Tuesday, September 12, 2017

EXECUTIVE BOARD REPORT

Everyone who reads this blog should head on over to NYC Educator to read High School Executive Board member Arthur Goldstein's comrehensive report on the first UFT Executive Board meeting of the year.

My interpretation of his minutes is that the membership at large is in difficult situations in many work places yet it's business as usual over at UFT headquarters.

Several speakers came to complain about management in Adult Education. Any UFT member can speak once a term at the Executive Board. Solutions from UFT seem like same old, same old answers.

From Arthur's account of President Michael Mulgrew's report:

This year will be challenging. Constitutional Convention and Janus, and we have to move public ed. forward.  Concerted efforts to weaken workers rights and destroy public ed. alive and well. They want to weaken us to when workers were just pawns. Wednesday you will see people come out for CC, same people who fund Janus. They want cheap, no benefit workers.

Told DOE we have to move forward. We can't have blowups at certain schools. CBA gives us right to consult. We have to put things on record. Thanks Adult Ed. We are holding DOE accountable, but we all have to do this. CL can now go online and share consultation with principal. If things aren't worked out at school level, district has to do it. Things resolved via paperwork complaints. Bad principals don't want info out. We have to use tools in contract. We will get involved when things aren't resolved at school level. Contract is agreement and they agreed to it.

Further down in the report Mulgrew says:

If this local is greatly weakened, public ed. will go bye-bye.

News flash President Mulgrew: This local already is greatly weakened. By not proposing any collective union-wide actions to help our many colleagues who are under attack, we will continue to fight a few battles but will lose in many other schools where members see no hope in going to the UFT.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

NYSUT is manning up and going to try and get the state legislature to change evaluations so they are under local, district control and would be negotiated with local unions. This is the best news I have heard in a long time. Good to see that NYSUT is going to bat for us while the UFT sits silently "at the table". If local evaluations become under local control and the UFT gets us a shitty deal, I am officially done paying dues.

Anonymous said...

Count on it.It will be worse.

Anonymous said...

Of course. Unity has no shame in their game. Might be a couple of less seats at the table but they will continue to sell us out. How sad. I am willing to deal with all the BS of working in NYC schools with crazy kids, crowded rooms, etc. However, all the Danielson and drive by gotcha shit is what burns me up more than anything. When I first started teaching in the 90's one of the older teachers told me something along the lines of: "Lay low, work hard, get tenure and admins will leave you alone for the rest of your career". Fast forward to today and nothing is further from the that statement. Everything we do is put under a microscope and fear is the prevailing mentality of teacher in NYC. The UFT does not have our backs. If they could just get us a decent evaluation system, life would be so much better. I hope for the best on this but do not have too much faith.

Anonymous said...

Please forgive me but I think some people should not be teaching kids in a classroom. Please be mindful of the way you describe NYC students. This is a public blog and many people read your comments. I agree with a lot of the sentiments written on here but I draw the line here. Please find another job that would best suit you.

Anonymous said...

What dont you agree with? i dont see anything derogatory.

James Eterno said...

Nothing remotely anti-student here in these comments on today's post. 8:30 please be specific.

Anonymous said...

This is the problem...when we voice valid complaints, some call racism or say we should quit...But they are valid complaints. How about, if students dont belong in school, dump them. Thats why there are jails. Why punish the innocent teacher who worked hard to gain and keep work?

Anonymous said...

Because in the deblasio and obama era, we bend over to appease lowlife people of various backgrounds.

Anonymous said...

"Crazy kids" may be seen as a negative description. Ok, if that is not a positive way to describe some students that we teach, I will use the phrase, "Hostile and our of control kids".

Anonymous said...

What's the October date to attend the Executive Meeting?

Anonymous said...

Free food

James Eterno said...

October 16 and October 30 are the October Executive Boards. The food is not half as good as it used to be.

Anonymous said...

All union members can attend, right. The rank and file?

James Eterno said...

And you can speak for 2 minutes one time a semester. Just call and ask for time.