Today's lesson is why NY teachers (and counselors ) are talking about a strike.  This may especially be helpful for those non-educators and non-NY'ers out there who have no idea what's going on. 

Here are the facts:

- We have been without a contract for more than 2 years (May 2003) .
- What NY educators want: 19% raise. 
- What the City offered: 4%
-  What this NY mayor said "Let the arbitrator panel decide!"
- What the arbitration panel suggested: 11.4% raise over 3 years.

All good in the hood?   So why are teachers complaining? 

Here's the fine print if we accept:
- 10 more minutes a day added to our 100 minutes.  = 30 minutes more a day.
- 2 less days of summer vacation (Noooo!)
- 1 less holiday
- 10 more "free coverages" a year (cover a class if a teacher is "out sick")
- No right to grieve letters to the file (If a supervisor writes a "bad" letter, can't argue it)
- Luch duty, hall duty, involuntary assignment to position @ principal's discretion
- no more seniority transfers
- 1st yr salary - ZERO %, 2nd yr salary -2%, first 6 months of 3rd year-3.5% then 5.5%

With all this additional work time, it doesn't take a genius to call this additional $$ a raise.

Major players:
  vs. 
       CHANCELLOR JOEL KLEIN                               UNION REP, RANDI WEINGARTEN

*Already we're making 20% less than educators in the suburbs.  Give us a break!

* We don't have swimming pools, football, soccer, and baseball fields like they do, parking lots for thier kids and faculty like they do, resources like they do.

* We work more closely with students from low-income families who struggle with whether to join gangs or not and if they should go to college.  As opposed to some kids who struggle with whether they should get a Beamer or a Lexus for graduation.

Anyway, some who read this might not give a shit but everyone's been affected or taught by a teacher.  They probably played a part with why YOU are the way YOU are. 

And that concludes today's lesson on why we're trying to stand up for ourselves in our profession.  It only took us 2 years to speak up.  

Moral of the story?

ALWAYS READ THE FINE PRINT.

Ever look in the street and and wonder if there was a person who you think would kinda look like you when you got older besides your mom or dad?  Well on my lovely trip to Niagra Falls with my cousins...

I think I found that person...

Whadda ya think?

*(Come to think of it, he looks a lot like my dad). 

gotta hate September.  Ugh.  Even though I don't have to work until the 6th, I feel school started already.  You can smell it in the air.  Its getting a little darker.  Summer's over. .

Had my annual retreat to good ole Pine Bush, NY.  Pics and story to come later.

Here are the rest of the Canada pics and the activities we did:

My mom would always go "social dancing" for fun.  For those "younger" people (including myself, its not like the Electric Slide or the Moonwalk. Its old people music like the Waltz, Cha-Cha, Swing, etc.  Anyways I got a lot of experience in that since they were 4 aunts and my mom and only me and my uncle as dance partners.  The ratio was always 5:2.  It was quite a learning experience to say the least!  (Sorry for the small pics but when I enlarge them, it gets fuzzy.)

     
So my III-eee (the one in purple) was trying to teach me most of these dances.  I kept repeating "1..2..3..4.."
     
Once I kinda got the hang of it, we were all partying like its 1999...or 2005...whatever, you know what I mean!
     
me and III-eee                     Me and Ma Dukes              Me and Ma Dukes II           That's the Twist right thurr!
     
Me and Christy                   Me and my Grandma          Grandma, part Deux             Here's a 'lil flava for ya!

  (look how serious I look)
Though, it was not my typical dancing, it was fun to learn.  But those dance halls are serious man.  I was with my grandmother doing the Waltz and when we accidently bumped into someone, there were grilling us.  Hardcore.  Apparently you're supposed to dance in a circle.  Who knew? .  But it was nice that everone got down and danced.  For my grandmother to do that was especially nice!

Then of course we had to do a little bit of what Chinese families do best....KARAOKE!
      adults
    kids bored

   so I took over...
   with my uncle...

Then we did what Chinese families do best as well...MAHJONG!
 okay, so I got bored.
How about Jenga Mahjong?
    

Last but not least, a challenge was bestowed by the "kids" to the "adults" to see who would win in a game of bowling.  Well apparently, my cousin David said he could bowl a 200 no problem so we gave the adults an extra person.  Long story short, my mom ( a very bad bowler) beat David in both games.  I guess the writing was on the wall when his first 3 frames were gutterballs. .  Yeah, we lost both games by a wide margin.  Sheesh.

   

 me and my "200" bowler, David.
 my righty but "lefty"bowler mom.
 Winners and Losers

Good Times! .

 


Next year in CALI baby.