Below is a copy of an email that was sent erroneously. Notice who the e-mail was sent to - NOW All of a sudden CTU is interested in Jesse Jackson. Notice the attack on me at the end for my organizing efforts at PUSH !
--- Forwarded Message -----
From: rosita Chatonda <rcchatonda@yahoo.com>
To: David R Stone <drstone@ameritech.net>
Cc: "core@lists.riseup.net" <core@lists.riseup.net>
Sent: Monday, August 1, 2011 7:13 PM
Subject: Re: [core] Re: CONFIDENTIAL Displaced teachers-ACTION NEEDED
This is outrageous David. Are you out of your mind?
The PUSH meeting is for DISPLACED TEACHERS. This is not a publicity stunt. Teachers will be featured there ad their stories will be told. NO ONE ELSE IS WELCOME. The CTU has a space to host anything they want. As far as Rosita Chatonda
getting some attention or Jesse Jackson, we are in our community minding our own business. Who do you think you are?
From: David R Stone <drstone@ameritech.net>
To: Gnschmidt@aol.com; Karen Jennings Lewis <karengjl@yahoo.com>
Cc: kuglerjohn@hotmail.com; Nate G <goldnate@gmail.com>; kenzo shibata <mrshibata@gmail.com>; core <core@lists.riseup.net>
Sent: Monday, August 1, 2011 3:26 PM
Subject: [core] Re: CONFIDENTIAL Displaced teachers-ACTION NEEDED
I understand the problems with the meetings for displaced teachers at Operation PUSH -- that's why I have written to you guys before posting anything in public -- but we NEED TO RESPOND IN PUBLIC NOW!
Reasons:
-CBS is apparently sending a camera crew from New York to interview displaced teachers at Operation PUSH tomorrow (Tuesday)
about how the Board's actions affected them. This should be a great opportunity for CTU which we shouldn't ignore
simply because Rosita Chatonda and Rev. Jesse Jackson might get some airtime. We should have a substantial presence there!
Let's have some CTU officers attend -- the reporters are far more likely to air comments from Karen in person than "talking points" that Karen gave to Patricia.
-Krzys Rudzinski is responding to "Dazed & Confused" and any other displaced teachers who post on CPS First Class. He is asking them to call him or email him off-list so he can "help" them, and in earlier posts indicated that this "help" might include filing lawsuits against CTU.
-Other caucuses besides CORE are developing campaigns saying we aren't doing enough. I think the problem is actually that we aren't doing enough TELLING EVERYBODY about all the things we are doing. That means we must provide more of our support for displaced teachers IN PUBLIC. So what if only 40 displaced teachers showed up at CTU's last displaced teacher meeting? Hold more meetings! We should not allow the perception that Rosita and Operation PUSH are doing more than the union. And while I understand the need to distance ourselves from Rosita so we won't get blamed if she makes outrageous statements -- let's NOT make a big deal about how the Operation PUSH meetings are NOT part of CTU, at least not until we can offer an alternative.
MOST IMPORTANT:
CREATE WAYS TO GET DISPLACED TEACHERS TO TURN TO THE UNION FIRST! Everybody like "Dazed & Confused" shouldn't need to post a plea for help on First Class -- they should already KNOW that the union is ready to help them.
Suggestions:
- On the CTU website, put a prominent button on the home page that says something like:
"Lost your job? Worried that you might? Click here for info on steps displaced teachers should take immediately."
- Put similar information into a blast email.
- Send out blast email updates everytime we have news that might interest displaced teachers.
- Make sure these emails have links to make it easier to contact appropriate staff members and/or volunteer committees at the union.
- Hold regular meetings for displaced teachers. Publicize them widely.
- Every day, send out at least one news release about how the union is helping an individual teacher. George should be able to publish at least some of them in Substance, and there are some other friendly media who might use them.
Just some ideas -- let me know if I can help implement any of them, or others.
-David
On 8/1/2011 8:26 AM, Gnschmidt@aol.com wrote:
> August 1, 2011
>
> David:
>
> Long before Rosita wasted a year's time and about $100,000 of dues (pay and
> benefits) working for the CTU, she purported to write for Substance but was
> rejected because she (a) made up facts and (b) lied. Then she moved forward
> to PUSH, where she actually demanded that PUSH boycott Substance because we
> were "outsiders" in "her community." (Someone actually taped that rant and
> played it to me).
>
> Rosita and Patricia are not representing anything of interest to Substance,
> and I doubt we should publish any news of what they are doing. John and
> others will have to struggle to organize what can be done by CTU for this
> year's round of displaced teachers, while we work on covering that more broadly.
>
> There is another problem in this. Rosita, because of CORE's "associate
> membership" reality, has the right to represent herself as a CORE member and be
> at CORE meetings (as she was a week ago).
>
> George</HTML>
>
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
CELEBRATING ANOTHER CAUSE VICTORY -HARD WORK DOES PAY OFF
Four years ago the Founding President of CAUSE _ Chicago Alliance of Urban School Educators, Rosita Chatonda met with Reverend Jesse Jackson to discuss the mass firings of African American Educators and high student expulsion rate. Annually since the year 2000, African American students at teachers were loosing 1.7 to 2.0 percent of their population according to the Illinois Board of Education.
Since the 2008-9 we have been working with PUSH and organizing a small group of teachers to PUSH an initiative forward to bring attention to the unfair racially charged practices that are happening in at CPS. In 2010 Mrs. Chatonda met the Caucus of Rank and File Educators whose co-chair Karen Lewis wanted to run for President of the CTU. Mrs. Chatonda volunteered to become the South-Side organize for CORE during the CTU election and began to forge a relationship between CORE and PUSH. Initially CORE was reluctant to work with the PUSH coalition.
As, we all know Karen Lewis won the election due to an enormous organizing effort by CORE.
IN addition, Mrs. Chatonda created the "Displaced Teacher Forum " and met a Operation PUSH for 3 years with teachers who had lost their jobs. Reverend Jackson indicated that if we could organize teachers that he would step forward and help bring attention to our plight. Last week, Reverend Jackson attended the Board of Education meeting and put CPS and the country on notice that we will no longer look the other way as our communities are being undermined by CPS. He also labeled the practice of racially profiling our community, students and teachers as EDUCATIONAL "APARTHEID" This initiative has become nationally recognized.
At the last hour and under extreme pressure from CAUSE, the Chicago Teachers Union has joined in on this initiative. This is why it is important to have an organization like CAUSE to continue to put pressure on CPS, CTU and other organizations that make their money off the backs of African American Students and Teachers.
Join CAUSE: Meeting Every Tuesday at Operation PUSH 5:00 - 7:00
Next meeting Today February 28, 2012
http://www.peoplestribune.org/PT.2011.03/PT.2011.03.08.shtml
Since the 2008-9 we have been working with PUSH and organizing a small group of teachers to PUSH an initiative forward to bring attention to the unfair racially charged practices that are happening in at CPS. In 2010 Mrs. Chatonda met the Caucus of Rank and File Educators whose co-chair Karen Lewis wanted to run for President of the CTU. Mrs. Chatonda volunteered to become the South-Side organize for CORE during the CTU election and began to forge a relationship between CORE and PUSH. Initially CORE was reluctant to work with the PUSH coalition.
As, we all know Karen Lewis won the election due to an enormous organizing effort by CORE.
IN addition, Mrs. Chatonda created the "Displaced Teacher Forum " and met a Operation PUSH for 3 years with teachers who had lost their jobs. Reverend Jackson indicated that if we could organize teachers that he would step forward and help bring attention to our plight. Last week, Reverend Jackson attended the Board of Education meeting and put CPS and the country on notice that we will no longer look the other way as our communities are being undermined by CPS. He also labeled the practice of racially profiling our community, students and teachers as EDUCATIONAL "APARTHEID" This initiative has become nationally recognized.
At the last hour and under extreme pressure from CAUSE, the Chicago Teachers Union has joined in on this initiative. This is why it is important to have an organization like CAUSE to continue to put pressure on CPS, CTU and other organizations that make their money off the backs of African American Students and Teachers.
Join CAUSE: Meeting Every Tuesday at Operation PUSH 5:00 - 7:00
Next meeting Today February 28, 2012
http://www.peoplestribune.org/PT.2011.03/PT.2011.03.08.shtml
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Courts Say -ChicagoTeachers Dont Have Rehire-Rights
http://www.suntimes.com/news/education/10705778-418/court-chicago-teachers-dont-have-rehire-rights.html
Petition-Moritorium on School Closings PLEASE LOG ON AND SIGN
http://www.change.org/petitions/moratorium-on-chicago-public-school-closings-stop-the-privatization-of-public-schools-and-the-proliferation-of-charters
Intelligence Study Links Prejudice to Low IQ's
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/2012/01/27/intelligence-study-links-prejudice_n_1237796.html
Saturday, February 11, 2012
State legislative task force members Thursday night accused CPS leaders of “playing games”
State legislative task force members Thursday night accused CPS leaders of “playing games” and being disingenuous in engaging parents and community members as they move to close and turnaround schools.
Especially upsetting to members was the fact that throngs of people were paid and bused into community hearings last week to speak in favor of closings, and that the principal of a school slated for closing tried to force students to transfer over Christmas break.
“We want to play nice,” said State Senator Iris Martinez. “But what we have seen is not nice.”
The Illinois Educational Facilities Task Force approved a resolution that CPS was out of compliance with House Bill 630—a bill passed last year that requires the school district to be transparent and follow clear procedures when leaders make facility changes. The only member who did not vote in favor of the resolution was Michael Rendina, who works for CPS as the director of Intergovernmental Affairs
In itself, the resolution does not carry with it much weight. But State Rep. Cynthia Soto, who serves as chairwoman of the task force, said it will be included in a report the task force must submit to legislators. Also, Soto and Martinez said they are going to prepare a bill calling for a one-year moratorium onschool closings .
“We just need them to slow down,” she said. Soto noted CPS leadership is new and many of them are not knowledgeable enough about Chicago to make such substantial changes.
In 2009, Soto introduced a similar moratorium. It passed the House of Representatives but an amended bill that withdrew the moratorium and created the facilities task force was eventually signed into law. The task force then crafted and won approval of House Bill 630.
Task force members also demanded that CPS leaders make changes to the community and public hearings. The first round of hearings were last Friday in various venues, but not in theschools that stand to be affected by the actions. At the same locations, a second round of hearings are set to take place next Friday.
Blocks Together co-director Cecile Carroll told Rendina that she wants that changed so that hearings take place in the schools. She also said she would like people with alternative plans to have an opportunity to present them outside of the hearings, where those who sign up to talk have time limits.
As he did for most of the meeting, Rendina took notes, but did not provide any definitive answers or agree to make any changes. On Dec. 1, the task force invited CEO Jean-Claude Brizard to a meeting, but that has yet to be scheduled.
Rendina also attempted to explain why some 80 students at Guggenheim School had transfer notices delivered to their homes over Christmas break.
Guggenheim teacher Kimberly Walls said none of these children or parents asked to be transferred to another school and were called several times by school staff insisting they take the transfer. Transfer papers were slipped under doors or taped on them.
The parents reached out to teachers and staff, who contacted the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless for legal help. Most of them came back to Guggenheim on Monday. But the students were dropped from the school's computer system, creating a range of issues such as them not being registered for after-school programs, said school staff.
Rendina said that a few parents, though admittedly not as many as were handed transfers, talked about leaving the school at a parents' meeting in December. He said the principal, who is new to Guggenheim, thought he would help them along by providing them transfer notices and point them to better options.
“I think he had good intentions,” he said.
Many of these students had addresses outside Guggenheim’s attendance boundary, but were classified as homeless and therefore have the right to stay in the school.
Martinez seemed incredulous that a principal would take these steps. “You mean while the school closing is just a proposal, in the meantime, the principal is transferring students.”
Martinez also was not happy with the attendance of outsiders at the community hearings.
State Representative Esther Golar said she was at the meeting about Reed School in Englewood, which is set to receive Guggenheim students, and saw people arrive on a bus. She said she talked to them and discovered they were from a halfway house and were paid $25 to come to the meeting.
“I couldn’t believe it,” she said.
Especially upsetting to members was the fact that throngs of people were paid and bused into community hearings last week to speak in favor of closings, and that the principal of a school slated for closing tried to force students to transfer over Christmas break.
“We want to play nice,” said State Senator Iris Martinez. “But what we have seen is not nice.”
The Illinois Educational Facilities Task Force approved a resolution that CPS was out of compliance with House Bill 630—a bill passed last year that requires the school district to be transparent and follow clear procedures when leaders make facility changes. The only member who did not vote in favor of the resolution was Michael Rendina, who works for CPS as the director of Intergovernmental Affairs
In itself, the resolution does not carry with it much weight. But State Rep. Cynthia Soto, who serves as chairwoman of the task force, said it will be included in a report the task force must submit to legislators. Also, Soto and Martinez said they are going to prepare a bill calling for a one-year moratorium on
“We just need them to slow down,” she said. Soto noted CPS leadership is new and many of them are not knowledgeable enough about Chicago to make such substantial changes.
In 2009, Soto introduced a similar moratorium. It passed the House of Representatives but an amended bill that withdrew the moratorium and created the facilities task force was eventually signed into law. The task force then crafted and won approval of House Bill 630.
Task force members also demanded that CPS leaders make changes to the community and public hearings. The first round of hearings were last Friday in various venues, but not in the
Blocks Together co-director Cecile Carroll told Rendina that she wants that changed so that hearings take place in the schools. She also said she would like people with alternative plans to have an opportunity to present them outside of the hearings, where those who sign up to talk have time limits.
As he did for most of the meeting, Rendina took notes, but did not provide any definitive answers or agree to make any changes. On Dec. 1, the task force invited CEO Jean-Claude Brizard to a meeting, but that has yet to be scheduled.
Rendina also attempted to explain why some 80 students at Guggenheim School had transfer notices delivered to their homes over Christmas break.
Guggenheim teacher Kimberly Walls said none of these children or parents asked to be transferred to another school and were called several times by school staff insisting they take the transfer. Transfer papers were slipped under doors or taped on them.
The parents reached out to teachers and staff, who contacted the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless for legal help. Most of them came back to Guggenheim on Monday. But the students were dropped from the school's computer system, creating a range of issues such as them not being registered for after-school programs, said school staff.
Rendina said that a few parents, though admittedly not as many as were handed transfers, talked about leaving the school at a parents' meeting in December. He said the principal, who is new to Guggenheim, thought he would help them along by providing them transfer notices and point them to better options.
“I think he had good intentions,” he said.
Many of these students had addresses outside Guggenheim’s attendance boundary, but were classified as homeless and therefore have the right to stay in the school.
Martinez seemed incredulous that a principal would take these steps. “You mean while the school closing is just a proposal, in the meantime, the principal is transferring students.”
Martinez also was not happy with the attendance of outsiders at the community hearings.
State Representative Esther Golar said she was at the meeting about Reed School in Englewood, which is set to receive Guggenheim students, and saw people arrive on a bus. She said she talked to them and discovered they were from a halfway house and were paid $25 to come to the meeting.
“I couldn’t believe it,” she said.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
UNIONS CONTROL SOUTH SIDE TEACH -INS
A Series of SouthSide Teach-Ins Kicks Off with a Panel Discussion on School Closings | Occupy Chicag
occupychi.orgThe Education committee is partnering with Occupy the SouthSide to bring a series of bi-weekly teach-ins to the southside of Chicago where the effects of many 1% policies, from austerity to the prison-industrial complex, are strongest. The teach-ins will all take place at the First Unitarian Church...
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