New York Governor Andy Cuomo recently emerged at a Queens high school to name Michael Mulgrew the new president of NYSUT, the statewide teachers union. That's right:
"Thank you very much. What a pleasure, what a treat. First, to Michael Mulgrew, who is head of the teachers union statewide, who does an amazing job. Why? Because he really believes in what he's doing."
Dozens of NYSUT members were shocked to learn that Karen Magee is no longer their president. Consequently, since no working teacher beyond Baychester or Bayside actually voted for Mulgrew, thousands of NYSUT members were disenfranchised in one fell swoop. Mulgrew said he's enjoyed his time as President of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) and will stay on until a suitable slug replacement is found. In the meantime, NYSUT members should prepare themselves for more giant check photo ops with Cuomo, and .03% of teachers will even win a $5,000 stipend for PD classes from the Lobbyist for the Students. Nevermind your tenure and pension; they aren't as important as Cuomo's political career. And those pondering the legality of Mulgrew's promotion should stop right there. For an obscure clause in the NYSUT Constitution states that any NYSUT member who has lunch with the governor as often as Mulgrew shall be president by default.
NYSUT's battles are now Mulgrew's battles, and its motto in 2017 and beyond will be "victory" assuming the state's constitution is rewritten to steal collective bargaining rights and pensions. Cuomo also thanked NYSUT for its generous contributions to the New York Democrats, his political slush fund. With the help of Mulgrew and even more delicious lunches, Cuomo just wants to say "I love you" to teachers before he screws them over--once again.
Update: Predictably, reaction to this story was swift and skeptical, prompting Cuomo to reaffirm Mulgrew's promotion at yet another giant check photo op, this time at an elementary school in Brooklyn:
First, to the gentleman who you just heard speak. His name is Michael Mulgrew. He is in charge of all the teachers all across the state of New York, and he is a great champion for them, and he works night and day, and he does a fantastic job, so let's give him a big round of applause and a big cheer, he should get a big cheer, Michael, give Michael a big cheer.
Governor Andy fully intends to bask in even more cheers for Mulgrew in the months to come. After all, it's much nicer than answering questions about why Cuomo, the founder of the Women's Equality Party, decided to throw NYSUT's first female president under the Tampax Express.
At press time, Magee has yet to comment, and is apparently now pretending to be the president of NYSUT.
Cuomo would much rather have lunch with Mulgrew than Magee
With a case before the Supreme Court that could eviscerate public sector unions, more American workers may soon see their salaries and savings evaporate. The case of Friedrichs vs. California Teachers Association threatens to severely undermine the ability of Unions like New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) to collect dues and thus muster the many to stand up to a handful of assholes who are wreaking havoc on public policies. Union members can say goodbye to the professions they once knew in favor of jobs concocted by those who embrace "efficiency" at the expense of decency. Obedient or unemployed workers we all shall be.
NYSUT has already been deploying a few instead of many members when bargaining teacher evaluations. Since Governor Andrew Cuomo's latest law dictates how communities must rate and fire their teachers, a negotiation which was once left up to thousands of NYSUT members within their respective school districts has been subsumed by NYSUT leadership and their lackeys. Schools now have little control over how outside evaluators and asinine tests will impact their teachers.
When the Port Jefferson Station Teachers Association (PJSTA) recently had the nerve to question what the Union was doing about Cuomo's ludicrous law, NYSUT President Karen Magee responded that there are just some things low-level people need not know:
Thanks for writing. While we are always interested in engaging our members in the substantive issues that you raise in your email, I'm sure you also understand from your position as a union officer that much of what you raise here is subject to high-level negotiations. In any negotiating scenario, it's imperative for the officers to let the members know that they are fighting on their behalf, as we have done, but just as crucial that the ebb and flow of the actual negotiations remain at the bargaining table.
Though NYSUT refuses to reveal the "ebb and flow" of these "high-level negotiations", they promise to let you know if and when your career is no longer subject to the whims of idiotic politicians.
Perhaps United Federation of Teachers (UFT) President Michael Mulgrew can shed some light on these mysterious negotiations. After all, Mulgrew is a favored lunch guest of the Lobbyist for the Students and rejoiced upon passage of Cuomo's law last April. It seems Mulgrew's hard bargaining at the lunch table has somehow paid dividends for everyone except students and teachers. Did Cuomo order the fish before frying the job security of middle class teachers? Only Mulgrew can say.
When 100,000 workers protested Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's insidious assaults on collective bargaining in 2011, they sought to sustain a system that gives voice to the voiceless up and down all levels of government--including public education. They fought so workers could forge agreements with those for whom a service is directly provided--not some distant bureaucrat beholden to his benefactors. There's nothing democratic or "collective" about an elite group of people bargaining away the fates of thousands of teachers and schools and refusing to talk about it.
Instead of using the sanctity and secrecy of collective bargaining to shield their alleged efforts to protect teachers, NYSUT should call it what it has become: bargaining that is limited to those more concerned about their own seats at "high-level" tables than the shrinking seats of teachers at tables throughout the state.
Not unlike their colleagues in Wisconsin, the collective voice of working teachers in New York has been greatly diminished in recent years. If NYSUT expects to survive in a post-Friedrichs world, they must awaken this voice and bring the collective back to bargaining.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is sick of the Common Core. So much so, he’s formed another panel to “reboot” the controversial standards, and has even recruited former banker Dick Parsons to once again lead the charge.
Though the panel has yet to meet, their report is in—and it’s not pretty for New York schools.
According to sources close to the panel, Cuomo will include virtually all of the panel’s recommendations in this year’s state budget—a budget which he fully expects most legislators will not even read.
Dubbed the “Cilantro on Shit” standards (Cuomo has nothing against cilantro, though he may yet change the name), the new Cuomo standards include the following:
COS2.09: Parents, teachers and students must not question the standards. Those who do shall be told, “It is what it is.”
COS4.04: Anyone who calls the standards “Cuomo Core 3.0” will be subject to arrest and deportation from the state.
COS4.7: Parents whose children refuse to take Cilantro on Shit tests—for any reason—must pay $500 per child for each test day missed.
COS9.11: Since teachers are likely to have their own children refuse Cilantro on Shit tests, as of 2016, any person employed in the State of New York as a teacher may no longer have kids.
New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) President Karen Magee issued the following statement in response to Cuomo’s latest education reforms:
NYSUT would like to thank Governor Cuomo for fucking us over once again. Now that the standards are law, educators will take them even more seriously. And though working teachers have a lot more to lose than me, including their careers and pensions, NYSUT will not stand in the way of the standards; rather, NYSUT will work tirelessly to ignore members who call on the Union to lead New York’s kids and communities out of the morass of high stakes tests. NYSUT also encourages everyone to dance the Nae Nae, since we believe it is the only way to reclaim the promise of public education.
At press time, Cuomo's office has declined to comment on this story.
Part-time
progressive Bill DeBlasio and full-time douchebag Andrew Cuomo are hearing it from
unions these days in New York. Members of the Patrolman’s Benevolent
Association (PBA) turned their backs on DeBlasio in Brooklyn, while leaders of New
York State United Teachers (NYSUT) called Cuomo “clueless” and challenged him to
a series of education shit shows town halls across the state.
Cuomo,
ever eager to bask in DeBlasio’s political fallout, has auditioned for peacemaker
between the cops and the mayor, especially after PBA President Pat Lynch used
the phrases “educate our children” and “blood on the steps of city hall” in
back-to-back breaths following the recent murders of two uniformed cops. In
an interview before the shootings, Cuomo called Lynch a “friend” who was only doing
his job as union president in moving to bar DeBlasio from police funerals:
"He was venting that emotion. He is standing up for the police, which is his
job, and making the point that police need protection, too, in situations like
this, and need respect and consideration in situations like this,” Cuomo told
public radio’s “Capitol Pressroom” program.
On the other hand, Cuomo was outraged when NYSUT President Karen Magee vented her emotion and accused the governor of
“doing the bidding of billionaires” when it comes to public education. The
cowardly Cuomo responded through his spokeswoman, denouncing Magee’s statement
as “mind-boggling” and “hostile.”
What would Cuomo have said if Magee had accused him of having the blood of public
schools on his hands?
The
metaphor works in this case, since Andrew Cuomo has done more to destroy public
education in New York State than Bill DeBlasio will ever do to destroy the New
York Police Department.
Cuomo will never call for the same “respect and consideration” for teachers as
he does the police. While public schools are a “monopoly” he’d like to “break”,
the cops are the only ones blocking the barbarians from breaking down Cuomo’s gates.
One can only imagine what Pat Lynch would say, for instance, if Cuomo threatened
to break the PBA’s monopoly on law enforcement in New York City.
It should surprise no one that the governor—who visited a whopping two public
schools during his first term—was outraged more by comments aimed at hedge
funders and their dystopian visions for public education than comments aimed at
a fellow democrat and mayor of the nation’s largest city. DeBlasio has at least attempted to stem the privatization of public education, and that alone quickly earned him a spot on the governor’s enemies list.
A vindictive sociopath, Cuomo governs on personal vendettas, caressing his donors while plotting revenge against those who refuse to caress his fragile ego. Cuomo recently bemoaned being able to control education only through the state budget, even calling requests for more school aid “political correctness.” With schools across the state slipping toward insolvency, Cuomo’s only objective is to repay his donors with more privately-run charter schools and pink slips for teachers. As this blog has urged again and again, NYSUT must move beyond strongly-worded faxes and petitions and take the battle for public education to Cuomo directly.
It remains to be seen if the Lobbyist for the Students will show up and share his pernicious bloviations about public education at the NYSUT town halls. Though Cuomo apparently has no difficulty speaking to billionaires about education, he’s apt to retreat to his cave at the whiff of educators and parents who actually know what they’re talking about. It seems Cuomo is comfortable talking about education only with those who have more money and less expertise than he does. Though Cuomo will likely ignore NYSUT’s invitation to the town halls, Magee must push for this and other specific actions, calling out Cuomo in the press and trailing the governor and his slimy associates across the state. NYSUT spokesman Carl Korn recently offered a speck of hope this might happen:
What worked for the anti-frackers will work for NYSUT, since public education and
our environment each face existential threats.
Teachers have an opportunity to answer Cuomo’s questions about education in-person
this New Year’s Eve at his mansion in Albany. Though Cuomo will likely filter
public employees from the visitors list—a driver’s license number is required
to register—teachers could take a big step toward Cuomo in 2015 by stepping
through his door on the final day of 2014.
Like the anti-frackers did, New York’s teachers
must get in Cuomo’s face—even if he tries to hide behind the police. After all, when Cuomo calls for us to protect the police, he’s really calling for the police to protect him and his
wealthy donors.
And as long as the police are on their side, Cuomo and others will keep attacking
labor. For as both Cuomo and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker understand,
workers must be divided before they can be conquered:
600
members of New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) recently gathered at a
bowling alley less than two miles from Governor Andrew Cuomo’s house.
No, this was not the staging ground for a rally against the anti-teacher Cuomo,
but rather the venue for an event which raised thousands of dollars for the
homeless. NYSUT locals from across the Hudson Valley did more to benefit
struggling New Yorkers in one night than all of Cuomo’s campaign fundraisers
combined.
If only $1,000 per plutocratic plate fed the hungry instead of Cuomo’s political
war chest.
The NYSUT Bowling Extravaganza is yet another example of the Union’s power to
organize, something that unfortunately has escaped its newly-elected leadership.If this many members can peacefully assemble on
a Thursday night amid bad pizza and gutter balls, it won’t require much more to
rally against a governor who has vowed to “break” public education.
Would it have been too much to ask, for example, for President Karen Magee and
the other NYSUT officers at the Mount Kisco event to lead a march past Cuomo’s
house after returning their multicolored, sliding-sole shoes?
When will NYSUT President Karen Magee aim for Cuomo?
Cuomo’s words are whispers compared to his actions. His tax
cap and GEA continue to syphon more dollars from essential programs, while his teacher
evaluation system (APPR) spins its wheels in the muck of Common Core, spraying
its sludge on families and educators around the state.
As Cuomo searches for ways to jettison unionized teachers, he’s also counting
on a Republican-led legislature (which hehelped elect) to dump public schools into private hands. Lifting the cap on
charter schools and passing the Education Investment Tax Credit would be long
strides in this direction. Look no further than the East Ramapo School District
in Rockland County for a taste of what could soon be coming to a district near
you.
With the mood of New York’s teachers torn between indifference and indignation,
it is well past time for NYSUT to mobilize its members within shouting distance
of Cuomo. Leadership could begin this push by at least publicly pronouncing the
Lobbyist for the Student’s name, which they tip-toed towards in a
recent statement:
It will take more than fine print at the bottom of a briefing, however, to remove Cuomo’s
fangs from public education and chase him back into his cave.
The good news is that New York’s governor is notoriously thin-skinned, and NYSUT
must exploit this. Cuomo rails against the press throughout the pages of his worst-selling memoir and
has even placed phone calls to journalists in an effort to downplay and dampen
stories that may damage him a lot more than his bombastic book has.
When confronted in-person by people with placards, Cuomo’s paranoia and
resentment deepens. Fracking protesters have crippled him into inaction on the
issue, as the governor recently claimed he’s “not a scientist” within weeks of
feigning more expertise on Ebola than a doctor who had Ebola. The protesters even scared Cuomo away from his Mount
Kisco polling place on primary day:
The small group of protesters Tuesday was apparently undaunted by some last-minute schedule changing by Cuomo's administration. After New Yorkers Against Fracking, a coalition group, announced Monday they would be outside Cuomo's polling place at 5:45 a.m. Tuesday, Cuomo's office announced later in the day that he'd be voting at 5 p.m.
By Tuesday morning, that was changed to 10 a.m.
"I literally see them everywhere I go," Cuomo said of the hydraulic fracturing opponents. "One of my daughters joked, we were pulling up to an event and she said, 'We must be in the wrong place. There's no fracking protesters.'"
NYSUT
must join the anti-frackers and also be everywhere Cuomo goes. After all, a lot
more than 600 of its members—600,000
to be exact—would like to talk to a governor who usually doesn’t like talking to
anyone north of Wall Street.
Less than two years ago, NYSUT bused 20,00o members to Albany to protest Cuomo’s
attacks on public education.In response
to the One Voice rally, Cuomo sent Education Commissioner John King and Regents
Chancellor Merryl Tisch on their disastrous Common Core goodwill tour around
the state. Outrage over education reform spread from town to town as Cuomo, King,
and Tisch played defense against concerned citizens.
Later the following year, for some reason, the same union that flexed its solidarity and scope that
spring day in the capital decided to overhaul its leadership,
replacing those ready to challenge Cuomo with those content to lick crumbs from
his chair.
It's time once again to force Cuomo out of his chair and towards the placards
approaching his door.
Teachers in the trenches await President Magee’s call.
How many Democrats will jump Cuomo's ship on September 9?
Today's Democrats are turning into yesterday's Republicans. Confused? Look no further than New York State, where Democratic
governor and aspiring outdoorsman Andrew Cuomo reportedly warned of
"repercussions" for members of the state AFL-CIO if they did not
endorse him at their union's annual convention on August 18. Amid this language and other acts of douchbaggery, it’s no surprise that U.S. Attorney Preet Bhararais investigating Cuomo for
meddling in the affairs of the supposedly independent anti-corruption Moreland
Commission. Among other things, Cuomo is suspected of having an inflated head
that's leaking something other than air.
Sure enough, Cuomo's name was absent from all convention
literature and open discussion about the race for governor was prohibited before
the body. The Lobbyist for the Student's name has become so toxic in his home
state that he doesn't even want to talk about himself these days, brushing aside a recent call for a debate with
Fordham law professor Zephyr Teachout, his opponent in the Democratic primary.
Referring to political debates as a "campaign strategy", Cuomo said
he'd leave the decision to debate Teachout up to the campaigns and
"whatever they decide."
Evidently, an open discussion about the future of New York
State now hinges on the whims of Joe Percoco, Cuomo's campaign manager who was
also recently suspected of strong-arming members of the Moreland Commission
into scrubbing Cuomo clean. Multiple sources say Percoco pressured key members
of the commission into issuing public statements in support of the executive
office in the days following the publication of a New York Timesarticle which ripped the lid off the inner workings
of Cuomo's Albany.
Teachout should not expect comments from Percoco about a
debate anytime soon, however, as Percoco seemingly cherishes his role as
Cuomo's "man behind the man" and invisible campaign manager. With
both men refusing to talk about talking about the issues, voters can only
speculate about the status of a government that has grown less transparent than
pond scum.
Among other stark contrasts with Teachout, Cuomo's icy
relationship with unions and other groups is indicative of a shifting paradigm in local and
national politics—an intra-party rejection of Democrats beholden to big money
in favor of grassroots populists who seek to rise above the fetid fumes of
money and threats to transparent, moral ground.
Cracks in the
system have only been deepened by the supposed standard-bearers of the
Democratic Party, with the tax and trade policies of Cuomo, the Clintons, and
President Obama turning Ronald Reagan's trickle-down into a deluge for .01 percent of
Americans. Today's most prominent Democratic leaders have become everything
Reagan dreamed they could become and more, insulating the pockets of plutocrats
with the calluses of working men and women everywhere. It seems NYSUT—whose members comprised the majority in
attendance on August 18—could also use a dose of transparency these days. Cuomo
recently signed a bill that the Albany legislature approved faster than you can
say quid pro quo, as even the NYSUT
Board of Directors was not aware of a law which strengthens the retirement
safety net of a mere three members—Karen Magee, Paul Pecorale, and Martin
Messner—all of whom were elected NYSUT officers in the union's recent election.
While questions linger about the origins of the bill, the larger question is
did newly-elected officers of the state's largest teachers union—with the unanimous
support of lawmakers—trade self-serving legislation for political favors? Both
the timing and secrecy of this legislation raises unsettling questions about
the principles of union leadership, who must not tip-toe away from transparency
but march towards it. The union has no good reason not to challenge Cuomo, after
all, and a non-endorsement only muffles the political discourse and forces
working teachers to retreat into their classrooms, away from politics in both
voice and vote. Teachers in the United States cannot afford to sink further into
political apathy, and union leaders have a responsibility to help engender an
open debate about those government officials who are helping the rich subsume
the system.
NYSUT members must hear why State Senator Jeff Klein, for example,
deserves their time and VOTE-COPE money. Klein, a Democrat who yielded
progressive control of the senate to Republicans and stood shoulder-to-shoulder
with Cuomo at a recent rally for charter schools, is another example of a
leader with the face of a Democrat and the fangs of a Republican.
State Senator Jeff Klein (background) has a face only NYSUT could love.
Former New
York Senator and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, recently
sighted hobnobbing in the Hamptons with AFT President Randi Weingarten, will
dilute any national conversation about economic inequality should she be the
Democratic nominee for president in 2016. Both Republican and Democratic
talking points will likely revolve around the need to help "all"
Americans by cutting corporate taxes and shipping jobs overseas competing in
the global economy. Cuomo's "death penalty" for New York's public
schools also spells doom for both social justice and his core values as a
Democratic, which he likely never possessed in the first place. The good news
is that Zephyr Teachout and her running mate for Lieutenant Governor Tim Wu
exist, and their campaign has gained momentum since Cuomo unsuccessfully tried
to kick Teachout off the ballot for not being as New York as him.
Cuomo and his
running mate Kathy Hochul—a former bank lobbyist and future Republican—have $35
million to spend compared to Teachout and Wu's $181,000. This money, however, speaks only through glossy
campaign flyers and commercials, and no amount money could turn Cuomo and Hochul back into real Democrats. Perhaps the Cuomo campaign will soon invite Republican challenger Rob Astorino to debate, confident they can out-Democrat him. America’s workers, not its lawmakers, keep the machine of
democracy running daily. It is therefore up to workers and their unions to be first
on the scene when its engine seizes in a cloud of cronyism and greed. Unions must lead with solutions, promoting candidates like Teachout who
will seek to undo recent changes to the Great Seal of the United States:
Both political parties have finally agreed on one thing.
As the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) sideshow convention sputters to a finish in Los Angeles, one thing should be clear to working teachers around the country:
our leaders are escorting us into the mouth of privatization while admiring its
teeth. Look no further for examples of this than the two most controversial
resolutions passed overwhelmingly by delegates on Sunday which address the
Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
Though the CCSS have grown more toxic than Chernobyl on a windy day, the adopted AFT resolution describes the "potential and promise" of standards that are threatened by, among other things, a "political agenda to privatize
education." The union acknowledges the existence of an insidious agenda to
privatize public education, an agenda which paradoxically must be stopped before we can
fix the CCSS. That's like saying we need to breakup monopolies before we can turn
Walmart back into a mom and pop store. They are one and the same. Whether teachers love them or hate them, the Common Core brand has so polluted the air of meaningful
progress in education that an exorcism may be necessary before AFT members can
start distributing those "resource kits" meant to strengthen the standards
and their twisted tests.
Yes, standards must
be embraced, improved and utilized, but only at the most local of levels with experienced
administrators and teachers monitoring their fruition throughout daily activities with students. And no, we don't need another brand name that polls better than
the Common Core; standards should always begin with a lower case "s"
and be incorporated into the curriculum based on how the professionals see fit. The AFT and others must stop propping up corporate brands like the
Common Core; even Arne Duncan doesn't refer to them by their proper name
anymore.
Duncan has said a lot in recent weeks, however, dismissing
the National Education Association's (NEA) resolution that he resign as
"local union politics" which he and most teachers stay out of. Sadly,
he may be right, as how many working teachers realize that their union's
"resolutions" carry about as much weight these days as this blog
post? Moreover, how many working teachers even know what happens at a union convention?
What didn't happen
over the weekend was the AFT echoing the NEA’s insistence that Duncan free up
more time in his hoops schedule.Delegates
bizarrely called on President Obama to implement a "Secretary Improvement
Plan" (SIP), stating that Duncan should resign if he does not
improve.After all, his "due
process rights” will have been “upheld." Ignoring the obvious false
equivalence and the imaginary timetable for Obama’s imaginary plan, what has
Duncan, as Secretary of Education, done to earn tenure in the eyes of the AFT?
According to the resolution, for the past five years (two years longer than the new
teacher probationary period in New York, by the way) Duncan has:
...aligned with those
who have undermined public education, with those who have attacked educators
who dedicate their lives to working with children, and with those who have
worked to divide parents and teachers. He has failed to bring parents,
students, teachers and community members together to improve the quality of
public education for all children, and he has promoted misguided and
ineffective policies on deprofessionalization, privatization, and test
obsession:
What reads like a warrant for Duncan's arrest is merely another lame attempt to keep the
AFT's seat at the kiddies table in the White House, at once seeking to placate
and punish Obama. The only way Duncan's first five years could
have been more disastrous is if he had also taught a class or two along the
way. Unions should call for nothing less than the immediate resignation of this
"promoter of privatization" and organize daily rallies outside his
office until he leaves with his bag of basketballs bouncing on his back. If
the AFT wants the president and politicians of all parties to take them
seriously, they must unequivocally hold political leaders accountable by
standing in solidarity with the NEA instead of passing toothless resolutions
that at most will make the president's press secretary chuckle at the reporters who
remember to even ask about education.
Messages to leaders can and should assume many mediums, but as the AFT emphasizes in writing, there is an overt and covert attempt to undermine teachers unions
in the United States today, and big money has a comfortable seat at the table.
Duncan, Obama, Cuomo, Walker, and Christie are just some of the leaders who've
pushed in its chair. Unions must shout louder than big money if they expect to
be heard. Tongue-in-cheek jabs at Duncan's due process only muddy the
issues even more. The AFT holds its convention every two years anyway, so if
and when Duncan's SIP is up for review, he'll already be weighing job offers
from charter schools with the scales tipping further in favor of privatization.
As Duncan observed, unions have their own politics. Just like Obama, union presidents have voters to answer
to. However, part of the problem is that not enough members are engaged in
political action both outside and within their unions, with many teachers ignoring
politics at all costs under the assumption that someone else will fight for them. These teachers may continue
ignoring politics, however, as long as they proceed as follows:
-Ignore NYSUT President Karen Magee's fear of the New York press; you are the best
and loudest messengers for students. (And feel free to scream your hatred of the Common Core,
since a looming loss of due process rights could soon make this impossible anyway.)
-Ignore UFT President Michael Mulgrew when he threatens to beat people up over the CCSS and mocks members who question the involvement of Eli
Broad and Bill Gates. Our devils cannot
get the better of us. Mulgrew's Revive slate is hoping we'll also ignore their platform leaflet from the NYSUT election just over three months ago:
-Ignore AFT President Randi Weingarten when she stands with
the likes of Duncan and Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy; you don't need a seat at their table to be heard. -And to teachers in New York, ignore all of the above leaders as they push a Cuomo endorsement in this year’s gubernatorial election; you should vote for Zephyr Teachout or Howie Hawkins anyway. Ignore your union leaders and follow what you believe is the best course for the profession. After all, your leaders are doing a splendid job ignoring you.
As
its first-ever contested election fades into NYSUT's past, uncertainty and
optimism churn within New York's largest teachers union. Many members worry if
the new leadership—led by President Karen Magee—will do anything to stifle the
onslaught of Governor Cuomo's tax cap or his love affair with charter schools.
While Magee has talked of the tax cap, her first walk may be towards renegotiating the
state's teacher evaluation plan (APPR), aiming for a one-size-fits-all system
that stretches from Montauk to Massena. Considering the unwieldy plans some
of Magee's biggest supporters negotiated within their own districts, a revised
APPR could pollute hundreds of other districts throughout the state. Laced
with Common Core tests and modules, APPR is an insidious way to evaluate
teachers. However, NYSUT has a more urgent issue to combat than an evaluation system which last year rated 92% of its members as either "effective" or "highly effective." Economic inequality remains the greatest threat to public schools and our democracy. Because of unjust budget cuts, 35,000 teachers in New York have lost their
jobs since 2009. It will require the efforts of many to close this wound. Just as democracy demands many
faces, so does justice. Unions must be a face of justice, and if NYSUT and
other organizations can't stare the plutocrats down, who will? With 600,000
members, NYSUT possesses the power to confront inequality across the state and
nation. Magee and other leaders must address this issue at every turn, and
through every medium. After all, it is a leader's job to inspire and educate
the masses, and it will require many hands to exterminate the vermin of
inequality.
Will Magee meet the task? Like all presidents, her first 100 days may answer
this question. This August, NYSUT will decide who to endorse in the state's
gubernatorial election. The oligarchical Cuomo needs NYSUT if he wants the
support of the AFL-CIO. Cuomo has talked and acted as anything but an education proponent,
threatening the "death penalty" for public schools while shaking hands at rallies for privately-run charters.NYSUT need look no further than Cuomo for a connection to the
privatization of public education. The organization only feeds this beast by supporting candidates so beholden to wealthy donors.
Though logic calls on people far and wide to rally outside of Cuomo's doors daily, Magee recently said, "the field is open as to who [NYSUT]
endorses." Such words do little to spur members against the pernicious
policies of Cuomo, as raccoons require only a crack to gain entry.
Thanks to the Supreme Court's decision in McCutcheon vs. FEC, billionaires have
permission to burn even more of their money on our withering democracy, which cries
out for campaign finance reform. Oxymoronic
justices continue to equate spending with speech. As a result, those with the
most cash continue to have the most say in our elections. A few people possess too much
power, and power grows corrupt in the hands of the few. Educators throughout the
nation can thank this imbalanced system for laws ending collective bargaining and
tenure, tilting the pendulum further in favor of plutocrats. Workers
could be dealt an even greater blow this June, when the Supreme Court may rule
on Harris v. Quinn. Should the court
rule in favor of Harris, public unions across the nation would begin bleeding
members, lured away by the sirens of a few extra dollars saved in their paychecks.
In addition to a diminishing voice at the ballot box, workers would also be
silenced at their workplaces, and likely blame their listless unions for the collapse of their livelihoods under the dictatorial demands of bosses.
With many districts careening toward insolvency, NYSUT must start chopping at the
roots of inequality before it grows too dense. For example, the next time Magee
talks to Cuomo, she should ask him about his duplicitous campaign finance law,
meant only to encourage a challenger against Tom DiNapoli in this year's comptroller race. DiNapoli, who opted out of the law, has been a friend to public education, with many urging him to challenge Cuomo in a democratic primary, something DiNapoli
has resisted. It’s likely Cuomo’s $33 million war chest has something to do
with this; yet another voice silenced by money.
Magee should also ask Cuomo why he decided to disband his Moreland Commission, which had been tasked with investigating corruption throughout the state. Was Cuomo's commission nothing more than a tool to prod legislators into passing his budget? Did Cuomo fear his own commission would soon start eating its host?
The next 100 days will determine much about the future of NYSUT and other unions around the country. More people must begin asking and answering the right questions if we wish to salvage our schools and democracy.
Amid
an outcry from members over the sale of public education to plutocrats, the
American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has stopped accepting donations to its
Innovation Fund from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Missed among its squirming within the tentacles of privatization was the AFT's slight gesture
of solidarity, since a proposed raise in member dues promises to recoup half of the money the organization received
each year from Gates. With organized labor drinking cold coffee these days, $500,000
from 1.5 million teachers suddenly buys a lot more democracy than $1 million
from a guy who couldn’t teach his way out of a wet paper bag. The AFT should lead similar efforts to stem the stream of plutocratic money into itself and public education
before our schools are overrun by robots.
Meanwhile, as Governor Andrew Cuomo rams nonsensical and undemocratic education reforms down New Yorkers’
throats, New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) will hold an election at its Representative Assembly (RA) on
April 5 to decide who will lead one of the AFT’s largest affiliates for the next
3 years. Though democracy should be baked into the marrow of unions, NYSUT’s election
reeks of disparity.
As NYSUT’s largest local, the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) will be
represented by 800 delegates at the RA—roughly one-third of the votes. Each one of these delegates belongs to an
invite-only group within the UFT called the Unity Caucus, run by UFT President Michael Mulgrew. In order to be “eligible” for membership in the Unity Caucus and vote in
NYSUT elections, UFT
members must “abide by its rules”, which include: ·To express criticism of
caucus policies within the Caucus; ·To support the decisions
of Caucus/Union leadership in public or Union forums; ·To support in Union
elections only those individuals who are endorsed by the Caucus, and to
actively campaign for his/her election; ·To run for Union office
only with the support of the caucus;
·To serve, if elected to
Union office, in a manner consistent with Union/Caucus policies and to give
full and faithful service in that office;
These draconian rules—in addition to shamelessly soliciting the votes of
retirees across the country—have kept the Unity Caucus in control of the UFT
for nearly 50 years. With no room for dissent in Unity, there’s no room for
dissent in the UFT. Consequently, with no room for dissent in its largest
local, there’s less room for dissent in NYSUT.Before any votes are cast at the RA, the “individuals who are endorsed by the
Caucus”—in this year’s case the entire Revive NYSUT slate of candidates—have an 800 delegate lead. Should 800 devotees to undemocratic caucus exert this much influence in an organization of 600,000 members?
Mulgrew, whose achievements as UFT president so far include zero contracts and a state-imposed teacher evaluation plan (APPR), has a lot riding on a Revive victory, including a suitcase full of back pay if he can parlay it into an AFL-CIO endorsement for Cuomo. Revive’s room temperature stance on Cuomo has done little to allay fears they won’t try to win over the Lobbyist for the Students and push an endorsement, or at least force NYSUT to remain neutral. For example, at a recent NYSUT candidates forum in Long Island, Andy Pallotta, running for re-election on the insurgent slate, meekly admitted he wouldn’t “personally” endorse Cuomo after being pressed by a skeptical audience. The UFT-bred Pallotta’s sincerity strains credulity in light of his $10,000 expenditure of voluntary union money (VOTE-COPE) at Cuomo’s birthday party and his designs to donate $250,000 more to the New York Democratic Party, an election-year goody bag for the governor. Unity delegates represent a myriad of members and interests throughout the nation’s
largest school system. Shouldn’t they at least be allowed to vote for the
individual candidates of their choice? If anything, a group
representing so many members in NYSUT’s first-ever contested election should consider carefully which candidates it chooses to endorse, unlike this year, when Mulgrew endorsed Revive before many of his members even knew
there was an election. Though most teachers
in New York have made up their minds about Cuomo, few even know who Karen Magee is.
Cuomo will continue to reward his highest bidder,
however. Even if Mulgrew does get his back pay, he’ll still have to deal with
Cuomo’s APPR and the metastasis of charter schools throughout the
city. Mulgrew would be best served by rallying his members against Cuomo’s
duplicity, such as his proposal to use the state’s budget to “protect” charter
schools while at the same time calling for the “death penalty” for public
schools. NYSUT's Past is Precedent
Those still not buying Mulgrew's misguided motivations need look no further than NYSUT’s recent past for a precedent. In the 2002 gubernatorial election, the Union was sidelined after the UFT endorsed Republican George Pataki in his race against Democratic challenger H. Carl McCall. NYSUT was forced out of that race while a younger and well-financed Cuomo poked McCall
throughout the primary. Pataki easily
took care of a wounded McCall in November, with many NYSUT members appalled by their
Union’s lack of support for McCall and the UFT’s bow to Pataki. The words of a rank and file teacher from a
2002 New York Timesarticle echo what could soon reverberate again throughout the state:
''I am embarrassed by this endorsement,''
said Barbara Glassman, a Queens special education teacher and supporter of Mr.
McCall. ''We have a tradition of backing our friends, and Carl McCall has
consistently been a unionist and friend of education.'' It didn’t hurt that Pataki included $200 million in the state budget that
year for the UFT’s raises, which immediately followed then UFT President Randi Weingarten awarding Pataki the UFT’s John Dewey Humanitarian Award. Weingarten "grew up in politics" with Andrew Cuomo and groomed Mulgrew as her replacement. Similar to her protege, Weingarten was also in search of a contract in 2002 and had run out of strings to pull, repeatedly backing the wrong
mayoral candidates to face Michael Bloomberg, an enemy of the labor
movement. As McCall himself observed at the
time: “You know, they [the UFT] need a
contract,” McCall said. “They need more money. And, you know, he’s holding them
up. ‘You want more money? Then do something for me.’ ”
McCall
may as well have been talking about the UFT and Revive's current flirtation with Cuomo. Following
the UFT’s endorsement of Pataki later that year, McCall spoke into the future and Mulgrew:
“Anybody who would support the Governor
on the basis of his education program and his education policies would be
betraying the schoolchildren of New York State.” McCall was likely unaware of his power for prophecy at the time. An Opportunity for MORE Voices
With major NYSUT positions and policies at stake this year, New
York City teachers unfortunately need a written invitation to be heard by a local that
suppresses some of its strongest voices.Facing an
intransigent Unity, where can these voices go to be heard?
Ironically, back
to their state union.
Running as independents in the NYSUT election are
seven members of the UFT, led by Queens teacher Arthur Goldstein, who’s challenging Pallotta
for executive vice president. These candidates encompass passionate, rank and file voices
within the UFT, some who've even been heard on the national stage. Goldstein, a
longtime UFT chapter leader and “NYC’s best teacher-blogger" (according to Diane Ravitch), is seeking to“wake
up the sleeping giant that is our membership .” A staunch defender of public education, Goldstein has relentlessly censured city, state, and national leaders alike for their attacks on the profession. NYSUT will be well-served with him as its legislative leader, a strong voice for a position in desperate need of revival. UFT candidates for at-large directors include
Julie Cavanagh (who unsuccessfully ran against Mulgrew for president last year), James Eterno, Lauren Cohen, Jia Lee, Mike Schirtzer, and Francesco Portelos, a whistle-blowing teacher from Staten Island who's been exiled from his school and recently jailed for excessive satire. Portelos's strife taught him the value of unionism and can lend valuable experience in a climate in which many teachers have bullseyes on their backs. Should these UFT dissidents win prominent positions in NYSUT, they would suddenly have a bully pulpit to channel an activistic UFT demographic, broadcasting the multitudinous needs of their members around the state and nation. No longer pinned down by the Unity Caucus, NYSUT's largest local would unfurl a tapestry of voices above the dictates of the few. Never before has such an opportunity presented itself to the UFT's rank and file members.
A Stronger Union On April 5, Union delegates from around the state will gather in New York City beneath a wrinkled banner of democracy. Hopes remain high, however, that this banner will re-emerge smoother than before, with more members pressing its principles. Elections are only as healthy as the number of people who vote, after all. Though Mulgrew, Pallotta, and Revive may have locked up the votes of 800 delegates, they cannot guarantee a majority. This year's RA should attract more members than ever, fighting for a stronger NYSUT.
And much to Arthur Goldstein's satisfaction, the sleeping giant may have already been awakened...
