Lets Talk After the Big Show: Stewart’s Last Meal
In the ongoing attack against public education in Chicago, the president of one of the largest teacher's unions in the nation elects to meet after an important board meeting instead of organizing any protest or mass mobilization of the membership to fight against the rubber stamp Board of Education to continue to close and privatize public schools.
Marilyn Stewart is going to use union resources after — not before — the January 27, 2010, Chicago Board of Education meeting in which 15 public schools be closed, phased out, or radically transformed through a process CPS is calling "turnaround" this year. Here is her invitation:
You are invited to attend a meeting with Chicago Teachers Union officers to discuss strategies for proposed school actions by the Chicago Public Schools, including closings, turnarounds, consolidations and phase-outs.
The meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 27th, 4:30 p.m. at the CTU office, 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 400.
Please plan to bring pertinent facts or information about your school that may aide us in fighting the proposed actions.
A parking pass will be provided and dinner will be served. Please use the MartParc Wells parking lot at 401 North Wells (northeast corner of Wells and Kinzie).
“The idea of meeting afterward is ludicrous and a waste of union resources,” says Linda Porter candidate for Union President in the up coming May 2010 union elections. “We should be using our resources and organizing as much as we can to protect union members and thereby protecting the students of Chicago before the Board meeting not afterward.”
Chicago Public Schools will hold 18 hearings, 14 at the school system's central office (125 S. Clark St.) and four in the communities (three at the schools themselves and one at a nearby school), on the proposed changes in schools brought to the public by CEO Ron Huberman on January 19, 2010. A total of 18 hearings are scheduled as of January 19. Stewart did not attend all of the closing hearings in last years round of closings , so it will be interesting to see how many hearings she will attend this year.
Comments:
By: Margaret Wilson
Retired teacher/parent
I am disappointed to read about the bickering between the caucuses. If Marilyn is going to be defeated, there needs to be more unity.
We need to work together and believe that saving the unity is the top priority.
By: kugler
more later
i will on the progress of the groups getting together/not soon.
john
By: Vinicius
Marilyn Clowning all of us
Why do I get the image of Nero playing his fiddle as Rome is burning!!!
By: Danny
What bickering?
Ms. Wilson is "disappointed to read about the bickering between [sic] the caucuses."
What bickering?
The various opposition caucuses are all hammering away at Marilyn Stewart's UPC. Rather than concentrating her/their efforts on one opponent, Marilyn/UPC is on the defense among five.
Where have you read about the caucuses bickering among themselves? I'm not aware of any such thing.
By: Margaret Wilson
Retired teacher/parent
CORE says that they are the only caucus who can truly represent the teachers and other workers. Then someone else says that she turned to CORE for help and they didn't do anything. She asked for an open forum with all the caucuses. Many of us have said that the caucuses should try to unite and present a united front to defeat Marilyn but all the caucuses seem to think that they have a unique position that can not be blended with the other caucuses.
By: Danny
Let the campaign begin
The examples you cite are not of the caucuses bickering among themselves.
Naturally, each opposition caucus must try to convince the membership that it has the best chance of winning against Marilyn Stewart/UPC.
Surely Marilyn Stewart would wish for all the opposition groups to unite, leaving her to face a single opponent. Why on earth would we grant her that wish?
From my vantage point, we are much better off with the various groups--already united in their opposition to the corruption and ineptitude of the Stewart/UPC administration. The leaders of these groups have already announced their intentions to run campaigns against Stewart/UPC and not each other--at least during the general election.
By: kugler
Unfiltered BoE Meeting
Unfiltered: Chicago Board of Education Monthly Meeting, January 27, 2010
January 27, 2010 125 S. Clark
http://www.wbez.org/CityRoom_Education.aspx
By: ALBERT KORACH
RETIRED TEACHER
KUGLER
AS I HAVE SAID OVER & OVER THE CONSTANT REPEATING OF STEWART DID THIS AND STEWART DID THAT SERVES A PURPOSE BUT IS NOT AN END IN ITSELF.THE GOAL IS STILL THE MAY ELECTION. THERE STILL MAY BE TIME TO FORM SOME TYPE OF CONSOLIDATION AMONG THE VARIOUS CAUCUSES RUNNING FOR CTU OFFICE. I GUESS EVERYONE WANTS TO BE CHIEF.