Wednesday, October 18, 2017

LIVE BLOGGING FROM OCTOBER DA (unedited)

First UFT Delegate Assembly of the 2017-18 school year is today. Sorry in advance for any errors from the smartphone.

President's Report
Michael Mulgrew started by having a moment of silence for Mark Schaefer, long time CL, who passed away.

City
UFT proud of what we do. Showed UFT commercial. Teachers who made commercial introduced themselves.

National
Janus, other craziness. State and city budgets start July 1. No common sense about federal government. President proposes getting rid of children's health program. State will pick it up but state looking at $4 billion hole. City doing OK but if federal cut goes through, state will have $8 billion hole. State and city cannot do budgets because of federal situation. Education cut to bone in many states around the country. Instability in DC will impact states and cities soon.

Disasters: UFT there in Houston, Florida and Puerto Rico. Puerto Rican union distributing aid through their building. We will help in California too.

State
Word has gotten out about ConCon. Email Paul Egan if you want a lawn sign. 600 organizations involved, not just unions. Conservative party head in odd coalition with us.

Are we talking to colleagues to vote no on constitutional convention? Magnets to vote no. Nov 7 election day also anniversary of first UFT strike in 1960. Mayor's race also. Happy enemies are reluctantly conceding point that school system is doing better.

SUNY changed regulations for charter schools so it is easy to certify teachers. Turnover rate 40% a year in charters and 50%in Eva's schools. We sued them. Teaching is a profession. Board of Regents looking to have new accountability for charter schools. First charter school high school started with over 70 kids and now has 18. There will be 100% graduation of the 18 that are left. Happy Board of Regents will hold charters accountable. Public schools have 76% high school gradutation rate even with kids sometimes moving to different schools within the system.

City
Year off to good start until student was murdered in class in the Bronx. Young staff. Signs were there and DOE did nothing. Angry at DOE. Why do they give surveys if they ignore that there were bullying problems?
Thanks people at school.

Schools
Emphasize consultations. Superintendents on our radar now that we have information from hundreds of chapter leaders. If superintendents won't deal with issues, we will deal with it at central level. DOE has sent out instructions to resolve class size grievances. Bring it up in consultation.

Paperwork
Good results from paperwork complaints from last year. Chapters have power to stop five page unit plans and curriculum maps.

OPW
Certain things should be exceptions.

Professional Conciliation
Procedures set up to ask for conciliation on line.

SESIS
Money from grievance went out. SESIS inquiry on UFT website.

Lump Sum Payment
By next week everyone should get it. Since it is wages, it is taxable and union dues come out.

Evaluations
Based on matrix. Pick multiple measures. We went from 3000 U ratings to 214 ineffectives. Principals and Superintendents think we are usurping their authority. Does anyone want to go back to principal's having total control over ratings?

Making Strides
We raised over $1 million this weekend. Thanks borough coordinators.
Raffle to raise more money.

CTLE
Trying to get DOE to partner with us. Must be certified CTLE course that state certifies with attendance and proper insructor. DOE has finally agreed to partner with us. PD in contract. Some schools have PD that counts.

ELL conference 1200 showed up last Saturday. Chancellor there. Might have had a breakthrough with DOE on CTLE because of this.

Artie Pepper wins Cogen award at Teacher Union Day. UFT did 1.4 million prescriptions last year.Among 1% who have no premiums for healthcare.

UFT welcome center open.

5600 teachers hired this fall.

Janus: We will probably take a brutal loss according to lawyers in case and become a right to work country. Goal is to weaken unions. We stand in right wing's way. UFT largest local in country. We will be targeted. Goal of right wing is to take away our ability to stand up to them. UFT trying to visit every member at home. Some visits will be tough. Need a group of people to be trained and go door to door. Need face to face contact. Need delegates to do this work. Will give a stipend for this work.

Staff Director's Report
Leroy Barr asked about people to sign up for campaign to go door to door to talk to members. Want to talk to over 100,000 members.

Phone banks open for Nov 7 election. Turn ballot over to back to vote no on con con. Need people to get involved.

Other dates announced. New teacher meet and greet, etc...Next DA November 8

Mulgrew back
Negotiating with city on paid family leave. City coming in right direction but they still want us to pay for it. Don't want march of the onesies.

Question Period
Question: Do we have to upload daily lesson plans on Google docs?
Answer: It is ritualized collection of lesson plans even if it is electronic.

Q March on Albany on new charter certification requirements. Are colleges impacted by dumbing down certification requirements?
A: Governor did not do this. Governor has pivoted. He wants to win back Congress. We have lots of enemies. Have to work with people we might not like on certain issues.

Q: Pension money used for affordable housing?
A: Yes it happens. Trustees vote on investments and they get returns. Pension funds growing.

Q: Advisory ratings issued. How to ensure they aren't used against us?
A: It is in state law that they must be issued.

Q: Is it insubordination not to follow principal's strong suggestions?
A:No

Q: We have to report on kids what about teachers who are harrassed?
A:No, call Office of Equal Opportunity.

Q:Teachers writing annual goals?
A: Post consultation notes and contact Debbie Poulos.

Q:Why don't we get Vets Day off?
A: DOE policy. It is not in contract.

Motion Period
No motions

Special Orders of Business
One resolution was on preserving DACA, one on aiding hurricane and wild fire victims and one on supporting NYC March for climate justice.

Nothing controversial. All passed. The DACA resolution was amended to not let Nicole Malliotakis sue to get NYC ID info out.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Young staff"? Ummm yeah. Welcome to NYC where experienced teachers are looked at as expensive and worthless.

Anonymous said...

There it was...we are off to a great start. What teachers think we are off to a great start? 2nd, if there is such a hole in the state budget why does everybody else get 8.25 for tda, get it back for us, we saved them how much in the last 10 years?

Anonymous said...

How can anyone believe Mulgrew when he talks about budget shortfalls?
Remwmber him selling membership the bullshit that the city was broke during the last contract negotioations?

Anonymous said...

What the Hell is the "march of the onesies"?

Anonymous said...

Hilarious to hear friggin' Mulgrew trying to spin the new evaluation system vs the old S and U system that every teacher loved and wished would come back. He has a lot of nerve to try and spin this crap. I urge every single teacher to ask their UFT rep who shows up at their school if that rep is being evaluated on the new "matrix" or the old S and U system. It is a fact that the majority of UFT reps who teach one class are still on the old S and U system. Ask them if they would like to be on the "matrix". This evaluation system is hypocritical and disgusting. Oh yeah, you want my dues money UFT? Get me back to the S and U system and I will support ya' 100 percent. I would love more than anything to hear a UFT dude knock on my door to try and get me to stay as a dues payer. Come on in and have some beers with me and listen to what I have to say!!!

Bronx ATR said...

Mulgrew thinks we're all morons and we are. Nothing could be plainer. Buy stock in Alpo.

Anonymous said...

Simple things, 8.25 TDA, s/u, enforce discipline code, better than 1% a year raises...

Prehistoric pedagogue said...

8.25 TDA gone forever. Forget about it. Costing me more than 10K a year. Pretty expensive for two crummy days off

Anonymous said...

Then it should be gone for all

Anonymous said...

Michael Mulgrew should be teaching. He has no idea what teachers are up against.

Anonymous said...

If Mulgrew does not get us back things like 2 observations and or the old S/U evaluation system, it just might be him teaching again in the wood shop being rated by his much vaunted "matrix". Hope he likes Danielson drive by observations. Things will come to bite him in the ass if the UFT does not step up it's game. The fact that they are going so far as to send Unity minions to our homes to push us to stay in the UFT post Janus says a lot. Seems like a huge waste of time and money but what they are doing is trying to save their cushy jobs at 52 Broadway. The sad thing is if they just would man up and make some deals with DeBlasio they could have their cake and eat it too. Sending out scrubs to our homes to try and convince people to stay in the UFT is worthless unless the UFT can tell us EXACTLY what they plan to do for us. The sad reality is the things that most UFT members want would not cost the city a red cent. A fair evaluation system, easier transfer options, etc, are all no brainers.

Anonymous said...

Discrimination and harassment of older teachers need to stop.