I took a class this weekend on programming from Jeff C. He and Cary S. told me about the recent firing of a teacher, David Krakow, at
Cesar Chavez. PCHS. Why was this social studies teacher, who reportedly received positive evaluations and was promoted to the role of faculty mentor fired?
Incompetence? No.
Absenteeism? Nope.
Lack of professionalism? Not even close.
You got to read it to believe it. See the City Paper write up
here or this more brief
article from the DC Metro Council of the AFL-CIO (hint, hint). Truly a slap in the face to the legacy of Cesar Chavez.
That's an awesome story. Calling the situation "ironic" is not going far enough, Jamie. The Thurgood Marshall Academy's 99% African American student body is ironic. This is disgraceful at the least. To choose an icon of labor rights as the moniker of your school while simultaneously taking a stridently anti-union position is outrageous. I understand these teachers are not impoverished, oppressed people of color but I'm willing to bet Chavez wouldn't so narrowly limit his advocacy for workers' rights.
ReplyDeleteOf course, there is another issue that the press has missed entirely. If Chavez unionizes, it would be the first public charter school to do so in DC. You can bet that the Charter School Board and other charter schools are watching what happens very carefully. Meanwhile, the WTU is gazing maniacally with a fork in one hand, a steak knife in the other, and drool running down its chin.
Well, perhaps i will be the lone voice here, but I found Mr. Krakow's list of requests pretty untenable. Having no more than 80 students? Pushing the pay scale? Those requests are fairly difficult to just grant.Something tells me Mr. Krakow was pretty much a total pain in the ass, not terribly saavy in his approach to his concerns (it's always great when someone gets your staff all riled up and angry) and that's why they fired him. Bam
ReplyDeleteLone voice indeed.
ReplyDeleteI am no fan of the teacher's union, but no one is allowed to violate federal law by firing someone who wants to organize workers. Secondly, how can you purport to be a school with a focus on public policy, bearing the name of a world renown labor organizer, and refuse to allow your employees to organize? Pain in the ass or not, his work does much to honor the legacy of Cesar Chavez. While the actions of the school, if true, are as Andy puts it, disgraceful.
Well, we're not hearing the side of the school. And until I heard that, I don't know that I could conclude that Mr. Krakow was in the right and the school in the wrong. Think about when you were a administrator and the sometimes unreasonable complains and demands of teachers (not that teachers don't also have totally valid concerns and requests). I just suspect there is more to the story.
ReplyDelete