We are in the fight to save our way of life right about now. We are facing unprecedented attacks against us. ICE spent hours talking about our uncertain future at our meeting Friday evening.
If UFT leadership is going to be up front with the rank and file, we have not had much success as UFT members in a long time. UFT leaders need to start speaking up loudly for our own members who are under attack in the schools.
People in multiple schools who are overwhelmed with absurd paperwork requirements and are feeling heat on a daily basis from abusive administrators and sometimes out of control students are not feeling supported by the UFT in too many cases. Protecting our members must be the top UFT priority.
How about starting with protests at schools for our members who feel they are under fire on a daily basis?
I am glad the union is doing something for our communities. However, I really hope to see the general tone at UFT HQ change to a more angry, militant one on behalf of the membership.
It should be noted that the lead story in the weekly Update was one critical of Betsy DeVos, President Elect Donald Trump's pro-voucher anti-public education choice for Secretary of Education. Maybe we will fight back.
Excerpt From the UFT weekly Chapter Leader Update
Thanks to you, Day of Action was a success
We would like to thank all the chapter leaders who led their school communities in the Nov. 21 Day of Action to assure our school communities that every child, regardless of ethnic background, gender identity, faith or immigration status, has the right to feel safe in our public schools. On this day, UFT members took various actions to demonstrate their commitment to their students and families. Many took photos and shared them on social media, including Twitter. The UFT Facebook album featured photos submitted by 71 schools. The UFT Instagram account (@uftny) also features many photos from the day. As we move forward, we will continue to affirm that our schools are safe havens for learning. We will work with those who share our values — including parent and community groups and civil rights and immigrant rights associations — because we know we are more powerful when we stand together.
Most students dont deserve to be protected. And as far as the evaluation system, if anybody in the UFT hierarchy cared, it would have been dealt with long ago.
ReplyDeleteSomebody needs to find a new line of work.
ReplyDeleteMoney line here---"Maybe we will fight back."
ReplyDeleteUFT members pasted a few photos to UFT Facebook and UFT used some of the photos on its own Instagram account?
ReplyDeleteThat is the standard for a successful "day of action".?
Are they serious?
The UFT/AFT is a big joke. Blast it as a victory, don't mention Trump's name, don't criticize Randi under any circumstances (you may be anti-LBGTQ), and try to catch Mike if you can. It's done.
ReplyDeleteWhen the union endorsed Sharpton by joining in his anti-cop march, I vowed (like so many other UFT members) to never trust their politics again. Ever. So today I get an email telling me they are all in in the fight against Trump's nominee, Devos. Guess who I am for? Devos.
ReplyDeleteUFT Executive Board meeting last night and NO UPDATE on the new teacher evaluation. 3 weeks left till it is supposed to hashed out by the UFT/DOE.
ReplyDeleteThe UFT doesn't care about a new teacher evaluation. They are shitting their pants worrying about Trump and DeVos. Not because of public education, immigration, LBGT, or anything other than their cushy positions of power, money and doing nothing.
ReplyDeleteWhy do I have to go to work in this neighborhood tomorrow?
ReplyDeleteCops are asking the public’s help finding two men wanted for fatally shooting an innocent bystander in Brooklyn.
Detectives are looking for Frederick Coleman and Tyrell Rozzell in the slaying of Salaya Figueroa, 27, at the Pink Houses in East New York on Wednesday.
Figueroa was shot in the buttocks when shots rang out on Loring Ave. about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. Figueroa and her boyfriend sprinted for cover, but she was hit.
"She was an unintended victim in this,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said Monday. “They were aiming for someone else. We've identified these two individuals as the shooters.”
Coleman has 19 prior arrests and Rozzell has nine, Boyce said.
And they aren't even rotating ATRS.
ReplyDeleteThe UFT may not care about our new evaluation but the DOE does since NYS law states that the DOE has to propose a new evaluation to the state by Jan 1st. This new evaluation must be negotiated with the local union which in our case is the UFT. In other words, my fear is that the DOE is gonna propose a shitty evaluation for NYC teachers and the lame UFT is gonna go along with it. For the love of me I do not understand why more teachers are not following this fact. Everyone has their pants in a bunch over Trump. Well, Trump is not doing drive by observations with a Danielson clipboard. I am way more fearful for the administrators in my building than the orange man in the White House.
ReplyDeleteWith Carmen, I got rid of 80% of the teachers when I was principal, Farina in charge, what are you expecting from the new evaluation system? It's not going to be pro-teacher.
ReplyDeleteI am hoping and praying for less observations. Right now we have 4-6 observations. Other school districts in NYS now have as little as 2 observations per year. (One announced and one unannounced) As a veteran teacher, my only cause of stress is the "gotcha" mentality of these observations. We never know when they will be. Having one formal observation that is announced and one informal that is unannounced would make my life a million more times less stressful. I teach a non-tested subject area. Observations are all that I have to worry about.
ReplyDeleteAt this point, we should be planning to strike, instead silence. And the chapter leader at my school likes to act like the big man being disrespectful to the AP & principal. He is an embarrassment. Unity signs off on everything DOE wants and then double talks at Union meetings. 90% of Teachers are clueless. Most don't know there is going to be a new evaluation system. Most don't know about the State convention. Most don't even know about Devos. Unreal.
ReplyDelete5:39pm I agree on many levels. Here is the problem. Those observation numbers are minimums. The beasts will do more. Observations as gotcha are nothing new.
ReplyDeleteNYS law says that 2 observations are the minimum. (One announced and one unannounced and one of those must be by an outside evaluator) The only glimmer of light is that MANY school districts surrounding NYC are going with the minimum number of 2 observations. Some districts however are having more than 2 observations for non-tenured teachers. This makes sense as this is how it was back when we had the "U" or "S" system. Newer teachers should be observed more than tenured teachers since tenured teachers have proven that they know what they are doing. As mentioned in the above post the new evaluation system must be sent to the State by the DOE by Jan 1st. However, any and all changes to this evaluation system must be agreed by the UTT. This negotiation is done in secret of course. I would really like to hear what the CSA has to say about this. (CSA is the principals union.) I have a feeling that there are many principals who want to do more than 2 evaluations so they can "get" teachers. However, I also bet there are a ton of principals who are sick of spending 4-6 observations on every teacher which also can include pre and post observations for formals. That is a lot of time and paperwork for principals to do. Bottom line is that observations are the biggest issue for most of the veteran teachers at my school. We can deal with rowdy kids, crowded buildings, and a lack of supplies. Drive by observations out of the blue are hands down the most terrifying aspect of teaching in NYC.
ReplyDelete