[ProgressiveEd] NYTimes.com Article: The 'Zero Dropout' Miracle: Alas! Al...
[email protected]
[email protected]
Tue, 19 Aug 2003 18:22:14 EDT
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In a message dated 8/16/2003 11:35:35 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
[email protected] writes:
> Thank you Steve for sending us that article. It is an
> important one. We all recognize the scenario from
> Texas as one that was recently exposed in New York as
> well. We have a dysfuntional educational system. The
> standardized testing industry is pushing it to a
> higher level of dysfunction. The question becomes, how
> do we as progressive educators push back? For example,
> I wonder if any of us are union activists? Can we
> begin to work within the union so that it actually
> takes stands that support alternative forms of
> assessment? Can we push the union to support
> progressive teachers, if not can we expose them for
> their lack of support? Carol
>
>
Dear Carol and others,
Please excuse my late reply to Carol's suggestion (and the answers from Steve
and Ann), but I actually took two days vacation!
Carol raises a critical question for the future of progressive education in
New York City (and elsewhere). Although some of us have been active within the
union on an individual basis and as representatives of our individual
schools, progressive educators largely have ceded control of the teacher's union
during the past 50 years to other forces. We have all been enormously busy
building our schools and communities. Teachers who spend incredible hours working
after school with young people have had little time for regular attendance at
Delegate Assemblies or meetings of chapter leaders. The result has been that
often it is the more reactionary elements of union leadership and membership
who control policy in critical areas. Our attitude often has been that if the
powers-that-be simply leave us alone we will be ahead of the game. Clearly,
those days are gone forever and we have to adjust or we will allow ourselves to
be destroyed.
There is now an enormous potential for "progressive" educators to exercise
influence within the union -- one that has not existed before. The union
structure itself gives more (and undemocratic) influence to individual schools than
it does to membership numbers -- much like the Senate versus the House of
Reps. We now have a great many small schools in this city. During the past two
years in Bronx high schools alone, we have opened some 31 new small schools.
We expect that many "programs" which have existed officially as part of other
schools will soon have an independent existence. If the UFT representatives
from these schools were to establish a bloc and attend union meetings with some
regularity, they would exercise a disproportionate influence.
Make no mistake -- the UFT (with all its difficulty re the current mayor) is
the single most powerful union and, indeed, political organization in this
city and state. If we want to effect changes in city and state policy, the union
could be an incredibly powerful ally. We would have to work hard to make it
so.
This is not to suggest that a dual policy -- helping to build powerful parent
political power as well as seeking to influence union policy -- would not be
wise. Both clearly are necessary and are vital. It is to say that if we
blind ourselves to the new realities within the school system and the structure of
the union, and if we do not seek to use effectively existing political power,
we will be doing a serious disservice to all our schools, students, and
communities. Many of us, at one time or another, have had difficult experiences
with or within the UFT. This is the time to put those aside and to work hard to
have the union represent all that is good in a couple of hundred wonderful
school communities which we have helped to create.
Best,
Peter Steinberg
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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=3D2 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FAC=
E=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">In a message dated 8/16/2003 11:35:35 AM Eastern Day=
light Time, [email protected] writes:<BR>
<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=3DCITE style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEF=
T: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Thank you Steve for sending u=
s that article. It is an<BR>
important one. We all recognize the scenario from<BR>
Texas as one that was recently exposed in New York as<BR>
well. We have a dysfuntional educational system. The<BR>
standardized testing industry is pushing it to a<BR>
higher level of dysfunction. The question becomes, how<BR>
do we as progressive educators push back? For example,<BR>
I wonder if any of us are union activists? Can we<BR>
begin to work within the union so that it actually<BR>
takes stands that support alternative forms of<BR>
assessment? Can we push the union to support<BR>
progressive teachers, if not can we expose them for<BR>
their lack of support? Carol<BR>
<BR>
</BLOCKQUOTE><BR>
<BR>
Dear Carol and others,<BR>
<BR>
Please excuse my late reply to Carol's suggestion (and the answers from Ste=
ve and Ann), but I actually took two days vacation!<BR>
<BR>
Carol raises a critical question for the future of progressive education in=
New York City (and elsewhere). Although some of us have been active =
within the union on an individual basis and as representatives of our indiv=
idual schools, progressive educators largely have ceded control of th=
e teacher's union during the past 50 years to other forces. We have a=
ll been enormously busy building our schools and communities. Teacher=
s who spend incredible hours working after school with young people have ha=
d little time for regular attendance at Delegate Assemblies or meetings of =
chapter leaders. The result has been that often it is the more reacti=
onary elements of union leadership and membership who control policy in cri=
tical areas. Our attitude often has been that if the powers-that-be s=
imply leave us alone we will be ahead of the game. Clearly, those day=
s are gone forever and we have to adjust or we will allow ourselves to be d=
estroyed.<BR>
<BR>
There is now an enormous potential for "progressive" educators to exercise =
influence within the union -- one that has not existed before. The un=
ion structure itself gives more (and undemocratic) influence to individual =
schools than it does to membership numbers -- much like the Senate versus t=
he House of Reps. We now have a great many small schools in this city=
. During the past two years in Bronx high schools alone, we have open=
ed some 31 new small schools. We expect that many "programs" which ha=
ve existed officially as part of other schools will soon have an independen=
t existence. If the UFT representatives from these schools were to es=
tablish a bloc and attend union meetings with some regularity, they would e=
xercise a disproportionate influence.<BR>
<BR>
Make no mistake -- the UFT (with all its difficulty re the current mayor) i=
s the single most powerful union and, indeed, political organization in thi=
s city and state. If we want to effect changes in city and state poli=
cy, the union could be an incredibly powerful ally. We would have to =
work hard to make it so.<BR>
<BR>
This is not to suggest that a dual policy -- helping to build powerful pare=
nt political power as well as seeking to influence union policy -- would no=
t be wise. Both clearly are necessary and are vital. It is to s=
ay that if we blind ourselves to the new realities within the school system=
and the structure of the union, and if we do not seek to use effectively e=
xisting political power, we will be doing a serious disservice to all our s=
chools, students, and communities. Many of us, at one time or another=
, have had difficult experiences with or within the UFT. This is the =
time to put those aside and to work hard to have the union represent all th=
at is good in a couple of hundred wonderful school communities which we hav=
e helped to create.<BR>
<BR>
Best,<BR>
Peter Steinberg</FONT></HTML>
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