DC's Laid Off Teachers Request Financial Assistance From Washington Teachers' Union

The letter below was presented to Washington Teachers' Union President, George Parker on November 30, 2009 by wrongfully terminated/laid-off teachers in a meeting held to discuss their right to appeal under OEA. This letter was also sent to all WTU Executive Board members, WTU Board of Trustee members, Randi Weingarten, AFT President and AFT staff via email. These teachers have requested that their letter be forwarded to the WTU membership.

This letter represents a request for the WTU to provide financial assistance for appeals to the wrongfully terminated teachers due to what they describe as poor legal representation by Washington Teachers' Union lawyers. 

Request for WTU Financial Assistance; Presented to President George Parker,et. al on November 30, 2009‏

 

Date:          November 30, 2009, Monday

To:             Mr. George Parker, President of Washington Teacher’s Union, WTU

                  Executive Board, WTU Building Representatives, Entire WTU Union

                  Membership, et al., President Randi Weingarten, AFL-CIO, et al.

From:          Wrongfully Terminated District of Columbia Public Schools Stakeholders

                                          

We the former District of Columbia Public School (DCPS) employees, former full dues paying union members, and unlawfully separated stakeholders, hereby publicly announce on this day November 30, 2009, and present to the Washington Teacher’s Union (WTU) Local #6, AFL-CIO President George Parker, its WTU Executive Board members, and the entire WTU membership that we are very dissatisfied and concerned regarding the failure of the Washington Teacher’s Union (WTU) legal counsel to effectively argue the illegal Reduction in Force (RIF) and wrongful terminations announced on October 2, 2009.

 

We believe as witnesses in Judge Bartnoff’s courtroom on November 5^th the WTU legal representative et al. performed poorly in arguing that “the RIF was not a RIF, but rather a pretext for mass discharge” and provided no evidence that the DCPS budget could support the entire teaching staff of 2009-2010 (including new teachers, existing teachers, excessed teachers, teachers placed in co-teaching positions, and teachers placed in areas of non-certification.)

 

We are very disappointed with the November 24 ruling denying the Washington Teacher’s Union Local (WTU) Local #6, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO Motion for A Preliminary Hearing (PI) and A Motion for Temporary Restraining Order (TRO).

 

The plaintiffs WTU attorneys' failed to challenge any unlawful Reduction In Force (RIF) decision and the procedures and process used to implement the alleged RIF.

 

 The WTU plaintiffs attorneys did not present any substantive challenge to the DCPS (defendant’s) testimony or to Rhee’s declaration with regard to the school budget.

 

In addition, no evidence was presented to the contrary that DCPS teacher staffing needs were included in the June 2 initial budget proposal.

 

We are encouraging Washington Teacher’s Union AFL-CIO to grant us continued legal support since we have been grossly misrepresented and to provide financial assistance (minimum of $250,000) for appeals with a competent law firm of our choosing.  We would like a written response by December 11, 2009. 

Crystal Proctor, spokesperson

Posted by The Washington Teacher featuring Candi Peterson, blogger in residence

A Dark Day In Public Education: DC Teachers Slam Rhee

I have posted The Washington Times October 17 article by David C. Lipscomb below. Lipscomb writes about the October 16 DC city council hearings in which many testified about Michelle 'Teacher Terminator" Rhee and the adverse impact of her management decisions on DC students. There were 103 people slated to testify including myself and many parents, labor leaders, teachers and school counselors. Teachers came out in droves and among those present were not only teachers and school counselors who had been terminated but many still among the rank and file. It was a dark day at the DC Council hearing where reports of inappropriate conduct, fear, intimidation, threats, terror, bribery, violence, discrimination and racism topped the list.

Council, Teachers Rap Rhee Over Firings

"D.C. Council members on Friday voiced their frustrations with recent firings by schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee, which she has blamed in part on school budget cuts by the council. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray denied that he and other members were responsible for the Oct. 2 layoffs of nearly 400 school employees, saying he suspects they were an intended consequence of overhiring earlier this year by the school system.

"So much of this makes absolutely no sense," Mr. Gray said during a hearing, which drew more than 150 public witnesses. "This is about getting rid of people they wanted to get rid of." Mr. Gray questioned why the school system hired more than 900 teachers earlier this year, only to cut teachers six weeks into the school year. No one from the mayor's office testified Friday, but Ms. Rhee is scheduled to appear at a hearing on Oct. 29. Friday's hearing was the second of three hearings on the subject, the first of which was held Oct. 10 and heard testimony from D.C. schools students. Schools spokeswoman Jennifer Calloway said the school system would not comment before the next hearing and referred The Washington Times to an online fact sheet about the reduction in force.

More than 260 teachers, counselors, custodians and librarians, many of whom were escorted out of schools by police, were given notice of layoff. The document blamed the layoffs on a $42.9 million budget shortfall for this fiscal year. It attributed the shortfall to $20.5 million in budget cuts by the council, a $20.5 million reorganization of the school system's administrative budget, and $3 million in leave and severance pay to school system employees.

Washington Teachers' Union President George Parker voiced concerns similar to Mr. Gray's and also noted that grievances by teachers have doubled since Ms. Rhee took over. Mr. Parker said preliminary numbers seem to indicate the school system was targeting teachers 40 and older. The numbers could not be immediately verified.

Testifying teachers agreed that many of the firings appeared to be motivated by age, but some said they also thought Ms. Rhee was targeting outspoken teachers. Willie Brewer, a teacher for 25 years and a member of the union's executive board, said he thinks he was terminated from McKinley Technology High School for both reasons. "[I have] gray hair, and I'm getting old, and I'm an advocate for the union," Mr. Brewer, 53, said. "Today you cannot raise your hand and ask questions. You're setting yourself up for termination."

Agnes Dyson, who taught special education at H.D. Woodson Senior High School, said she doesn't know why she was terminated but thinks her opposition to one of Ms. Rhee's compensation policies for teachers may have been a factor. "I was outspoken against the red tier and green tier," Miss Dyson, 40, said, referring to the plan that would allow teachers to choose a standard pay schedule or a performance-based pay system with bigger potential payoffs. "I stand for what's right for teachers."

Council member Kwame Brown, at-large Democrat, said the elimination of teachers is another example of a pattern of callous behavior on the part of the mayor. "There's no good way to get rid of people, but I can't understand why they always pick the bad way," Mr. Brown said.

Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO President Joslyn Williams said Ms. Rhee should be fired, claiming unionized school workers have lost faith in her ability to cooperate with stakeholders. "I don't think there's hope for change with this chancellor," Mr. Williams said outside the hearing. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's administration "gave her a blank check. She went out, and she wreaked havoc on our system." Mr. Gray said he has concerns about the chancellor's ability to work effectively with parents, teachers and others and does not expect to get many answers at the next hearing. "I guess I can remain hopeful, but if history is any guide, I am not very optimistic, to tell you the truth," Mr. Gray said."

Posted by The Washington Teacher, featuring Candi Peterson- blogger in residence, story courtesy of The Wash. Times, graphics courtesy of Celeste Jones