The Albany Project, Daily Gotham, Working Life 8/28/2007

Front page blog post at The Albany Project, Daily Gotham and Working Life:

NYC Rallies for a Child's First Teachers
by: SteveUFT

Mark your calendars: tonight at 7pm is the next step toward bringing New York City's home child care providers into the same union as New York City's public school teachers.

For many New York City families, their child's first teacher is one of the 28,000 home child care providers caring for kids today. Home child care providers take care of kids from low-income families in pre-school and after-school settings, helping them with reading and learning colors and numbers.

But home child care providers aren't protected by a union. Their average salary is $19,000 a year in New York City with no pension, no health insurance and no paid sick days. That makes home child care providers among the lowest-paid workers in the region. Something needs to be done to make sure they get the respect and wages they deserve.

You can help. The UFT, which represents New York City teachers, is launching the largest organizing drive New York has seen in decades to unionize home child care providers. We're holding a kickoff rally tonight, August 28th, and we want to fill the room with 500 supporters. Can you come?

When: Tuesday, August 28th, at 7pm
Where: Alhambra Ballroom at 126th and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd (directions)

We have the opportunity to work with a child's first teachers. Home child care providers work with kids before they come into the school system. Early grade teachers are familiar with the skills and background experiences that will give these kids the best preparation possible when they do start school. Let's work to bring providers and public school teachers together so we can create a seamless transition for kids that starts them off on the right foot.

Room 8, The Albany Project, Daily Gotham 8/24/2007

Front page blog post at Room 8, The Albany Project, and Daily Gotham:

The Teacher Voice in Data-Driven Accountability
by SteveUFT

[This post was written by UFT President Randi Weingarten and crossposted from Edwize and Eduwonk, where it originally appeared.]

We hear a lot these days about what I call "3-D reform," — data-driven decision making and about using tests to improve teaching and learning. Sadly, in this respect, too often, testing has replaced instruction; data has replaced professional judgment; compliance has replaced excellence; and so-called leadership has replaced teacher professionalism.

. . . .

Daily Politics 8/23/2007

From the Daily Politics:

Odds and Ends

Did DOE spokeswoman Julia Levy seek to rig on-line polls on behalf of her boss, Chancellor Joel Klein?

Also in the print edition of the New York Press and the New York Post

Daily Politics, The Albany Project, Daily Gotham 8/21/2007

From the Daily Politics:

Odds and Ends

The UFT explains why it supports the Khalil Gibran International Academy.

Also, front page quick hits at The Albany Project and Daily Gotham

The Albany Project, Daily Gotham, Blogs United 8/14/2007

Front page quick hits at Daily Gotham, The Albany Project and Blogs United:

UFT Hails New Middle School Initiative
Submitted by SteveUFT on 14 August 2007 - 4:05pm.

UFT President Randi Weingarten joined City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Mayor Bloomberg to unveil a new initiative to improve academic performance and provide more resources to middle schools.

City Room 8/1/2007

From City Room:

What We're Reading on the Blogs

The United Federation of Teachers is organizing thousands of home day care workers. [Room Eight]

Full story in the New York Times Google Reader.

Room 8, The Albany Project, Daily Gotham and Blogs United 8/1/2007

Front page blog post at Room 8 and The Albany Project:

Major Union Drive in NYC
by: SteveUFT

(The story of these home health care workers has been one of the most inspiring stories in recent memory. Great diary. - promoted by phillip anderson)

28,000 home day care workers in New York City are one step closer to joining the United Federation of Teachers.

Home day care workers in New York receive government subsidies to watch, care for, and educate children from low-income families in pre-school and after-school settings. They provide meals and snacks, direct safe play, and change diapers. They also play a role in educating the children in their care, helping with reading and helping young kids learn colors and numbers and older kids with homework.

Pretty important work, right?

In New York City, home day care workers make an average salary of less than $19,000 a year with no pension, health insurance or paid sick days. That makes them among the lowest-paid workers in the region.

Read more to find out what we're doing about it.

The UFT and the community group ACORN have been working together to unionize home day care workers for about two years. Why is this significant? It's the largest organizing drive in New York in decades. Why the United Federation of Teachers? I'll let UFT Vice President Michelle Bodden explain, in this quote from a guest post at Firedoglake:

"What does this mean for the UFT? Our union undertook the drive to unionize home child care providers for two main reasons - educationally, this is an extraordinary opportunity to work with children's first teachers. Providers see children before they come into the public school system, and many of them want to prepare those children for success. Early grade teachers have a good sense of the skills and background experiences that make the most difference with young children. It is a natural mesh to combine the providers with the public school teachers and create a seamless transition for youngsters with the best preparation possible.

The UFT Teachers Center offers free classes for providers on infant/toddler development through preschoolers. The classes are extremely popular because providers want to learn more about creating high quality educational environments — they want their youngsters to succeed. Eventually, we can create a real leveling of the playing field — making a pathway for low-income students to gain the kind of rich vocabulary and other prerequisites that bode for success in school and in life.

The other reason is exactly the same as the reason why this is a great event for the union movement in general: It is our mission to improve the lives of working people, not just the members we have now, but all working people. Many of the gains of labor, from the minimum wage to a defined workweek, extend to millions of workers who are not in unions."

After counting union cards from more than 12,000 home day care workers, the New York State Employment Relations Board has certified that the UFT and ACORN have surpassed the margin required for the workers to hold an election to join a union. In the words of UFT President Randi Weingarten, "This is a critical milestone in the journey to get New York City's 28,000 home day care providers the respect and wages they need and give the children in their watch the care they deserve."

The next step is for the State Employment Relations Board to schedule an election; we expect that election to take place in late August.

The key to this election will be getting the word out so people know when they need to vote. Rallies, phonebanking and door-to-door campaigning will all play a part, but sites like The Albany Project can help by talking about the election to raise its profile and get more people talking. So let's get the word out!

Also, front page quick hits at Daily Gotham and Blogs United