About a year ago, on February 14,2018, 17 innocent students and staff members lost their lives in a senseless and tragic shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Out of that shooting came a gun control conversation and movement that has forced us to look at measures to keep our schools safe and secure. The leaders of the movement are the teenage survivors who refuse to be silenced. Their message? Stop putting Band-Aids on the problem.
It will take serious reform to stop gun violence. Assault weapons are weapons of war and do not belong in the hands of civilians. Strict background checks must be enforced. Voters need to consider voting out the candidates who take funding from the NRA and turn a blind eye to much needed gun reform. Teachers and other school personnel should only be armed with the tools and resources to advance learning. They should not be armed with guns.
On March 24, 2018, hundreds of OCCTA members attended the march against gun violence in Orlando that was led by UCF students. I joined OCCTA members, and hundreds of thousands of protesters calling for an end to gun violence at the March for Our Lives demonstration in Washington, DC. As I listened to the words of students Emma Gonzalez, Cameron Gasky, and David Hogg, I was taken back to another time when youth demanded an end to violence and the Viet Nam War. Not since then can I remember seeing such a well-organized grass roots political force that was led by youth. It gives me hope. When students are conducting the lessons, teachers know that they have succeeded. When students are leading a movement, we know our future is promising.
Last year we saw some legislation regarding school safety and gun laws, including the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas Bill, S.B. 7026. It seems lawmakers are focused on turning Florida’s schools into fortresses rather than addressing the root of the problem by enacting stricter gun control laws.
Last week in the U.S. House, H.B. 8 was discussed at a judiciary hearing. This bill would strengthen backgrounds checks and regulate the transfer and sale of guns. On the other hand, a proposed Florida Senate bill, SPB 3070, also introduced last week, would expand the controversial program to arm school personnel. It contains a provision to arm teachers. (Yes, it’s back.) It also calls for hiring security guards from private companies and linking districts’ safety initiatives and adherence to policies to the state’s school grades.
Will children ever be safe in schools if we do not address the problem? Probably not. The United States leads the world in gun ownership, gun deaths and number of mass shootings.(Link here) We can turn our schools into fortresses, but then we have to ask, “Will our children be safe in malls, movie theaters, parks or walking home from school as long as we fail to enact stricter gun regulations?”
Broward Teachers Union President Anna Fusco sent a message to the Florida’s local Presidents to share with their members as we mark this anniversary:
Dear FEA colleagues,
This isn’t going to be easy for us. February 14th will mark the one-year anniversary of the day that our lives changed forever. On this day, after the shock and horror, we began grieving for our students and colleagues who lost their lives in the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
I like to think that our 17 fallen Eagles started their day with hope and with love … that they felt surrounded by the love of their families and friends. I feel strongly that it is our duty to honor them and to keep their hope and love alive. Next Thursday will be a very difficult day for our families and our community. Many of you have asked how you can best show your support for our community. Please join BTU in honoring their lives with simple acts of kindness on that day.
Here are three things you and your members can do:
1) Commit some of your time to community service. That could mean that, after school, you and your friends head over to your community’s food bank or visit a local charity and donate time in honor of MSD.
2) Show your support on social media by changing your profile picture to the graphic in this newsletter. (Link is here)
3) Show your solidarity with those affected by the tragedy by writing #MSDStrong on a sheet of paper, taking a selfie with it and posting it to social media. To go along with your post, write a message letting the Parkland families know you will never forget.
Whatever you do, thank you. Small acts of kindness mean so much in times like these. Knowing our union family supports us is an incredible power that sustains us even in the most difficult times.
In Unity,
Anna Fusco President, Broward Teachers Union
__________________
At today’s AR Council meeting, ARs will receive burgundy and silver ribbons, which represent Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School’s school colors. Every OCCTA member can wear burgundy and silver on February 14th to stand in solidarity with MSD, Parkland and the Broward Teachers Union. I also encourage members to engage in community service, as Anna requested. As a former service learning and social justice teacher, I know that giving to members of the community is a beautiful way to honor those who are no longer with us.
The big news last week was the Executive Order that Governor DeSantis issued to eliminate Common Core. Common Core was a nationwide plan that was adopted in Florida in 2014 and renamed Florida Standards.
The Florida Standards was the impetus for the testing madness that has extinguished the joy of learning. Students are viewed as test scores for data purposes, school grades, and teacher merit pay. In this push to ensure students meet standards, teachers are expected to teach to the test and put up with the intrusive and unnecessary micromanagement and constant observation. Whatever this new system may be, let’s hope it is one in which students are excited to go to school every day because learning is fun and purposeful.
In the current system, too many teachers are instructed to address the same standards, on the same day, in the same way. They are directed to teach automated lessons using CRMs, to use common assessments and to spend hours comparing student data. This rigid system is a major factor in loss of teacher autonomy. It also has contributed to the exodus of teachers from OCPS and the profession. Whatever this new system will be, may it be one where teachers are again respected as professional experts and are given the autonomy to teach.
With this big news comes big questions. What system will replace this rigid system? Where will the money to produce all new curriculum, professional development training, and assessments come from? How will the change impact students and educators? Will educators and parents have a seat at the table in drafting a new system? Is there a corporation waiting in the shadows to profit off of this new system?
OCCTA has always stated that the standards should be seen as goals and guidelines rather than restrictive mandates. Hands on lessons, interactive creative lessons and lessons that can be connected to future jobs or the real world make learning exciting, understandable and fun. In the pursuit to teach the standards for the sole purpose of raising test scores some best practices have been left in the dust.
This is the 31st day of the government shutdown, which is now the longest shutdown in our nation’s history. The labor movement is not just fighting to reopen the government, but is helping federal workers who are going without paychecks.
The Central Florida AFL-CIO has set up a donation drop-off location for government employees affected by the shutdown. Requested items include non-perishable and canned food, toiletries, diapers, wipes, formula and paper goods. You can donate items Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM at Unite Here Local 362, 1255 La Quinta Drive, Suite 212, Orlando, FL 32809. If you have any questions, you can contact their Field Representative, Billy Lawson at wlawson@flaflcio.org.
I had the opportunity to talk to two TSA agents at the Orlando Airport on Saturday. They have been working without pay for a month. Like many of the TSA agents, they have families they are supporting and they need help. Although they are not allowed to accept monetary donations, they said they need gas to get to and from work. They can accept gas cards if they are donated through the manager’s office or at drop off locations. Donationsof food items and gas cards can also be dropped off from 9-11 a.m. and 6-8 p.m. at the valet area on the departure level of Terminal A at the Orlando Airport.
Before the Women’s March, I attended the “Stop the Shutdown Rally” at the AFL-CIO headquarters with union members from across the country. We heard from union leaders whose members are affected by the shutdown, including leaders from the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), and the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW). Representatives from other unions, including the AFT, spoke of the economic crisis that the shutdown has created for federal employees, their families and the nation.
Federal workers have now gone without pay for two pay periods. They are having to choose between buying food and buying medicine. Some are delinquent on their mortgage and loan payments. Others cannot afford to pay for daycare while they continue to work without pay. You can call your senators at this link to urge that they vote to reopen the government.
With AFT and LCLAA staff and friends at the Women's March.
OCCTA members and staff getting ready for the MLK Parade
On Saturday OCCTA members participated in the MLK Parade in Orlando to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and to support his vision for public education.
What did Dr. King say about education? In 1964, when he accepted the John Dewey Award from the United Federation of Teachers he said, “The richest nation on Earth has never allocated enough resources to build sufficient schools, to compensate adequately its teachers, and to surround them with the prestige our work justifies. We squander funds on highways, on the frenetic pursuit of recreation, on the overabundance of overkill armament, but we pauperize education.”
Today this sentiment still rings true. It is a matter of conscious choice that policy makers are under-funding public schools. Millions of tax payer dollars are diverted through voucher schemes to unaccountable private schools and corporate-backed charter schools. In Florida there is a deliberate effort to destroy our neighborhood public schools that serve 90% of our state’s students.
Florida leads the nation as a wrecking ball for public schools. In 1999, the Florida Legislature approved the nation’s first statewide school voucher program that included Governor Jeb Bush’s A-F school grading system. Since then, additional voucher schemes have been enacted, including the McKay Scholarship, Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program, Gardiner Scholarship and the Hope Scholarship. The Network for Public Education (NPE) rated “each state’s democratic commitment to their public school students and their public schools, by holding it accountable for abandoning civil rights protections, transparency, accountability and adequate funding in a quest for ‘private’ alternatives.” Florida score: Overall grade – F, Charter School Grade – F and Voucher Grade – F. (Download the report at this link.)
One reason Dr. King likely would not support vouchers if he were alive today is that the private and charter schools are exempt from some civil rights laws that public schools must follow, including Title VI and Title IX. Additionally, students with special needs who use vouchers lose many rights granted by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and may not have the protection of an individualized education plan.
An article from Common Dreams, Public Schools Best Fulfill Dr. King’s “Purpose of Education” suggests that charter and private schools are discriminatory. Vouchers can harm students who are most in need. While public schools accept all students, private and charter schools can select which students they want to admit. They can deny entrance to students based on economic status, academic achievement, disabilities, English proficiency, immigration status, sexual orientation, or even gender.
Charter schools are publicly funded, but they are privately controlled. Lack of accountability and transparency has resulted in fraud, corruption, and school closures as reported by the Orlando Sentinel in article after article of their “Schools Without Rules” series. It was reported that Florida’s private schools rake in over $1 billion with little oversight, accountability or transparency. Voucher schemes are starving our public schools and depriving them of the tools and resources that are essential to ensure student success.
Vouchers increase education costs by creating a dual education system in which taxpayers must support both the accountable public school system and the unaccountable private school system. As more funding and resources are drained from public schools, a quality education for every student, regardless of zip code, becomes less achievable. By passing an education budget that increased per student spending to a mere 47 cents per student, Tallahassee lawmakers knowingly contributed to public schools’ struggle. Financial starvation of public schools allows those wanting to profit off the backs of children to speed along the process to privatize public schools.
It’s National School Choice Week this week, so expect to hear a lot of hype about school choice. Take time to arm yourself with facts to stand up for neighborhood public schools and stand against voucher schemes that destabilize and defund them. Two helpful articles are: NEA Five Talking Points on Vouchers and AFT Private School Vouchers Don’t Help Kids.
Public schools are the cornerstone of our democracy. Instead of defunding public schools, we must invest in public education as if Florida’s future depends on it because it does. Florida’s children deserve no less. Fund our future!
"No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
By the time I was in high school, I was no longer watching the scenes from the television, but was living them as I demonstrated for civil rights, women’s rights, equality and peace. A youth minister at my church advised me to channel my outrage with injustices and world events by helping others. He asked my parents for permission to take me to the Salvation Army in the North End of Hartford, CT to tutor inner-city students. I went with him every week for over a year.
After I learned to drive, I recruited friends to go there with me. While other teens waited for the weekend, I waited for Tuesday and Thursday evenings to go to the Salvation Army. It was the highlight of my week. I helped a group of junior high school boys with their English homework. They taught me about their lives, which was a world away from my own. I brought the boys cookies that I baked, books, and school supplies. They gave me gifts of poems that they wrote or drawings that they created. One young boy invited me to his nearby apartment to meet his mom.
The last night that I was ever at the Salvation Army was April 4, 1968. That night changed the direction of my life. The director came to the table where I was sitting with my students. I knew by his pained facial expression that something was terribly wrong. He said that we had to leave immediately. Dr. King had been shot and riots had broken out in the city.
I felt a sense of urgency to leave and at the same time a desire to stay with the students, as we were rushed to the car. The choice was not mine to make.
Our escape went well until we reached the first stop light. There a group of angry young men came out of the shadows to pound our turquoise Volkswagen Beetle that was decorated with peace signs and flower stickers. They rocked the car back and forth in an apparent attempt to overturn it with us inside. One enraged teenager threw an object that slammed into the back window. The red light was ignored, the accelerator was hit and the city was quickly behind us as a blurred memory of screaming voices, pounding fists, shattering glass and black smoke from the fires set by the angry rioters.
My parents never let me return to the Salvation Army, despite my tearful pleas. I agonized for months over the fact that I never had the chance to say goodbye to my students or to thank the director who told me that I would make a great teacher someday. My parents could keep me out of the North End of Hartford, but they could not stop me from traveling a path to fight for change and social justice. The death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was actually the birth of my social activism.
Many years and many protests later, in 1983, I boarded a bus with some religious leaders and friends to attend the twenty year anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, the "We Still Have A Dream March for Jobs, Peace and Freedom March on Washington." On the long bus drive from Connecticut to Washington, D.C., we discussed the ways that Dr. King's dream had not been fulfilled.
It is sad that over 50 years after the 1963 March on Washington and Dr. King's moving speech, we are still discussing the ways that Dr. King’s dream still has not been realized for many who live and work in the United States. In fact, if anything, the American Dream is even more out of reach for too many of our citizens.
King fought for civil, economic, political and human rights. He crusaded to end racism and discrimination and establish equality. King's civil rights movement was founded on the principle of nonviolence. These are the same themes that are at the heart of today's protests and campaigns.
Poverty
“The rich nations must use their vast resources of wealth to develop the underdeveloped, school the unschooled, and feed the unfed. Ultimately a great nation is a compassionate nation. No individual or nation can be great if it does not have a concern for ‘the least of these.”
Poverty is increasing and the middle class is disappearing. The divide between the haves and have nots is expanding. As educators each year we see more homeless students, more students on free and reduced lunch and more students who come to school hungry. Elected officials have passed legislation to increase the wealth of the richest and decrease the wealth of the poorest. We must reverse this trend.
Dr. King’s words spoken fifty-five years ago words ring true today– “There is nothing new about poverty. What is new, however, is that we now have the resources to get rid of it.”
Voting Rights
“Through the efforts of scope and a strong voting rights bill we are confident of breaking the shackles which so long have crippled the Negro’s advancement in the South. Our battle cry is “Let My People Vote.”
Dr. King campaigned tirelessly for disenfranchised African American citizens who were subjected to literacy tests, poll taxes and harassment when they tried to register to vote and is credited with getting the Voting Rights Act of 1965 passed.
Today there is still voter suppression as was seen in both Georgia and Florida’s mid-term elections. Still, in the last election, Florida voters also passed Amendment 4, which was a victory for not just over 1.4 million former disenfranchised felons who can now register to vote, but it was a victory for democracy. Also, hopeful is the fact that twenty Florida counties had referendums for tax increases to fund public schools. All twenty passed, which should send a message to lawmakers that the voters value public education and voted to fund Florida’s future.
Discrimination
“Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away, and that in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.”
Inequality and discrimination have made a resurgence in recent years. Innocent people have been shot by police officers, not because they committed a crime, but because of the color of their skin. Discriminatory legislation such as the anti-immigrant laws that target Muslims, asylum seekers and immigrants mirror the unjust and racist Black Codes of the post-Civil War era. They mock our constitution and the principles upon which our country was founded. Instead of advancing our country forward, these un-American laws take us backwards towards Jim Crow laws and times that shamed our nation –times that leaders of moral conscience like Dr. Martin Luther King worked to end.
As educators, we know that discrimination, inequality and racism have no place in our schools. Our school doors must remain open to every person regardless of their immigration status, religion, language, race, sexual orientation, gender identity or country of origin.
Nonviolence
“Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon, which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals.”
King's civil rights movement was founded on the principle of nonviolence. A gun took the life of Dr. King, just as guns take the lives of tens of thousands of Americans every year. Mass shootings in our nation’s schools have become commonplace. Yet, the notion of gun reform is dismissed as policy makers embrace the notion of arming teachers or making our schools fortresses.
It is time not just to speak about these issues and debate these issues, but to act upon them. We can honor Martin Luther King, Jr. every day by putting his words into action.
The Romans dedicated the month of January to Janus, the god of beginnings and transitions. He was also known as the god of gates, doors, doorways, endings, and time. Janus was said to look to the future and the past. It is a good time for our union to also look to the future and past.
Looking back, 2018 was a significant year in the history of OCCTA! By standing up against HB 7055 and the Janus ruling, our members recruited the most members ever recruited in any previous year, growing our numbers to the highest level ever reached. In September 2017 we had 6,460 members and today we have 7,608 members reflecting a growth of 1,148 members! We can reach more than 8,000 members this year if every member commits to recruiting just one new member.
Additionally, last year OCCTA reorganized to become an independent union, separating from the Service Unit Council. Under the restructuring plan, OCCTA has been able to focus its full attention and energy on member services, member advocacy and member empowerment.
OCCTA leaders and members worked tirelessly to get pro-student, pro-teacher and pro-public education candidates elected and we were certainly successful! The prevailing OCCTA and AFL-CIO endorsed candidates, included school board candidates Angie Gallo, District 1; Johanna Lopez, District 2; Linda Kobert, District 3; and Karen Castor Dentel, District 6. Every one of our state representative candidates were victorious - Anna Eskamani (HD 47), Amy Mercado (HD 48), Carlos Guillermo-Smith (HD 49) and Geraldine Thompson (HD 44). The three candidates we backed for the U.S House seats also won - U.S. Representatives Darren Soto (CD 9), Val Demings (CD 10), and Stephanie Murphy (CD 7).
Our Government Relations Committee sponsored a special Friend of Public Education awards ceremony to recognize the Florida House and Senate leaders who supported public education and OCCTA’s legislative platform. We also sponsored a Solidarity Picnic in August for members to get to know and interact with our endorsed candidates. As President, I am privileged to serve on Congresswoman Murphy’s Labor Advisory Board where I share the union's views on issues pertaining to students, teachers and public education. I look forward to working together with all local, state and national officials to move our agenda forward.
Last year, our union partnered with community organizations and AFL-CIO affiliates to promote important community social justice initiatives. In July 2018, Orlando made history as our City Commission voted unanimously to pass the Trust Act Policy, becoming the first southern city to do so. As president, I worked for 18 months with 36 other organizations of the Trust Coalition to meet with Orlando leaders, and raise awareness to make the passage of this Act a reality. OCCTA members participated in the Women’s March in January 2018 and the March For Our Lives protests in Washington, DC and Orlando in March 2018 to support women’s rights, gun reform and safe schools. I represented OCCTA speaking at the Awake the State Rally, and sat on two panels with state and federal legislators to address gun reform. I also gave numerous interviews on television and radio programs.
OCCTA’s Human and Civil Rights Committee sponsored four public documentary film screenings, partnering with the Global Peace Film Festival and WUCF PBS to bring awareness to social issues, including immigration, racial equality and the environment. Labor rights icon Delores Huerta joined us by phone to answer questions after the viewing of the film, Delores. OCCTA also contributed to the production of Let My People Go, a film that was screened at the Florida Film Festival, dedicated to promoting Amendment 4 .
OCCTA got our pro-public education message out to the community by participating in the Martin Luther King, Jr., Hispanic Heritage and Come Out With Pride parades.
In 2018, we also hosted three successful Action Summits for teachers, parents and school board members to bring attention to unacceptable working conditions, unpaid hours to complete mandated tasks and a punitive evaluation system. The summits were attended by school board members, the press and candidates.
Throughout the year, OCCTA members showed their generosity by donating time and resources to charitable initiatives. We supported victims of Hurricanes Maria and Michael. We welcomed teachers and students from Puerto Rico, donated books and backpacks for students and worked with Maestro Puerto Rico to assist Puerto Rican teachers with certification. We collected food for the Health Care Center for the Homeless and toys and gifts for the Hope Community Center to donate to migrant farmworker families.
Finally, we established a Professional Development Program (Sanford Inspire) with the in-service points being approved by the District. We also conducted a successful summer Association Representative training series to empower our ARs. NEA Benefits partnered with us to host workshops on Degrees Not Debt and the FRS Retirement system. We also sponsored workshops to help educate teachers on the evaluation system and appeals process.
Looking to the future. . .
In 2019, OCCTA will mark its 79th year since its founding . Let us work together to ensure that 2019 is a year we move forward together to strengthen public education, increase teachers’ salaries, and improve working conditions.
Despite claims that the state is responsible for teachers’ poor working conditions and salaries, we know that there are many changes that can be implemented locally to improve both. Salaries, planning time, workload, autonomy, and the evaluation system can, and must be improved to stop the exodus of teachers. OCPS teachers should be given the authority and time to create inspiring lessons, facilitate meaningful hands on activities that will bring joy back to the classroom. They must spend their time teaching, not compiling data to prove they are teaching.
Together we must fight back against those who are working to destabilize and divert much needed funds from our state’s public schools to unaccountable charters and private schools. Together we must stand strong against those who wish to decertify teacher unions, privatize public schools, and silence teachers’ voices.
Since we took a look back, let’s go way back. . .
I spent most of the Thanksgiving and winter breaks continuing to organize OCCTA files and archives. When I became President, I discovered that documents of all kinds had not been filed for years. Box upon box of unlabeled files were stored in helter-skelter fashion, filling an entire office space from floor to ceiling. It has taken over two years to move the files, sort through them, and get the majority of them filed. We are almost done!
While sorting through files, I came across some archives that are interesting treasures. They document the very beginnings of OCCTA and chronicle how far OCCTA has come since it was founded. Among archived files is a 1941 letter from the National Education Association congratulating Orange County Classroom Teachers Association on being the first county in Florida to establish a local classroom teachers’ association.
The first OCCTA board meeting chaired by President Patricia Pickard took place on April 22, 1941 in the auditorium of Memorial Junior High School. The dues were $.25 per year and were collected at schools by an assigned member or the principal. The October 1941 minutes reflected a decision to write to the Superintendent Judson B. Walker to request “a raise of at least 10% for the term 1941-1942 because living expenses have risen 13 percent.” At that time teachers made $1,200 annually.
Minutes and correspondence referenced WWII and related conditions. In an April 13, 1942 letter, J.R. Holbrook, the Chair of the School Board wrote, “We are in the worst war this country has ever known, let us work together and continue the splendid cooperation we have had in the past.”
Sprinkled throughout the union’s earliest archival papers are letters and receipts from Attorney George Palmer Garrett. In 1941 he accepted employment as the union’s attorney for a monthly $20 fee. Mr. Garrett’s son, George Palmer Garrett, was an acclaimed writer and poet who attended Delaney Grammar School and Cherokee Junior High School.
Among notable union members in 1944 were William R. Boone, whose summer address was listed as Peel Avenue and Roger A. Williams, Principal of Apopka High School. The January 27, 1947 board minutes reflected that 325 of 392 classroom teachers in Orange County were members of the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association.
A letter from FEA written on August 25, 1947 called for a “minimum salary of $200 per month for 12 months, with added increments for service and efficiency.” Among the early documents are copies of Western Union telegrams which were sent to the Florida Legislature urging legislators to pass bills favorable to teachers.
In the September 19, 1950 meeting minutes OCCTA President, Mrs. Maynard Evans, summarized survey responses. They included rejecting salaries based on principal evaluations, asking the school board for salary raises based on the cost of living increases, and putting OCCTA informational materials on bulletin boards. The slogan for the 1951 membership drive was “Be Strong, Belong!”
Truly amazing were archival letters and articles that describe the teaching profession. While much has changed in 74 years, so much has stayed the same.
One letter written by the OCCTA secretary 74 years ago to Mr. Cloudburst could have been written today. It says, in part:
“The average person is so inclined to look upon the teaching profession as a nice soft job, with short hours, one day off every week and a nice long summer vacation without ever realizing the years of preparation and expenditure of money necessary to obtain such a profession. Nor do they stop to think how difficult it would be to budget a nine months salary to make it stretch over twelve months. In fact, it would require an expert in financing to show us how it could be done – even to include the necessary living costs and continued professional advancement required – and we teachers have never felt we had the necessary surplus cash to secure such expert aid. Much benefit and breadth of vision might be obtained from an occasional tour to some foreign port, but for us that ambition remains a mere dream.
Probably more of us should have accepted the more remunerative jobs that have been ours to accept or reject, but, unfortunately teachers are cursed with a conscience, which tells us that we can best serve our country by helping maintain the educational standard for the youth of our Nation.”
Likewise, a November 1950 NEA publication could have been written today. It was devoted to the urgent need to raise teacher salaries. It read in part, “Thousands of teachers have left the profession for the higher wages paid by industries. Thousands of others see their students leaving high school and making better wages than teachers of long experience. . . The paycheck of the average factory worker is today at least 80 percent above the year 1939. . .meanwhile teachers’ salaries have increased an average of less than 10 percent.”
The first OCCTA board meeting chaired by President Patricia Pickard took place on April 22, 1941 in the auditorium of Memorial Junior High School. The dues were $.25 per year and were collected at schools by an assigned member or the principal. The October 1941 minutes reflected a decision to write to the Superintendent Judson B. Walker to request “a raise of at least 10% for the term 1941-1942 because living expenses have risen 13 percent.” At that time teachers made $1,200 annually.
Minutes and correspondence referenced WWII and related conditions. In an April 13, 1942 letter, J.R. Holbrook, the Chair of the School Board wrote, “We are in the worst war this country has ever known, let us work together and continue the splendid cooperation we have had in the past.”
Sprinkled throughout the union’s earliest archival papers are letters and receipts from Attorney George Palmer Garrett. In 1941 he accepted employment as the union’s attorney for a monthly $20 fee. Mr. Garrett’s son, George Palmer Garrett, was an acclaimed writer and poet who attended Delaney Grammar School and Cherokee Junior High School.
Among notable union members in 1944 were William R. Boone, whose summer address was listed as Peel Avenue, and Roger A. Williams, Principal of Apopka High School. The January 27, 1947 board minutes reflected that 325 of 392 classroom teachers in Orange County were members of the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association.
A letter from FEA written on August 25, 1947 called for a “minimum salary of $200 per month for 12 months, with added increments for service and efficiency.” Among the early documents are copies of Western Union telegrams which were sent to the Florida Legislature urging legislators to pass bills favorable to teachers.
In the September 19, 1950 meeting minutes OCCTA President, Mrs. Maynard Evans summarized survey responses. They included rejecting salaries based on principal evaluations, asking the school board for salary raises based on the cost of living increases, and putting OCCTA informational materials on bulletin boards. The slogan for the 1951 membership drive was “Be Strong, Belong!”
Truly amazing were archival letters and articles that describe the teaching profession. While much has changed in 74 years, so much has stayed the same.
One letter written by the OCCTA secretary 74 years ago, to Mr. Cloudburst who wrote an article on teachers’ salaries, could have been written today. It says in part:
“The average person is so inclined to look upon the teaching profession as a nice soft job, with short hours, one day off every week and a nice long summer vacation without ever realizing the years of preparation and expenditure of money necessary to obtain such a profession. Nor do they stop to think how difficult it would be to budget a nine months salary to make it stretch over twelve months. In fact, it would require an expert in financing to show us how it could be done – even to include the necessary living costs and continued professional advancement required – and we teachers have never felt we had the necessary surplus cash to secure such expert aid. Much benefit and breadth of vision might be obtained from an occasional tour to some foreign port, but for us that ambition remains a mere dream.
Probably more of us should have accepted the more remunerative jobs that have been ours to accept or reject, but, unfortunately teachers are cursed with a conscience, which tells us that we can best serve our country by helping maintain the educational standard for the youth of our Nation.”
Likewise, a November 1950 NEA publication could have been written today. It was devoted to the urgent need to raise teacher salaries. It read in part, “Thousands of teachers have left the profession for the higher wages paid by industries. Thousands of others see their students leaving high school and making better wages than teachers of long experience. . . The paycheck of the average factory worker is today at least 80 percent above the year 1939. . . meanwhile teachers’ salaries have increased an average of less than 10 percent.”
The Associated Press reported in March 1950 that the NEA estimated that the average teacher works 48 hours per week. The article mentioned that teacher workloads could be changed without more spending. Sound familiar?
The Associated Press reported in March 1950 that the NEA estimated that the average teacher works 48 hours per week. The article mentioned that teacher workloads could be changed without more spending. Sound familiar?
And still relevant today – The Post reported in 1944:
“Low pay is the paramount reason for the flight from teaching.”
“Teachers never get a chance to be spendthrifts. It is because when it comes to pay, teachers are the most underprivileged group among public servants.
“Today teaching is the most underpaid and under appreciated of the learned professions. . .and because many teachers feel that the conditions under which they must operate do not permit them to do a real job of teaching.”
We cannot wait another 74 years for teachers to be respected as professionals, to receive fair salaries and to have improved working conditions. As AFT President Randi Weingarten has said, “Now is a 'which side are you on' moment.” Now is the time to stand up, speak out and fight for our rights.
President Doromal and family at 2002 Tallahassee Gore-Bush protest
Public education was the victor in midterm elections nationwide, as Democrats took control of the U.S. House, which now has a 227-201 Democrat majority.
There were many “firsts” in the nationwide elections. More women were elected than ever before, and for the first time in our country’s history there will be 100 women in Congress. These include the first Muslim women and the first Native American women elected to Congress. At age 29, New York’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. Massachusetts elected their first African-American woman to Congress. Connecticut’s first African-American Congresswoman was also the 2016 National Teacher of the Year.
More openly LBGT candidates were elected in races across the nation, including in Colorado where Jared Polis became the first openly gay man elected as governor in any state. The first Latina Governor was elected in New Mexico. Also, Maine, South Dakota, and Guam saw a woman elected as their governor for the first time.
Educators won many races across the nation. There were 1,081 educators who ran for state legislative seats who won their races on Tuesday, according to The Huffington Post. The Minnesota’s governor’s race was won by former geography teacher U.S. Rep. Tim Walz. Wisconsin’s anti-public education Governor, Scott Walker was defeated by former school superintendent Tony Evers.
OCCTA Endorsed Candidates Win
Let’s not forget that locally Johanna Lopez will take office as the first Latina School Board member for Orange County Public Schools. With OCCTA’s other endorsed candidates - Karen Castor Dentel, Angie Gallo and Linda Kobert - also winning school board seats, we are confident that teachers will finally be given a voice in issues that impact students, teachers and public education.
Every one of OCCTA’s endorsed candidates running for the Florida State House, won their seats. They are Anna Eskamani (HD 47), Amy Mercado (HD 48), Carlos Guillermo-Smith (HD 49) and Geraldine Thompson (HD 44). Now we will have a stronger voice in Tallahassee!
All of OCCTA’s endorsed pro-public-education candidates running for re-election to the U.S. House were also victorious. They are U.S. Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy, U.S. Congresswoman Val Demings, and U.S. Congressman Darren Soto. All of our representatives are fierce supporters of public education.
Count Every Vote
In Florida’s governor and U.S. Senate races, public education did not perform as well. While in Orange County 61.76% of voters cast their vote for Senator Bill Nelson and 62.22% of voters cast their votes for Gillum-King, statewide the margins were much closer. In Florida’s unofficial results, incumbent Democratic Senator Bill Nelson lags behind Republican Governor Rick Scott by about .15% or only 12,500 votes for the U.S. Senate seat. The Democratic, pro-public education candidate, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum lags behind the Republican charter school proponent candidate, Ron DeSantis, by nearly 34,000 votes or .41% for the governor’s seat. Additionally, Democratic agriculture commissioner candidate Nikki Fried’s lead is currently at 5,326 votes or about .06% over Republican candidate Matt Caldwell.
A machine recount is now underway in those three races, as state law requires a machine recount in races where margins in the contests are less than .50%. Florida’s counties will have to meet a Thursday deadline to complete the recount. After that, any race that is still within a margin of 0.25% or less will undergo a manual recount.
Clearly, Governor Scott, who declared victory on election night, is not pleased with the recount. He made statements claiming there was election fraud, even without any evidence. Scott claimed, "Every Floridian should be concerned there may be rampant fraud happening in Palm Beach and Broward counties.” However, the Florida Department of State stated that it received “no allegation of criminal activity.”
Senator Nelson said, “This process is about one thing: making sure every legal ballot is counted and protecting the right of every Floridian to participate in our democracy."
The Gillum campaign issued a statement that included this remark: "Mayor Gillum started his campaign for the people, and we are committed to ensuring every single vote in Florida is counted."
Now that Florida voters passed Amendment 4, which restores the voting rights for 1.5 million former felons, it may be time to take a deeper look at other aspects of voter suppression to make needed corrections. One such area of concern is the vote by mail process that leaves thousands of voters disenfranchised. Senator Bill Nelson has sued the state over the signature matching process on mail in ballots citing untrained opinions of poll workers as the deciding factor in signature matching. Among those who have had their mail in ballots rejectedis former Rep. Patrick Murphy. Every mail in ballot also must be counted.
The contentious recount in this year’s election brings to memory the 2000 Florida recount with the cry, “Count every vote.” I participated in rallies calling for every vote to be counted then, and support all efforts to count every vote in this election, and for that matter, every election. Regardless of the outcome, let the contest be fair and just. Count every vote!
AFT President Randi Weingarten said, “Counting every vote is essential to democracy and the credibility of our elections. But once again, to ensure that, we must act. The first step is telling the election officials in Florida that right now they need to put country above party. They need to count every vote.”
At the Education Town Hall U.S. Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy and Florida House candidate Anna Eskamani heard from a variety of OCPS school teachers who spoke of their day-to-day concerns and problems. There were common themes most teachers shared, including the loss of autonomy, unrealistic expectations, emphasis on data, testing madness, a subjective teacher evaluation system, and a grueling and burdensome workload. There were also concerns specific to those individuals who spoke. Almost every speaker expressed that while teaching began as a passion, few recognize the profession today. Many are seeking a way out from the current top-down, micromanaged system that has been forced upon teachers and students in classrooms across the district.
To paraphrase some of the speakers’ concerns and remarks:
Leave: Alyssa spoke passionately about her battle with oral cancer. She did not have enough days to qualify for the sick bank. Although there were coworkers who were willing to donate sick days, OCPS does not allow employees to donate their sick leave days to other employees. Alyssa is currently undergoing chemotherapy and has no income while she is on FMLA leave. She needs help in paying her medical bills. Please consider donating at her Go Fund Me Page at this link.She also spoke about the lack of any bereavement leave. Her brother died of cancer last year, and she had to use personal days. These issues have been brought up at bargaining numerous times, and will be again this year.
Lack of autonomy: All agreed that the district-mandated system of requiring teachers to teach the same lesson on the same day was counter to all best practices. Assigning all students, including those who do not speak English, the same intervention impedes or prevents progress. A primary reason that one teacher resigned in October was because she was not allowed to use her professional expertise and authentic strategies to ensure student success. Another teacher said she was scolded for allowing students to write poems, because it wasn’t in the lesson her team’s uniform lesson.
Mental health: Teachers discussed being asked to pay for more than just classroom supplies. “We’re asked to pay with our mental health.” Teachers are leaving because the job has become too stressful to bear. There is so much stress, we start to think, “What’s the point?”
Morale: The district has become so focused on data collection and test scores that job satisfaction is dying or dead. One teacher said her grandfather and father were teachers and she was inspired to be a teacher. For many years she loved her job. She used to encourage her high school students to become teachers. No longer. She used to believe her encouragement would put them on a train to educate the world. Now she discourages them, believing encouragement would be feeding them to a fire.
Low salary: Another teacher stated that the cost of living has increased and teachers are making less money now than 10 or 20 years ago. The reality is that many cannot afford to keep a job that earns them so little. Too many have to have multiple jobs to pay their bills. One teacher said she cannot afford a vacation and she needs one desperately.
Lack of planning time: How teachers are mandated to spend their time is a major concern. The district has increasingly stolen more and more planning time over the years. One teacher said, “We can no longer spend our time preparing lessons to help students. Now we have to post data, update common board configurations, prepare for district or state visitors. The real work is done after hours on our time without pay.”
Data Obsession: Another teacher who moved to Orange County two years ago said there are vast differences between counties. She said that OCPS kids are only data points. The district doesn’t consider what a student is going through in her life. There is an over-emphasis on iReady. Kids call it iReady jail because free time was taken to ensure students were getting minutes finished. Teachers feel like they have to sneak in “fun” activities.
Testing and Quantifying: There is a constant need to test and quantify everything. Things that are not quantifiable are deemed unimportant, but really those are the most important. A child’s self-esteem, love of learning, and character are not quantifiable or tested, so they are treated as unimportant. It’s all about the test.
Disrespect: Teachers expressed that they are not treated as professionals or respected. They are being bullied, manipulated, and micromanaged. Some are returning to college to get another degree to go into another career. Another said she “would leave tomorrow if I could afford it.”
Bonus schemes: The evaluation system is considered unfair and subjective. Merit pay is a scheme not seen in other professions. Regarding the Best and Brightest Scholarship scheme, there was consensus that a teacher’s SAT and ACT score should not have any bearing on a teacher’s pay. Teachers are pitted against teachers for illegitimate rankings. Teachers should be getting that money regardless. Testing companies make money off of the Best and Brightest scheme, as teachers who are desperate to earn more, retake the tests.
Special Needs: There are not enough classrooms for special needs. Too many students with special needs that aren’t receiving proper services. Teachers are frustrated with the uneven distribution of ELL and ESE students among grade levels or subject areas.
Lack of discipline: Teachers agree the OCPS discipline system is failing. Many are still being told they must prove they used a checklist of interventions before they can use the discipline referral forms. Teachers believe the district is attempting to hide discipline problems. One speaker stated that three teachers at one school have left already this year because students are attacking each other and nothing is being done.
What will it take to force change? The district's response is to deny, not listen; to stay the course, not chart a better one.
We also want to know what you consider the top three issues you would like to see discussed at the bargaining table. Please continue to send any concerns, including contract violations to orangecta@gmail.com.
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” MLK
Silence is too often the message we choose to send. Silence can be the message of choice because of fear, apathy or submission. This is not a time for teachers to be silent, and certainly not the time for Orange County Public School teachers to be silent.
We have protested the actions of policymakers in Tallahassee who have written laws that are intended to act as wrecking balls to public education and teacher unions. We have spoken out against the laws that divert public funds from public education. It is time now to protest and speak up against the District’s actions and decisions that are diverting the most valuable educational resource away from our profession –teachers.
This past week some OCPS teachers have made their voices heard locally and nationally. They publicly decried the unbearable working and learning conditions in Orange County Public Schools, and explained how those conditions forced their resignations.
An OCPS teacher's heartfelt resignation letter was published by The Washington Post last week. The former teacher spoke about the forced uniformity and the loss of autonomy. She spoke about the disconnect between the goals promoted by OCPS, and the practices and directives they enforce upon teachers that run counter to those goals.
She wrote, “Children are not data points. Teachers are not cattle herders. The majority of you at the top should feel a deep sense of shame for placing your political gains above the intrinsic aims of public education.”
The letter also touched upon a sore spot for many OCPS teachers –the idea of viewing children as products. The OCPS Vision statement is: “To be the top producer of successful students in the nation.” She wrote, “Speaking of ills, you should feel equally shameful that you’ve so clearly targeted children as a product, as a data point, as a metaphorical trophy.”
She spoke of Florida’s alarming attrition rate of 40% for teachers in their first five years of teaching. She talked about teachers speaking up, and being met by those in power with closed doors and deaf ears. Who among us cannot relate to that?
Another teacher spoke up about her resignation last week to FOX 35 News. Rosemary DeGracia, an active OCCTA member and beloved and respected teacher, made the decision to resign for many of the same reasons as were cited in The Washington Post letter. Rosemary spoke up because to be silent is to accept the dangerous direction that OCPS has charted for teachers and students. She stated, “I think people are just tired of fighting. We want the best for our students and families, and we're not able to do that.”
Still another teacher sent an email to his peers before he shut the classroom door for the last time last week. He wrote, “Relating to OCPS, we are all more than a Marzano rating. It is ridiculous that we put so much effort into such unimportant things that are in no way objective. Our lives as teachers should not be judged by a rubric or student test scores and data that is mostly out of our control. Our lives as teachers should be judged by the joy that we bring to our students lives and the appreciation of their parents. Learning gains are obviously important and why we teach but the harder we have to force things, the worse we probably do.
I became a teacher after changing careers . . . I went through the OCPS Alternative Certification Program. Every class touched on students being divergent learners however the county offers very little room for us to be divergent teachers which then fosters a poor environment of student convergence. We teach most effectively when we are allowed to be ourselves and to bring our own individuality to our teaching.”
I know of several other OCPS teachers who closed the doors of their classrooms last week. A teacher who was visiting the union hall when the reporter was there, told her that two teachers at her school would spend their last day teaching that week. More than a handful of teachers commented on CTA’s Facebook posts that they too had resigned because of the detrimental working and learning conditions.
OCPS teachers are leaving the profession at an alarming rate. Yet, the District’s response to the FOX 35 news story demonstrates they cannot hear us. The District’s statement was, “While we can't comment on every individual situation, we are proud that our teacher retention rates have increased over the prior year and are among the highest in the country when compared to other urban districts.”
Really? It is sad the district refuses to acknowledge this crisis. That refusal means those in power will continue to ignore the pleas of the teachers, fail to take corrective actions, and refuse to earnestly work to stop this exodus.
I am asking you to join me in speaking up. Let’s take every opportunity to demand change for the sake of teachers, our profession, and most importantly, for our students.
About a year ago, on February 14,2018, 17 innocent students and staff members lost their lives in a senseless and tragic shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Out of that shooting came a gun control conversation and movement that has forced us to look at measures to keep our schools safe and secure. The leaders of the movement are the teenage survivors who refuse to be silenced. Their message? Stop putting Band-Aids on the problem.
This isn’t going to be easy for us. February 14th will mark the one-year anniversary of the day that our lives changed forever. On this day, after the shock and horror, we began grieving for our students and colleagues who lost their lives in the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
And still relevant today – The Post reported in 1944:
