By Dan Martin
Filed Friday, May 11, 2007 at 1:48 PM
The St. Louis Teachers and Related Personnel Union Local 420 held a rally last night to express their opposition to the state takeover of St. Louis Public Schools. Labels: Schools
Union allies — including many parents, students, members of other unions, and religious leaders — were present to show their support.
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12 Comments:
From the look of it on TV, there were few people there. Funny, so much noise, so few followers!
5/11/2007 6:57 PM
Why isn't this a surprise?
5/11/2007 7:07 PM
yes, it is over for them. And they look so bad.
5/12/2007 12:14 AM
It is true the crowd as seen on TV (Channel 2, I think) looked pretty small. They shot their footage early before some people had arrived. They also had taken their video from the front. (I sat right behind Betsy Bruce and the cameraman)
The first two rows had reserved signs on them or something so no one sat there. That made the crowd look even smaller. (Bad planning on somebody's part.)
Dan took his video later and from the back of the hall. More people were there at that time. Some more came later...(by coincidence just in time for the food) But, it is true Dan may have been generous with his reference to a "packed" union hall.
It is maybe worth noting that many of those that were there are school leaders (Stewards, etc.) If the time comes for more drastic action (in my opinion that time had already come a while back) these people would help spread the word. So their presence was a good thing.
Many "inactive" members are very swamped with school work right now (end of the year) but (I think) a majority would support an action if the time came for one. That number goes up as conditions get worse, but down as more people retire, quit, etc... Also, it rained like crazy for quite a while.
I suspect membership numbers have dropped, but the PERCENTAGE of union members may have actually increased or stayed the same. (just a guess)
The Electrician's Hall (where the rally took place) also has a large lobby and rear area that contained quite a few people from time to time. Some members were lobbying for votes out there. (upcoming executive board election...but only two seats have challenges. No one is opposing Mary Armstrong)
I know somebody will say I'm making excuses or something but I just think a more accurate picture is appropriate.
You can pronounce the union dead and all that if it fits your agenda, but I think you are being premature. 420 is in a LABOR based union, but educators tend not to be as radical as some of our other union brothers and sisters until pushed too far.
I hope.
5/12/2007 1:56 PM
Our video was shot from the middle of the hall and in the midst of the crowd, not from the front.
Channel 2 shot its footage at the height of the thunderstorm, while many more people arrived later - at the same time I did - after crawling along rain flooded streets in our cars.
The sides and rear tables of the hall, as well as the entrance hallway, held a comparable number of people as the main seating area.
All in all, it seemed a respectable attendance for a rally of teachers near the end of a school year. Having been there, I would certainly not pronounce the Union "dead" in any sense of the term.
5/12/2007 4:32 PM
There are still things I do not know---I would be glad to be told "this is the deal" or "I don't know that either", or "your question is just irrelevant".
1. I would like to see at least five(or six?) board members accompany Dr. Bourisaw when she makes the appeal to dese---to show that a unified majority has been established with real goals and plans in mind. Who will accompany her?
2. How long after the appeal regarding accreditation is made will an answer be forthcoming from dese? Can they just listen and say nothing, or render a decision on June 14th?
3. Is there still a lawyer named Champagne involved with some parents and others in possible litigation?
4. Is it possible that accreditation could be denied, but the 3-man takeover delayed---conversely, could accreditation be granted and the takeover go ahead, anyway?
5. I noticed that the board has asked surrounding districts to not accept transferring slps students. I thought that it sounded like something which would not affect the present board if there were no takeover, therefore it is an action which will be helpful to the 3 person takeover board regarding next year's budget. Is that kind of a noble thing to do?
6. They asked for support against the takeover from other boards---any response?
5/12/2007 6:00 PM
Goliath laughed too.
5/12/2007 9:01 PM
Dan,
Thanks for the clarification. I know Channel 2 had been shooting earlier as well. The video I saw from them came from earlier and didn't seem to give an accurate representation of the attendance. They (and others) have done this before.
5/12/2007 10:35 PM
kojoe it will not make a difference what the other districts do. Remember the parents have the last word. This board has no clout and nor does the sup. No one that runs this state wants her or this board in place
5/13/2007 12:19 AM
Anonymous said...
kojoe it will not make a difference what the other districts do. Remember the parents have the last word. This board has no clout and nor does the sup. No one that runs this state wants her or this board in place
5/13/2007 12:19 AM
Thanks for making everything so crystal clear. The only thing more I could have asked is that you give the names of the actual parents to whom you refer as having the last word.
5/13/2007 1:37 AM
Anonymous said:..."Remember the parents have the last word."
Would those be the parents who voted in the new school board that the state wants to throw out of power?
If this action by the state is allowed to stand, you can forget about any illusion that the "parents" or the "people" have the last word about anything.
You also said: "...No one that runs this state wants her or this board in place".
That's obviously true. Those in power seem to be dedicated to removing these people. Since these are NOT the same people who were in power when the state began to consider this action, ( and two were JUST elected), I have to wonder if it really has anything to do with WHO is on the board or whether the board is doing well or not. It seems that the state has its own agenda in this matter, and, of course, the will of the "parents, people, voters" is irrelevent to them.
5/14/2007 7:30 AM
Maybe I am missing something, but the St. Louis school district has been having problems for years, being provisionally accredited for the past years because their performance schools were way below minimum standards. The State finally decided to take action on this mess and the teachers union wants to continue the current mess?
Why do the teachers union think it is right to shortchange the students in their care?
5/17/2007 12:58 AM
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