Wed Mar 5, 2008 at 8:19 PMBy: Oh Well! What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. There should have been a no confidence vote for Marilyn also. Now that would have been great. What a threesome!!

Wed Mar 5, 2008 at 9:06 PMBy: Too Bad!!! What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Not for 2 more years at least, I guess then.

Thu Mar 6, 2008 at 1:57 AMBy: scared What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. all i know is someone is really pissed off. I am glad I am just a stupid disposable teacher in a probationary school. Not an overpaid clown working in the mart dreaming of the wonderful life.

Can't blame me!

One day the dream will be over and you all downtown will not be to happy where you wake up.

Loyalty is to the members not to Stewart remember that when you ass is fired!

Thu Mar 6, 2008 at 6:16 AMBy: George N. Schmidt What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Please let me repeat what was just reported exclusively here.

Last night, the Chicago Teachers Union House of Delegates voted overwhelmingly to support and elected school board for Chicago. While the moofly "No Confidence" vote that Marilyn's PR department is spraying around is basically another example of a toothless bite from a dog that rarely barks, the union's 600 delegates (and most of them were there) voted on something that should be national news: To campaign to replace Chicago's appoint (by Mayor Daley) school board with an elected one.

CTU DEMANDS ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD FOR CHICAGO should be the headline today. The Chicago Teachers Union last night also voted to support an elected school board for Chicago, last night.

Did you notice that Marilyn Stewart's publicity department (other people can have fun with that one; I'm a bit tired this morning) decided that a toothless "No confidence" vote on Arne Duncan and Rufus Williams was BIG NEWS, but that a vote to campaign for an elected school board -- which would put CTU in direct confrontation with Marilyn's good buddy Richard M. Daley -- gets left out of the Chicago Teachers Union's official version of reality an hour after the House of Delegates votes to do it.

Everyone who has been following Marilyn Stewart's career (and administration) knows that her Recording Secretary (MaGuire) is going to try and ignore that bigger vote, and the spin against it is already in play. The CTU publicity department forgot to tell the world's media that the largest union local in Illinois not only voted "No Confidence" in the mayor's two CPS puppets, but also vote "No Confidence" in the entire game that makes the Chicago Board of Education (and its CEO) puppets to Chicago's mayor.

That's big big big news. By six o'clock last night, delegates (most of the ones high fiving me outside the meeting were from the South Side) were asking how CTU was going to organize a citywide, ward-by-ward campaign for an elected school board in Chicago. Remember, last year, Marilyn Stewart gave Richard M. Daley a pass in the mayoral election (January - February 2007), then let the mayor's City Council lackies get a pass when other union's fought against the lackies during the aldermanic races (February) and runoff (April).

Now that has changed. People in Chicago (and most CTU delegates live in Chicago thanks to the residency rule and are politically active in their wards, if not their ward organizations) know that when you propose something as serious as an elected school board, you have to put political muscle, organizing, and money behind it.

Last year, while working for SEIU Local 73, I worked the Congressional election for Tammy Duckworth in the 6th Illinois; then the February and April aldermanics in the 21st Ward -- Jones v. Brookins -- while supporting candidates in other wards and blocking a stupid proposal that SEIU oppose some aldermen with a 100 percent pro-labor voting record in order to "balance" union opposition to the mayor's City Council puppets. Union muscle helped change local history in several races, as everyone knows. SEIU alone spent more than a half million dollars on political action between the Congressional elections and aldermanic races alone. The Republicans barely held on to Henry Hyde's old district against Duckworth, and that was once one of the strongest Republican districts in the world.

But last winter, the big dog that stayed inside the kennel was the Chicago Teachers Union. Marilyn Stewart's brilliant leadership made CTU an agnostic in the biggest local political battles of the 21st Century.

Now that's changed. If Marilyn doesn't get away with ignoring the bigger resolution that he House of Delegates approved last night -- and elected school board for Chicago -- then CTU will have to put its money where its mouth is in all 50 Chicago wards, and in Springfield. Arne Duncan and Rufus Williams are already viewed as a joke in Springfield, and each of the wards is ready for big changes that a couple of dozens well organized CTU people (allied with other union people) could easily do.

Now I'm betting that Marilyn Stewart continues to lie about the union's vote to work for an elected school board for Chicago. Already her publicity department has managed to spin a little story that doesn't really matter (who cares whether CTU has "no confidence" in two of the mayor's disposable hand puppets?) while ignoring one of the biggest education stories in the USA today.

After all, it was Mayor Daley's dictatorial control over Chicago and CPS that brought George W. Bush to Chicago on January 7 to deliver his annual speech on No Child Left Behind. Does anyone really think an elected school board in Chicago would have been as friendly to the Bush administration and its privatization and anti public school agenda?

So let's see how long it takes for Marilyn Stewart to issue a press release and then hold a press conference about how the 30,000 member Chicago Teachers Union is opening a campaign in Chicago and in the Illinois General Assembly to bring democracy back to Chicago's public schools by instituting an elected school board for Chicago.

Thu Mar 6, 2008 at 9:47 AMBy: censure motion What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. here is a link to the censure motion that was proposed, thanks to a reader

http://catalyst-chicago.org/assets/blog/Censure%20Motion_1.PDF

Thu Mar 6, 2008 at 11:22 AMBy: Uh... What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. UHHHH...
#1-Recent membership reports put the CTU numbers well below the 30,000 member mark...I believe that it is hovering at about 24,000. That's the Big Story! Our Beloved CTU is slowly dwindling right before our eyes. Subtract the members that will be struck from the rolls with the most recent school closings and we will be at around 22,000. The focus needs to be on our steadly diluted bargaining unit!....A few years from now, this discussion will be centered around "Remembering the Times"

#2-A vote of NO Confidence is totally useless when it relates to a body that we were not empowered to elect :( It was simply a toothless, meaningless Act! Just something to do, because it meant nothing and will have ZERO impact.

For once, since I have been reading this blog, I agree with George. The focus should be on organizing and Mobilizing the Membership to pressure the powers that be to change the manner in which the CBOE is S-elected and work towards ensuring that those who have been given the authority to make decisions for the Citizens of Chicago are truly representing their constituents!

Thu Mar 6, 2008 at 11:31 AMBy: Chris What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Sorry for the mistyping (December 26 ,2007)

Chris

Thu Mar 6, 2008 at 1:47 PMBy: Just a Teacher What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Bravo Chris!
Your comments are well stated. With more members holding the President accountable, we can make positive changes within OUR union.

Thu Mar 6, 2008 at 3:56 PMBy: IhatetheUPC What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Many years ago, when Tom Reece wanted Peer Review, I asked if being fired by a fellow union member was better than just being fired. Nothing with the way the UPC runs the union has changed except for the public messiness Marilyn has caused. Didn't anyone teach her about airing dirty laundry in public? The UPC believes its role is to support CTU jobs and patronage. It has nothing to do with CPS employees. We merely pay the way for them to not teach.
All of you who bought their line of "new UPC' deserve what you get. The UPC should be impeached.

Thu Mar 6, 2008 at 4:30 PMBy: Tom What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. I do not want to be overly cynical, but most CTU members are not prepared to fight Daley and CPS. Hence the resoultion on an elected school board means little or nothing as does the vote of no confidence in the Board. The only possible way to stop what is happening to our union, the slow and steady decline of members, the creation of non-union schools, and the firing of teachers with more than 10 years seniority would be a mass job action.

Such a job action, i.e. closing down the schools with a strike, and going back to work only with a written agreement from the Mayor and the Board to stop the closings for a fixed period of time would be illegal and our union leadership could be jailed and our union severly fined. That is a big risk and very few teachers are big risk takers, so we voted in mass for a President who takes no risks and is marking time to retirement.

The old adage is you can kill me slowly or kill me fast. Most teachers would prefer a slow death for our union rather than risk a fast death or possible victory at least for a period of time. Getting an elected school board would take years and years of organizing, lobbying the IL General Assembly, we do not have years and years left. Time is not on our side. Even with an elected school board it is highly possible Daley would have an effective majority to push his union breaking strategy. It does not address our immediate problem.

Thu Mar 6, 2008 at 6:28 PMBy: Unionist What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. RE:By 1:04
It is an interesting concept.The problem is that we could face the situation that our membership will be sharply reduced.
So far the CTU strenght translates from our numbers.
We could possibly try to establish a group of people who will work as a watchdog and report any fiscal ,organizational problems etc and act as a House body not related to the Marilyn administration.
We have to eliminate money hungry people who will do everything for a fee. Ask Marilyn to step down or just fire her.

Thu Mar 6, 2008 at 6:56 PMBy: Retired Principal What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. These are the high schools that met the criterias for Turn-Around by CPS: Dunbar Vocational Career Academy High School, Robeson High School, *Harper High School, Hirsch Metropolitan High School, Marshall Metropolitan High School, Phillips Academy High School, Roosevelt High School, Dyett High School, Wells Community Academy High School, *Excel High School, *AASTA High School and *Mose Vines Preparatory Academy High School! What will the Union do in years 2-5 when CPS goes after the rest of these high schools? Just asking a question.

Thu Mar 6, 2008 at 7:22 PMBy: teacher Next 2 - 5 years retired principal -
Ithink it is clear what is going to happen in the next two to five years. Their goal: 50 schools. This year and last year was just the beginning. It's time all for all CPS teachers to unite. They will find a reason to close - consolidate etc or make one up. Then they will change the wording of their original reason. The whole thing is DONE DEAL not just this year.

Thu Mar 6, 2008 at 8:46 PMBy: no chance What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. we aree doomed cps does what ever the mayor wants, the unio could care less. There is no way out .

Thu Mar 6, 2008 at 11:35 PMBy: Insinuation What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Missing money BS is not true. They're just looking for someone to blame. The CTU is just spending oodles more money than they're taking in. There's just too many gigantic salaries there. Somethings got to give, and no doubt it will.

Also, good job Chris.

Fri Mar 7, 2008 at 7:37 AMBy: Bernie What Happened Question
1. What was Alderman Doherty's stance on the relocation of Edison elementary?

Ditto on the good job Chris.

Fri Mar 7, 2008 at 10:27 AMBy: Tom What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. I believe George is wildly optimistic about the length of time it would take to push through a bill in the Gen Assembly to take away Daley's current powers over CPS and set in place the mechanism for an elected school board.

First, is that what can be called the ruling elite of the Chicago Metro area, I do not know what else to call it, fully supports moving CPS into what it likes to call a competative system. This elite has money power, and it uses that power to at least make members of the Gen Assembly think twice or three times about opposing things that this elite clearly supports.

Second, currently there are significant numbers of low and moderate income minority residents of Chicago who support the market mechanisms being implemented by CPS. Currently it gives them an option to their local school and many believe that they are getting the equalivant of a private prep-school education based on the fact that some charters and contract schools have mimicked superfical aspects of these schools with dress codes, Latin phasing in some cases, presented claims of vast test score increases, presented claims of its graduates going to wonderful colleges on full scholarships, and have established relatively harsh disciplinary standards that these parents agree with until it is their own child who is not re-enrolled at the school. We and other educational professionals can do all the fine academic analysis we want showing how many charters and contract schools are doing little better and in some cases worse than regular CPS unionized schools and it will have at this time little impact on these parents who are putting their children in these schools. In America marketing is every thing, and charters, contracts, etc are marketing themselves well. Local schools have little concept of marketing they have had a capitive market.

These low income and moderate income minority parents leaving regular CPS schools have no concern about what public education will look like years from now when the only option for them will be charters, contract schools, and selective schools that their children will not qualify for. Prognostic analysis is not one of the great attributes of lower income and lower educated families. They are concerned really with the here and now. Many are lucky to own their own home which many are in fact in danger of losing, some count themselves lucky to be able to make payments on a functioning car, others are barely paying rent and fear being forced into the section 8 housing nightmare.

Third, the mass of not for profit civic do good groups that once supported things like local school councils, small schools, and other happy faced reforms have joined the market mechanism band wagon. Those that have refused to join the band wagon get little money from the civic elite, examples being Designs for Change, and PURE.

When I said time is not on our side I explictly meant that by the end of the current contract the CTU will not have the power to effectively shut down CPS and will be forced to accept simply what ever Daley, assuming he is still in power, and his civic elite supporters want to give teachers. We will effectively be broken by then.

We either face our inevitable destruction as a union and hope we can keep some type of retirement benefits down the road or we begin to take the steps necessary to shut down the school system by massive job actions and force CPS to stop its attack. There is a real chance we will lose such a strike which as I have indicated would clearly be illegal under the current state law. There is a real chance that younger teachers who have little or no savings and owe serious money for their college educations would not honor such a strike. (By the way who really thinks unionized AUSL teachers would walk out?) But that is the reality of the situation, no guts no union. It is relatively simple and not pretty I think.

Fri Mar 7, 2008 at 11:50 AMBy: chaos What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Try switching to the IEA/NEA if you want and you will realize what you "had" in a Union....I get so tired of you all thinking the grass is greener on the other side. When you don't take the time to get active and do something to make certain that your own lawn is cared for in a way that will ensure it remains green...you get nothing more than what you have now!!! You get on this damn blog, fuss, and fight and moan, but a contract ago when we had the opportunity to take the ultimate job action, you suckers ran scared!!! Let the Debster scare you all...More concerned with your pay check that ensuring your rights! GIVE ME A DAMN BREAK!!! Get out and do something besides sit behind your computers! Here's an IDEA...go volunteer your time to go down and organize Charter Schools!!!! There's a thought.

Sick of you People!!!!

Fri Mar 7, 2008 at 11:56 AMBy: chaos What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Amen Kugler...
That is a Fact

Fri Mar 7, 2008 at 12:09 PMBy: 1.04 What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Dear Chaos

If you believe we ever had a union there is a bridge in Brooklyn for sale.
All of our contracts have been useless. I challenge anyone to cite me one court case
Our “ Union” ever won using only our contract as legal basis. As far as going on strike
I have my “I toed the line” button from 1973 and have been in every work action
We ever had. But the board got smart and we didn’t. How about this for a little
sample of what a modern union could do: find out the Federal standards for flooring.
have independent labs test the floors we all have to walk on. Then a federal class
action suite or recover substantial compensation for any loss of mobility suffered by members forced to stand up all day on substandard flooring Win that one and we will get somebody’s attention.

Fri Mar 7, 2008 at 1:33 PMBy: Tom What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. I recall having voted NO on contracts we went on strike to get. But at least under Jackie or Bob Healy we had leaders who at least looked like they were not scared to death of the CPS. Or current leadership is scared to death of Daley and Williams, no guts at all.

Sat Mar 8, 2008 at 2:31 AMBy: 1.04 What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Dear wake up people.



I must have hit a nerve with my prior post. Actually your answer is the response I
Anticipated .Whenever someone mentions doing anything new, which will improve
Our lot in life we get answers like this one. Whoever you are how does it feel to walk into
My web?
Any power the CTU has exists only in our minds. Large unions like ours are
bureaucratic and inept by design the one size fits all model assumes that each school
or region is incapable of running itself. The needs of Englewood are not the same as those of Rogers Park but the one contract fits all assures that neither one will
have individual problems addressed. If you think I am wrong when did the CTU
ever call a single school job action?
I notice Wake Up didn’t mention the difference in compensation between IEA
And NEA schools in Illinois at the high school level. The difference in pay is astounding.
Finally the needs of High School and Grammar School members are not the same,
Never have been ,never will be.

Sat Mar 8, 2008 at 6:55 AMBy: rodentface What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. I am disgusted by the infighting as well, but not for the same reasons as Wake Up People. I come to teaching as a 2nd career and I'm astonished at the devastatingly poor level of leadership in our Chicago Teachers Union.

These leaders are not our best and brightest. They are not intellectually curious, thoughtful, or articulate. They are not critical thinkers, creative problem solvers, or consensus builders. In fact, I can't think of one positive leadership skill they possess.

At every Union meeting I attend I repeatedly hear delegates and members ask one question: "What can I do?" When a Union's members don't even know what they can do to help themselves, that's a problem. And part of that problem is that the Union has done an incredibly poor job of communicating the current plight of teachers (and the Union itself) to delegates and membership. Do any of our officers fear for the vitality, effectiveness, and very existence of our Union? I highly doubt it. If they do, they certainly haven't communicated that in words or actions.

I welcome a more volatile rift among Union delegates and membership because CTU's current level of effectiveness is embarrassingly poor. I look forward to younger, more intelligent, more militant leadership rising up from the grass roots level - people who understand the importance of action, inspiration, and organization. Our members are complacent, but they are only complacent, in my opinion, because of the pathetic lack of leadership exhibited by our current officers.

Sat Mar 8, 2008 at 8:04 AMBy: Take Charge! What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. We have strength in numbers. We are 26,000-32,000 strong but we have families that support us. We should use this size to voice our opinions in a number of ways. We could boycott the newspapers, the TV stations, and the radio stations that only voice the Mayor and Arne's side rather than us. They closed all these schools and there was virtually no press. We could pressure the Aldermen to not support the Mayor on the Olympics ( he is drooling for this) and other issues relating to education. The press should investigate the Mayor's scandals and press him to explain himself. We could provide anti-charter pamphlets out to the masses to explain the overcrowding of classrooms and other issues that these schools have. Would you want your child to be taught by a certified or noncertified teacher? We could fight the residency rule even if it doesn't matter to you if you live outside of Chicago. We have power-we just have to use it. We need to complain about our money not being accurate on our paychecks and let the masses know how incompetent the board really is on a number of fronts.

Sat Mar 8, 2008 at 8:36 AMBy: Kugler - Ideas then Action What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. I agree that we need to get new ideas and NEW people to take charge, just we need to be careful that there are lots of individuals out there with agendas other than helping the members or the students. Let's just say I found out last house meeting who was willing to stand up in unity to fight for change.

Answer: No One

That is a Fact


Spring is coming

Its is time for Cleaning!

Sat Mar 8, 2008 at 9:20 AMBy: Again, you asked for it What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. You people kill me. You elected this group less than eight months ago. What did they ever do to give you an indication this would not happen?

Were you not suspicious when you found out their first action was to give themselves a raise?
What about when they gave themselves their 21% annuity back right after taking office?
Were you not alarmed when they didn't do anything about the first ten or fifteen school closings?
How about when Marilyn went part time and took a 100,000 a year job with IFT while still drawing her full salary with CTU?
Didn't you flinch when they strongarmed the entire delegation at every union meeting?
Was anyone suspicious when they held huge parties after house meetings with CTU money for UPC fundraisers?

The list could go on.


After all this, you voted for the UPC again. Now you are bitching. You screwed up. Yes, you are right, the union is the membership. Don't blame Marilyn, you screwed up. Sreiously, stop your bitching!

Sat Mar 8, 2008 at 11:42 AMBy: Retired Principal What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Union Members, you must fight now to stop these other schools from being closed, Turn-Arounded or what ever! Once they announce it, it is a done deal! The Hearing Officers hearings are all kangaroo courts!

Sat Mar 8, 2008 at 8:08 PMBy: Wake up people What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Regarding the IEA/NEA-I am very familiar with the ORGANIZATION. Do your research. Again, they accept membership of principals along with staff. They do not have authority or man power.

I have worked in areas that only have NEA and they were the worst. The grass is not greener across the street.

Duh. Of course we all know that the needs of each school are different. We all work under one umbrella organization-CPS and have the same basic issues. Individual schools with individual needs should enforce the contractual right of a PPC and write grievences, call press conferences etc. Instead, too many of us respond with being afraid, I don't want to be black balled etc. The noisy mouth gets fed.

Again, we are only as strong as WE ARE regardless of who the leader is at that time . Leaders come and go. Until the membership gets busy nothing will happen. The power is in the number. When the membership is asked to participate in a call for action ie phone calling, writing whether email or snail mail, and only 100 letters go out that makes the membership look shoddy, not the leader. But imagine what could happen if 25,000 people called a tv station, wrote to an elected official etc. Leader or not they would have to pay attention to us.
There is all this talk of teachers giving medicine and shots. If everyone of us wrote outrSenators and told them "We will not do it-hire nurses" leader or not, we would be heard. Instead of whining and pointing fingers we have to take action.

I applaud the gang at Orr. You tried. You did not turn your tail and run. And we don't win them all. That is part of living.


Venting Vilma-I hope those teachers who are bitten and hit are filing workers comp claims and allault claims. If the bites break the skin they should have received professional medical attention.

So again, I really expect to see more possitive, pro-active involvement from people like 1.04. Get that ink pen out. Tlak is cheap. I definitly do not walk in your web.

Sat Mar 8, 2008 at 9:34 PMBy: E-mails What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. I used to get e-mails. Now they've stopped. Why is that I wonder?

Sat Mar 8, 2008 at 11:22 PMBy: Housekeeper What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. The house meeting was intentionally dragged out to protect Marilyn from the real issues going on. Meaningless 'items for action' and long ridiculous questions by her supporters. Do you really think she will be so lucky for the next two years!!!

Marilyn Stewart has absolutely no political experience. The fact is that she was picked by Dallas and Shaeffer because she was the most polished african-american female at the time someone was needed. The caucus wanted the best opportunity to win. No matter what she says or does, you cannot make her a politician. This gig is for a politician first, educator second! Smell the coffee Marilyn. Just walk away and let the only person with any political knowledge take over ASAP. That would be Dallas. I give her 10 months and away she goes.

Sun Mar 9, 2008 at 4:18 AMBy: George N. Schmidt What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. "...go volunteer your time to go down and organize Charter Schools!!!! There's a thought..." ((Chaos, the other night)

I did that, after the announcement at the January House meeting calling for a meeting. I was personally disinvited by the "Great Lakes Regional Organizer" of the American Federation of Teachers. She told me not to come to the organizing meeting they had scheduled and announced to the House of Delegates meeting.

They (the organizing group for charter schools) do not want people to organize the charter schools. They want to have an "organizing project" where they work. There is a difference. My suspicion is that the "organizers" they have for Chicago's charter schools are really looking for some top down way to get the charter schools under contract, rather than an organizing drive that would let the charter school workers (including the teachers) in control of their own locals (remember, the charters can't be in the CTU, so, for example, CICS -- all "campuses" -- would become one local of the AFT when organized).

The two biggest challenges to organizing Chicago's charters, as some people here know very very well, is that the teachers are churned at such a rapid rate that the teacher you organized two years ago are almost all gone by this year. That's virtually policy for an outfit like CICS, and shows from the data from CICS's north side "campuses" all the way out to "Longwood." One of the ironies of this is that CICS would not be churning it (very young and often idealistic) staff if the teachers had a union contract and weren't virtual slaves to CICS -- until they quite or are forced out, either way under nasty circumstances.

The other groups of workers in the CICS charters (and most of the others) are patronage people who are desperate for work and who are working at very low wages. These people, too, need union protections. But getting the card check majority is difficult because there is a rat in each corncrib. Classic union busting formula.

Anyway, I'm the one member of the Chicago Teachers Union that the Chicago charter school "organizers" deliberately told not to join in the organizing drive. I didn't even bother to challenge that after several stupid phone calls from one nice kids and one very self important regional bureaucrat. Maybe later, after they spend another six months blaming Chicago delegates for not doing their organizing for them.

CTU, IFT and AFT don't really want to organize the charter school teachers. They are looking for some top down way to begin collecting union dues from a "bargaining unit." There is a big difference between the two approaches. That's the main reason they didn't want me near their "organizing."

Sun Mar 9, 2008 at 10:02 AMBy: Unionist What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Hello.
I hope we have a chance to make our Union better by taking few simple steps:
1.Amending the Union constitution by adding the recall/impeach clause.At this time the leadership does not have to bother because they now that such possibility does not exist.
2.Second -train delegates about the Union constitution and parlamentary process/rules .At this time half of the House does not know what happened around.
3.Put Marilyn on trail for hiring the person who crossed the picket line (1987).
3.Put Marilyn on trail because of the huge debt she caused $4millions plus undisclosed loans about another $2millions.
She decided to have power as a President so anything is her false no need to blame others.
We know that she will be the judge in her own case.Most important think is to publish documents and let people aware whats going on.
4.Continue the motion/motions to censure.She must understand that she has the ability to delay but not to avoid.
We need more people who are not afraid to present anything seems necessary.
5.Create the Independent Teacher Caucus and coordinate the informational efforts by communicating with membership in the proper way.We have to let people know how many high paid staffers protecting Marilyn (who has undisclosed IQ)on the cost of the Union-what translates to money from our pockets.
I will try to organize in order to create honest and effective group.
The new webpage will inform membership including posting any document unknown to majority at this time.
Cudos to George Smith who is only one source of reliable information at this time.
Rid of rats before their will eat you.If you do not know whats going on you can be sure that the answer is MONEY.NOT YOU.

Sun Mar 9, 2008 at 2:46 PMBy: too much George What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. George, perhaps it is a matter of your pending lawsuit filed against the
ctu that would eliminate you from any committee. Your ego is so inflated that your "hot wind" would blow everyone out of the room.
Perhaps if people really knew of your personal and professional history
you might want to actually put a fact or two in your rants occasionally.

Sun Mar 9, 2008 at 5:30 PMBy: Kugler - Court Curious What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. What court case?

Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 2:42 AMBy: George N. Schmidt What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. "...George, perhaps it is a matter of your pending lawsuit filed against the ctu that would eliminate you from any committee..." (too much George, yesterday).

Dear "Too"...

Couple of facts to cheer you up.

First, there is no "pending lawsuit." I won back in January. Ask Marilyn.

Two, the question on the thread was organizing the charter schools in Chicago. AFT's "Great Lakes Organizer" personally called to told me not to come to the meeting last month, even though I had had a lengthy conversation with one of the "organizers" about attending.

And since that lawsuit against CTU had already been decided by a judge, it couldn't have been a factor at all. Basically, from what I can get, AFT and IFT are doing just fine organizing Chicago's charter schools and don't need help from anybody who knows a lot about Chicago and Chicago's public schools.

So be it. My offer to help still stands. Charter school workers need union contracts. All of them, not just the ones who bring in company unions via Green Dot.

Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 8:32 AMBy: Charlie What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. "Charter school workers need union contracts. All of them, not just the ones who bring in company unions via Green Dot." - George

What if we don't want unions? The majority of my colleagues that I've spoken to about this subject really are not interested in unions. And frankly, those of us who have also taught in CPS and were a part of CTU want unions in our school even less.

Is there going to be a hostile take over by the unions for all of us who "need" unions, but don't want them? A little presumptuous to assume what any of us "need" without consulting us first.

Thanks, but no thanks George, I and most of my colleagues will take a rain check for the time being. I know no one will believe this, but where I work if you do your job well and work hard you get rewarded, if you don't you get fired. In my three years here, I haven't seen anyone get fired without due cause or for personal reasons. I feel protected by the work that I do.

Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 9:40 AMBy: Chris What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Dear Retired Principal:
I agree with you 100%.Would you please e mail coollaw3@yahoo.com or UnionismAndJustice@yahoogroups.com?
Thanks a lot
Chris

Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 10:09 AMBy: Jim Vail What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Charlie - About not wanting to join a union, you actually make a good point despite the ridiculousness of it. People see the union today as a bloodsucker - thanks, but no thanks. And certainly the CTU is no help. But without the union - CPS teachers would not have what we have, decent health insurance, competitive salary, decent work hours, etc. Now, Charlie, you have a good work environment, and all power to you. Only the bad teachers will get fired, and you guys are happy teaching. Super - but when that ends, you'll regret what you've written. Of course, I hope it will not end, because all teachers should be treated with dignity, be adequately compensated for their hard work and not exploited. Unfortunately, that's not happening everywhere.
So here's to your non-union charter school and the teachers being content. It would be great if that were everywhere, but unfortunately it's not. Don't forget also that administrations change and the good principals don't stay forever. You never know who you'll get next - here's hoping (and praying) for the best since you want no part of a union.

Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 11:07 AMBy: Ihatethe UPC What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. As much as I hate the UPC and the way it runs the CTU (and has run the CTU), there is no way we would have things like sick days, PB days, health care, no more tha 3 classes in a row, no more than 3 preps, no more than 5 teaching periods, etc..
For those "babies" out there, the CTU won the right (in 1968) to bargain for all CPS teachers because working conditions were so awful.
The fact that your charter schools basically mimic our contractual working conditions is because others fought hard to get those working conditions. My fight is against a bad employer who would take us back 70 years to coal hauling and living beside the school and firing us if we married.
Your employer is still the CPS. They are out to get the "job" done as cheaply as possible so they can spend the rest of the money on their friends.
As for the mess at the CTU, what did anyone expect. The UPC leaders have all been idiots since Jackie Vaughn died. Marilyn has so mucked this up, she should resign.

Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 5:27 PMBy: 1.04 What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Dear Charlie


I don’t mind all you charter school people standing on our shoulders but at least
Give us credit for where you are. And do not let the bullshit get down your wind pipe
Cause it’s pretty deep down here.
“Where I work if you do you job well and work hard you get rewarded”
Tell that t o the faculty at Orr.
“In my three years here. I haven’t seen anyone get fired without due cause or for personal reasons”
Tell that to the Faculty at Harper.
“I feel protected by the work I do”
If it weren’t for the fact the CPS needs you all during the ongoing
attempt to break the CTU we would see how much armor your work
gives you. We can survive without you, but you are just dust on a boot.
Wait until all the neighborhood public schools are gone then test the
Vest.

Wed Mar 12, 2008 at 12:54 AMBy: Things that make you go Hmmmm What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Things that make you go Hmmm.

To the Charter Teachers: Right now you say my principal is good to me blah, blah, blah. That may be so but without a contract and union backing that same principal can come in tomorrow and dislike your blue suede shoes and fire you. Period

Please don’t think that the Vaughn years were all rosy and happy. There was strife etc, . but it was kept inside.

The Union is like a pyramid. The top is a small section (officers et al) and supported by the widest part or the base (membership). The top of the pyramid is dependent upon the strength, cohesiveness, solidarity of the base. And, that we don’t have. We could have voted no to many issues but we did not.

Ren 2010 and the Charter issue have been in the works for years and years. That is your Mayors work.

The teachers in charter schools are not “content”, they are scared. There is a huge movement against Unions and those factions have attacked Charter School staff nationwide. For some it is easier to ride the wave than make waves.

George, I am confused about your experience with the AFT Great Lakes Organizers” I have attended meetings regarding this issue and the group was not the Great Lakes Organizers-it was The CTU Charter Outreach Committee; affiliate of AFT? Jessica is present at our house meetings Are there two groups?

Why does one have to curse/swear on a blog of professionals discussing professional issues?

Wed Mar 12, 2008 at 6:44 PMBy: let's be rea; What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. By: Been around the CTU for 7 years What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Just got a chance to read "to be real". Wow, know your on the inside.........

Sorry you are very wrong. I have been around CTU for 35 years. I am not inside and no, he had nothing to do with organizing my position because I have no position with CTU. I pay dues, and recoginize that we must work with what we have.


........Since your on the inside, "no pun intended" you must know about how Larry Poltrock, talks to members. How about Gail Koffman? Bottom line is that she treats people like horseshit......

But I do believe that professionals should have professional discussions without swearing/cussing and demeaning each other.

........ but has gotten away with it for years. Could it be a cultural or a gender thing? Back to Dallas. Why are you constantly ignoring the fact that he organized everthing including your position over the years. Answer in "High Level Strife", but for now, to call Dallas a traitor, is like calling Stewart a political genius........

My statement was:
MS may not be the most politically astute person and is not perfect but at lease she is civil.

Traitor as defined by dictionary.com
noun
1. someone who betrays his country by committing treason I
2. a person who says one thing and does another [syn: double-crosser]
a person who changes to the enemy's side or gives away information to the enemy
.......If all you have on Dallas is that he demanded the most out his employees and uses bad language, you need to rent more union movie classic......

And I suppose for you it was ok to beat the slaves; well, CTU is not a plantation and employees should be treated with respect. You would not stand for you supervisor mistreating you, would you?

Wed Mar 12, 2008 at 9:30 PMBy: You will be Suprised! What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Just wait a few days.

There is some stuff that is going to hit the fan!

Oh by the way where has John O. been the last two weeks.

Rose too has been missing from the office recently.

Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 10:15 AMBy: Studio Audience Member What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. The plot thickens...
What stuff is going to hit the fan? Another memo to Arne? Perhaps an "In Solidarity" letter to the mayor? We're waiting!

Fri Mar 14, 2008 at 3:02 PMBy: Unionist What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. I would like to see all of us using the same way of communication as MS toward Union members.
Do not be suprised to see very non parliamentary posts It is a response from hopeless,unemployed and angry people.
Again tell me something.I really wish she goes to hell taking all the h s she caused only for MONEY.She does not care she cares only about herself .
GO TO HELL WOMEN YOUR AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS SUFFER BECAUSE OF YOU>THEY NEED STABILITY .

Thu Apr 3, 2008 at 7:37 PMBy: Chris What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. It looks like I am going to be ........again..thanks Alexander
How about the April meeting?
Some kind of noise..I heard

Thu Apr 3, 2008 at 8:29 PMBy: So?? What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. No one has anything to report on this month's meeting?

Thu Apr 3, 2008 at 8:54 PMBy: Lost Motion Battle .......................................................................................... The stewart team lost a battle for the control of the meeting early on to ray and debbie regarding an amendment to a motion early on.

Oh I forgot, you all remember

" I got 71%"

Thu Apr 3, 2008 at 9:47 PMBy: Unionist What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Hello Lost Motion..are u writing stewart not capitalizing?
Are we writing about the person or the occupation?
Should be .................word removed
By the way looks like only her paid pretorians were able to show little support.......good beginning..

Thu Apr 3, 2008 at 9:51 PMBy: Do we have a contract? What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Where is a contract?It is about a year passed..
Another crooks action against the Union?

Thu Apr 3, 2008 at 10:09 PMBy: Together we.. What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Together we stand ..stop political prostitution we pay for it

Thu Apr 3, 2008 at 10:11 PMBy: I love Mrs S...... What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. I love her ..She stands tall..ready for the Halloween

Thu Apr 3, 2008 at 10:15 PMBy: porky What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Do not jump on us ..it is not my fault the mother nature gave me only IQ80..I share it proudly with my Queen

Thu Apr 3, 2008 at 10:21 PMBy: Vlodimir Illijcz Lenin What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Where is my money................I still have an empty pocket I just gain a reputation..

Thu Apr 3, 2008 at 10:25 PMBy: time to dance .......................................................................................... Pork Jam

Thu Apr 3, 2008 at 10:28 PMBy: Porky behind the bars..... What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. I am respectfully requesting a female companionship..quality does not count...

Fri Apr 4, 2008 at 3:02 AMBy: George N. Schmidt What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. "...George where are you?..."

Wednesday's Chicago Teachers Union House of Delegates meeting we a blockbuster, with most delegates staying until after 6:00 and taking part in the proceedings, such as they were.

I was downstairs and at the door, helping sell a record number of the April Substance (with large sales of back issues from February -- Marilyn Stewart's love letter to Arne Duncan -- and March -- Marilyn Stewart's scab buddy working full time for CTU).

I won't comment directly, since I wasn't inside as a "visitor" actually taking notes, and we'll be publishing a number of different accounts by the next House meeting (which, by the way, has been rescheduled to April 28 to conform to some CTU rule that Marilyn Stewart ignored until this year, for reasons known only to her and friends). I've already gone over our forthcoming May coverage with people who will be providing it, so that will have to wait.

But one thing I can talk about, since more than a dozen teachers came to me downstairs about it, is the violence problem and how Marilyn Stewart has sabotaged just about any possibility of CTU doing anything professional and effective in the face of the situations that are breaking out across Chicago.

But if you are in Mayor Daley's pocket, you have to ignore the problems. You have to not talk about the massive drug gangs that have been dispersed across Chicago -- and beyond -- by the Daley policies of "housing reform" (demolish the projects and leave thousands of children homeless) and "school reform" (close public schools and replace them with privatized thingies -- mostly charters -- that exclude "bad" kids).

Once you have zippered your lip about discussing Latin Kings and Latin Dragons, Vice Lords and Black Disciples, Gaylords and SCRs -- then you can get up on stage with Father Phukin Phleger and declaim against "guns." And grab both local and national headlines. While ignoring both the people (the gangs) who are using most of the guns that are proving fatal and the more important fact that Chicago's economic structure -- and large parts of its political structure -- is riddled with drug money, criminally so.

So let's have another rally aimed at disarming the men and women on the West Side and South Side who have something to defend their homes, and unleash even more hypocrisy into a compliant media.

Oh, I'm sorry, this is about Marilyn Stewart's mindless mumblings and poorly crafted evasions...

Probably the most important thing I noticed on April 2 at Plumbers Hall is that delegates are no longer frightened, just angry. And delegates who once vowed never to come back to another House meeting are coming back because the teachers and others in the schools are demanding that for $870 per year in union dues to CTU that CTU do something real.

Who got burned worst? The UPC believers.

A lot of those who tried to give Marilyn Stewart the benefit of the doubt (and in many cases urged their members to do the same thing) are now more angry than those who opposed the contract sellout from the beginning. Nothing like repeating someone else's lies and then being held accountable for it personally. And that's what happened to a lot of honest people in hundreds of schools.

One of the biggest questions that came downstairs to me, since I served as CTU Director of Security and Safety before Stewart took over, was why CTU was ignoring all of the gang problems teachers and others are facing daily in the schools. While the shooting is going on just about every day every place but actually inside the schools, the April issue of the "Chicago Union Teacher" features a major article on the main safety issue for Marilyn Stewart and her leadership team -- leaky roofs.

Honest. The official newspaper of the largest teacher union in Illinois devotes a full page to the "safety" problem of roof leaks at Washington High School -- at a time when Washington High Schools Latin Kings and Gangster Disciples are fighting inside and outside the building every day.

So, naturally, Marilyn Stewart hosts a "meeting" at CTU of the security and safety people, and nobody shows up for the meeting, so then Marilyn Stewart's people lie about how many people came to the meeting that wasn't.

Now to put this in perspective in April 2008, harkening back to April 2004 (when I was doing that work at CTU).

In April 2004, we (CTU) sponsored a conference for the 100 Chicago schools that had the biggest problems with street gangs, and simultaneously the Chicago Tribune (Ana Beatriz Chollo) did a Page One story about violence in the schools, featuring teachers who had been assaulted (based in part on my sourcing to Ana, who did her reporting very well).

As people here know, most schools do not have gang problems. But for those schools that do have gang problems (most of the general high school, and about 50 - 100 elementary schools) it's at the top of everyone's agenda, since the teachers and other staff (not to mention the kids) are living daily under a reign of terror). The union can only publicize the problem for the kids and community, but the union can enforce the contract language, which, at Article 44-9, states: "Teachers and other bargaining unit members shall work under safe and healthful conditions." We used that article to document every gang problem we could locate in every school that was getting in contact with us.

The CTU's "Violence Committee" four years ago was chaired by me (staff) and Verdell Henderson (then, Crane High School delegate; now retired). That committee met twice a month (!) as many people here can attest and was constantly updating a data base I had created that identified every school with gang problems and the gangs that were causing the problems. For example, we knew (then) that Roosevelt High School had "Folks" and Amundsen High School had "People" -- so if the two were involved in something, you had to have extra security.

During those months, the Chicago Teachers Union was truly pro-active about these gang problems, and this continued right up to the day after Marilyn Stewart won the run-off vote in June 2004. On that Saturday, I helped organize the Calumet and Austin teachers (and parents and others) who presented at the school closing hearings in opposition to Arne Duncan's proposal to solve the gang problems at those two schools by closing the schools (eventually, as a prelude to privatizing them). Duncan and Michael Scott, as I've reported many times here and elsewhere, were the height of hypocrisy on that issue, since the union had brought the security problems of both high schools to the Board's attention (partly out of that conference we sponsored in April 2004) with the hope of solving the problems -- not to give Arne and that other lying hypocrite (Scott, who is now a "real estate developer" with his Tonto Greg Minnifielf as usual tagging along, although no longer at a $110,000 per year CPS job) an excuse to privatize two high schools!

So, that was then.

This year, during a time when gang violence is escalating across Chicago's poorer communities (and impacting some not so poor ones), the Chicago Teachers Union has its laser like security and safety people focused on

LEAKY ROOFS!

If I had pitched a story like this to Second City, it would have been rejected as too absurd. But it's actually in print this month in the Chicago Union Teacher, so it's part of the "record."

Now one last note about that lying "record."

The Chicago Union Teacher back in early 2004 had several stories about gang violence in the schools and about what we as a union were doing to stop that violence. In real time.

Try and find copies of those issues of the Chicago Union Teachers (2003-2004 school year) on the CTU website:

www.ctunet.com

This isn't funny. As I wrote editorially in the new (April 2008) issue of Substance:

"With the majority of the members of the CTU viewing the current union leadership as both terminally corrupt and embarrassingly stupid, the legitimate question is: 'Why bother?'" (to do anything inside the CTU).

Well, the current security and safety situation inside and outside more than 100 CPS schools this day (hey, today's a Friday; watch out!) is more dangerous than it was four years ago, when we had an ongoing union program (working in cooperation with CPS, CPD, and others) to deal with these problems.

Fri Apr 4, 2008 at 5:50 AMBy: Porky What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. George it is painfull.We say no to the corruption and stupidity.

Sat Apr 5, 2008 at 6:57 AMBy: to: George What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Hello George.Where are you?Stand for us again.What's new?
Do you think that she will resign or the constitutional amendment will be necessary?
How about the corruption?Would you suggest that fed should be called?

Sat Apr 5, 2008 at 9:49 PMBy: Porky WE LOVE YOU What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Hahaha

Mon Apr 7, 2008 at 9:42 PMBy: Let be honest What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Well..It looks like Quinn does know what to do after the House meeting.
Only small number of staffers supported her.The whole teaching community is against the unethical way how the Union is lead.
5 millions (including loans probably close to 7 millions)in debt is a result of the brilliant individual who does not care about financial discipline.
The Treasurer is unable to act because she is already isolated not having the access to the office after locks were changed.
She can not act because the Brilliant decided to be a CEO and took all the responsibilities against the Union Constitution.
By the way who is an author of the poverb"it takes a village to elect an idiot?"
Take a pill and go sleep..hope for a long time...7 hours or much longer..the lord is there....

Mon Apr 7, 2008 at 10:39 PMBy: UNIONIST What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Together we stand.Amend the Constitution and call for the referendum.It is not so complicated.
See you at Parthenon ,319 S Halsted on May 1st 4:30P.M.
In Solidarity

Mon Apr 7, 2008 at 11:04 PMBy: Let's get dirty What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Settlements for June Davis, Audrey May, Diana Sheffer, and the late President Tom Reece's bodyguard totalling over $700,000.00, all agreed to by PRESIDENT MARILYN STEWART. That's OK, she didn't know what she was doing at the time.

The contracts Lynch gave to her Coordinators were given before the election she lost by less than 600 votes. Why couldn't those one year contracts be honored, then replace Lynch's people. Isn't that what we want new principals to do in schools? I WOULD SUE TOO IF I HAD A CONTRACT AND WAS FIRED! That's called a political firing.

What about that election that PRESIDENT MARILYN STEWART won by less than 600 votes in 2004? Well, if millonaire attorney Larry Poltrock didn't do legal work for the AFT, Lynch would have won the challenge. Kind of like what millonaire LARRY POLTROCK is doing now with the caucus.

Let's borrow money off our strike money that should have been used to stop school closings for the next five years. That makes a lot of sense PRESIDENT MARILYN STEWART. This is a sure fire way to keep everything going until you are ready to retire isn't it?

So how much did MARILYN STEWART save on the leasing of the mart offices. $10,000 per month or so. Sorry PRESIDENT MARILYN STEWART, the mart just wanted the CTU to stay. It was not you or your negotiating skills. It's called the changing of economic times. A little less per month is better than nothing. Drop in the bucket for the Kennedy's.

This budget problem has been ongoing for over three years. PRESIDENT MARILYN STEWART can just blame it on Linda Porter. Over FIVE MILLION lost dollars that PRESIDENT MARILYN STEWART just found out about and took Linda Porter's authority away.

CUT THE GARBAGE PRESIDENT MARILYN STEWART. YOU HAVE BEEN IN ON THE MIS-MANAGEMENT OF THE CTU THE WHOLE TIME. MAYBE YOU JUST DIDN'T UNDERSTAND, BUT THAT'S OK, YOUR JUST THE PRESIDENT!

Let's sum this up. I blame many others but myself. Maybe it is the excess staff hirings over the years. How about the lavish buffets, parties, and spreads for my patronage army, family members and friends. How about your personal "unlimited expense account" that could have ranged from $2600.00 to $10,600.00 per month all these years.

Try reducing unnessasary administrators. You can limit them to five.

1. Grievance 2. Security 3. Lobbyist 4. Editor 5. Quest

Well, that would probably save a few million a year. We wouldn't want to do that now would we? These individuals are your strongest supporters in these hard times.

PRESIDENT MARILYN STEWART-HARD DECISIONS, HARD TIMES!
YOUR 30 CRONIES OR YOUR 30,000 MEMBERS. LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE ALREADY MADE YOUR CHOICE.

Mon Apr 7, 2008 at 11:35 PMBy: Before I forget and go to sleep ....................................................................................... make sure you talk about the 21% pension pick up for her office staff. That is on top of the CPS pension pick up. Marilyn reinstated when she got re-elected.

Is that a lie.

Is the some magic numbers crunching.

Is that true.

That's a Fact Jack

Tue Apr 8, 2008 at 1:00 AMBy: If that is the same Chris? What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. If that motion to censure was drafted by the same Chris R.( who also posts under the name Unionist) and spoke at the most recent House meeting with such a thick accent that no one could understand what he was saying?????????????? The same person who posts vicious, threatening, insane statements????????????And everyone knows him to be one and the same?????????????

It is not worth the paper it was written on. And there is no need to say anything else about it.

Tue Apr 8, 2008 at 2:48 AMBy: George N. Schmidt What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Let's talk about lawsuits and litigation for a minute.

The fact is, CTU has not litigated against the Board on any of the school closings and reorganizations, but CTU did litigate against some of its own members when we sued CTU for violating our employment contracts. And we won -- CTU lost. Those are now facts of history. And facts of the leadership's priorities that can be asked and answered with some precision. How much did Marilyn Stewart waste on that litigation? (And while we're at it, how much did Marilyn Stewart pay out of CTU funds when she settled the earlier litigation -- the one mentioned by "just the facts" -- when she first took office?).

One of the questions worth asking when CTU discusses the budget at the May and June House of Delegates meetings will be how much the Poltrock law firm was paid defending against that lawsuit they lost in January to me and the other staff who were wrongfully fired. While I'm betting it's at least $100,000 (legal fees and costs), there is a precise amount that the union could tell its members. From the beginning, that lawsuit should have simply been settled, not litigated for more than three years. Instead, somebody collected a lot of hourly lawyer fees continuing it for nearly four years.

And, as people may know, the current interest rate on those cases is five percent per year, so every year CTU's lawyers stalled the case added to the interest CTU eventually had to pay the plaintiffs.

Instead of trying to unscramble the huge amount of CTU budget going to lawyers, someone might just want to ask about that one case, since it would have to have been billed hour by hour all the way back to October 2004, when it was first filed. That's another example of Marilyn Stewart's waste of the CTU's dues money.

Tue Apr 8, 2008 at 9:13 AMBy: Let's get dirty What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Some things are worth repeating...

Settlements for June Davis, Audrey May, Diana Sheffer, and the late President Tom Reece's bodyguard totalling over $700,000.00, all agreed to by PRESIDENT MARILYN STEWART. That's OK, she didn't know what she was doing at the time.

The contracts Lynch gave to her Coordinators were given before the election she lost by less than 600 votes. Why couldn't those one year contracts be honored, then replace Lynch's people. Isn't that what we want new principals to do in schools? I WOULD SUE TOO IF I HAD A CONTRACT AND WAS FIRED! That's called a political firing.

What about that election that PRESIDENT MARILYN STEWART won by less than 600 votes in 2004? Well, if millonaire attorney Larry Poltrock didn't do legal work for the AFT, Lynch would have won the challenge. Kind of like what millonaire LARRY POLTROCK is doing now with the caucus.

Let's borrow money off our strike money that should have been used to stop school closings for the next five years. That makes a lot of sense PRESIDENT MARILYN STEWART. This is a sure fire way to keep everything going until you are ready to retire isn't it?

So how much did MARILYN STEWART save on the leasing of the mart offices. $10,000 per month or so. Sorry PRESIDENT MARILYN STEWART, the mart just wanted the CTU to stay. It was not you or your negotiating skills. It's called the changing of economic times. A little less per month is better than nothing. Drop in the bucket for the Kennedy's.

This budget problem has been ongoing for over three years. PRESIDENT MARILYN STEWART can just blame it on Linda Porter. Over FIVE MILLION lost dollars that PRESIDENT MARILYN STEWART just found out about and took Linda Porter's authority away.

CUT THE GARBAGE PRESIDENT MARILYN STEWART. YOU HAVE BEEN IN ON THE MIS-MANAGEMENT OF THE CTU THE WHOLE TIME. MAYBE YOU JUST DIDN'T UNDERSTAND, BUT THAT'S OK, YOUR JUST THE PRESIDENT!

Let's sum this up. I blame many others but myself. Maybe it is the excess staff hirings over the years. How about the lavish buffets, parties, and spreads for my patronage army, family members and friends. How about your personal "unlimited expense account" that could have ranged from $2600.00 to $10,600.00 per month all these years.

Try reducing unnessasary administrators. You can limit them to five.

1. Grievance 2. Security 3. Lobbyist 4. Editor 5. Quest

Well, that would probably save a few million a year. We wouldn't want to do that now would we? These individuals are your strongest supporters in these hard times.

PRESIDENT MARILYN STEWART-HARD DECISIONS, HARD TIMES!
YOUR 30 CRONIES OR YOUR 30,000 MEMBERS. LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE ALREADY MADE YOUR CHOICE.

Tue Apr 8, 2008 at 10:11 AMBy: Studio Audience Members What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Your game doesn't need to be new or improved. So what's up with the satellite radio?

Tue Apr 8, 2008 at 12:27 PMBy: By: If that is the same Chris? What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Some things are worth repeating

It is not worth the paper it was written on. And there is no need to say anything else about it...some things need explaining.

Chris, you claim to have numerous degrees and play the role of the martyr. You cry that the School System and the Union have wronged you. But what have you done for the students, school system, and the Union? Your spoken and written English language, or lack there of are atrocious.

Chris, you may have some legitimate claims but people cannot get past your anger and the language issue. They are turned off by your anger and cannot understand what you are saying/writing so they ignore you.

You spend all your time and energy criticizing people; you threaten Marilyn Stewart; you accuse others of abusing the system but YOU HAVE NOT TAKEN THE TIME OR MADE THE EFFORT TO SPEAK AND WRITE THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROPERLY AND YOU ARE TEACHING OUR CHILDREN. That is abusive. Mary could not read your motion because of your horrific written language, not because of her reading skills.

And Chris, don't try to compare your language with people with disabilities because those disabilities are out of their control. You, on the other hand have the intellect to improve and you choose not to. You have been in this country long enough to assimilate and learn the language. There are thousands of people who move to this country, learn English as a second language and do it quite well. Learning the language would not remove you from your culture, it would improve your professional presentation.

So, blog all the nastiness you want; I am finished with you, on all fronts. Remember, everyone know you.

Tue Apr 8, 2008 at 1:02 PMBy: If that is the same Chris? What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Oh dear Personal Attacks, I am not a "staffer". Good grief. Is anyone who does not bash the Union or it's President a "staffer"? I am just another CPS employee who knows who the real enemy is.

That was not a personal attack. All I did was respond to his very angry, poorly written blog. It was an observation regarding his presentation, conversation etc. If he does not want people to comment on his lack of skill he should redirect all that energy into improving his communication skills so people will get the point of his comment. As I stated, his points get lost.

Losing his job does not give him carte blanch to insult, threaten etc. Sadly, in today's economic times thousands of people are loosing their jobs. Improving his communication skills will make him more marketable during these very competitive times. For someone with two masters much more is expected.

That is the end:-)

Tue Apr 8, 2008 at 4:26 PMBy: Chris to:If that.. What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Dear If that Anonymous:
I am sorry for causing so much emotional distress.
Are you afraid of something?
Writing an entire page about my accent is something unusual and not the issue.
I strongly believe that you are one of paid staffers who are trying hard to discredit any person who is able to demonstrate enough courage and stand up for the right thing.
Enough is enough.I strongly believe that others will open their eyes and take action.
The situation we observe is a classic version of dictatorship and has no resemblance to democracy.I am a very effective and caring teacher in spite of my accent.I have no problems with the school district and my field reps.I am lucky having good administrator.
By the way ,the motion that was presented was drawn up by the member of the Bar Association so you can not blame me on this issue.
Think again about Marilyn and her cronies" personal qualities. I know the basic values and what they stand for.
Would you please stop insulting others on the public blog?
I do not think it is the right place to do so.
I am sorry because of your internal state.
Would you please demonstrate your honesty and introduce yourself after all?
My name is already known.
My e mail address coollaw3@yahoo.com
I am sorry for the delay but I am not using school time for the activities described in the Employee Discipline Code.
I wish you a pleasant afternoon.

Tue Apr 8, 2008 at 5:21 PMBy: Retired Principal What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Listen up everybody!!! The next set of school closings with new and restructured schools that will open in the fall of 2009 and 2010 have begun! The general elementary and high schools in Englewood, Garfield Park and South Shore areas beware! Meetings will be held on: April 21, 5:30-7 pm; Bessemer Park, 8930 S Muskegon; April 22, 5:30-7 pm, South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 South Shore Drive; April 23, 5:30-7 pm, Garfield Park Fieldhouse, 100 N Central Park Ave.

Tue Apr 8, 2008 at 11:09 PMBy: Question What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Retired principal,

Who is holding the meetings about the future closings? It seems unusual there would be information so far in advance, it seems the Board of Ed prefers the surprise tactic and very little time to organize.

Would like more information to pass along about the meetings and will see you there!

Wed Apr 9, 2008 at 12:58 AMBy: Kugler - I'll be Back . What about getting rid of MS and her clan to send a message to richie and arne that they are next.

it is easier to win in the house(600), then a member vote(30k) rather than the city of chgo (2mil)

if we want change we have to learn how to do it.

one step at a time.

if we can not control our own union we can control the city or state.

I'll be back

Wed Apr 9, 2008 at 3:11 AMBy: George N. Schmidt What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. "...Retired principal... Who is holding the meetings about the future closings? It seems unusual there would be information so far in advance, it seems the Board of Ed prefers the surprise tactic and very little time to organize..." (Question. April 8).

Gosh. The schedule for the next round of fundamentalist "market" and "choice" jihad against Chicago's remaining pubic schools is as close as the 5th floor of 125 S. Clark St. Just go to "New and Charter Schools" (safely behind Arne's Army on five) and ask for the full schedule of "RFP" activity, which begins this week. They plan; we respond.

The meetings are being held as part of the "New Schools" RFP thingy that was announced at Englewood ("Campus") Monday (April 7, 2008) by Arne Duncan, with a major boost from Andy Shaw and the other acolytes of the Mayoral Miracle Monologue.

The "RFP" push, which officially began April 2, is destined to become the "new schools" that will be unveiled (you're right, at the last possible minute) in a year or two to replace your own gritty public schools.

That version of the narrative (there are others elsewhere, although kept out of the mainstream here in Chicago by massive media numbness) says that Chicago's real public schools are the problem and the solution is novelty -- "New and Charter Schools" to cite the latest name of the multi-million dollar office at CPS that pushes this stuff through your tax dollars at work. And behind that novelty office (which doesn't have one veteran teacher working in it, by the way, just visionaries with too much Starbucks and Power Point) is the massive "Renaissance Schools Fund" ($44 million in private corporate dollars as of April 7, all to be spent replacing as many public schools as possible before Chicago wakes up to the fact that privatization here in the public schools is as big a lie and scam as it was for the Pentagon's services).

Mercenary schools don't make good public schools, any more than mercenaries don't make good soldiers. But empires promote mercenary solutions, whether the privatization of public education here in Chicago, or the privatization of Red Ball and KP operations on the front lines in Falluja. Markets. Choice. All that stuff. Just ask Arne. It's the closest thing he has to a church.

So the "Renaissance" RFP hearings and other meetings will be going on over the next couple of weeks, then the real work will begin. CPS will choose which schools to slander and flip into the arms of the privatizers. New Orwellian locutions like "underperformance" and "underutilized" will be invented, to become instant headlines in the Chicago Sun-Times, then editorials in the Chicago Tribune. (The Tribune can't afford to risk all of its dwindling reputation for sobriety with too many forays into fantasy like last Labor Day weekend's "Turnaround" fluffery about Sherman "School of Excellence"; the Sun-Times, like an old whore, is way past shame).

You can not only tell which schools will be slammed, slandered, and screwed, but you can tell which parts of town the screwings will be going on next fall and winter (when the crop of 2009 will be unveiled). "New and Charter Schools" already has a map of the areas of town targeted next.

It's tomorrow's news today. It may not be possible to pick every target for this ongoing attack on public education and veteran teachers (and principals, although they usually get to survive if they keep their mouths shut and screw their own staffs, as you know from history). Some of them will be selected for the sheer joy of it, like Arne picking Edison to make the point that he and his masters can do anything they f------ well please, and nobody and nothing can stop them.

But most will be well known within the next six months, just as "everyone" (in the in crowd) knew that Orr was going to be nuked this time through, and that it didn't matter that the kids from the "feeder" schools didn't go to Orr (or Harper).

When religious beliefs are in play -- as they are with this huge project to wreck the rest of Chicago's public schools, operated by the topmost people in the ruling class, the CEOs of the biggest corporations, operating through Eden Martin and the Civic Committee -- you can argue facts all you want, but until you have the power to stop them, they will continue to roll over you, not matter how ugly, destructive, racist, or mendacious their beliefs are in the real world.

And all of those words apply to Arne Duncan's time as chief of CPS. He's actual chief executioner of public education in Chicago. Behind the sanctimonious prattle, there is true evil (greedily so) at work there. Watch it unfold. But please don't claim you were too busy or blindsided next time they come around.

Wed Apr 9, 2008 at 10:12 AMBy: By:not What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. By (not)

Wed Apr 9, 2008 at 5:09 PMBy: Chris to: oh Anonymous What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Dear oh:
You really do not have to respond to the blog.A personal matters should be handled in the appropriate manner.
If you want and have enough honesty,just e mai me.Any comments,even harsh ones will be appreciated.We are learning from our own mistakes.
Please do not try to tell us that Marilyn is doing her job.
At the present time she is impeding Union operations.By her dictatorship role in the office she greatly disrupted the field services.She willfully and knowingly broke the rules by putting limitations on the Treasurer.She has created a serious debt and as a consequence,Union operations are in danger.All of us want to work together with our leadership.We need leaders whom we can trust;we hate this betrayal.
I perceive that Marilyn is representing outside forces ,not the Union membership.(Where is the contract by the way?)
I am a delegate and I am expecting our leaders to represent membership in the same manners that I represent my school.
Can you still find words "honesty and efficiency" in your dictionary?
Have a good day -do not be afraid to look in the mirror.

Wed Apr 9, 2008 at 9:52 PMBy: Porky What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. UffOff .......

Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 6:26 AMBy: By (not) What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Good morning D.B.

Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 8:01 AMBy: Retired Principal What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. George, CPS has a problem with their charter schools. The Chicago Public School system has reached it limited for charter schools, 30 according to state law! That is why CPS is in Springfield now trying to change the state law to get some of the charter school slots that the downstate school systems have not used! Stay tune to see what will happen.

Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 5:29 PMBy: Porky What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Is it true that Williams and Arne disagreed about the schools closing idea ?

Fri Apr 11, 2008 at 12:51 AMBy: Hey, I am Tsk tsk What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Hey, I am Tsk tsk and I am not Porky or any of those others. I am a retired CPS employee and glad I am.

Fri Apr 11, 2008 at 3:15 AMBy: George N. Schmidt What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. "...That is why CPS is in Springfield now trying to change the state law to get some of the charter school slots that the downstate school systems have not used! Stay tune to see what will happen..." (Retired principal, yesterday).

Amendment 2 to SB 2402 was passed out of committee two days ago. The possibility of unlimited charters in Chicago now is up to a vote of the Illinois Senate. That amendment would basically allow CPS to establish an unlimited number of charter schools.

The two "friends" of unions who supported the amendment were Sen. Iris Martinez (the sponsor) and education committee chair Kimberly Lightford. In fact, this legislation, if passed, would further the complete privatization of CPS through charters.

The question worth asking, however, is why the Chicago Teachers Union (and the other unions) hasn't mobilized lobbying against charter expansion in Chicago before now. (It looks like they might be finally complaining now). CTU, like its parent union (AFT), has been fatally divided over charter schools. Another set of chickens coming home against to roost.

After some minor opposition to charterizing CPS, by the way, SEIU Local 73 has become more and more cozy with the idea of charters. This is ominous, because SEIU has a much more effective lobbying effort in Springfield than the teachers (Illinois Federation of Teachers; Chicago Teachers Union). The rank-and-file members of SEIU are even more powerless than those of CTU in forcing policies (like complete opposition to Chicago charterization) through their local.

If this legislation passes the Illinois Senate, Arne will have a green light to replace Chicago's pubic schools with charter schools. Given the recent actions he's taken (the recent closings, the most dramatic of which were the 18 on February 27) and the promises he's made (the "Renaissance 2010" RFP -- Request for Proposals -- process), he will do just that.

Fri Apr 11, 2008 at 5:02 PMBy: Tsk What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Not true.Stop your fantasies.

Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 3:25 AMBy: Mary What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. ????

Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 11:25 AMBy: uniongeek What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. A Note of Warning for Lynch-Schmidt-Pope-Piser-Rehak

Do you really want to be associated with Dallas-Porter-Sheffer? That could be really embarrassing in a few months and not too helpful for your future election chances. Short term gain maybe, but big long term losses. Take a clue from Pretty Pammy. She ran as far away from them as fast she could when she saw what they were up to. Stewart isn't always the most articulate person, but she's honest. She was slow to come to awareness of what was up but she made the changes when she found out. There's a reason why the AFT and IFT are on her side. Don't screw yourself bby being so anxious to win now. Take a look at the Dallas-Porter-Sheffer supporters. What's that expression about a box of rocks? They think they;re going to get jobs if he wins. Start asking people how many jobs he's promised. Then he tells them it'sStewart's fault they were't hired!!!!!!!!!!!!

What did Stewart discover since last fall? Dallas giving himself a huge check for sick days without going before the other officers for permission according to policy--with Porter co-signing the check. Dallas giving Sheffer a huge payout-salary increase above her salary and above the settlement she already got so she could boost her retirement--without the other officers--except Porter--knowing about it and against union policy. We're talking about thousands and thousands of dollars here. Dallas holding his own caucus meeting at Lou Manotti's restaurant and charging it to the union. Dallas giving Pam Massarsky a three-year contract (she brags that she wrote it herself!!!!!!) with a 6% raise each year, without telling the other officers and signing it by himself, against the Union's constitution. Dallas and Porter borrowing $5000 from the union to pay their own attorney, without anybody giving permission and against labor policy. Dallas giving his cronies on the field staff higher salaries than other people who had worked at the union longer. Dallas having grievances and an unfair labor practice filed against him because of his cursing and yelling at staff members (what would you do if your principal did that to you?). Dallas sending an e-mail to the head of labor relations at CPS telling her to mind her own ------- business. Dallas admitting in a fit of anger that he destroyed all the administrators contracts (that's why the audit was so late, because there were no contracts for administrators that the auditors could check things against). Dallas sending an e-mail to one staff telling her to pay up $1000 to the caucus or she wouldn't get a contract. That's the same caucus money that Dallas and Porter had transfered to an account that only they have access to. They're being sued over that right now, so don't believe him when he says he has a campaign fund of more than $50,000. Its not his money!!!!!!!

I could go on but thats enough for most reasonable people to want to get as far away from this guy and his cohorts as they can!!!!!!!!! I was fooled once. Never again!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Glad I'm retired!

Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 2:31 PMBy: Chris to :tell the truth What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Dear T:
No, I was not promised any benefits.I spoke with TD former coworkers .He was a good delegate and was able to fight for his colleagues.I was able to review the court records including pending cases and as a result of my action I decided to support TD. Ask my membership regarding MY honesty and effectiveness.
I am looking for the leader who is able to stop the process of liquidating the public school system in Chicago.
If you are in the Union you have to believe.The process of self servicing inside of the Union,financial mismanagement and lack of responsibility must be stopped.To allow Marilyn to destroy the Union is like a suicide for all of us.
Am I wrong?Let me know please.I am not a crook and because of my age I am not able to change my personality.I just believe in basic values.It is so simple.
just e mail to:coollaw3@yahoo.com

Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 4:20 PMBy: AUSL ADS What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Why is the union allowing AUSL ads in our paper they fire teachers?

We need a motion on the house floor to stop these ads.

They are anti-teacher.

Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 5:41 PMBy: Kugler - Just to Make Clear What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. I do not believe their is any criminal activity at all at the CTU. If there was the feds would have been in there a long time ago. What I am saying is that there is a misguided thought process downtown and I do not think it matters who is in power. I have been approached by countless mart employees and been told "You must be loyal to the president ie MS.

That is what I am trying to saay that these people who are getting above avaerage salaries are not fully vested in our interests but are only interested in the status quot :


I made it! mentallity.

When in fact they have been given the privilege to get out of the classroom and help there fellow union members. In stead they believe their job is to protect the president from dissent of the rank and file.

WRONG!

Dissent is what made the union. The elected officers and the staff paid to support the membership should listen to us and protect our rights.

When one member looses a job the union has failed.

When 100 members loose their jobs the union is week.

When the union looses 18 schools there is no union!

The criminals are the ones that take our dues money and are loyal to MS and not to the members. They are paid to be loyal to the members to not to an elected officer. So if you cash that check every two weeks and you could care less about that PAT being terminated then you are in fact a criminal. If you say "That guy gives me a headache and forget him" then you are a criminal. You know who you are.

How many grievances have been filed this year for PAT's?

How many have won?

How many wrongful terminations have been reversed?

How many school closing have been stopped?

How many harassing prinicipals have we helped to remove?

How many BoE staffers have been reprimanded becasue of union action?

These are the statistice that are inprotant and show a union that is working.

Anyone have these figures?

Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 6:26 PMBy: Kugler - Thanks What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Dubito, ergo cogito, ergo sum

tell me what school you teach at so i my kids are not told they are bad or SHAME!

Is that what you do with your students?

this is a blog and I do not make my stuff prefect to please anyone I just write and post.

Not premeditated blogging.

sorry I disappointed you.

No. I feel no shame or guilt but you can if you want.

In fact I love you because you represent the status quote and why our ed system is so messed up. In stead of attacking the real issues school closings and funding equity you make personal attacks. What about my posts that have no errors or have language and ideas that you do not understand? Where are those comments? Just personal attacks.

just please do not pass that shame or guilt puritan stuff on to your students.

stop that cycle of Christian-damnation-going-to-hell mind set.

here I blog.

here i am.

here i think.

here are the links to what I do when I teach.

Architectural Drafting (Sophomore)
Carpentry (Sophomore)
Advance Architectural Drafting I (Junior)
Advance Architectural Drafting II (Senior)
Advance Carpentry I (Junior)
Advance Carpentry II (Senior)

enjoy

if you want to volunteer in one of my international initiatives please email

International Projects

Send email

Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 6:40 PMBy: hey uniongeek ...................................................................................... Pam Massarsky is suppose to be a MS ally. Why you attacking her? You all having a falling out in the inner inner circle? or just mad that the expense and phone allowances have been cut all the while John O. hires his friend to a full time position[non-union]? Is that the daughter or the mother? Those cronies getting extra are on the MS side of things just cut them out.

what's the scoop?

Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 7:22 PMBy: Figures What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. John O. hired friends of his (a mother and daughter-from the suburbs no doubt) months ago. He's just given the daughter a full time position.

Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 9:22 PMBy: Chris to:Teacher What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Not long ago you were jumping on my accent and poor grammar ,too.Apologize.
Do you hide something in your brain (if you were given one)?
Say something constructive my Fair Big Lady.
I love you anyway ..do not say I am a pervert..

Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 9:45 PMBy: asul What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Anytime a teacher is terminated it is anti teacher.

CTU is to protect teachers.

We charge dues, now increased this year, to protect teachers from firings.

ASUL fires teachers when they come into schools.

Hence ASUL is anti-teacher.

Remember CTU is suppose to protect teachers not fire them.

Sat Apr 12, 2008 at 9:47 PMBy: Question about AUSL What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. AUSL takes over traditional schools that the CPS decides to incorporate the "Turnaround Process" on. What happens to our members (teachers & assistants) who work in "Turnaround" schools after the AUSL take over. Oh, and by the way, recent blogs are very interesting. Overall opinion from a neutral teacher, President Stewart is the problem.

Sun Apr 13, 2008 at 5:24 AMBy: George N. Schmidt What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. "...What you need to do is send the documents you have to either George Schmidt or Alexander for third-party confirmation of your facts. In this way the record is it straight..." (Yesterday).

I don't know how Alexander is editing what he publishes here and don't care much. It seems that anything that appears in print (except in Substance, which is typical) gets reprinted here, as well as an awful lot that gets blogged up, fact checked or not. As a result, there is a typical mixture of fact, fiction, and opinion here that people have to sort to their own taste. That's the nature of the Blogosphere, as some of us here discussed a long time ago (here and elsewhere), and the reason I try to blog in my own name.

There is only one publication where I have any influence over the verification of content, and it's neither Catalyst nor District299. com, but...

When this mess broke here -- and in Substance -- with the publication of the December 26 Marilyn Stewart ("In Solidarity") letter to Arne Duncan, some here will remember that I first asked that the letter be confirmed. And it was confirmed -- not by Marilyn (who is still refusing to be interviewed about this stuff) but by her "Chief of Staff" John Ostenburg.

Only then were we willing to publish it in Substance and did I begin commenting on it here on this thread.

The "Why" to fact check is as easy as your nearest scanner and one piece of software. Although there should be some care, that's not the nature of this medium. The traditional rules are still out there, although they're being ignored an awful lot by "reporters" (and beyond that, publicists, PR people, and bloggers are in a different relationship to all that entirely). Those rules include: Quote source and context. Source carefully for accuracy. Try to get a comment from the subject of a story for publication.

Everyone who's been out here in cyberspace knows that the technology (to the point where "photoshop" is now a verb, as well as a brand name) to morph such a thing exists. Heck, the U.S. mints can barely stay ahead of the technology of duplication, so it's the Wild West out here and elsewhere.

So, yes, it's going to continue to be important to separate fact from fancy. (Truth we can leave to philosophers and theologians).

Since then, we've published the following confirmed facts:

1. Marilyn Stewart's letter to Arne Duncan dated December 26, 2007, which stripped her vice president of his duties and ended with the words "In Solidarity."

2. The fact that one of the main political appointees of Marilyn Stewart, Traci Cobb-Evans, was a strikebreaker (1987 strike) and nevertheless was hired by the CTU President to be one of two (or three, depending upon some other ways of counting) CTU voices in Springfield (at more than $100,000 per year each).

3. The fact that Marilyn's top "coordinators" (and some field reps) were being paid between $180,000 and $200,000 per year. We're talking here about "total compensation." This seems to include a so-called "pension pick up" that is actually a separate annuity equal to 21 percent of the base salary and a monthly expense account -- un-receipted -- of $1,500 per month for most of the professional staff and apparently unlimited for Marilyn Stewart.

Now there will be more to come. Most of it should be available in outline on April 28, when the CTU Executive Board meets.

That's the first time Marilyn Stewart will have to present her proposed budget for CTU's next fiscal year (which extends from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009). That budget will be presented, in writing, to the May 7 House of Delegates meeting and should be discussed then, as well as at the June House of Delegates meeting.

One of the things that people are demanding is that Marilyn Stewart provide the members with all information (not just categorical summaries) on how much each member of the CTU staff is being compensated -- again: that's got to be "total compensation" and not just salary. If that 21 percent "pension pickup" tax sheltered annuity for all staff is back in there -- Debbie Lynch removed it, by the way -- it's a doozy, and would take care of half the deficit that's being discussed.

A lot of the problems arising here would be history if Marilyn Stewart would order CTU to begin filing the LM2 reports with the U.S. Department of Labor. With two mouse clicks, I can find out how much Randi Weingarten (president of the United Federation of Teachers, New York City) has received in total compensation. And I can find out how much her appointed staff (like my cyberspace jouster Leo Casey) receives each year. It's public information, and it should be.

That's why I suspect Randi will never speak to the CTU House of Delegates (remember: she was supposed to be up at the April meeting). Someone will ask her how the LM2 works, and then the question arises why information that is public for New York City's 100,000-member local is TOP SECRET here in Chicago.

All of these questions have factual answers. If people don't want to answer them clearly and precisely for the people who are paying them (the members of the Chicago Teachers Union, myself including) and the general public (it's the age of the Blogosphere, after all) that's bad policy, and stupid, too.

Last House meeting, a couple of the union staff whom I identified as receiving total compensation of around $200,000 made comments. Our policy on the publication of Letters to the Editor and corrections (or clarifications) is clear. But in the case of one Loud Mouth with more decibels than brains, I told him the only way I was going to "correct" anything I put into print (and later on the Web on a Website) is if I had his income tax returns for the last four years. I actually have a hunch that what I know is the tip of a very interesting iceberg.

As one of the favored few in Marilyn's inner circle can also tell you, as a "favor" a couple of months ago I advised him, on the side, to make sure he had a very trustworthy accountant and an equally trustworthy attorney. Having survived several IRS audits (both Substance and myself), I have some experience with that. And since one of those audits was probably prompted by one of Marilyn's highest paid assistants, let's just say I'm still interested in these events for personal as well as professional reasons.

Sun Apr 13, 2008 at 8:01 AMBy: By:to George What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Enough is enough.Members are tired of the betrayal.Now they organizing independent caucus.Next step is going to be the Non Confidence vote .During the summer she will be able to see her face on posters and "Sellout" buttons.
Union does not exist.There is a group of people spending our money as a crazy in order to satisfy their own neds and wants.
Delegates from schools turn themselves into lawyers and writing grievances on their own.The CPS deals with Union members more fairly than their leaders do.SHAME ON YOU MARILYN.But wait...Lord is still here.

Sun Apr 13, 2008 at 8:39 AMBy: 1.04 What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Gauge


Lost in all this dramatic activity swirling around the CTU is the
Fact we have not received our copy of the contract.
Has anyone heard when we might get a copy?

Sun Apr 13, 2008 at 1:21 PMBy: Chris What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. During the last House meeting I had a priviledge to present motion to action regarding non existing contract.
So far Marilyn is quiet.
The electronic version is not sufficient.But,if we have no contract or contract is invalid then we can consider the labor action.
Good day

Sun Apr 13, 2008 at 3:16 PMBy: Boycott AFT Convention ........................................................................................ How much is it going to cost CTU to participate?

More blood money!

Sun Apr 13, 2008 at 9:07 PMBy: to Net Zero What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. "As far as I can tell, when AUSL takes over a building there is not a net loss in Union jobs. Union workers are replaced with Union workers. Any AUSLers out there wish to confirm or correct this?"

You're correct. Teachers hired at AUSL schools are union members. About the only potential difference is that at least 30% of the new hires will usually be first year teachers who are likely less committed to union solidarity (and are cheaper than the 10-year veteran who has no recourse in his/her dismissal).

Sun Apr 13, 2008 at 10:29 PMBy: To: Net zero What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Dear Net Zero:
Please read above and think if you can.
We are on the way to destruction and the AUSL is one of the elements of the whole process.

Sun Apr 13, 2008 at 10:35 PMBy: Veteran Teacher to :Kugler What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. AUSL took over our schools with the quiet acceptance of the Union.
Teachers have no choice -they are fired. Of course ,veteran teachers will not be hired they are dedicated Union members and they expect to be paid.
SHAME ON MARILYN AND HER SUPPORTERS.

Sun Apr 13, 2008 at 10:41 PMBy: Chris, you are so funny What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Chris,

You are so funny when you try to post under other names. Anyway, remember, the AFT conference is an international conference. The success of this conference is not solely dependent upon the participation of Chicago members. The delegates will attend and complete the business at hand; electing a new AFT President. If the keynote is the Democratic nominee for the President of United States many will attend simply because that is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

One must also realize that beyond the CTU membership, we all have AFT membership, which has a number of perks. The mortgage program is great.

So boycott if you want, but no one will care or miss ya.

Sun Apr 13, 2008 at 10:53 PMBy: Shouldn't that be Mart? What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Chris,

There will be no hanging.

Sun Apr 13, 2008 at 10:59 PMBy: to:Chris What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Are you there?How about Porky?Marilyn perhaps .......(word removed)

Sun Apr 13, 2008 at 11:07 PMBy: To Kugler What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. "What happens to those veteran teachers?
Do they quit?
Do they volunteer to leave?
Do they work with the AUSL on the list of teachers to leave?"

Turnaround means everyone is fired. Existing teachers supposedly have the opportunity to "reapply". AUSL claims only one teacher at the first turnaround school applied and that she was offered a position and declined. The principal of the school, though, said in his first year that he didn't want to hire any of the old teachers because he wanted to "start fresh". So who knows who's telling the truth. That school, after 2 years, will have about 50% of the staff that started the turnaround.

Remember, if we fire tenured teachers through turnaround and rehire untenured teachers, we can fire those new teachers for no reason if we don't like them for the next several years.

Sun Apr 13, 2008 at 11:40 PMBy: Porky What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. They are coming to take me away Ha Ha He He

Chris, look out for those men in white shirts!

Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 2:52 AMBy: George N. Schmidt What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. "...What happens to CTU members after AUSL takes over traditional CPS schools in what the CPS calls "turnaround schools". What is so hard about saying our members get forced out of their schools and must find a new school. They get fired. True or False..."

Fired. If they are in regular schools, they get fired and the union can protest. If they are in Marilyn Stewart's "Fresh Start" schools, the union leaders (and Quest Center) helps the Board fire the teachers. Either way, the teachers are fired.

AUSL is long on claims and short on facts. The first school they were given (Dodge) got rid of most of its previous kids (who were sent to places like Grant, which then closed). AUSL (and the Arne Duncan mendacity machine) then began proclaiming that AUSL had "turned around" Dodge. No proof, but a relentless marketing campaign (financed by both public and private privatization dollars, by the way).

Next came Sherman Elementary. At Sherman, AUSL brought in an FNG principal from the suburbs who was long on talking points and short on delivery. Like Dodge, they proclaimed it a "turnaround" (nothing short of a miracle, blah blah blah) before they had one bit of data and about four years before anything they were doing could provide any real information. The method is always the same: Make big claims; trot out a couple of parents to proclaim how much "better" things are, and then repeat same, over and over and over and over.

The "Turnaround" scam died in corporate America when Al Dunlap -- the Chicago Tribune's favorite "Turnaround Specialist" for years -- was exposed using every cheap accounting trick in the book (legal and illegal) to screw Sunbeam (once a Chicago corporation; now a shred of its former self). But the Tribune (and corporate America's) fantasy about "Turnaround" for urban schools marched on.

One of the funniest results was that goofy Tribune series about Sherman's "Turnaround" last September. That story was reported before even a year was completed at Sherman. AUSL is GOOD by definition when you're dealing with these kinds of theology, and the Tribune is reporting from a deeply held set of religious beliefs. The joke turned out to be on the Tribune when their chosen "Turnaround Specialist" teacher bailed out after a year (and a great deal of confusion about how to deal with a student who had aided and abetted a murder; followed by even greater confusion that resulted in hosting a pajama party at her home for her students).

Because AUSL and the rest of these teacher bashing attacks are so overfunded, the lies continue, year after year.

And the formula is always the same.

The school is deprived of resources, systematically. Even the AUSL fan club (that handful of Sherman parents who love to see themselves on TV that Arne trucks around) admits that the problems at Sherman prior to September 2006 were, to a large part, because of poor security. Especially, this was true (as it is in many elementary schools in gang zones) for the kids going to and from school.

The teachers were victims, along with the students, of that mess, created more by the Daley administration than by the principal and teachers of Sherman Elementary School. AUSL came to Sherman with millions of additional dollars, and lots and lots of additional security. So the school's security got a little better (not as much as the fantasy version the Tribune put into print and on the Internet, by a long shot).

And now we have the same kind of "Miracle" that Al Dunlap was praised for (also, in the Tribune) ten years ago.

It was BS when it was being drummed up for corporate America (to the detriment of Sunbeam and other companies) and it's even more BS when it's foisted off on Chicago's public schools.

Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 7:05 AMBy: To:Mary,Mark,Nick,Rich.... What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. I am wondering...You are intelligent and(privately)nice people.
I strongly believe that you also have some amount of understanding what the word fairness means.
Why you decided to be in the wrong time in the wrong place?
Standing for the person who cut the branches you are sitting on is really unusual.You know each other for years and now you are allowing the betrayal of the membership.What are you going to do later to clean your images?
Stay with members ,act properly to avoid further division .
Remember old days.
You are receiving this advice from the person who was involved in the unionism longer that many of you.The person who is writing now was actively participating in the Berlin Wall destruction..
It was not the matter to have a job or not ..it was the matter to live or to be dead .Again WAKE UP not much time left.

Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 10:06 PMBy: Things that make you go Hmmmm What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. 2. The fact that one of the main political appointees of Marilyn Stewart, Traci Cobb-Evans, was a strikebreaker (1987 strike) and nevertheless was hired by the CTU President to be one of two (or three, depending upon some other ways of counting) CTU voices in Springfield (at more than $100,000 per year each).



There used to be a list of those people who were confirmed strike breakers or scabs. If Mrs. Cobb-Evans is indeed such is that list available as written proof? I was but a young child at that time and have no recollection of that strike.

Things that make you go hmmm.

Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 11:50 PMBy: Contract What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Where can we get a real answer about when the contract will be printed and distributed? Why does it seem some aspects of the contract are effective and others are not?

The new contract, three years to become tenured, will not be effective until July. Call Human Resources to check your status then call your Union Representatives. It sounds like you will have to be in a position number beginning next year to obtain your tenure.

Who can explain exactly what is going on with the contract and if we even legally have one right now?

Tue Apr 15, 2008 at 2:09 AMBy: George N. Schmidt What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg.
"...She IS a scab but is a VERY good friend of Stewart's, so that makes it okay..."

"How do you know that to be true and how can you prove it? Those are very strong accusations to make without proof..."

Questions of fact are always charming, especially in the Blogosphere where rampaging opinion (usually, lightly sourced or simply false) is as rampant as hormones on Prom Night.

How do you know if someone crossed a picket line during a union strike in CPS? Ask the people who walked that picket line? In addition to documentary sources, there are thousands of human ones. Either is good as a news source. Only a fetishistic bureaucrat demands a "document" (which, by the way, is not evidence in court because, as Photoshop proves, it can be so easily counterfeited).

As CTU delegates know, anyone who scabbed and did not reinstitute used to get "SB" (Strike Breaker) beside the name on the member list for the school. Every year, the CTU provides each delegate with a list of members at the "Unit" (usually, a school) to check for accuracy. The categories have always been clear. "SB" meant "Scab." (er, strikebreaker).

This was as routine for union delegates back when the union was acting like a union as regular meetings of the Professional Problems Committee. Hundreds of those lists (with names) were around, and the information was always also available in the CTU data base (membership list, from which union lists for delegates are generated and updated).

Stewart knew for years that she had an "SB" at Kinzie school.

We ran the story in Substance (March edition, page one story by John Kugler) after getting an affidavit from a retired teacher who confirmed it.

Our reporter also called and asked for a comment from the subject of the story, who responded with a "No comment." This is the fairness and accuracy part, which you do when you're going to report a major story based on documents and other sourcing.

Current example: I've sent an e-mail to the CTU requesting a Stewart interview on a number of topics we're reporting on in our May edition, which will be out in two weeks. No response to date. Every month, we get the same runaround from Marilyn Stewart.

Now here is a big one that I've been raising on this thread for more than a month. Why doesn't Marilyn Stewart simply disclose, for the 30,000 remaining members of the Chicago Teachers Union, the "LM2" information filed by almost all unions with the U.S. Department of Labor? All that's on line, as I've noted here before, and the filing will save lots of time in the May and June House of Delegates meetings, when delegates will be demanding precise information about staff salaries and benefits and getting the usual runaround.

Anyone who wants to can pull up the LM2 for SEIU Local 73 (which represents the second largest number of unionized workers in CPS) and learn what the president (Christine Boardman) and the Director of Research (me) were paid in 2006 and 2007 (including all fringe benefits and expenses). Why CTU's leaders would want to continue covering up all that is a question I can't answer, but I'll keep making the same suggestion:

FILE THE LM2 AND STOP DODGING THE QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW MUCH THE CTU STAFF IS MAKING!

Next question(s) of fact?

Tue Apr 15, 2008 at 12:03 PMBy: Retired Principal What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Listen up everybody, SB2402- SCH CD-CHARTER SCHOOL LIMIT, spensored by Sen. Iris Y Martinez- Mattie Hunter and Heather Steans: SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED- "Amends the Charter Schools Law of the School Code. Provides that the total number of charter schools operating at any one time shall not exceed 200 (instead of 60). Removes the geographical and other limits on the number of charter schools that may operate at any one time. Make changes concerning attendance boundaries in the City of Chicago. Provides that a charter school entity that can demonstrate to the authorizer that it has a proven track record of performance may be granted a renewal charter that authorizes the operator to open a new campus in accordance with its proposal to establish a charter school. Provides that nothing in certain provisions of the Law is intended to limit an entity from submitting an application to operate an additional charter school pursuant to a new or modified educational model. In the case of a proposal to establish a chacter school by converting an existing public school or attendance center to charter school status, makes chages concerning certain evidence that needs to be provided. Effective immediately.

Tue Apr 15, 2008 at 2:25 PMBy: Refund ...................................................................................... Can we get her salry back if this passes?

and the other two lobbyists!

We are getting the shaft from all sides!

Tue Apr 15, 2008 at 4:24 PMBy: To:LA Sanders What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. I agree with you Mrs Sanders.It is our responsibility.
Get rid of scab lobbyist.She is useless.

Tue Apr 15, 2008 at 7:46 PMBy: Wish I worked at the CTU What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Dear Contract,

There are many variables when determining a teacher's tenure date.
1. Did you have a valid certificate when you began working full time?
2. Were you a TAT?
3. Did you register your state certificates with the board and when?
4. Were you on leave for some reason during your probationary years?
5. Did you suffer a break in service during your probationary years, and if you did you get a job within the deadline the various deadlines?

and so on, and so on.

These are just some of the loopholes I have heard of that will stop you from being tenured when you think you will be. For more information, contact your experts at the union if you can get a hold of one, and if they know the answer?

getting tenure is not as easy as year 1,2,3.

Tue Apr 15, 2008 at 8:14 PMBy: Show Me (cont) ....................................................................................... Did I mention BoE says I am a PAT1.

Ouch hiho

Tue Apr 15, 2008 at 9:21 PMBy: L A Sanders RN What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. For the sake of clarification I did not say get rid of anyone nor did I call anyone a "scab". That is not the point of my post. I will reiterate my point-we have to start doing some work. Again, we complain on a blog but do not pick up a phone, email a legislator, or send a constructive email. While engaging in all this negativity the wool continues to be pulled over our heads in Springfield. Go to the state legislative web site and read all the bills that are being processed that will directly impact your employment and complain to those who are voting on them.

As for Mrs. Evans being a scab I have no knowledge regarding strike breakers from 1987; I was not affiliated with CPS at that time, which happened to be 20 years ago. During these critical times in state legislature something that might have happened 20 years ago is not, and should not be our focus. Instead of pointing fingers etc. I wish all CPS employees would use their energy trying to improve the conditions for the students, employees and parents of CPS. So I again challenge you to contact your legislator and tell them how you the voting constituent want them to vote on the very important issues they have in their hands. Then ask your family, friends, neighbors, church members et al to do the same.

I have observed the legislative process up close and personally and the one thing I can tell you is that Springfield is laughing at us; at the wasted energy, the fact that we are so distracted by minutiae. CPS employees have not made themselves heard regarding residency, diabetes care aides, charters, and much more. There are sixty-five thousand employees at CPS so there should be sixty-five thousand calls, emails, letters etc.

Stay on the positive and get proactive.

LAS

Tue Apr 15, 2008 at 10:01 PMBy: Can we What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. fire someone from the house floor?

FIRED!

Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 12:27 AMBy: Then who is ....................................................................................... responsible for the charters school give away?

I am trying be be proactive. Stop the destruction of the union.

Get ride of the people who sell us out and put some people in that will save our union.

You keep justifying 100,000 per year for one person when we continually have anti-teacher legislation passing in Springfield?

It is a fact she crossed a picket line and in any other union she would enjoy the luxury of an office job with administrative duties that are the root of the issues driving our union into ruin.

To copare an office worker with a classroom teacher is completely asinine. You are making yourself less credible each time you post. she is a back stabber and so is marilyn that is why they are friends. They could care less about any members. That is why she runs another full time business while getting paid 100k. Do classroom teachers afford that luxury?

You need to watch the company you keep. One day there will be a house cleaning and if you are on the wrong side you will be out too. No matter what you think or do. The union is for the members not a feeding trough.


I Always Knew He Was A Rat


PS you getting one of those custom hand bags? I wonder if teachers will be allowed overnight stays downtown too.

Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 12:45 AMBy: L A Sanders RN What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Dearest Who is,

You continue to miss the point.

Why do you find it necessary to personally attack me and/or my creditability. I suppose it is easy to do so when you blog anonymously. Why would you direct your anger at me? What have I done to you? Nothing. So my opinion differs from yours. That is the great thing about America. Again, fighting with me is not proactive and not bringing about a positive result.

If you go on the states website ilga.gov, there is a link which will explain the legislative process for you. Any bills that pass in the House or Senate do so because of the Senators and House Reps that we the citizens voted in. They are supposed to vote with their constituents. If we don't tell them what you want they don't know. Therefore, I hope you took the same amount of time you spent slamming people on this blog to notify your legislator of your wishes.

And Good Night

Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 2:09 AMBy: No Arguement What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. I agree with you.

Just there are people paid to get those things done.

The office staff @ the mart should be doing that not a teacher in a school that is what we pay dues for.

Not conventions. Pay regular teachers to go to the conventions and have the ctu staff pay full price out of their salaries for every event. Then we will see how dedicated they are to going!

I do think you are wrong on the teacher work load and would hope you apologize to all those TAT's, PAT's and PSRP's etc that work hard for 1/3 to 1/2 the pay ctu staffers receive and no protections from downtown or the contract.

Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 1:52 PMBy: L A Sanders Rn What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. My Dearest No Arguement,

Again, the point...no one has blogged that they indeed spoke with their legislator, or emailed them.

Perhaps you have never attended an AFT Convention but it is for the working person, the school employee. It may be organized by union staffers (nationwide) but it is attended by Union members-worldwide. So yes, I look forward to meeting up with teacher and nurse colleagues from around the country.

I did not comment on teacher work load; I commented on work hours.
Perhaps you are not aware that during the legislative session, however long it is, lobbyist (not just CTU) are in Springfield for days and weeks at a time. They are in committee meetings which often last until 9PM. We, as CPS employees have the opportunity to go home everyday and you better not try and keep some teachers until 9PM. When your job takes you away from home it constitutes hours worked. So I stand by my statement.

In case you missed that website for the state legislator it is ilga.gov

Those who are elected and selling us out are our own legislators who are sitting in Springfield changing our lives. And when they vote something into law....it is. Write to them.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion but we must deal with the facts; there are bills in Springfield that will impact every school district in the state. We must proactive.

Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 2:31 PMBy: re: CTU lobbying What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. The CTU has for years given money to IL Senator Jones through the PAC and he has spoke at the lead dinner as I recall. What have we gotten for that money? By the way these contributions have been made well before the current leadership came to power.

Our lobbying efforts have been ineffective compared to those of the Civic Committee in relation to priviatization and effectively breaking our union. The old saying is you reward your friends and hurt your opponents. On the issue of Ren 2010 and legislation related to it we have not hurt legislators who have sold us out, including Sen Jones, and the Governor. Please let's not even talk about Daley.

By the way why does the union keep showing up at Daley photo ops with Steward in the picture. How is it in the interest of our members to join Daley and Duncan on the gun legislation? What do they give us in return - nothing in fact more privatization.

Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 4:33 PMBy: Low End????????????? What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. what does that make a 40K teacher?

A scum bag?

RN you are an elitist and one of the problems with the union.

to say 100k is low is an insult to all us teachers fighting everyday for our jobs and pay.

The proactive approach is you get lost and the carpetbaggers that are your friends fleecing the union not for everything we got but even borrowing money to pay for your all spending habits and conventions.

just look at your comments and see for yourself what you write.

you justify high wages for office staff above the member salaries that pay the office staff salaries.

You do not make any sense and are foolish.

stop insulting the working teachers with your comments.

enjoy the convention paid by the backs of the true membership:

THE STAFF IN THE SCHOOLS WORKING FOR UNDER 100k!

is the union the mart people work for us! not for themselves!

Fire the lobbists!


PS If she works that many hours how does she run her travel agency then? I wish I could have a business on the side while working fulltime. PM sold us out to Daley for the five year deal to coincide with 5 year school closing and olympic bid.

These are the facts not you elitist rhetoric and savior complex.

Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 4:46 PMBy: Here is an idea What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. How abourt pay for performance limke MS advocates for.

Pay in relation ot grievances fikled.

then extra for grievances won.

legislation passed.

contract enforcement.

membership growth.

school expansion!

No results.

No pay.

Back to the classroom.

Kiss your fat salary good bye.

Say hello to kid gangbanger!

Say goodbye to the easy life!

Say hello to reality!

Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 5:29 PMBy: To:RN Sanders What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. No reason to be upset.Your favorite lobbyist is unable to deliver results.
She is not producing.
Replace her.
It is so simple.

Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 5:50 PMBy: Easy Does It What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. we love elitist in the blogosphere.

especially self-proclaimed ones.

WE LOVE YOU!

Just how do we get you all to donate your pay to a good cause?

Supplementing teacher salaries.

Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 7:00 PMBy: L A Sanders aka Elitist What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. OK, you got me, Erica and Star are my fault:-) Thank you for bringing in the face of Humor. During these trying times we should be engaged in lifting one another up, not tearing each other down.

I will continue to report on the various legislative issues regarding the health and safety of our children, employees etc. It is hard out there.....

HB 5960 and SB 2799 are diabetes care aide bills, which mandate that anyone can be delegated to take care of the student with diabetes. Tell your legislator to vote NO. You do not want to be responsible for administering medication to your students. It is enough to teach.

If you have any loved ones in a nursing home or long term care facility you may want to vote NO to HB 4960. This bill gives unlicensed persons in the nursing home permission to pass medication.

All three bills are the result of the effort to cut costs at the expense of the ill. These institutions do not want to spend the money on nurses.
Since school staff is already on the clock why not make them do double duty and step outside their expertise. I don't want to see a child harmed or worse killed. I definitely don't want to see it happen at the hands of a CPS employee.

Contact your legislator.

LAS

Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 6:36 AMBy: Suffering in a Charter just to live! What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. What would even be more interesting than the names of all the CHARTERS, (great info. ret principal, thanks) would be the names of all the TRADITIONAL schools they used to be, and the names of the TEACHERS who have suffered under these conversions.

You wouldn't have enough room on this blog.

Who is most responsible for the expansion of privitization of schools, Deborah Lynch or Marilyn Stewart?

Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 10:35 AMBy: I am Lazy What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Why am I getting 40K per year.

That is too much!

I should work 10 hrs a day.

I should be abused.

I should be scared to be fired.

I should be ripped off be my union.

Please dock my pay. I do not deserve 40K per year.

Can I donate my salary to the union because I do not work enough.

They need money for the convention party.

I hope my salary is enough to pay for the booze party in July.

I will work hard and get another job to help you spend my money.

Thank you.

Humble undeserving teacher.

Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 11:41 AMBy: who is she What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. is this new person a union member?

where is from?

Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 12:34 PMBy: Retired Principal What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Listen up everybody, if SB2402 becomes law and it will, CPS would be able to replace all general elementary and high schools with charter schools! The new law would allow 200 charter schools in Illinois and CPS would get at least a 100 of these charter schools if not more! CPS presently has 28 charter schools on 56 campuses. One charter school is on 11 campuses!!! More charter schools, less union members for the CTU! The CTU would then be weaker than it is now!!! General elementary and high schools beware!!!

Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 12:59 PMBy: L A Sanders Rn aka elitist What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. To: To:Supernurse,

It is quite easy to blog nastiness under an alias isn't it?

The point continues with:

HB5960, SB 2799, Diabetes Care Acts

HB 4314, Principal notification of Students w/ HIV Repeal

HB 4374 10 min mandatory recess at CPS

HB 4375 Residency


There are many more bills in the State House and the Senate which will have an impact on CPS employees. You can look them up at ilga.gov.

Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 1:23 PMBy: SB 2402 What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Synopsis As Introduced

Amends the Charter Schools Law of the School Code. Provides that the total number of charter schools operating at any one time shall not exceed 200 (instead of 60). Removes the geographical and other limits on the number of charter schools that may operate at any one time. Makes changes concerning attendance boundaries in the City of Chicago. Provides that a charter school entity that can demonstrate to the authorizer that it has a proven track record of performance may be granted a renewal charter that authorizes the operator to open a new campus in accordance with its proposal to establish a charter school. Provides that nothing in certain provisions of the Law is intended to limit an entity from submitting an application to operate an additional charter school pursuant to a new or modified educational model. In the case of a proposal to establish a charter school by converting an existing public school or attendance center to charter school status, makes changes concerning certain evidence that needs to be provided. Effective immediately.

Senate Committee Amendment No. 1
Deletes reference to:
105 ILCS 5/27A-5
105 ILCS 5/27A-8

Deletes everything after the enacting clause. Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning charter schools.

Senate Floor Amendment No. 2
Deletes everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Charter Schools Law of the School Code. Provides that the total number of charter schools operating at any one time shall not exceed 100 (instead of 60). Removes the geographical and other limits on the number of charter schools that may operate at any one time. Effective immediately.

Senate Floor Amendment No. 3
Adds reference to:
105 ILCS 5/27A-5

Provides that operation of each of the 40 additional charter schools authorized by the amendatory Act shall be limited to one campus.

Bill Status of SB2402

Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 1:39 PMBy: L A Sanders RN aka elitist What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. 1:25PM To....

Did you call? It will have more of an impact from you and on you. You can obtain a list of all House and Senate members at ilga.gov

It is best to read the entire bill because the synopsis will leave out pertinent details. As a for instance the synopsis for HB 5960 does not state that the diabetes care aide will have to administer medication, but that is what the bill says.

Let us continue to be proactive and positive. Call, write, email your legislators.

School nurses are in Springfield right now speaking legislators on behalf of students, school staff, and parents. Our children deserve the best of care.

Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 3:00 PMBy: L A Sanders RN now known as minion instead of elitist What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Kugler,

You misunderstand my position and mission.

Please understand that the issues I speak to will have a negative impact on the members of CTU, on the students of CPS and all employees of CPS. This is a statewide issue impacting all school districts, charter schools and students. These issues have the potential to gravely harm a student who is the victim of a medication error at the hands of a school clerk. If allowed to pass, these laws will negatively impact our state for a very long time. And although CTU is a large entity, this issue is much larger than CTU. This issue is not about destroying the Union, it is about destroying the health of students, dumbing down nursing, and abusing school employees-statewide.

Marilyn has never said to me that if these bills pass it is the member’s fault.

We, collectively have the power to do something about it. I have met with legislators, nurses, teachers, etc regarding these issues. I have testified for House Committees. And they say to me "well, we know what the nurses think, but it must be ok with the teachers and school staff because we have not heard from them." I know that it is not ok with staff, but staff must step up and shout it out themselves. I know that school employees statewide do not want to be forced to administer insulin injections, complete daily blood glucose checks, calculate carbohydrate intake. I know that the principals do not want the responsibility of designating someone and supervising them giving insulin. And if WE let it pass you will soon be mandated to give seizure medicine in your student’s rectum. Do you want to do that?

I am a healthcare professional who took an oath to practice my profession faithfully and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care. That is my mission. That is where my energy is being used. I will continue in this vain.

The point, tell your legislator to VOTE NO to HB 5960 and SB 2799. The children in the state of Illinois deserve much more. We must work to stop this train.

LAS

Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 5:02 PMBy: Confused,too What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Do we have a President of the Union?Does she make about $250 000 a year?
Does she have enough energy to destroy the Union operation,isolate elected officers and sign checks without the Treasurer consent/signature?
Does she have enough energy to fight own people using Union resources?
Does she care about any bill passed or not?
Does she care about herself /
Is she a paid agent of the outside forces doing good job creating destruction inside the CTU?
I am confused, too.

Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 5:23 PMBy: 1.04 What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Just how stupid are we?

Today the Illinois Senate passed SB 2402 by a vote of 37 yes to 10 no.
It has already been sent on to the Illinois House. The sponsor of the bill was
“ Surprise” a democrat named Kimberly Lightfoot .The following quote was taken from our very own CTU website today.

“Committee chairperson Kimberly Lightford (D-4) voted for the bill but said she is doing so because she is sponsoring a bill to add charters for drop-outs and needs support from fellow committee members for her legislation. She expressed her opposition to the unlimited ability to add charter schools and stated, "I have no intention of allowing the Chicago schools to be privatized."


Well now that says it all, perhaps the union will now demand a refund of the
$ 3,000 we gave her . Or how about asking Ed Maloney , another scumbag democratic
senator for the $4,500 we gave him.
Do not stop there if we prorate the $ 568, 200 we gave the Illinois Democratic Party since 2005 and asked for refunds from all our friendly Democrats who voted for this
Bill that would be a pretty penny.

Now that gets me to my subject. We gave $ 10,100 to the Illinois Republicans in the same time. The Chicago teachers Union needs to decide who our friends are, and stop
Paying our enemies.

Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 5:38 PMBy: BY1:04 What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Should be judgment.Muistyping.

Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 6:01 PMBy: L A Sanders Rn What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Kugler,


“I think you have lost sight of what it is to be rank and file. You even admit it yourself.”


First and foremost it is not necessary to speak negatively of me as a person. I am a nurse in an education system; two female dominated professions that do not receive the respect they deserve in a male dominated society. Nurses are the only profession to get less respect than teachers; and you accuse me of loosing sight of what it is to be rank and file. As for being an elitist, there is nothing wrong with that statement. Research the definition of the word and you will see very positive terms like intellect, pride in belonging to a particular group etc. I am more than PROUD to be a member of that select group known as NURSES.

Yes, the point continues to be missed. Our taxes pay those legislators who are in much greater control of our futures than the Union will ever be. And that is where I direct my focus.

The greatest thing about the USA is the opportunity to choose and have an opinion. As people we have differing opinions about the Union, George Bush, the War in Iraq, and which is better diet Coke or diet Pepsi. And we have the right to not share those opinions. You speak of working together but people on this blog are attacked, ridiculed, criticized, called names and threatened when they do share their opinion simply because their opinions may differ from other bloggers; That does not propagate togetherness. So no, it is not necessary that I speak on my views regarding the Union, I have been abused enough. And no I won’t join in the bash Marilyn, bash the Union conversation.

I will continue my mission; protecting the children and school employees of the state of Illinois because I am a healthcare professional who took an oath to practice my profession faithfully and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care. That is my mission. That is where my energy is being used. I will continue in this vain.

The point, tell your legislator to VOTE NO to HB 5960 and SB 2799. The children in the state of Illinois deserve much more. We must work to stop this train.

Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 7:10 PMBy: About:The Agreement What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Have you received a copy of the Agreement yet?
Who wrote and signed it?
Looks like the Board wrote and approved.We are sold out completely.
It is a piece of sh....t.
Members have to pay for the arbitrator!
SHAME ON YOU THE ETC LADY.
Both of you doing something very interesting .Scab and her closest friend.SHAME!

Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 6:40 AMBy: Good morning What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. How do you feel M.S?

Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 7:14 AMBy: Retired Principal What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Here is the list of the 37 Illinois senators who voted yes to pass SB2402 on April 17, 2008: Bivins, Burzynski, Clayborne, Collins, Cronin, Crotty, Cullerton, Deleo, Delgado, Dillard, Forby, Garrett, Haine, Harmon, Hendon, Hultgren, Hunter, Jacobs, Koehler, Lightford, Luechtefeld, Maloney, Martinez, Millner, Munoz, Murphy, Noland, Pankau, Radogno, Raoul, Righter, Rutherford, Schoenberg, Steans, Trotter, Watson and Mr. President. If this bill passes the House and is signed by the govenor, general elementary and high schools beware. Remember, there are still 2 charters to be awarded under the current Law where they can be on more than one campus. In the new bill, CPS would get 20 more charter schools, however they can only be on one campus.

Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 7:49 AMBy: member that follows politics What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Retired Principal: Many of the senators you listed are friends of the CTU. Shows how musch respect they have for our lobbyist (massarsky,cobb-evans), not to mention our President. Those senators know that there will be no recourse for their actions. The CTU cannot do what the CFL did with the city alderman in their last election. We are getting weaker by the day.

Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 3:49 PMBy: by member What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. hiho

Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 5:20 PMBy: bernie What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Good idea
I sent the "remove my PAC contribution" email to Mark Ochoa today.
Having a strike breaker as the CTU lobbyist is wrong; having a strike breaker as the CTU ineffective lobbyist is a bad joke.

Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 6:36 PMBy: L A Sanders RN What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Tom,


I could feel your post until the last paragraph. I am a supporter of job action, but...again I get attacked.

..... Considering the fact that I am the SCHOOL NURSE DELEGATE “worrying about state laws relating to issues specifically for school nurses and kids (let's call them students) recieving (sic) meds” is appropriate. And I get attacked.

The point being missed is that this is not exclusively a school nurse issue. This is an attack on students, school employees, and nurses and not an attack by me. This is an attack from the state legislators who have the power to vote Yes of No.
Attack on Students: HB 5960-Children with Diabetes Care Acts:
This bill would mandate that anyone in the school system (teacher, teacher aide, clerk, librarian, janitor) could be designated by the Principal to act as the Diabetes Care Manager. The responsibilities of this role include: daily blood glucose monitoring, calculating insulin dosage, administering insulin and glucagons (by injection), etc.

This bill also permits students to carry insulin, syringes, and needles on their person around the school. This may jeopardize the ENTIRE school community. Insulin and syringes can be a dangerous weapon. Children will do what children do - explore, play and fight.

It is a well-known fact that there has been a marked increase in the incidence of diabetes in school age children, as well as asthma and other chronic illnesses in the inner city. The greatest increase in the incidence is in areas with large minority populations and lower socio-economic status. Consequently, this bill will provide for SUB-STANDARD unlicensed care for our weakest population.

Attack on Teachers and Paraprofessionals: HB 5960;
Teachers and educational workers are already under attack as a result of failing students and schools. They are blamed and accused of not teaching. These bills place yet another task, one for which they are not educated to do, on their already over-filled plates.

HB 5960- Amendment 1; Attack on Nurses:
Changes the current Illinois Nurse Practice Act. The current NPA protects the nurse by prohibiting the delegation of Nursing tasks, including the administration of Medication, to unlicensed persons. The change will attempt to force nurses to pass their nursing duties onto unlicensed persons but does not release nurses from the liability. These bills continue the “Dumbing down of Nursing” because the sponsors evidently feel that anyone can nurse. Furthermore, the amendment changes the name from Diabetes Care Aide to Health Care Aide whose role will include management of students with asthma seizure disorders and other chronic illnesses.


There are plenty of educated experienced people on the payroll of CPS who should not have to violate the current law (Nurse Practice Act) and add nursing to their responsibilities. They should not have to take on the liability associated with medicating a student, monitoring blood glucose, calculating insulin dosages. They should not have to look forward to inserting seizure medication in a students rear. And I get attacked.

Therefore I should not be criticized for my efforts because I take my roll as the nurse delegate and a registered nurse by the State of Illinois to heart. Again, this does not propagate togetherness. Instead, how about saying we know Sanders is working above and beyond the call of duty to protect the children, employees and nurses. That is a good thing.

I have not only advocated for the nurses and students but for the school employees who would be forced into a precarious, illegal position. I will continue my mission; protecting the children and school employees of the state of Illinois because I am a healthcare professional who took an oath to practice my profession faithfully and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care. That is my mission. That is where my energy is being used. I will continue in this vain. And I get attacked.

The point, tell your legislator to VOTE NO to HB 5960 and SB 2799. The children in the state of Illinois deserve much more. We must work to stop this train.

And I get attacked. You are correct about one thing, we have a problem, when I get attacked for stepping up for others.

LAS

Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 6:48 PMBy: The Fact What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. There is no way in I will give any medicine to any student>

The death of the student will be the result of BoE negligence.

Teachers are forbidden to administer anything to students.

The bill is a waste of time and diversion.

BoE can not make teachers do what you are saying.

Spend your energy fighting the larger issues that matter.

Once the schools get privatized you too will be out of a job.

Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 8:49 PMBy: Alright already What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. SANDERS, WE GET IT ALREADY!!!! Everyone reading this agrees with you. ENOUGH!!! TALK ABOUT YOUR VIEW ON THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP OF MARILYN STEWART. DO YOU LIKE THE CONTRACT! WHAT ABOUT THE CTU BUDGET! DO YOU THINK THE CTU IS GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE RIFT BETWEEN TED DALLAS AND STEWART?

Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 10:16 PMBy: Kugler - I Use Two ....................................................................................... To send more than one letter you need a different address at least. It gets screened thru the zip code. I use my home address and school address.

let's over load the emails of these people.

Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 10:41 PMBy: curious What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. There are three senators who are linked to this bill who also seem to reside in Chicago and have kids--Bradley (3 kids), Martinez (1), and Steans (3).

I wonder where their kids go to school?

A charter?

Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 11:23 PMBy: But... What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Hasn't she appointed herself the treasurer?

Sat Apr 19, 2008 at 4:19 AMBy: George N. Schmidt What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. "...There are three senators who are linked to this bill who also seem to reside in Chicago and have kids--Bradley (3 kids), Martinez (1), and Steans (3). I wonder where their kids go to school? A charter?..." (curious, earlier).

Do your cause a favor, "curious" (and others). Leave the kids out. As has long been discussed here, you only undermine your political arguments when you bring in an irrelevancy that puts sympathy on the other side. Mayor Daley benefited from a parochial education and the benefits his clout brought him (including all those passing grades, right up to the bar examination), and it was nobody's business but his family's. Ditto Martinez, Bradley, and Steans.

The political record, rather than personal choices, is what's at issue here, and it's a doozy. Without even looking up the fine points and details, I can write the following.

Iris Martinez and Rich Bradley have long supported charter schools locally in Chicago. For example, when he was a State Rep, Bradley wrote one of the letters supporting the Aspira Haugan charter school.

Iris Martinez has been on many many TACs. The TACs are Arne Duncan's "Transition Advisory Councils" and are the way "community input" is manipulated to "prove" that the "community" really wants the charter or other strange school, rather than more resources for the local public school. In fact, she's been on so many charter school promotional groups that she's probably ready for a 12-step program to kick her addiction to privatization (and all the perks that go with it for her and her political buddies, some of whom are operational as far on the other side of town as Washington High School).

Steans has been pushing privatization as a "private" citizen since the end of the last century. Her family's "fund" is one of the many millionaire groups that has backed every teacher bashing (and union busting) corporate "reform" of the public schools. As of now, she has no record in Springfield, having just used her family's wealth to purchase the seat. But prior to now, she goes back at least ten years promoting privatization, teacher bashing, and union busting -- all in the name of corporate "school reform."

I'm sure people could find a little more on each of these union busting teacher bashing privatizers, and that at least two of them (Martinez and Bradley) would try to avoid being called out of their track record by the unions, here and in Springfield.

But the fact that they've gotten this far and gotten away with this much (why didn't the unions stop this stuff three years ago, when the New Haugan was given away to Aspira?) just shows how stupid the leadership of the CTU has been in understanding and clarifying its own political position on charters. Try and find a clear and unequivocal statement (in Springfield or Chicago) to the politicians putting CTU in opposition to the Chicago charter expansion. Read that dumb stuff Marilyn Stewart's been putting into print under her name, blah blah blahing about how charters might some days be good and some days bad and after all, Al Shanker (about whom she knows just about nothing, by the way) thought charters were, once upon a time, a really neat idea (until, it turns out, he thought they were not a neat idea, but she didn't get to that chapter yet).

For the past five years, CTU could have been leading the charge against Chicago's charter expansion, and putting a record in place in the two places it counts:

1. On the record in the Illinois General Assembly and the public, with clear studies showing that Chicago's charters have failed, are corrupt, and use fraudulent data to support their claims.

2. By denying political support to politicians (Bradley, Martinez?) who back charters, either in tiny tiny ways (like Bradley's letter on the record in the Aspira Haugan proposal three years ago), or big time (like Martinez's participation in every charter activity Arne Duncan serves up).

CTU could also have been helping the public understand how some of the wealthiest families in the Chicago area -- through the manipulation of "charity" foundations and trust funds -- are promoting an agenda of charterization, privatization, teacher bashing, and union busting (Steans) long before they buy themselves a seat in the Illinois General Assembly.

Let's assume that "our" politicians are going to go wherever the dollars are until "we" make it too costly for them to hang out with Arne the next time teacher bashing, privatization, and union busting are on the agenda.

And note:

Not one of these facts or proposals has anything to do with where these three politicians send their own children to school.

Stick to the records, the facts, and the issues and you might someday win this debate.

Make it about a family's right to educate their children according to their beliefs, and you've walked into a trap.

And I write this as a father who spent some quality time Wednesday picking up his first grader's report card at a Chicago public school and then voting as a parent in an LSC election. It's none of my business where my neighbors send their own children to school. They are free to respond to their own beliefs, and if half of the families on the block where I live send half their kids to parochial (or private) schools and half to public schools, so what?

Sat Apr 19, 2008 at 7:35 AMBy: 1.04 What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Almost


I agree about kids, they are out of bounds. Lost in all this discussion is the
Simple fact that for over 60 years now CPS has been under the heel of the
scumbag Democratic Party. Perhaps it is time to change that since the glorious
old GOP has , with the Ryan episode, almost hit rock bottom.
It is so bad in many places in Il. Democrats are getting a free ride
because no Republican run in opposition.
If history means much we the members of the CTU have only to look at the
Actions of our, so called, Democratic friends to sense there has been a terrible double cross going on for a long time. Since 1995 it has been our Democratic friends who have pulled the trigger on us in Springfield.
While the Mayor always blamed the members of the GOP in Springfield. Check
The voting records of The Democrats who take our PAC money then stab us in the back.
Now that the Democrats control State, County, and City governments has our lot
Gotten better? Hell no, we find bills like the Charter Bill SB2402 fast tracked
Like a bullet train. If we mattered at all that bill would have been DOA.
What we must do now is to organize. Just because your parents were
Democrats doesn’t mean you have to be one. The Republican party is in such shambles that Some wards in Chicago are totally open. Lest you fall for the bullshit about the GOP
Being an elite group of rich white men stop and ask yourself what the Mayor
And his friends are.
Just remember Lincoln was a Republican. And the Confederate army totally
Democratic. When you know history a lot of things fall in place.
Just as the recent aldermanic elections showed the machine is not invincible
I hope the recent events in Springfield finally are enough to get us off our ass
And do something even if it means switching parties.

Sat Apr 19, 2008 at 9:04 AMBy: Send a Message What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. The rank and file need to send a message!

Stop stealing our money!

Stealing= we give money for a reason + politician backstabs us

Send an email to Mark Ochoa Financial Secretary

markochoa@ctulocal1.com

Stop my PAC deductions immediately!

Sat Apr 19, 2008 at 9:08 AMBy: 1.04 What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Yes

Whoever we hire must be a true professional

Sat Apr 19, 2008 at 10:12 AMBy: Staring at the top What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. The next President of the Union must be a true professional. Someone with a solid background in Politics. Someone who has the courage and tenacity to stand up to Duncan, Daley, and Williams. Someone who is willing to make the necessary changes at the CTU concerning the budget and day to day operations. Someone who is willing to see every teacher and ESP as a partner and friend.

Race or gender of the next PRESIDENT should not be the issue. What should be an issue is the future stake that the officers have in the direction of the CTU. If they can all retire at the end of their terms, why would they care so much about the members!

We have all learned our lesson with the re-election of Stewart and her self proclaimed mandate of seventy something percent. LET'S NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE IN 2010. Hopefully by then, there will still be enough of us around to regain the strenght the CTU once had.

Sat Apr 19, 2008 at 6:11 PMBy: Tom What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. The next president of the CTU will find themselves in such a weak position that no matter who it is, he or she, black or white, or Hispanic they are going to be on the defensive. We have to start getting a little crazy, like now. By the time the contract is up we are very likely to have 40% of the schools as non-union. Then a strike is totally ineffective because thousands of kids keep going to school.

Breaching the contract is risky, you all may recall that one teachers union did this and a judge started called up member one by one to go to jail after he issued a return to work order. It really is a question of risk, at this point I do not think we can play it safe and hope to retire in a few years. Once the CPS gets the level of power they are aiming at they are going to ask for big changes in health care and retirement benefits that will impact us all.

The Civic Federation has been calling for a full scale attack on our retirement system, i.e. lowering CPS contribution and increasing members contribution. They also want more control over our investments, including buying bonds issued by CPS by the basket load. Playing safe will not work anymore. The ship is going down and we need to keep it floating by working the pumps.

By the way my state rep Greg Harris 13th District who lives one block away and knows I am in the CTU played studpid about the charter bill. When I asked him if he would support an expansion of charters he would not answer, he said he would look at it. Greg is by the way the only openly gay member of the IL Gen Assembly and has AIDS. There are a good number of union teachers in the gay community and he knows plenty of them and yet he would not put himself on record opposing charter expansion. This is the situation we are in right now.

Sat Apr 19, 2008 at 6:49 PMBy: Better Luck Next Time What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. It is crucial that the next President be one tough son of a gun. No more smiling sell outs. We need someone that is going help bring the members together, and help restore honor in our union. I agree with 'Staring at the Top's analysis. All of the CTU officers could retire right now. Why should they have a vested interest in the future of the union? I just can't believe that we have to wait until 2010 for a whole new group to get in.

Sat Apr 19, 2008 at 7:01 PMBy: Chris What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Good Afternoon:
There is an idependent slate with the temporary name "Coalition for strong,democratic Union" open to all.
The details will be discussed on May 01 @ 4:30P.M Parthenon Restaurant 319 S Halsted.
Your current affiliation does not matter.If you are a honest,brave and intelligent person please join us there.
We have to act NOW .We must stop crazy spending of our money by Stewart.We must stop feeding our ineffective,unqualified ,selfish
" lobbyist".Presenting motions,asking questions during the House meetings will open eyes many of our brothers and sisters.Remember Union was created to protect MEMBERS not to do any administrative ,charitable job inside the CPS.
I am the person who resigned from the DS function and in spite of my accent I try to stop the unjustified ,stupid attacks on MEMBERS.
I tried to stop schools closures by presenting motions to dissmiss the Arne proposals standing in front of hearing officers and spelling my name .I am not afraid because I am an UNIONIST and I believe.

Sat Apr 19, 2008 at 7:45 PMBy: George N. Schmidt What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. I just stopped by the CTU website (www.ctunet.com) for a visit before bed time stories. isn't it nice to know that none of the turmoil reflected here is roiling anything in that comfortable fantasyland? And that the most recent issue of the Chicago Union Teacher is dated February 2007. And that there is no Chicago Union Teacher in existence prior to 2006?

If CTU still keeps records of such things, it will show that I began paying union dues to CTU in 1969 (I was at Attucks then; followed by DuSable UGC) and continued paying them until the two times when the UPC refused to allow me to pay union dues. Strikes. Contract enforcement. The works.

I think there may be one or two union delegates who filed more grievances than I did during my years as a union delegate, but not many. All that record may have been trashed, too, to cover up the tracks of the current leadership. We'll see at some point. But wiping out the history of the union's own newspaper, which goes back if my reading was accurate when I worked at CTU to 1936, would be a crime. (I know. It's also at the Chicago Historical Society; It should be here, now, for everyone in Cyberspace, and not hidden in some dusty boxes or floating down the Chicago River below the Mart offices).

I've asked to an interview with CTU President Marilyn Stewart about a report I'm preparing about how she sold out the membership during the final weeks of negotiations in August 2007. She's getting the chance to have her side said other than through the well filtered processes CTU has in place. It's been a week since my request went in, and I'm still waiting.

If parody becomes impossible, sometimes facts provide more humor than a humorist could muster. CTU gets more ridiculous by the day.

Good weekend, colleagues and friends. Tomorrow's for other things, gardening and family. Wouldn't it be nice, though, if the Chicago Teachers Union were hosting a blog and posting accurate information, both historical and contemporary, for everyone to participate in. Instead? Fear. Cowardice. Stupidity. Worse...

Sun Apr 20, 2008 at 1:34 AMBy: L A Sanders RN What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. To: Alright Already,

"SANDERS, WE GET IT ALREADY!!!! Everyone reading this agrees with you. ENOUGH!!! TALK ABOUT YOUR VIEW ON THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP OF MARILYN STEWART. DO YOU LIKE THE CONTRACT! WHAT ABOUT THE CTU BUDGET! DO YOU THINK THE CTU IS GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE RIFT BETWEEN TED DALLAS AND STEWART?"

I would like to believe that people but if these bills pass people will say "why didn't someone tell us" So, I have told you.

I posted this message on April 17, 2008 and it still applies:

The greatest thing about the USA is the opportunity to choose and have an opinion. As people we have differing opinions about the Union, George Bush, the War in Iraq, and which is better diet Coke or diet Pepsi. And we have the right to not share those opinions. You speak of working together but people on this blog are attacked, ridiculed, criticized, called names and threatened when they do share their opinion simply because their opinions may differ from other bloggers. That does not propagate togetherness. So no, it is not necessary that I speak on my views regarding the Union, I have been abused enough. And no I won’t join in the bash Marilyn, bash the Union conversation.

Isn't it ironic that the nastiness comes from those who hide behind an alias.

So, the only opinion that matters is that I know that HB 5960 and SB 2799 are dangerous and a disservice to the children of the state and CPS and the school employees of the state and CPS.

I am a healthcare professional who took an oath to practice my profession faithfully and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care. That is my mission. That is where my energy is being used. I will continue in this vain.

The point, tell your legislator to VOTE NO to HB 5960 and SB 2799.
The children in the state of Illinois deserve much more. We must work to stop this train.

LAS

Tom,
PS. Greg Smith voted in favor of the Diabetes Care Aide act last year. He does not get it.

Sun Apr 20, 2008 at 7:07 AMBy: 1.04 What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Yellow Brick road







Kugler is right the path he laid out is the correct one for us. I would throw in
a couple of my Ideas.

Hire professional union people to run the union. Let our officers look
pretty and keep out of the daily nuts and bolts of running of the union.

Before the sunset fire that attorney we have even if we have to pay him off.

Set up a new office of Education and Information staff it with scholars
and for want of a better word Goons. Yep I said it, no more teacher bashing
without a visit from the members of OEI.

Finally use the law to make our power felt. How about a class action suit
Against any school whose floors don’t meet OSHA standards ?
Have a medical van set up outside any of a hundred schools on a hot Thursday
Afternoon in May and ask our members to undergo a brief physical by
A doctor. I can only imagine the blood pressure scores arising from doing
That.

Sun Apr 20, 2008 at 9:52 AMBy: Chris to hahaha What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Dear hahaha:
Please do not expose yourself to the sun.I would miss you..
Mental institutions do not allow contacts with patients..so often...
You made my day....

Sun Apr 20, 2008 at 3:21 PMBy: Unionist What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Bravo Kugler !

Sun Apr 20, 2008 at 5:52 PMBy: Is there a Dr. in the House? What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Dr. Kugler,
I can call you Dr. Kugler can't I? Thanks for taking this initiative. When you get down to the nitty gritty, everything you're saying is common sense. Thanks for the wake up call! You have many people supporting you throughout this wacky system!!

Sun Apr 20, 2008 at 6:42 PMBy: hahahaha What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Chris,
hahahahah
not again, trust u won't be next president

Sun Apr 20, 2008 at 7:06 PMBy: hahahahah What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. hahahahah,
even more funny.
not
u will see

Sun Apr 20, 2008 at 7:27 PMBy: Ann Onymous What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. It really disturbs me, but does not surprise me, that State Sen. Heather Steans is the co-sponsor of the new Charter legislation with the boot licker Iris Martinez. She was one of Arne Duncan's lackies in Strategic Planning at CPS.

Sun Apr 20, 2008 at 8:18 PMBy: Chris To:Ann What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. It was not a surprise.The problem is that legislators know well that Stewart is unable to provide support for them because she lost respect and has no influence on members.Why to bother than?

Sun Apr 20, 2008 at 9:14 PMBy: huh. What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. You know, as a parent reading this blog, it's pretty evident that the teachers in CPS aren't helping things.

While I agree that where people send their kids is their business, I think that once you are an elected official, your salary is paid for by the taxpayers, your personal decisions DO play a part in how we can view you. And I personally find it offensive that some of the players doing the most damage WON'T BE AFFECTED BY IT.

I am also somewhat offended by the apparent opinion that CPS and it's issues are purely a workplace/union problem...uh, "leave the kids out of this"? THAT'S WHY YOU'RE ALL HERE PEOPLE. These poor decisions aren't only about which teachers lose their jobs--they're about the KIDS and FAMILIES affected. This isn't just about your PAYCHECK people, it's about the EDUCATION of CHILDREN.

You're all squabbling here--and I don't deny you have just cause, though who exactly voted MS in? (You think the LSC voting turnout is bad--just look at the CTUs turnout) But you're completely forgetting about the third party--the people who utilize CPS and why THEY'RE upset.

Or do you all know that's a lost cause? Did you all decide long ago that it's all about you? That you know what's best for "these kids"?

Like all issues amoung the have-nots, instead of uniting (a la "Teachers & Parents Opposed to CPS Policies"), let's just keep harping on who's not protecting our jobs. Kind of archaic really, considering most professions don't have unions.

And Daley has hubris?

Sun Apr 20, 2008 at 9:46 PMBy: One of the contenders What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Chris doesn't want or need to be President. You would be surprised how many qualified and superior individuals are out there. They will surface in time, and you hahahaha will be shocked when you see just who they are.

and huh, they all care about the children as well.

Sun Apr 20, 2008 at 10:02 PMBy: Chris To:One of the contenders What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Thank you..but..please do not waste your time..just ignore idiots

Good Night

Sun Apr 20, 2008 at 10:12 PMBy: Chris to huh mistyping accountability What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Good Night

Sun Apr 20, 2008 at 10:25 PMBy: Chris to:hahaha What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Dear hahaha: I would change my mind .You are going to be restrained and separated.You case is severe.So I could not be able to help you.
I am deeply sorry .Kiss your dog and go sleep.
Good Night

Sun Apr 20, 2008 at 10:34 PMBy: Chris to hahaha What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Sorry for mistyping.You better do not kiss your dog.The Anticruelty Society complaints about your bad breath.
By the way- reading your posts I am proud of my students ..it is about sharing the IQ with ...

Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 1:45 AMBy: George N. Schmidt What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Assuming that most teachers were very busy last week and the week before with grades, now that high school testing will leave some breathing space and time this week for calm reflection, one of our priorities is gathering as much detail as possible about the massive sellout of teachers and other unionized staff during the recent orgy of school closings by CPS.

Despite Marilyn Stewart's criminal neglect (and the fact that she ignored most of the 21 hearings on the closings between February 4 and February 16, as well as the Chicago Board of Education meeting February 27!), teachers, parents, students, community leaders, and often (in eight cases I've itemized so far) principals spoke out and organized against the closings. The numbers of people who participated in the hearings (if you count those who submitted written comment) was in the thousands, with hundreds turning out for Edison, Andersen, DeLaCruz and others, with smaller but significant numbers for the other schools.

Duncan lied about something on every school targeted. He lied about "northwest side overcrowding" to destroy Edison.

He lied about saving "underserved" areas to destroy Irving Park Middle (unless the owners of McMansions are now "underserved" in Duncanian jargon).

He lied about closing the elementary schools because of "underperformance" at the high schools. At two of the elementary schools he's closing (Fulton and Copernicus) almost none of the eighth graders go to the high school that was linked in Duncan's public lies about why he was attacking the elementary school.

He lied about the public hearings. Not one of the hearing officers' reports ever got to the Board members in complete form before the Board voted. Thousands of people spent tens of thousands of hours preparing materials and submitting them, and Duncan's staff didn't even compile the materials prior to the Board's quickie vote on February 27.

Not one Board member read that material before the Board voted, so that makes every individual member of the Chicago Board of Education a liar and hypocrite too. They just voted to rubber stamp the lies Duncan had been spewing against the schools that were targeted this school year.

And, of course, the Biggest Big Lie was that Orr (the three remaining "small schools") and Harper high schools had "failed" when in fact they had been sabotaged by years of CPS policies (squeezing the most at risk kids into a smaller and smaller number of general high schools) and lies.

Now it's almost May. Hundreds of teachers, principals, and other staff will be losing their jobs in less than nine weeks. Every one of them has been slandered in the city's corporate media by Duncan and Daley with the assistance of Marilyn Stewart's criminal stupidity and craven negligence.

What is to be done now for those among our brothers and sisters who gave their all and have been betrayed and slandered by the city they served?

Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 6:19 AMBy: Chris to: hahaha What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Good Morning:
Dear Brother/Sister(perhaps both in one)
I am not mad.The madness in not a part of my personality.
I am expressing my concern regarding your mental state.
Maybe you are alone and do not have a dog to kiss ?
Just e mail me if you want:coollaw3@yahoo.com.

Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 4:24 PMBy: Good afternoon What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. We all love M.S.

Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 8:55 PMBy: Porky What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. ?????

Tue Apr 22, 2008 at 5:16 AMBy: George N. Schmidt What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. The main reason why Marilyn Stewart didn't challenge Arne Duncan's most recent round of attacks on the teachers and others working in the schools is that her regime is supporting a staff that agrees with Duncan.

If your school "failed" it's your fault, Marilyn says.

If your school has a gang mess, it's all of your faults, Marilyn knows.

And if next year's round of schools is being prepared for slaughter under Arne Duncan's "Office of New and Charter Schools" as we share on this blog, Marilyn Stewart doesn't want to know about it, let alone challenge it at every place where the union should have political and other power.

Why? If Marilyn Stewart keeps her mouth shut about the corruption of school closings, reorganizations, and all the lies and teacher bashings that we just went through, next year the foundations will give the QUEST Center another million dollars or so, so she can hire more "Fresh Start" patronage people to run around and join in the teacher bashing.

Call the CTU and ask for any CTU research to counter the lies of just the past three months. In January and February, Arne Duncan's staff (five departments, actually) just put a pile of lies on the 18 schools that were attacked in February (19, if you count Abbott, which was given a reprieve; 20 if you count each of the small schools at Orr as one "school") by Duncan, the Board of Education, and Chicago's corporate media.

Marilyn is not clueless, she's worse than that. She and her top staff are all collaborating with Duncan, not just on this insipid "Teacher for a Day" nonsense. On February 25, two days before Duncan and the Board voted to disrupt, destabilize, or destroy 19 public schools, Marilyn Stewart held a press conference at CTU.

Did she tell the world that every one of the attacks was based on false information, spun data, and false premises?

No. Standing with two of her four other elected officers in front of every reporter and media in town, Stewart proposed the "union" solution: "Let us help you fire bad teachers..." (By that day, Marilyn Stewart and her two sidekicks -- Mark Ochoa and Mary McGuire -- were holding media events while excluding the union's vice president and treasurer).

On February 25, 2008, Marilyn Stewart told the media (and everyone from the major media was there) that CTU should be allowed to become a partner in firing teachers and closing and privatizing Chicago's public schools. She did not show how all of the closings, teacher bashings, and privatizations were based on lies and phony claims. The only person at the event that was prepared to even question the lies that had been pouring out of CPS that morning was a professor from DePaul -- not any member of the CTU staff. The CTU had a staff document (prepared by QUEST people) that basically joined in the teacher bashing assumptions made by Duncan's "turnaround" people.

On February 25, 2008, Marilyn Stewart asked the public for a "90 day postponement" in the vote that the Board was to have on February 27. She already knew that the Board was not going to postpone the attacks on those schools. When I asked her what she was going to do if the Board (on February 27, two days later), she basically didn't have an answer. In fact, her people were angry that the question was even asked.

And so CTU was AWOL in any real form two days later, when more than 1,000 people, including hundreds of students, some as young as two years old, protested at the Board against all these teacher bashing and school bashing privatization attacks.

On February 25, the President of the Chicago Teachers Union deployed a bunch of people who explained (like Dal Lawrence of Toldeo, Ohio) that when it comes to firing teachers, the union knows how to do a better job than Arne Duncan!

Two days later, when the Board got ready to vote to fire the teachers at the February 27, 2008 meeting of the Board, Marilyn Stewart was not even there! And after a truly humiliating display of ignorance, the apparent spokesperson for Marilyn Stewart and the 30,000 members of the Chicago Teachers Union, Recording Secretary Mary McGuire, repeated the request that the Board delay its vote to bash all those schools by 90 days.

To which Rufus Williams, Board President, replied: "You already know our answer on that."

To which Mary McGuire, the recording secretary and the representative of the Chicago Teachers Union that hectic and historical morning, responded: "Thank you."

Tue Apr 22, 2008 at 10:50 AMBy: Tom What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Yes George, Marilyn Stewart has accepted the idea that the union must police its own members rather than be an advocate for them. But this is not her idea alone, it is an idea that has been propagated at the highest levels of the AFT and the NEA.

Now the problem is a union is designed to defend its members only if looked at from a very narrow persepective, but from a larger perspective I think it has to promote social justice. The current school reform process in Chicago is not promoting social justice it is promoting tracking based on income and academic skills. As we know income and academic skills are highly correlated.

Part of our own union has bought into the extreme forms of academic tracking now supported by Duncan and Daley. This part of our union is teaching in selective schools, gifted programs, and in some magnet schools. Let us be clear, there are union teachers at Walt Disney Magnet and LaSalle that have bought into Ren 2010 and who believe it is a good thing to take over schools like Andersen etc.

So Marilyn Stewart represents a layer in our own union. This layer of the union accepts the idea that schools and teachers fail or excel. They accept the idea, as absurd as it is in reality, that no matter how economically depressed and crime ridden a community, good teaching can overcome everything. Those of us who look reality in the face are characterized as burned out. The problem we have goes beyond Marilyn Stewart and her supporters working for the CTU. It goes to some of our own members.

Tue Apr 22, 2008 at 11:35 AMBy: cermak_rd What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. But the idea of the union assisting in downsizing is not unheard of. It was used by the automobile workers union and several other large industrial unions where, during tough times, union leaders "collaborated" with management to reduce the rolls in a just way. CPS is too big for its enrollment figures and when you consider students who actually attend (vs. are enrolled) it needs to downsize. I would argue it's more just for the union to evaluate the staff of a school that is being re-worked and choose which ones to let go rather than to just use some random seniority figure or just get rid of the entire staff. I can't imagine that every single teacher at every single school is A+ material, so it would seem to benefit CPS as a whole to remove any teacher that is not deeply committed to their profession and students. And their practices should reflect that commitment. Also, the teacher's performance should be commensurate with their salary, that is, a 20 year vet who is getting paid twice as much as a newbie should be twice as good at teaching. I'm guessing most are higher than that, but the ones who aren't should probably find another line of work.

Tue Apr 22, 2008 at 1:06 PMBy: Things that make you gag... What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Don't even go there! This is not a race issue nor a gender issue. Members will judge individuals by their actions. You are evidently just trying to stir controversy. Too transparent.
Slow day at the mart? I guess we should be grateful that you showed up to work today. How about returning some of our calls once in a while instead?

Tue Apr 22, 2008 at 1:41 PMBy: Kugler - By the Way ....................................................................................... HPA was PACT school. I helped Marilyn win this school.

I am also a UPC member.

Need to check your facts next time.

Tue Apr 22, 2008 at 1:53 PMBy: who else What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. i guess TD is a racist too.

make sure you tell Connie that.

she should know.

Imagine these people making these statements of racism are[not] running our union.

Tue Apr 22, 2008 at 2:42 PMBy: Things that make you go hmmmm What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. 1:06-that is the normal response on this blog; anger and pointing a finger that i must work at the mart. Just so you know I don't even live in Chicago or work for CPS.

1:38-Kugler-i did not call anyone out of their name and definitely did not call anyone a RACIST. You chose that word. i just made an observation. an observation which must really touch some nerves. i did not criticize your teaching and did not speak to your personal relationships; that is not the issue.

1:41 kugler again: So what you are UPC or helped with the election. that has nothing to do with your current posting. stick to the point

1:47 Reese: why should she have to defend to you? Oh please. You are no judge or jury. And I don't think you want her to produce a "pay stud".

1:53 who else-AGAIN, I NEVER USED THE WORD RACIST OR DESCRIBED ANYONE AS SUCH. I STATED AN OBSERVATION. I BET IF YOU COUNTED THE POSTINGS YOU WOULD FIND MY OBSERVATION HAS MERIT.

1:59 Kugler again; I never said you were around during the debbie days. I said ms had been under attack since then starting with the lock change. I am an independent person reading a public blog who noticed a disproportionate number of negative blogs by the same people against the same persons.


Things that make you go hmmmm....why are you all so ingrained in defending yourself as a racist. struck a nerve huh. Sometimes the fact that people defend way too vehemently and with so much anger SPEAKS VOLUMES. REMEMEMBER YOU USED THE WORD, I DID NOT.

WHEW, I can’t wait for CR to post up. He will probably call me insane, state I need mental health, blah blah blah.

COUNT THE BLOGS-YOU WILL SEE.

Tue Apr 22, 2008 at 3:27 PMBy: Kugler- You Lie What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. 2:42 PM
I am an independent person reading a public blog who noticed a disproportionate number of negative blogs by the same people against the same persons.

3 white males
big 3 w.m.

Isn't it interesting that from day one when the deb locked the doors ms has been under attack and according to these three guys she can't even breath correctly. [not only did you lie in your original post but then in your response you did lie again]

12:45 PM
you don't criticize TD for anything. he is the savior-another white male, a Judas.

Not too independent.

Here let me explain how a blog works.

1. Freedom of speech

2. Public Record

3. Labeling yourself

4. Loss of Credibility when you lie.

Last week it was the nurse now it is someone else working the blogs.

What you all need is some net training and see that this is one of the most wonderful mediums to communicate with because truth gets weeded out really quickly.

It does not matter what position you have, in fact, more views and sides make the discussion better. What you all do not know is if you have ulterior motives (deception, confusion, misinformation) on a blog it comes out really quick.

As I have said in the past:

We love you trolls !

Tue Apr 22, 2008 at 4:33 PMBy: Chris to:Things that make...... What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Dear Things..Anonymous.
You were waiting too long.I am sorry for the delay but I do not use my school time for personal purposes.
I am not going to call you mentally ill because I am not allowed by law to practice -I am not a psychiatrist.Yo know better .
Please pay attention :
1.Ask my African -American wife about my personal point of view regarding people of color.
2.Please be aware that M.S by her negligence hurts African -American children.By schools closures they lost stability.
One of my students told me "Mr R do you know that our school is the best place to be?"(27 school related deaths so far)
3.M.S.can not explain what happened to millions of dollars (our money).
4.I was the person who made our members believe in her leadership.100% votes.
5.M.S.is writing checks without consent of her elected Treasurer.
So all spendings are made without the authorization of the House that means membership.
6.After all I am representing my members.I am doing that with dignity and honesty.Sounds unfamiliar?
7.I prepared motions to dissmiss Arne's schools closures proposals and presented before hearing officers -again-spelling my name.
8.I will not accept lack of accountability and stupidity.I am not afraid.As you know I am certified as an administratoor including Director of Special Education.
I made a choice -I am with my Union .
Do you love me?Buy a vibrator I will pay for a battery.
Have a good day.

Tue Apr 22, 2008 at 5:20 PMBy: Chris to:Tom/Cermak Rd What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Dear Colleagues:
According to our Constitution our Union "secures and protects the inherent and fundamental equity in our jobs".
In return for our dues we are expecting efficient support from the Union.Otherwise we do not need to pay over $800 a year.
No protection-no money.Do not try to protect M.S.she is not performing.It is simple.

Tue Apr 22, 2008 at 6:11 PMBy: Hmmmmmm No Loyalty What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. 1:41 kugler again: So what you are UPC or helped with the election. that has nothing to do with your current posting. stick to the point

It is MS that is not loyal to the rank and file that elected her to protect our jobs.

It is important because that validates my view that she sold the union out. I helped her get elected because I believed she was the best candidate to stop the school closings and help protect my rights to a safe work place.

The facts are that she lied.

She is not stopping the closings and in fact they are now accelerating because of the five year contract she negotiated.

She is not protecting my job nor is looking out for my safety.

All I remember is the slogan No More 4 Year Contract.

Hmmmmm you do remember that lie don't you?

Thanks again for your post.

The more I read your post the more info I get about why this union is broken and corrupt.

Please post some more so we can get more info from the insiders making that easy blood money.

Shall we go on?

Lets talk about that pay cut we took for after school teaching.

Tue Apr 22, 2008 at 11:20 PMBy: L A Sanders RN What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Chris Rudzinski,
'
'I made a choice -I am with my Union .
Do you love me?Buy a vibrator I will pay for a battery.
Have a good day.
Tue Apr 22, 2008 at 7:21 PMBy: I love you Chris/Things that make.. What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. I love you Chris..I bough the vibrator should I put the battery in ..
I mean inside?I follow your direction.I will bend if you wish..
oops I am practicing..lost my vibrator..wait I will try the hairdryer..
oops I lost both I will have to find something bigger...."

Your current postings are vulgar and are an insult to those in the teaching profession. Your current postings are an embarrassment to men, of any race, and union members of any union. Why have you stooped so very low. Do you think it will make people want to follow you? Chris, you are a Chicago Public School employee. You don’t think that your vulgar statements can be traced and possibly linked to other behaviors of yours, and cause you more trouble than you want to imagine. Is telling off or showing out on a blog worth all that?

I generally have great respect for people who earn respect, are fair, intelligent, kind, and maintain couth and decorum regardless of color, background, ethnicity, sexual preference, or profession. You have done none of the above. You have demonstrated yourself to be a common male who thinks that you can say and do anything to anyone without ramifications. You once blogged about liable and slander and that people should be careful what they say before they end up with a lawsuit. Practice what you preach because every nasty, threatening word you have said is easily traced.

Perhaps you should realize that your vulgar statements are blazoned into time via the internet and will probably haunt you as you aspire to be instrumental in the creation of another caucus and seek future employment. There is an old saying: Do not put anything in writing that can not be posted on a billboard. You failed that test.

You have demonstrated yourself to be a common male who thinks that you can say and do anything to anyone without ramifications. You once blogged about liable and slander and that people should be careful what they say before they end up with a lawsuit. Practice what you preach because every nasty, threatening word you have said is easily traced. And the First Amendment does not protect your conversations

There are parents, students, Chicago Public School administrators, CPS friends, relatives and many others reading this blog and posting. I will hope that anyone who reads it will know that you DO NOT represent the masses.

And so what if you are one of those three white males. You are. You have posted your name, email address, website, work location etc. Everyone knows George Schmidt and Dr. Kugler posts links to all of his great accomplishments. So did anyone lie when they said you were all three white males? NO. Perhaps all the protesting to that statement points toward something else; l something no one wants to talk about; the proverbial elephant in the room that no one wants to recognize or talk about. Yeah-you guys beat up on MS something fierce. You would not even give her a break when her mother died. What kind of person are you? You could have just said, Well, isn’t that a strange coincidence.

Chris, you emailed my personal email when you started this campaign to get back at Marilyn and I told you then that I did not support it, as did many others. You have spoken ill of me but so what. Well, you have shown the world why no one should align themselves with you and your psychotic vulgarity.

Dr. Kugler, what is your point. You also list your personal data on a blog and wonder how someone knows you are a white male. Well, aren't you? Don't you maul Marilyn Stuart at every chance you get? And isn't she black. Duh.

I am glad the conversation is on the table. It is a positive that so few responded in such a negative way. It is sad that a few CPS teachers have responded to it in such an immature, non-professional way. You show yourselves for who you really are. And thankfully, that is not the norm.

You have previously pointed the finger at me and say I am the reason for the downfall of the union, I am the problem, but your comments are indicative of someone who is working towards the downfall of mankind.

As for my cousin who made the observation, well, I know when she gets back to the computer she will handle your comments in her own way.

L A Sanders RN

Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 3:47 AMBy: George N. Schmidt What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. "Cermak Rd goes no to indicate that using a criteria of lower performing schools being slated for closure may be legitimate. Cermack Rd also discusses some issues related to teacher seniority and performance..." (yesterday)

Here is the problems with those statements (there are actually several, and the tensing here is deliberate).

In January, Arne Duncan attacked 19 public schools (21 if each of the small schools at Orr is a "school" for this count) in Chicago as part of the massive privatization and gentrification program -- "Renaissance 2010."

Not one of those schools was the "lowest" by any measure.

Not one.

And only eight of them (again, if Orr is three) were slated to be closed for "performance" issues. The other ten (or 12) were on the hit list for other reasons. Arne had promised Nobel Street Charter School and UIC the Gladstone building, for example, so Gladstone became "underutilized." Arne had promised the newly minted millionaires in their McMansions the Irving Park Middle School building, for example, so Irving Park became "underutilized" and the Old Irving Park community "underserved". (That particular bad joke needs a separate episode of Saturday Night Live).

The minority of greedy Yuppies in Bucktown/Wicker Park don't like the average people attending Andersen, so Arne is wrecking Anderson to put in a special school for a smaller group of millionaires (if they haven't "leveraged" too far now that the recession is hitting) in Wicker Park Bucktown. So the area near Andersen became "underserved" and Andersen "underutilized."

Having examined all of the records (incomplete though they still are) in all of the February 2008 hearings and closings, I can confidently report that every one of them was based on some kind of official lie. In some cases, Jimm Dispensa rigged the "utilization" data for the mayor. In other cases, Ginger Reynolds rigged the "performance" data for the mayor. In all cases, Arne's staff lied. So, Arne lied.

Now if you want to believe the official version of reality, it's your privilege, Cermak. But you've been in a classroom long enough to know most things are worth a second look. And this time around, the amazing part is that every piece of this jigsaw was a lie. Not just the majority of the pieces. Every single one.

If the free press in Chicago weren't so lame, this would be the Page One feature for a week or two. Instead, we're on to the next screamer of the week headline.

How does this relate to CTU?

Marilyn Stewart ignored most of the school closing hearings, went AWOL form the February 27 Board meeting, and when she did speak out her words were so stupid (or so anti teacher) that they might as well have been scripted by Mayor Daley. The press conference she held two days before the Board voted to screw all those schools was singular for its combination of arrogance, irrelevance, and ignorance.

Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 6:36 AMBy: Chris to:Sanders What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Dear Mrs Sanders:
Before making any statement please check the IP address.
I do not care who ask you to write such kind of things but definitely it is not a proof of your intelligence and honesty.
I like you therefore I will not say "get lost".Your comments are without any sense.Be very cautious with posting names on the blog .You probably know very well that your days are counted.
Think before you act.By the way I hope you know what the "IP" means.

Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 10:01 AMBy: L A Sanders RN What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Chris,

There is no need to ever again debate any of your banter. You have demonstrated what and who you are. And yes, the IP addressess are being investigated.

The End

Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 10:47 AMBy: Hmmmmmmm Very Interesting What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. What's up with that?

MS taking advice from all whites and non-union staff?

John O. non-union member and non-teacher, in fact he is a government official (conflict of interest)

Rose G. non-union member and non-teacher

The mother and daughter team hired by John O. Are they teachers or union members?

Who is non-white in her inner circle?

Any rank and file have input in her decisions to close schools?

Any rank and file have any voice in keeping schools free of murder?

Any rank and file making more than 100K working part-time?

Any rank and file making 200K?

NO!

Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 11:32 AMBy: cermak_rd What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. George, I am in fact, not a teacher. Sorry if I ever gave that impression.

I still think that a teacher with 20 years experience should be more productive at teaching. First of all, by that time, they've probably seen everything, and have answers to most of the problems they're going to see as far as classroom management, learning disabilities, differentiated instruction, etc. Plus, most of them with that kind of experience also have additional degrees which probably help with pedagogy. The 20 year vet may not have as much energy as a teacher with 3-10 years, but they should have better technique and praxis.

Actually, I'm not sure it is fair to close schools based only on "performance" of the school. What I meant was, if a school is already slated for closure or turnaround, then having the union assist in picking out which teachers to let go and which to retain is consistent with UAW practice during downturns.

I don't support merit pay for teachers because it is too difficult to measure for it in a consistent way across the entire CPS. Just using test scores runs into problems with demographics, just using principal evaluations runs into problems with subjectivity, etc.

I do like the idea of using test score growth, however. That is test every student at the beginning of term, then test every student who has attended at least 95% of the year at the end of the year and see how much % growth the child has had. Even that wouldn't give you a perfect picture, but it would be preferable to just using end of year test scores. Student scores attending less than 95% of the time would be discarded because a teacher can't teach a student who's not there and 8 days is @5% of the school year.

Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 3:52 PMBy: To:Sanders What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. At 10:01 a.m.you should be at work not bloging using school time and equipment.Refer to the Employee Discipline Code.
Asta la vista.

Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 4:24 PMBy: Check your Calendar, Ahnold What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. If she's in a high school, there were no kids except juniors in the building today (nor will there be tomorrow), and the kids are there to take the ACT and PSAE.

Many teachers in our building are proctoring one day, and are self directed the other.

Got a problem with that?

Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 5:14 PMBy: 1.04 What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Thoughts



This Blog has taken on a rather personal nature and the comments are getting very
Un-cool. I don’t care about somebody’s vibrator.

The interjection of racial and personal attacks just indicates we hit a nerve.
And some of it seems very professionally phrased almost like the work of a lawyer.

Finally I personally knew a teacher who could not read! Yep it is true, sad to say.
However everyone knew it and in Chicago it is not what you know it is whom you know.
I also new city divers who could not swim and people pretending to be EMT’s who were not. If all my well meaning Bloggers want to get rid of incompetent people start with the
City Government first See if those unions will rat out weak members.

Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 9:44 PMBy: To:Things that/Love you Chris What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. I am sorry for the delay.I just realized that such kind of post exist..
I read it..Mrs Sanders I could not believe that you went so extreme
with the "vibrator"story.
You never wrote such thing..Am I right ?
And "Things taht.." and "Love you .."I hope that you or your cousin never wrote it..Tell me if I am right..

Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 1:09 PMBy: Jackson Potter What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Look the Union has allowed the enemy into its ranks. The Fresh Start program is a case in point, merit pay and emphasis on AYP are the very tools that the forces behind privatization use to justify school closings. The very organization responsible for fighting back against the threats to public education, has adopted the logic and language of the attack. We are at a point where this whole system is at the verge of being flipped to the corporate sector and we can look forward to becoming automatons conducting our scripted lessons in the classroom, at longer hours with reduced pay. We have to re-inject the joy of teaching and learning into our union, take it back, reduce the graft, implement time released officer positions to remove the luxury and power incentives to the posts and revive our base.

Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 1:11 PMBy: Jackson Potter What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. Look the Union has allowed the enemy into its ranks. The Fresh Start program is a case in point, merit pay and emphasis on AYP are the very tools that the forces behind privatization use to justify school closings. The very organization responsible for fighting back against the threats to public education, has adopted the logic and language of the attack. We are at a point where this whole system is at the verge of being flipped to the corporate sector and we can look forward to becoming automatons conducting our scripted lessons in the classroom, at longer hours with reduced pay. We have to re-inject the joy of teaching and learning into our union, take it back, reduce the graft, implement time released officer positions to remove the luxury and power incentives to the posts and revive our base.

Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 5:44 PMBy: The Blog is blocked post under Marshall What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. blocked 1st amendment

Fri Apr 25, 2008 at 2:54 AMBy: George N. Schmidt What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. I'm about four days from the main deadline for our next print edition.

As of this point, I've e-mailed or phoned the main people at CTU asking for comment and clarification about the main story I will be reporting in May -- viz., that Marilyn Stewart and Pam Massarsky kicked everyone else out of the negotiating room during the final days of negotiations in August 2007 and then negotiated the contract that CTU members can (finally) read this week. The complete contract is eight months late. It should have been available to the delegates on August 31 when they were railroaded by Marilyn Stewart and the union's lawyers on that "Yes" vote and on September 10 when the union's members were railroaded by Marilyn Stewart and the UPC on that "Yes" vote on the referendum.

The details of how that contract was negotiated in the final days and how the voting was manipulated are going to continue to be important news, as well as to remain for a long time at various Internet sites. People will be able to judge for themselves how many lies they were told, and by whom, during those crucial weeks between August 1 (when Marilyn Stewart was beating the drums for a strike for a decent contract) and September 11 (the day after the referendum was rigged and reported, when Marilyn Stewart surrendered so many of the rights of the 31,000 men and women who pay for her and the rest of the CTU staff.

As a reporter, I'll quote anybody who has a counter narrative. But to date I haven't heard from any of them, and the deadline is approaching. As to other versions, we only print (in our print edition) letters from subscribers -- and signed ones at that.

So I'm waiting to hear from Marilyn Stewart and Pam Massarsky about those final weeks of (a) negotiations and (b) pushing through the agreement.

Since there seem to be many questions here about accuracy, that's the closest we come in reporting. Even in a court of law, where both sides have the right to discovery and cross examination, the process may get somewhat closer to accuracy, but I doubt anyone would refer to that result as "Truth."

When we published Marilyn Stewart's December 26, 2007, "In Solidarity" letter to Arne Duncan, I first verified its authenticity with sources at the CTU. I actually couldn't believe it was real (as opposed to Photoshopped). When we reported that Traci Cobb Evans scabbed during the 1980s, our reporter called and asked for a clarification or comment. Same same now here.

Many of us sign our own names here. We take on anyone who remains behind a screen of screed and cowardly anonymity. People who sign off with their own names deserve respect. Those who fetishize the cowardice built into anonymous blogging ought to rethink their approach here. This medium, which is very useful, is also surrendering its credibility more and more every day because it's so easily manipulated into Swift Boating and worse. Think about it.

Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 9:13 PMBy: test What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. test

Tue Sep 30, 2008 at 12:20 AMBy: Payday Loan Advocate http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/ My grandfather used to tell me, "if something isn’t broke, than why fix it?" If referring to the short- term financial assistance that payday lenders offer, things surely aren’t broken. In fact, customers highly appreciate payday lenders largely because, when used properly, they’re one of the fastest and safest ways out of a negative financial situation. Unfortunately, some people in high places don’t see it this way and are trying to fix something that isn’t broken. Several bipartisan efforts have outlawed the entire industry in certain states, to take aim at the whole industry. On November 4, don’t vote by party; vote for the one that respects our right to financial freedom.

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Fri Nov 7, 2008 at 8:49 PMBy: Moses What Happened At The CTU House Of Delegates Mtg. So what else happened this month. Last we heard, a motion was passed to change the way the delegates voted?