UPDATE: @NJEA must stand with Atlantic City unions

In my previous post I called out NJEA President Wendell Steinhauer for siding with Gov. Christie and Senate President Steve Sweeney in their takeover of Atlantic City. If Sweeney's bill (which Christie has said is the only bill he will sign) is passed, it will give the state sweeping powers over the city, including the right to suspend the collective bargaining agreements of the city's unions—except NJEA. However, recognizing and respecting the importance of labor's right to bargain for wages, benefits and working conditions, Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto has proposed legislation that would establish benchmarks that must be met over a 2-year period before CBAs could be touched. NJEA is exempt from this bill, too. 

At a time when republican governors across this country are doing everything in their power to bust unions and deflate the middle class, and given Gov. Christie's long and very public history of malice toward and hatred of NJEA, the last thing Wendell Steinhauer should be doing is saying anything that remotely paints us as supporting him.

Here's a side-by-side comparison of the two bills courtesy of the NJ Professional Firefighters Association:

Why hasn't NJEA released something like this?

Instead, Steinhauer released this statement (in red) that appears to try to walk back his previous comments, but it still feels hollow:

“We will hold the state accountable to meet its constitutional obligation to provide a quality public education to the children of Atlantic City. Under no circumstances will NJEA tolerate a scenario that closes Atlantic City’s public schools. 

On this we agree. But last week Wendell sided with Gov. Christie who filed a lawsuit against the city to force it to pay the school district with money it doesn't have because Christie reneged on his deal to give it to the city:

On April 8th, Superior Court Judge Julio Mendez ruled in favor of the city allowing it to keep the money it had on hand and calling the state's lawsuit "political maneuvering". Another hearing date has been set for April 19th where the full case will be heard.

Why wasn't NJEA pushing Christie to make good on that payment in the first place?

“We support collective bargaining. NJEA unequivocally supports the hard-won collective bargaining rights of our members and other unionized public employees in New Jersey. Because both bills currently under consideration could affect collective bargaining, NJEA has not supported either bill. 

Prieto's bill could affect collective bargaining. Sweeney's bill will affect collective bargaining. Prieto has been very vocal and very clear about preserving CBAs. If NJEA "unequivocally support[s] the hard-won collective bargaining rights of... other unionized public employees", then why are we not supporting them by supporting Prieto's bill—especially when other state unions are?

“We stand with other unions. While our members are not directly affected by the proposed bills, our union colleagues are. NJEA stands behind those unions and their leaders as they work hard to protect and advocate for their members’ rights. 

How can we be standing behind them when we are not standing with them? 

“We defer to the other unions on issues relating primarily to their members. As the direct representatives of the affected employees, other unions are directly involved in discussions about the city’s future. NJEA will both support our union brothers and sisters and remain faithful to our commitment to collective bargaining. 

Of course we defer to the other unions in how they run their organizations, but if we stand back and do nothing, we are not supporting them. Period. 

Obviously, I'm happy our members will not be affected by either bill, but if we truly "support our union brothers and sisters and remain faithful to our commitment to collective bargaining", this is a funny way of showing it. Why isn't Wendell publicly lobbying for the passage of Prieto's bill the way the state firefighters are? Why isn't he organizing our members to stand with the city's unions against this hostile takeover? Why isn't he speaking out against the atrocity of a fellow member of labor (Sweeney) trying to wrench collective bargaining away from people who aren't making a whole lot of money to begin with?

“We advocate for our members. Our primary job is to advocate for our members who have already been affected by the deep cuts made to Atlantic City’s public schools last year. We have worked to advocate for our members and their students by supporting adequate funding of Atlantic City’s schools. That advocacy ensures that our members will continue working and their students will continue learning. We will continue to focus our efforts on doing that work successfully.” 

Agreed. We must advocate for our members and Atlantic City's schools so we can provide the best education to the city's children. So why isn't Wendell calling out Gov. Christie for suing the city for money he promised but never delivered—money that put the school district in the position it's in now? Instead, he is supporting Christie's actions which could further hurt the schools. Again:

“We stand with Atlantic City. The residents of Atlantic City are caught in a difficult situation that they did not create. They still need strong schools, safe communities and the other basic services that every city must provide.  Our members, and members of other unions, provide those services. Many are also Atlantic City residents themselves. We must all work together to find a just, lasting solution for Atlantic City.”

We do not stand with Atlantic City if our association does not support the Prieto bill. This seems like a no-brainer. Both bills give us what we want. If we are indeed the most powerful union in the state, why aren't we using that power to help the other unions and in turn help Atlantic City?

What will happen to the city if/when even more people are laid off, or their salaries and benefits are cut, or they lose their pensions—that they paid into? Where in that scenario does NJEA come out looking like we support the city and its residents?

As I said in my previous post, the Chicago Teachers Union has Mayor Rahm Emanuel on the ropes because they have built strong coalitions with the public and other labor unions. NJEA is blowing it on this one.

I am disgusted and appalled. If you are, too, contact NJEA today: 609-599-4561. Leadership's emails are listed below. 

Thank you NJ Bats for the meme!

.@NJEA must stand with all unions in Atlantic City

(Note: I apologize for not embedding the videos from the Press of Atlantic City, but for some reason the links weren't working.)

There's high stakes poker game being played in Atlantic City that pits union vs. union as Gov. Christie, Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto bet on which bill to save the city will be voted on by the state legislature. Sweeney and Prieto have each posted their own versions (more on that below). In the meantime Christie announced Wednesday that he is suing the city for not making payments to the schools.* 

Credit: The Press of Atlantic City

Here's what Christie said in a presser on April 5th:

"So, between now and June 30th the city owes the school district $34 million and there is no question they will not be able to pay it due to the irresponsibility of the city government... The [lawsuit] ... will prevent them from making the families and students collateral damage to their reckless financial gains... They intend to try to make a payroll payment on Friday of $3.2 million. If they do that, they would have no cash... to make the school payment for April and certainly when the next $8.4 million became due in May. We want to stop that. We want a court to stop it before Friday so that they don't do away with this money before it can go to the teachers and the school children of Atlantic City." (emphasis mine)

Excuse me while I choke on my coffee. Did Christie just express his concerns for teachers not getting paid and public schools not being funded? Either this is some kind of delayed April Fools joke or the man truly has no shame. Given his history of trashing and bashing our state's education professionals and public schools, and flat-out lying to us, does anyone in their right mind believe Christie is filing this lawsuit to protect the children and teachers? If so, I've got a casino—or 4—to sell you.

Credit: The Press of Atlantic City

Mayor Guardian responded:

"The reason the financial crisis exists right now is because the governor has shorted us $33.5 million. Promised us the money, made us put it in the budget and then decided not to make the payment... 

"If he wants to take legal action, I guess he would have to ask the attorney general to take legal action against himself and the staff that he's put in charge that tells us when to make payments to the schools." 

...

The state [assigned] a monitor to find best practices and reduce costs [in the schools] and also find additional state aide. This year the state monitor was told to trim $25 million and the state would provide another $25 million. But three months ago, the governor made it clear he's not going to provide the $25 million... The monitor quit... There's a new monitor there... The schools in Atlantic City do not receive the same funding as other schools get. We have 7,500 students... and if we were any other district... we would be getting about $80 million. (emphasis mine)

City Council President Marty Small (from same video):

[Christie is] trying to make it seem like we're a month behind, but actually we're paying when they told us to pay. But to use Atlantic City school children in this battle that we're withholding payments so our children won't be able to go to school is ludicrous. (emphasis mine)

We've been the big boys at the table. We've been ready, willing and able... to talk a compromise that each and every one of us can live with... This move is a desperate attempt to take the money so the government will literally shut down. 

Look, I don't claim to know the entire history of Atlantic City's fiscal mess. But I know a rat when I smell one, and this one stinks to high heaven. This is not about Christie wanting to protect public schools, students and teachers; it's about taking over the city and by right, the school district. I can see it now: Atlantic City will become the New Orleans of the north (I can hear the charter cheerleaders rubbing their hands together in glee as I type). Here's how the scenario will no doubt play out if Christie and Sweeney get their way:

• State sues city for money it doesn't have because the state withheld the payment
• State wins suit so city can't make payments to the schools or anyone else
• State takes over the city
• State suspends all collective bargaining agreements—except for NJEA
• Unionized workers—except NJEA—potentially lose jobs, pensions, benefits and rights to grievance
• State holds all the purse strings
• State takes over school district
• State turns over school district to charter operators (who knows what deal NJEA has or will cut on that)
• Faits accompli

No doubt this is a dicey situation in need of a great deal of thoughtful discussion. So, when I saw this:

... and then heard that Sweeney's "takeover bill supported by Christie specifically exempts the teacher’s union from language allowing the state to unilaterally terminate or modify city union contracts", I was left scratching my head. "Applauds the state"? Exempts teachers unions from legislation that gives the state the power to destroy collective bargaining for other unions? 

Realize that if Sweeney's bill is signed into law, the state will have the power to take this action in Newark, Camden, Paterson and any other city they deem in need of union busting improvement—and Christie will have NJEA's blessings to do so. I don't know about you, but that's not what I want my union to do.

At a time when Republican governors are following the same anti-union playbook, and with the Constitutional Amendment battle looming on the horizon and the teacher's pension fund on life support, why in the world is Wendell Steinhauer positioning NJEA to be at odds with the other state unions when this fight is about all of us? 

Of course we want Atlantic City's public schools to be fully funded. Of course we want our members to be paid. Of course we want to preserve the rights of our members to collectively bargain for wages, benefits and working conditions. But at what cost? If NJEA is powerful enough to negotiate an exemption, shouldn't we be fighting to preserve those rights for all unionized workers, many of whom make only about $20,000 a year and send their children to the city's public schools? Shouldn't we be fighting against the wretched abuse of the poor, middle class, minorities and children that Christie has unleashed for the last six years? Aren't we all brothers and sisters in the same fight? Don't we have an obligation to protect the rights that so many who came before us fought valiantly for—for everyone? The rights that allowed an entire generation to raise themselves up to a better way of life? Shouldn't we be raising all boats instead of sinking some ships?

The Civil Rights movement wasn't just for people of color in Alabama. It was for people of color everywhere. And this fight is no different. 

Look at what the Chicago Teachers Union has accomplished. Led by President Karen Lewis, they have fought Mayor Rahm Emanuel's privatization and de-funding efforts every step of the way by building community and labor coalitions. Their one-day strike was successful because everyone worked together for increased funding for Chicago's public schools and other public services. Their efforts should be the model for every labor union in every state in this country, including NJEA. This is how we should be fighting back against a man who hates us and everything we stand for. With all the power we supposedly have, we should be leaving Christie in the dust, not making deals with the man who wants to destroy us.

Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto has posted a bill (A3614) that would protect the collective bargaining rights of all Atlantic City unions at first. If the city doesn't met certain benchmarks within the first two years, then collective bargaining agreements could be amended or terminated—but again, not NJEAs: 

"Collective bargaining and worker rights cannot be the first thing on the chopping block,” Prieto said. “The expert committee created under this bill would be given a year to use its sweeping power to cut spending, save money and restore Atlantic City to sound financial condition. If it does not meet specific benchmarks, more draconian steps could rightly be taken, but worker rights must first be valued.” 

But Christie has repeatedly said that unless Sweeney’s version of the takeover bill is presented to him, he won’t sign it. He has even gone as far as to say that if the original bill is not posted by Prieto, he will campaign against a voter referendum this fall to expand casino gaming beyond Atlantic City, an idea he has previously supported. (emphasis mine)

... and that Senate President Steve Sweeney is leading the charge on.

But at least Prieto recognizes that suspending CBAs should be a last resort. 

So, when NJEA President Wendell Steinhauer says he agrees with and supports the state for "correctly acting to enforce the law," it sounds to me like he is siding with Christie to hurt the school district and the city, and violate the state constitution which prohibits Trenton from breaking union contracts, and that is a recipe for disaster. 

Experts note that the state constitution says the Legislature shall not pass any bill "impairing the obligation of contracts or depriving a party of any remedy for enforcing a contract which existed when the contract was made."

...

[Marc Pfeiffer, assistant director of the Bloustein Local Government Research Center at Rutgers] also noted that the constitution also bans lawmakers from passing bills that apply to specific municipalities to prevent them from "interfering" with local governments.  

[Sen.] Sweeney... said that's why he did not mention Atlantic City's name in the takeover legislation.

In 2011 then Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver sold out to Christie and signed onto Chapter 78. We now have an assembly speaker who fully supports labor's right to collectively bargain. Why are we not supporting his bill? 

Not every NJEA member reading this is going to agree with me and I'm okay with that. But we cannot skirt this issue. I fear that if the union I love alienates itself from the rest of New Jersey's labor organizations in supporting the Christie/Sweeney bill, we will indeed be branded as the 'Bullies of State Street' and we will be betraying our labor brothers and sisters. Now, more than ever, we must stand together, arm in arm, with labor unions across this state. And we must never, ever forget those fateful words:

I will protect your pensions. Nothing about your pension is going to change when I am governor.

* On April 8th, Superior Court Judge Julio Mendez ruled in favor of the city allowing it to keep the money it had on hand and calling the state's lawsuit "political maneuvering". Another hearing date has been set for April 19th where the full case will be heard.

 

.@GovChristie He-Man Woman Haters Club Part 2

While attending the NEA Representative Assembly (RA) in Orlando last month, I posted Part 1 of this series after the Essex County Education Association staged a very successful protest rally outside Gov. Christie's campaign kick-off event at his alma mater, Livingston HS. The social media memes followed, and this one caught my eye:

Yes, he really said that to a woman at a public event. Go to Part 1 to see the video. To this day, I still don't know why that comment didn't torpedo his career (and people complain about the 'liberal media'). It's vulgar and disgusting—especially coming from a sitting governor with White House aspirations. But apparently enough people in NJ liked that kind of crass talk enough to elect him twice. Go figure.

Right now Christie's feeling the heat. Not to be trumped by Trump as the King of Mean, and desperate to make the cut for this week's debate, Christie needed some additional press, so he took to the airwaves and lashed out at his favorite target: women—particularly educators, saying he wanted to punch the national teachers union in the face:



Aside from the fact that he's wrong about that endorsement (AFT endorsed), Christie's national education policy includes punching three minority women in the face: NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia (Hispanic), Vice President Becky Pringle and Secretary Treasurer Princess Moss (African Americans). And I'm sure he probably wants to punch AFT President Randi Weingarten, too. Nothing says leadership like abusing women!

So, why does Christie hate women—particularly women educators—so much? He says,

Because they’re not for education for our children. They’re for greater membership, greater benefits, greater pay for their members. And they are the single most destructive force in public education in America. I have been saying that since 2009. I’ve got the scars to show it. But I’m never going to stop saying it, because they never change their stripes.

Ahhh... if only the facts bore that out. You see, out of the 70 new business items we wrote and approved at the RA last month, the majority had to do with social justice (including poverty, racisim and discrimination), LGBTQ issues and improving educational outcomes for students. And by the way, what's wrong with advocating for greater benefits and pay? Corporate executives do it all the time. So do the major sports teams' players associations (aka, unions). But I guess that's ok so long as you get to hang in the owner's box during the games. Yes, nothing says happy, productive workers like slashing their salaries and benefits!

So, again I ask: Why does Christie hate educators? I'm no professional psychologist, but his relationship with his mother can't be ruled out. After calling Democratic Asm. Reed Gusciora (an openly gay man) 'numbnuts' during the battle over same-sex marriage in NJ, Christie said it was no big deal, and that his mother—an NJEA member and a Democrat for much of her life—used to call him that. Is that all she called him? 

"[L]et me tell you, there’s a lot of other adjectives that I could have used that would have been a lot less appropriate..."

Such as...? The fact that he admits he was holding his tongue is rather disturbing. There is more than enough research proving that many behaviors are learned, and that the abused often grow up to be abusers unless they get help. Educators see the 'apples and apple trees' (good, bad or otherwise) analogy in our classrooms every day. 

When anyone—from a presidential candidate on down to a little kid—resorts to name-calling and bullying it's a sign of weakness and insecurity, not power and leadership. That person needs help, not a national stage on which to continue their sick attacks. As Wendell Steinhauer said in his response, "Chris Christie has no credibility as a leader and he is an embarrassment to New Jersey... [H]e is a terrible role model to the children that our members work so hard to protect, nurture and educate."

Other bloggers quickly responded.

Diane Ravitch:  

So here is a thought experiment for Chris Christie:
Which states are the highest performing in the United States?
Answer: Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
Question: Do these states have teachers’ unions and collective bargaining?
Answer: Yes.
Question: Governor Christie, can you name a non-union state that is high-performing?
Answer: (silence)
Bottom line:
Teachers’ unions advocate for higher teacher salaries, which is good for teachers and ultimately for students because their schools have happy, experienced teachers; teachers’ unions advocate for reduced class sizes, which is good for teachers and immediately for students; teachers’ unions advocate for better working conditions, because working conditions are also learning conditions; teachers’ unions advocate for greater public investment in public schools, which is good for students, schools, and communities.

Russ Walsh:

I am sure it would give Christie a boost in the polls and solidify his standing as a violent, bullying looney worthy of Republican voter support. It might even be enough to get him on the stage at one of the primary debates where he could punch Wolf Blitzer in the face and garner even more support.

Steven Singer:

A 52-year-old who probably couldn’t beat up an egg with an egg beater continues to talk as if he’s a street tough. A grown man who is still apparently intimidated by people with any kind of learning or book smarts continues to attack education and educators.

No, this is not a case of an outspoken elected official "telling it like it is." This is a case of someone with a serious anger management issue running for leader of the free world. 

Remind you of anyone...? 

During this infamous confrontation at the UN General Assembly between Nikita Krushchev and Lorenzo Sumulong, the head of the Filipino delegation, the Russian Premier called Sumulong "a jerk, a stooge and a lackey."

Do we really want history to repeat itself? 

Adding: Gov. Christie is holding a fundraiser this evening at the Asbury Park Convention Center on the boardwalk. NJEA members will be out in force to protest. Stay tuned for a full report tomorrow!

This Week in Weird (Ed Reform) NJ—Part 2

This is a real publication

Holy moly! Just when I thought ed 'reform' in the Garden State couldn't get any weirder, all this happened in the past seven days. So, here's your one-stop shop for all the ed 'reform' news that's fit to print, whether it makes sense or not: 

• *5/23 Thousands of Newark students defied Superintendent Cami Anderson's threats of consequences and walk out of classes to protest her regime and demand return of local control and fair funding of their public schools. Sounds like that 'reform' plan of hers is going swimmingly well!
• 5/24 The Star Ledger posts yet another pro-PARCC shill piece (more on this below).
• *5/25 Newark's Central High School Principal, Sharnee Brown, risks her job by starting a petition on MoveOn.org calling for an end to the practices of Anderson's signature 'One Newark' plan that discriminate against the district's special education students.
• *5/28 Newark Mayor, and former Central High School principal, Ras Baraka calls on the citizens of his city to take back the school district from Cami, Christie and Co.
• 5/28 Gov. Christie says the Common Core State Standards aren't working, and vows to have parents and teachers involved in writing new ones. Wait, what? 
• 5/29 Before the ink is dry on Christie's CCSS speech, the Star Ledger posts a pro Common Core piece by the Center for American Progress's Daniella Gibbs Leger that, once again, touts the magical ability of education 'reform' to fix the devastating effects of income inequality, unemployment, underemployment, generational poverty and racial segregation.

* Special thanks to Bob Braun, whose superior coverage of all the 'reformy' goings-on in Newark is a must-read.

Whew! That's a whole lotta crazy packed into six days! And the education community wasted no time in responding:

• 5/28 Jersey Jazzman eviscerates Christie for his "screaming hypocrisy"
• 5/28 Peter Greene's response to Christie: "Big frickin' deal"
• 5/28 NJEA President Wendell Steinhauer: “If the governor is genuinely interested in new standards, the state must abandon the PARCC fiasco, which is taking a terrible toll on the quality of instruction and student learning in New Jersey,”
• 5/29 Peter Greene's response to Daniella Gibbs Leger: "I think cigarette companies do a better job of making a case for their [product]"
• 5/29 Sarah Blaine Tepper: "Chris Christie has a bridge to sell us"
• 5/29 Julie Borst: "We all deserve to understand, in the most transparent way, what [the CCSS] has cost us."

As for me? Well, there's not much more I can say about Christie and the Common Core that hasn't already been said. But, I take great umbrage with the propaganda the Star Ledger continually passes off as professional journalism. 

"But Marie", you say, "why bother? They aren't going to change their tune. Don't waste your time." But when the state's largest newspaper continues to spew illogical garbage like this...

But here's what this issue boils down to. If you're interested in racial equality, you have to go for the PARCC, imperfect as it may be. Why? Because it's the only game in town — and if we're going to have any hope of closing the achievement gap between poor, minority kids and their wealthier peers, we need this data to do it. (emphasis mine)

("The only game in town", oh right, because adequate school funding, housing, food, medical care, personal financial stability, job opportunities and safe neighborhoods would never, ever solve that problem. Only the bogus data from a deeply flawed test will.)

... When they insult the general public with ignorant statements like this...

The opt-out movement is sabotaging the data. Liberal-minded people who would normally be very concerned with helping underachieving kids are taking an anti-testing position that actually hurts those kids. In that respect — and in the degree of paranoia involved — it's similar to the anti-vaccination movement. And it may be just as damaging.

(Hmmm... "anti-vaccination movement"... where have I read that before? Oh yes, here. But at least they admit, albeit in a backhanded way, that Conservative-minded people really have no concern with helping underachieving kids.)

... I fall back on the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who must be rolling in his grave over what is happening to public education in Newark and other mostly minority cities around the country:

"In the end we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

Now, I don't consider anyone an enemy, but I will not sit back quietly when people and institutions that hold great sway and influence over large swaths of the general populace refuse to do their homework and, for whatever reason, disseminate information that is factually incorrect. I've taken a lot of shots at the Star Ledger and Tom Moran, and some may have been too snarky, but sometimes I feel like I'm living in an episode of the Twilight Zone. I can't imagine how the people of Newark feel.

When parents and students who want an excellent education resoundingly reject the carpetbaggers who swoop in to 'save' them in part by silencing their voices and excluding them from the process, I can't sit idly by. None of us should. When the state's largest newspaper refuses to listen to the citizens of the state's largest city, others have an obligation to do so. We all must continue to call out those who, for whatever reason, simply will not see what's happening before their very eyes. If not, we are part of the problem.

As for the rest of this week's events, time will tell how much—if any—of a seismic shift this all will bring. Mountains aren't moved in a day, but sometimes, when too much pressure builds up, this happens:

Mt. St. Helens, 35 years ago this month