Archive Page 105

Two photos from demonstration against racist principal

Published August 2, 2013 Abusive Administrators , New York CIty Department of Education Closed

Last month teachers and supporters picketed Tweed. They demanded an immediate, rapid and unbiased investigation by the Chancellor’s office into allegations that a Queens Principal called African American teachers she was firing “big lipped,” “nappy haired,” and “gorillas.”

Demonstration against racist principal 2

Pan American International High School will be without any African American teachers next year, because two teachers were fired after a Queens Principal, Minerva Zanca, made racist comments about them in closed-door meetings with her assistant principal.  The third African American teacher is leaving the school because of severe budget cuts to her hugely successful Theater program which were racially motivated.

Picketers demanded a full investigation into these allegations and, if they are substantiated, that the DOE hold the principal accountable to its zero-tolerance policy against discrimination.  They also demanded the discontinuances be reversed and the teachers be rehired.

Demonstration against racist principal

The Chapter Leader, Peter Lamphere, is a leading member of the MORE Caucus, which endorsed the picket, as did New Action/UFT, and as did the UFT as a whole.

Coping with the new teacher evaluation

Published July 3, 2013 Teacher Evaluation , tenure , test scores , UFT 1 Comment

(from the New Action leaflet distributed at the June 2013 UFT Delegate Assembly).
For a printable version click: Leaflet 2013 June

Coping with the new teacher evaluation

The system is here, like it or not. We are immediately faced with complexities: school-based committee to choose local measures, organizing 30 hours of PD next year, advising members on observation options, teaching members about professional conferences, domains, components, artifacts. Soon we will need to learn about how ratings are calculated, how test scores trump all, and the consequences for Ineffective Ratings, and, critically, for Developing Ratings.

Our Chapter Leaders need concrete information so we can properly participate in implementation, and assist our members. We need to know what to do if our principals don’t adhere to the rules. We need a central hotline for questions.

There will be time to point fingers. There will be time to write puff pieces. That time is not now. Now is the time to figure out how to protect our members and their rights.

 

Resolution on UFT Elections

Published July 2, 2013 New Action , UFT , UFT elections , UFT Executive Board Closed

(from the New Action leaflet distributed at the May 2013 UFT Delegate Assembly).
For a printable version click: Leaflet 2013 June

Resolution on UFT Elections

Only 18% of our in-service members voted this Spring. We should all be concerned. At the June 3, 2013 exec board meeting New Action introduced a resolution to form a committee to study this and make recommendations. It was amended, and passed, and is before you today:

WHEREAS, in the recently concluded UFT citywide election the total in-service vote dropped by a total vote of 11,434 which represents a decrease of 12% from the 2004 election; and

WHEREAS, the UFT made several efforts to increase membership involvement in the election, including Robo calls and emails to members for the first time, District Representatives working with CL’s to increase the vote; be it

RESOLVED, that the Election Committee conduct a study of the reasons affecting low voter participation and issue a report to the President, Executive Board and Delegate Assembly with recommendations.

… and an amendment

The original resolution called for a new committee with equal representation for the three caucuses that participated in the election. The amended resolution calls instead for the election committee to do the work, since that body already exists. But the election committee only has one member from New Action, and one from MORE. Issues of fairness and representation should lead us to amend the resolved to read:

Election Committee, expanded to include at least 2 members of each caucus, conduct….

 

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