The ICEUFT blog has been reporting on events from coast to coast during the last couple of weeks and there are updates.
In Seattle, the teachers voted to approve their new contract and end their strike. They made substantial non-monetary gains including ending teacher evaluations based on student test scores. That is a huge victory. As for raises, the link we have says people were not complaining about them and the union is heading to the Washington State Legislature now to fully fund salary increases in addition to what they negotiated with the district. On balance, this looks like it was a successful strike.
In Chicago, the Dyett High School hunger strike is over. The courage of people who used this tactic to keep a neighborhood high school open cannot be underestimated. From the Chicago Tribune:
The protests had helped prompt CPS (Chicago Public Schools) administrators in early September to take the rare step of reopening a building they elected to mothball after years of declining enrollment and academic performance. But the plans did not accommodate some of the strikers' original demands - including that the building be reopened with a curriculum focused on green technology and global leadership - so the hunger strike continued until Saturday.
Meanwhile, here in NY we are not doing anything nearly as brave as a hunger strike but the Jamaica High School community is uniting at the urging of our long time payroll secretary Maria Giamundo (even though our school has already been phased out) to raise money for Dystonia research. Head over to the signup page where you will discover we have met the threshold to form a "Reopen Jamaica High School" team in the Bronx Zoo walk on October 4. It is a great cause and people can still donate so please join us.
As for NY evaluations, we haven't gone on strike to end teacher evaluations based on student test scores but Diane Ravitch via Fred LaBrun of the the Albany Times Union is reporting that the fight over regulations in our horrific new and invalid evaluation system is not over. Now if only the unions in New York would mobilize on this like they did in Seattle, we might get somewhere.
If our union misleaders were not "assets" of the so-called reformers - as Randi Weingarten was described by name in the 2009 Broad Foundation annual report - then we might see the kind of courage and mobilization just witnessed in Seattle.
ReplyDeleteUntil then, it's just going to be more collaboration with those who would destroy us, with more lies and misdirection intended to distract.
Then why should we pay dues?
ReplyDeleteTo answer anonymous 4:28-
ReplyDeleteWE SHOULDNT.
The only thing that will change our corrupt and inept union is the Supreme Court ruling that will allow members to quit. Hopefully that ruling is coming and quick. Only then will there be a chance to resurrect a union that works for its members as opposed to this self serving crap we are currently stuck with.
You sound like the US Vietnam strategy. We have to burn the village to save it.
ReplyDeleteYesterday I was showing a video that the teacher had left for the class. I kept having all sorts of trouble with the Smartboard and the video that I hadn't experienced in the other classes when some nice girl clued me in that the jackasses in the back of the room had somehow gotten hold of the remote for the smartboard. I tried on my own to get back the remote but of course they weren't cooperative. The dean was called who called security who called the principal and assistan...t principal who told class that it was a theft and they could be searched. They all left the room and told the class to somehow make the remote appear...anyway another nice boy told me that something had been put in one of the workbooks. I open the book and it is some type of blade. I show it to the principal and guess what? He leaves the room with the blade and NOTHING was done to find out who's knife it was. Such a JOKE!!!! Oh the remote was found in the trash can. Nice. I told him later that I won't be responsible in those classes for laptops, smartboards or videos so please have the teachers leave only book work. Alternative school or Riker's Prep?
ReplyDeletePerfect article about the topic, i could not expect this much for this article and i really like you writing style. keep sharing :)
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When and how do retirees see this retro pay?
ReplyDeleteWho knows?
ReplyDeleteIf we lose the anti-tenure lawsuit in the courts, all the dues, retro-pay will take a backseat while the DOE lines formerly tenured teachers up and dismisses them.
ReplyDelete