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Update from AFT convention

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proud2BlibKansan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-10-10 04:10 PM
Original message
Update from AFT convention
Trumka (AFL CIO prez) spoke this morning and had the delegates on their feet cheering. He was awesome. I've still got goosebumps.

We also heard from a member who is running for Congress in Arkansas. Last name Elliott. Very impressive.

Then came the resolutions. They went on and on yesterday and today's debates were even longer. The Chicago group (the rockstars of the convention) were not in office in time to meet the deadline for submitting resolutions so they hand carried them in and have been introducing them from the floor. Most I believe have been approved. (it's all been loud and confusing - sorry)

Meanwhile the BAMN caucus (Yvette Felarca who is running against Randi) is promoting a boycott of Bill Gates while other groups are passing out signs that say UNION BUSTER and have some basic info on the backside. What's interesting is that our constitution forbids signs and banners on the floor. Obviously we are to holdup theses signs will Gates is speaking. So I have decided not to boycottand to be present for the spectacle.

Randi just asked us to be respectful while he's onstage.

There are also lots of rumors that Gates is announcing that he's giving AFT a bunch of $$$$.

I'll post more updates after the speech.
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proud2BlibKansan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-10-10 04:13 PM
Response to Original message
1. Sorry for the typos.
I'm having power issues with my phone so I'm typing fast plus the browser is messed up.

Also the cell signals are being jammed while we're in session. Nice, eh?
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Omaha Steve Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-10-10 04:19 PM
Response to Original message
2. Keep the info coming, we can live with typos

K&R!

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proud2BlibKansan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-10-10 04:22 PM
Response to Reply #2
3. Thank you Steve
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Hannah Bell Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-10-10 04:37 PM
Response to Original message
4. i think the $$$ might be more funding for aft's innovation fund?
Edited on Sat Jul-10-10 04:43 PM by Hannah Bell
which the broads also fund.

The AFT Innovation Fund recipients’ projects vary—including fresh ways to evaluate, pay and recruit teachers—but the thread running through all of them is collaboration. "This is bottom-up reform at its best,” Weingarten said.

http://www.aft.org/about/innovate/


some of the "innovative" projects funded:

Education Austin will team up with Austin Interfaith to
establish schools where parents and community leaders are
full partners in running the schools and supporting the needs
of students and families. The project’s goal is to convert several
schools to “in-district” community charter schools, which
under Texas law are created through agreements reached
by the local school board and the majority of teachers and
parents at a school. The proposed charter schools would be
developed in cooperation with Austin Interfaith...



The Hillsborough Classroom Teac hers Association
in Tampa, Fla., will use its grant from the AFT Innovation
Fund to create online tools to help teachers navigate, respond
to and shape major changes under way in the district. These
changes are a result of the $205 million “Empowering Effective
Teachers” project, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,
which will redesign teachers’ evaluation, pay and career
opportunities over the next seven years...


The Minnea polis Fe deration of Teac hers’ proposal to
the AFT Innovation Fund grows out of members’ long-standing
desire to have a greater voice in their schools. The union’s
proposal is grounded in the notion of reclaiming charter
schools as they were once intended to be: as laboratories for
innovation where teachers play a central role in designing
and running the schools. The grant will allow the union to set
up a nonprofit affiliate that will apply to the state of Minnesota
to become an authorizer of charter schools. If successful,
this would mark the first time that a union has been a charter
school authorizer.

(I think this is dubious because it constitutes an extension of charters & gets the union invested in the extension of charters - which can be "deunionized" at some point in the future)


The Toledo Fe deration of Teac hers will create a pilot
performance-pay program that sets teaching standards that
surpass those of the Ohio Department of Education.


The Volusia Teac hers Organization in Daytona Beach,
Fla., will receive an AFT Innovation Fund grant to determine
fair and accurate ways to use evidence of student learning in
a teacher development and evaluation system.


http://www.aft.org/pdfs/about/IFgrantees2010.pdf


about half the projects funded appear to be directly furthering the gates/broad agenda.

and members' union dues are also supporting this crap.

you're paying to destroy your own profession.
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flyarm Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-10-10 06:12 PM
Response to Reply #4
6. it's taking money from the devil!! Don't take the money tell them to fuck off!! eom
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proud2BlibKansan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-10-10 07:45 PM
Response to Reply #4
7. One of the winners is developing a program where kids watch a TV show
They're going to watch Between The Lions on PBS.

This is part of the SFA 1st grade reading program. My district just got rid of SFA. Phew!

Thought it was bizarre that a grant was awarded for kids to watch TV. When I student taught 30+ years ago our 2nd graders watched Electric Company every day after lunch. Didn't realize a grant was necessary to do this. LOL
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Hannah Bell Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jul-11-10 12:06 AM
Response to Reply #7
8. possibly connected to gates' desire to make online education more ubiquitous.
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Starry Messenger Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-10-10 05:51 PM
Response to Original message
5. Thank you!
Posting to DU on the phone interface is always a bit non-user friendly, so thank you also for such a nice long post!
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proud2BlibKansan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jul-11-10 01:04 PM
Response to Reply #5
9. You're welcome
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