Movement of Rank and File Educators

The social justice caucus of the UFT Monthly Newsletter of morecaucusnyc.org -

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Our Working Conditions are our

students Learning Conditions

December 12, 2012 Volume 1, No. 2
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MORE Evaluation Resolution Gains Support At Schools - Mulgrew Chatter at DA Cuts Time for Rank and File Motions
We were prepared to present the MORE Evaluation Resolution at the November Delegate Assembly (D.A.). But as reported by several attendees, the Union President, Michael Mulgrew just went on and on, monopolizing the time of the meeting until just a few minutes were left for motions from the floor. For those of you not familiar with D.A.s, this is not an unusual practice for UNITY Officials. They pad their talk time at the expense of Chapter Leaders and Delegates coming to the meeting with something to say. A number of schools have had their Chapters vote support MORE Resolution, including Edward A. Reynolds West Side High School, PAIHS Elmhurst, Bronx International High School (Morris Campus), Leon M. Goldstein High School, Murray Bergtraum H.S.. PS 15K, PS 443X. The majority of members at PS 24 Brookyn, PS 307K Brooklyn, Antonia Pantoja Prep Academy (Stevenson HS Campus, Bronx), IS 218 (Brooklyn), and Clara Barton High School have signed and endorsed the Resolution. The key points of the resolution, are that 25-40% of the new evaluation system will be based on standardized testing, only 13% of those receiving adverse ratings will have the right to appeal them, the philosophy behind the evaluation framework is that teachers are the only factors to be held responsible for student performance, a position which is patently false since it ignores socio-economic realities, special needs, class size unacceptable in the White suburbs but OK in the inner city (symptomatic of racism), restrictive curriculum, and school-level as well as city-wide administrative mismanagement. Teachers working with students disproportionately affected by these factors will be punished for their commitment. For More information on the November D.A. go to James Eternos article on iceuftblog.blogspot.com Chapter Leaders! Delegates! If you want more democracy in the UFT have your school chapter endorse this Resolution. Lets have a full discussion and vote. Its time the leadership of the Union served your interests.

Randi Weingarten "Bar-like Exam" Proposal is Shortsighted! A MORE Press Release

Randi Weingarten, American Federation of Teachers President and former United Federation of Teachers President, has been talking up a proposal that would require a national certication exam for teachers. The proposal has received much attention, especially from the corporate reform crowd, who support it. "It is shocking that our national union leader is proposing a national high stakes exam for educators, while at the same time leading a national campaign supposedly against the overuse of high stakes testing for students," said Julie Cavanagh, NYC teacher and UFT presidential candidate with MORE caucus."What we know about these kinds of exams is that they sort, deter, and discriminate.Unfortunately, Weingarten's proposal reinforces the teacher quality problem myth and the idea that high stakes standardized tests can promote high quality teaching and learning." "Standardized exams tend to be racially biased," said Brian Jones, MORE's candidate for UFT Secretary. Jones added, "Over the last several years we have seen a sharp decline in the number of Black and Latino/a educators in New York City, Chicago, and across the country.

Building strong chapters, Building a strong Union, A bottom up social justice approach
En pie de la lucha
MORE (Movement of Rank and File Educators) invites you to a day long retreat on the nuts and bolts of creating a strong social justice union by building strong chapters. Work with MORE on building a democratic, bottom up organization that reects or vision for our UFT. Participate in discussions on what a social justice union looks like as well as how MORE is standing up to the attacks on teachers, students and communities. Workshops on one-on-one organizing, leadership training and standing up to the union leadership will also be part of the day. December 28, Friday - 80 LaSalle Street, New York City, New York between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue
- Take 1 train to 125th Street, A or D train to 125th Street.

- 10 am to 12 More Structures - help create your org. - 12 - 12:45 Lunch - 1-4 Workshops

Julie Cavanagh, MORE candidate for President of the the UFT

Brian Jones, MORE candidate for Secretary of the UFT

Camille Eterno, MORE candidate for Treasurer of the UFT

Gateway to Health Sciences. As chapter leader, Camille won grievances that even the UFT leadership said were not winnable.

This Spring - your chance to vote for new leadership in the UFT!
President: Julie Cavanagh, a UFT chapter leader who teaches in Red Hook, Brooklyn. In 2009-2010 Julie, alongside a NYC parent and student sued Mayor Michael Bloomberg for the right to protest school closings and charter schools.

Secretary: Brian Jones, has taught elementary school grades for nine years, faced off with Michelle Rhee and Geoffrey Canada on national TV, and conarrated the film, The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman. Treasurer: Camille Eterno has been an English teacher in New York since 1996. In her second year as a teacher, she was elected to be chapter leader at the Queens

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To write letters to the editor, make suggestions or ask questions about the MORE program, email us at

more@morecaucusnyc.org

MORE Monthly General Meeting is Saturday, December 15, Time: 12-3 Location: 224 W 29th Street, between 7/8ave 14th floor Topics: The Fight against School Closures, Building MORE Check morecaucusnyc.org for the time and locations of upcoming socials, public forums and meetings. We are building MORE for all of us! 2