The Parker campaign conducted mass robo-calling using union resources which include repeated reminders about dental benefits and promises of meetings with teachers and another survey on IMPACT under the guise of conducting union business. Of late Parker has distributed hundreds of pamphlets to schools that instill fear that a vote for Nathan Saunders will result in our union going backwards neglecting the fact that for the last six years under Parker's leadership, WTU members democratic rights have been destroyed and teachers due process rights have been trampled along with the loss of 1,000 teacher jobs by an out of control Rhee administration.
Parker in his hate literature has alleged spurious, false and exaggerated allegations about Nathan Saunders work history and has left out pertinent details regarding an American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Executive Council investigation that resulted in an AFT order for Parker and the WTU Executive board to approve Saunders leave of absence and back pay forthwith. If we are to go down this road, then the obvious question is: How should these treasonous acts of Parker subverting the WTU Constitution as well as his refusal to comply with an AFT September 17, 2010 order from our parent organization be handled ? Further, how much is Parker paid in salary, how much salary should he (Parker) forgo by his refusal to have union membership and representative assembly meetings over the past year, his refusal to hold a timely union election last May as required by the WTU Constitution and his refusal to comply with the AFT Order ?
Unfortunately Parker has no track record short of his devaluation of teacher employment rights by the concessions he has already made. The contract tidbits don’t pay the mortgage, put food on the table and clothe the kids when you have been terminated from your job. We do know our union is in pretty bad shape with mass teacher terminations, unfair IMPACT evaluations running amuck, related stress and low morale. The truth is that things can only get better with Nathan Saunders Slate, not worse.
Hastily called meetings after hastily called meetings, email after email, robo call after robo call, negative campaign ads after negative campaign ads - some say Parker has reached the bottom of the barrel and gone over the edge. These last ugly acts of desperation by Parker are a disgrace and insult to every WTU member. What is the proper response to Parker's campaign negativity? Do you want to see more negativity from "holdover president" Parker in this Thanksgiving season? Tell me what you think!
By the way- Happy Thanksgiving to all.
31 comments:
Candi,
Great Post and thank you for saying exactly what I have been thinking. On Sunday night, I received 4 emails from Parker - the first one started at 2:30am and the last one ended at 10:22pm. Really, 4 emails in one day.....I would feel differently if you had been emailing me all along, but 4 in one day.....seems a bit desparate to me. And such it is with the negative swing in this campaign.
In answer to your question, I say. Let the voters decide.
BTW, Happy Thanksgiving!
I love your blog and analytical approach to making us think. I talked the Saunders slate up in my school. Many teachers have become enlightened because of your blog. Don't stop blogging once you get elected.
Parker made three robo calls to me before I even got home about this election. Wonder how much that cost him? He sure has become a pest. I wish he had taken this much interest in doing something about these IMPACT evals.
Parker is a scared rabbit. Run Rabbit Run. I wish Nathan could have knock him out in the first round. No body should answer his calls. Nobody should cooperate with him. Leave him outside the door just like he left us on impact, respect and seniority.
Recall Parker if possible.
If Nathan was such a horrible Vice-President then why did you run with him a second term George?? I believe that this is sign of a desperate man making desperate decisions. I believe that if he really felt that this was a winning strategy then he would have done this months ago. Lets remember the election has been going on for 6 months. I cannot wait to sing "GOODBYE" to George. I hope everyone has mailed their ballots for the Saunders/Peterson slate, if not you still have a few more days get it in the mail by Friday. Happy Thanksgiving all!!
As so many teachers have said goodbye to Adrian and Michele, we look forward to saying goodbye to George as well!
3 Strikes and Parker is OUT!!
Strike 1 - "Fenty" - Thanks to DC Voters!!
Strike 2 - "Rhee" - Special Thanks to Mayor Elect Vincent Gray!!
Strike 3 - Parker is OUT!!!
WTU MEMBERSHIP: Let's DO IT TODAY !! Please mail your WTU ballot for the Saunders Slate and don't delay!!
Enough is Enough!! GEORGE MUST GO!
Happy Thanksgiving to All!
I don't believe picking up members ballots from their homes is legal. Check this out with the Department of Labor.
If anyone from Parker's team show up at my door, I will call the police.
This fool has gone completely crazy. If he manages to STEAL THIS ELECTION, I will cancel my full membership and I encourage all teacher's to do the same.
Keep the few extra dollars to pay for your lawyer when you are hit by IMPACT.
I wish all hard-working, student-oriented DCPS educators a wonderful Thanksgiving.
I also hope the election turns out the way you want....and that it brings an end to the obvious turmoil you have suffered.
Each teacher deserves the basics of good/adequate compensation (you have it), professional development in line with the system's and your own expectations, and a union that will have harmonious and effective dealings with management. That's the only way to go.
As someone once said, "Enough is enough." And you have had enough of a charged work environment.
Very soon it will be time to rededicate your professional lives and get back to the teaching profession that most of you once loved, rather than admin concerns that have grabbed your attention and spirit.
I hope you teachers can do this, for the benefit of your students and yourselves.
WHo is conducting the unofficial poll? Got a call from union rep asking about ballot and unofficial vote.
One thing I can appreciate about Nathan, that I don't think has been played up in your campaign, Candi, is that Nathan TEACHES. He is currently experiencing IMPACT firsthand. He knows what we teachers are going through.
He probably knows by experience what instructional coaches are doing or not doing. He probably knows the pressures of working at a school that has not achieved AYP in several years.
I'm sure he was angry at the way he was sent back to the classroom against his choice back in the spring. However, it really may be working out in his favor in the long run.
Unlike my principal (who constantly refers to staff as "you all"), he can say "we" when he speaks to teachers because he is one of us.
Anonymous @ 1:01 am
I don't know anything about an unofficial poll, and unofficial vote being conducted by any WTU reps. Hopefully, you can share more information about this strange telephone call.
Let me get this straight, first Parker wants to come to teachers houses to get a ballot. Why can't teachers mail their own ballots? This is crazzzzy! I hope teachers are smarter than this and won't let anyone come to their homes to get a ballot they can mail themselves. This is terrible modeling for DC students in the general election if teachers won't vote.
I hope teachers won't be duped into giving anyone information over the phone. The fact that it is unofficial gives you a clue something is wrong. I smell a dead cat on the line.
As James Brown use to sing PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE go to the Post OFFICE right after your dinnner or definitely before u go to the midnight sale. This is so much more important!!!! It only takes a minute of ur time to drop off but will literally IMPACT the rest of your life!!!! ENJOY YOUR DAY. PLEASE VOTE SAUNDERS/PETERSON.....
The WTU is an utter embarrassment. I'm a hard working, focused teacher and I could car less about who is president. Truth be told there is nothing a union president can and will do to change IMPACT. I know many of you will respond negatively to my comment - but it's the truth. Wait and see....
"Best wishes to both you and Nathan ! I pray that DCPS teachers wake up & smell the coffee! Fenty & Rhee are out and George Parker needs to join them. Saunders & Peterson's slate is the only way to go!"
Fight, Fight, and Fight some more. When did the lazy start to overcome the active and When did the knowledgeable get overcome by the ignorant. I am claiming a victory for Nathan and Candi. It is time for working people to be in control again of the decision making process. Praise be to God and His blessings are to your families on this holiday.
The comment that Nathan is in the classroom, not by choice, but certainly experiencing IMPACT firsthand is perceptive. When he becomes WTU president he will use these first months as a teacher under IMPACT as his own personal training on what we go through. He like us is being subjected to 5 observations a year, being told what is and isn't rigorous instruction, being marked down for students who misbehave or aren't doing their work or for not stating and restating the objective, asking enough higher order thinking questions and don't get me started on learning styles. This alone is reason to vote for him.
I read this article by Turque concerning Impact and I think Saunders might have a point. "Legislative, Judicial, and lobbying efforts" just might work. The problem is most teachers don't understand what Nathan is talking about. My wife, a lawyer, said that attacking the old law via new law and challenging the impact via deficiencies in court could bring about change. We do know that Parker will not provide any relief and has already thrown in the towel. Teacher have nothing to lose with Nathan's approach. He probably will win. He shows consistent resilience in spite of naysayers.
That is ridiculous that teachers are marked down for every single student that misbehaves or refuses to do their work. First of all, contrary to the belief of Rhee and her cohorts, a teacher's job is NOT to CONTROL children. School is not prison, and you can't force a child to do their work and behave. Obviously, the teacher has to try and manage every child as best as they possibly can, but no human being has the ability to control a child who is out of control.
Anon at 11:27
You are an utter embarrassment. The problem with teachers is that too often they roll over and play dead just like George.
People who think like you will have teachers working on Saturdays and Sundays. Get rid of the plantation mentality and have some respect for yourself.
It's unfortunate when we don't care about our union or who the leadership is. Due to a hard working teacher's efforts who fought for us to have a union years ago is why many of us enjoy the perks we have today. There was a time approx. 40 years ago when teachers couldn't become pregnant and keep their jobs or take out a loan from the teachers' credit union amongst other things. One thing is for sure, when teachers get fired or face excessing- then the first thing they care about is the union. Deal with an injustice on the job- and then it matters who is fighting on your behalf.
I think some of us would benefit from a history lesson. I think we can be focused on the job and care about our occupational future as well. It's like walking and chewing gum at the same time.
With the defeat of Parker, there will finally be a repudiation of the educational reform movement that totally scapegoats teachers. I work with some TFA teaching fellows. I don't know what they are told about veteran DCPS teachers in their brief training but can only imagine. When they see the extra work and commitment we veterans put into our jobs, our careers, our life's work as educators, I know they're a little surprised. They must have been told that veteran teachers are deadbeats, that they are needed to come in and clean up DCPS. Many of us veterans have been here all along fighting the hard fight of educating children from very difficult circumstances and believing in them despite overwhelming obstacles.
Candy,
Am afraid the pic of Mr. Parker that you use is really unfair. It fits an awful stereotype, and u should reconsider your posting of it. Good idea?
I disagree with you anonymous @ 10:33. I didn't take this picture and it is not my intent to depict any type of stereotype.
Best of luck today, and please feel free to link anything you want to FB's SUPPORT PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/SUPPORT-PUBLIC-SCHOOLS/106057986116757
Many people from Washington have joined the page.
Congratulations, Candi, on your win.
Please restrain N. Saunders from declaring war on DCPS. It will surely be bad for the kids and will not help the interests of the teachers, I think.
I am a fan, in any case. Good luck to you.
Congratulations, Candi! Kudos to you and Nathan on a successful campaign!
Marvin, pls. stop talking nonsense, celebrate and congratulate the winners. Nathan Saunders is a gentleman and no one need to restrain him. Nathan will declare war when it is necessary to do so on anybody to protect and serve the membership. Therefore, don't ask Candi to restrain Nathan, ask her to restrain your thought/mouth.
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