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MOVEMENT OF RANK & FILE EDUCATORS /MORECAUCUSNYC

students k !12 career, 70" of thecurriculum will be non !ction and only30" will be ction, drama or poetry.David Coleman, the architect of theCCSS, thinks that student expressions ofopinion and feeling wont be necessary

when they enter the workforce. He said,# A$s you grow up in this world yourealize people really dont give a shitabout what you feel or what you think...It is rare in a working environment that

someone says, Johnson I need a marketanalysis by Friday but before that I need acompelling account of your childhood.

Colemans vision !! which is reected inthe CCSS !! is that most students shouldbe prepared for a life of taking orders andperforming tasks. The CCSS will make itmuch harder for schools to nurture a

genuine love of learning, encouragestudent curiosity, critical thinking, andcivic activism. The CCSS discouragesstudents and teachers from havingdiscussions that make historical andpolitical connections between studentslives and the curriculum. The chance forstudents to question authority, learn skillsrelated to dissent, or become activecitizens will be curtailed.

Resistance is not futile! At public forumsacross the country, people are speakingout against the CCSS. Learn more aboutthe CCSS and testing at our Feb 1st

forum ! see details on back " and visit morecaucusnyc.org/common #core.

Feeling pressured tochange the way you teach? Stressed about newevaluation rubrics and even morehigh stakes tests? Welcome to theage of accountability! Notaccountability to our students orcommunities, but to the corporate !backed Common Core StateStandards % CCSS &.

Educators are under the microscopelike never before. While everythingfrom lesson plan formats to ourbody language are scrutinized by theCCSS!aligned Danielson rubric, weare told to make instructionalshifts and assess our studentsaccording to the new CCSS inEnglish and Math. Coming soon:new standards will be introduced inSocial Studies, Science, TechnicalSubjects for virtually every gradelevel; many of them may bedevelopmentally inappropriate % assome of the current standards are &.

Teachers are not the only onesstressed out by the CCSS. Parentsand students across the state haveraised serious concerns about thenew standards, only to be ignored.We need to ask: where did the CCSScome from and who benets fromit?

Signicant funding for the CCSScame from the Gates Foundationand Pearson Inc. The CCSS ts theCorporate agenda. While unionmembers debate if this is good forteachers, students, or thecommunities we serve, the currentleadership of the UFT % the UNITYcaucus & and the national leadershipsof both the AFT and NEA arebacking the CCSS claiming that

only the implementation isproblematic % and have acceptedGates money to develop CCSScurricula &.

The CCSS will dramatically expandthe national market for curricularmaterials, testing software andteacher evaluation materials. This is

yet another way to funnel publicmoney into private co ' ers.

The CCSS will sort students. Some will be groomed for corporate jobsand other students will be preparedfor lower wage work. The CCSSprevents teachers from investingtime or resources into adaptingeducation to serve students withspecial needs, whose education, inthe eyes of the corporate world,

wastes resources.

Under the CCSS, literature, poetry,and drama are marginalized in favorof non !ction. By the end of a

CORPORATE CORE:Do CCSS sponsors really

care about our kids?

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I've led manygrievances, and nothingever seems to get solved.

How can I make thisprocess work for mychapter?

The grievance process is oftenthe rst resort when a memberfeels their contractual rights

are being violated. While the processcan be long and frustrating, as a formof co ! ective action the grievance hasdistinct advantages. A victory at thearbitration table could take years, but

getting many members to sign on to a grievance is an excellent way toorganize your chapter, educatemembers and train sta ! to read andinterpret the contract. The importantthing is to infuse the process with asense of teamwork and unity.Conducting a collective grievancehelps to break down fear and showsolidarity. Identify issues that a ! ectseveral teachers, the more the better.

This could be the allocation of persession jobs, abuse of professionalperiods, micromanagement, or anyother issue that a ! ects many chaptermembers. Research the contract as

well as any relevant chancellor'sregulations. Talk to every sta ! memberabout signing on. Train a layer ofcollaborators to help you circulate the

grievance and answer questions. Thishelps show it is a collective process.When the principal schedules theStep One meeting, bring all thesignatories into the o " ce together.Show that the sta ! is united.Successful campaigns like this can alterthe school environment, even if theydon't win in the narrow terms of

grievance process. For the sta ! , they

can produce a sense of collectivestrength and solidarity that can breakdown the isolation of the classroomexperience and the divisive pressures atplay in the school system. " Kevin P,Chapter Leader in Queens Fu! version & other Q&As: morecaucusny.org/newsletterSend your questions to:chapters@morecaucusnyc.org.

Q

Advance Participant Survey Answer each question to the best of your ability.

1.Which of the fo ! owing excites you the most about Advance?

a. Music, art and phys edteachers get evaluated onsubjects they don't teach. b. K#2 children are heldaccountable withstandardized tests. Finally!c. Danielson, Danielson,Danielson.d. More time evaluating dataand testing, less timeteaching.

2. How is Advance contributing to learning in your classroom?

a. Students become expertsat lling out bubble sheets. b. Observation jargon helpsschools eschew obfuscation.c. Checking o ! boxes is ashortcut for admin career

advancement.d. Talking about Measures ofStudent Learning stimulate alife#long love of bureaucracy.

" Megan Behrent, FDR High SchooUnhappy with these answers? We are too. Helpus nd better ones at our February 1st forum, or submit your ideas totesting@morecaucusnyc.org .

TAKE THE TEST!

MOVEMENT OF RANK & FILE EDUCATORS WWW.MORECAUCUSNYC.ORG

Did I hear that right? Was it possible that my four # year#old daughter and six # year#old son were to be thrown into thefurnace of high #stakes standardized testing? I always thought thesetests were o ! limits for younger students, yet this year my children ) our children ) were facing the possibility of being reduced to testscores for the sake of teacher evaluations. There was no doubt in mymind that children in kindergarten through second grade should not beformally assessed using bubbletests, and I wanted to join parentsin a ght against another attemptto turn our students into numbers.So, we at Castle Bridge Schoolformed a committee of parentsand gathered as much informationas possible ) and trust me when Isay there was hardly any at allavailable from the DOE orNYSED. We created a fact sheetas well as an opt#out letter and distributed them to all the families inour school. We spread the word in our circles and at all of our gatherings. Not one parent that we spoke to was in favor of the tests.In the end, about 95 ( of the families opted out and our principalcancelled the tests. We count it as a small victory that has created some waves and has contributed to the growing national resistance to high #stakes testing. But we know that the battle is not over. " Elexis Loubriel " Pujols, parent at Castlebridge Elementary School Learn about the movement against high stakes standardized testing:visit changethestakes.org or write to testing@morecaucusnyc.org.

ASK ACHAPTERLEADER...

COMMUNITY VOICES

A

A N S W E R S : 1 . e 2 . e P e a r s o n I n c .

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Authors against Standardized TestingMore than 120 authors and illustrators ofbooks for children called on PresidentObama to change the way we assess learningso that schools nurture creativity,exploration, and a love of literature.http://tinyurl.com/writersletter

The War on PensionsOn Dec 3, a federal judge approved massivepension cuts by bankrupt Detroit. On thesame day, the Illinois state legislature votedto raise the retirement age and reducepension payments to public sector workers.http://tinyurl.com/pensionwar

Student Action to Support Teachers

Students walked out of Wilson High Schoolon Dec 13 to demand smaller class sizes toshow their support for the Portland Association of Teachers & PAT ' .http://tinyurl.com/portlandstudents

Who funds the Common Core?http://tinyurl.com/fundCCSS

" Pat Dobosz Join MOREs Ed News listserv! Write to: MORE ! News+subscribe@googlegroups.com .

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

MOVEMENT OF RANK & FILE EDUCATORS /MORECAUCUSNYC

De Blasio & Our Missing ContractUFT members said goodriddance to Bloomberg. But what

will a de Blasio administration meanfor the long overdue contracts of city

workers and educators in particular?

We have been working under anexpired contract since 2009, missingout on 4 ( raises that were accepted byother unions, as our union waitedBloomberg out. We also su ! eredhistoric revisions of our contract, suchas the new evaluation system imposedon our union without a democratic

vote. De Blasio has stated hisopposition to the assault on labor,but he has made few promisesregarding contracts for city workers.He is promising tough negotiationsdue to budget constraints and hasrepeatedly said that full retroactive payis o! the table. But if we agree to giveup full retroactive pay, we risk allowingthe city to stall future negotiations inorder to give city workers a de facto

Welcome tothe winteredition of

MORE STUFF IN YOUR MAILBOX.With the di " cult issues facing teacherunions and public education today, theneed to debate a wide range of news andopinions is more necessary then ever. A union is stronger when it includes vigorous internal debates, as a prelude to makingdecisions. MORE tries to provide an alternative voice. UFT members don't want to hear only one

wage freeze. We hear that fullretroactive pay will bankrupt the city,but the resources exist. DespiteBloombergs constant budget crisisrefrain, the city has had surpluses ofbetween *2 and *4 billion since 2005,meanwhile Wall Street prots rose to*23.9 billion in 2012.

We should demand the overturn of pastconcessions. For example, we need afair evaluation system + one that doesnttie our ratings to student test scores + and concrete language curtailingendless paperwork, for starters.

While cheering Bloombergs exit, wecant count on de Blasio to serve us afair contract. It is more urgent thanever to build a grassroots struggle thatunites our demands with the demandsof other city workers, parents andstudents. " Bi ! Linvi ! eWrite to contract@morecaucusnyc.org.Sign the petition for fu! retroactive pay: tinyurl.com/Fu! Retro

EDITORIAL perspective. Demand for our rstedition forced us to go to a secondprinting. We're going to try toreach even more UFT members with this issue, but we need your help. Let us know how manycopies you need, and we will delivera bundle for you to share with yourcolleagues.

Have a comment or idea for MORE STUFF...?We want to hear it! Send your thoughts tonews@morecaucusnyc.org.

Help us putMORE Stuffin moremailboxes!

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JANUARY 1/18: MORE General Meeting, 12 !3pm New Location!

The Commons 388 Atlantic Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11217

1/25: Organize to Stop & Reverse the Disappearing ofBlack & Latino Educators in NYC, 3 !5pm @ The Churchof St. Luke & St. Matthew's Parish Hall 520 Clinton Ave,Brooklyn NY 11238

FEBRUARY 2/1: More than a Score: Talking Back to Testing Forumsponsored by MORE & Change the Stakes @ Edward AReynolds West Side High School 140 West 102nd StreetNew York, NY 10025

MARCH3/15: 5th Annual NYCoRE Conference ! RadicalPossibilities @ Brooklyn Community Arts & MediaHigh School % BCAM & 300 Willoughby Avenue, Brooklyn,NY 11205

UPCOMING EVENTS

For details visit: www.morecaucusnyc.org.

MOVEMENT OF RANK & FILE EDUCATORS WWW.MORECAUCUSNYC.ORG

BOREDOM BUSTER!Solve this crossword puzzle at your next PD or sta ! meeting...; &

12

5

6

4

10

2

3

9

1

87

11

Across3. This companys motto shouldbe Always Earning, Never

Delivering 6. Under the new evaluationdeal, you may submit up to 8 ofthese creating more uselesspaperwork.8. State EducationCommissioner who loves theCCSS so much that he sends hiskids to Montessori10. Architect of the CCSS whodoes not give a *&!" about

your kids' narratives12. These controversialstandards are being attackedfrom both the left and the right# 2 Words $

! Don Doyle

Down 1. New evaluation system thatmakes it easier to drive you out

of the profession in two years2. Under the new CCSS, it isnot important to know that theGettysburg Address wasdelivered at Gettysburg because _____is irrelevant for readingcomprehension.4. Taking our professionbackwards5. She said that her tool shouldnot be used for high stakesdecisions7. This little 40 ! becomes

100!9. Due process rights that were gutted when King imposed his APPR on us11. The number of k &3 educatorsand early childhood expertsinvolved in creating the CCSS

OTs & PTs Fighting for Pay Parity The DOE employs roughly 2,000 occupational and physicaltherapists. Although they are crucial to the education of children with special needs, profound inequities exist in their salary structurecompared to that of other professionals in the DOE. Starting salariesfor OTs and PTs are roughly comparable to those of teachers, but while other professionals salaries rise with experience, therapistshave few salary steps and cap out after 22 years at approximately" 74,000, compared to " 102,000 for guidance counselors. Since early2013, rank and le OTs and PTs have been pushing the unionleadership to negotiate with the DOE on our behalf. At a chaptermeeting in March 2013, 300 therapists confronted the unionleadership and members have raised the question of pay parity atevery chapter meeting sincethen. We are getting someattention: Michael Mulgrewassured members that our issues will be addressed duringcontract negotiations.We willmaintain pressure to hold themto that promise. If you are aDOE OT or PT and would liketo be included on the JohnDoe email organizing list, send your personal email address to physocc@gmail.com.

The Movement of Rank and File Educators !MORE ", a caucus of the UFT, wasfounded in the spring of 2012 by a diverse group of union members. Our slogan # Our working conditions are our students learning conditions $ reectsour belief that the defense of unions is connected to the ght toimprove our public schools. To help build MORE, you candistribute copies of this newsletter to your colleagues. Write tonews@morecaucusnyc.org for a bundle. We also hope you willconsider joining MORE, and participating in our committees:Media, Newsletter, Anti &High Stakes Testing, Chapter Building,Contract Campaign, Diversity and more! You can also support us bysending a tax &deductible donation to the NYC Educators DefenseFund. Write to more@morecaucusnyc.org for details. Special thanks to Harris Lirtzmanfor his generous contribution. The time is now to demand MORE from your union!

MORE STUFF INYOUR MAILBOX

is the newsletter of the Movement of Rank and File Educators Editorial Co " ective:# in alphabetical order $ John Antush, Megan Behrent, Don Doyle, Brian Jones, Bi " Linvi " e, and Norm Scott

DEMAND MOREFROM YOUR UNION