Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, May 31, 2014

5-31-14 Ed Notes Online Week

Ed Notes Online


Ed Notes Online



My Friday: Hot Yoga, Set Construction at Rockaway Theatre Co, MORE Happy Hour
This past Friday I had a busier day than I had when I was working. I need a break. If I unretire and go back to the DOE can I get that thousand buck bonus if I vote YES on the contract? So hot yoga - Bikram yoga - is one of the harder things to do and after losing 3-5 pounds in an hour and a half (and gaining it all back) you feel parts of your body are no longer connected. I would be the Tin Man

Ipswitch Kids Want to be Paid for Taking Field Tests
No testing without compensation! Ipswich is not far from Boston harbor. This has tremendous potential! Imagine if dozens or hundreds of schools caught on to the idea that students field testing products of for-profit companies should be paid; kids all over the country start sending bills to state officials. ... Jeff N. What I found so great about this story is that the teacher made an off-hand com

MORE Weekly Update: 3 Happy Hours Today, Info on Observing Contract Vote Count
The busy bees at MORE - important info on observing the contract vote count on Monday and Tuesday -- Ellen Fox and I will be there both days -- Monday they open the school packages and envelopes and Tuesday they count.At first Leroy Barr told us only each caucus could have one observer. MORE objected - we felt all teachers should have the right to observe- though with the caveat - DO NOT TAKE A SI

MAY 29

UFT Contract: The Growing Divide - the Salary Gap Between UFT/Unity Caucus Leaders and Members Grows With New Contract
MORE, Love your blog!A pamphlet called "Before You Vote" hit my school Friday and people went nuts. It lists the $32.5 million in salaries of 606 UFT employees starting from Mulgrew ($276K)  on down- some of these people are making $100K and above and are trying to sell us a 1% contract--people are miffed.My school has a Unity stooge for CL and he was desperate to collect all copies to d

MAY 28

NYC Teacher David Garcia-Rosen Battles DOE for More Sports Teams fo Small Schools
The leadership of the DOE continues to believe offering me a job at the PSAL is the solution. They continue to defend the PSAL which is one of the most “separate and unequal” high school sports systems in the country. I can’t go work for the PSAL, when they continue to defend their current funding model at the very few meetings they grant me... David Garcia-Rosen, NYC teacher and founder of Small

MAY 27

Leonie Haimson/Class Size Matters: Skinny Awards Dinner, June 9
I've been to every one of these events and for those fighting ed deform there is no better place to be on a June evening with a gaggle of like-minded folks. I've been to every one and am going again this year. The Skinny Award (a slam at the Broad award) is a major fundraiser for the amazing work Leonie does. She is honoring principals Carol Burris and Liz Phillips. And the great Patrick Sullivan.
Rent for Eva's 3 charters to cost city $5.4 million a year-- without a whimper from UFT or de Blasio
If rent for three of Eva’s charter schools will cost $5.4 M per year, can you imagine the hundreds of millions of dollars in future costs to the city and state as every existing co-located, new or expanded charter can demand free facilities and/or rent?... Leonie HaimsonREPORT: IBO’s analysis of the Mayor’s Executive Budget for 2015 includes our latest economic forecast and tax revenue projections
UFT Contract: Discrimination Against Women on Child Care Leave
Woman (and some men) on maternity leave -  unfairness and bias against mothers taking care of their children in this contract. No "signing bonus" and will not get retro, not only on leave, but will only get it in payments after return.... Comment from a MOREista with a young childYes, some men, but mostly women. From the early days of ed deform I was pointing to how the entire concept of

MAY 26

MORE Lower Manhattan Happy Hour Friday, May 30, 4-6PM
DISTRICT 1 & 2 Happy Hour will be a place to discuss the proposed contract and other educational issues we face! Friday, May 30th (4-6)LOCAL 138, 138 Ludlow, between Rivington & Stanton (F, J, M to Delancey) Back room is reserved Feel free to spread the word and bring others.
UFT Contract Exit Polls Contradict NY Times Article on Contract
At my school, the xxxxxx, the chapter elected to conduct an "exit poll" to assess how we as a chapter voted on the contract proposal. These are the unofficial results of the xxxx vote.Total UFT members: ....45 Total voting "YES" - ......16Total voting "NO" - ........26Abstentions: .....................3---A MORE Chapter Leader Interesting, given today's NY Times artic

MAY 24

UFT Contract: Roseanne McCosh Respond to Unity Caucus Criticism
I am not going away and I am most certainly not alone in the fight.... So what do you call a union leadership that uses scare tactics, mischaracterizes people’s reasons and motives for disagreeing with them and who allows reps to lie to its members at workshops?  Norm calls them slugs.  I call them much worse.  I’ve also labeled Mulgrew as a coward because I believe that the only reason that there