I, along with a few others, were on the receiving end of a love letter sent by UFT Solidarity last month. I had just woken up and was in the bathroom as I was reading it. I laughed so hard I fell off the bowl and almost cracked my head open.
So without further ado, the love letter written in full with commentary (In red).
Look, you guys poke fun Yeah, its so easy that I occasionally contact MORE to work together, Occasionally? It's bordering on some type of Fatal Attraction contact but the truth is MORE has fallen short in supporting the individual members. And how has the UFT Solidarity method risen above that? Have any of the 70 odd members of UFT Solidarity who have been discontinued, shat upon, etc... succeeded? Is the support that UFT Solidarity supposedly accorded its members genuine, specific to the member, or just a way for someone to make up for some major Freudian shortcoming? OOOH. We send emails to principals. We've all see how well that has worked. We try to come in and do that work, try is the key word just as we thought you can do the work we don't concentrate on. If you're going to continue mocking us for trying then we will just have to say no to MORE, move forward and up our social justice game. Social justice at UFT Solidarity? It's about chasing a windmills for the benefit of just the one.
Then we won't need to reach out to work as a coalition. Really? Awww, that sucks. Maybe UFT Solidarity should share with its 70 odd members the truth at what really transpired at that ICE meeting in June.
If I may, a sidebar of what was posted on the super duper secret UFT Solidarity lackey site; http://uftsolidarity.slack.com It's free to join! Prizes are given away every day to the most sycophantic comment.
The ridiculous conversations that took place below remind me why I created a different group. Yeah yeah, someone is OCD enough to save every little thing. Yeah, there was a internal donnybrook but what group never has one? MORE is like a Jewish family at times and when emotions get high they kvetch and opine loudly but when the dust settles all goes back to normal. I guess this is because MORE is not a top down organization relying on ONE to guide it and make its decisions.
Accept it already. Work with us or don't,Does this mean MORE is either against you and with you? Didn't work for W, why should it work for UFT Solidarity? but using Zucker to take jabs is a poor play. Hey, that's me! Nobody is using me. Nobody is instructing me. I have stated again, and again, and again why I have taken the path I chose. Please stop and for once listen.
Zucker remove your ridiculous posts and move forward. Remove? How so. Remove them from where? Is this a request or a demand? I'm telling you this will not go well. Like how? How won't it go well? Like that law suit? I've added your email and number to spam blocker weeks ago so I don't know if I could even see a response. As Herman Munster used to say, "Darn, Darn, Darn!"
In Yiddish there are two words, schlemiel and schlimazel. The schlemiel is one who spills the soup. The schlimazel is the one who the soup spills on.
UFT Solidarity is the Schlimazel Caucus.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePeter, I reached out to you for support as I was starting to go through my 3020 hearing and you did help with some kind advice. But to continue this attack is sad. Those words that you used in this post were written by me. After the meeting, I did think that things were going to move in a positive direction. I was foolish enough to believe that we had begun a positive dialogue that day. Stupid me. Nothing you are doing with your constant blog posts is helping solve the problem. And when you return to work, with a problem code, who will help you? Other Caucasus have already decided that member support is not the fight that they want to take up.
ReplyDeleteI wish you the best and I hope that you find peace.
Your fellow teachers are not your enemy, even if you feel that they were not there for you through your tough times. There are bigger concerns that could use your attention.
Wow.... Who would have deleted that comment at 12:10 and more importantly, why?
ReplyDeleteLet's look into the SBSB record room and see who and what was posted.
[SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL] New comment on UFT Solidarity Fanboi Love Letter.
Francesco Portelos to youshow details
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Francesco Portelos has left a new comment on your post " UFT Solidarity Fanboi Love Letter":
Hey Zucker, since you can't stop thinking about us, here is another photograph for you. This was the updated one.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9iiwedo00jrjiq7/portelos.pdf?dl=0
I mean what I said though. I wouldn't want you teaching my kids. Part of my campaign will be to make sure I'm not running a platform that states "Protect everyone." There are people who shouldn't be teaching.
The fact that you spend so much time researching, trolling and writing, while you're unemployed adds to to the sadness. That's what it is...pathetic sadness. Loneliness...a void that can't be filled by a hundred anti-Solidarity posts.
No secret. Read what we write...We are doing things. Take notes.
Posted by Francesco Portelos to SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL at September 4, 2015 at 12:10 AM
Our artistic intern, Zippy the Brain Damaged Chimp is hard at work attempting to make the "campaign poster" more aesthetic. Zippy has assured us that he will be up through the night working and will be sharing his creating sometime in the morning.
How are Portelos and his caucus going to change anything if the overwhelming majority of people who have crossed his path don't want to fuck with him???
ReplyDeletePortelos again threatening you and obsessing about you. You must keep him tossing and turning all night long. Wouldn't want him near my kids or as a union leader. He has no discretion and makes public jabs at teachers and students; which shows very weak leadership skills.
ReplyDeletePS looking forward 2 Zippy's campaign alterations.
ReplyDeletePeter,
ReplyDeleteYou keep telling people that you want to meet and talk, but what for what purpose? You are doing the dirty work of ICE and MORE. The fact that their leadership is OK with this type of campaign should be disturbing to the membership. I'm curious as to why you didn't post the thread that was referenced in your blog.
Keep it up or end it, it makes little difference. Since you started your campaign to try and bash us, our numbers and support only grew. On the other hand, you have lost access to groups and followers on Twitter. Worst of all, you lost the respect of many.
Remember the times? https://www.dropbox.com/s/64unenjdzolrv6m/Portelos%20Zucker%20Elfrank.jpg?dl=0
Get a clue Portelos. No one is telling Peter what to do or what to write. He is his own person with free will. Guess you gotta keep making up things to help you sleep at night. And if your "fans" love you so much, then why do they hide behind "Anonymous." Just curious....
DeleteFree will? Free will? There is no free will at More. Isn't this what you sent to Zucker last year?
DeleteFrom: "moderator"
Date: Sep 9, 2014 6:51 AM
Subject: {MORE-Disc} sobronxschool
To:
Cc:
Good morning sobronxschool. I am now a Listserve Moderator and I have recently posted the Guidelines that we all most adhere to, It has been brought to my attention that there have been many issues concerning you with other members. I was also told you have been warned previously. Please take my advice and follow those guidelines to the tee and do not continually go off list and bombard others with emails that they feel are harassing. If it should happen again, I will have to follow our Guidelines and ban you from our listserve. Listserve Moderators will take actions towards anybody who does not adhere to our Guidelines. Appeals to this decision must be brought to the Steering Committee and not on this list.
In Solidarity,
Mindy,
Listserve Moderator
--
To which Zucker responded
From: "So BronxSchool"
Date: Sep 9, 2014 10:10 AM
Subject: {MORE-Disc} sobronxschool
To:
Cc:
Wow. Never have I been warned.
As for as going "off list" well that is a lie.
Ask Peter to show you the rest. There's a "clue."
DeleteHere you go Mindy. I think this what is being talked about.
Deletehttp://youtu.be/yE2WjSmUcRA
Portelos, how many times are you going to show me that email?? It's getting sad. There was a discussion behind this one and to you of course. Apples and oranges. There is plenty of free will. No one at MORE drinks the Kool-Aid, no one is the leader, no one harrasses other teachers here either. Shall I go on? Are we all perfect? Far from it, but what we do have is trust in one a other. No sneaky bullshit games. No one running to find a Unity job, because their blog post didn't get the response they wanted so they quit. This is all petty bullshit. You're quick to point out how MORE is this and MORE is that, but yet you keep contacting us. No one is playing into your games. You burned the bridges last year. Not us. Deal with it. Plain and simple.
DeletePeter Zucker is an asshole. He is a sick and sad man. Stalking a group and people trying to help teachers is disgusting. Keep offending people and you will offend the wrong one.
ReplyDeletePeter Zucker is a hole. He is a sick and sad man. Stalking a group and people trying to help teachers is disgusting. Keep offending people and you will offend the wrong one.
ReplyDeleteI'm still willing to meet and talk this out.
ReplyDeleteI am not doing the dirty work of MORE nor of ICE. No one tells me what to do.
So the numbers are now what, at 75? So what.
I have lost access to which groups? BATs? Back in. Groups you control, big deal. Twitter? So what. That is not how I measure myself and validate myself. Lost respect of many? Then they are not worth it.
Me thinks, as does Freud, you are projecting a wee bit. blame shifting is a theory in psychology in which humans defend themselves against unpleasant impulses by denying their existence in themselves, while attributing them to others.
Why should I not blog about Solidarity? Stop feeding me material and it don't happen. Stop bashing Israel. Stop threatening me with lawsuits. Stop using my family. Stop throwing my case in my face. Stop calling me a serial sexual harasser when the person who makes the claim is a disturbed person and Chaz was there and knows the truth. Stop saying stupid things.
As to the Sycophant and 10:22 please ask your leader why he continually and incessantly texts and emails members of MORE practically everyday.
Wow! This is a sad state of affairs. From the look of things, Unity is gonna laugh it's way to a record reelection in 2016. IF we don't stand together we are all gonna hang together.
ReplyDeleteYou miss the point. Unity is laughing at the Portelos spectacle - they know he is nuts but are happy to be using him to divide the opposition. They even brag privately how Solidarity is doing their work for them - and they also spill the beans that Portelos was asking Unity for a job and when he didn't get it he figured he could win favor by creating a caucus that could prevent MORE from winning executive board seats. Is that what the meeting with Randi was about? Play the tape.
ReplyDeleteMr. Hinesley said...How dare you say that other caucuses don't take up the fight for teachers -- you just buy what people sell you? In fact ICE/MORE have a long and continuing record of taking up the fight for teachers - they just don't crow about it all over the place. How many MORE/ICE people attended the Portelos hearings at various points? At least a half dozen. Every single MORE member takes up the fight for the teachers in their schools - many as chapter leaders and delegates. In your world that doesn't count? I have to ask where you were when many of us took up the fights for teachers over the years? Were you conscious of those battles or did you just decide to take up the fights for teachers when you yourself got in trouble - just like Portelos who didn't have the consciousness to take action until he was in trouble - unlike many of the people in MORE/ICE who have never been in trouble but always stood up for people. It is all about your personal situations ultimately. MORE and supporters are helping ATRs get jobs and defending discontinued in their own schools which is where they can actually have an impact instead of blasting every story on social media to make it look like they are actually helping people. MORE people have saved more jobs than anyone in their schools.
ReplyDeleteI have been a chapter leader for six years and only teaching for thirteen, so I stand on my rerecord of fighting for teachers rights. Most teachers do not even know about the crazy things the DOE does to teachers, so to chastise teachers for not fighting is wrong. also, by pointing out your past record yet again, you prove that you want praise that you feel you are not getting. Norm, you have been helping teachers for a long time and your effort is appreciated, but we need to step up the fight. You have been in this battle a long time and yet teachers are in the mess that they are in, so your advocacy can also be downplayed the way that you are downplaying Solidarity.
DeleteSolidarity members have tried time and time again to work with you (Norm) and other caucuses but you (Norm) have many beefs with many people and refuse to put them aside for the betterment of all involved. You (Norm) seem to want your name in lights and when people do not pay you the respect that you want the way you wish them too, you resort to bashing everyone and everything involved. You chose to broadcast the meeting we had in the dinner so that you could bash an upstart caucus that you want to kill in the cradle because one man is getting the respect that you feel should only be paid to you. I do not really know Zucker's motives for his attacks.
You need to focus your attention on the bigger problem so that we can truly help teachers and the teaching profession. Become part of the solution and stop creating a new problem that helps no one.
¡Uno momento, por favor!
ReplyDeleteDoes this mean the meeting he had with Randi was about working for Unity? The Unity he hates so much?
Portelos was never going to get a big time Unity gig.....do you think Mulgrew was going to allow someone who has bashed Unity incessantly to be part of it????
ReplyDeleteRandi asked me "Are you interested in building a bridge back to the UFT? " I told her the UFT won't take me in, like you said above, so "I'm building my own bridge." At that point I sent her the link for Solidarity.
DeleteHer response was actually "Wait, let me try one more thing and have a convo with Mike."
Too late and here we are...
Randi asked me "Are you interested in building a bridge back to the UFT? " I told her the UFT won't take me in, like you said above, so "I'm building my own bridge." At that point I sent her the link for Solidarity.
DeleteHer response was actually "Wait, let me try one more thing and have a convo with Mike."
Too late and here we are...
Ahhhh, no. That's not the way it happened.
DeleteRight, because you were there? I told you about it right after.
DeleteYou said "F___ MORE. They're a bunch of commies."
Remember I was sharing your story and how you caught your principal? https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7ZEvQxM8rLYeTlXTnZHRnJ2Z3M/view?usp=docslist_api
I smell desperation, Porty.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes Porty did want a Unity gig.
ReplyDeleteYou know what I <3 about the WWW???? Everything scribed is in stone for eternity. People should take note on what Portelos writes then tries to erase.
ReplyDeleteI meant what I wrote. Not everyone should be near children. Everyone gets representation, due process etc., but you won't find me at a press conference saying a teacher who admitted to molesting a child should stay in the classroom.
DeleteDon't like it? Don't vote for me. Simple.
On the other hand, a teacher under warrantless attack, will have an army behind them.
I meant what I wrote. Not everyone should be near children. Everyone gets representation, due process etc., but you won't find me at a press conference saying a teacher who admitted to molesting a child should stay in the classroom.
DeleteDon't like it? Don't vote for me. Simple.
On the other hand, a teacher under warrantless attack, will have an army behind them.
You'll never be at a press conference. Give up that fantasy.
DeleteSure I will and if you see me scratch my left ear, as you're watching at home, know that's my easy of telling you and Norm. "I told you so."
DeleteROTFLMFABPTIDTTHWBUFTP!!!!
DeleteYeah, I did say that. So what?
ReplyDeleteBig deal you tweeted something to Randi.
Things change. People change. Shit happens.
Portelos tapes everything.
ReplyDeletePorty, release the tapes!