Teachers' Union Reveals Dissenters' Names to Incumbents
Submitted by Allen Gwinn on Sat, 04/15/2006 - 06:43.
UPDATED: READ BOLENDER'S REPLY under COMMENTS
Teachers who are members of the AFT/Alliance teacher's union may be getting more than they expected for their $43-a-month in dues. The union endorsed incumbent DISD board candidates Lois Parrott and Ron Price and may be moving to quell dissent among its membership.
According to some teachers, the union is furnishing dissenter's names to incumbents.
"They gave my name to Ron Price and told him I was speaking out against him," complained a teacher at James Madison High School who asked that her name be withheld.
Price later showed up at James Madison High School and reportedly tried to meet with several teachers who had voiced concern to union boss Aimee Bolender.
"I was furious," said the teacher, "[the AFT/Alliance Union] had no right to tell him I was [concerned about Price's behavior]."
The teacher refused to meet with Price. "It was highly inappropriate for him to come to [James Madison High School] while I was trying to teach and demand to see me."
"They're just trying to intimidate [teachers]."
AFT/Alliance refused to answer or address allegations that they revealed members' names to incumbent candidates. Bolender simply replied: "we have endorsed by Lois and Ron."
When Dallas.Org first learned that Bolender planned to support Lois Parrott, we sent her the following email:
I've heard through the grapevine that you guys are going to endorse Lois. As it turns out, I'm putting together a related story and I'd like to ask you a couple of questions regarding AFT and your position:
1) Lois has been fairly litigious over her tenure on the Board--including lawsuits dismissed as frivolous. Her lawsuits, filed against the District, have been paid for with our tax dollars. Do you feel it is appropriate for an elected official to, in essence, file lawsuits against her constituents? Do you feel this is appropriate behavior for a public official?
2) In one lawsuit filed against the District, she told blatant lies under oath. Is this appropriate conduct for a public official?
Finally, can you give us one paragraph detailing why you believe Lois is the best candidate in District 3, and how supporting her benefits your organization and its members? How much money have you given her, and how much are you planning on giving?
Bolender replied to our email: "Thank you for the offer. I wish to decline."
Parrott's campaign finance report indicated that AFT/Alliance had given Parrott $1,000.
Price didn't provide a list of contributors to his campaign, as required by state law. Dallas.Org has filed a complaint with the Texas Ethics Commission.
Power of the Media (AFT response)
I learned long ago not to fight with the media.
The media (Dallas.org, in this case) always has the last say.
If it decides to do so, the reporters of the “news” can easily take words out of context, make false assumptions, and build self-serving stories.
After 28 years of working for the teachers, school employees, and students of Dallas, I have demonstrated beyond question that I care a great deal about public education and the people who provide it.
-- Aimee Bolender, President, Alliance/AFT
No, Aimee, That's Not How It Is (AFT)
I gave you the opportunity to respond to this before publishing it.
I told you (as I just did) I would post any reply you wanted to provide. I did so, unedited. This has nothing to do with taking words out of context, false assumptions or self-servingness.
I posted your answer verbatim to my questions. I posted what you gave me. So quit crying this "out of context" nonsense.
I am a dad. Both of my kids have attended DISD schools -- my youngest still does.
Dubious board members, while they may serve your interests on the "issue-of the day" the damage done by dishonest individuals far outweighs the political benefit of pandering to them.
I just want you to remember something: if they lie to me today, they'll lie to you tomorrow.
These two couldn't give a rat's behind about Alliance/AFT, teacher's pay, benefits, or any long-term strategy for educating my kids. Their goal is to get re-elected.
You know it.
I know it.
I urge you to watch the videos I'm going to post later this morning on DallasISD.Com. Then I invite you to sit back and consider whether this is the kind of leadership you want to pander to.
I strongly suspect your support for Parrott and Price is not the result of a desire among your members, but a unilateral decision made by you and Harley.
I strongly suspect your membership is smarter than that, and believe your actions will ultimately not sit well with them.
Money Lies
It lies today, and it will lie tomorrow. The AFT is a lap dog for the district.
The "AFT" can only call call itself a union for tax purposes, as far as representing teachers they have done nothing.
Which to me seems kind of odd; it is not like a lot of folks are willing or able to be teachers. It seems like those who are willing to teach should be paid more. [ed note: "hear hear!"]
One of the most exciting ideas to come up lately is to pay teachers more for teaching in hard to teach areas.
But then, how well should the poor be taught? It is not like there will be jobs for the enlightened. The last thing this country needs is a bunch of well educated poor folks. It seems that the more somebody gets educated the more money he or she wants. There are probably some who prefer our poor to be uneducated and hard working.
And for good reason. History has shown that there is nothing more dangerous than educated poor folks.
Take all these Spanish speaking folks. The way they're exploited is akin to slavery. They don't realize they are being exploited. But for them it probably beats a dirt floor in a shack somewhere. [ed note: don't get me started on political corruption in Mexico and how Mexican citizens are abused]
At the moment the rich are looking at a big question: Are they willing to make less money? Are they willing to pay taxes?
[ed note: what I think you're trying to say here is "don't expect an immigration bill that documents immigrants and stops them from being exploited."]
What????
I am a proud middle school teacher who believes the cure for poverty is education!!! This comment sounds like you think there is not enough money to go around, and that simply is not true. I cannot fathom why you would imply that poor people deserve less than the rich. Having overcome poverty myself (I admit barely) I would be lost without my education and I daresay, so would some of my middle school students. Teachers do not teach for the money and some of my poor students will grow up to be great educators with great educations. There are many public service jobs that don't "pay well", but that you can proud of, to imply that it's all about the money is misleading
DMN and Ron Price
Why is Bollender spending so much time defending Ron Price? How does she benefit from his re-election? Who is she supposed to representing? Teachers? Show me exactly anything of importance that Boldender has done to improve conditions for teachers lately?
Bolender and Price
I can't answer why Bolender has committed her organization to such a vigorous defense of Price. I can only speculate she feels that AFT's goose may be cooked if she doesn't.
I feel her goose is cooked if she does.
Intimidating your membership and taking a stance in support of domestic violence is not the way to win members and influence supporters.
By the way, we've received at least 2 dozen letters from AFT members asking very similar questions. We've received none defending Bolender.