Weingarten, Broad, and *Collaborative* Privatization...the birth of TURN to "reform" unions.

[madfloridian]

Weingarten, Broad, and *Collaborative* Privatization

This is a post about two individuals whose actions contribute to the privatization of American public education: billionaire Eli Broad and American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten.

Weingarten is working in tandem with corporate-driven “reform.” I wish it were not so. However, the evidence of Weingarten’s pro-privatization bent is profound.
This post focuses chiefly on Weingarten and Broad. It is a long one.

UFT/AFT and the Simulated “Company Union”

What led to this post was my recent reading about billionaire Eli Broad, who spends his foundation’s money in order to turn public education into a continuous churn of profit-driven chaos.

In writing A Chronicle of Echoes, I learned that Weingarten is a favorite of Broad. It was then-New York City Chancellor Joel Klein (also a privatizer) who was writing as much to NYC charter vixen Eva Moskowitz. (See page 32 of Echoes.) Weingarten was president of NYC’s United Federation of Teachers (UFT) at the time.

....In reading this post by blogger and retired Philadelphia classroom teacher Ken Derstine, I finally understand why Broad “favors” Weingarten, a union president. Derstine writes:

The Broad Foundation Mission Statement states that one of its goals is the transformation of labor relations. The Broad Foundation is not anti-union. Rather, it seeks to transform unions into a form of company union. A company union is a union located within and run by a company or a national government, and the union bureaucracy is incorporated into the company’s management. This opens up the workforce to unfettered exploitation for profits of the owners. Many right-wing governments internationally use company unions to suppress worker struggles against low living standards. In 1935, during the labor struggles of the Depression, the National Labor Relations Act was passed which outlawed company unions in the United States.

Eli Broad appears to have been instrumental in starting TURN to "reform" unions.

NEA, another teachers' union, is part of this union reform group. At the website the local unions are all listed separately.

The reformers appear to have infiltrated union leadership in several unions.

Be sure to read the author's credentials and her tragic experiences during Katrina. Lists of her research are also there.

https://deutsch29.wordpress.com/about/

[haikugal]

1. Thanks Madfloridian!

Your posts have kept me educated on how we're being robbed by these people. It's very discouraging..and I worry for our children and our educators.

Thanks again for all you do

[madfloridian]

12. It is discouraging.

And rather scary.

[sabrina 1]

2. Our entire government has been infiltrated by people who do not have the

interests of this country and/or its people at heart.

I see there is widespread outrage over this endorsement. Teachers are signing on to the petition to reverse it since most of them were not even aware there was a question they supposedly 'overwhelmingly' responded to.

I just read that the Baltimore Teachers are signing the petition eg.

[madfloridian]

4. It caught the membership off guard.

Yes, infiltration is rapidly growing in all groups. The names all sound so good...you know..like reforming the bad old unions. They don't say it's to the corporate benefit.

[Enthusiast]

15. It's no crazy conspiracy theory if it's true. And it's true.

[HooptieWagon]

3. It's looking like an oligarchy when even unions are infiltrated.

And Hillary is right in the middle of it. This RW takeover of Democratic Party and their traditional partnership with unions has got to be stopped.

[Enthusiast]

14. +1

[LWolf]

26. It certainly does. nt

[aspirant]

5. They can't hide and pretend anymore,

not with social medias well-informed whistle-blowers.

We just whistle while we work, yes we whistle while we work

Thanks, madfloridian

[HooptieWagon]

6. I strongly suggest peep read the article linked at top of OP.

[madfloridian]

7. Weingarten and Broad in Jersey’s Business

Weingarten and Broad in Jersey’s Business

While we are talking Weingarten and New Jersey, consider Weingarten’s (and Broad’s) role in New Jersey politics. Derstine notes:

On November 17th, 2012, Weingarten teamed with New Jersey Education Secretary Chris Cerf (Broad Academy Class of 2004) to successfully promote the ratification of a contract for Newark teachers that included merit pay based on performance (including high-stakes test scores). The merit pay scheme was subsequently deemed to be a without merit.

Another shifty con in which Weingarten has played a visible role.

Cerf is back in business in NJ.

http://www.nj.com/education/2015/07/state_board_approves_cerf_as_newark_superintendent.html

[SoapBox]

8. Thank you for all this information.

The sleaze continues.

[madfloridian]

11. People just don't know about these things. Hard to explain.

Hard to understand because the media never mentions such things. They simply give talking points received from party sources.

[sabrina 1]

9. The outrage over this endorsement is growing. Seems no one has been able

to find any links to the claimed 'polls' or the 'phone town hall' meetings where an 'overwhelming majority of our members' support this.

Looks like Weingarten is not responding to requests, so far, to post links to these polls and phone town hall notifications.

More and more members saying they knew nothing about this.

A majority so far, saying they support Bernie Sanders.

Some saying 'this is typical of Weingarten's authoritarian style' and more asking for her to resign.

This is building up to be a real problem for Weingarten.

[madfloridian]

10. What folks don't get is that it won't hurt Bernie. May even help in some ways.

It's not about votes, the teachers will vote as they please. It's about the very early nature...did they even include Jim Webb? I don't think so. It's about how it was done so unexpectedly.

I remember when my unions endorsed, we knew what they were doing, when they were doing it, and knew we had input.

[snagglepuss]

17. This is so shocking to read especially how blunt Broad is

talking about exploiting teachers. Is Broad widely known to teachers or will this info be new to many?

[madfloridian]

18. Teachers who are involved online probably know.

Teachers are careful not to talk about stuff like that at school, so many may not be aware of why things are going so badly.

[Enthusiast]

13. This is deeply disturbing. The union should call a special meeting to throw Randi Weingarten out!

She is certainly unfit to hold that position.

[nikto]

16. We really must stop calling them "reformers". If these scum are education "reformers" ...

Then Vlad The Impaler was a brain-surgeon.

[nikto]

19. Related article ...Corporatizing of rural schools

http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/07/10/the-corporatizing-of-rural-schools/

[Wilms]

20. This could turn out to be an endorsement Clinton will regret.

If teachers are that alienated by it...

[aspirant]

22. HRC and Weingarten deserve the mess they are in

[Agony]

21. IMPACT/DC Public Schools/WTU fired teachers

The IMPACT formula has a little flaw in it…1 in 10 teachers were mis-evaluated…
All the major players, Broad/AFT/Gates/Waltons. infiltrated company union would seem to describe this perfectly.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=441511

any WTU members have a comment?

[FloriTexan]

23. Kick!

[madfloridian]

25. Hey there...thanks.

[madfloridian]

24. Randi and "smarter charters"...

On October 9, 2014, Weingarten and AFT are hosting a reception for a publication of a pro-charter book entitled, A Smarter Charter: Finding What Works for Charter Schools and Public Education.

Here is the advertised purpose of the book, as noted by the authors:

It’s time to call off the wars. Advocates and policymakers need to stop arguing about whether we need more charter schools or fewer and start focusing on how we can best leverage the charter school model to improve all public schools. [Emphasis added.]

Huge problem: “Best leveraging the charter school model” involves systematically defunding true, honest, democratic (as in all-inclusive) public education.

There can be no “reconciliation.” It’s like pushing for partial assassination.

And yet, here she goes again, promoting an agenda that not only pleases Broad but also fits the bill with the union-hating Walton Foundation. (Read about both Broad and Walton in chapter 23 of Echoes.)

https://deutsch29.wordpress.com/2014/10/04/weingarten-broad-and-collaborative-privatization/

[HooptieWagon]

27. What's striking...

I understand Weingartner had only one year of classroom experience before Broad promoted her into admin and union leadership, is that right? Geesh, it looks like she's more in it for self-promotion than actually caring about the kids. And 2 failed charter schools she founded/controlled that failed in a few years? This woman doesn't even deserve a job as substitute teacher, let alone running a union.

[madfloridian]

29. She was on the staff of the Broad Institute in early 2000's.

I guess that's all he cared about.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/5989

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM 2002 PRESS RELEASES, ETC.:

Participants in the academy will not need to leave their current jobs immediately. They will attend trainings for a number of weekends over a ten-month period in locations across the country. Fellowships, including tuition, travel and all program-related expenses, will be fully covered by The Broad Center. At the end of the training, The Broad Center will help place participants in urban school districts as administrators and superintendents.

The Fellows received guidance from leaders in business, education and the non-profit sectors. Faculty at the Academy included:

* Rod Paige, U.S. Secretary of Education
* Henry Cisneros, CEO, American CityVista
* William Cox, Managing Director, School Evaluation Services
* Chris Cross, Senior Fellow, Center on Education Policy
* Chester E. Finn, Jr., President, Thomas B. Fordham Foundation
* Frances Hesselbein, Chairman, The Drucker Foundation
* Don McAdams, Founder, Center for Reform of School Systems
* Donald Nielsen, President, Hazelton Corporation; Chairman, 2WAY Corporation Hugh B. Price, President and CEO, National Urban League
* Paul Ruiz, Principal Partner, Education Trust
* Adam Urbanski, Director, Teacher Union Reform Network
* Randi Weingarten, President, United Federation of Teachers

[LWolf]

35. Rod Paige.

The guy who called my union a "terrorist organization."

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-02-23-paige-remarks_x.htm



That's some company she was keeping.

[madfloridian]

36. And he made up the Texas Miracle that really wasn't.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/eduwonkette/2008/06/a_texas_tall_tale_remembered_a_1.html

And the reformers have been faking all the great success ever since.

[LWolf]

37. Yes.

He and GWB took the poison cooking at the state level federal, and we got a plague.

[kenfrequed]

28. Intensely sad.

How did Weingarten get into this position in the first place?

[HooptieWagon]

30. It appears she's been strongly backed by deep pocketed "reformers"

As a Trojan horse infiltrator. Their goal is to place public school $ into corporate pockets.

[KamaAina]

31. Remember, Broad rhymes with toad

[ancianita]

32. To reform is to deform. My thoughts on Weingarten's latest anti-union move against public school

professionals:

Randi Weingarten's endorsement of Hillary Clinton is NOT about "early" or "later" in the presidential campaign -- not for the AFT's rank and file.

Weingarten's announcement is about helping the PRO-CHARTER candidate make her donor list look less corporate.

Weingarten's announcement makes highly visible to the whole nation her big sellout move on members of her professional union force to a pro-charter candidate. She has set back, if not negated, entire decades-long of these teaching professionals' fight to stop charters, along with locals' attempts to unionize charter teachers.

The AFT's July convention is now over but the real AFT member opposition to its leadership is this:

Hillary Clinton, woman or no, is pro-charter in word and deed, no matter how she covers that inconvenient fact with 'love' of teachers. This AFT president mustmustmust be held accountable for selling out public school funding to charters. She sets back decades of teaching professionals' work to maintain pay and union status. She betrays the AFT's history in doing so. She betrays the rank and file's interests with this endorsement.

Why? Because this union should in no way, ever, tolerate a pro-charter president. American presidents, their Secretaries of Education and particularly union presidents should be publicly promoting public schools as the most important democratizing institution in the country. For this crime against the meaning of the AFT's very existence, her presidency should be in jeopardy.

Teachers should also take back to their schools the leadership's reassurance that the AFT in no way pressures their vote decision in the primaries or general elections. All teachers are insulted enough just having their dues go to a pro-charter presidential candidate. Talk about misrepresentation! It's downright anti-union!

Pro-union Americans everywhere should be demanding to know what this American Federation of Teachers is about, if not American public schooling!

Teachers who want social justice had better -- right now -- show that they're good at getting ANY justice for themselves, and protest this endorsement.

Better yet, teachers should demand Weingarten's resignation!

[madfloridian]

38. ....

Just saw this...very good post. You are so right...unions should be about public schooling.

[99Forever]

33. K. R for later reading

[LiberalAndProud]

34. So the AFT endorsement comes as no surprise.

http://www.publiccharters.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Who-Supports-Charter-Schools.pdf

Cozy, warm and fuzzy.

[ancianita]

40. It'll be no surprise when teachers vote in different presidents of the union and the country, too.

For-profit schools are against everything the AFT stands for. The AFT is a public school professionals' union.

If the AFT or NEA were about every trying to unionize charter school professionals, there would be no beef from rank and file. But we've seen how little effort union leadership makes toward unionizing charter school teachers -- it's because they work for for-profit owners using taxpayer money, like corporations.

We already know how for-profit schooling is going the way of for-profit health care. We know that public schools could stand alongside private schools if these unions' leaders fought -- in the courts, legislatures and on the streets --- against politicians trying to hand public school money off to private school operators.

But they don't, and now comes a major union president endorsing the biggest corporatist of its party and for-profit schools along with her!

Teaching professionals had better wake up and support neither their union president nor this political candidate. If teachers don't force these phony teacher lovers to align themselves with the core founding principles of unions, then teachers have just signed their own union death warrant.

I have called my Local #1 in Chicago to demand that they call for Weingarten's resignation.

[m-lekktor]

39. I added the kindle version of the book mentioned to my amazon "wish list"

for later possible purchase! I am severely book backlogged but i need to read at least one on this topic eventually! thanks for posting this.

[madfloridian]

41. The introduction to her book is powerful.

"Corporate reform" is not reform at all. Instead, it is the systematic destruction of the foundational American institution of public education. The primary motivation behind this destruction is greed. Public education in America is worth almost a trillion dollars a year. Whereas American public education is a democratic institution, its destruction is being choreographed by a few wealthy, well-positioned individuals and organizations. This book investigates and exposes the handful of people and institutions that are often working together to become the driving force behind destroying the community public school.

http://www.amazon.com/Chronicle-Echoes-Implosion-American-Education/dp/1623966736/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1412471535&sr=1-1

[m-lekktor]

42. This book by somebody named Diane Ravich

might be worth a read as well.

"Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America's Public Schools"

http://www.amazon.com/Reign-Error-Privatization-Movement-Americas/dp/0345806352/ref=pd_cp_14_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1E6NP9MFNZ7BQWNVP7QY

[madfloridian]

43. Yes, I have that. About half through it.

She really has amazing research.

Ed reform IS a hoax, and a very painful and expensive one.

[m-lekktor]

45. I can imagine, especially if you are a teacher or

a non wealthy parent concerned about your child's education.

[Jefferson23]

44. Recommend. n/t