Photo by Denae Brewer/Horizon
Local parents attend dinner hosted by The United Federation of Teachers showing their support of CC9 platform.

Teacher union supports CC9's plan

By Denae Brewer
Editor in Chief

“I think it’s without argument,” began Herb Katz, District 9 United Federation of Teachers representative, “that the two most important people in a child’s life are their parents and their educators.”

With that in mind, history was made last month when the parents and public school teachers formed a new partnership.

The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) held a buffet dinner at their Bronx headquarters to honor and show their support of the efforts by the Community Collaborative to Improve District 9 Schools (CC9) to obtain quality education for children in the Bronx and throughout the city.

While addressing the group, Vincent Gaglione Bronx Borough Representative for the U.F.T. said, “We are here to celebrate our efforts and to forge the coalition to make every school a place in which children, parents and staff want to teach and learn.”

“I’m surprised that this hasn’t been done before,” said Eva Paulino, Kindergarten teacher at C.E.S. 73.

A veteran teacher of 23 years, Ms. Paulino said this new partnership plays a major role towards education improvements. “We have to get together with the parents and the community in order to teach the children more successfully,” she stressed. “We need the help from home and the parents need our help. Together we can make everything work.”

CC9 members like Denise Moncrief. see this collaboration as more than just improving a child’s education, it’s improving their futures.

Likening the movement to a war, Ms. Moncrief said, “Welcome to the battlefield.”

The 300 or so teachers, parents, school aides, principals and countless others who were in attendance clapped with thunderous applause as she explained, “We are engaged in a civil war. It’s a war against intolerance, suspicion, hopelessness, blame, ignorance and low expectations. A civil war not to overthrow a government, but one because we are fighting to save the very fabric of our civilization—our children.”

Other parents and concerned residents agree with Ms. Moncrief.

Enidza Hernandez’s children attend Sacred Heart Catholic School, but she believes in CC9’s mission. “I used to attend C.E.S. 73,” she said. “My kids may not go there, but I feel that parents and teachers should work together instead of against each other.”

Currently working with a cluster of ten Region 1 schools—C.S 4 28 C.E.S. 35, 53, 73, 88, 126, P.S. 64 and C.I.S. 166 — CC9 was formed due to parental disappointment over the lackluster test results children in the district were getting. The collaborative has petitioned the powers that be in the city’s education system to implement a three-point plan they feel will contribute to vast educational improvements. Citing the need for more highly skilled, well-trained teachers, the best principals to lead these schools and a real partnership between schools, families and community, CC9 believes communication is key.

. “All of us are here because we are fully committed to the mission and belief of CC9 that all of our children deserve the best education possible,” said CC9 member and community leader Ocynthia Williams speaking to the crowd. “We are willing to work together in collaboration to ensure that our schools, teachers and principals receive the necessary resources to provide equal opportunity and to use those resources in the best interest of our children.”

UFT President Randi Weingarten commends CC9’s actions and is looking at ways to bring that point across to education officials. “The real issue becomes how — in a system that will always be under funded. That will always try to blame those in the trenches — are we going to do it together? CC9 has shown the city how a grassroots organization can get things done. I thank you for that leadership and I look forward to our new partnership.”

With the teachers union’s ringing endorsement of their platform, CC9 members see great things to come regarding education and are pleased to be part of it.

“As a parent, I am overwhelmed with the commitment, respect, dedication and the equality that the United Federation of Teachers has shown the parents of CC9,” Ms. Williams said. “In my opinion you are the first to really listen to what we have to say. Believe that we also know what’s best for our children and treat us like the partners we are supposed to be in the process of educating our children.”