In this week’s NYSUT Leader Briefing Karen Magee asks, “What do you want from your union?” Here is the link for you to fill out an online form and tell Ms. Magee what you want from your union. I am going to get started on my list now. It will be quite lengthy and will start with having a leadership who leads rather than selling us out.
Below is Magee’s message regarding this request. Nice to see that she has already heard from her political base… UFT retirees.
The 2013-2014 school year has been a year like no other. The PJSTA called on it’s rank and file to show up like never before as the battle for the soul of public education escalated to heights greater than any of us had seen before in our careers. Large numbers of the PJSTA rank and file answered the call as they attended rallies, pickets, hearings, phone banks and more. As we proceed the PJSTA will continue to to rely on it’s members to heed the call as the fight for our profession, our students, and our communities rages on. Enjoy the video below of some of the highlights of our activities this year and as the school year draws to a close, continue to check thepjsta.org as we will be on top of news pertaining to public education and the labor movement.
In her mind NYSUT President Karen Magee is having discussions about some important stuff… unfortunately reality seems to suggest otherwise. Reality-Based Educator with “They’re Discussing Having Discussions About the Coming Discussion on Teacher Evaluation Discussions”.
Magee likes to see herself as a bulldog. Someone who won’t back down in her tireless defense of the NYSUT membership. That would be terrific if it were true. But it doesn’t seem to be. Remember this is the same Magee who was a no show at three recent rallies in support of public education. When asked why she wasn’t there she stated that she didn’t go because they were grassroots rallies and she wasn’t invited. Remember when Magee ran for president claiming she represented a grassroots, bottom up, member driven sort of unionism? We are less than two months into her term and she is already above going to grassroots rallies without an invite? At least all the discussions she is having in her head seem to be going well.
A rally in support of our NYSUT brothers and sisters is scheduled for
June 10th from 3:45 to 6:45 p.m., outside the Riverhead Charter
School.
Over the last two years, with the introduction of new principal,
Raymond Ankrum, the administration has turned on the union and it
leadership. Actions taken by the school over the last six months,
culminating in the termination last week of Local President, Kasey
Wehrheim, leave no doubt that management is seeking to eradicate the union. The school’s environment is one of fear that is detrimental to
staff and students.
Riverhead Charter School, is located at 3685 Middle Country Road, in
Cavlerton NY. (Mapquest links below).
Points west of RCS
Points East of RCS
A few links for your reading pleasure…
This is brilliant. A 6th grade class in Massachusetts decided that they should be paid for field testing PARCC tests.
“An Antique Teacher” wonders about NYSUT’s “Revival”
James Eterno writes about Stronger Together and the creation of a statewide caucus to rival Unity Caucus.
Countless outlets are reporting this morning that the Working Families Party is set to endorse Governor Cuomo in November’s election. If you are new to the political scene and are wondering, “Who is the Working Families Party?” we take this from their website…
Formed by a grassroots coalition of community organizations, neighborhood activists, and labor unions, we came together build a society that works for all of us, not just the wealthy and well-connected.
We fight to hold politicians accountable on the issues working- and middle-class families care about, like good jobs, fair taxes, good schools, reliable public transportation, affordable housing, and universal healthcare.
If ever there was a candidate who did NOT represent those values it would be Governor Cuomo.
What makes this news particularly egregious is that the endorsement was apparently brokered in large part by the work of the UFT leadership. We have covered the UFT leadership extensively on this site as they essentially control NYSUT as well (particularly after this spring’s coup). We also know that their NYSUT delegates always vote as their leadership tells them to vote at NYSUT conventions thanks to their Unity Caucus oath. If you find it disturbing that the controlling voice of NYSUT just brokered a deal to sell out the rank and file membership and endorse Andrew Cuomo for governor, well you would not be alone.
You can read more on this at…
NYC Educator, Perdido Street School, and South Bronx School.
I would like to begin by sending kudos out to NYSUT Vice-President Paul Pecorale. Pecorale, originally from the Patchogue-Medford Congress of Teachers, was exactly where he should have been on April 28th- at the #NoMoCuomo Rally in Holbrook. On May 17th Pecorale was once again where he should have been- at the Taking Back Our Schools Rally in Manhattan. On May 21st Pecorale was one more time where he should have been, at the second #NoMoCuomo Rally in Melville. Once again, kudos to Pecorale for being exactly where he should have been.
Unfortunately, and unfathomably, that is essentially where NYSUT’s support for these events ended. None of the other officers managed to attend any of these three rallies and little, if anything, was done to promote membership participation in them. This is particularly astounding given the bold claims that the Revive NYSUT slate made as they rode Michael Mulgrew’s Unity Caucus to victory in April’s NYSUT election. I would link to those claims however they pulled down their site immediately after the election, linking it instead to NYSUT’s homepage. Fortunately for us James Eterno managed to save the claims that they made. Eterno wisely knew that their claims might not match their actions once they took office. Especially interesting are the claims that they were against Cuomo given their lack of support for the rallies against the governor.
Karen Magee must have been too busy writing “We’re a member-driven union on the march” to actually march herself down here and join with the rank and file as they demonstrated in support of public education and against Governor Cuomo. Of course maybe the demonstrations against Cuomo were why she didn’t make it down here. As we now know, NYSUT is refusing to publish anything that goes against Cuomo. Even at the Picket in the Pines Rally, none of Magee or Randi Weingarten’s remarks were directed at Cuomo. Weingarten has been selling out teachers for years now, so it doesn’t surprise me that she tiptoed around Cuomo. But Magee and her Revive NYSUT friends came riding in to save NYSUT, telling us all about how tough they were. How they’d demand that the governor hears our voice. They scoffed at the rumors that they were in the pocket of Mike Mulgrew and Andy Cuomo. But now Magee has twice been a no show at an anti-Cuomo rally in addition to her failure to appear at a public education rally in Manhattan. At this point you have to start to judge Magee on her actions (or lack thereof) and not on her empty rhetoric.
That brings us to Executive-Vice President Andy Pallotta. Pallotta, after presiding over the tax cap and Tiers V and VI, thought he was the only NYSUT officer who didn’t deserve to be replaced. Of course when you have Mike Mulgrew’s Unity Caucus at your back you don’t have to concern yourself with things like fighting for your dues paying members. You will also remember Pallotta as the guy who gave “Cuomo 2014” $10,000. Or the guy who ducked the question of whether or not NYSUT would issue an endorsement for Cuomo in November. Maybe I am starting to see why Pallotta shied away from the anti-Cuomo rallies. There is probably a better chance we would find Pallotta palling around with ed deform cronies than rallying against them. I bet if Arthur Goldstein, who opposed Pallotta in the election, had won he would have been at the rallies. Oh wait, he was at all three.
Perhaps secretary-treasurer Martin Messner could have stopped by one of the rallies? His major contribution to the election campaign was his insistence that Revive NYSUT was not a UFT take over. Outside of congratulating the UFT on their new contract that successfully erodes tenure rights for portions of the UFT membership and introduces merit pay to New York, we haven’t heard much from him…
@UFT @nysut Congrats on the new contract!!!’
— Martin Messner (@Schoharieta) May 1, 2014
The current officers, who came in promising “grassroots, bottom up, member driven unionism” have delivered anything but. What we have seen instead is a statewide union that is desperately failing it’s membership (all while raising dues that help to support their more than comfortable compensation packages) at what is quite possibly the most critical time in most of our careers. Last June NYSUT got nearly 20,000 people to Albany for the One Voice United Rally. Clearly they have the resources to mobilize membership when necessary. That they couldn’t bother to help get more than a few hundred to a rally in Manhattan on a beautiful, sunny day in May is a failure of epic proportions.
Over the next little while NYSUT members from around the state should be watching this leadership carefully and with skepticism. Ask questions and demand that they serve your needs and not theirs. Demand that they earn their very hefty compensation. In her opening letter sent to members Magee wrote, “We will be traveling to every corner of the state to meet with you, our members, and every NYSUT constituency so that our collective wisdom and experience can shape the future of NYSUT. Above all, we are committed to serving every member, leader and local.” I know that the PJSTA membership eagerly awaits Magee traveling to our corner of the state to meet with our membership. She has a lot to answer to. Although something tells me this is just one more empty Karen Magee promise.
Comsewogue’s school budget passed last night in a landslide, 1,012 votes to 325. In addition all three PJSTA endorsed candidates won. Incumbents Ali Gordon (908 votes) and James Sanchez (754 votes) will serve three year terms and newcomer Rick Rennard (736 votes) will serve the remaining one year of Lance Brown’s term. Brown vacated the position last summer when he moved out of the district. The PJSTA offers it’s enthusiastic congratulations to each of the winners. All three have proven to be tremendous advocates for public education and we look forward to working with them throughout their term as we continue to make Comsewogue the best school district around!
Of course the fight for public education continues today with a rally outside of the New York State Democratic Convention in Melville. This is perhaps the biggest and most important rally in many of our careers. Every PJSTA member should make an enormous effort to be there. We need to send the governor and the legislature one more message before the end of the school year: We will remember in November!
See the flyer below for details…
A big week coming up PJSTA!
First, we will need volunteers to put up “Vote YES” signs tomorrow, as well as volunteers who can head to the phone banks after school at the NYSUT Regional Office in Hauppauge.
On Tuesday every member of the PJSTA needs to get to the polls in their home school districts and VOTE YES for their school budgets. If you need to know who are the candidates being endorsed by your district’s teachers union local contact Beth Dimino or myself at wogteacher@gmail.com and we will happily provide you with that.
If you live in Comsewogue the PJSTA encourages you to vote for incumbents Alexandra Gordon and James Sanchez along with newcomer (though a gentleman who has been incredibly active in our school community for years) Rick Rennard. Gordon and Sanchez have worked tirelessly to defend public education in the Comsewogue School District and have shown a willingness to work cooperatively with the PJSTA as we fight passionately together for the students that we serve. Mr. Rennard is no stranger to anybody who regularly attends school board meetings or rallies in support of public education! They represent the voices that Comsewogue needs to continue advocating for our community!
On Wednesday is the latest and greatest rally and opportunity to show Governor Cuomo and the rest of the state’s Democratic elected officials that we will “Remember in November!” If you go to one event per year, this is the one to be at! If you go to every other event throughout the year, you don’t want to miss this one! The importance of this event cannot be overstated. Bring your kids, your spouses, and who ever else you need to. Quite possibly it is the most important event of many of our careers.
Finally we want to thank Beth Dimino, Maurizio Milana, Sue Niver, Rob Pearl, and Brian St. Pierre for attending Saturday’s “Take Back Our Schools” rally in Manhattan, which the PJSTA helped organize. Organizers estimated a crowd of 750+ people who turned out to stand up for public education. Groups from Long Island, New York City, New Jersey, and other parts of New York State joined together for the event. Enjoy the pictures below…
At today’s regularly scheduled meeting the PJSTA’s Representative. Council unanimously voted to approve the following resolution to oppose the Common Core State Standards. The resolution will be submitted to the AFT and NYSUT for consideration from those parent unions.
Resolution to Oppose the Common Core State Standards
WHEREAS, the purpose of education is to educate a populace of critical
thinkers who are capable of shaping a just and equitable society in
order to lead good and purpose-filled lives, not solely preparation
for college and career; and
WHEREAS, instructional and curricular decisions should be in the hands
of classroom professionals who understand the context and interests of
their students; and
WHEREAS, the education of children should be grounded in
developmentally appropriate practice; and
WHEREAS, high quality education requires adequate resources to provide
a rich and varied course of instruction, individual and small group
attention, and wrap-around services for students; and
WHEREAS, the Common Core State Standards were developed by
non-practitioners, such as test and curriculum publishers, as well as
education reform foundations, such as the Gates and Broad Foundations,
and as a result the CCSS better reflect the interests and priorities
of corporate education reformers than the best interests and
priorities of teachers and students; and
WHEREAS, the Common Core State Standards were piloted incorrectly,
have been implemented too quickly, and as a result have produced
numerous developmentally inappropriate expectations that do not
reflect the learning needs of many students; and
WHEREAS, imposition of the Common Core State Standards adversely
impacts students of highest need, including students of color,
impoverished students, English language learners, and students with
disabilities; and
WHEREAS, the Common Core State Standards emphasize pedagogical
techniques, such as close reading, out of proportion to the actual
value of these methods – and as a result distort instruction and
remove instructional materials from their social context; and
WHEREAS, despite the efforts of our union to provide support to
teachers, the significant time, effort, and expense associated with
modifying curricula to the Common Core State Standards interferes and
takes resources away from work developing appropriate and engaging
courses of study; and
WHEREAS, the assessments that accompany the Common Core State
Standards (PARCC and Smarter Balance) are not transparent in that
–teachers and parents are not allowed to view the tests and item
analysis will likely not be made available given the nature of
computer adaptive tests; and
WHEREAS, Common Core assessments disrupt student learning, consuming
tremendous amounts of time and resources for test preparation and
administration; and
WHEREAS, the assessment practices that accompany Common Core State
Standards – including the political manipulation of test scores – are
used as justification to label and close schools, fail students, and
evaluate educators; therefore be it
RESOLVED that the PJSTA opposes the Common Core State Standards (and
the aligned tests) as a framework for teaching and learning; and be it
further
RESOLVED, the PJSTA advocates for an engaged and socially relevant
curriculum that is student-based and supported by research and be it
further
RESOLVED, the PJSTA will embark on internal discussions to educate and
seek feedback from members regarding the Common Core and its impact on
our students; and be it further
RESOLVED, the PJSTA will lobby the NYS Board of Education to eliminate
the use of the Common Core State Standards for teaching and
assessment; and be it further
RESOLVED, the PJSTA will organize other members and affiliates to
increase opposition to the Common Core State Standards; and be it
further
RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be sent to the NY State Board
of Education, the Governor of NYS, and all members of the NYS
legislative branch; and be it finally
RESOLVED, that should this resolution be passed by the PJSTA
Representative Council, an appropriate version will be submitted to
the American Federation of Teachers for consideration at the 2014
Convention and to NYSUT for consideration at the 2015 RA.
The Official Website of the PJSTA 