Monday, October 31, 2011

Isn't it time to talk about the contract?

Did you know our union contracts expire June 30, 2012? Educators for a Democratic Union (a caucus of UESF), believes it's past time for UESF classified and certificated members to engage in the discussion now!
• What's important to you in our next contract?
• Talk to your co-workers and come to our next general meeting

Some priorities EDU members have discussed for our upcoming contract are:
• No more furlough days; re-instate the four furlough days we lost
• No class size increases; firm up contract language and set hard limits on class size
• Significant wage increases for classified members whose pay and hours are well below a living wage.
• Increased District contribution to the health care costs of members with dependents
•UESF consultation with SFUSD prior to implementation of assessments/tests or introduction of new tools: PALS, MAP/CLA, School Loop, Data Director, etc.
• No evaluations based on standardized tests
• No merit pay

We will hear that these demands are unrealistic in these economic times and that we need to do what's best for the students. However, the money is there:
• California is the eighth largest economy in the world
• Over half of California corporations pay no taxes
• SF has more than $30 million of uncollected business taxes

We need to begin to strategize within UESF. EDU invites you to get involved now!

This fall teachers in Tacoma, Washington faced 1.9% pay cuts, class size increases and a teacher evaluation system that would bypass seniority. Tacoma educators rejected this and organized a 10-day strike that defied the will of the school district and state court injunctions. And they won: they stopped the pay cuts, maintained class size limits and won full paychecks despite the missed work.

Can San Francisco educators win the contract we deserve? We can...
...if we begin the patient work of building solidarity at our schools and in the community.
...if we educate and prepare for unified action at our sites, including work-to-rule and possibly a strike.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Educators for a Democratic Union

Calling all concerned UESF members!!!!


Join us for the first EDU meeting of the school year where we will be discussing:

  • What kind of campaign should EDU run in the upcoming

    UESF elections?

  • What should our priorities be in the upcoming contract fight?

  • How can social justice activists deepen the fight to defend public

    education and the public sector?


Saturday, August 20th

10:00 am-2:00 pm

Main Branch - San Francisco Public Library

enter at 30 Grove Street

Latino/Hispanic Meeting Room, lower level


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


EDU/Educators for a Democratic Union stands for:

  • A democratic union that functions with transparency

  • A union that defends the rights of ALL its members

  • Social justice for all: educators, families and students

  • Empowering members at their school sites

  • The defense of public education and the public sector through progressive taxation


More information: www.educatorssf.org or educatorssf.blogspot.com

Email: edudemocraticunion@gmail.com And find us on Facebook!

Educators for a Democratic Union

Calling all concerned UESF members!!!!


Join us for the first EDU meeting of the school year where we will be discussing:

  • What kind of campaign should EDU run in the upcoming

    UESF elections?

  • What should our priorities be in the upcoming contract fight?

  • How can social justice activists deepen the fight to defend public

    education and the public sector?


Saturday, August 20th

10:00 am-2:00 pm

Main Branch - San Francisco Public Library

enter at 30 Grove Street

Latino/Hispanic Meeting Room, lower level


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


EDU/Educators for a Democratic Union stands for:

  • A democratic union that functions with transparency

  • A union that defends the rights of ALL its members

  • Social justice for all: educators, families and students

  • Empowering members at their school sites

  • The defense of public education and the public sector through progressive taxation


More information: www.educatorssf.org or educatorssf.blogspot.com

Email: edudemocraticunion@gmail.com And find us on Facebook!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Support EDU candidates

Support EDU candidates for the CFT Convention and NEA Rep Assembly.

EDU: educate, agitate, organize

Vote for CFT:

Magdalena de Guzman

Derrlyn Tom

Lisa Gutierrez Guzmán

Darlene Anaya

Lita Blanc

Marilyn Cornwell

Tom Edminster

Jeremiah Jeffries

Adrienne Johnstone

Andy Libson

Aaron Neimark

David Russitano

Heidi Scott


And for NEA:

Darlene Anaya

Marilyn Cornwell

Lisa Gutierrez Guzmán

Magdalena De Guzman

Jeremiah Jeffries

Andy Libson

David Russitano

Heidi Scott

Derrlyn Tom


We cannot rely on elected officials in Sacramento and Washington to defend us.

We are committed to mobilizing together with parents, students, and labor to fight the corporate and government attacks on public education and working people. We pledge to organize now to demand that the ten million dollars SFUSD received from the Federal Ed job bill be used to prevent any layoffs in 2011, restore paraprofessional hours and to reinstate the four furlough days. In the CFT, we hope to help elect a new leadership that is committed to building a multi-sector coalition to defend public education and other public services. In the NEA we will work to build bonds with other educators who share our vision of grassroots democracy and social change.

Get involved with EDU: email: edudemocraticunion@gmail.com

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Report from the January 19 Delegate Assembly by Larry Orloff (retired)



UESF COPE organizer Ken Tray spoke of the necessity to join COPE and donate money for the continuing electoral struggles.


Candidates for CTA made presentations: for President only Dean Vogel is running. He has no website, but can be reached at “dvogel@cta.org” There were three candidates for Vice President: Gail Mendez at “talkwithgail@aol.com, Eric Heins at “www.eric4ctavp.com” and A. J. Duffy at “ajduffy.com


Delegates passed a resolution which calls on UESF and the Labor Council to endorse and build support for a March 19 antiwar Day of Action and March.

Demands are 1) End US involvement in War Everywhere, 2) Fund Jobs, Healthcare and Eduction, not Militarism, 3) Stop the War on Working People by demonstrating solidarity with Local 2 workers and others targeted by the attacks on pensions, organizing rights and contracts.

The resolution mentions the more than $1 trillion the US spent for war in 2011. An amendment to also mention the US supplied “$30 billion for the Israeli government which implements polices that oppress the Palestinian people” was voted down.


Paras voted 358 to 12 to join Social Security. The Board of Education endorsed it also.

There will be a Para meeting at 4:15 on Jan 26. Feb 12 and March 12 are conference days for special education paras (attendance at one of those will be paid) A total of 12 paras were laid off this school year


The 2011-12 School Year will start for teachers on August 10, 2011 and for students on August 15. Winter Recess will start on December 17 and include Jan 2. Spring Recess will fall exactly half-way between the start and end of second semester and won’t be linked to Easter.

It was decided to sprinkle next year’s four furlough days throughout the second semester (since the first semester is already shorter) so they won’t overly impact paras and substitute paychecks. So far the proposal is the Friday before and the Monday after Easter Sunday, the last day of school (which would have been on a Monday) and one other day to be determined.


Middle School counselors received training on the procedure to notify teachers about disciplined students who are transferred into their classes.


Child development has hit a roadblock in regard to arbitrarily changed hours and changed administrators and their responsibilities which makes it hard to plan.


Kaiser costs will increase by 5%. Blue Shield will hold steady (but watch out for next year’s increase).


Representatives from TAPP and HDC spoke to the Delegates who passed a resolution called “Solidarity with TAPP and HDC Employees Right to Organize.” TAPP is Teen Age Pregnant and Parenting Project. HDC is Hilltop Developmental Center.


COMMENTS: Gail Mendez told me that not all unions invite the candidates to speak. I think it is useful to hear from them, but I really object to the amount of time and effort UESF puts into the electoral process. Delegates passed a resolution supporting the March 19 march which calls on UESF to organize for it, but NO time is spent discussing how to do that. Pres. Kelly even said they are waiting around for others to come to us with proposals. This is an outrageous lack of leadership.

The electoral process is stacked against us. We can’t compete with big business to get access to politicians when they and their lobbyists write the laws, entertain the politicians, and fund their campaigns.

The alternative is to build a militant, mass, multi-racial movement of workers, parents, and students, so that politicians will come to us.


In a side note, CTA Presidential candidate Dean Vogel said that 70% of the voters from last election’s exit poll had a favorable view of the teachers union. It is big business’ intention to reverse that with propaganda like Waiting for Superman so they can destroy teachers unions, privatize education and lower teachers salaries and benefits. Read Diane Ravitch’s book The Death and Life of the Great American School System for details and join EDU’s book group to discuss it.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Hello EDU members and supporters,

Pleas join us at the next EDU meeting Thursday 1/13/2011
Our next EDU meeting will be held in the 1st Floor conference room at
the Main Library ( 100 Larkin St) from 4:30-6:30. Unfortunately, the
main library does not allow refreshments so you might want to grab a
snack en route. Hope to see you there. :D

1/25 SF Forum-Visions of Reform: Curriculum, Unions, Evaluations & the Future of Public Schools
images-1Visions of Reform: Curriculum, Unions, Evaluations & the Future of Public Schools
Tuesday, January 25th, 6:00-8:00pm, Mission High School, Little Theater (4th floor) 3750 18th Street, San Francisco, CA
Get the 411! Teachers 4 Social Justice and Educators for a Democratic Union (EDU)host this public education forum. The national spotlight has transformed teachers and their unions from superheroes to villains. This 411 presents a different reality and a different vision. We'll not only critique the national narrative around school struggles, but clarify a vision of reform for our classrooms, unions and legislatures. We'll have some of the freshest and most thoughtful thinkers, teachers and activists in Bay Area discussing what real education looks like and needs. Speakers include:
  • Rick Ayers: Adjunct Professor, University of San Francisco, Teacher Education, Rick is also co-editor of the series Between Teacher and Text (Teachers College Press) and of the book Zero Tolerance: Resisting the drive for punishment, A handbook for parents, students, educators and citizens (2001, New Press).
  • Adrienne Johnstone: 4th/5th grade teacher, SFUSD; Union Activist and leader of Educators for a Democratic Union
  • Patrick Camangian: High School Teacher; Assistant Professor, University of San Francisco, a leader in Critical pedagogy and transformative teaching in urban schools
  • Anthony Cody: a coach/mentor for Oakland science teachers, a blogger for Education Week, and an organizer for the July Save Our Schools march in Washington, DC