New Educator Toolkit to Protect Data Privacy

For immediate release: October 18, 2018 Contact:  Contact: Marla Kilfoyle; marlakilfoyle1@gmail.com; 516-987-4405 Rachael   Rachael Stickland; rachael.stickland@gmail.com;  303-204-1272 New Educator Toolkit to protect data privacy Guide designed to prevent breaches or abuse of personal information

Today, the Parent Coalition for Student Privacy and The Badass Teachers Association released an Educator Toolkit for Teacher and Student Privacy:  A Practical Guide for Protecting Personal Data.  The Toolkit is a comprehensive guide to help educators deal with the complex world of data privacy and the widespread proliferation of education technology.  It is designed to support their efforts to become responsible digital citizens by providing strategies and best practices to minimize the disclosure of personal data and protect the privacy of their students as well as their own.  

Through an online survey and focus groups, the authors discovered that most teachers feel they are forced to implement ed tech products which gather and use data in ways they do not understand.  Sixty eight percent of respondents said they didn’t know if the products they used sold student data or used it for marketing purposes, and sixty nine percent said that they felt that their training in data privacy had been insufficient.

Teachers are also being asked to share more and more of their own data in ways that violate their privacy.  The recent strike in West Virginia was in part sparked by a demand from the state that they wear devices to collect data on their movements and physical activities.  In user-friendly terms, the Toolkit explains what federal laws protect student data, what common classroom practices to avoid, and how to advocate for stronger privacy policies at the school and district level.

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement in support of the toolkit: “As states continue to disinvest in public education, large technology companies have turned their sights on school districts as a lucrative business opportunity. Too often, school districts purchase and implement these aggressively marketed digital programs and resources without having the privacy safeguards and quality-assurance mechanisms in place to protect students and their teachers.

“When used appropriately, technology can be a powerful classroom tool to enhance the learning of students and support the work of educators. But unregulated, technology should never supplant the work that educators do, particularly when exposure to hackers, fraud and infiltration can provide a real security threat. This toolkit helps ensure that digital and new media tools don’t infringe on the safety of our schools.”

Leonie Haimson, the co-chair of the Parent Coalition for Student Privacy explained, “Privacy is a precious if vanishing resource with expanding data collection and use of ed tech tools in the classroom. In a recent public service announcement, the FBI warned that cyber criminals have been hacking into school databases, threatening students with violence and the release of their personal information.  It is critically important that educators learn how to safeguard their students’ sensitive information from breach and misuse, yet up to now, most teachers have felt unprepared to do so.”

“We surveyed and interviewed 365 educators from across the country to find that teachers care deeply about their privacy and want to learn more about protecting their own sensitive information as well as that of their students,” remarked Rachael Stickland, co-chair of the Parent Coalition for Student Privacy. She concluded, “Our hope is that this toolkit gives teachers easy access to the resources they need every day to make the best possible decisions to keep personal data at school safe.”

Marla Kilfoyle, former executive director of The Badass Teachers Association explained, “As an educator who has been the victim of an ed tech product that has threatened my privacy, the work that has been done on this toolkit is important to safeguard data for everyone using these  products. It has been an honor to work on this toolkit for over a year. I have been an educator for 30 years and this toolkit has taught me so much about my own personal data, how to protect the data of my students, and how to advocate for data privacy in my district.”

President of the National Education Association Lily Eskelsen Garcia said, “The Educators Toolkit for Teacher and Student Privacy” will be a helpful document to educators across the nation as they navigate the complexities of protecting privacy data today. NEA applauds the BATs for their leadership in raising the issue of privacy and creating this resource. This guide can serve as an important tool when used in conjunction with the expertise of local Uniserve [union advocacy staff]  or legal counsel when seeking specific guidance relative to an educator’s unique worksite and legislative geography. Today, we need all the good information we can get!”

Melissa Tomlinson, assistant executive director of The Badass Teachers Association stated, “Working on The Educators Toolkit for Teacher and Student Privacy has been an eye-opening experience for me. Armed with this information, I have changed practices within my own classroom around how I use technology in ways to make sure all of my students’ information remains safe.”

As the FBI pointed out, “widespread collection of sensitive information by education technology vendors, such as web browsing history, biometric data and students’ geolocation, could present unique exploitation opportunities for criminals.”  It is our hope that teachers, administrators, and union leaders will share this Toolkit, and use it in trainings so that educators better understand how to ensure their students’ privacy and their own.

The Toolkit was made possible by grants from the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment, the American Federation of Teachers, and the NEA Foundation.

Access the toolkit   http://bit.ly/EducatorToolkitBATs                                     

# # #

NYS Educators, Don't Fall for the Old Okeydoke

By:  Marla Kilfoyle, NYS Teacher

I admire Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis to the moon and back.  She is a heroine to many of us.  I remember in 2016 when she warned teachers, “Don’t fall for the okey doke,”

As NYS teachers we will be embarking on an important choice this primary season.  

We have the opportunity to vote for a truly progressive candidate on September 13, 2018 - Cynthia Nixon.

To learn more about Cynthia Nixon go here https://cynthiafornewyork.com/meet-cynthia/

Join me as an Educator for Cynthia - sign up here   https://actionnetwork.org/forms/educators-for-cynthia

I am a NYS teacher, and I am warning my brothers and sisters in New York….

Don’t fall for the Old Okeydoke this primary season.  

So what is the Old Okeydoke?  It is when a trap is set, but a victim still walks right into it.  

Believe me teachers, Cuomo, and others, are  setting a trap for you - don’t walk into it. 

Let’s take a walk down memory lane.

The New York State Allies for Public Education (NYSAPE), a grassroots organization in NYS, has been fighting Cuomo’s education reforms for over five years.  NYSAPE has issued close to a hundred press releases over the years calling out Cuomo for his destructive education policies.  NYSAPE has also led the charge in the opt-out movement here in NYS because of Cuomo’s push for a test and punish agenda.  As a result of Cuomo’s test and punish agenda  over 20% of the parents in NY opt their children out of testing.   Check out some of the press releases NYSAPE has issued.  It is a fantastic historical reminder of what Cuomo has done to teachers, children, and parents.

January 8, 2014

Governor Cuomo Continues to Avoid Addressing New Yorkers on Public Education  

A powerful quote from that Press Release by NY teacher Bianca Tanis

“It’s very telling that while Governor Cuomo not only supported and endorsed the State’s rushed adoption and implementation of these so-called reforms, he now seems to want to wash his hands of any responsibility for the botched initiatives. The fact is, it is well within the Governor’s power to slow down their implementation through legislative means” says Bianca Tanis, New Paltz public school parent and steering committee member of Re-Thinking Testing, Mid-Hudson Region.

September 1, 2014

GOVERNOR CUOMO’S EDUCATION POSITIONS ALIGNED TO PRIVATIZE PUBLIC EDUCATION

NYSAPE writes

The four challengers also oppose APPR, which ties teacher evaluation to student test scores, while the Governor, a prime sponsor of the law which created the system, fully supports it. All candidates support significantly rolling back time spent on standardized testing. However, the Governor claims that the recent legislation banning K-2 testing and capping test prep time will significantly roll back testing. In reality, it does nothing to reduce standardized testing time for 3rd through 8th grade students.

January 21, 2015

New Yorkers Call for an Immediate Independent Investigation of Governor Cuomo  for Unconstitutional Interference in Education Policy & Violations of NY State Public Officer Ethics Law

NYSAPE writes

In the months leading up to today’s address, Cuomo has made it clear his agenda, and that of his backers, is to assume control of education in New York, going so far as to call local control of democratically governed schools a "monopoly" that must be broken up.  The governor has also vowed to expand the growth of privately owned and operated charter schools, schools that are not beholden to public oversight.

To get a full list of their press releases which offer an extensive history of Cuomo HAS DONE to children and teachers go here https://www.nysape.org/eventspressletters.html    

I have also written about Cuomo here and highlight how he continues to call our school failures despite the fact that many children are succeeding!  Read more here.

Cuomo Fails the Children of NYS

http://badassteachers.blogspot.com/2015/02/cuomo-fails-children-of-new-york-state_56.html

Let’s take a look at what Cuomo has said about education and teachers over the years.

Remember he has been a supporter of  unregulated charter schools that suck money away from public education.  He uses the “failing school” narrative of the Republicans, and feels that teachers don’t represent their students when they advocate.  

From the Washington Post   (2014)

Cuomo said that if he is re-elected, he would work hard to bust up “one of the only remaining public monopolies,” he said, referring to public education, and said that he likes charter schools because they introduce competition into the K-12 education world. He also said he wants to change teacher evaluation systems to increase more incentives and more sanctions in order to “make it a more rigorous evaluation system.” He was quoted as saying:

“I believe these kinds of changes are probably the single best thing that I can do as governor that’s going to matter long-term to break what is in essence one of the only remaining public monopolies — and that’s what this is, it’s a public monopoly.”

And he said:

“The teachers don’t want to do the evaluations and they don’t want to do rigorous evaluations — I get it. I feel exactly opposite.”

From LOHUD on teacher evaluations that HE created  (2015)

"They're baloney," he said. "How can 38 percent of students be ready and 98 percent of the teachers rated effective? The problem is clear. We need real, fair, accurate teacher evaluations."

From Daily News (2015) - Cuomo responding to a NY Teacher who said that he represents his students.

“No, you don’t,” Cuomo said he told the person. “You represent the teachers. Teacher salaries, teacher pensions, teacher tenure, teacher vacation rights. I respect that. But don’t say you represent the students.”

From On the Issues  (2010)   Cuomo Doubles the Charter Cap

“New York must be the leader when it comes to education reform. This starts with the increasing the charter school cap from 200 to 460. But increasing the cap won't result in more charter schools if we too tightly restrict where they can be located or how they can be approved. We believe that public review and consultation are important--especially when charter schools will be co-located with traditional public schools--but this cannot become a poison pill that prevents opening new charter schools. As Governor, Andrew Cuomo will also oppose arbitrarily limiting the number of charter schools that can operate in a school district. And because SUNY has done a good job in approving and monitoring charter schools, we should continue to allow SUNY to have shared authority for approving charter schools with the Board of Regents. As a strong supporter of charter schools, Andrew Cuomo understands how important it is to retain high standards and strong accountability.”

Cuomo threatening schools that if they don’t adopt his punitive evaluation, he will withhold money in On the Issues  (2013)

“We started last year a teacher evaluation system, after years and years and years of dallying and opposition and lack of progress, we said last year we agreed on an evaluation system and then we said to the school districts across the state, we want you to adopt it, we want you to adopt it by the end of the year, and if you don't, you're not going to get the increase of 4% that we promised in the budget. Well my friends, the 4% agreement worked; 99% of the school districts have submitted a teacher evaluation test already ahead of the deadline, congratulations. We want to keep it going; more than 90% of the plans that have come in last only for one year. We want to keep in the model that in order to get the additional aid, you have to continue the evaluation process.”

Cuomo on turning “failing schools” into charter schools in On the Issues  (2016)

“Let's transform every failing school in the state of New York into a community school. Our charter schools are public schools and serve some of our neediest students--more than 100,000 of them all across the state. Charters are an important option for parents in communities with failing schools and provide education laboratories. On average, charters are half the cost of public schools. They are an important component of our system and we continue to encourage their development in this budget.”

Cuomo is a supporter of choice programs, like Betsy DeVos.  On the Issues (2015)

“Proposals #49 & 50: Pass the $100 million Education Tax Credit for public and private scholarships to promote choice in education.”

Teachers remember this?

NYS Teachers, don’t fall for the Old Okeydoke .

In the coming weeks, Cuomo will  try to position himself  as our savior.  He has been, and will continue to be anything but a savior for teachers, children, and parents.  There is currently a bill in the Assembly to end using student test scores on teacher evaluations.  It is NOT a full repeal of this punitive system but here is my prediction:  The Senate will pass it, and Cuomo will support it. 

Here are the issues I have with the language in the Assembly bill on APPR (crediting Deborah Abramson Brooks)

"Notwithstanding any other provision of law, rule or regulation
4 to the contrary, the grades three through eight English language arts
5 and mathematics state assessments and all other state-created or admin-
6 istered tests shall not be required to be utilized in any manner to
7 determine a teacher or principal evaluation required by this section."

"shall not be required to be utilized in any manner" should be
"shall not be utilized in any manner." 

The current language leaves it open for districts to use tests and the other language would not allow that. The bill also does not include K-2 testing and needs to be in there.  

Keep in mind teachers, parents, students, and education advocates have been fighting for YEARS to get all of this overturned.  We have testified, made trips to Albany to meet with lawmakers, we have met with lawmakers in their home office, we have protested, we have opted our children out of testing, we have sent hundreds of thousands of emails, we have submitted input via NYSEDs ridiculous surveys - FOR YEARS and all we have heard is crickets.

Crickets as teachers were humiliated

Crickets as students suffered through unfair testing

Crickets as over 20% of parents refused to allow the state to test their children, recognizing that their children were being set up to fail.   

Crickets as advocates took to the street to demand fair and equitable funding

Teachers, DO NOT forget all that he has done.  The countless children who have had their education ruined by a test and punish agenda and by under funding.  The countless teachers who have been humiliated by an evaluation system created by Governor Cuomo that one NYS Supreme Court judge ruled  “capricious and arbitrary.”

Don’t forget that he continues to refuse to restore much-needed Foundation Aid for our schools and children.  Read this incredible report by AQE called Alternative Facts & Historical Fiction: Fact Checking Governor Cuomo on School Aid

He continues to under fund public education - PERIOD!

Teachers don’t fall for the Old Okeydoke!

We have a chance this primary season to vote for a true progressive.  Cynthia Nixon has been in education advocacy for the last 17 years and is a spokesperson and organizer for the Alliance for Quality Education.  She has been honored for her work in educational and racial justice. 

We have a chance on September 13, 2018, to show politicians that they don’t get to beat us up, beat up the children we teach, and then think we will change our minds when they throw us a crumb.

We have a chance on September 13, 2018 to show politicians we won’t fall for the Old Okeydoke.

We have a chance to put a true progressive into the Governor's mansion who will fight for all of us.

We have a chance to show the nation that teachers. like our brothers and sisters who have taken to the street in Arizona, Colorado, West Virginia, and Kentucky, are DONE being abused and taken advantage of. 

To learn more about Cynthia Nixon go here https://cynthiafornewyork.com/meet-cynthia/

Join me as an Educator for Cynthia - sign up here   https://actionnetwork.org/forms/educators-for-cynthia

**This essay is my own  opinion and not those of The Badass Teachers Association or NY BAT. As well these views do not NECESSARILY reflect those of BATs.**

You can follow Marla Kilfoyle on twitter @marla_kilfoyle 

Marla Kilfoyle Will Step Down as Executive Director of The Badass Teachers Association

The Badass Teachers Association, a national grassroots education activist organization with over 300,000 in our network would like to announce that Executive Director Marla Kilfoyle will not be seeking another term as Executive Director. Marla has led The Badass Teachers for two years as the General Manager (June 2013 to July 2015) and as non-profit Executive Director for three years (July 2015 to current).

Marla Kilfoyle, Executive Director - The Badass Teachers Association 

"It has been an honor to work with such an amazing team, to meet such incredible people through this work, but most of all to be part of a strong organization that has provided educators a vehicle to speak out and speak up. I look forward to helping the Board of Directors search for a new Executive Director to lead BATs into the future and remaining as an ex-officio in the organization." ~Marla Kilfoyle, Executive Director - The Badass Teachers Association

"Marla Kilfoyle has been steadfast in her commitment to BATs and the BAT mission over the past five years. She is someone that will never be replaced. We hope to find an Executive Director willing to step up to move BATs forward as we continue to grow." ~Melissa Tomlinson, Asst. Executive Director The Badass Teachers Association

"It has been an honor and a privilege to work with Marla Kilfoyle. As Executive Director she helped make the Badass Teachers Association the powerhouse force for education advocacy that it is. No one is more dedicated to our children, our teachers and our schools. Though I am personally sad to see her give up the reins, I am also humbled by her dedication to the organization and its future. BATS is bigger than any one person. I look forward to continuing the fight against corporate education reform with Marla and the tens of thousands of BATS nationwide and worldwide." ~Steven Singer, Co-Director BATs Blogging and Research

"Marla has been the powerhouse and heart behind the action and outreach of the BATs organization for almost 5 years of amazing growth. We are indebted to her for her vision and focus to get things done. We looked forward to welcoming her tireless energy as she transitions to a new role in BATs." ~Priscilla Sanstead, Board of Director Member

" I do not know a single person in either my professional or personal life who demonstrates such commitment and unbelievable competence as Marla Kilfoyle. Without her, there would be no BATs. Her legacy will continue on in BATs. It has been such an honor to witness such a tireless fighter for public education." ~Tina Andres, Co-Director BATs Action Team

"Marla's commitment to BATs has been nothing short of extraordinary. We are fortunate indeed to have had such a person at the helm as Marla Kilfoyle. It has been an honor to work with her. Although she will no longer be our Executive Director we can rest assured her commitment to the organization will be unwavering and her support for the rest of us unflagging."~Wilma de Soto, Board of Director Member

The Board of Directors and Steering Committee Directors will be initiating a search for a new Executive Director from April 16-27 and will be voting on a new Executive Director on May 3rd. For questions please contact Marla Kilfoyle or Melissa Tomlinson at contact.batmanager@gmail.com.

                                                                                   ###

Want to Know How to Beat the Billionaires Trying to Destroy Public Education?  Stay in the Union!!

By:  Marla Kilfoyle, Executive Director - The Badass Teachers Association and Melissa Tomlinson, Asst. Executive Director - The Badass Teachers Association

In late February the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the Janus vs. AFSCME case. 

If you do not already know what this case is about, to put it bluntly: Janus is Friedrichs 2.0 and seeks to end mandatory agency fees (union dues) for unions. Janus, like Friedrichs, is an attempt to defund our unions so that they cannot operate.  

What does this mean in practice?  Currently, some unions have what are called agency fees.  Agency fees are a fancy word for union dues. Sometimes we feel it is best to explain this in the context of what it means for us as union members. Many union members belong to, for example, the AFT/NEA/NYSUT and a local. Teachers can pay  to belong to the national, state, and local union. The payment is usually done as a paycheck deduction. 

 

Here is what that affords a teacher at the local level: 

It gives you trained representation if you have to go into administration for anything disciplinary.

It gives you a trained team that negotiates a contract for all members so that individual members don’t have to go in and negotiate their own contract. 

It gives you a trained team that will file grievances for you if you feel that you have been wronged in the workplace. 

It gives you peace of mind, via a solid work contract, that your employer is not going to take advantage of you. 

It gives you a team that negotiates a wage in which we you live and pay our bills.

It gives you a team that negotiates your medical and dental benefits.

 

It gives you a team that negotiates conditions that benefit the children we teach (like extra help hours and Back to School Nights). 

The bottom line is that the trained representatives  that work for us as a union members are trained by the state and national unions to work on behalf of members. The training of representatives takes time and money. Representatives also get compensation for their time as they work for members outside the school day. Most union representatives, specifically officers work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. They should be compensated by members for their expertise, training, and time. 

History of the Billionaire Attack on Public Education

and Public School Teachers

The attack on public education and public education unions is rooted, we believe, in the attempt to silence teachers who are outspoken about a plethora of social issues. Teachers and their unions are at the forefront of advocating for all children in our schools (disabled students, students in  poverty,  LGBTQ students, students of color). Teachers have historically backed the Democratic party with both their votes and money because the party believed (notice the “ed”) in the promise of public education and historically supported the teaching profession.  

We believe that is no longer true.  

The attack on public education, public school teachers, and our unions is an attack that is bipartisan. Right wing conservative billionaires and neoliberal billionaires buy off politicians we elect to administer a one-two punch to public education, public school teachers, and our unions.  They attack us for  different reasons, but they believe in many of the same things.  In many cases, you will see large cross-over where they will work together to strip teachers of tenure, close schools, and support public school privatization. We don’t want to get into the weeds too much on this but want to present some examples for you.  

The Attack from the Right

The Koch Brothers own Koch Industries. It is the second largest privately held company in the U.S. They make significant contributions to libertarian and conservative think tanks. They plan to spend $889 million on candidates running for office and have donated over $100 million to advocate for free-market initiatives. They are responsible for Scott Walker and Mitt Romney.  They are responsible for funding the stripping of due process rights from teachers in Kansas and other states. The Koch Brothers are public enemy #1 to teachers, our unions, and public school children. One of the  most detrimental things they fund is the National Right to Work Committee (NRTWC).

What does right to work mean?

It means a right to be fired at will and the existence of no unions to protect worker rights. The NRTWC has been a national leader in the effort to destroy public and private sector unions by pushing to  make us a Right to Work nation. Currently, there are 28 states that are Right to Work. Unionized workers eat into their profits and also don’t, for the most part, support their political agenda. The Koch Brothers are heavily connected with NRTWC and give them tons of dollars. Since 1999 the NRTWC has pressured Congress to pass a National Right to Work Act. Senators like Rand Paul have sponsored this legislation and received over $27,000 in campaign contributions from the NRTWC. One of the most prominent arms of their attack on public sector workers and public schools is the Freedom Foundation. The Koch Brothers with their Freedom Foundation have led the fight to attack unions and teachers in this country. They have financed Rebecca Friedrichs to the Supreme Court, and they are currently financing Mark Janus in their attempts to destroy unions in this country.

The Mercer Family are the second group aligned with the right that is going after public education and public school teachers. They have donated generously to the Koch Brothers Freedom Partners Action Fund.  In NY, the Mercer’s fund, Reclaim NY, is an astroturf group that pretends to be about reducing government but instead seems to be pushing Mercer's far-right agenda. One man who went undercover to a training with Reclaim New York writes, “Reclaim New York achieves, or at least sets out to achieve, Steven Bannon’s goals. It takes advantage of people who want to become involved in grassroots activism. It lures them in with an opportunity to file FOIL requests, and then uses laws that were meant to hold government accountable to undermine those very governments.”  Reclaim NY PAC often backs candidates in NY that are anti-public education, anti-union, and pro-privatization.  Reclaim NY PAC, backed by Mercer, is also one of the strongest supporters of charter schools in NY.   

We can also count the current education secretary as one of the billionaires hoping to destroy public education and teacher unions. In November of 2016, Betsy DeVos was confirmed as the new Secretary of Education. Her appointment hearings were controversial and exposed a woman who had no business taking over the responsibility for public education in this country. DeVos, who is part of the Amway fortune, has never attended public school and her children have never attended public school. She has been a strong supporter (both financially and personally) of school choice. DeVos has an over three-decade history of attempting to get rid of public education. She waged war on Michigan public schools, and the impact is still felt today.  Jonathan Pelto writes in The Hill, “DeVos and her allies have found someone who will champion the cause of shifting massive public resources away from the nation’s public schools to subsidize the country’s private and parochial schools. Critics say that DeVos’ voucher plan would exacerbate educational inequality, that "voucher programs do not work to improve student achievement, and voucher programs and charter school expansion drain both money and social capital from the traditional public schools, creating even more of an imbalanced, two-tiered system.” DeVos was able to turn the state of Michigan into a Right to Work state with her large volumes of cash and influence. Matt Lavonis reported, “Michigan went right-to-work in 2012, thanks to legislation that was ushered into the former cradle of industrial unionism via the DeVos’ trademark combo of political arm- twisting and largesse.  Another DeVos-inspired law made it illegal for employers, including school districts, to process union dues, while simultaneously making it easier for corporations to deduct PAC money from employee paychecks. This summer the DeVoses succeeded in driving a final nail into the MEA’s coffin. The GOP-controlled legislature essentially eliminated pensions, among the last tangible benefits that teachers in Michigan receive from their unions. The union leaders I spoke to when I traveled through the state last year, reporting on DeVos’ education legacy, were candid about the increasingly precarious state of their organizations. But far worse lies ahead.”

The above examples only scratch the surface of what the “right” has attempted to do to public sector unions and to public education.  We wanted to make sure that the understanding of this was clear to those who chose to read this piece.  If we were to include the entire “right wing” web that is looking to destroy unions in this country this essay would be at least forty pages long! We do want to make a final note-with the impending Janus case coming, Koch funded groups could be knocking at your door and asking you to leave the union and join a fake union that will just offer you liability insurance. Our advice, decline and shut your door. Don't fall victim to the Koch brothers!

The Attack from the Left

Leading the charge from the left to dismantle public education and teacher unions are the Broad Foundation and The Democrats for Education Reform. Eli Broad is worth $7.3 billion.  Broad uses this money to fund lawsuits that attack teacher tenure and teacher unions. Broad helped to fund  Bain v. California Teachers Association which was the first incarnation of Friedrichs v. CTA and the current Janus case which seeks to end members paying mandatory union dues.  What this means is that in states that are not right to work people are allowed to unionize. In most of those states union members have to pay union dues (agency fees). In doing so, the union has elected leaders who act as the sole representative for the body (members) in a variety of things like negotiation of contracts, district meetings, and other work-related issues.  The Broad funded Bain case, again, sought to defund the unions by taking away mandatory union dues which would dimish the funding stream that unions need to stay in business.    

Perhaps the most insidious group that claims to be on the left are The Democrats for Education Reform.  We wrote about them in 2014:

“Another self-proclaimed progressive group is Democrats for Education Reform, a front for Republicans and corporate interests.  In 2014, DFER financed candidates in elections that sought to close public schools.  DFER supports the agenda of punishing children with High Stakes Testing, blaming teachers for "failing" schools, attacks teachers right to due process, and doesn’t seem to support providing equitable educational funding to help children. They are secretly funded by billionaire Eli Broad and many other hedge funders.   It is clear that the education agenda of the self-proclaimed Progressives has been, as Diane Ravitch writes, "to transfer  public funds to private management and the creation of thousands of deregulated, unsupervised, and unaccountable schools that have opened the public coffers to profiteering, fraud, and exploitation by large and small entrepreneurs."  This doesn't seem to be forward movement for children or education.   It sure seems like forward movement for the self-proclaimed progressives to make more money off the backs of our children and their public education.”  

Noted education researcher Julian Vasquez Heilig highlights from  The Nation in his article “You be the Judge: Are the @DFER_News Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing?”

“ DFER was increasingly anti-educator and more focused on privatizing education: “…DFER’s endgame has little to do with learning and everything to do with marginalizing public-sector unionized workers and bringing down the cost of taxes for social programs and… creating new business and investment opportunities in areas that are still publicly run…”

Finally, Sarah Lahm notes in Alternet, “With Neil Gorsuch now seated on the United States Supreme Court, the right-wing seems poised to realize its forever goal of dismantling labor unions. But conservatives aren’t the only ones anticipating the last days of public sector unions.  Challenging teachers’ job protections via “impact litigation” is an increasingly mainstream cause, drawing Democratic super lawyer David Boies, and high-profile Obama alums like Robert Gibbs and Ben Labolt. Now an education reform organization led by prominent Democratic party fundraiser Jonathan Sackler is stepping up efforts to reign in unions via the courts.”

Democrats for Education Reform are a front group for hedge fund billionaires who seek to push for privatization of public education. Standing in their way....unionized teachers who have a voice! In fact, in one case in California, DFER leader Gloria Romero led the attack on teacher unions in California and had some shady connections with the Koch Brothers.  

What does Janus Mean in Plain English

Mark Janus is a child-support specialist with the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services in Springfield.  His union is the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Workers (AFSCME) - Council 31.  Janus feels that his rights are violated because as part of his employment he feels he should not have to pay dues (agency fees) to a union whose mission he does not support.  His case has made it up through the state courts and is now at the foot of the Supreme Court.  Let’s not forget that it has gotten to the Supreme Court with the help of Gov. Rauner (a very anti-public education and anti-teacher union governor) as well as the Koch funded Freedom Foundation. Please don’t think for one minute that Mark Janus has financed this all by himself.   

How do we Beat the Billionaires?

First, let us address the elephant in the room. We know that there are disgruntled teacher union members out there. Some are angry because they did not like the early endorsement of Hillary by the AFT or NEA. Some are angry because they feel like the unions were not there for them when they needed them. Some are angry because they feel that leaders have compromised too much for a seat at the table. Some are angry because there is just no pleasing them. Some people are pleased with their unions and support them.  

Whatever the case may be at the end of the day, if workers leave the union they not only hurt themselves, they also hurt their co-workers, their schools, their students, and their community. In schools, children will feel the impact if a school loses its union (if a union falls under 51% membership a union can face the possibility of becoming decertified), and in return, the community would suffer.  

Noted education historian Diane Ravitch blogged about a study conducted by Midland and Rowell on what happened to Wisconsin schools and teachers when they lost their union:  “This issue brief examines the impact of the law on Wisconsin’s K-12 public education system and state economy. While this brief focuses on Act 10’s impact on Wisconsin teachers based on the data available, the same forces driving changes in the teaching workforce can also affect the broader public sector. Proponents of Act 10 insisted that reducing collective bargaining rights for teachers would improve education by eliminating job protections such as tenure and seniority-based salary increases. As Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) argued, ‘We no longer have seniority or tenure. That means we can hire and fire based on merit, we can pay based on performance. That means we can put the best and the brightest in our classrooms and we can pay them to be there.’ However, the facts suggest that Act 10 has not had its promised positive impact on educational quality in the state. Teachers have lower pay, lower pension and health insurance benefits. There is more turnover as teachers move from one district to another seeking higher pay. Act 10 had its intended effect of smashing unions, which represented 14.1% of workers in 2011, but only 9% now.”

As BATs noted in our Amicus Brief to the Supreme Court for the Friedrichs vs. CTA case:

“Without the ability to effectively engage in collective bargaining, individual teachers will be left voiceless in protecting their livelihoods, the learning environments of their students, and the future of public education. Amici, therefore, appeal to this Court to reaffirm long-established precedent which fairly and properly balances competing interests.”

So how do we beat the billionaires and politicians trying to destroy our union who exist ON BOTH SIDES OF THE POLITICAL AISLE?

STAY IN YOUR UNION!

If you are disgruntled or disagree with your union - run for office.

Put yourself in a position to make policy decisions.  

If running for office is not in your wheelhouse, it is fine to disagree (privately or publicly) with your elected union leaders.  Many union members do and either write blogs or create caucuses within the union.  We have to exit the mindset that everyone has to agree.  We have to get into the mindset that questioning our elected leaders is a healthy thing.  

Often we hear the claim that our unions should not be so political and should just be concerned about education. We refute this claim because regulatory guidelines and decision-making for our public school systems are done by politicians and political appointees, at the state and federal levels. These people do not always have the best interest of the student in mind when making these decisions!! We need our unions to work IN POLITICS to protect the interests of children, schools, and teachers.

Politicians not the adults that are in the schools on a daily basis, seeing what our students face, knowing how these decisions affect education. Many politicians are influenced by corporate lobbyists, funded think tank policy papers, and hidden agendas that see our schools as dollar signs.

Only by presenting a united front of people, can we even begin to compete against that type of money and influence.

Some educators criticize the union for the social justice narrative that has been guiding policy and decision making. It is important to remember that the decision to take up the mantle of social justice stemmed from the voice of rank and file members. Meaning that you or your peers put forth a call to action and democratic votes which occurred on the floor of the annual Representative Assembly.

Don’t care for the direction that our union is taking? You have a voice to make change the same way. But to do that, you must be a member of the union.

If you feel the union has wronged you in some way, leaving will only hurt your co-workers, and most importantly the children in our schools.  

By being angry and stomping off with your union card you allow only billionaires and the politicians they have bought off the win!

In the end that will come back to hurt YOU but most importantly the children YOU teach!

Want to #BeatTheBillionaires ??

Stay #UnionStrong.