Here, for your reading pleasure, is a letter from the Gage Park delegate that was distributed to all staff in our mailboxes. I reprint this section with the permission of the writer, Delegate Steinmiller. It is titled Here is the rest of the story:
By now, most of you received a letter from CTU President Stewart reporting her progress solving the over-crowding issue at Gage Park. She further commented how I failed to report about Gage Park's informational rally and that's why she didn't attend. [Ed. - To view the video of the rally click here and here.]Well, this has moved people, mostly un-aligned union members (a response to this letter is coming soon). Many members of the GPHS staff are understandably upset at this treatment of one of Chicago's hardest working teachers (and our delegate to boot). Maybe UPC needs to change their name to CYA, since that is what they seem to be concerned about.
What you don't know is...I was the one who invited Field Rep Nate Dickson to come to Gage Park for our Sept. 1st meeting. I told him we were discussing the plans on how to fight the over-crowding, which might include an informational picket. I asked him for help. He did not call me until two days later. Then he left me a message that he couldn't attend our meeting since he would be in arbitration hearings. He said he would get back to me with a possible replacement.
He never called me back. In fact, I thought no one from the union was coming, until I walked in the auditorium when low and behold there was six members of the CTU executive board!
At the meeting, I was met with rudeness, as Vice President Porter asked me "Why wasn't this meeting started when it was supposed to?" At that time, I presented VP Dallas and Field Rep Dixon with our meeting agenda which included discussion of our rally.
Please note, by this time there were several articles and news stories about Marty [McGreal] being fired and our over-crowding situation. NO ONE from CTU called me or any of our associate delegates about how they would help us.
On another note, last Wednesday at the Delegate's meeting the Executive Board slammed Debbie Lynch for being at our rally as "she's the cause of our over-crowding."
When it was my turn to speak at the house meeting, a member of Stewart's caucus motioned to adjourn the meeting. Again, no one from the CTU asked what they could do for the teachers and staff of Gage Park.
I know this is an election year for the city, state, and union, BUT there's a time and place for politics and it should not be at the cost of our jobs and our students' quality education.
Respectfully submitted,
S. Steinmiller
Do other schools get the same brush off and disrespect from the UPC team?
2 comments:
I guess I'm lucky because I've never been treated poorly by anyone at the union. Though my experience was limited to a few small issues from last school year, they supported me and I was glad I had union representation in my dealings with a nasty vindictive principal. BTW, I never hear anything about the new principal at Gage Park on these blogs though I did hear her on NPR I think, talking about the overcrowding issues. What's up with her?
Principal Andrews has the friendliest and most caring persona of anyone I have met. Perhaps persona was the wrong word, because it is genuine, not a persona.
She really cares about kids.
There are grumblings, but she seems to be the genuine article.
I think, more than anything, the firing of Mr. McGreal let the air out of the baloon.
That is a hard moment to recapture.
Staff were genuinely excited. So, I think it only fair to give her the time needed to share her vision with the staff and community of GPHS.
She obviously has been dealt a difficult situation. Time will tell, but I am wouldn't bet against her. She could pull the rabbit out of the hat and get GPHS past the over-crowding thing and into something that beats the odds.
Lord knows she has a staff that would walk over hot coals to help the kids. Just witness the letters from Ms. Steinmiller or Mr. Martinek.
Most principals would kill to have that kind of dedication in their staff. And GPHS has that in spades. Hard to go wrong with that in your favor.
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