What happened? If we want to "Make Change Happen" we need to actively get involved in attempts at real school reform. We need to get information on how to get involved. When we sit idely by and watch others try to solve our problems we do more harm than good. YES OUR PROBLEMS... QHST needs to reduce class size just like every other HS in the city. If we care about our students then we care about this issue. Every teacher knows that smaller class size would most definitely improve the academic achievement of their students. 
Click HERE to find out what more we can do.
Members of the UFT joined together today to picket and get out the information to the public as to how they could best use the money slated for smaller class size to actually go to reducing class size.
The opposition to smaller class size is growing. (Floridia's Jeb Bush is leading the charge)
Where were we on this? What happened? If anyone hears of Union Activity that we are able to get involved in please let me know. Post a comment or email me walterbrown@gmail.com .
Click HERE to find out what more we can do.
Members of the UFT joined together today to picket and get out the information to the public as to how they could best use the money slated for smaller class size to actually go to reducing class size.
The opposition to smaller class size is growing. (Floridia's Jeb Bush is leading the charge)
Where were we on this? What happened? If anyone hears of Union Activity that we are able to get involved in please let me know. Post a comment or email me walterbrown@gmail.com .
5 comments:
Brown,
You were there because you drove in at the right time-- nobody was there at 7:15 when I drove in, and I knew nothing about this. Did we get information on this?
Regardless, this is generally not a way to get support-- it sounds more like a veiled criticism of people that you know "care about our students."
Lori
Honestly it was an informational picketing... I learned alot from the pamphlets they were handing out.
Actually I don't blame anyone for not being there I just wish I was more in the light about the goings on... I guess I actually feel guilty myself for not doing more about this.
I never said "we didn't care" I just think we need to show our support for this issue. Check out the links, sign the petition.
However when I did come into the school teachers did snicker at me for being outside. Honestly that bothered me... If they understood the issues I think they too would have been outside. Rather than snicker at me ask me why i was out there.
Your opening is a very strong statement on our lack of involvement in making a stand for smaller class size. I am glad you soften up in your response to Mayo but I think it is clear what happened or where we were on this...no one knew about the UFT picket that took place this morning. Usually when a picket is sponsered by the UFT they send all materials necessary such as the picket signs and pamphets used this morning. Were these materials sent to us? If not, we need to find out why. So instead of asking why we all weren't out there together making a unified stand or supporting the cause perhaps you should be asking why we didn't know about this particular union activity. I would have been out there and I am sure there would have been many others who would have shown solidarity on this crucial issue if only we had known ahead of time.
I don't think anyone was aware that such an event was planned for today. Deirdre's concerns are shared by quite a few of us. Why weren't we told? Was the information in fact posted somewhere in the building? If not, why not?? These are questions that I hope our future Union leadership will take seriously in the future.
Side note: I question why any staff member would choose to "snicker" at Wally for doing what we all should've been doing. What are we, 12 yrs old?? I applaud you, Wally, for being the only one out there.
Walter,
Hi I just ran across your blog earlier today. I work for the UFT in the web communciations department and I run the unions blog.
The union worked in organizing the smaller class size pciketing with various community, city and parent orginizations. Material was handed out at the Delegate assembly the night before for the smaller class size push and there's a website run by the coalition, ( newyorkersforsmallerclasses.org) where the coalition is gathering signatures for the push. You're welcome to talk about it on your blog and point your readers to the site. There'll be a more sustained push on the issue through the next several months, and I'll be happy to keep you informed.
As far as a post I saw on immigration, we posted several stories on immigration on our blog, and I know we sent out an email to chapter leaders about the protest.
In Solidarity,
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