The Hack is Back

You wouldn't think the Unity crew would be so happy these days. As I blogged the other day, noted Unity hack Ron Issac, AKA Redhog, advised us all to party the night away while the union goes to hell in a handbasket.

An alert reader notified me that Redhog was the author of one of the most disgusting posts in EdWize history (and that ain't easy). It was a relentless defense of the disastrous 2005 contract. You can read the whole ugly thing here. It was so disgusting that the already anyonymous Redhog didn't even post it under his real pseudonym. Here's some of the lowlights, with my own comments in parens:

Our proposed Contract is a landmark for the labor movement. (Much as Hiroshima is a landmark in the nuclear age)

Randi Weingarten has preserved not only the structural integrity of our Contract’s edifice, but raised it to new heights. (I'd say the 2005 contract was more of an orifice than an edifice)

The UFT blew out of the water the DOE’s stubborn call to empower principals to excess teachers without regard to seniority and to force them to find their own jobs within a stipulated time or be fired. (Can anyone say ATRs?)

Circular 6 suffered some superficial abrasions but is fighting fit. (Never mind that potty duty)

We have strengthened the grievance machinery by jettisoning the fluff of the past. (If you considered steps 1 and 2 of the grievance process 'fluff')


Finally, Redhog finished up with this gem: I have neither sought nor been given any perk or sweetheart deal in exchange for bought loyalty. That goes for both the DOE and the UFT.

Hmm. I dunno about that. My source tells me that Redhog retired just a year after this POS contract passed, thus grabbing the money without having to do the work. Furthermore, I'm told he got a job writing for New York Teacher, which kind of seems like a perk to me. Apparently, he's still working for the UFT, unless he's now writing his drivel on EdWize for free.

And that, my friends, is how hack is done.

Partying While Rome Burns

Ron Isaac, who used to post pro-Randi love letters under the pseudonym Redhog (perhaps on our dimes) has finally come up with a solution to the problems of city teachers that we can all get down with. Let's have a party!

Yep. While Randi is busy explaining the way she dumped our past rights and pledging away our remaining rights by supporting mayoral control, Redhog thinks we should all put on party hats and ring in the summer. Here's his take on it: Celebration of human solidarity at school has devolved into an obscure concept in recent years, seemingly in relation to the decline in morale and the status of the profession as rendered by the DOE.

Actually, I believe it was the UFT, and specifically the Unity Caucus in charge, who eviscerated the teachers' contract. They are the ones who sold out seniority rights, allowed an explosion of letters in file, expanded the school day, gave us potty patrol and lunch duty, and so on. I don't think ATRs who have been jobless for years are ready to celebrate just yet.

So forgive me, Redhog, for not believing that teachers need to party. It's hard to feel the joy that Unity hacks obviously feel when we spend our days dancing to the BloomKlein beat: Doing the conga to cafeteria duty, the rhumba to the rubber room, and the Elecric Slide to Extended Day.

It must be nice doing the Loco-motion to your second pension, while working to perfect the Hustle you pull on teachers with each new contract. About the best we can muster is a little Achy-Breaky Heart about the way things used to be.