Another fun meeting today. I'll report on the fun day tonight but if you are around join us after the meeting at 3 at the bar White Horse Tavern for eats and drinks.
Here's our handout which will be included when the ballot goes out
Written and edited by Norm Scott: EDUCATE! ORGANIZE!! MOBILIZE!!! Three pillars of The Resistance – providing information on current ed issues, organizing activities around fighting for public education in NYC and beyond and exposing the motives behind the education deformers. We link up with bands of resisters. Nothing will change unless WE ALL GET INVOLVED IN THE STRUGGLE!
Another fun meeting today. I'll report on the fun day tonight but if you are around join us after the meeting at 3 at the bar White Horse Tavern for eats and drinks.
Here's our handout which will be included when the ballot goes out
Always watch what the UFT does, not what it says -- Fiddling with the PEP Will NOT do it --- The wisdom of Norm
For months, lawmakers have argued the future of the city’s polarizing school governance structure should be determined outside of the budget process. But during last-minute negotiations on the two-weeks-late budget, the possibility of extending mayoral control reentered discussions.
Last week the State Education Department released an excellent report, summarizing the public testimony at the borough hearings and in writing on Mayoral control, and analyzing our NYC school governance system compared to others across the country. The report contained recommendations about how the system should be changed, by giving more voice to parents and other stakeholders, revamping the composition of the Panel for Educational Policy, and establishing a Commission to propose more fundamental changes.
Then this afternoon, there was a lot of chatter on Twitter and elsewhere that a deal was imminent to give Adams two more years of mayoral control in the budget, in exchange for some minor tweaks and concessions (?) on class size. Yet soon after, Governor Hochul held a press conference and said no deal on Mayoral control has yet been finalized.
So it's urgent: please send a message to your Legislators tonight; urge them to provide more checks and balances, transparency and parent voice in the running of our schools - because twenty years of Mayoral control has NOT worked for NYC students. If you're not convinced, check out our point by point rebuttal of DOE talking points put out over the weekend; and an explanation of how the system has failed in terms of real accountability here.
But please send an email to your legislators tonight -- before its too late.
And share this message with others who care.
thanks, Leonie
Leonie Haimson
Executive Director
Class Size Matters
Mayoral control of NYC schools is back from the dead in state budget talks, key lawmaker says - Gothamist
State lawmakers are discussing a possible short-term extension of mayoral control of New York City's school system, though it would come with significant strings attached, according to a key lawmaker in Albany.
State Sen. John Liu, a Queens Democrat who chairs the New York City education committee of the State Senate, confirmed on Monday that mayoral control is back on the table in ongoing discussions on New York's next budget. Mayoral control is currently due to expire at the end of June, despite Mayor Eric Adams' opposition to it lapsing.
Gov. Kathy Hochul recently raised the issue again in budget talks, two weeks after legislative leaders all but declared it dead as part of the state's spending plan, Liu told Gothamist. But he suggested that, if lawmakers agree to extend mayoral control of the city's schools, it would come with a mechanism to ensure the Adams administration complies with looming class-size restrictions, which state lawmakers approved the last time they extended mayoral control in 2022.
“The mayor wants accountability, and so we’re looking for ways to make him accountable,” Liu said. “The governor has brought up mayoral control in the negotiations, and we're looking at the issue.”
Adams and his schools chancellor David Banks have strongly advocated for an extension, arguing they should remain in charge of the city's schools because it’s the best way for them to be held accountable and impose order on the nation’s largest school system. But many educators and parents have called for change, saying the mayor is too far removed from the day-to-day reality of schools.
Hochul included a four-year extension of mayoral control in her $233 billion state budget proposal in January. But legislative leaders signaled by early April that it hadn’t been a serious part of budget negotiations.
Adams’ administration still kept pushing the issue, with Banks traveling to the state Capitol earlier this month to urge lawmakers to consider putting it in the spending plan. “We think we’ve done a great job in rebuilding trust with our families and our communities, and we’ve been delivering real results,” Banks said in Albany on April 2.
Asked a day later whether mayoral control would be in a final budget agreement, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, a Democrat from Yonkers, flatly said “no.”
Now, Liu says any possible extension would include "substantial guarantees" for the city to follow through on the mandates of the state class-size law, a major goal of the United Federation of Teachers union and many New York City parents. Democratic lawmakers are expected to discuss the issue behind closed doors on Monday afternoon.
The law requires a significant reduction of class sizes in the city’s public schools over time. Adams argues the city cannot make those changes without more funding from the state.
When the law is fully implemented, kindergarten through third-grade classes will be capped at 20 students, fourth- through eighth-grade classes will be capped at 23 students, and high-school classes will be capped at 25 students. The city’s Independent Budget Office has estimated that almost 18,000 teachers would need to be hired to meet the mandate, at a cost of up to $1.9 billion per year.
New York City would also have to identify more space for the smaller classrooms. Reducing class sizes is generally popular with parents, but some say they worry about increased competition for certain schools and programs.
The latest talks on another extension of mayoral control come days after the state Education Department released a lengthy review recommending possible reforms. Legislators required the review as part of the 2022 extension of mayoral control, which was for two years.
The nearly 300-page report called for more opportunities for input from families and educators and stronger checks and balances around mayoral control. It noted that New York City currently gives the mayor more power over education than any other school district in the country.
Under that system, the mayor selects the schools chancellor and appoints a majority of members to the Panel for Educational Policy, an oversight board that votes on school-related contracts and other matters. The non-mayoral members are elected by parent councils or appointed by borough presidents, and some of them have said they feel powerless because the mayor appoints most of the panel.
The state Education Department's report did not ultimately offer clear recommendations on the fate of mayoral control. Instead, it called for a commission to further study the issue.
Meanwhile, lawmakers in Albany continue to negotiate the finer points of the broader state budget, which is expected to total $235 billion once approved. It was due before the start of the state’s fiscal year on April 1, but the Gov. Hochul has struggled to reach consensus with lawmakers on a final deal. Lawmakers have approved four short-term budget extenders to keep the state’s payroll running.
As of Friday, the governor and legislative leaders were closing in on an agreement on the hotly contested issue of housing policy. If a housing deal is reached, that could clear the major remaining hurdle to a final budget. But tenant and landlord advocates aren’t pleased with the emerging deal.
The state Senate and Assembly’s Democratic majorities are expected to hold closed-door conferences on the final remaining issues on Monday afternoon and evening.
Saturday, April 13, 2024
The UFT holds spring chapter elections every 3 years and 2024 may turn out to be one of the more consequential elections in its over 6 decade history.
I've always maintained that chapter elections every 3 years are more
important than the officer/exec bd elections which also take place every
three years, a year later than the chapter elections (spring 2025).
Chapter elections can be precursors of possible weaknesses in the Unity
machine. I always have hope that we will see some changes, hope that is
often unfulfilled. But there are always glimmers.
Over the past few days, petitions were turned in for 3 consequential elections taking place in the UFT: TRS, Retirees and Paras, each one with some level of future consequences for the union. But together they represent a serious challenge to the 6 decade Unity Caucus hegemony.
There are lots of reasons to support Ben's campaign - which I elucidated the other day: Teacher Retiree System (TRS) Pension Election - Why You Should Care and Vote for Ben.
What I didn't mention was the energy and enthusiasm coming from Ben himself and how he has galvanized an election that 6 weeks ago he wasn't aware existed. I've known Ben for a few years and he has made his bones on his fantastic analysis of the horrors of Tier 6 and has placed it front and center and has spurred the leadership out of its lethargy to try to make a few modest changes to undercut the threat to them given that 55% of the members are in Tier 6. Unity will try to take credit - despite the fact they put up no opposition when Cuomo instituted Tier 6 in 2012 with Bloomberg's support. I'm guessing in their thinking they were trading off the pensions of future members in exchange for a hoped contract.
Read James Eterno comments from 2012:
See the Tier 6 slides prepared by Ben.
Let's face reality. The incompetent DOE is running the elections in the schools and there is no institutional memory of how to even run an election and Unity has loads of chapter leaders in the schools. But the outcome will offer an insight to how strong that Unity machine is. Leadership is very much perturbed that they even have to bother campaigning. Since we rotate the 3 pension reps every 3 years, there is an election held every year. I hope there is someone running to challenge the Unity reps every time. Make them defend their turf on every field.
Remember, retirees don't vote in this election. Someone left a comment on Ed Notes asking how functional chapters will vote in this election on May 8 and here was the response to Ben:
We have not finalized the election process yet – we are likely going through qualified members directly rather than principals to avoid the issues that you’ve mentioned below. We do not have an obligation to have the final process in place until early May – when it is finalized, we will share.Oy! This will go well.
UFT Paras for A Fair Contract
Arthur has some background: Those Wacky UFT Bosses and Their Zany Antics
Let’s go to another issue—[Unity's] abysmal treatment of paraprofessionals. For one thing, Unity thinks paraprofessionals are too stupid to select their own representatives. That’s why elected members of the Unity Patronage Cult have offices and jobs. That’s why Migda Rodriguez, an elected non-Unity member, is working full-time as a paraprofessional, with no office, no time off, no UFT job, and not even a UFT email. How stupid does UFT Unity think paraprofessionals are? Last week, they butchered a resolution at Executive Board. Paraprofessionals should demand change, but not “meaningfully.” They doubled down at the Delegate Assembly, saying paras already have it pretty good, and shouldn’t bother negotiating for a living wage. However, Unity has not totally neglected the paras. Last weekend, they gave them a fancy party. And their Unity leader has now given them a handbook. Who needs a living wage when you have a party and a handbook?More from Arthur: Paraprofessionals Need a Raise, Not a Tip
Migda has a newsletter. Read it here.
Unity is on the attack and trying to recruit 300 paras to run on their slate. We hear they are not having an easy time of it.
To summarize:
If the outcomes don't go Unity's way -- like taking a big bite out of their majority, these 3 concurrent elections represent a threat to Unity and would encourage a united opposition in 2025. If not, it may be time for some golf.
AfterBurn
It's hard to judge where things are going at the 1800 or so schools where the chapter leader and at least one delegate from each school will be elected and can influence the delegate assembly, which is packed with Unity delegates and staffers and an big influx of delegates representing the functional chapters like retirees and paras. The caucuses are doing training for chapter leaders and delegates who want to run. But they have always done trainings and even brag about how many of their people are elected. But I go to the DA every month and the number of oppo people are very slim, though even these few can have an impact.
And for a bonus:Junket City
How Unity spends our dues from April Adcom:
Motion: To send 3 members to the National Art Education Association National Convention on April 4-7, 2024 in Minneapolis, MN at a cost of $1,982 per person. (3x1,982 = 5,946)
Carried
Motion:
To send 5 members to the Coalition of Labor Union Women National
Executive Board and 50th Anniversary Gala on May 8-11, 2024 in Niagara
Falls at a cost of $1,461 per person. (5x1,461 = 7,305)
Carried
Motion:
To send 4 members to the IEL-National Community Schools and Family
Engagement Conference on May 29-31, 2024, in Atlanta, GA at a cost of
$2,595 per person. (4x2595= 10,380)
total = $49,773
And this:
Motion:
To authorize up to 50 retirees to participate in the 2024 AFT
Convention and retiree activities associated with the Convention.
Carried
Let's Estimate the cost -- plane fair, hotel, meals --- let's call it 2 grand per x 50 --- $100,000.
And Jonathan reports:
“Research indicates that there is no conclusive relationship between school governance structures and student achievement,” the report reads. It added that there was no substantial evidence that mayoral control reduces educational inequities.UPDATE:
GET STUFF DONE - POORLY |
Mayor attacks on NYSED Mayoral control report
News links:
https://gothamist.com/news/
state-report-points-to- reforming-mayoral-control-of- nyc-schools He attacked CUNY School of Law’s involvement in the report and hinted that he believed the school was biased against him. He referenced an episode last year when CUNY Law graduates turned their backs on him while he delivered a commencement speech. He also said the education department made a mistake by not delving more deeply into school governance models and student achievement data.
But the report did in fact compare models of school governance.
“Research indicates that there is no conclusive relationship between school governance structures and student achievement,” the report reads. It added that there was no substantial evidence that mayoral control reduces educational inequities.
https://x.com/bern_hogan/
status/ 1777736090612289921Today, continued on CUNY: "You know, 'let's turn our backs on Eric Adams. Let's talk about how great or how bad America is.' And the keynote speaker was from Yemen, when she would not even be on the stage and speak in the country. I'm not comfortable with that.”
He had already criticized the report last week before it had been released on the same grounds: https://spectrumlocalnews.com/
nys/central-ny/politics/2024/ 04/03/mayoral-control- extension-in-final-state- budget-unlikely--lawmakers-say See also:
https://www.nydailynews.com/2024/04/09/key-report-on- mayoral-control-of-nyc-public- schools-finds-parents- teachers-feel-shut-out-adams- albany/
Teacher Pension Election - Why You Should Care
by Norm ScottThere is an upcoming election for one of the three teacher trustees of our pension system (TRS) where working TRS members will have the chance to choose between the two candidates who are running (retirees can't vote). The election will be held in the schools on May 8, 2024.
Why should you care?
Because the health and longevity of your pension relies on three teacher trustees along with two mayoral appointees, the Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) president, and the NYC Comptroller overseeing all our investments. These seven officials are supposed to ensure that our pension is sound and investments are thriving far into the future.Over the past decades, all trustees, most without a degree in finance or economics or any relevant private sector investment experience, have acted under the instructions of the UFT/Unity Caucus leadership and fundamentally continue to rubber stamp the decisions made by Wall Street investors who earn significant fees that are not always transparent. They are pressured to vote as a bloc and not to ask questions of the TRS investors.
Now we have the chance to vote for Brooklyn Tech Advanced Placement math teacher Ben Morgenroth in the TRS election on May 8. He brings with him actual classroom experience with degrees in mathematics and economics, along with private sector financial and investment experience. He will ask informed questions to those tasked with securing our pensions and will act independently of the dictums of Michael Mulgrew — who has been at the helm as our healthcare and pension benefits have diminished.
Morgenroth’s membership on the Board will ensure we have the professional and knowledgeable oversight we need to protect our pensions.
Note: Candidates need one thousand signatures to get on the ballot and the petitioning will be wrapping up in a week. You can still get signatures at your school by downloading the petition here. Make sure to sign off at the bottom to certify the signature.
Repost from ICE blog:
ICE met on a zoom and discussed current major trends in the UFT:
I'm still recovering from yesterday's Retired teacher chapter meeting and will report on it when I fully recover. Most of the meeting was about how after 50 years, Unity is paying attention to paras with a big election coming up. The Unity machine put on a full court press on how much they care about para retirees and set up a special support unit with a hot line, patting themselves on the back after ignoring para retirees for 50 years. I wonder if that hotline goes through the outsourced Salesforce crap that UFT members calling the UFT have to face?
Former UFT Spec Ed VP Carmen Alvarez led the band yesterday. It was she who had begged at a Jan. 2023 city council hearing to allow her to keep her Medicare by offering the choice to spend almost $200 a month extra for the same Senior Plan we get for free. I confronted her at that hearing, saying, "What about para retirees who could not afford to pay and would have to stick with the MedAdv?
The best line of the day:
Now you have an idea how the day went.
So this will focus on some para issues but first go straight to this link and sign the petition to
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
I'm ready to head down to the DA to get signatures for Ben Morgenroth in the TRS election. I can't believe how well this campaign is going - I get the mail returns. I'm just catching up on the para news from Monday's night's exec Bd meeting - I thought I heard para reps saying that our paras do so well compared to others down south and upstate NY. She didn't mention some big wins for paras in other cities that make Unity efforts look puny.
Check out Nick's Notes:
I posted on Monday morning an analysis of how Unity views total control of the para chapter as a crucial element in maintaining their over 60 year control of the UFT. Worries about the outcome of the Retiree chapter election after alienating so many members of the Medicare issue is a factor in solidifying para support.
One recent Unity tactic is to offer paras a fire sale on joining Unity plus lots of free food and drink events -
Just as the Monday eve Exec Bd meeting got started I posted this reso calling for a fair wage for paras.
A "no-brainer," as Nick Bacon said in his intro last night. Some of us had speculated on how Unity would react, from outright opposition to tabling. They came up with amending by removing the last resolve, the only portion with some teeth.
Resolved; that the UFT develop a comprehensive bargaining plan, with a clear timeline and objectives, for achieving a living wage for paraprofessionals, including equitable longevity raises, injury paid leave parity, and chapter 683 and ESY (Extended School Year) pay parity, ensuring they are compensated fairly for their crucial role in education.
New York City public school paraprofessionals/para-educators play an essential and invaluable role in our school communities by providing accessible, quality educational and support services to all of our schoolchildren.
And yet, New York City public schools are experiencing hundreds of para vacancies that may result in thousands of New York City school children not receiving federally mandated IEP services due to shortages of full-time, qualified paras.
The reasons for this are many. But, quite simply it’s because we’ve seen our profession no longer be respected as a life-long career by the City of New York and the Department of Education.
New City York public school paras are struggling to earn a living wage in our city and often have to work multiple jobs to survive.
According to MIT’s living wage calculator, a single person with no children needs to make at least $33 an hour to live in New York City. Entry level paras are making less than $30k a year and no more than $18.50 an hour.
Did you know that teachers make over $32k in longevity raises over their careers while paras barely make $3k in longevity raises over their entire careers?
There are also various other inequities that exist in our current contractual pay structures and para job rights.
This current path can’t continue. Being a paraprofessional must be a sustainable career, once again , and not only viewed as a “career ladder” to another profession.
We need the DOE, the Mayor and our union leadership to not only recognize and protect the important role para-educators play in our schools and in our students' lives, but we call for fairer pay, better benefits, workplace safety, job security and increased access to job training that will give our jobs, and us, the respect paras deserve.
We must support related legislation and fight for these things at the collective bargaining table.
To this end, we call on our union family to support the Resolution to Meaningfully Support New York City Paraprofessionals’ Fight for a Living Wage and Fair Contract
In the coming weeks and months, UFT paras, along with other members, will work together to organize in solidarity around a living wage, fair contract, improved benefits and working conditions, and stronger protections for all paras.
Join our member-driven movement —
UFT Paras For A Fair Contract
Migda Rodriguez is the Second Vice Chairperson of the Paraprofessional Chapter and a NYC para. Marie Wausnock is a veteran NYC para, also. Both are a part of UFT Paras for A Fair Contract. Daniel Alicea is a special education teacher and UFT delegate who believes paras are beyond essential to our school communities and classrooms.
The March meeting of the UFT Retiree chapter is today at one. I will be joining the RA crew in the back lobby of 52 at noon. Unity will try to exert maximum control of this meeting. We expect (hope) new people will be there to raise issues - if they allow it. Expect lots of filibustering to stall. One reason Murphy may be out is his bull in China shop approach.
I wonder at how effective Carmen might be and whether Mulgrew trusts her to be able to handle it. There isn't a lot of talent at the top, especially among retirees in Unity. We heard rumors they had problems and may still be having problems getting people to agree to run as delegates, with some flatly turning down the opportunity. Some even may be running with RA. In contrast, we have been oversubscribed and don't have room for all the people who volunteered to run.
Here is today's leaflet.
I posted about the para chapter election earlier where an alt slate to Unity called UFT Paras for A Fair Contract is being formed.
Unity Changes Rules for Para Election without the consent of the para chapter, EXBD AND DA
Here is a reso for the March 18 UFT Exec Bd and the March 20 DA - which Unity will try to make sure does not see the light of day. I will update it with outcomes of the Ex Bd later.
It’s time we fight for our paras in a meaningful and sustained effort. Both co-writers along with several others will be forming a slate for the upcoming para chapter election called ‘UFT Paras for A Fair Contract’.
Their program leads with a living wage for NYC paras, along with major improvements to their pay structures and contractual benefits and protections.We believe this reso is timely and it also is something the AFT has endorsed with recent proposed legislation.In addition, to bringing it to the EXBD, we will bring it to the floor of the DA.You can find it here also:Resolution to Meaningfully Support New York City Paraprofessionals’ Fight for a Living Wage and Fair Contract
co-written by:
Migda Rodriguez, Second Vice-Chair of UFT Paraprofessional Chapter and para; Marie Wausnock, para; and Daniel Alicea, special education teacher
Whereas, UFT paraprofessionals/para-educators play an essential and invaluable role in our school communities by providing accessible, quality educational and support services to all of our schoolchildren;
Whereas, New York City public schools are experiencing hundreds of para vacancies that may result in thousands of New York City school children not receiving federally mandated IEP services due to shortages of full-time, qualified paras; and
Whereas, our New York City public school paras are struggling to earn a living wage in our city and often have to work multiple jobs to survive; and
Whereas, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and National Education Association (NEA), alongside dozens of other labor and education organizations have endorsed the November 2023 Senate resolution called The Paraprofessionals and Education Support Staff Bill of Rights, which calls for fairer pay, better benefits, workplace safety, job security, and increased access to training that will give these jobs and the educators who do them the respect they deserve; and
Whereas, the AFT and NEA have also endorsed the January of 2024 Senate and House of Representatives legislation called the Preparing and Retaining All (PARA) Educators Act, that would establish a grant program to help schools recruit, train, and retain paraeducators by funding pipeline and credentialing programs, high-quality professional development, and higher wages; therefore be it
Resolved; that the UFT shall support and educate its members about the significant implications of The Paraprofessionals and Education Support Staff Bill of Rights and the Preparing and Retaining All (PARA) Educators Act, emphasizing the potential benefits for paraprofessionals; and be it further
Resolved; that the UFT develop a comprehensive bargaining plan, with a clear timeline and objectives, for achieving a living wage for paraprofessionals, including equitable longevity raises, injury paid leave parity, and chapter 683 and ESY pay parity, ensuring they are compensated fairly for their crucial role in education.
——————————
Signed by: Ronnie Almonte; Nick Bacon; Edward Calamia; Alex Jallot; Ibeth Mejia; Luli Rodriguez; Ilona Nanay; Michael Schirtzer
Other supporters - Michael Shulman, Bobby Greenberg, Norm Scott, Education Notes.