Some teachers are understandably dubious that the teachers unions will mount an effective opposition to Cuomo, thus negating Silver's willingness to go to the mattresses against Cuomo.
Silver will fight Cuomo on parts of the power grab that infringe on his own power - like Regents appointments and structural changes that would give the governor more power over education policy.
But when it comes to many of the items in Cuomo's education reform agenda that directly effect teachers and schools - like the charter cap or the APPR evaluation system - Silver's going to take the lead of NYSUT and UFT and fight only what they want fought.
Earlier this year, Silver didn't fight the charter school giveaway that Cuomo stuck in the budget, forcing NYC to either co-locate every charter school or pony up for rent for private space - because NYSUT and the UFT didn't want to fight it.
That gave Eva Moskowitz and her charter school edu-entrepreneurs an easy slam dunk victory on the co-location/rent issue.
James Eterno left a comment on the Silver post that suggests the teachers union leadership may follow suit this time around too:
We said at the ICE-UFT blog that Silver ' s caucus was our only hope. We survived Pataki but here is the problem: Cuomo is asking for everything. NYSUT will be asking for virtually nothing. The center of gravity will move toward Cuomo and we will lose some of that low hanging fruit like the charter cap.
NYSUT will claim victory because we didn't lose the whole store. The smart strategy for NYSUT would be to go on offense. For example maybe we demand a repeal of the evaluation system and rejection of common core. Then wheeling and dealing is more likely to go in our favor.
Look at the UFT'S legislative priority for 2015. We will be on our heels playing defense and not attacking. You can be pretty sure of this.
What do you think?
Will NYSUT and the UFT have a smart strategy for fighting Cuomo on his education power grab or will they take a loss and claim it as victory because it isn't a total rout?
In short, will they say something along the lines of "Sure Cuomo got his quota forcing districts to rate a certain number of teachers 'ineffective' every year, but he wanted 10% and we fought him down to 5%! That scrapes the skies, it's such a good deal..."?
Concessions are coming for sure
ReplyDeleteMulgrew and Magee to their members...DROP DEAD!
ReplyDeleteStrategy smategy...we are done with these two shmucks as leaders.
Who can argue with the last comment?
ReplyDeleteRandi will attempt to be Secretary of Education. NSUT and UFT will continue their strategy of doing nothing for their members other than sucking up their money.
ReplyDeleteRBE, you're just joshing with us, aren't you? NYSUT come up with a strategy that might allow Silver to drive a bargain on our behalf? Wasn't it the core piece of NYSUT's strategy this year to get the governor to get the top four NYSUT officials an exemption so that they could get extra time and service counted in their pensions? Now, that's a legislative agenda that appeals to our fine NYSUT brethren--along with a slogan for 2015 something like "What, us worry?"
ReplyDeleteOur old BTF war horse Phil Rumore responded to a mediator's suggestion of an 11% pay raise by saying it was headed in the right direction. Naturally the district went apoplectic over such an increase. Phil may have lost a step here and there and I am still not sure he knows what TFA is but dammit the guy knows how to play this game on the offensive the way NYSUCK oughtta pay him and extra retirement plan to do it for them.
ReplyDeleteUFT last went on offense when Al Shaker was president. That is a little while back.
ReplyDelete