Protection from Prose?

In Unity there is Strength. It’s why we negotiate as a union, instead of, for example, as math teachers. Or as high school teachers. Or as special ed teachers. Or as art teachers. It’s also why we do not negotiate one school at a time.

Except in Prose schools.

Now, some Prose schools got a pass on Danielson. They like Prose, some have told me. Honestly, we should all get the pass on Danielson. We should not have to sacrifice our union principals to get a good concession for all the teachers of NYC.

NYC Educator is writing more about Prose. He includes a shameful quote from a former UFT leader:

“PROSE … empowers teachers to make positive change”

It seems that some of our leaders forget that negotiating TOGETHER is a victory. Negotiating as isolated units would be, and is, a loss. But I guess it takes a real commitment to the idea of “union” to understand that.

Or maybe, reading our contract. I quote the contract negotiated between the New York City Department of Education and the United Federation of Teachers:

It is understood that all collective bargaining is to be conducted at Board headquarters level.  There shall be no negotiation with the Union chapter or with any other employee group or organization at the school level.  It is further understood that there shall not be established or continued in any school a Staff Relations Committee as described in the Staff Relations Plan issued by the Board on October 23, 1956.

No school by school negotiations. This is Article 1, seventh paragraph.

Photo Credit: Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives,Cornell University Library,Group Photo, Placards, Italian Americans, Jewish Americans, Rally