Here are some pictures (courtesy of Ronnie Malave) from the SWRTA 2019 Fall Get-Together. Celebrating the start of a new school year at a great local venue (North Tavern in Wading River).
Nice turnout for the Fall 2018 SWRTA get-together.
As blogger Jersey Jazzman recently wrote, one of the main goals of the charter school movement is destroying teacher unions. For evidence, we can look right next door to the Riverhead Charter School, where principal Raymond Ankrum Sr. and the administration are accused of “using intimidation, threats and firings to destabilize the relationship between the union and its members, in a systematic effort to get the union at the school decertified by state labor officials.”
THIS CANNOT STAND.
A rally in support of our NYSUT brothers and sisters is scheduled for June 10th from 3:45 to 6:45 p.m. It will take place outside the Riverhead Charter School, which is located at 3685 Middle Country Road, in Calverton.
For more details on this story, see the links below.
Riverhead Charter School Under Fire for Union Busting
‘Union-busting’ at Riverhead Charter School charges expand, as NYSUT files new complaint
The Governor has made some extra headlines in the past couple of weeks. Here’s a sampling:
It’s well known that conservative governor Scott Walker received campaign contributions from the anti-union, anti-public school, billionaire Koch brothers. But as the Perdido Street School Blog points out, Andrew Cuomo actually received even more.
This editorial in the Glens Falls Post-Star details how Cuomo’s policies are driving rural schools to the brink and how his focus on burnishing his credentials toward a 2016 Presidential run are particularly harmful to states poorest districts.
In what may be just a minor embarrassment or could turn out to be a huge headache for Cuomo, the U.S. Attorney in Manhattan is criticizing the Governor for prematurely shutting down the Moreland Commission, a committee he (Cuomo) empaneled to weed out corruption.
This article in the Atlantic, tells how Democrats are beginning to turn away from Cuomo. Unfortunately, this does not yet apply to Long Island Democrats in the New York State Legislature, who are still cowed by Cuomo’s bullying tactics and support his harmful education agenda.
We must keep up the pressure on these ELECTED officials and remind them that they are responsible to their constituents – not the state Executive Bully Branch.
More things you can do for today’s Day of Action (or even afterwards).
Sign the Open Letter to the Board of Regents
Send a note to the Governor, reminding him of his responsibility to the students of New York State (Here’s a sample letter you can use if you like)
Sign Al Graf’s petition to Fix New York Schools
Contact other legislators or the Board of Regents
Email these links to friends and family or re-post them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or whatever
How Tuesday night’s forum was reported in the media:
Angry Crowd Confronts Commissioner King (Riverhead Local)
Educators, Parents, Bring Common Core Rage to Manorville Forum (Riverhead News Review
State Ed Officials Taken to Task Over Common Core (with Video) (Riverhead News Review)
Speakers Fume at Local Education Forum With King (Times Beacon Recored)
Suffolk Parents Confront Schools Chancellor on Common Core (Newsday)
State Education Official is Booed Over Common Core (video) (Newsday)
Three representatives from SWR spoke at Tuesday night’s Common Core Fourm. To here the questions/comments they posed to Commissioner King, click the links below.
Lucille McKee (Teacher, SWRTA President)
You can also listen to the response that Commissioner King gave to all of the speakers.
swrta.wordpress.com 