Last night downtown Manhattan had a chance to see and hear four MORE candidates for top UFT offices speak at a public forum. To say the least, they were at the top of their game.
UFT Presidential candidate Julie Cavanagh, Secretary candidate Brian Jones, Treasurer nominee Camille Eterno and Assistant Secretary nominee Michael Fiorello addressed a number of union and public education concerns and then they fielded questions from the audience at a NYCORE meeting. Issues covered included bloated union officer salaries and double pensions which leads to our leadership being out of touch with the membership, the history of the UFT, how to stop principals from abusing the UFT contract, what a member driven union would look like in practice, how destructive closing schools is for communities, privatization of education both here and abroad and many others.
A main theme is that now the UFT has a top-down bureaucratic structure that does not work for the benefit of the membership or the schools. If MORE is elected, the pyramid will be inverted with the members put into the driver's seat. The recent activism of the Chicago teachers can serve as a model.
I hope to see these four and other MORE candidates in action again. I was sitting in the audience imagining a debate between MORE"S top candidates and the UFT's current leaders from the Unity Caucus. I couldn't think of a bigger mismatch. I can see why Unity's President Mulgrew and company would never want a debate. I think we should have several.
Today is part 2 of the activist weekend at the CUNY Graduate Center.
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Dignity and Democracy in Education:
A Public Forum About Blowing the Whistle on the Culture of Fear and Corruption in NYC Public Schools
Saturday, February 23rd
3:00 to 5:00pm
CUNY Graduate Center
365 5th Ave., Rm. 5414
(@ 34th St.)
Photo ID Required
Panelists include:
Lois Weiner, Ed.D. scholar-activist; author of The Future of Our Schools: Teacher Unions and Social Justice; Professor of Education at New Jersey City University
Francesco Portelos - S.T.E.M. teacher; UFT Chapter Leader and whistleblower; "rubber roomed" for exposing alleged financial corruption of school administration
Harris Lirtzman - former Special Education/mathematics teacher charged with "employee misconduct" after reporting misadministration of his school's special education program
Moderated by:
Brian Jones - teacher and co-narrator of the film "The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman" (http://vimeo.com/41994760)
Pizza will be served afterwards to all those who stay to help with petition signing and MORE's election effort. Make sure to bring any and all signed petitions to the event!
THIS IS A FREE EVENT - BUT PLEASE BRING YOUR CHECKBOOK TO MAKE A DONATION TO MORE'S ELECTION EFFORTS
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Come hear speakers from MORE's UFT election slate, help circulate our petition for a membership vote on the evaluation system, and join the movement! Click links to RSVP
The Harp Irish Pub
7710 3rd Ave
(btwn 77th & 78th Sts.)
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
Queens:
Terrazza 7 Cafe
40-19 Gleane St.
Elmhurst, NY
(7 Train to 82nd St.)
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Friday, March 1
5:00pm-7:00pm
Nancy’s Restaurant
255-41 Jericho Turnpike (near Little Neck Parkway)
Floral Park, Queens
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Find out what you can do to get out the vote!
Check out MORE'slatest blog post and find out how to help mobilize UFT members to vote.
Reply to this email to become part of MORE's discussion listserv.
Also, our message has crept into the Ivy League! Check out this Yale student on why we should "Just Say No" to Charter Schools
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Help Distribute Literature for MORE!
Volunteers needed help distributing campaign literature at your school and schools nearby.
Reply to this email or check our website...
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Fundraising Skills?
MORE Needs Help Raising Money
Please reply to this email if you would be interested in helping to organize fundraising events during the election season
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