2023-06-17 20:33
The best reason to vote no on this contract is this: UFT Unity lied to us in 2018. They misrepresented that contract. It was predicated on deals we were not fully informed about. It is leadi… Read More
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New York City Schools
2023-06-13 21:55
Mayor Swagger will probably talk about it around noon. Mulgrew has ordered the contract committee in at 2 PM and it will probably be voted on at DA today. Expect compensation increases… Read More
2023-06-09 23:58
NYC Mayor Eric Adams has a great ally in the UFT Unity Caucus. For one thing, they both share the same slogan. They "get stuff done." They've screwed us once again on health care (and I'll g… Read More
UFT Unity: GIve Up On Money. Give Up On Health Care. FIGHT For 150 Minutes Of Weekly Teacher Torture
2023-06-04 14:00
Let me begin by telling UFT Unity leadership that there are things we actually CARE ABOUT. No one whose employment depends on towing the line will tell you what they are, but I will. Pardon… Read More
2023-06-02 15:16
After 38 years teaching here in Fun City, I plan to retire in July. I sent the following to my UFT chapter. If I get a chance, I will vote no on the next contract. There are a number o… Read More
2023-05-25 15:45
The UFT was out demonstrating yesterday, for a "fair contract." I want a fair contract, but it's hard for me to see exactly how we get there from here. The city pattern is 3% a year. However… Read More
2023-05-17 11:11
The city unions have an umbrella organization called the Municipal Labor Committee, or MLC. I may have mentioned them once or twice on this page. This group acts on its own, It does not seek… Read More
2023-05-15 12:43
Hi it's me, your esteemed UFT President, Mike Mulgrew. First, don't mess with me or I'll sue your worthless ass. Getting down to business, we're negotiating a contract, and it's very importa… Read More
2023-05-10 22:29
...you can read my new piece in City Limits, giving chapter and verse as to how UFT leadership behaves in a distinctly anti-union fashion. “Those of us teaching the children of Ne… Read More
2023-05-04 13:41
There's nothing quite like seeing a show with a bunch of students. I was lucky enough, after years of trying, to get into a program sponsored by TDF. The program dried up with the apocalypse… Read More
2023-04-28 15:48
Ever since Unity Caucus determined I was public enemy number one, I've decided paying into COPE was a bad idea. I wonder whether it was my dues or COPE that paid the lawyers who wrote me a t… Read More
2023-04-22 22:58
As unionists, our biggest challenge is apathy. I can't vote in the upcoming para election because I'm a teacher. But if you're a paraprofessional, exercise your right. There is an alternativ… Read More
2023-04-19 15:36
Since Michael Mulgrew has decided to pursue inferior health care for retirees, and is likely doing the same for those of us in service, since he's branded me Public Enemy Number One for paro… Read More
2023-04-15 01:26
I rarely check the blog email. It's full of spam and nonsense. I seem to have received the letter below late last month. Michael Mulgrew may not have time to protect our health care, but he… Read More
2023-04-05 21:51
Activism is what we, as unionists, do. Right now I'm very excited about the petition demanding we get a voice in decisions regarding our health care. At first, I was skeptical. I though… Read More
2023-03-29 20:40
At left, you can see Unity's new campaign against those of us standing against further degradation of our health care. Their rationale for calling us fearmongers is that there will be premiu… Read More
2023-03-27 15:39
I was fortunate enough to get the first draft of the email Michael Mulgrew sent to members today. For some reason, I didn't ever get the actual email. Go figure. Well, I've only been a UFT m… Read More
2023-03-23 17:23
I don't mind telling you that I hate proctoring. It's not so bad in my own classes with tests that I've written. But I feel pretty stupid proctoring the physics Regents exam, or pretty much… Read More
2023-03-22 14:28
You know, if you read this and other blogs, that various groups and/ or members have received cease and desist notices from a fancy law firm. This is because they used the logo of their own… Read More
2023-03-21 17:23
Here I am, your favorite President. Can you believe the people coming after me? Can you imagine what would be happening if I were not your President? It would be a catastrophe, very, very, v… Read More
2023-03-16 20:31
Chapter 21--I Scuttle Health Care for MembersIt isn't easy making contract agreements. You have to sit through all kinds of meetings, and the city reps are all, "I don't want to give y… Read More
2023-03-14 08:17
Mulgrew wrote to retirees again about the Aetna Medicare Advantage Plan. Or Mulgrew and Tom Murphy did. Or someone did, and put Murphy and Mulgrew’s names on top.*Two city unions bul… Read More
2023-03-08 18:03
UFT Unity leadership is on the warpath today, defending their indefensible betrayal of retirees. (And in-service are next, once they get us to pass that crap contract Adams wants.)Now that t… Read More
2023-03-05 15:18
Michael Mulgrew doesn't always bother to even feign patience with those who disagree with him. It's the attitude we often see at the DA. Sometimes, Mulgrew announces those people don't belie… Read More
2023-03-03 14:54
Mulgrew wrote to retirees today about the Aetna Medicare Advantage Plan. Or Mulgrew and Tom Murphy did. Or someone did, and put Murphy and Mulgrew’s names on top.* An OverviewIt h… Read More
2023-03-02 23:15
Around the blogs I'm reading that a fancy law firm, hired at great expense by our leadership, with our dues money, is threatening to sue union members for using the UFT insignia. I just want… Read More
2023-02-25 15:31
It's been clear for some time that UFT leadership, along with MLC, will not accept defeat. Michael Mulgrew's Unity Caucus is always right, and always knows best. Anyone who disagrees is a ga… Read More
2023-02-24 14:17
The Municipal Labor Committee made a very, very bad deal with the city in 2018, They agreed to health care savings that lasted forever, and in exchange they got a contract that lasted only a… Read More
2023-02-17 16:38
DC37 workers will get 3% a year for the first four years, and 3.25% year five. They will also receive a $3,000 signing bonus.If you're thinking this does not match current inflation, you are… Read More
2023-02-13 12:49
It's been a very rough year for Michael Mulgrew and all the folks sitting around 52 Broadway. This is largely due to the shitstorm they stirred up when they tried to dump all our retirees in… Read More
2023-02-07 15:11
If you live on earth, you probably know it's pretty darn crowded here. If you don't believe me, try renting a frigging studio apartment in Manhattan. If you're human, of course, you mi… Read More
2023-02-02 16:33
It's hard to say. You may see one thing, as I did in 2018, and it may turn out to be another. Or leadership could say it's one thing, as they did in 2018, and it could be something altogethe… Read More
2023-01-25 20:15
There's a good idea here somewhere. Involving members is a key element of effective union. It's the kind of thing I would push for. It's the kind of thing I'd unsuccessfully lobbied my Unity… Read More
2023-01-20 22:42
Today, in my restaurant, I'm serving some great dishes. You can have whatever you like. However, all those other people get potato fudge. What is potato fudge? No one really knows, but it do… Read More
2023-01-14 14:07
Freeport, where I live, had an awful flood on December 23rd. We lost our water heater, our boiler, and two cars. I spent my break trying to fix these problems, while showering at my sister i… Read More
2023-01-13 12:37
We are on a slippery slope here. If we allow the city to make sub-minimum contributions to our health care, it's not likely to end there. The MLC, with the full support of our union leadersh… Read More
2023-01-13 12:36
That's the question I'm exploring in today's Daily News Read More
2023-01-12 12:56
It's a great idea to take attendance online. And the DOE's attendance program is much better than their grading program. It does what it's supposed to do, at least most of the time. Sure, yo… Read More
2023-01-11 23:07
I submitted my recent Daily News column to the city council as testimony, and received this response from council member Tiffany Caban. I don't know about you, but I love it.First off… Read More
2022-12-27 15:00
My story in Gotham Gazette was number 8 in their top 20 most-read op-eds. I'm very happy to know that people are keyed in to our struggle to protect health care for UFT members and othe… Read More
2022-12-22 14:06
This is America from top down. We see it every day. The buck doesn't stop here anymore. It rarely stops anywhere. From Donald Trump saying, "I don't take responsibility at all," to the… Read More
2022-12-19 08:58
...but I'm on NY1 talking about the stunningly crappy DOE grading system. Read More
2022-12-17 15:14
UFT's Unity Caucus says dissidents are spreading misinformation. I guess I'm a dissident, now that I've decided retiree benefits should not be cut. Leadership's decision encourage cuts by pi… Read More
2022-12-13 22:33
Dear Colleagues:Aside from withholding as much money as we possibly can from funding schools, the safety of our students and staff is our absolute top priority. As such, we are advising… Read More
2022-12-12 22:39
Not in those words, of course. But they like to portray the UFT President as an infallible super hero, kind of like the one on the left. He's facing down impossible odds while you and… Read More
2022-12-09 12:30
The tech is different, but not much else has changed since Up the Down Staircase. It was a series of absurd situations, with one pronounced tragedy. There was a teacher who lacked the sensit… Read More
2022-12-07 16:29
Yesterday morning I was out walking with my dog when I saw a truck with lights flashing all over the place. I thought, oh my gosh, someone is really sick and getting taken away in an ambulan… Read More
2022-12-03 19:39
I'm increasingly impressed with what UFT caucus Retiree Advocate did. They got together with other city union members and supported the lawsuit that put a halt to the "savings" program so re… Read More
2022-12-01 20:49
I had a morning class earlier this year. There were 8 students in it. I really liked teaching it. However, the school killed it and redistributed the kids in other classes. I'm happy to tell… Read More
2022-11-27 17:48
You can turn on Tucker Carlson, if you have a strong enough stomach, and see people comment on the Club Q shooting. If only we'd end this evil agenda of gender-affirming care, they say, this… Read More
2022-11-21 13:20
After looking at the proposal that we pay $191 to keep Medicare and our version of Medigap (a program to cover the 20% of medical expenses that Medicare does not), I thought Medigap programs… Read More
2022-11-18 22:06
Yesterday I was called into a Microsoft Teams meeting with at least five people who work for UFT. We were only disconnected once, so for my money, MS Teams is improving. I got a little… Read More
2022-11-15 08:51
...and the details are here, in my new column in Gotham Gazette Read More
2022-11-08 15:32
I don't like to brag, but I have a sports star in my class. Sure, I don't see him all that often, but his name is on my ledger and he does stop by once or twice a week. He sometimes, on… Read More
2022-11-04 12:40
When Michael Mulgrew writes to say we have to make retirees pay more, or in-service members will pay more, he's engaging in a zero-sum game. Make no mistake--this is a desperate move. H… Read More
2022-11-01 15:12
The odd message we got from the UFT President the other day has me thinking about contract negotiations. After urging the membership to cave in the face of a threat by the mayor, to throw th… Read More
2022-10-30 12:49
I was pretty shocked to get an email from Michael Mulgrew suggesting I needed to tweet out support for the City Council to change the law. The law in question says the city can't charge… Read More
2022-10-26 11:36
A few days ago, I had a column in the NY Daily News expressing support for the NY Health Act. I suggested this as a way to deal with rising health costs not only for the UFT, but for the ent… Read More
2022-10-24 14:10
You'll have to click on the screenshot to see this. Look under the black box below, third from top, to see the charming comment a student left on my Google Classroom.I sent the screenshot to… Read More
2022-10-24 13:57
....but you can read my new column in NY Daily News. MLC and UFT are moving backward by weakening Medicare for retirees. That will only happen if they and Adams change a law. If they d… Read More
2022-10-12 17:22
Bear with me for a few paragraphs, please. The other day I got a bill from Quest Diagnostics for $151.00. Evidently, it was a 20 dollar co-pay for one test, originally over 200, but after GH… Read More
2022-10-04 13:55
I'm finally using the DOE grading/ attendance system. Our school, for some reason, is piloting the system for attendance. The first time I used it was yesterday. I have a small class, and it… Read More
2022-09-29 12:02
It's been an interesting year for me, so far. There's a lot of contrast between my first period class and the others. First period, I have six students, four or five of whom show up on any g… Read More
2022-09-23 22:51
If you get a bad observation, you can make it good by just thinking about it Read More
2022-09-22 13:08
The NYC class size reductions can't come soon enough for me, and almost certainly won't. Right now I'm finding it particularly egregious that English Language Learners are dumped into the de… Read More
2022-09-20 14:09
When teacher teams were introduced into our school, it was via an SBO. We rearranged the day to accommodate one a week during the C6 period. (We also negotiated more prep time.) I was placed… Read More
2022-09-19 04:00
I'm now teaching in a brand new building, with brand new desks that kind of cluster together. I really like that arrangement, and I was quite excited about using it. I like to teach in a way… Read More
2022-09-15 21:51
Sometimes it's infuriating to just read the papers. The extreme-right NY Post editorial board excoriated Governor Hochul for signing a bill that reduced class size in NYC for the first time… Read More
2022-09-14 12:06
Dear Colleagues: I am so grateful for everything you did to make the first few days of this school year such a success! As I heard from many of you, or maybe it was my subordinates as I… Read More
2022-09-13 13:45
I teach beginning ESL, usually. That means all the students who've just arrived end up in my classes. It's a challenging job in that I do not, in fact, speak all languages. I have to find wa… Read More
2022-09-11 01:44
Dear Colleagues:Good morning and welcome to the new school year! I hope everyone had a great summer. I spent it in my luxurious office, making calls to Very Important People. None of them we… Read More
2022-09-08 15:14
I'm here, day one, in a new building. I'm pretty proud of the new building because I personally got the ball rolling on it about six years ago with a lot of help from UFT. Yesterday, the AC… Read More
2022-08-28 02:31
Just when you think things can't get any worse, Chancellor Banks, perhaps suffering from geranium in cranium syndrome, finds one of the very worst principals in NYC (that's saying something)… Read More
2022-08-17 14:02
I've been observing the bungled NYC Medicare deal for months now, and I'm no happier about it now than I was when I first heard about it. There was a plan, to be administered by Emblem Healt… Read More
2022-08-04 17:27
It's clear to me that Mayor Eric Adams doesn't give a golly gosh darn about public schools. The Mayor is all about being photographed in the right places, tweeting about how wonderful he is… Read More
2022-08-01 17:02
Given Mayor Swagger's unwillingness to pony up and, you know, pay for education, schools are facing tough choices. Hundreds of teachers have been dumped into the ATR pool as a result. W… Read More
2022-07-22 13:35
It's convenient to go to a local pharmacy and get a 90-day prescription. For UFT members, if you have a Walgreen's near you, you can do that. You could also get a 30-day prescription somewhe… Read More
2022-07-07 22:52
We're all the same, you know. Remember, when your favorite MAGA commentator is trashing whatever it is we're all supposed to hate this week, that we're likely as not on next week's menu.&nbs&hell…Read More
2022-06-29 15:39
Dear Colleagues,As we wrap up the school year, I want to take a moment to say thank you and congratulations to everyone at the DOE who made this school year a success, particu… Read More
2022-06-23 13:38
I'd been prepared to vote for Kathy Hochul in the primary right up until she failed to sign the class size bill that passed both the Assembly and the Senate. I was going to overlook the fact… Read More
2022-06-22 12:13
Yesterday I read the oral part for the Spanish LOTE exam. (I'm not the best in Spanish, but I'm certified to teach it, and that's good enough for NY State.) This was not a difficult task for… Read More
2022-06-15 12:56
Dear Subordinates:There's been a lot of talk about the budget. Lots of people are suggesting that we're taking the federal money and using it to cut our part of the school budget. Nothing co… Read More
2022-06-05 00:28
Dear UFT members: It's me again, your old pal, Chancellor David C. Banks (although I much prefer to be called MISTER Chancellor David C. Banks). My job is very important, and that's why… Read More
2022-05-30 22:05
I'm thinking of my dad today. He passed a few years back, but he was a veteran. He was in the Battle of the Bulge. Unlike many others, he did come back. He lived into his nineties. Toward th… Read More
2022-05-24 08:49
LeRoy Barr--Welcomes us. Speaks to verifying visitors online. Speakers--Christina Gavin--Kathy Perez and Dan Leopold, Ronnie Almonte, Travis M. would like to join meeting. Wants to discuss f… Read More
2022-05-15 17:50
Dear UFT members:As you know, I appreciate teachers quite a bit. After all, I not only said so, but also made a video about it. How many of your students have bothered to do that? Nope, only… Read More
2022-05-10 12:50
NYSESLAT is the test the state uses to test the level of English Language Learners.In case you're wondering why you didn't see Exec. Board minutes here yesterday, you now know why. On Saturd… Read More
2022-05-03 21:00
Dear Teachers,Every day I am inspired by the dedication and innovation you bring to your work. As we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, please don’t harp on the fact that we are curr… Read More
2022-04-28 17:27
In my opinion, that thing is not proctoring. Unfortunately, as a teacher of speakers of other languages, next week my dance card is full. Of proctoring. (I could have said something worse th… Read More
2022-04-25 22:27
LeRoy Barr-- Welcomes us. Minutes--approved.Barr--5K walk May 14 MCU Park Spring Conference, Teacher leader action showcase. May 21 Nurse awards May 17 Better Speech and hearing May 18, virt… Read More
2022-04-18 14:15
The big push for opposition, as far as I can tell, is two-pronged. First, of course, they're still railing against the awful contract we ratified 17 years ago. I didn't vote for it, in… Read More
2022-04-14 19:41
There are few things that get my dander up more than that expression. For one thing, people who use it are invariably getting up on their high horses and flouting their self-awarded moral au… Read More
2022-04-13 22:06
Michael Mulgrew--Welcomes us. One day from Spring Break. We've come very far from September. Concerned about incidents. Every day a school is on lockdown. Good things--Thanks for HS and MS a… Read More
2022-04-12 06:38
Michael Mulgrew-Welcomes us. Speaks of HS and Middle School events. Budget--We did well due to union lobbying. Had 475 million increase, CFE fully funded, 18 years after fact. Mental health… Read More
2022-04-07 15:11
Teaching is a difficult balance on the best of days. Of course, not every day is the best of days, and on those days balance is even a tougher grab. Take, for example, my writing class. It e… Read More
2022-04-04 16:16
That's my friend Alexandra on the left. I met her a few years back. Alas, she's not the subject of this post, but it's about time someone credited her for her work. Six years ago, I ran for… Read More
2022-03-31 16:36
BREAKING--From NYC Educator News Desk--Mayor Eric Adams, at an impromptu press conference, announced that masks would no longer be required on subway trains or planes coming in or out of NYC… Read More
2022-03-28 22:34
LeRoy Barr--Welcomes us.Minutes--PassedBarr--Negotiating committee Wednesday 4:30. DA April 13, May 25. Reports from Districts--Rashad Brown--Legal plan workshop 1 had 500 members.Janel… Read More
2022-03-23 22:06
Delays as more people enter hall. President Michael Mulgrew--Welcomes us. Albany last 8 days of budget. Some good, but some things left out. Bail reform becoming an issue. Were feeling… Read More
2022-03-22 23:05
...but watch Francis Lewis HS Chapter Leader Samia Wattoo and me talking COVID-related teacher burnout on Channel 5 News Read More
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