The Washington Teacher: RIF'ed DC Teachers Challenge Union Colleagues To Fight

The Washington Teacher: RIF'ed DC Teachers Challenge Union Colleagues To Fight:

"Teachers and school counselors who were recently laid off by the Rhee administration have stepped up their fight on behalf of unfairly laid off teacher colleagues. These group of laid off teachers and school staff are known as Fight for Fired DC personnel. Included in this activist group are Washington Teachers’ Union Executive Board members Sheila Gill, Willie Brewer and Agnes Dyson. This group plans to work to combat unfair November 2 teacher cuts by Chancellor Rhee’s administration.


Fight For Fired DC Personnels’ first actions included advancing their written request to the Washington Teachers’ Union for financial assistance to the cover the cost of their legal appeals to OEA (Office of Employee Appeals). This request was sent to the WTU President George Parker as well as AFT President Randi Weingarten via certified mail."

At last week’s rescheduled December 15 executive board meeting, Sheila Gill, WTU Board member proposed a motion that the WTU will file a legal appeal of Judge Bartnoff’s November 24 ruling. It was noted that there is a 30 day timeline to file an appeal. Although much discussion ensued, WTU President George Parker did not lend his support for a motion to appeal Bartnoff’s decision. He indicated that he did not vote since the motion did not result in a tie. Unfortunately, our union attorney was not present at the WTU Executive Board meeting.

I spoke in favor of laid off teachers’ right to an appeal even though WTU President George Parker would not allow me to speak in the first round and only reluctantly allowed me to speak in the second round of discussions on this matter. I do not agree with the parliamentarian’s opinion (John Tatum) that I should not be allowed to vote ex-officio as a member of the Board of Trustees (BOT) given that a decision was made for BOT members to be included in all executive board meetings. So it seems that Parker twists Robert's Rules of Order to his convenience denying me the opportunity to speak or requiring me to speak last in an effort to prevent my voice from being heard.

Given that union president, George Parker historically is not a fighter, it is not surprising that he does not support teachers' legal right to file an appeal to Judge Bartnoff’s November 24 legal decision. However, what came as a