The United Federation of Teachers has joined with the AFL-CIO in calling upon the U.S. government to “bring our troops home [from Iraq] rapidly,” and to “put a stop to the unending military presence that will waste lives and resources, undermine our nation’s security and weaken our military.”
More than 2,300 American armed forces men and women have died and almost 7,500 have been wounded. Tens of thousands of Iraqis have died. More than $250 billion has been spent on the war.
On Saturday, April 29, there will be a demonstration in New York City calling for an end to the war. A contingent of UFT members will gather at 11 a.m. on 19th Street, between Broadway and Park Avenue.
5 Comments:
1 Chaz
· Apr 27, 2006 at 7:12 pm
How about UFT declaring war to free the classroom teacher from the mindless micromanagment of the Tweed educrats? That I will support.
2 JColletti
· Apr 28, 2006 at 5:14 pm
Those are parents and children and grandchildren and spouses and partners of teachers who are dying in Iraq. There are probably some teachers who are dying there. Certainly some we knew as students are dying. Yes, and union members too. That’s why we’re going to be there tomorrow
3 Chaz
· Apr 28, 2006 at 7:47 pm
JColletti;
Hearing that you make a six figure salary and are clueless about what it’s like to be in the classroom, it is the comment I would expect from somebody in your position.
Thanks to the UFT and your DOE comrades the classroom teacher is dying as well. Except it is not from roadside bombs or automatic weapons. IT IS FROM STRESS due to the mindless micromanagment, The increased class time, the large class sizes, the inadequate pay, the adding of cafeteria, hallway, and potty patrol to an already longer day and year, the 90-day unpaid suspension based upon a student accusation, and the general disrespect shown to the classroom teacher.
The increase in teacher stress is most certainly a slow death for many of us. That is why we have retention problems that the suburbs don’t have?
Why aren’t you demonstrating about teacher respect? How about organizing rallies about how DOE is destroying the large comprehensive high schools? Where is your outrage about allowing not ready for promotion 8th graders (8+) to be dumped into selected high schools and then label those schools a failure? Where are your protests about DOE’s failure to enfore student discipline codes?
When the UFT starts to earn their pay and does right by the classroom teacher. Then and only then should the union stray from their mission to improve the working conditions of the classroom teacher.
4 mvplab
· Apr 29, 2006 at 7:45 am
How about sending a postcard to the president by signing up on savedarfur.org? Is that something Chaz will support?
5 Chaz
· Apr 29, 2006 at 1:03 pm
myplan:
Clean up your own house before you try to clean up others. The UFT has much cleaning to do in their own house.
By the way that is something I do support. However, AFTER WE SOLVE THE PROBLEMS IN THE CLASSROOM!!!!!!!