The Sankofa symbol is an Akan symbol. It represents a symbol of wisdom and learning from the past to build for the future. We are instructed to remember our past when moving ahead. Thus, we should learn from the past and move forward into the future.

As trade unionists we must assess where we have been and what we hope to become in the midst of the unilateral change which is thrust upon us. And even if one was not involved as a trade unionist,parent, or student, the fact remains; the disruption to the New York City Public School System due to the loss of 1.75% of the budget has been catastrophic.

Peter Goodman is right: “In 1975 the City, on the verge of bankruptcy, laid off over 10,000 teachers … all elementary school teachers with less than six years of service were laid off. Not surprisingly, no one at Central Headquarters was laid off.”

Nineteen Seventy Five was the last time the budget was cut to the bone. Today, more than 40 years have passed. A full recovery from the drastic cuts from that period has never been achieved. Nineteen Seventy Five was a tumultuous year for the students, teachers and schools. First, Art, Music Summer and After-School Programs were eliminated. Next, Guidance programs were eliminated. Then, there were layoffs of teachers and para-professionals. Many teachers were moved from school to school like pawns on a chess board as seniority in the district became an issue. Subsequently, many teachers and paraprofessionals left the field of education altogether and never returned.

We have seen the cuts so far. And sadly these cuts cut the students in our public schools; the students who rely on public schools the most. Therefore when the city begins to trim the fat from the budget, it should mean prioritizing. And if we put children first; if education is a priority, the fat should be trimmed from the excess expenses which do not result in any real contribution to the public school system; the fat at DOE Central Headquarters.

The decision making must be returned to its stakeholders: the parents, the teachers, and the community because we have witnessed the debacles which have occurred with one disruption after another; disruptions caused by changes which were created to fix another change.

“History is not everything” John Henrik Clarke once wrote, “but it is the starting point. History is a clock that people use to tell their time of day. It is a compass they use to find themselves on the map of human geography. It tells them where they are, but more importantly, what they must be.”

Today, we must be at the frontline affecting change. We should join the coalition of “education advocacy groups, community organizations, clergy, labor unions and dozens of elected officials in a campaign to protect schools from $700 million cuts.” before the bell tolls.

Phyllis C. Murray

UFT Chapter Leader