The Offical Website of the PJSTA

Posted on November 12, 2012 by thepjsta

More Opposition to RTTT

Recently we shared with you the story of the UTLA, who would not sign their district’s application for Race to the ~~Bottom~~ Top (RTTT). We recently received the message of gratitude posted below from the UTLA:

Dear President Beth Dimino,

UTLA President Fletcher asked that I write to on his behalf. Thank you so much for your post: https://thepjsta.org/2012/11/02/bravo-utla/

UTLA and Port Jefferson Station Teachers Association stand in solidarity!

In Los Angeles, as you know, signing a RTTT grant application commiting more than $43.3 million to bring in $40 million, with undetermined on-going costs, at the same time we’re seeing higher class sizes due to the number of layoffs we’ve endured for five years in a row now — that would have been irresponsible. $4.3 million equals roughly 39 teachers and health and human services educators. Our classrooms and communities need smaller class sizes, not more beauracracy, which is what the RTTT grant would have created.

From our hearts to yours, thank you again for your post. It really means alot to us to see other locals recognizing that Race to the Top does not equate to reform and/or progress.

In Unity,

David

David Lyell
UTLA Secretary (elected)
213.368.6244

UTLA.net<http://UTLA.net>
Twitter.com/UTLANow<http://Twitter.com/UTLANow>
Facebook.com/UTLANow<http://Facebook.com/UTLANow>
Youtube.com/UTLAnow<http://Youtube.com/UTLAnow>
Utlanet.tumblr.com<http://Utlanet.tumblr.com>

Now another teachers union is emerging heroically in the fight for the soul of public education. Ronnie Greco, President of the Jersey City Education Association, has refused to sign his district’s application for RTTT as well.

JCEA’s Ronnie Greco

Jersey Jazzman (a blog all of us should be reading) has a great summary of the situation. Diane Ravitch has added Greco to her “honor roll of heroes of public education.”

Jersey Jazzman says:

This is very, very important for any teacher who cares about the future of his or her career to understand: this grant would have enshrined a series of practices that would have destroyed teacher protections, compensation, and work conditions – and have never been proven to increase student achievement.

and goes on to say…

It seems that the issues here are largely the same as the ones that came up during theChicago strike: teacher working conditions are student learning conditions. If you can’t show that any of these practices are going to help students learn – and, let’s be clear, as Greco outlines them, you can’t – then no teachers union should agree to them.

Bravo Ronnie Greco JCEA! Your fight is our fight!

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Posted on November 7, 2012 by thepjsta

Bishop Wins Re-election

Representative Tim Bishop, who NYSUT and the PJSTA worked hard to get re-elected has defeated Randy Altschuler. This is a victory for public education and a victory for labor!

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Posted on November 2, 2012 by thepjsta

Hurricane Sandy Stories

The superstorm that hit the Tri-State Area this past week is one that none of us will forget any time soon. Some of us lost power, some of us did not. Certainly many of us have suffered damage to their property. Hopefully all of our members and their families are safe.

If you have a story or circumstances dealing with the storm situation that you would like to share, feel free to use the comments section below. Certainly if you have issues that your PJSTA brothers and sisters can help with, use the comments section to ask for help. I personally have power, heat, hot water, cable, etc. If there is anyone who needs a hot meal, a hot shower, or even a place to watch a movie or storm coverage on the news don’t hesitate to ask.

Stay safe!

photo (1) — A tree down by Terryville Elementary.

Initiative 1240 in Washington State

Washington State is another place where public education is under attack this coming Election Day. On November 6th its citizens will vote on initiative 1240, which would authorize up to 40 privately operated, but taxpayer-funded charter schools, exempt from many of the laws governing existing public schools.

Diane Ravitch has the list of the many groups opposed to the intiative and the handful of familiar people backing the initiative.

Gates alone has donated $3 million to the campaign to pass this intiative. Another one of the initiative’s big supporters is Stand For (Against) Children. Surely you remember them.

People For Our Public Schools, a group who”represents a coalition of parents, teachers; education, community, civil rights and labor organizations; elected officials and local school leaders across Washington State” made the video below titled “Charter School Fairy Tales”…

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Posted on November 2, 2012 by thepjsta

Bravo UTLA!

Kudos to the United Teachers of Los Angeles who refused to give in to pressure from LA’s public schools. The district attempted to use the the Race to the Top application to strong arm the UTLA into accepting a new teacher evaluation system based on high stakes standardized testing scores.

As a result the Los Angeles Unified School District lost out on $40 million in federal funding. Of course we know from experience that RTTT money actually isn’t used for anything useful in school districts. It seems the UTLA’s president Warren Fletcher knows that too. “Race to the Top costs more than it brings in,” Fletcher said. “You’re essentially setting up a system with a lot of bureaucracy, and those pieces have to stay in place after the grant period.”