The New York Post has printed a series of articles on teachers that faced State 3020-a disciplinary hearings and cherry picked the most egregious examples of the time, effort, and money it took to resolve these cases. Obviously, the DOE provided the information to the New York Post who then published the DOE's greatly embellished charges against these teachers. Notice, the DOE did not give the New York Post information on the many deals they made with other teachers who faced these same charges. I wonder why?
It is very obvious this series of teacher-bashing articles is the handiwork of Post reporter Carl Campanile who's almost daily assault on seniority-based layoff rules known as "last in, first out" or LIFO and appears to take his marching orders from Mayor Bloomberg and his education deformer friends. I guess this starts the next phase by the Bloomberg Administration and Tweed to erode teacher "due process rights" and scapegoat teachers by tying them to a whipping post . Their hope is by identifying these egregious cases, the general public will turn against the teacher union and pressure the State to eliminate LIFO. Fat chance, even the general public realizes that it is simply a Bloomberg power grab.
Up to now the union has done a "good job" in making sure Bloomberg's LIFO Bill has not gained any traction in the Governor's Office or the State Assembly. However, it is apparent that the New York Post teacher-bashing series is just another phase in the Bloomberg Administration's effort to rid the school system of highly-paid teachers in their "education on the cheap" policy. Therefore, the union needs to fight back with all it's resources and show these so called education deformers and their media lackey's real goal. That is to destroy the teachers union and to privatize the school system.
The end product for Mayor Bloomberg is to have a young, replaceable teaching staff who will not last long enough to ever get pension and retiree health benefits. Furthermore, it will aid education reformers who's main goal is to privatize the school system and put profits ahead of academic achievement. "Children first", yeah right, it is really the hedge fund managers first and "children last".
I don't think they've reached a new low, actually. To me, this seems par for the course for Murdoch.
ReplyDeleteWhat the UFT and NYSUT should do is to take out full page adds in the New York papers. This tactic by other city unions helped to expose Bloomberg and drop his approval ratings to an all time low. One full page add each week stating factual accounts of the failed policies of Bloomberg will do the trick. Each time the Post or News attacks LIFO, the response should be the facts,(graduation rates, test scores,city time,consultants fees, no bid contracts,stipulation agreements,etc..), that will further turn public opinion against Bloombergs failed education policies. Coupled with the May 12 rally, this could be the Waterloo of education reformers vs true educators!!
ReplyDeleteold unionist
I hope all you teachers had a wonderful day back at work after 11 days off!
ReplyDeleteThanks Anon...wasn't there a show based on that sentiment awhile back...? "Welcome Back Kotter"...well thanks for the welcome...!
ReplyDeleteActually, Anon 5:02, it was 7 days off, not 11; you can hardly count weekends, since most of the working world gets weekends off.
ReplyDeleteAnd many of us worked on grades, lesson plans, and did a lot of other work during our break. What do you take home from your job? Many take nothing; hardly the case with teachers. Of course, trolls like you don't deserve an answer, but every once in a while, someone should say something.
Not very many touch this subject, do they? That's ok, I'm on it.
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