New York votes dominate Common Core debate at the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) convention as a majority of AFT delegates votes to continue critical support for Common Core ... AFT leadership has to deploy union officials to speak, while classroom teachers oppose Common Core
A mad dash for the microphones started when a United Federation of Teachers (UFT, New York City, Local 2 of the AFT), delegate began sprinting as the doors were opened for delegates to enter the floor of the national convention of the American Federation of Teachers on July 13, 2014 in Los Angeles. Was it a cover tribute to the Los Angeles Olympics of decades ago? No. The 3,000 delegates to the AFT convention was about to debate Common Core, and the 200,000 members UFT (New York City's teacher union) was about to defeat their Chicago "brothers and sisters" on a resolution or two that had acquired national importance.
All of those who spoke against Common Core at the AFT convention were classroom teachers, like Pia Payne-Shannon from Minneapolis (above speaking during the debate). Most of those who spoke from the floor in support of the "standards" resolution which the AFT leadership poised against the Chicago Common Core resolution were union officials, including the presidents of the New York City and Detroit local unions, neither of which presented a classroom teacher to speak on behalf of Common Core. Substance photo by Kati Gilson.And poised in opposition to the continuation of what amounts to "critical support" for the Common Core favored by New York and the AFT national leadership was the outright opposition, brought to the floor of the convention by the Chicago Teachers Union (Local 1 of the AFT).The dash to the mics, in the eyes of many at the convention, was just a continuation of the bullying, underhanded tactics used by the UFT -- to "win at any price" more than one delegate noted -- on issues of importance to the national union leadership. It was a race to the finish line -- the "good seats" in the cavernous hall at the Los Angeles convention center.
A CTU Delegate started running, passed the UFT Delegate and was able to claim a spot near the microphone. Why the rush? The issues to be debated, then voted on included a vote on the Common Core State Standards.
The jockeying for position began two days prior when the Educational Issues Committee met to decide which resolutions would go forward to the floor two days earlier. Under AFT rules, any local may submit resolutions for the consideration by the general convention, which meets every two years. But then the resolutions are divided up among more than 20 Common Core debate at AFT - Substance News: