As Mean as a Snake: 01/27/14

Beth

Here is the dialogue that I had yesterday with Alex Caputo-Pearl on Face Book. I'm not picking on him, I just want to ask the hard questions of all the candidates for UTLA president. I see this as a pivotal election in the history of the labor movement in the U.S. Will we elect officers that will lead a militant movement to guarantee workers rights or will we have more of the same head-in-the-sand aimlessness and appeasement that we now suffer under?

Here he begins.

Alex C-P
Please share widely! An organizing union, like the one the Union Power team will build with members, goes on the offense. Two issues ripe for going on the offense are PE and Special Education. In the era of rising childhood obesity, we can build powerful coalitions demanding more and better PE. In the era of corporate charters excluding Special Education students, and LAUSD marginalizing Special Education students through reconstitutions, etc., we can build powerful coalitions demanding justice for our most vulnerable students.

Michael P Dominguez I am disappointed to see and hear nothing from Alex and UP about Unjustly Jailed Teachers and working to create schools where abuse of teachers is not allowed. Will you be another Warren Fletcher on this matter? Should career teachers count on you to ignore our rights and run a union that exists only to collect dues? A UNION THAT DOES NOT PROTECT WORKERS RIGHTS IS LITTLE MORE THAN A SCAM!!!
John Fernandez Teacher Jail or the housing of teachers is a critical issue tin this UTLA election. Every teacher is at risk. The denial of due process and UTLA representation at every step of the adjudication process must be provided. UTLA has indeed dropped the ball on this issue. The protection of students is the number one priority, in the instructional environment, but housing teachers based only on allegations is wrong. UTLA negotiators must get rid of teacher jails in the contract. UTLA must also initiate law suits, and propose legislation to give teachers a quicker adjudication process that is fair. I remember when UTLA used to sponsor bills through their governmental relations office...or was that cut?
Michael P Dominguez Fletcher has referred to "our friends in Sacramento." Perhaps they're like my imaginary friend Darnell. I can count on D but I don't think you would want to.
Christine Ferreira If the police have investigated and have said that there is nothing to an allegation the district should have a limited amount of time beyond that (maybe a month) to complete an investigation and prove that something really happened, or the teacher should be reinstated. Principals should not be responsible for doing the investigation because they do not have the time.
Michael P Dominguez Time? Who needs time when the outcome is predetermined? For that matter who needs an investigation when the principal needs to make space for a younger prettier, cheaper teacher? The question is not what the principal might need time for (abusing teachers perhaps?) but why does UTLA have neither the time nor the desire to defend teachers? Unjustly Jailed Teachers are greeted by UTLA Representatives with "You'll never teach again." This of course before they even ask the teacher what happened.
Alex Caputo-Pearl Hi Michael, and all of us who know that teacher jail is a critical issue to confront. Union Power has been in the lead of fighting against teacher jail in the past and currently, and it is a large part of our platform. Union Power candidates, particularly our 3 candidates who are current area chairs, played a critical role in initiating the December protests. We have direct experience in representing many who are in teacher jail, and we've helped people win some big victories in getting released. We have gone to the teacher jails and met with housed teachers, getting valuable insights on strategy. Here's the bottom line. We have to fight for student safety and due process for educators simultaneously. We have to publicly call out that the LAUSD teacher jail strategy is one to break the union and our profession. We have to build coalitions with communities that have wanted to organize against teacher jailings, because they have destabilized their schools and been an affront to due process. There are huge opportunities to build coalitions with many opinion leaders who are sceptical of LAUSD's motives around this issue, and opportunities to expose discrimination that is occurring as certain educators are placed disproportionately in teacher jail. It's because we have done the work, and have a clear platform on how to organize against teacher jail, that Union Power has the support of many leaders among the housed teachers.
Christine Ferreira Michael P Dominguez, I agree with you that UTLA should be much stronger on this issue. I think the union is trying to walk a fine line between supporting teachers and not looking like it backs teachers like the guy at Miramonte at the expense of kids. I think that we, as members of UTLA need to remember that we are all hurt when that happens. I am simply making a suggestion for a system that might make sense. I certainly don't buy that principals are holding out for "younger, prettier teachers" since so many of the principals that I have worked for have been women who had not interested in young, pretty teachers.
Michael P Dominguez Christine, the LAUSD has done a devilishly masterful job of framing the discussion in terms of sexual abuse. A frame worthy of Goebbels and that's why you went straight to Miramonte. Here's what I wrote in response to Alex's response:

Michael P Dominguez One vigil is not enough. Find a way to spell out what you've done without
naming for whom if the teacher does not want to go public. It certainly was not for me or anyone at ESC South and since I refuse to be shamed
for what I have not done, I am willing to be as public as legally advisable about my situation. Make this
clear or it sounds like so much hot air because none of the Unjustly
Jailed Teachers that I know have said anything of the kind. The Dec.
vigils did not make it onto TV as far as I can determine and none of my
family or friends are aware that they took place or that I spoke. Too
little and for many teachers too late. 1000s of teachers have lost
their livelihoods over the last three years. When you say "fight for
student safety" do you mean that teachers are generally dangerous all of a sudden and we need to get rid of the bad ones? What about bad
administrators? If student safety (Miramonte) has not been foremost in
the LAUSD then whose fault is that? To answer my own rhetorical question it is the fault of the administration and this has to be shouted as
loudly as possible. Here's an inconvenient fact: LAUSD had a program
that taught primary age children what is "bad touching" and what they
are supposed to do if it happens. This program which trained teachers
to talk to kids about abuse both sexual and physical was eliminated
about 1989 due to "budget cuts." This was even before arts education
began circling the drain. No teacher who has dedicated his or her life
to educating young people fears the idea of letting them know what
dangers they might confront in their lives and this necessarily includes physical and sexual abuse by any and all adults but that is not the
issue. Why did the LAUSD ignore the child victims over the last 24
years? Did the district purposely sit on the information to use later? How did the district administration make it clear to principals that
they could go after senior teachers that they don't like? What about
the quotas that principals are expected to fulfil? Why can UTLA not
recruit chapter chairs that will confront teacher abuse at the school
site and why do teachers have no recourse?

The reference to "younger prettier" teachers is personal. Two better looking rifd teachers were brought back in my place. Where are the good principals to which you refer? They certainly are quiet on the subject of teacher abuse. If they are too scared to go public, have them get in touch with me confidentially and I will sing hosanna to their righteousness. I promise that they will remain anonymous.
Nancy Grzybowski I am sure that before the Miramonte scandal, any teacher who reported what was going on in that perv's classroom was either threatened or punished.
Nancy Grzybowski Michael, the current UTLA leadership is not doing their job. Vigils and protests do not work. Why isn't UTLA using the attorneys we pay for to fight this?
Michael P Dominguez Excellent question Nancy and one I'm confronted with whenever the topic comes up. Let's put it to Warren Fletcher. When asked a similar question at a Valley North area meeting he walked away silently.
Nancy Grzybowski Fletcher is good at walking away. We need to make sure it's for good!

..-..-..-..-..-..-

Alex again;

Great meetings today with teachers and HHS professionals at Southeast Middle School in South Gate and Hawaiian Avenue Elementary in Wilmington (with some folks from Harry Bridges Span School there as well!). Amazing testimonies from both schools on how educators want to build a powerful movement for what they, and our schools, need and deserve.

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Michael P Dominguez My peeps! I worked at Hawaiian Ave. under the most abusive principal in the LAUSD and of course she has been promoted. I am disappointed to see and hear nothing from Alex and UP about Unjustly Jailed Teachers and working to create schools where abuse of teachers is not allowed. Will you be another Warren Fletcher on this matter? Should career teachers count on you to ignore our rights and run a union that exists only to collect dues? A UNION THAT DOES NOT PROTECT WORKERS RIGHTS IS LITTLE MORE THAN A SCAM!!!

Mary Tello Michael you have not heard Alex speak yet have you? Talk to anyone from Hawaiian and ask them what they thought and how he addressed that one issue. We can talk more at the area meeting this Wednesday. See you soon and take care.

Michael P Dominguez I have heard Alex speak and I have spoken with him. The issue has been ignored by UTLA for more than two years and I must do all that I can to inform teachers about their precarious situation. No candidate that is unwilling to remake UTLA deserves the support of Unjustly Jailed Teachers nor can we allow any teacher to continue to think that UTLA will support or defend them when they are attacked and abused. Teachers must know that they cannot rely on UTLA now and every candidate must clearly explain what he sees as UTLA's purpose going forward. Teachers must know that area reps will not support teachers abused by principals though we pay their salaries. We Unjustly Jailed Teachers have heard "we're working behind the scenes," for years and yet teachers continue to lose their jobs. I'm interested in hearing what Alex said about this at Hawaiian. If he does plan to make a difference why does he hide his light under a basket?

Alex Caputo-Pearl Alex Caputo-Pearl Michael, I haven't hidden anything under a basket -- I don't know what you're talking about. On all of Union Power literature and our website, we talk about fighting teacher jail. I've represented a teacher jail teacher in one of the most high-profile cases we've seen, and we won. I'm supported by many teacher jail organizers. At every speaking engagement I do at schools, I talk about the issue. I have talked to hundreds of chapter chairs about the issue. Union Power is about re-making UTLA, to actually have the power we need to win around teacher jail and a bunch of other issues. We're about building a contract campaign, an organizing department, a coalition-building arm, strategic research, pro-active PR, smart legal approaches, and ways that educators take our professional role back. We're going to personalize the teacher jail issue by showing the faces of people ripped away from classrooms, we're going to do PR, we're going to bring new legal approaches, and we're going to support organizing behind a campaign to end teacher jail. I have no idea what you are talking about regarding hiding lights under baskets. Call me so we can talk -- 310-xxx-xxx

Jonathan Turner Smith Number one issue remains Salary. I read recently UTLA is asking for 17.6% increase. Good place to start if it is true. 7 years without even a cost of living raise is nearly criminal.

Michael P Dominguez Salary is nice. I remember salary. It was nice. A raise gives the district that much more reason to fire teachers at will. I remember democracy and rule of law. It was nice.

Michael P Dominguez Re legal approaches:

1. Contact Lenny Isenberg at www.perdaily.com. Lenny has been fighting this fight all by himself at his expense for years. As a suspended LAUSD teacher he receives no salary. He has a legal background. Legal approaches involving teacher defence must take into account the conflict of interest outlined in number 2 below. Jailed teachers have no trust in TST to have our best interest at heart.

2. Trygstad et al. principally represent UTLA as an organization. This includes representing UTLA against teachers that feel UTLA has abandoned them and has not lived up to its commitment to represent and defend us. Teachers that retain them to defend against false charges, put themselves in the most vulnerable position. This is a great conflict of interest and teachers are unaware of this. TST win no matter the outcome because they get 40% of anything. Tell us how you will be able to put teachers' interests first. Arlene Inouye has a good idea about establishing an insurance fund for teachers that would defend them if they find themselves in our position. It would be voluntary and of course would not be available to those of us currently fighting dismissal or those who've already been forced out. We would remain s.o.l.

3. Which high profile case is that and what was won? What effect does this win have on the remaining cases? Why is this secret?

4. Will you be able to get Denise Rockwell-Woods on board with any new approaches? If not, what is the plan for her position?

5. Light under a basket means that I haven't heard anything about it. No one that I know has heard anything about it.

6. I am available to be the human face. Such a campaign must include a plan to restructure school governance so that it is no longer a plantation system where we, the highly educated field hands are not allowed to have an opinion. Put another way, teachers must be in charge of all aspects of school governance. The position of principal must become one that requires at least a decade of classroom experience and it must be paid on the same schedule as a teacher so that it is not a "career move." We must attack the idea that administration is an aristocracy that knows best. The current plantation-principal-as-overseer model must be overturned. Promoting principals based upon number of teachers eliminated must be confronted. Name names as John Segure used to do. We must also attack Eli Broad's plan of changing the administration of the
LAUSD by donating money to be used to hire specific people in positions
this creates. Insist that this be audited. If EB donated the money for the benefit of a particular person, then it is not deductible. It's worth a look.

All of my questions must be answered by anyone contending for the position of president of UTLA. Feel free to pass them on to anyone running for the position if I don't do it first. I prefer to discuss
online in this manner because this way no question can be forgotten and refusal to answer can be memorialised and publicized. This discussion concerns all teachers not just in Los Angeles, but nationwide. Otherwise, we are doomed to fight the same battles over and over and to pay for the same outcomes again and again.

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As Mean as a Snake

Monday, January 27, 2014

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