While the Washington Teachers' Union (WTU) office was opened Friday for business- no WTU Executive Board meeting was scheduled this second Saturday of the month as required. Not only was a meeting not scheduled by President George Parker- there was 'NO NOTICE ' of our regularly scheduled meeting this time, not even a notice that there would be a cancellation. I checked with three other WTU Exec. Board members to see if I had missed something. Well other executive board members have not heard nary a word either.Do I detect a pattern here or what ? So it seems that under the helm of WTU Prez' George Parker we have once again failed to hold another monthly executive board meeting. Who pray tell is conducting the business of our teachers' union ? Certainly it is not our elected membership.
Here is a list of seven in total of the WTU Executive Board meetings and Representative Assembly meetings that have been cancelled recently by President George Parker :
February 13, 2010 WTU Executive Board meeting (not held)
January 26, 2010 WTU Representative Assembly meeting (cancelled abruptly)
January 28, 2010 WTU Executive Board meeting postponed
December 12, 2009 WTU Executive Board meeting cancelled
November 13, 2009 WTU Executive Board meeting cancelled
October 10,2009 WTU Executive Board meeting cancelled
September 12, 2009 WTU Executive Board meeting (not held)
Posted by The Washington Teacher, featuring Candi Peterson - blogger in residence
24 comments:
OMG, for a minute I thought there was something wrong with my computer or the blog, as this looked like a previous post. Then I checked the date. This man reminds me of Fenty and the city council. Time to elect new WTU leadership. The election can't come fast enough.
Hey did you know that George Parker was on Kojo Nambi's radio show on Friday at 12:50 pm for about 10 minutes? George said he traveled into Kojo's show and it took him 2 hours to get there. If he could take the time to go to the show he surely could take the time to go to the union office for a board meeting.
you didn't get the memo..it was a meeting like always.. One man board meeting...featuring curious George...by his damn self.
Wow No wonder we can't get a contract. Does George ever do anything he says he will do?
All of the Sell-outs below will be voted out of office this year.
1. Adrian Fenty
2. Michelle Rhee
3. George Parker
4. Cathy lanier
%. Dennis Rubin
6. David Catania
7. Phil Graham
8. Peter Nickels
9. "Sinn-clair Skinner
10. And All of the ME teachers et.al, including the WAPo
2010 is a great year for New Changes such as....
New Mayor in DC
New Superientendent for DCPS
New WTU President
New WTU Negotiation Team for the WTU Contract
New Emergency Legislation for Riffed Employees
New Teachers Evaluation
New Changes that will benefit all!!
It appears to me that these current leaders do whatever the heck they want without any collaboration or expertise!!
Enough is Enough and everyone needs to vote for New Changes!!!
I was a new teacher to DCPS for several months last year. I have
20 years teaching experience, and from what I observed with the WTU President is nothing but a lazy
person who is collecting a nice paycheck every other week for doing what....NOTHING!! He makes
up excuses after excuses, and does not follow through!! I agree with Ms. Gill, it is time FOR CHANGE,
FAIRNESS, and JUSTICE!!
The WTU is the butt of all those jokes in DC. It is not repsected and no one is afraid of it.(the Union) Michelle Rhee laughs at George and it is clear that he is in way over his head. We truly need new leadership but even better he just need to resign... it is just sad at this point.
How could anyone condone this awful behavior. This is why no one believes in unions, why Rhee has so many supporters, and why we do not have a contract. This is some kind of horrible game we (teachers) are caught in denying us benefits, and salary increases. I want the right not to send my dues to the WTU! That is the only time the union will respect my voice and the only time I will really have a voice.
Anonymous on 2/14 @ 3:35
I understand your point but have to disagree. I think that if we don't like the leader -we don't have to subscribe to throwing the baby out with the bath water. Unions are sorely needed now more than ever. Unions can and do work elsewhere but they have to be comprised of members who are willing and committed to making them work. For instance we have to elect leaders who have the skills to lead and be willing to hold them accountable. Of course we as a body have to be willing to show up and be participants and not just observers in this process. We also have to hold our elected teacher members on the executive board level accountable as well as elect teachers members at the local school level with strong voices who are willing to represent the interests of our members as well as fufill their obligations as building representatives. This is no easy task I know.
I bring these issues to the public on this blog so that we as a body can become aware of what is happening at our executive and representative assembly level. The goal here is to get teachers and providers to become more involved in issues impacting our occupational futures rather than just sitting on the sidelines.
We can do better !
I too agree, that Unions are needed now more than ever before. Why do you think our teachers' union was formed? It was formed to do just what it is doing now. That is to keep Rhee at bay. Yes, many people have let our members down, by stealing, joining the opposing side, and not providing excellent legal representation. I know that there is someone's nephew, niece, son, daughter, or family member who can represent our fired teachers. So, don't let what you see get you down members, but understand that this regime-Rhee/Fenty will not last for long. Time, and yes, God is on our side. Stay United. Pray for peace, but prepare for war.
George Parker is just biding his time until someone else takes over, and can and will deal with Rhee.
As former chairman of the Political Action Committee with WTU, this information saddens me greatly. There is no leadership in our union today and absolutely no action taken against the disrespect and outright targeting of veteran teachers and teachers of color. First with the 90 day plan, then the RIF, and now with this IMPACT. George Parker has shown his true colors by a leadership of absentism. IT IS DEFINITELY TIME FOR NEW LEADERSHIP. WTU deserves much better!!!
Jerome Brocks
Perhaps I don't understand union politics in DC, but in my CA district, members of the local union were automatically members of the state and federal associations. Are DC teachers part of United Federation of Teachers? If so, ask for their help. You need it desperately. Your members are paying dues and are legally entitled to representation.
Linda/RetiredTeacher
The President of the US is required to be a citizen. Why shouldn't our union president have to meet the same standard? The union president should be a veteran of the DCPS system and a teacher not some out of town out of touch incompetent.
I am just enjoying your comments guys Thanks buddy for posting your comments.
This stuff is going on all over the US. I saw Rev. Jackson in Chicago and it's the same there, maybe worse.
So, what's knew?
When George Parker loses the election, he will return to being an ET15. Rhee will notify him as she did others who came back from being on administrative/family leave that: 1. after reviewing your transcript you only qualify for a teacher's aide position or 2. we do not have any vacancies therefore forcing him to retire.
That will be the end of George Parker. He will have an opportunity to experience what his constituents have.
I saw the same show on the Word Network on 2/13/10. Jessie Jackson, and Operation Push are protesting the closing of schools that are predominately African-American. I watched the show,and I thought that Michelle Rhee was destroying Chicago public schools, too. Arne Duncan is a fraud. His test scores in Chicago aren't any better than DC's test scores. If he can'nt raise his own test scores, when he was the superintendent, then how is he going to raise test scores for an entire nation? It's all about Charter schools, this is what the Obama administration is trying to do in every state. Why is it that our black children have to always be the "lab-rats" for some new programs in "education reform?"
I don't think he'll be an ET-15. After he destroys the Union, he'll become an administrator, working for Rhee at a much bigger salary.
Wash. Examiner
Politics
Mayor-Council Wars Are Headed to Court!
Posted by Mike DeBonis on Jan. 29, 2010, at 4:51 pm
After three long, hot years, the increasingly intractable conflict between Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and the D.C. Council is heading to court.
There's a twist: Neither of the parties is suing.
Chief Financial Officer Natwar M. Gandhi, independent of both, has announced he's going to D.C. Superior Court to settle an ongoing dispute over review of city contracts. He'll be asking a judge "in the interest of maintaining good governance" to determine whether the council has the authority to order payments stopped on certain city contracts not submitted for the council's approval.
READ THE REST Link below
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2010/01/29/mayor-council-wars-are-headed-to-court/
Reply to Linda/Retired Teacher
WTU members are also members of the AFT- American Fed. of Teachers. In 2008 WTU Executive Board members asked for the assistance from the AFT. Unfortunately this has not done a lot of good I am sure as you can see. Keep in mind the AFT has its own interests. They are also the same group who sat by while Barbara Bullock stole millions of dollars from WTU.
The WTU and AFT just sent out a survey about IMPACT. Sadly, it has several errors and is gives an error when you attempt to submit you answers.
This is the level of professionalism of our union right now. God D**n I wish I didn't have to spend $700 a year to have these incompetent people "working" for my benefit.
As an aside, I wonder if the "technical" issues that have delayed our contract update for the last month have been cleared up :-)
Yet again, the FEDS get a 2 hour dealy but not DC. Just got home from grad school and the roads are almost all down to one lane, it'll be crazy on the streets tomorrow. Also, if the FEDS are making their decisions based on:
"Berry added that he bases his decision to open or close offices on recommendations from members of the Metropolitan Council of Governments, a regional organization. It includes representatives of 21 local governments and the District of Columbia, transportation officials from the District, Maryland and Virginia, and area members of the Maryland and Virginia legislatures, the U.S. Senate, and the U.S. House of Representatives."
(Washington Post)
Then what is Fenty basing his decision on?
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