To be heard by the IEA leadership gets tougher. I still own the orange sweater. And I’m the new president of Skokie. « Fred Klonsky

To be heard by the IEA leadership gets tougher. I still own the orange sweater. And I’m the new president of Skokie. « Fred Klonsky:

To be heard by the IEA leadership gets tougher. I still own the orange sweater. And I’m the new president of Skokie.

by Fred Klonsky

Wearing the ugly orange sweater at the 2009 IEA RA. 


When Bob Haisman was IEA President and I was the only delegate to the NEA RA from Illinois who supported the merger of the AFT and the NEA, Haisman was cordial and dismissive. I really posed no challenge to the outcome he wanted. I was for the unity of the two national teacher unions. He opposed it. He won.
When Ann Davis was President, I would go to the mic. She would call on me. I would ask a question. She would respond with, “Next question.” 
When Ken Swanson was President, he just would ignore me at the mic. He wouldn’t see me.
This led me to wearing a bright ugly orange sweater to the state conventions. The better to be seen.
Such is the nature of democracy