The MORE caucus has requested several times, through several means that there be an open debate between our UFT presidential candidate Julie Cavanagh and Michael Mulgrew who represents the Unity/New Action caucuses. Repeatedly Mulgrew and his caucuses have ignored our invitations.
This constant denial to debate should be of concern to all our union brothers and sisters, as well as the communities we serve.
In order for our union to remain open and democratic all UFT members should be encouraged to cast ballots in the union elections and provided forums that would give them meaningful insight into the very different visions for leadership of our union. It is our firm conviction that as in any democratic election the voters must hear from candidates they are asked to choose from so they can make an informed decision.
The UFT is one of the largest local educators’ union in the country, is the controlling force of national union AFT, and the decisions of our union leadership affects the daily lives of millions of children and their parents around the city and the nation. The leadership of this union directly impacts educational policies through-out the country, therefore this is a vital election and it is in everyone’s best interest if the two candidates engage in a debate.
Mr. Mulgrew speaks once a month to only the delegates and chapter leaders of the UFT, MORE has called for a debate that can be viewed by all our UFT members through-out the city. In the true spirit of fairness and and solidarity we call on Michael Mulgrew to join Julie Cavanagh in a debate moderated by an independent third party moderator that can be live-streamed via the Internet, so that members can ask questions of both candidates.
We anxiously await His reply.
If Ms. Cavanaugh were truly interested in representing the members of the UFT and making herself visibile she would ask questions during the question period at the DA, would participate in bipartisan committees and attend events throughout the city where the voice of the UFT is heard. I have read of her issues with her ill child and as a mother I understand the conflict work commitments and motherhood makes on us, but since the establishment of the MORE caucus I have not seen nor heard Ms. Cavanaugh anywhere. I don’t believe a debate would do anything but be a grandstanding action. I support and continue to believe that President Mulgrew and UNITY caucus are the intelligent choice to make. Check the UNITY box.
Right, or she’d go on TV and defend teaching our but the radio, with her son right there in the background, defending teaching.
And if you haven’t heard or read from her since the caucus was formed, might I suggest reading in your spare time. It’s a wonderful hobby that tends to make you a little more aware than you normally would be.
Where’s Julie At?
Has Julie been to any of the Delegate Assemblies?
I’ve never heard hear speak, only her MORE Comrades.
Hearing that her baby was ill makes it understandable that she wasn’t at Wednesdays Delegate Assembly but where was MORE on Thursday when UFT participated in the Anti Gun Rally? For a Social Justice Caucus I would think MORE would be out there in packs rallying for Gun Control especially since it is something directly affecting NYC schools. I guess MORE picks and chooses their Social Justice issues. Get Real; Mulgrew speaks to the entire delegation which includes Unity, MORE, and New Action at Delegate Assemblies where Delegates and Chapter Leaders attend. Isn’t Julie a Chapter Leader? If she is then isn’t she at Delegate Assemblies? When was the last time she spoke. We have heard Peter speak, we have heard Gloria, we have even heard Norm, where’s Julie? Maybe after Unity wins the election we will actually here her speak at the Delegate Assembly.
Stuart,
I notice you get called on at every single DA while people never get called. Please try and tell us this is just an accident and not that you are part of the Unity speaker bureau that plans out scenarios at the DA in advance. (And you played the same role at the AFT). So Julie could attend a hundred DAs and never get recognized. Julie has more years of teaching than the last 3 UFT presidents combined. And more years as a chapter leader than Shanker, Feldman and Randi combined. And we haven’t even explored the stories about how well Mulgrew defended people as chapter leader at Grady. For me any teacher that runs a classroom successfully for well over a decade in the vicious system Unity allowed BloomKlein to set up can run the UFT.
Are you telling us that MORE people don’t get recognized and called on to speak? I must be hallucinating when I see James Eterno or Peter Lamphere and others recognized to speak all the time.
Stuart, buy a TV. She’s a more visible defender of teaching than any Unity person, yourself included, has been in the past several years.
You Unity worms are all alike. It’s either you vs. Bloomberg or you vs. The press, or you vs…..fill in the blank I guess. It’s an old and tired playbook. But this time, in your zeal to find an enemy, you’ve decided to attack a real teacher. That’s pretty disgusting. Congrats! II’s just what Bloomberg would do.
Hey Stuart. I can appreciate that you are not hiding behind anonymity. You know, I’ve never heard you speak outside DAs and AFT conventions but would love to hear your views espoused in a debate with someone from MORE in a public forum. Just leave a comment here as to how we can arrange that.
This is not a race for the White House. Democracy is present through voting. If Ms. CAVANAUGH would attend functions where most people could see and hear her perspective on issues, maybe President Mulgrew would deem her worthy. Why isn’t she making phone calls to make things happen for herself? Come on MORE, your leadership has a lot to learn.
You’re a teacher? Learn to spell.
Maria
Would you attend a function where you can debate your views in a public forum with someone from MORE? Just let us know when you are available.
Where’s Julie???
Has Julie been to any of the Delegate Assemblies? I’ve never heard her ask a question or speak for or against a motion to the agenda, or a resolution on the floor.
I’ve heard her MORE Comrades, but never Julie. Why is that?
Hearing that her baby was ill makes it understandable that she wasn’t at Wednesdays Delegate Assembly but where was MORE on Thursday when UFT participated in the Anti Gun Rally? For a Social Justice Caucus I would think MORE would be out there in packs rallying for Gun Control especially since it is something directly affecting NYC schools. I guess MORE picks and chooses their Social Justice issues. Get Real: Mulgrew speaks to the entire delegation which includes Unity, MORE, and New Action during Delegate Assemblies where Delegates and Chapter Leaders attend. Isn’t Julie a Chapter Leader? If she is then isn’t she at Delegate Assemblies? When was the last time she spoke. We have heard Peter speak, we have heard Gloria, where’s Julie? Maybe after Unity wins the election we will actually hear her speak at the Delegate Assembly. We know what Mulgrew has done and accomplished, what has Julie done? What are her solutions? Does she have any?
Gun control? Seriously?
Stuart, I challenge you to a debate.
Bloomberg has made a shamble of Education, and he could not have done it without Unity help, right down the line. It does not get any simpler and every educator knows it. Walk up to any teacher and ask them what they think of the UFT, 9 out of 10 will agree, and watch that you don’t get spit on. It’s that simple and says it all. Officers collect double pensions and self aggrandize, always trying to convince teachers that the curds and whey they feed members is ice cream. Anyone, and I mean anyone who runs for the position and simply stands for the right of union members to vote on agreements before they are AGREED upon by our representation is better than what the UFT has now. If teachers find out there is a UFT leadership choice and a mail in ballot, MORE is in. Unity wants the whole matter as hush hush as possible.
I resent that you think teacher are crass and “WOULD SPIT ON ” each other. I don’t know what cool aid you’re drinking. THERE IS A MAIL IN BALLOT.
I can recall past candidates for president like Kit Wainer or James Eterno speak many times at the DA but do not recall hearing Julie Cavanagh. Most of the time non Unity Caucus members are recognized to speak at the DA they make it more clear that there is only one real option for UFT members, Michael Mulgrew and Unity Caucus. This week was no exception; delegates were treated to a confusing and contradictory account of voting on the school governance committee’s recommendations. I think I raised my hand in opposition; I think I was there; I wasn’t there; they didn’t see my hand, so it wasn’t unanimous; another MORE member voted in opposition too, or did he? The Delegate Assembly often has to listen to hastily prepared resolutions, or statements of personal political beliefs from MORE members instead of questions during the question period. According to Gotham Schools, a major speech delivered by Julie Cavanagh at Murry Bergtraum was attended by a grand total of 14 teachers. In a school as embattled as Bergtraum is it is quite telling that only a few people consider her worthy of listening to, let alone voting for. Opposition to Mayoral control of the schools has been a major policy position of MORE; not only did you not oppose the findings of the Governance Committee you agreed with them and lied about it or didn’t show up and lied about the hands of your members of that committee not being seen. Then at the DA right before elections, with school governance prominent on the Agenda, your candidate for President doesn’t show up. It’s kind of like not showing up for a job interview and asking for the job anyway. And you demand a debate (after your guys called Mulgrew a coward on ICE blog) to make up for your incompetence in delivering your message?
That’s cute. The DA is the job interview? From a leadership group who can’t muster more than a third of its own members to vote, can’t settle a contract and has stood by while 3,000 of its own members have been put through a 3020a process in the last 2 1/2 years and have done nothing to stop it.
Cute, cheeky, sorry, pathetic as long add no one seems to care! But oh, make sure you attack your own when your terrible record is questioned and you’re challenged to a debate.
Nice!
One would think that a candidate for the office of UFT President would show up at the DA before election ballots are mailed. One would think that speaking, or attempting to speak, on this or on previous occasions on matters before hundreds of chapter leaders and delegates who, being impressed by the candidate’s views, might share their positive views of said candidate with their members might sound like a good way among other strategies towards winning an election. There I go again, being rational with you guys. I guess having your candidate be AWOL and having another MORE member get up and lie and vacillate repeatedly about her vote on the Governance Committee on the DA before an election is a better plan.
Commonsense
You are obviously an experienced and knowledgeable and able defender of Unity. So how about an open debate instead of using this comment section in a public forum with someone from MORE. I’m sure you would do well and you can even wear a mask to protect you from being exposed.
Who is Julie Cavanagh and why should Michael Mulgrew debate her? Michael Mulgrew is the most credible candidate who has fought hard and tirelessly for every member of our union.The last DA was an outrage! MORE showed their true colors, one of which was green with envy. If you don’t like the way a debate is going, simply make up an excuse such as, “my hand was up but no one saw it”.Shame on the MORE members who thought of those type of tactics! Our members volunteered to work on the Governance committe. They took the job seriously and made good decisions for teachers, parents and most of all our students. MORE tried to diminish their work by that outrageous display. I have never heard Cavaqnagh speak at the DA. She has never presented herself to the membership and yet MORE demands that Michael Mulgrew debate her? Let’s not waste Mulgrew’s time. Vote Mulgrew and UNITY, it is the right choice for every union member.
My hand was up but no one saw it.
That’s phrase had been muttered at DAs for decades and why? Because Unity folks fail to recognize their own members at the DAs if they’re not Unity drones.
Shame on you for using that old, tired complaint!
Aren’t you the fellow who was complaining about spelling? “My hand was to by no one saw it.” “That’s phrase” Starting a sentence with because? Sigh.
?
Perhaps you should read slower?
*All candidates, including those of the MORE caucus, have a chance to reach all UFT members through the NY Teacher. All candidates also have the right to distribute campaign literature in schools. MORE caucus is free to hold events to meet their candidates.Caucus activities are not funded by UFT dues and do not take place at UFT sites. This is the democratic process and a level field.
*MORE may ask for a debate and UNITY may refuse. This is democracy too, even if you don’t care for the outcome. Each side may make accusations of the other’s motives. This is childish.
*MORE insists the Delegate Assembly is not worth attending, the President’s Report not worth hearing and every vote for a resolution a UNITY conspiracy. While, UNITY challenges their candidates should use the Delegate Assembly floor to present their views. This is wrong. The Delegate Assembly is a legislative function of the UFT.
*All of the delegates were elected by the rank and file of their schools and functional chapters. They attend the Assembly to do the work of this union and to keep their members informed.
*Many delegates have chosen to join a caucus. They majority of delegates belong to no caucus. There have been unanimous votes and close votes on resolutions. The overwhelming number of resolutions pass by large majorities. This speaks to the strength of our union; not to evidence of a conspiracy. I would hope all caucuses would strive for a union that has that strength and solidarity.
* The incumbent president and officers do belong to UNITY caucus. They do their work everyday for the UFT and all of its members, regardless of political views. Accusations to the contrary are disingenuous. I would hope that any candidate from any caucus would publicly support this truth and make an open commitment to continue to work as tirelessly for the members.
Pardon my typo in the above post. The third bullet should read:
” While UNITY members fault MORE candidates for not using the Delegate Assembly floor to present their views.” I apologize for any rise in blood pressure from either caucus.
If the UNITY position is as strong as seven of the eight comments say it is, then what is the big deal about a debate…should be a slam dunk. If Mr. Mulgrew was so responsive to his membership, why when I have written him several times, have I not gotten ANY reply? No, hey drop dead and don’t bother me. No that’s not a bad idea, No thank you for writing reply from one the lackeys that I pay for. Maybe in the end Mulgrew is the right candidate, but a debate might let us know for sure. Give us a chance to compare the visions, and make a better informed choice.
No such luck, pal. This is what they do when they REALLY don’t want to do something: They attack teachers.
Just like Brill and Gates and Broad and Rhee and Bloomberg. NO different.
I do not know of a Julie C. because at every Delegate Assembly I have ever attended she never spoke. It is serious when your child is ill, and that must be your first duty. I truly understand that from my own personal experience. You cannot lead under those circumstances because you become vulnerable. I do not write here to bury Julie C. only to wish her luck in a different field, not unionism. It requires extremely tough and resilient folks to battle in this struggle that seeks to divide and conquer us. Mulgrew is the right one for these times, and he might be the right one to lead all the teacher unions and their locals. I see nothing phony about this man, but I do see an energy most of us can never summon. Join us, ” For a house divided cannot stand.”
True, true. She was too busy defending teaching on TV or defending teaching on the radio, or defending teaching in the newspapers, or defending teachers on film.
But I guess if you read, watched the news or listened to the radio, you may have heard of her before.
But I guess if Unity folks read, or watched the news or listened to the radio, then our teaching core wouldn’t be as weak as it is today.
You don’t know of a Julie C. And you probably don’t know of a war on teaching either.
Drone
Hi Tilden 64 (I’m Jefferson 62). You seem tough and resilient so how about you and I debating in an open forum on a wide range of union topics? If you can’t make it see if some of the other tough and resilient folks at the UFT can make it. Best if Mulgrew is willing to show how tough and resilient he is by taking on that little field mouse who is afraid to speak at a DA, Julie Cavanagh. Really, how can you guys be worried about her when she can’t even get up at a DA and speak. Obviously not tough and resilient. Mulgrew should wipe the floor with her and then all of you can say: Told you so.
A true democracy is one that is transparent and allows all voices to be heard. As an ATR is it critical to me and my ATR/ACR colleagues to be heard. Mr. Mulgrew, Amy Arrundell and other UFT/Unity Caucus have not addressed either verbally on news programs and in the union newspaper has addressed our needs. Traveling teachers in the Traveling Teacher ATR/ACR pool are being abused by the Mayor and ignored by our representatives in our union.
I am outraged that Mr. Mulgrew has not reached out to address the inhumanities that we face daily. We are forced to travel from school to school each week. We have to face administrators who treat us as substitutes and disrespect us for the most part. We babysit students, in almost all cases, and we are abused and assaulted.
I have been in the ATR/ACR Pool for 14 school months. I have traveled to over 45 schools since being excessed from my home school in district 2. A brief history of my being excessed is as follows: In 2004, I selected a school in district 2. The school was the only one in the building. I taught from 2004-2011 in that school. In 2004, Mayor Bloomberg set our school up to fail. He dumped over 2000 violent students into our school from MLK Jr. high school. These students brought into OUR building, OUR community drug dealing, gang brawls, shooting, stabbings, and sexual acts by students.
It was a chaotic mess.
Before this massive dumping our school was going well. Was it a perfect school, NO! What is the BEST school in Manhattan, NO! But is was a school community that met the needs or our students and incorporated parents in moving the school forward. We served our school well. Our teachers knew the kids by their first name, we loved teaching, we loved our kids. This part of it was awesome. Teachers and the college advisors, and the social workers, speech therapist, aides and other made for a healthy school environment.
To have the Mayor do this mass dumped dashed or hopes to graduate all of our students, in particular those who were with us since Freshman year.
I was excessed from my home school from September 2011- present. It’s not pretty nor does it feel good. I travel from school to school in most cases to schools that are closing or are being phased out. I have NO real rights that my teachers have. Since being excessed, I have had to do cafeteria for six periods during the day, I’ve had to watch the bathrooms, sharpen pencils, type up correspondence for an illiterate school secretary, I’ve had to make hundreds of phone calls, using my ability to speak Spanish, to student’s homes to tell their parents that they are not attending ( the attendance for this phase out school was 49%–they gave out money to students to attend school, but all kids needed to know was they had to have their attendance taken for one period during the day to be counted as present..which meant that many, if not all were in school on time or even going to classes. Their names were entered into a lottery for $%
$100, $50 and $25 if they were chosen from the lottery pool)..and the non-sense continues.
I have been assaulted four times in 14 months. In one school, I was in a basement classroom, where students turned off the lights. It was pitch black inside this room. The students then began to hurl the desk/chairs at me and around the room, while laughing. They did this six times in two periods before anyone came into the room to save me. The deans, SSAs and the AP, who happened to be across the hall came only after the damage was done. both my shoulder and knee were injured after having to hid under the desk six times in two periods.
I was even threatened by a boy that told me “If you go out the front door at 3 o’clock, I will stab you to death”. So, at the bell, I ran for the doors that exited to the back of the building and I began to run for my life. I was crying uncontrollably, I could barely see where I was running to. My goal was to get away from the school. I stopped after being far away enough from the school, to safety, and I called my husband who patiently listened to what I went through and told me to ask someone to help me with finding the subway. The injury to this day has left me traumatized.
In another school, I a students put tacks on my chair. I sat on one and it hurt so bad that I wanted to scream. But, I saw the kid who put the tack on my chair, looking at me, waiting for my response and I swallowed the scream. I went home and got a tetanus shot.
In another assault, a student deliberately kicked a soccer ball into my face. My head snapped back and I suffered a concussion. I had to be out of work for over a week.
This past October, I was in the SAVE room in a school where the kids, for three consecutive days abused me with very threats, one was that they would stab me to death, another boy told he that he wanted to “do me…you know you want it. During those two events, the students barricaded me in the room, surrounded me and began their threats. The windows were already covered by the AP so that no one could see into or out of the room.
I wrote all of these events up. They were never filed by any of the schools. I’ve had to go fill out and file the LODI ( Line of Injury) documents with the school. For the first incident, I filled out the papers, the school secretary NEVER put the papers in, for months, close to a year, I had to fill out the forms over and over again. I got the papers down to HR Connect who scanned them in, had all of the documents, even told me that the docs were in and that my days would be put back into my CAR. Well, a few weeks later or so, I got a phone call and then a letter in the mail stating that my docs were NEVER received. That I would have to start, the year long, process all over again. I have all of the documents with me in my NYC DOE bag, which contains all of my docs associated with my status as an ATR. I have not gone back to the LEAVES Department to re-submit the forms. I am too tired and burnt out.
I got very little to no help from the UFT/Unity Caucus. Some help but not enough to get my needs met.
Never once to Mr. Mulgrew or Amy Arrundell make sure that my needs were met.
As an ATR I have no union representation, yet I pay my union dues each month. “Taxation without Representation.”
We have no one to stick up for us at all! We are not covered in our newspaper, we have no ATR page in our newspaper, there are no ATR/ACR Bill of Rights that we can go to for immediate assistance, we are told to call people who don’t help us, but reather want us to write up the incident on the UFT website, calls back are infrequent to say the least.
Who is out there to help us? I went to a MORE Caucus meeting and it was there, on that Saturday morning/afternoon that I learned someone was setting up an ATR/ACR Chapter. I was so inspired by the words of this wonderful man who said to me, “you are not alone. There are many of us out there in the Pool who need our help. OMG! I thought to myself, there are others. Honestly, because we travel from school to school, week to week, we don’t get to really talk to one another about working conditions, morale, and the need to talk to others who are going through what we go through..the inhumanity, and the callousness that we face every day we are in a floundering system, trying to teach, trying to do our jobs. It’s a system that is poised to break the tenured, older teachers, and ultimately to break the union.
I am sold on MORE because they care, they know what I go through and they have a REAL PLAN to get us a or as many ATR/ACR Chapter(s).
I have volunteered to help bring this Chapter Chair to fruition. I am vested in this very real plan.
I have gone even further. I have decided that someone, me in particular, have got to do something to celebrate ATRs/ACRs.
On March 30th, next week, I will be having a dinner party to Celebrate ATRs/ACRs. It will be held at my large home in Brooklyn from 4:00-6:30PM. We will break bread together, celebrate the hard work that we do week-to-week, we will share stories, listen to music and find time to get a chapter together. I would like, with the permission of our members, put together an ATR/ACR Bill of Rights as a starting point. I along with my other colleagues who are focused on helping to support us, will be asking for a list of grievances that we can address quickly.
Comment to my post here, E-mail me to RSVP at [email protected], or talk to MORE and get my phone number to call or text me.
I look forward to seeing you all and want to extend my hand to you too!
Fraternally yours,
Clare
Dear Clare,
My heart goes out to you. Teaching in NYC is extremely difficult, and being the new person week after week can be hell. I am a chapter leader who actively represents the ATRs who cycle through my school. When they arrive, they are given three things: a teaching schedule, a master key, and a letter from me so that they know they have UFT support. Whenever I see an unfamiliar face, I ask if the person is an ATR and I introduce myself. Few ATRs have had to use my services, but all have expressed appreciation that I have their backs. The only thing I can suggest, since you are continually in transit, is to contact the District Representative your for level and borough. Chapter leaders need to be trained to be more proactive in supporting ATRs. I was taught that an ILOD form must be filed within 24 hours of an incident. Other documents are not as urgent. A UFT incident report is insurance that the DOE form isn’t “lost.” It is best to fax both forms. That way you have an automatic time stamp.
I have noticed that virtually all the ATRs I have met at my school have “snow on the roof.” I agree with you that there is a DOE policy of retaining the teachers on the lower end of the salary scale as the 50% kept in a reorganized school according to Article 18D. With principals hiring from a fixed budget, rather than by units representing average teacher salaries, there is a disincentive to hire experienced teachers. This is frustrating.
When I was a new teacher I was laid off and called back for my first 7 years until I had enough seniority to have some job security when I was eventually appointed. Now that very seniority would work against me were my school to close. The only solace is that back in the day, when you were laid off you were simply unemployed, but now, thanks to Randi Weingarten, teachers displaced through no fault of their own are not simply let go, but can continue to collect the salary and benefits to which they are entitled, and at the proper step. Is it ideal to be an ATR? Hardly. Would I have preferred it to the Unemployment Office that was my second home? You bet.
In Unity,
Paula
Who is Julie Cavanagh? And what has she ever done for the membership of this union? For someone who aspires to be a union leader, Julie failed to make her voice heard each month at the DA. She failed to partake in committees to take a stand, she failed to lend her voice and to help shape the direction of this union. Who is Julie Cavanagh? I ask again! And why hasn’t she stepped up to help make this union stronger? Because Julie Cavanagh is someone who has FAILED to lead! The one who is out there every day on the front line fighting the fight, taking the heat, is Michael Mulgrew. His voice is heard, his position is clear, he is leading the fight. He is the true leader of this union; that is clear! And that’s why the majority of this union membership will vote for Michael Mulgrew and the Unity Caucus.
Turn on your tv
Six ( by my count) Unity acceptances so far… but none from the invitee. Yet.
Candidates vying for the same office generally debate EACH OTHER. ( People aren’t aware of this?)
I predict Mr. Mulgrew will defy expectations (including it would appear those of his own Unity supporters) and accept Ms. Cavanagh’s invitation.
To do otherwise would be to short-change the membership. I’m sure he realizes this.
I resigned as Chapter Leader after growing tired of the excuses offered by Unity as to why I could not stop an administration that openly disregarded the contract and protocols. I was exhausted waiting for responses from my Unity DR to SERIOUS inquiries wherein a student stole a scalpel to slice up a classmate and was returned minutes later to the classroom to sit next to the intended victim or where a 62 year old teacher was assaulted and wanted to know her rights. Three weeks (!) went by before my DR deigned it worthy to respond. I am sick of the DR telling staff to “make peace with the principal”because we “have to work here.” The UFT needs balls and teeth. Right now it is a toothless lion that roars but does not bite. Hell, why no strike? I know it is due to the Taylor Law but there is a loophole where if a strike is unavoidable –and I think Bloomberg walking away from the negotiating table at the zero hour as Mulgrew has stated– would be sufficient reason. I am tired of paying two grand a year for empty promises and vagueries.Enough is enough. We need new blood!!!
I’ve never seen anyone attack Amy Arundell before. Just disgusting. Not only does she show up to every place she needs to be, if the situation warrants she’ll bring her child along to a meeting so members get help. Clare, you are a teacher, why did you accept doing clerical tasks and all day bathroom duty? Why didn’t you go to the Chapter Chair of the school in which this happened? Why didn’t you exercise your rights? File a grievance? All Chapter Leaders are reminded weekly and at meetings of the needs and issues relating to excessed teachers, if you make them aware of the situation it should be handled, if not call your borough office. Why do you think your fellow UFT members, secretaries, Deans, teachers, at all these schools are not sending along your ILOD paperwork, not processing student referrals, not acting on your complaints?
Do you know why commonsense, why her papers are not being filed? What kind of nonsense are you taking about? If the woman says her papers are not being filed, I would believe it. I am a vested member of the UFT, DOE whatever you want to call it (over ten years of service. I am severed from service and am supposed to have my substitute service credited to my TRS account. I have filed FIVE times in the last three years with TRS to ask the DOE to send over the proper papers so my service can be credited. NO ANSWER. NONE, NADA. Just file an inquiry again. I have other stories. So if this woman Clare says they lost the paperwork, THEY LOST THE PAPERWORK. And I am sure it is done on purpose to keep some stats looking good.
It’s entirely believeable that DOE lost her paperwork. I’m not disputing that, or that here and there people were unsupportive in this gigantic, impersonal school system. What I find hard to believe is that she is not being taken seriously by ANY of her brothers and sisters at the various schools, ALL of the secretaries, ALL of the Deans, all of the teachers, ALL of the Chapter Leaders at the various schools she visits, and NO ONE helped her. Like Paula, the other chapter leader who commented above, I make sure that excessed teachers assigned to my school for the week are properly programmed and have the right materials to teach, yes teach, for that week, and that they know to go to me if they have problems. And I have handled issues that have come up from time to time. Things I couldn’t resolve were handed on to the District Office with the highest priority. I find it hard to believe that ALL the chapter leaders at all the schools she visits are ignorant of their responsibilities that they were taught at workshops with respect to excessed teachers and reminded of weekly and monthly at DR meetings and in the ch leader updates, and at the DA. I find it hard to believe that none of these people, who are essentially volunteers, care about helping teachers, especially people who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own and been assigned to the ATR. I find it hard to believe that no one feels sympathy for her situation and no one would help her – any chapter leader worth her/his salt knows that he/she could be an ATR just as easily as Clare is. I can’t believe that no one directed her to Victim Support or any of the other supports that are out there. I don’t believe that any chapter leader or DR being made aware of a teacher being assaulted or forced to sharpen pencils all day would not address that. She sees MORE as a support – funny when she posted about her troubles before, she was consoled by Norm Scott asking her to stuff mailboxes for MORE, with no advice being given at all like Paula did above. You are totally upset and victimized, hand out these flyers, why don’t ya?
And yes about MORE leaflets given the number of ATRs that have come to ICE/GEM/MORE over the years for help and the real info meetings we’ve been holding and the real support we have been giving them because they don’t get it from the UFT. The more votes MORE gets the better off ATRs will be as until you guys face a real threat you will continue to screw them — and everyone else.
The Unity slugs here should be ashamed of themselves for attacking a woman because she has a sick child to attend to. Would any of you do differently? If you would, I’d surely never vote for you. Julie is an accomplished educator who has represented teachers on TV, in print, and in a wonderful video defending teachers that NO ONE in Unity was a part of. And what is all this crap of calling MORE supporters “comrades”? Is this red-baiting? Are we back in the 1950s with McCarthy at the helm?
How dare Unity attack a working mom? Aren’t working parents a large percentage of the very people you claim to represent? I’m betting that none of the hacks attacking Julie here have seen the inside of a classroom for the last decade, and that’s exactly the problem. Teachers have kids, and homes, and finances, and other things to do besides the endless paperwork thrown at us by an uncaring DOE. We are the ones your should be fighting for–the people in the trenches who actually educate the kids in this city.
Randi spent about 6 months in a classroom. Mulgrew taught shop before landing a sweet union gig . Neither understands the pressures that full time teachers face, especially under this mayor, Danielson, and the Common Core. Julie Cavanagh does. I want to be represented by someone who knows what real teachers go through.
Mulgrew was a chapter leader for multiple terms, and VP for CTE schools as well. No one is attacking Julie for being a working mother, or saying she shouldn’t be working. She is being attacked for not being at DA’s and playing an active role in them, not just this one meeting where she obviously had to take care of her child – and for a lack of experience as well.
Julie has been at most DAs this year with Jack. I think she missed one meeting when Jack was sick and anothe when she had to attend a community meeting connected to her school. Mulgrew even did a kitchy koo one day to Jack. And as to participation maybe if she joined Unity Mulgrew would call on her. We all know the amount of participation allowed at DAs. At least at PEP meetings you get to speak for 2 minutes and not get heard while you don’t even get that at DAs. And Julie did more work at PEP than any of you Unity slugs. The ultimate irony. Bloomberg’s PEP gives you more voice than the UFTs DA. But then again you Unity slugs only go to PEPs when you are ordered to while MORE people have been going and standing up for teachers and parents and students for years even when MORE people were in GEM. And going to closing school hearings too which so many of you seem absent from. (I have the videos to prove it.)
Shop teachers (technology, actually) don’t count? You are better than they are? I’d be willing to bet more kids are served by what they teach as adults than someone teaching Statistics or an English or SS elective. Way to pit teacher against teacher. Who’s the real slug?
NO of course not. Don’t we have one as our union president? Oh wait…
Yes, all teachers count. Including Julie Cavanagh, the woman you choose to attack. If you’d read my entire post, I was referring to the fact that he has not been in the classroom, has not done common core, has not been evaluated by Danielson or had his scores published in the Post. He is completely out of touch with what classroom teachers want and need.
Julie has been a tireless defended of the very teachers that Unity has decided not to dirty their hands with.
Tim Clifford, You attack every teacher who holds a technology license because you think you are better than them. It’s obvious whatever your license is you think it’s “better” than a lowly “shop” teacher – it’s clear you think they, your union brothers and sisters, have an easy job. Nice deflection attempt. You chose to attack a person too (Mulgrew), didn’t you? Indeed, a whole segment of your fellow unionists. When you run for any kind of office, even chapter leader, you open yourself up to criticism and attacks, comes with the territory. Yes, Mulgrew has never been rated by the Danielson Framework, but then neither have you – aren’t you getting an s/u rating? Or do we have a new evaluation system we are not aware of?
Simple question, “Commonsense”. Are you currently a classroom teacher? Have you sworn the loyalty oath that all CLs have to swear to? Before you disparage me (or Julie, or the other teachers you so glibly attack) perhaps you should disclose who you are and who is paying you for your “views”.
I’ll tell you who I am. I am a classroom teacher who has been under assault from the Bloomberg administration for the last decade, with an insurmountable work load, no raise in 6 years, and a union that has stood by while NYC schools burn. Who created the ATR mess? Unity. Who agreed to 37.5 minutes? Unity. Who agreed to Race to the Top, Danielson, teacher evaluations through VAM, and the use of teacher data that subsequently ended up in the papers? Unity, Unity, Unity, and Unity. Who refused to support Bill Thompson in the mayoral election and who refuses, even after a dismal decade of failure, to call for an end to mayoral control? I think you know who. The organization that, unless I miss my bet, pays your salary to post on this site.
I said Mulgrew was a shop teacher. He was. I said he never did Common Core nor Danielson. He did not. If you want to twist that into something else, have at it. If anyone doesn’t care about teachers, it the Unity folks who allow ATRs to exist and who keep telling us to wait for another mayor rather than use our considerable political clout to end injustices against teachers.
So, what are you, “Commonsense”?
Tim, I’m a Chapter Leader and I’ve been a full time teacher for over two decades. I get a whopping one period off to deal with union issues, and I don’t have a C 6. That’s the extent of the magnificent bounty bestowed on me for making myself available to staff 24/7, going to the PEP, school closings, rallies, etc. on my own time and my own dime. I’m a “who”, not a “what”. I choose not to proclaim my identity because I’m entitled to privacy – (are you for Bloomberg with his future drones and Murdoch’s hacking and info. selling?), it’s within the guidelines of this website, I have little enough of that as I make myself available to my staff all the time, my cell, home #, and email are known to all of them. Teachers excessed call me when they have problems and they don’t know what to do and can’t get hold of their chapter leader of the week. MORE folks on this site typecast all Unity members as uncaring pigs at the trough, the equivalent of Borg drones. Everyone with a different viewpoint than you is bought and paid for? This is the “big tent” of MORE? These are the people that are handling your pensions, your health care, lobbying your politicians to improve your working conditions, and conducting the day to day business of the union for the most part, handling complaints, supporting victims of school assaults/crimes, counseling teachers, helping with line of duty injury issues, defending people at U ratings and grievances. They fall into the same bell curve of effectiveness of every profession, a few rotten apples at the bottom, some shiny ones at the top, and average in the middle. We are under assault by the 1% of this country who want unions to go away, and a lot of the things you blame Mulgrew for more properly fall on the shoulders of Bloomberg, Klein, Broad, Gates, et al. It’s like blaming the President for a bad economy. He fought Turnaround and won, he fought SESIS and won, lawsuits held up closures for years. These are very real accomplishments achieved on a very uneven playing field. Both Mulgrew and Cavanagh are legitimate targets for criticism as they chose to open themselves up to it by running. You said Mulgrew was a shop teacher then had a sweet gig (UFT VP), equating the two as easy, and said I twisted your words. That’s how I interpreted what you said, and I think that would be the natural impression one would have. If I’m wrong I apologize. You’re defending your candidate and your viewpoint, I get it, but you don’t have to do it with name calling (slug, hack, drone, coward, etc.). You basically said I’m bought and paid for, the salary that I bust my behind to earn as a teacher and a chapter leader helping people and children is going to post the opinions of Unity Caucus on a blog, and I have no opinions of my own. You undermine any credibility you might have by acting in this manner. These are my opinions, expressed on my own time, you have the right to disagree with what I’m saying and make whatever erroneous assumptions you want to, but I’m telling you that you are wrong in what you assume.
Well, common sense, I accept your apology because your are (wrong).
This comment was left at Ed Notes– it points out that Julie with basically a newborn child shlepped to many DAs with the baby by subway. Even I was astounded at that. And when we were locked out in January while Mulgrew press conferenced Julie was out in the cold with Jack and not once asked for special treatment to get in ahead of people. She lined up with everyone else. That is what bugs you people about Julie. She is too much like the rank and file and you don’t want someone who is a real teacher — given the history of Unity choosing lawyers and labor organizers and guidance counselors.
Here is the comment:
This disrespect for Julie, for motherhood and its responsibilities and for who Julie is as a person angers me. Julie is a parent first. She is a full time teacher (Mulgrew is not). She has attended DAs with her child. In fact he has probably spent more time at meetings than many chapter leaders and delegates who don’t go or who check in and then check out early. This happens every month. How can some slug criticize a mother for taking care of an ill child? That’s inhumane! It’s irresponsible. Why aren’t these folks being critical of their leader for not being willing to debate Julie? That’s where their time should be spent. I guess their perks are worth more than the reason we have a union. This pettiness on the part of some UNITY hacks needs to stop. Mulgrew should call a halt to this immediately. He’s not looking very presidential if he allows this type of bullying to continue.
Mulgrew was a full time teacher and a chapter leader before he was elected President, stop being disingenuous.
6 years in as a teacher, no? I didn’t know anything after 6 years. Come to think of it, after reviewing his record, it doesn’t seem Mike did either.
Which is probably why he doesn’t want to debate
Why would we want a labor organizer running a union? Do you even realize how ridiculous that sounds?
Exactly. You make the point. I want a teacher – an educator who understands the job. That comes first — you can always hire labor organizers as Shanker was hired by the AFT — but he was also a teacher and seemed to get it. Why would you want a lawyer running the UFT which apparently you did want? Someone who clearly didn’t understand the job and was so willing to allow us to be undercut? How convenient when we bring up Randi you all run away.
Looking at the track record Mulgrew won the closing school arbitration last year, the UFT with Mulgrew’s leadership won all Sessis arbitrations. When the UFT went to PERB regarding Danielson being used for file it was another victory for the UFT. This is because of Mulgrew and Unity. It’s unfortunate that we have a mayor like Bloomberg but doesn’t Chicago have Rahm Emmanuel? Mulgrew has never backed down from a fight with Bloomberg just like Karen Lewis. Judging by Mulgrew’s track record we have won every battle and now with the New Governance Resolution we have now increased the voice of Educators and the CEC. Mulgrew is looking to fight the battles by protecting our contract not dismantling it.
A few thoughts about Mulgrew’s arbitration victory: He could have had 10,000 in the streets drawing a line in the sand over this matter. He chose instead be completely quiet for six full months -while our colleagues were under the impression that they were going to be let go!- and quietly litigated. That’s no victory.
A few words about this SESIS arbitration victory: Forced Overtime: A new reality brought to you by the mighty Unity Caucus of the UFT. Wow, thanks.
A few thoughts about the Danielson arbitration victory: I would personally like to thank Mike for giving me the right to …. ASK MY PRINCIPAL to remove that observation from my file. Heck of a job!
One last thought about my contract: It’s expired and leadership isn’t fighting for a new one, so don’t give me that hub bub about protecting me, ok?
Oh Staurt, I SO want to debate you!!!
DOENUT, The SESIS arbitration is going to cost DOE conservatively 10 – 20 million dollars, all going into UFT members pockets while punishing DOE for their arbitrary and capricious actions. The Arbitrator continues to extend the penalties and length of time as the bad faith of DOE is evident. By the time DOE gets its act together they will be losing much more money. They lost this one big time (just like they lost on Turnaround) and once the Megalomaniac is out no Mayor in their right mind will be doing this.
Norm
I’m honored that you have pretty much inferred that I have more of a presence than Julie Cavanaugh, but Michael doesn’t just pick me to speak because I’m special. HE picks many delegates to speak from different caucuses. I have never seen Julie raise her hand. For someone running for President of the UFT I would think she would be more aggressive at those Delegate Assemblies, but to say that she doesn’t speak because I’m chosen to speak sounds very similar to whether or not there was a vote against the Governance. It sounds very similar to what we heard on Wedneadays DA ” I think I raised my hand against the Governance Resolution but maybe no one saw me, oh wait the final meeting? I wasn’t there” Get Real Norm; if you want your voice heard you need to make yourself heard, no one does that for me and no ones going to that for toy. I think in the time we are living in when there is an attack against Unions we have no room for SOFT SPEAKERS that blame others for censoring them. I’m sticking with MORE and you should too! Check the box
Sorry typo from previous post
It was supposed to read ” I’m sticking with Unity and so should you, check the box.
When I heard Gloria Brandman speak at last Wednesday’s Delegate Assembly, I was a little baffled. It is not necessary to call anyone of lying. Here’s what might have happened. I did not get the email on the March 7th UFT School Governance Committee meeting, but I did get the one about the March 12th emergency SGC meeting. (By the way, my name was one of several left off the list of committee members. That will be rectified, as we all signed in at every meeting we attended.) It is possible that Gloria attended the 3/7 meeting thinking that it was the last one. At the 3/12 Emil Pietromonaco was very careful to make sure that the decision was by consensus. Had there been even one objection, it would not have been missed; the room wasn’t that big.
Hey Stuart. Hope you’re having a nice week off. As possibly the only Unity person to at least stand up outside anonymity I do respect you. Of course I would respect you MORE if you would accept the challenge to debate ANYONE in MORE on some of the issues you raise. Even after the election if you are afraid such a debate would make you and Unity look bad. You know how to reach us when you are ready.
Norm,
To say Unity people were not at PEP’s is a laughable claim at best. I went to at least four PEP’s last year and there were many Unity people at them, including my DR and my chapter leader. Please you are entitled to your own opinions but not your own facts.
Funny, when they voted to close schools via the Turnaround, Gotham Schools reported that only Leo Casey was present from the union’s leadership. Do they make up their own facts, too?
Does everyone just make up their own facts? Or are you on the wrong side of all this?
I wouldn’t claim to know about EVERY PEP, and I wasn’t at that meeting, but is it possible that a writer for Gotham schools might not know EVERY Unity person in leadership. That is pretty much besides the point though, as my main point was that I was at many of the PEP’s, and personally saw many union (Unity) leaders at them.
You must be using the Klingon Cloaking device. If you are there you barely have a presence. Why don”t you guys be MORE aggressive and speak up? You certainly are in hiding when Eva brings out her troops and demoralizes the teachers at the schools she is invading. Oh, and were you at the recent PEP to defend the UFT charter invasion of IS 292?
I definately was not “cloaked”. No i wasn’t at the most recent one but I went to many closing hearings last year and was very vociferous. Maybe you can see past you venom for Unity and realize there are good people in all caucuses that fight against the school closings and turnaround policies of last year.
Hey Brian, Next time you go to a PEP meeting stop by and say hello. I’ll take your picture as proof you were there. Did you hear Bloomberg is closing another 22 schools, making a total of 160 schools closed. I know, I know. You want to tell me about the ones that the UFT lawsuits have kept open for now. Can you remind me of the number again? I want to figure out how close to 100% Bloomberg is batting.
Who is Julie Cavanaugh and where is she hiding? No one seems to know of her and she doesn’t regularly attend Delegate Assemblies where all the city schools are represented. Mulgrew has fought many battles during his tenure as President. The closing of 24 schools, sesis arbitration, contract negotiations, and at rallies fighting for the union’s rights, for a fair and equitable contract and yes a fair teacher evaluation. MORE doesn’t understand that fighting Bloomberg is not only fighting city hall but a man with much power and money and influence in the state. Bloomberg has put untold amounts of money behind charter schools and co-locations of charter and yet Mulgrew has fought when warranted
. But he’s not willing to get a contract that is not viable and fair for the union. The only thing that MORE does is complain and at the last delegate assembly they lied about the vote at the Governance Committee and tried to plug their caucus when it was inappropriate. Mulgrew wants mayoral control with checks and balances so the next Mayor won’t ever again have carte blanche to do what he wants without answering to anyone else. The only choice for me is to vote UNITY. UNITY ROCKS!
.
Hey Joan. I’m sure Unity rocks and that you would be willing to defend Unity in an open debate with someone from MORE. Just let me know when you can make it.
I am sick and tired of MORE trying to tell our membership what Mulgrew has not done. He still considers himself a teacher. A CTE teacher, the term”shop teacher” has not been used in almost ten years. But, MORE doesn’t care about insulting members. They want action because we don’t have a contract? Hello? Has anyone ever heard of the Taylor Law? That is a no win situation.Not only would we NOT have a contract, none of us would have a job! MORE, if you cared so much about the membership and their rights you would look at the entire picture. This is what Mulgrew does. He cares. No one is attacking Julie because of her child. Reading the MORE blogs you have accused UNITY members of being illiterate. Look in the mirror. Not seeing a nice reflection, are you? MORE you are not guiding your people down the right path.
Vote MULGREW and UNITY a better choice for our membership.
MORE is less.
Oh, Vivian. Where to begin. We don’t lose our jobs if we strike. Have YOU heard of the Taylor Law? And if I’m not mistaken, wasn’t that a unity supporter who used to term shop teacher? MORE tends not to insult members.
Is that what you’re sick of? That MORE didn’t attack teachers like you do?
“Mulgrew taught shop before landing a sweet union gig” – Tim Clifford, MORE. You are mistaken, DOENUTS. MORE tends not to insult members? Yeah, the terms slug and hack are complementary terms. As are the terms drone and cult, eh? You are mistaken, DOENUTS – particularly laughable since your are one of the chief offenders. Violating the Taylor Law is punishable by draconian 2 for every day out fines, leaders have been imprisoned (Roger Toussaint, 2005). TWU was fined one million dollars a day in 2005. What happens if people cross a picket line and a strike is broken? You don’t think that puts people’s jobs in peril?
Ahhh and there’s the rub CommonSense: When faced with the choice of addressing a real concern faced by real teachers in a real school or of attacking …. you ignored the real concern and attacked. I would like to thank you very much for participating.
Now about that Taylor Law. It’s not draconian at all. It calls for fines, everyone resigning their union cards (bc duh, where else are they going to go when the stroke ends) and oh yeah, the union gets a pretty big fine. You care about the union more than its members. I care the opposite.
I’m always surprised at how you folks in Unity find all the time in the world to fight your fellow colleagues, but have no backbone at all when it comes to fighting the real fight. I mean, honestly always.surprised.
Last thing whether or not your appalled at any comments at all that sound like ‘Slug’ (or ‘Hack’ .. or, well there’s also ‘Drone’ … ‘Troll’ and, well there are a few more, but you get the point, right?) matters less when you people get on a blog and attack Cavanagh. It’s a disgusting act and you outta be ashamed of yourselves for letting it happen. But you’re not. Instead you call ME one of the chief offenders.
One thing though in reply to attacking Julie Cavanagh, Tim Clifford called a $215,000 a year job a sweet gig. And you call that an attack? Is every statement of fact an attack now? wow.
Doenuts, I’m not appalled by your comments. You said that MORE tends to not insult members, Vivian pointed out one example and I provided four more of MORE folks doing just that, including your insults on this thread. I think that pretty much sums up your credibility.
The only name calling I have seen on this blog has come from MORE members. Let’s be more civil.
The Taylor Law is a two edged sword. Before considering a strike a union had better have a mighty war chest. I remember Unity Special Representative Larry D’Addona some years back saying just that before the present contract was negotiated. A strike is a last resort, not something to be done lightly. I took his advice and decided to forego my summer vacation that year in order to prepare my war chest for the possible strike in the fall. How many UFT members are serious enough about striking to do that? Yet that is what it would take to survive being docked two day’s salary for every day out on strike.
The other side of the Taylor Law says that an expired contract remains in place until a new one is negotiated UNLESS there is a strike. Mayor Bloomberg has not agreed with any municipal labor union to make a new contract. He has destroyed every one that decided to strike. Would you want to have the UFT in the position of the school bus drivers and matrons, or the transit workers?
We all want a new contract, but understand that it is better to hold the line than to lose all. We are still fighting – negotiations are in fact finding – but it is better to fight smart than to rush headlong into the abyss.
In Unity,
Paula
Hey Unity hacks. We know Mulgrew doesn’t have the nerve to debate Julie but MOREs are willing to take on any of you with the guts to stand up publicly outside a controlled meeting like a DA and debate the issues. With video tape and live streaming. Defend Danielson and the 2005 contract and the UFT charter schools and the 140 schools closed under Bloomberg. Let’s get it on.
Apologies to CommonSense. I can’t find your comment in this mess to properly reply.
Your points about SESIS misses something very important to me: my friend from another school is being forced into an overtime training for SESIS on the very first day back from break. He asked “do I have to go?” AP said he was sorry but the network has called for it and he had to go…but don’t worry..he was making 100 bucks off of the deal.
Somehow, my friend still felt worried. Just an example of forced overtime that’s actually happening this year.
You understand it, right? He’s being forced to go. That’s a very real thing and its felt by a very real member who could care less what we’re chatting about here on a blog.
For me, this isn’t about the union or more vs Mike or Mike vs Mike. This is about me and my colleagues who are having a very difficult time here. Who speaks for them? A group who is interested in them? Or a group who is interested in the union?
Because I’m sorry to say, there seems to be a very real difference.
NYC Donuts
the AP that forced your friend to go to the workshop is an example of the mess caused by the Bloomberg administration. Over in Chicago Karen Lewis and CTU are dealing with Rahm Emmanuel’s closing schools, you see there is a National attack against teachers, but states have to fight these battles differently because one irrational move could set us back fifty years. The contract you say is expired is the one thing that keeps all of us protected. Would you rather sign a contract with givebacks? Would you rather sign a contract that lays off ATR’s? We are dealing with a Lameduck Mayor who would love to divide our Union and dismantle our contract. Unlike Chicago we have a Taylor Law that forces us to think before we act.
UFT under Michael Mulgrew have worked to fight and win these battles against the Mayor, but in these trying times you have to fight hard but you have to fight smart. We cannot make an irrational move risking the one thing that keeps us fully protected. Being a leader means putting our personal feelings aside to continue protecting the ones we lead. You will agree that Mulgrew has fought extremely hard to protect all of us from the dirty acts of Bloomberg. That’s why you should support UNITY and check the box.
Stuart
I don’t know if you got my invitation to debate someone from MORE in a public forum where I’m sure you will be able to convince even MORE people to check that Unity box. I’m sure you’ll do well given your experience in speaking at Delegate Assemblies.
NYCDOENUTS! Please! I never have nor will I attack teachers. Read the blogs from your members. They are the ones who attack. That is what MORE does. Read the Taylor Law! You will lose everything! But,you are too self absorbed in your quest to insult UNITY and not to really help the membership.Maybe it’s time for you to move on and find a profession to your liking. Maybe a nice charter school will be the best place for you. See how that will work out for you. Oh, I forgot, most of them are not union schools. No due process, no contract for protection of worker’s rights, etc…. Voice your displeasure there and your out. Too bad you vision for our union is so short sighted.
Check the UNITY box, we are for the rights of our workers. Stop whining.
UNITY forever!
The sky is falling! If we stand up for ourselves, we’ll lose everything! Run for your lives! Do whatever you’re told and be glad you still have a job!
That sums up what you, and Unity, are telling the members.
See NYC Educator today on trying to get the floor. “Should Working Mothers With Sick Babies Attend the DA?” http://nyceducator.com/2013/03/is-ufts-delegate-assembly-forum-for.html
Tim, grow up! The sky isn’t falling, henny penny. I am glad I have a job. In his economy and with this Mayor, we should all be glad we have a job We should be proud of Mulgrew and UNITY and how they help to fight for our rights. .It seems to me that you are doing what you are told with MORE. I welcome the ATR’s in my building and fight for their rights. They are members too. Are you a Chapter Leader who fights for all of the members?Do you show the ATR’s the respect and courtesy that should be afforded to them? If you want to fight for your rights, do it the right way. Anarchy and critiscsm of a person who does just that for it’s members isn’t the right way. IT is not do what you are told. It’s take the high road. Show the people that we want what is best for our members and our kids. UNITY doesn’t tell it’s members to roll over and play dead. We fight for what is right.
VOTE UNITY!
The sky is falling comment was sarcasm, which appears to be as far over your head as Henny Penny’s sky.
I have no idea what you are talking about when you say I am doing what I am told for MORE. I receive no money from MORE (unlike the Unity hacks who post here). I am not running for any office. I am here voicing my views because I have been in this union long enough to know that it has been run into the ground. Teachers used to have actual rights, such as seniority, tenure, the right to grieve letters in file, the right to teach in license (unlike the ATRs), etc. What do we have now? The right to be evaluated on junk science and be terminated after two years no matter how good we are?
No, Unity doesn’t tell its members to roll over and play dead. It tells them that it is doing something when it is doing nothing but giving away more and more of our contractual rights without so much as a vote from the membership. Unity thrives by controlling the flow of information to members, and that is why MORE is a threat to you. Good. If there’s one thing Unity needs, it’s a fire lit under its ass.
Tim, perhaps you are a relatively new teacher. It you watch the 4 minute MORE video, it praises those who founded our union. It omits the fact that they were Unity members. No one is paid to post on a blog. I post for the same reason you post: we believe in what we are posting. The fact is that all the rights we have as a union were fought for by brave unionists, many of them, if not most, members of the Unity Caucus.
When I took my petition around to gather signatures to run for re-election as a national delegate, I was most proud of the signatures of people with file numbers that start with 1. They were the UFT’s founders. They support me, an other Unity members, because they see us as following in their footsteps.
All those who would continue to build and strengthen the UFT should vote the Unity slate!
Hi Vivian
I can respect your views here. Are you willing to stand up in a public forum in front of other teachers and debate them with someone from MORE?
Is this not a public forum?
Can we please stop all the name calling — everyone — we are not school children at recess we are teachers — which implies we know better. The question here is who is better suited to represent us not who is a working mom (which should never be called into question) or what someone taught (we should never attempt to downgrade the jobs of our non “core” subject brethren as they come to work and plan same as us each day and in fact some of them have had many more requirements and education than the “core” teachers have). The issue is who do you want to lead the union.
I can very comfortably say Michael Mulgrew — he has proven himself time and time again — under Michael we won the Seiss award getting pay for our members time out of the workday; he negotiated a fair deal regarding Sandy which our counterparts in Nassau and Suffolk are jealous of; he was able to get us back some of our teacher choice money (which is not a guarantee nor part of any contract but something city council gives) and is fighting to have it increased once again; and he’s fighting constantly to keep the new eval system one that works for us not against us (and yes a new one is mandatory — not only is state law but also happening nation wide so no the old system is no longer an option). I could keep going but I’ll stop here for now. Michael has proven himself and deserves our support — I know that he’ll continue to fight for us as we move forward. I can’t say the same for Julie – i know she us vocal and i have seen her movie which is very well done I might add) but that is it I have not seen her actually do anything or be part of the committees which have which leads me to her lack of union leadership experience. So yes I am saying vote for Unity and vote for Mulgrew.
And please stop the name calling — we really are above that as educators.
Hey Maura
I can respect your views here. Are you willing to stand up in a public forum in front of other teachers and debate them with someone from MORE?
Unity is clearly SCARED and they should be. They have sold out the membership for YEARS. Now they want to convince us they’re fighting for us. At this point Bozo the Clown would be a more effective leader than Mulgrew.
I originally posted this on the ICE blog but thought it would be appropriate here as well:
The likening of MORE to the “Rent is too Damn High Party” is way off the mark. Presumably the anonymous (read, cowardly) poster was implying that MORE came out of no where with no real following. Nothing could be further from the truth. Lets take MORE’s candidate for president, Julie Cavanagh, who anonymous posters are attempting to drag down (anonymously, of course).
Julie highlighted a lot of her education activism in her response to the anonymous comments on the ICE blog (read Julie’s reply here – http://morecaucusnyc.org/2013/03/25/cavanagh-defends-her-record-and-asks-mulgrew-to-debate-his/). But one thing she didn’t mention was that when I was having a problem at my school, it was Julie and not the UFT who came to help us.
In 2010, the NYC DOE proposed housing Millennium Brooklyn in the John Jay High School campus where I teach. While Millennium Brooklyn is not a charter school, many of us at the John Jay campus were opposed to the co-location because of the scarce space in the building. There was also the problem of the DOE failing to release promised funds to the school (outrageously, they told us that allowing Millennium Brooklyn in would release those much-needed funds for our crumbling building). I knew Julie from the Grassroots Education Movement (this was way before MORE) and her fight at PS15. After telling her about what was happening at my school, Julie attended a joint parent and teacher meeting at my campus to help explain what would happen next after the proposal and what steps we could take to prepare for the hearing and the PEP. Julie also attended the hearing at my school and spoke powerfully both to the DOE from the microphone but also privately to at least one CEC member about the failure of the DOE to fund the schools at John Jay. Again, this was before there was any MORE, before Julie was running for any office. Julie, a true activist dedicated to education justice, came and said what the UFT leadership didn’t.
When you look at the names on the MORE slate you will find much of the same. Far from being a “fringe” group like the anonymous says, the names you see running with MORE are some of the most dedicated activists who have often stood up while the UFT leadership sat down. The names on the MORE slate are the activists who have attended practically every PEP since mayoral control began. The names on the MORE slate are the activists who have attended school hearings to work with teachers and parents defending their schools, again, since mayoral control began.
Mulgrew and the UFT leadership may talk tough in front of the cameras or during an election season, but it has been the activists in MORE who, before MORE even existed, who have been the real front-line fighters since the beginning.
I proudly stand with them.
John Yanno, Chapter Leader, Secondary School for Law.
Tim, I understand sarcasm. I am NOT paid to voice my opinion. How dare you suggest that! But, I guess that is to be expected based on your attack on UNITY members. When a person has nothing concrete to say, attack! I feel sorry for you if atttacking a person’s intelligence, something that I can assume you are lacking in as you have done nothing but personally attack me, when I am commenting on your position. Since you claim that you have been in this union long enough, once again, maybe it’s time for you to retire. Maybe you havel lost your perspective and need a break. Attack my belief, NOT ME. I have and always will take the high road. Obvisously, that is something you can’t do. To the MORE people, is this who you want to defend your cause? You should rethink, and look at the people who are backing you. This doesn’t seem to help your beliefs in anyway, shape or form.
UNITY ROCKS!
Why on earth should I retire, when with Unity’s leadership, I’ll likely be shown the door in a few years anyway?
BTW–I did not attack you personally. I said a bit of sarcasm went over your head, and you claimed that means I should retire. If you are that thin skinned, perhaps the internet is too harsh for your sensibilities.
And again, for the record, I do not represent MORE. I voice my own opinions. I have not taken the loyalty oath to MORE as you have to Unity. MORE doesn’t have one. You, on the other hand, are obviously either a delegate or higher, and you DO officially represent the UFT and Unity. How good a job do you think you’re doing? Or does chanting UNITY ROCKS constitute the sum total of your job?
As for the high road, if you think Unity is doing a great job, that is quite clearly what you are on.
If Vivian thinks Unity is doing such a good job MORE welcomes her to a debate or even come and attend a MORE meeting which are open and make her points. Could it be when out of the safety net of a Unity dominated DA there is no there there?
UNITY does rock! You know, we as educators work hard, We all have faced challenges working for the DOE and Mayor whyat’s his name. However, Mulgrew has equally worked hard for our union. What MORE doesn’t understand or fails to realize, Mulgrew never stops working for our rights as educators. All of you can name call and play backyard antics, look at the entire picture. Maura listed everything that Mulgrew has done for the members. I will not repeat them. Look at the MORE slate. Mostly elementary school educators. How can you possible know the plight of the high school teacher? Have you forged an alliance with the Nurses in our union? The Guidance counselors, social workers, etc? It would take years to do what Mulgrew has done so brilliantly.
Once again, no one is attacking Cavanagh’s child, her motherhood or working women..
Vote Mulgrew, and UNITY, join the team.
Why hasn’t Unity mobilized its membership to fight instead of selling it out?
To everyone who is calling for a debate. Whom is to pay for said debate?
The delegate assembly rightfully voted down a resolution requiring a debate. I personally voted down the resolution put forth by MORE, not because a debate would be awful, but because I do not feel that union dues should be used to pay for this sort of thing. like the presidential, or most other elected office positions in the city debates are paid for by the candidates or by their nominating party.
The debate would have to be on property NOT owned or managed by the UFT since elected officers of the UFT are not allowed to campaign on UFT premises. (That is why if you haven’t noticed none of the elected officers are wearing t-shirts that spell their caucus affiliation nor are they even wearing the pins that they sport outside of the election season.). This prospect would easily cost several thousand dollars to rent a space, procure the proper camera and lighting equipment, and pay for the bandwidth that would be required by More’s suggestions.
Would more be able to financially able to pay for their half of the debate? Or would they call for outside sponsorship, thus making the union beholden to an outside source? Or do they expect that my dues money should be used to cover the cost?
This is the reason I voted down the resolution at the last DA. It is also the reason I will continue to vote down a resolution to divert dues money that should be used to pay lobbying costs, and other costs of the union rather than pouring them into internal election campaigns.
Fraternally yours,
Bill Woodruff
s
Seriously? The cost is the deciding factor for you? Tell you what. We can rent the auditorium of a school and tape the debate so that it gets wide viewership. MORE can post it here, and Unity can post it on UFT.org or Edwize. Both sides could agree to post the video regardless of the perceived outcome. If you can get Mulgrew to agree, I pledge $100 to defray the costs, and I bet other MORE members would chip in. I’ll pledge more if I have to.
I’m quite serious. Let’s get this done. What do you say?
For the record, Mulgrew taught English to Special Ed kids in a basement in Coney Island for 10 years. That said, it is particularly
egregious that as an educator who has been there and knows how
just how challenging our jobs really are, he has not put up any
real fight against the deformers — and at the very least, defended the integrity of his membership in the media whenever the opportunity has arisen. This has been the hardest to fathom and accept in all this.
Bill,
How is ANYTHING you just wrote fraternal? I hate when people throw that word around without any meaning. You have personally spent many an hour on this very blog attacking your own colleagues because they’re in a different caucus and then you dare use that word?
As though people who would read this piece and these attacks from your caucus are stupid enough to believe that, after those attacks against a mother, you believe in fraternity?
Please. Please. I think it may be time to close the comments on this posting.
Hey Bill, I’ll pay for the debate. Does Mulgrew need meal and transportation money? On me. Next excuse.
Yep. I just wanted to be 100th comment.
I think this is pretty silly. It’s time for MORE to stop trying to debate anyone who comments. Is that what is most important? It’s great that Julie Cavanaugh has spoken at non-UFT public forums but I have sat on numerous committees over the past 7 years and have never heard Ms. Cavanaugh speak at any. I cannot support someone who has not made her voice heard at union events. Why would any UFT member want to vote for a Julie-Come-Lately.
Sharon – I have written more extensively on this earlier, so I don’t want to repeat everything, but Julie is hardly a “Julie-come-Lately.” I wrote about how in 2010 Julie, who was not running for anything at the time, came to my school to help us through a co-location hearing. Julie also came and spoke at both our hearing and at the PEP. Julie and the rest of MORE are the rank-and-file activists who have been at countless PEPs, school closing hearings, labor solidarity marches, where UNITY and the leadership has been mostly SILENT.
Oh Sharon, how silly to ask you to actually stand up in a public forum and debate any of us. Why don’t you stand up to some questioning on how those numerous committees you serve on as one of the many Unity Caucus members actually work. Like did you agree to hold the last governance meeting on open school night for elementary school teachers thus disenfranchising any teacher in that division that in my opinion made the mistake to actually think that was a democratic body? Were you on the gov comm last time when Randi just tossed out all the recommendations and did her thing which of course you as Unity supported? Thus this silly notion of mine of asking you to stand up in public and debate us on these issues. Bet you can’t. Bet you won’t. Bet none of you will.
With Julie being so inexperienced in the inside the beltway UFT Mulgrew should wipe the floor with her. So what are you and he afraid of?
Norm, You mean the governance meeting that your elementary MORE members couldn’t attend? Oh wait, they must have attended because they said they voted against it and it wasn’t unanimous. Or, oh, their hands weren’t seen because they didn’t raise them high enough. Because they weren’t there, oops, I mean they were there. You want to be taken seriously? Tell the truth.
Yes lack of common sense. I mean the final meeting of the governance committee held on the same day as elementary school open school night which Gloria emailed Emil and Carmen asking them to not disenfranchise an entire division and which they refused to do. ICE posted the email exchange. That is the truth, But she did attend the meeting before that where she voted to oppose the report. Somehow that truth seems to elude you. But why don’t we hold a public debate over the issue where you can make your dishonest points in public? Guess not. Anonymity is your style unlike the real commonsense who showed some guts. I suggest you change to something like chickensense.
That is not what the delegates were told at the DA now, was it? They were told the vote wasn’t unanimous (lie #1), not that she wasn’t able to be there to vote and elementary teachers were left out of the decision making process, they were told that maybe Gloria had her hand up and it wasn’t seen (lie #2) that another MORE member voted against it as well (lie #3), and then the email release on IceBlog and yet another story cobbled together for damage control where a rationalization of lies 1-3 was presented. Why didn’t Gloria just tell the truth the first time at the DA? I think it would have been a much more compelling argument if she said that the vote was unanimous because the elementary members who voted against it at the previous meeting were unable to vote. Maybe she was “coached” into presenting it this way and it backfired? I was there, I heard what she said at the DA Norman, and it wasn’t the version posted on ICEBLOG. There was never an attempt to say I misspoke, I wasn’t able to attend the last meeting because the committee chair wouldn’t reschedule – what was said was she had her hand up but maybe it wasn’t seen. You accuse me of dishonesty when you are covering up for someone who lied repeatedly in front of hundreds of people. If the truth eludes anyone on this issue it is because MORE lied at the DA – you are the ones being dishonest here. Nice to see you fall back on your old stand by of name calling.
Were the emails legit or not? Did Carmen and Emil refuse to postpone the final meeting when Gloria asked them to because she and other elem school teachers could not attend? Did she attend the meeting before that? Was a vote taken at that meeting?
Let’s start there. When you agree that happened we can work from there and figure out whether she had her hand raised and wasn’t seen or was seen and not noted on purpose.
So I wasn’t at the DA but at the PEP but I will take Gloria’s word over yours any day any time. She is honest as anyone and I trust her implicitly while you hide behind anon with a name like commonsense which degrades Tom Paine, one of the great heroes of American history who would be disgusted by the fact you are hiding while defaming people. You lose the right to call anyone a liar until you stand up and do it openly without hiding under a rock.
Oh, by the way, the “unanimous” vote of the committee vs 2 against — which so seems to disturb you — is for mayoral control with tweaks. And is not true that in the 2009 governance committee ICE presented a minority report which was distributed at the DA? and that even the vote of the governance committee was thrown out by Randi when she undemocratically threw out even that reco for mayoral control with tweak but too many for her taste? And is it true that you said nothing either publicly or under some pseudonym that her actions violated what you guys claim is a democratic process in UFT Committees which I don’t believe for a minute and urge my fellow ICEers and MOREs to avoid like the plague but to no effect apparently?
Now, go ahead and change the topic again by villifying Gloria once again without addressing any of the issues I raise. And let me know when you are willing to get off your hind legs and stand up in public and discuss any of these issues. My name is Norm and I don’t hide and never did since the day I started teaching.
Norman, Relax, you responded to yourself three times. Whether or not the vote was unanimous or two voted against doesn’t matter to me. What matters is that when the final vote was taken, you guys claimed to be there and vote in opposition when by your own email trail that didn’t happen, did it? In response to your first salvo: Norman, I have no idea whether or not the emails were legitimate or not. If the emails are legitimate, they make out what she said at the DA to be false – she said she was there at the meeting where the vote took place and she and another voted against (there was a huge outcry against when she said that the vote was not unanimous from other committee members), then altered her story to say she raised her hand but it wasn’t seen, the email says she couldn’t make it because Emil and Carmen scheduled it when elementary teachers had a conflict and refused to change the date, thus she wasn’t there. If the emails are not legitimate, they represent an attempt at damage control. Either way, not a proud moment for you guys now, is it? About your other points – for you it all seems to come down to Randi, no matter the issue, she is Moby Dick to your Ahab, you can’t resist bringing her into the conversation, even if she hasn’t been UFT president for years. Answer me this: was a minority report prepared by the dissenting members of the governance committee that just submitted its report? As far as being anonymous: why haven’t you had a dialogue with your friend and fellow MORE supporter DOENUTS? You don’t seem to have a problem with him posting under a pseudonym as he calls other bloggers names over and over, hacks and drones, slugs and cowards among many others. You didn’t challenge him to debate or say he had no right to call people names while hiding under a rock or behind a pseudonym. You getting on anyone’s case for going off topic is really funny. I’m glad you know that your name is Norm, Norman.
So once again you duck the basic questions I ask — what did you do and where do you stand on mayoral control. Even if I gave you whatever you want to say about the Gloria incident and whether MORE doesn’t look good over it — you cover over the fact that you guys cover up that the work of the committee in 2009 even with a minority report — and yes the MORE people mistakenly did not either bring it up or push hard enough for it — their mistake and MORE’s mistake for not paying enough attention — but then again many MOREs like me full well understand the sham of these committees so my advice was to not even go because the results were set before and were going to be used for PR purposes given the Randi whale you choose to ignore setting a precedent to even overthrow whatever the committee decided — which you keep ignoring — and that Mulgrew will agree to something different from even what the comm decided on. So you choose to focus on Gloria and I choose to focus on you and your role in the union as a Unity/ruling party member who supports whatever you are told to support and then sneaks out from under your rock along with other anon Unity trolls to distract people from the real issues. But that is the role you are here to play.
Don’t compare yourself to DOENuts who I know and is a classroom teacher and has reasons for being anonymous and is fairly new to this stuff while you clearly are a knowledgeable pro and longtime Unity person who knows exactly what is going on — and so what exactly are your reasons other than to distract and deflect people from the real issues?
I of course have a lot to say and always did. I was in a Unity run district for my entire career where jobs of opposition people were threatened and proudly stood up openly. So while I respect people like Stuart and the few from Unity who say who they are, I have no respect for the likes of you and the other Unity trolls, some of whom I know who they are and how high up they are and the 6 figure salaries they make.