[ProgressiveEd] NYTimes.com Article: The 'Zero Dropout' Miracle: Alas! Al...

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Wed, 20 Aug 2003 08:34:32 EDT


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Dear Peter,
Welcome back.  You have, once again, said what needed to be said.  You've 
said it modestly, considering the years you put in at the Delegate Assembly, 
fighting the powers that be.  I disagree with you about a small point, which is 
that there have been progressive people who didn't focus only on the work in 
their schools but tried, over time, to build a progressive organization that 
worked within the union.  There was the Teachers Action Coalition, which became 
the Teachers Action Caucus, and a number of groups that splintered off of TAC.  
TAC had times when it preached only to itself, as we both know.  But there 
were certainly instances and locations where TAC was able to organize effective 
strategies that resulted in real advances in the schools.  (I'm thinking, 
particularly, of the coalitions formed in District 3 in the 70s or the work done in 
District 1 in support of Bilingualism around the same time.)  I agree that we 
have to work within our own organizations and that we have to develop broad 
coalitions that include parents and other progressive forces.  I think that's 
what PENNY is doing now.  And I agree that the time is ripe for winning broad 
support for progressive positions, because our positions have resulted in the 
formation of many wonderful schools.
Bruce Kanze
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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><FONT  SIZE=3D2 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FAC=
E=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">Dear Peter,<BR>
<BR>
Welcome back.&nbsp; You have, once again, said what needed to be said.&nbsp=
; You've said it modestly, considering the years you put in at the Delegate=
 Assembly, fighting the powers that be.&nbsp; I disagree with you about a s=
mall point, which is that there have been progressive people who didn't foc=
us only on the work in their schools but tried, over time, to build a progr=
essive organization that worked within the union.&nbsp; There was the Teach=
ers Action Coalition, which became the Teachers Action Caucus, and a number=
 of groups that splintered off of TAC.&nbsp; TAC had times when it preached=
 only to itself, as we both know.&nbsp; But there were certainly instances =
and locations where TAC was able to organize effective strategies that resu=
lted in real advances in the schools.&nbsp; (I'm thinking, particularly, of=
 the coalitions formed in District 3 in the 70s or the work done in Distric=
t 1 in support of Bilingualism around the same time.)&nbsp; I agree that we=
 have to work within our own organizations and that we have to develop broa=
d coalitions that include parents and other progressive forces.&nbsp; I thi=
nk that's what PENNY is doing now.&nbsp; And I agree that the time is ripe =
for winning broad support for progressive positions, because our positions =
have resulted in the formation of many wonderful schools.<BR>
<BR>
Bruce Kanze</FONT></HTML>
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