading on a rainy Sunday.

Good news from Lois Weiner on her support for MORE.
Lois made the remarks below at NYU recently on a panel with Randi Weingarten and Lily Eskelson Garcia. I bet steam was coming out of Randi's ears. Maybe Lily's too as all they had to offer in the battle for public ed was buying Pierson stock.

A few excerpts from Lois' remarks - there was video including Randi but it is not up yet:

My current research is with and about teacher activists who are building social movement unions, primarily by creating reform caucuses within the existing union structure. The caucuses are the embryos of a new kind of teacher unionism committed to social justice; mobilization of union members with community allies as respectful partners; and thorough-going union democracy, beginning at the school level. Collaborations between social justice activists, academics, and teachers unions are extraordinarily important today. When we say teachers are on the “front lines” we imply they are at war.  In my remarks I will try to clarify what the forces are in this war and what is at stake, posing three challenges for us.... 

While privatization is an aspect of the neoliberal project in education as many speakers have noted, in fact education is being transformed by policies that cannot be separated from a more fundamental drive: to make all human activity, including intellectual and artistic work, subject to what is called the discipline of the market, but is, in fact, the control of powerful elites who manage capitalism and are using the state to extract profit from what is viewed as an  untapped source....

We need to stand unequivocally against educational policies that give business access to services provided in public education, whether it is teacher evaluation, professional development, or school management. Moreover, the public sector has to be overseen through democratic means. Operationally this means protecting or creating elected local school authorities. It means insisting that capitalist elites and the politicians in their thrall do not have the right to dictate terms of educational policy to communities or nations as an ostensible quid pro quo for loans and financial assistance....

Feeling disempowered and alienated from vehicles for resistance, some teachers identify students and parents as their adversaries. This occurs especially in schools that are under-resourced and repressive, where students and parents lack formal education and are members of communities that have been historically oppressed. Teachers are human and are not immune to toxic social prejudices and bigotry. As we see all over the world, those who are economically oppressed often turn against those who are equally or more oppressed. Rage obscures the more distant political and economic forces that create and maintain economic dislocation...

There are areas where I disagree with Lois' analysis about growing an opposition and the role a social justice caucus - she often refers to this as an SJ Movement - plays out in this scenario. But I'll get to that another time.

Her Full piece at: 
http://newpol.org/content/may-day-message-teachers-front-lines-war-public-education

Unity Caucus Candidates E-K: The 750 AFT Convention Goers Who Vote as ONE

Continuing our series of Unity people who are getting a free ride on our dues at a cost of $2 million to Minneapolis this summer to rubber stamp whatever Randi wants - and Randi is actually running as one of OUR delegates. Go figure.

Now say MORE/NA gets 20% of the vote - those 20% are being taxed (dues) without representation at AFT/NYSUT conventions. Is there a law suit somewhere calling for a refund of dues paid to these parent organizations for those voting against Unity?

That is why pumping up the vote for MORE makes a better case for democratizing the UFT and bringing voices free of loyalty oaths to the table. One thing I can say about the MORE candidates who are running - if any of them win they will not be under a MORE loyalty oath and free to push their ideas into the UFT. Imagine if there were even a 100 MORE supporters going to these conventions? We would see a new ball game in the national and state unions.

Previous lists posted on ed notes:

• Unity Caucus Candidates A-D: The 750 AFT Conventio...
• A List of 222 School Level Chapter Leaders Running...

Camille	Eaddy
Evelyn	Edwards
Paul	Egan
Roberta	Eisenberg
Frederick	Eisman
Rosamund	Elbourne
Salvatore	Emanuele
Jacqueline	Endelson
Myra	Entenberg
Claude	Ertel
Marcus	Escobar	DR
Elizabeth	Espert
Giovanni	Espinoza
Alan	Ettman	PTRet
Kerri	Evangelista
Sarah	Evans
Timothy	Evans
Dana	Falciglia	FT
June	Feder
Daniel	Federico
Eileen	Feliciano
Robert	Fernandez
Michele	Ferraro
Eileen	Fields
Tracie	Fields
Patricia	Filomena	PTRet
Katherine	Finkelstein
Sheila	Fishbane
Sandra	Flecha
Melissa	Fleming
Meredith	Fogelman Birmingham
Judy	Forbes
Catalina	Fortino	x
Maria	Francisco
Tanisha	Franks
Rona	Freiser
Ilyana	Frias
Charles	Friedman	Ret
Antonietta	Fuccio
Jay	Futterman
Vincent	Gaglione	Ret
Ellen	Gallin-Procida
Diane	Ganz
Stephen	Gappelberg
Gloria	Garvey
John	Garvey
Yvette	Geary
Ava	Geddis
Analia	Gerard
Judith	Gerowitz	DR 21
Renee	Gestone-Setteducato
Nicole	Giannone Astarita
Ladesha	Gill Bey
Sonya	Gimondo
Mary	Ginese
Mildred	Glaberman
Charles	Goasdoue
Heather	Goldberg
Jason	Goldberg
Steven	Goldberg	DR
Anne	Goldman	Off
Alfred	Gonzales
Mona	Gonzalez
Peter	Goodman
Vivian	Goodman
Shayshana	Gourdine
Diane	Grant
Maggie	Grant
Monique	Green
Gloria	Greenhut
Michelle	Griffin
Steven	Grossman
Iliana	Guzman
Elvera	Hall
Hyacinth	Hall
Greer	Hansen-Velazquez
Anthony	Harmon
John	Harrington
Pearline	Harris
Carol	Harrison	DR
Esta	Heitner
Nichol	Hendricks
Christina	Hepburn
Carolyn	Herbst
Geraldine	Herkowitz
Alexandra	Hernandez
Michael	Herron
Mayra	Hiciano-Cruz
Virginia	Hill
Christine	Hilliard
Janella	Hinds	Off
Leopold	Hoenig
Catherine	Holleran
Deborah	Holt
Tamara	Horowitz
Leah	Hosten
Ricardo	Hoyen
Judith	Huggins
Quentin	Huie
Jasmin	Hunt
Brenda	Hutto
Shauna	Innis
Theresa	Janousek
Mona	Jelks
Raymond	Jenkins
Ann	Johneris
Helena	Johnson
Eula	Jones
Taneeka	Jones
Regina	Joseph-Solomon
Angela	Kahn
William	Kalogeras
Dorothy	Kamps
John	Kamps
Stuart	Kaplan
Mindy	Karten Bornemann
Bonnie	Katz
Herbert	Katz
David	Kazansky	FT
Mary	Keegan
Khiera	Kersey Heggs
Joseph	Kessler	DR
Haseeb	Khawaja
Lynne Ann	Kilroy
Linda	King
Rick	King
Mitch	Klages Bombich
Anthony	Klug	FT
Lillian	Kohler
Michael	Kullman
Iris	Kupferstein
Paul	Kutcher
George	Kuzar Jr