I posted this picture of Massachusetts Teachers Association, Barbara Madeloni, in my Sunday Posts today. But I am posting it again because I noticed something about it that is strange. Illinois IEA members: Can you see what is odd about this photo? Barbara is campaigning. She is meeting with members in a member’s home explaining why she should be re-elected. She is talking with them about her ideas and seeking their votes. 35 years as an IEA member and I have never seen that.
Fred Klonsky 
Barbara’s Vice President is running against her, after Barbara announced she has a slate that includes a local President, instead of the current Vice President, who had previously announced for reelection as Vice President, then changed it to run against Barbara. This led the FORMER vice-president (under Paul Toner), Tim Sullivan to announce that he is running for President again.
What a mishigas!
The former vp, Sullivan had failed to distinguish himself from former prez Toner, and that cost him support, at least mine. Another Toner-ish administration was intolerable (top-down, capitulationary, “accommodating”, “a seat at the table”, “it could have been worse”); we had already capitulated to Stand for Children regarding seniority rights without a skirmish…but Sullivan offered a defense of the status quo and nothing different. Madeloni offered something different, and has delivered on that. The recent hearing on creating a new PARCC/MCAS hybrid, to bail out Mitchell Chester of the BESE (Board of Elementary and Secondary Education) featured speaker after speaker (actual members!) railing against standardized testing as a whole and the proposal in particular. I heartily approve.
The current VP was one of my earliest supporters when I ran quixotically against Toner in 2010, which I would immodestly suggest began the trend toward actually listening to members instead of telling them what is good for them. When she (Janet Anderson) and Madeloni both won, I was elated…now I find they are intransigent enemies, and, as a now-outsider, I cannot fathom what has happened.
It would behoove ALL of them to specifically indicate what they support and what they oppose. Sullivan still has to distinguish himself from the Toner administration, of which he was a part. Anderson needs to show there is some policy difference between her candidacy and Madeloni’s. And Madeloni has to explain what policy disagreements led to her proposing a slate. Otherwise we are left thinking that it was a personality kerfuffle that led to a schism. Which it could be since Anderson and Madeloni are both strong women, strong personalities.
As for me, I still cannot think of anything Madeloni has done that would alienate so many people. But she needs to campaign.
It seems that, for the first time in memory, there will be SERIOUS competition for seats at the MTA Annual Meeting of Delegates in May. Which, all by itself is a good thing, for those who like democratic unionism. I will put my name in as a retired delegate as usual, and that has been automatic for selection since fewer applied that the number of delegate slots. But this year? Who knows?
MTA Annual Meeting of Delegates attendance has been around 1000-1100 for years, out of a possible 2300-2500. We’ll see what happens this year.
It doesn’t happen with the IFT either….