Jia Lee for United Federation of Teachers President

I am voting for Jia Lee in the spring 2016 UFT elections. I am campaigning for her. I am convincing everyone I can to vote for her.

My caucus, New Action/UFT, is running a joint slate with MORE (Movement of Rank and File Educators). Part of our agreement was that the presidential candidate would come MORE’s ranks, subject to mutual agreement. A few weeks ago MORE told us that their only nominee was Jia. New Action’s Executive Board quietly and unanimously approved. Thus MORE’s big announcement at their October 24 Conference: Jia Lee voted in as MORE/New Action’s Presidential Challenger to Michael Mulgrew and his Passive Unity Caucus.

Jia Lee is a UFT Chapter Leader at her school, The Earth School in District 1, where she teaches special education in grades 4/5. She is a leader of the opt-out movement, the parent/teacher/community fight back against standardized testing. She has taught a lot of parents and teachers about opt-out, and changed many minds. She also went to Washington and told a bunch of senators about opt out. I’m not sure if she changed any minds there, but it’s a good a photo and a good headline, and testament to her leadership role at the local level.

Jia’s teaching career began in 2001, teaching high school in District 75.

I’ve just met Jia twice, she’s certainly personable, there’s not much more I can say. But I’ve seen her speak several times at the Delegate Assembly, most recently advocating that the union try to stop the DoE from screwing mom’s on maternity leave. (She spoke well, but the woman Michael Mulgrew chose to respond argued against helping mom’s on maternity leave, since they can get paid two year’s later than everyone else and they made a choice….)

Anyway, my announcement’s not really news. But if I am going to get back to writing, this announcement needed to be in this space.