Randi Weingarten Elected New AFT President

3 Comments:

• 1 born_branded
  · Jul 16, 2008 at 2:18 pm

  I’m really disappointed that Randi Weingarten has now been elected AFT president, when she’s failed to successfully fight for teachers as president of the UFT. We’ve faced an onslaught of abuse, scape goating and the most exclusive of accountability, with near muteness, and acquiescence from Randi to what Joel Klein has claimed, and sh

• 2 36man
  · Jul 20, 2008 at 3:15 pm

  Dear Friends,

  I just read an op-ed from that bastion of twisted free-market philosophy the New York Post about Randi Weingarten’s election to AFT presidency. How utterly shocking that the piece was actually about how tenure which equates to no more than due-process is fundamental in keeping our students from being able to compete globally. The piece praises “DC Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee – who’s pushing a plan to completely eliminate teacher tenure. Under Rhee’s proposal, now in negotiation with the DC teachers’ union, current teachers who opt out of tenure and submit to merit-based evaluations would be eligible for bonuses that could nearly double their salaries – with some earning north of $130,000 a year.”
  Absolutely, that is why we teach to earn a bonus, not to connect with the students in an effort to enhance their abilities to be well-rounded and well-adjusted citizens of this new century of ours. We can instead join the stockbrokers and oilmen in their drive to double their earnings, yes money, not honor, not satisfaction, but a bonus, that is the ticket! Didn’t those legendary teachers Plato and Socrates double their salaries through the Ancient Greek merit pay plan? Is a bonus worth more than job security?

  Scary Scenario: A go-getting new and shiny administrator comes to your school, fresh from the “Academy.” For the last two years you have been a favorite of the old administration, receiving the students most likely to improve you chance at a bonus! You have received $20,000 in merit pay! Wow, just enough for the first semester of your oldest child’s first semester of college. But now this new administrator, who is 28 years old and taught for 2 long, hard years doesn’t like your lesson plans, the way you dress or the fact that you don’t want to join her/him for a drink after work. You attempt to defend yourself, but she/he decides it is insubordination. You end up losing you job. Why? It is because you don’t have tenure to protect you. Your union representative wants to help, but he/she also hasn’t any tenure…But hey, look at the bright side; you still have the $20,000 grand! Sure you are without a job, your pension will suffer, and you lost health care for both you and your family…

  It makes it very clear to this teacher that we need to stick together as a union in our efforts to fight this non-sense in New York City schools. Complacency just won’t do it. You would like to believe that most thinking people understand the New York Post is just plain union bashing, because they and their corporate pals don’t want to pay workers health care, pensions or provide a decent wage if they aren’t forced to by unions. But remember, in Washington D.C. this plan is being put forth in a serious way, and it could happen here. Such ludicrousness must be matched by union solidarity, so I strongly advocate UFT members becoming seriously involved in working with their school UFT chapters! It is our only chance! That and making sure Obama joins Randi in Washington as our next president!

  In Solidarity,

  Jack

• 3 36man
  · Jul 20, 2008 at 3:25 pm

  By the way I am Jack Israel – DeWitt Clinton H.S. Bronx. Former chapter leader of the former high school -Walton H.S.

  Peace – Jack

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