SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: Amy Arundell

Saturday, March 29, 2025

Amy Arundell

OK, let's get this out of the way: Amy Arundell is not, was not, and never will be, an anti-Semite. That not an opinion; it is a fact. What happened with her and her removal to the UFT Rubber Room never would have happened if Mulgrew hadn't decided to stick the UFT Delegate Assembly's nose where it didn't belong. Think about it—do you really think that resolution had any impact on the Middle East?

Personally, I support a two-state solution for the region. I hate the government of Israel. In fact, the only obstacles to such a solution are Hamas and the sycophantic duo of Bibi and Trump.

I get it—Amy sees the conflict there through the lens of the long-standing tensions between the Irish, the UK, and the IRA. But I'll leave it at that.

My history with Amy had a funny start. When I was first cast into ATR land, I called Amy with a certain attitude, having read about her interactions with Portelos. I put on this tough-guy charade and felt pretty sure of myself—until she snapped back and basically told me to cut the shit. And that’s always been Amy. If memory serves, I even tried that once in person. When I get anxious or start spiraling, she calls me out on it—point blank. I respect that. That’s what you get with Amy: she tells it like it is.

Here’s another story that shows what Amy is like.

My first year as an ATR, I screwed up royally at my school (nothing involving a student). I was beside myself. I called Amy several times, and she reassured me that I wasn’t going to be terminated or sent to the Rubber Room. But my anxiety wouldn’t go away—I was spiraling. She had my district rep call me, and I completely lost it on the phone. They were both genuinely concerned about me. That day, Amy just so happened to be at the Bronx UFT office, handling other things, but she took the time to help. I am eternally grateful.

Even when Amy moved to the Queens UFT, she was always there when I needed help, always able to talk me off the ledge if necessary. Think of this: ten years of texts, phone calls, Jewish neurosis. She dealt with it. 

Amy can be a lot of things—she doesn’t hold back, she tells it like it is, and she is fiercely loyal. She wants to do what’s right. But she is not anti-Semitic.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are right she was helpful

Anonymous said...

It is presumptive to think her removal as Queens Borough Rep was specifically for her views on the Middle East and not something else.

Furthermore, many disagree with your article’s premise. We are all entitled to our own opinions based on her actions (both online and in-person).

Anonymous said...

Amy helped me out with a license issue a long time and for that I am very happy. She is a total true union fighter. Are you voting for ABC slate? I am not sure yet. Although Amy has said she regrets doing things that she did not believe in while in Unity, I'd like to hear more of why she did what she did. (Such as pushing shitty contracts and being ok with Mulgoon's Medicare Advantage plan) She also has shut down any dissident voices at the DA including the last one when someone from ARISE wanted to keep the DA going for a bit to vote on a retiree issue. Did she toe the Unity line for many years even though she did not believe in it for the money and the cushy job? Why the change now? I think that she is old enough to retire and collect her double pension and salary. If she looses, will she actually go back to the classroom? Love to hear your thoughts.

John Elfrank-Dana said...

I agree.