AFT
The City University of New York and the Professional Staff Congress (AFT Local 2334) reached a tentative contract settlement. The proposal gives back very little, makes some gains, but failed to make some key gains for adjuncts and part-timers.
The Delegate Assembly recommended the agreement by 92-13-7 (yes-no-abstentions), but in the immediate discussion afterwards the PSC leadership agreed to open a “contract bulletin” where views of some delegates could be shared.
Over thirty delegates responded with statements of up to 500 words. You can read them all here. You can read a summary of the contract proposal here.
Barbara Bowen is the president of the PSC. Sándor John is the most outspoken opponent of the agreement. Alex Vitale wrote a statement that captures the complexity of the issue.
So here I am, almost two weeks in New Orleans, and I’ve written almost nothing. What have we (ten of us from NY, Chi, Philly, and SF, just today joined by a similar number from mostly the same places) been doing?
We knock on doors of teachers who are not members of the union. Patient, slow, we find a few who want to join now. We keep up visibility and know that more will join in time.
We helped publicize a Back to School event where school information, free school supplies, immunization, games, food, and an insectorium were all available. Road signs, flyers door to door. We assembled and sorted the book bags and supplies and books. And then we worked the tables at the event, helped with set up, clean up, etc. (The insectorium was cool)
We go into schools where teachers are overwhelned, and help set up a few classrooms, straighten, discard, rearrange, assemble, and just try to make ourselves available to teachers who could use help.
And then in the evenings we go for dinner. Lots of New Orleans food. Tonight was Voodoo barbeque. Emeril’s Delmonico on Sunday. The steakhouse in Harrah’s one night. Some Italian another. But mostly gumbo and more gumbo. Crawfish etouffe. Jambalaya. Po-boys for lunch. Or soul food. Food is important here. Food fills the gaps between work.
Here’s what I will be doing in New Orleans:
You will be joined by AFT staff as well as Affiliate staff [I think that means the union in New Orleans - jd] and other volunteers. A training session is scheduled.
Volunteer duties will vary but may include manning literature tables and engaging in conversation at new teacher orientations, home visits of membership prospects, phone banking, school visitations for meetings, sitting in teacher lounges and introducing yourself as representing the union, and working with building stewards.
It’s easy to forget that most organizing work is a slog, not a triumphant march. As unglamorous as this all sounds, I am looking forward. And I hope to come back feeling I have helped, in a small way, the condition of some teachers there. Plus I’ll get to work alongside of others who are committed to doing the same work. And that’s got to feel good, too.
It seems that my union (UFT and AFT) have added their voices. I have two reactions - 1. What took them so long? - and 2. I’m really happy they finally got here.
I read it first at Schools Matter, but I thought he might have taken a comment out of context. Then I found outgoing AFT President Ed McElroy’s farewell address, including these remarks:
We also need to recognize when change isn’t working. When the NCLB was introduced, the AFT was cautious but kept an open mind. NCLB is, after all, the latest version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which has nine titles and countless provisions on which our members and their students depend. Although we were able to prevent several poison pills from being included in the law - NCLB was flawed from the start. Fully funding NCLB won’t fix it. Tinkering around the edges isn’t the answer. We will work with the next president and the new Congress to create a new law - a law that respects the knowledge of classroom professionals and helps teachers and paraprofessionals provide our students with the high-quality education they deserve. (full text)
(continued beneath the fold — > )And then the official summary of Randi Weingarten’s first address as AFT President includes:
“Weingarten also argued that the No Child Left Behind Act is, in fact, leaving behind the very children it was intended to help, and has outlived its usefulness.”
“These are the children who have the least opportunity outside the schoolhouse walls to be exposed to all the elements of a well-rounded education: the arts and physical fitness, the ability to think critically and to argue logically, the value of active citizenship, and a knowledge of different people and places. NCLB slams the schoolhouse door on what makes up modern civilization and replaces it with multiple choice questions,” she said.
Pretty clear. I’d like to see the policy statement, but I have to believe it is on its way.
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I’ve written about NCLB and the need to dump it before.
- Nickleby (funny)
- Let’s get it right?
- NCLB - revise or dump?
- 2718 talks, WashPost listens (cutesy)
- NCLB - Has the UFT finally gotten it right? (last February, we hadn’t)
For the ‘old’ UFT position try this column by Randi from October 2007 or this discussion with Maisie on Edwize (skip the post, read the comments) from September 2007.
— — —
There won’t be a good answer for “what took so long.” The official summary of Weingarten’s speech uses the phrase “outlived its usefulness” - the speech itself outlines good intentions that have been stymied. (worth a read, too long for me to reproduce today, NCLB stuff starts bottom of page 5). But in the end, it matters little why they finally changed their minds.
It is great news that the AFT and UFT are for dumping NCLB. Here’s an issue that gets teachers and parents and even some students charged up, that drives administrators nuts. NCLB tests students relentlessly, punishes schools, but does nothing to improve education. Now our union can step forward and take the lead.
I almost waited too long to make summer plans. Had to schedule my school, and planned on working with new teachers, brief family visits, but anything else?
There were only a very few real options: Alaska, teacher-union organizing, Math teacher conference outside Syracuse, Atlantic Canada, earning a few credits here in NY, doing a bit more in southern New England.
I thought more about the AFT’s summer organizing. And I applied.
And today, I was selected. Two weeks organizing teachers in New Orleans. Damn, I’m excited!
And the rest? Alaska will still be there, and my ex-colleague will still be there (for a while, at least), and I will visit, one day. Atlantic Canada I will get to sooner. Looking at those photos, reading the descriptions, plus Sarai gave me some extra encouragement - I will go next time I have a 5 - 10 day window - likely next summer, but could crop up sooner. Courses? Yeah, I have to take them. Eventually. Southern New England? Please. That was desperation. Lovely places, I’m sure, but not my vacation spots. And I’ll speak at the next big NYS math conference (old-fashioned constructions) and I’m invited to speak at the biggest regional one next spring.
But next month is NOLA and organizing, and I’m excited.
