NYC Educator: "Revive NYSUT" Is Really "Rebury NYSUT"

NYC Educator: "Revive NYSUT" Is Really "Rebury NYSUT":

"Revive NYSUT" Is Really "Rebury NYSUT"

The more I look at the controversy in our state union, the more I think its intent is to push it back into nothingness. The moment NYSUT leadership begins to take sensible stands, they are opposed. And by whom? By the leadership of the United Federation of Teachers. I often use UFT and UFT leadership interchangeably, but I'm going to have to be more careful about that going forward.

UFT is me, and likely you. UFT is all of us who spend our lives teaching the children of New York City. And our leadership is substantively different from leadership of many state locals. To wit, they do not teach. They will not be observed four or six times, and they will not be rated by test scores of students who they may or may not teach. And since the overwhelming majority of us can't even be bothered to vote in union elections, they don't get a very strong message that we care one way or another what they do.

Honestly, I understand that our union is so large it's impractical for Michael Mulgrew to teach. Of course, with tens of thousands of members we need people to work for us. UFT does a lot for us, my reservations notwithstanding. But you have to wonder, when we all make sacrifices, when we patrol the halls, lunchrooms, and bathrooms, when we can't grieve letters to file simply because they're utterly fabricated, well, how do they feel it when they don't doit?

Here's what NYSUT has done lately--for one, it's not at all clear they're planning to endorse Governor Andrew Cuomo, the guy who came into office swearing to go after unions. They're also taking a strong stand against Reformy John King and Common Core. Where have these people been all these years, as teachers have