Organizing Update and Call For Submissions.

Organizing Update

The Syndicate was first formed after a couple of years of discussions of folks who sought to bring together workers rights and the goals of the consortium--seeing them as a singular goal.   Since these original meetings we’ve launched the first issue of the Consortium Worker--our publication.  

We had our first general meeting after the moderation study in November 2019. Workers from 6 schools were represented and in attendance. Some topics that arose and were discussed were:

• IEP Compliance in our schools

• Clarity around professional period duties
• Democratic leadership structures in our schools/ power hoarding amongst leadership
• PD for inquiry pedagogy
• Support for student activism
• Resource allocation (time and money)
• Questions about the standards for graduation in the consortium (particularly Math) and the burden that workers face within the unclarity.
• Being required to teach advisory during professional periods.

We are exploring having zoom, skype, or google hangout meetings to make community building and accessing support more available to more members within the context of their busy lives.  We are working out the details and logistics of this type of meeting. The hope is that there will be a standing meeting time that workers can choose to log into with a Syndicate organizer--creating a consistent space for worker support and community building.

We are committed to continue our work building community with workers of the consortium, however our eyes were a bit bigger than our stomachs this year. We'll definitely be publishing 2 issues of the Worker this year (rather than 4), and we'll probably put off having any large events until next year. Remembering that organizing and community building is slow work is something that we keep coming back to; we want to make sure that the movement is a long one that grows strong roots, rather than being a flash in the pan. Look for the next issue of the Worker on the Work/Life Balance in the consortium in March/April.

From our first consortium worker survey we’ve identified schools where folks are working overnight trips without per-session as part of their school's program.  We’re working on giving those schools support to navigate creating enriching experiences for students without creating poor working conditions for staff.  A maxim of our organization is that the rights of workers and the rights of students are one and the same.

The next survey came from our first general meeting. We'll be surveying folks about when they teach advisory/crew/family group. (It should be a teaching period and not a professional period)

A Call for Submissions

Rose Schneiderman was a Polish immigrant, prominent feminist and Union leader in New York. 
She was a member of the Women’s Trade Union League and in the wake of the Triangle Shirtwaist
fire of 1911 gave a speech where she coined the phrase “bread and roses.”

“The worker must have bread, but she must have roses, too”

The implication of this statement is that we are all entitled to basic needs and rights as workers (bread),
but we are also entitled to more than just subsistence.  We are entitled to dignity as workers,
we are entitled to roses.  

SUMBISSION INSTRUCTIONS

For the Spring semester issue we’re gathering articles from folks on the work/life balance in the consortium. 
We’d also like to get as many voices involved as possible so we’re calling for short blurbs.

As a unionized public school and consortium worker; what is your bread--your basic needs to work in a school
and do your job well?  

What are your roses--what do you need to give your job dignity?

What: Submissions should be like sharing in a circle, a few sentences, a paragraph...
nothing very large, just a time to share your voice.  

When: Submission Deadline March 1st 

Where:  Send an email to consortiumworkersyndicate@gmail.com

With “Bread and Roses” in the Subject line.

Who: You!  Please include your name and school.
( and indicate whether or not you want either published)