Education O.L: Karen Lewis

Monday, July 30, 2012

@AFT - Chicago Teachers Protest RTTT During/After Biden Speech

UPDATED WITH VIDEO:

Substance REPORTS: Some AFT delegates protest Race To The Top while majority don 'Obama Biden 2012' tee shirts during speech by Vice President Joe Biden

UPDATE: Read Biden speech, NYC Educator style:

MORE UFT Members Lisa and Gloria show solidarity with the CTU

We took most of these pics right after the Biden speech as CTU members handed out leaflets outside the hall. The first few were taken as Biden began to speak. Karen Lewis, CTU President and an AFT Ex Bd VP did not join the other AFT Veeps on the stage. Below she crosses her arms, showing displeasure at an unconditional endorsement.

Note that while most people in the audience wore blue Obama/Biden tee-shirts, most CTU members wore their red shirts.

This came in from an ed notes reader:

I just learned that Joe Biden's brother operates a charter chain in Florida I think teachers should not vote for Obama. I think the push should be to get as many teachers as possible to state they will not vote for Obama as long as he supports RttT and refuses to affirm support for public schools in a meaningful manner, and, addresses the issue of Biden's brother operating a charter chain and the possible affects in may have on this administration's education policies.

(SEE SUBSTANCE ARTICLE BELOW PICS)

David Stone writes at Subsatnce:

Trying to send a message to U.S. Vice President Joe Biden when he addressed the American Federation of Teachers on Sunday, July 29, 2012, delegates from the Chicago Teachers Union joined by other delegates held signs protesting Race to the Top. The CTU members wore CTU red shirts, while the majority of AFT delegates were wearing blue shirts with an Obama/Biden message.
The AFT has taken no official stands against the Obama Administration's under-funded, coercive, test-driven Race to the Top education program. The resolution passed by the convention against high-stakes testing and test abuse mentions "No Child Left Behind" (the program of the Bush administration) as creating test abuse, but does not mention "Race To The Top" (the current program of the Obama administration), which requires even more testing.

David R. Stone - July 29, 2012

Chicago Teachers Union delegates to the AFT convention (above) refused to wear the blue "Obama Biden" tee shirts that were being given away to delegates or hoist the "Obama Biden" signs, instead wearing Chicago's distinctive red tee shirts and silently holding up signs reading "Stop Race To The Top" during the July 29 speech by Vice President Joe Biden. Substance photo by George N. Schmidt.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Video @AFT Special - Solidarity Resolution - Mulgrew, Lewis, Johnson Rock the House

You come after one of us, you deal with all of us ---- Michael Mulgrew.

Karen Lewis led it off and Mulgrew finished it, with Detroit's Keith Johnson and someone from Colorado whose name I didn't get in between. We get a sense that we are all in this together and if we don't fight this together no one can win.

Listen to the Colorado union rep if I remember correctly 2 years ago there was so much excitement about the "collaboration" in Colorado which she says has now been thrown out. Yes, are people learning that even when you try to give them much of the loaf and keep a piece for yourself, they don't even want you to have that piece.

And Detroit Fed Teacher head Keith Johnson who seemed so smug in Seattle got up and made a rousing speech about the overwhelming attack going on in Detroit and other cities. Lisa and Gloria were sitting with a Detroit teacher who told them her salary this year was $8000 less than last and she will finish her career making less than what she started with.

http://youtu.be/nFczwUFc6Nk

I know many of you guys are saying it's all bullshit. But I was in Seattle in 2010 the Gates fiasco and the climate here has turned. Will they act on it or are these just words? I truly believe the UFT and the AFT will back Chicago all the way. There is no choice. I told Randi the other day that Chicago was bringing us all together. While I will continue to hammer them when needed I am also looking for areas where we can agree.

I was impressed and shook Mulgrew's hand afterward. When they do the right thing we should say, "Right on" and the message Mulgrew sent and the way he delivered it was Right On!

Read Biden speech, NYC Educator style:

Good Day AFT
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Previous @AFT Ed Notes Reports (in reverse chronological order)

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