The following appeared in the UTLA newspaper.
UTLA retirees: Adopt a School for possible strike
UTLA-R members and members of other unions are encouraged to sign up for the Adopt a School program to support a possible strike at the site level.
Here’s how the program would work: Now that active members of UTLA authorized a strike, the retiree would reach out to the chapter chair at the adopted site to offer any assistance needed to prepare for and support the strike. The retiree would leave contact in- formation with the chapter chair and be ready to help as directed with any of the below:
• organizing (families and communi- ty) with phone calls, meetings, window posters, etc.
• talking with UTLA members about other job actions you participated in and lessons learned.
• reaching out for logistics for the strike days (water, food, facilities, security, sign- ins, posters) and whatever comes up that the chapter chair needs.
• being on the line and bringing others with you.
More than 100 UTLA-R members already have signed up to volunteer to assist chapter chairs at sites that were their alma mater, that are in their neighborhood, or that they worked at or sent their child to.
To sign up: Send your full name, union/ local (or UTLA-R), email, phone, school you’d like to adopt, and UTLA Area (if known) to Evy Vaughn at evaughn@utla. net. Please also include your connection to the school (e.g., the site is your alma ma- ter, your neighborhood school, a site you worked at or sent a child/grandchild to).
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Why are UTLA organizers telling possible UTLA R picketers to allows Charter Scabs to cross picket lines?
LikeLike
AFT was the 2nd largest campaign contributor to California’s U.S. Congresswoman Susan Davis who said she thinks every state and community should have a charter school. Davis, a Democratic corporatist who won by 30 points was on the DFER list so that the hedge funds and the richest 0.1% could help her raise money to privatize public education.
Californians who are Democrats and not DINO’s should get a primary opponent for Davis next time she runs. BATS should certify as a union. Fahrenheit 11/9 showed union leaders in W.Va. attempted to weaken the rank-and-file’s resolve.
LikeLike
Because fear utla member, utla REPRESENTS some charter teachers who are at co location schools. Crazy huh? Public school teachers are fighting for better working conditions and less to no charters yet your union represents you both. How to navigate that fact?
LikeLike
Not sure about some of what you’re saying, but, famously, the Chicago Teachers Union just welcomed the teachers of the Acero Charter Schools, & helped them to lead a successful strike.
As these schools (& their students & teachers) already exist, what could be wrong with winning for the students & staff? (They struck for such things as special ed. services, smaller class size, better pay & other items to help their students.)
What NONE of we public school advocates want is MORE charter school openings (esp. NO for-profit schools–that having been said, the non-profit charter operators & administrators still make great salaries).
LikeLike
FINALLY, retired teachers are being enlisted to help save public education.
LikeLike
Yes, when they need you, they expect you to come. When you need them, we’ll, you’ll see
LikeLike
Point well taken Paula.
LikeLike
Teachers, including those who are retired, need to protect public education because democracy’s foundation is built on America’s most important common good. Teachers need to protect public education because the kids of the middle class and poor deserve quality education. Teachers need to protect public schools because through the economic multiplier effect, the local dollars spent locally enable communities to survive. Pensions are linked to public schools and their multiplier effect thwarts increased concentration of wealth.
LikeLike
Toretiredbutmissthekids; I don’t know about you but representing both sides of the education dispute between public v charter teachers feels like a big conflict of interest to me. On one hand you’re pushing policies to benefit teachers and kids like less testing more critical thinking and on the charter side your pushing policies to strengthen test taking and less qualifications for teachers. If we as public school educators don’t see a difference in this advocacy, why even oppose charters or more of them. They are by their nature, the opposite of public education
LikeLike
There is an inherent contradiction in unionized public school teachers supporting charter school teachers as they sink the district ship.
LikeLike
Excellent idea! The greatest, most amazing thing that happened in spring was when red state teachers marched and people met them along the way with food and water. If you’re in or near Los Angeles, whether retired teacher, parent, or just doer of good, that would be an excellent mitzvah, a good deed. Many of my colleagues are going to struggle with finances during the strike. Walking the line is not going to be a stroll in the park either. Many could really use a little hydration or a snack, a little love, to keep them going.
LikeLike
In ILL-Annoy, we retired teachers have–& still do stand–on picket lines when our active
brethren strike, whether IEA/NEA or IFT/AFT affiliated. We’ve not been specifically contacted, to the best of my knowledge, but please do feel free to further contact us with specific tasks. Please know: WE BRING FOOD & HOT COFFEE!!!
An easy contact–go to irtaonline.org
Finally–& I have told this to my retired colleagues–it is not necessarily a good thing to substitute (due to a state created “teacher shortage”–as in just about every other state these days–the IL General Assembly extended hours retired teachers could sub w/o jeopardizing their pensions); I have likened retiree subbing to scabbing because, of course, the more retired teachers who sub, the less the districts need to hire/replace retiring teachers w/new teachers or extend tenure invitations to active teachers. Please, everyone, if you’re not desperately in need of supplemental income, DON’T SUB!!! (&, if you are & have other job skills/training, please do something else.)
LikeLike
Excellent points, retired.
LikeLike
As you hint, depends on the district, rbmk. You and I live in an area where there is no teacher shortage. That’s not to say that teachers are always treated well, but surrounding communities generally will pay for qualified teachers, no wannabees encouraged. However, I did work in a district that could not and still cannot attract enough qualified teachers they are so dysfunctional; they rely on subs. I have mixed feelings about the issue since the kids need to be in school. The state and county have ignored the obvious deterioration of the district for a long time.
LikeLike
Know exactly what you’re talking about, speduktr. I fear for many of the districts headed by adminimals (credit: Sr. Swacker) who would rely on subs (or even TFA).
I expect the Walton Klan (yes, they deserve to be called out for what they are: segregationists) to insert their endle$$ $$$ into what we call the “ring” ‘burbs, as well as in Chicago, especially because they’ll have the mighty C.T.U. to contend with. Thus, insertion of more charter schools in the poorer/poorest suburbs & rural towns.
A good # of charter school advocates on Gov-elect Pritzker’s appointed Ed. Advisory Team.
LikeLike
Retired teachers subbing is really not the problem. If they want to do that, fine. The problem, confused retired person is, tfa and other noncredentialed people being recruited to replace qualified, credentialed teachers for less benefits and in many cases, less money.
LikeLike
Paula, I am hardly confused. Using
retired teachers to sub is part of the shenanigans in ILL-Annoy.
Do YOU live in ILL-Annoy?
&, BTW, it is but ONE of the problems. OF COURSE hiring TFA & non-credentialed people is the gist of this problem.
LikeLike
Today UTLA members received letters in the mail from LAUSD Superintendent Beutner. His closing remarks were:
“We need to begin a new chapter and work together to increase funding and support for public education in California. A geeration ago, California was at the top of the charts in funding and student achievement. Sadly, that is no longer the case. Our collective efforts need to be aimed at Sacramento, which provides 90 percent of the funding for schools in Los Angeles Unified. All of us need to work together – students, families, the communities that we serve and our labor partners – to convince elected leaders in Sacramento to increase funding for public education.”
The thing is that back in 2008-2010, when Beutner was selling his hedge funds for $100 million dollars, teachers and nurses spent all of their political clout and money on crushing Schwarzenegger’s NeoCon agenda. We (teachers, nurses, and for the very first time – firefighters) brought California back on track and restored funding to the schools. Whille this was going on the LAUSD Board sat on its laurels. Oh, it also hired John Deasy.
What happened next?
After spending all of our energies (and union money) fighting NeoCons and restoring school funding levels we got stabbed in the back by faux-Democrats. Which faux-Democrats? Antonio Villaraigosa, Austin Beutner and Marshall Tuck, to name a few.
So, no, Mr. Beutner, I have no desore to work with you in any way, shape or form. Your agenda is to get us to do the dirty work (which we did so well before) and use our efforts to get California to bolster its education spending, while you casually pick the LAUSD apart and turn it into a clone of New Orleans.
Not gonna happen…
LikeLike
If America was a democracy marked by justice, Steve M’s letter to Beutner would reach millions and force action across the country.
LikeLike