on rare occaision, organized labor wins in "Right-to-work" states. Texas AFL/CIO example!

[w8liftinglady]

http://dallasisdblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2012/01/alliance-aft-demands-dallas-is.html

Alliance-AFT demands Dallas ISD reinstate teacher on leave and to end bullying of employees

Dallas teacher association Alliance-AFT has demanded that Dallas ISD reinstate a teacher placed on leave Friday for sending a trustee a critical email and for the district to stop bullying employees.

Alliance-AFT president Rena Honea said that Dallas school principals and administrators get away with intimidating teachers and trying to silence them. Her comments came days after Dallas ISD teacher Joseph Drake was placed on paid leave after he sent an email to trustee Edwin Flores expressing his displeasure with the district's recent decision to extend teacher workdays 45 minutes.

"The decision to remove Joseph from the classroom after voicing legitimate concerns is the latest example of a disturbing trend by some school board members to bully and intimidate the rest of us into silence," she said at a press conference Monday morning. "We need to ask why school board members like Edwin Flores are so intent on denying parents and teachers form having a voice in our city's schools."

Honea said the teacher association would soon launch a petition asking the Dallas ISD to reinstate Drake, a fourth-grade teacher at Central Elementary School in Seagoville. Among the petition's other requests include:

-- End intimidation of school employees.

-- For trustees to stay at the dais during the public speaking portion of school board meetings

-- Repeal the policy approved last week that extended teacher workdays 45 minutes

Honea said the far majority of teachers work much more than eight hours a day already and spend nights and weekends grading homework and crafting lesson plans. She said Drake's email represented the frustrations of many Dallas ISD teachers.

[w8liftinglady]

1. (Addendum: This guy teaches in my partner's district)

Dallas ISD has closed 11 more elementary schools next year and will lay off 180 more teachers.They have also added 45 minutes to the teacher's work day for the next fiscal year.No COLA raises in 4 years.They are all forced to reapply next year for positions...including the AFL/CIO members. I admire ALL the teachers of DISD...They are one bunch of dedicated teachers.

[w8liftinglady]

2. update- Teacher reinstated

http://dallasisdblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2012/01/breaking-dallas-isd-reinstates.html#

Bowing to intense pressure and criticism, the Dallas school district has reinstated a teacher placed on leave last week for sending an email to a trustee voicing displeasure with a decision to extend teacher workdays 45 minutes.

The teacher, Joseph Drake, confirmed Tuesday afternoon that the district had removed him from paid leave. He said he will return to his fourth grade class at Central Elementary School in Seagoville on Wednesday.

"All I know is that I've been reinstated," said Drake, who said the district has still not given him a reason why he was placed on paid leave. "I will just be happy to get this all behind me."

The Dallas school district has received heavy pressure to reinstate Drake in recent days, and it reached a high point Tuesday. Dallas teacher association Alliance-AFT held a press conference Tuesday morning calling for Dallas ISD to reinstate Drake and to stop bullying its employees.