Aspira's Last Stand?

North River Plans to Move into Aspira Charter Middle School

By Jim Vail

Are Aspira's days finally numbered? The North River
Elementary school plans to move into the building that like
most neighborhood schools is grossly under-enrolled.

You could call this a strange twist of fate.

The Aspira Charter Middle School engineered an inside deal with the city in 2005 to take over a brand new building despite promises made that the new middle school would be a public school to relieve the overcrowded Haugan Elementary School in Albany Park.

Now the controversial charter school could be kicked out of the building they have called home for the past 15 years in yet another inside deal, only this time a public school has plans to move into their building and eventually take it over.

The North River Elementary Public School that currently rents space in the Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church near Montrose and Kedzie plans to move into the Aspira Charter Middle School, and eventually kick the charter operator out.

However, Dianne Daleiden, a math teacher at North River, is concerned about the announcement first made at their school's local school council to move into the Aspira building at Lawndale and Leland because there is no parking. It is difficult to find street parking, and a small lot to park for the school must be shared with the teachers at Aspira, as well as middle school teachers from Haugan Elementary who also plan to move into the building.

The proposal for North River Elementary School to move into Aspira Charter Middle School will be on the Chicago Board of Education's meeting agenda this Wednesday, November 18.

Daleiden said the Chicago Teachers Union has called for a meeting this Friday to discuss the proposed move and how it will affect the teachers at the three schools. Aspira is a charter school, but its staff is part of the CTU. 

She questioned why the union would call a meeting for teachers after the board meeting this Wednesday. The board trustees could vote on the move with minimal community or teacher input.

The Aspira name has been synonymous with corruption and inside deals ever since it took over the beautiful new building that cost taxpayers about $25 million. In 2005 the Haugan Elementary School pleaded with the board of ed to build a middle school to relieve the overcrowded elementary school. It was then agreed that the Haugan teachers would move with the 6, 7 and 8th grade students to the new building. But like an ominous creature appearing out of nowhere, they swooped in and declared that the building would be the new home of a charter school. This outraged the community, but every local politician including newly elected City Clerk Iris Martinez were in on the corrupt inside deal.

The deal made no sense at all. Aspira could not run a school, and the Sun-Times wrote several articles denouncing the decision to let them run a charter school. Aspira was so inept changing principals like Trump changing wives, not ordering enough textbooks and discipline problems so bad where gang bangers from the nearby Roosevelt High School were openly recruiting members inside the building.

It was so bad that parents formed a group called Parents Against Aspira that documented the problems at the school, pleading with Chicago Public Schools officials to remove Aspira. 

The parents led me to reporting for Substance News the horrific story of an art teacher named Basil who had to go in hiding after the Aspira community led a witch hunt to oust her. The Sun-Times ran a front page headline "Racist Teacher Fired from Aspira" that of course incited anger in the Hispanic community. Basil, who I found out was an elderly and sweet art teacher who changed careers to become a teacher had explained to the students in one class that Mexicans cleaning homes or sweeping floors is not a bad thing. All jobs have dignity, she told them. Suddenly one student stood up and screamed out, "Mexicans are only good for sweeping floors, she says!" The student then led a few other students in a march to denounce their alleged racist teacher. It was so bad that Basil told me she was afraid to leave the building when they fired her because crowds were gathering all around to denounce her. Why would they lead a posse against a little meek art teacher? She had questioned whether the school was following labor law practice, such as why were teachers not getting the state mandated amount of time for lunch break. Several years later she won an EEOC lawsuit against Aspira for the false charges and destroying her reputation.

But that was exactly how Aspira operated. It was a political operation that used protesters to line political pockets. 

And politicians like Martinez, who was the area's state senator at the time, benefited from this. Aspira director Jose Rodriguez served as her treasurer, and once served as a trustee on the Board of Education under Mayor Richard Daley until he was forced to resign because he ran the Aspira social agency that was getting city contracts, which was a conflict of interest since he was a trustee voting on awarding vendor contracts to the public schools.

Aspira corruption hit the big time when a federal lawsuit was filed against them for strip searching their female students. The revelation was an embarrassment to then CPS Chief Arne Duncan, who touted the charter operator despite the problems. The lawsuit was filed the week when President Barack Obama named Duncan his secretary of education.

Aspira made a crafty move by immediately agreeing to its staff becoming unionized, an unusual situation since charter schools fight against union drives because it would force them to pay their teachers more like their counterparts at the public schools under a CTU contract.

Aspira was able to cash in on the corrupt charter school craze because people like Rodriguez and UNO Charter director Juan Rangel got the vote out in their respective Puerto Rican and Mexican communities for the corrupt Daley regime. 

But today the tables have turned. UNO ousted the corrupt Rangel, who had worked for Mayor Rahm Emanuel, and renamed their network of charter schools Acero. Acero also has a unionized staff who went on the first ever charter school teachers strike in 2018. Rodriguez was also eventually ousted from Aspira.

Today gentrification is the name of the game. Real estate prices play a big role in deciding what schools get built. While charters have primarily invaded the South and West Sides of the city to replace the public schools that were closed, middle class families look for magnet public schools.

North River fits that bill. The school is not a neighborhood school but a semi-magnet school or non-attendance boundary school where students must apply to get accepted. This part of Albany Park is seeing white middle class families slowly replacing working class immigrant families.

The neighborhood high school Roosevelt where gang bangers once openly recruited students at Aspira has also seen a lot of change over the past 10 years. Teachers say they do not have the rough students causing problems like in years past. One former student is currently attending the University of Chicago.

Aspira like many neighborhood schools is grossly under-enrolled due to the loss of affordable housing in the city. One teacher said they have about 200 students in a building that can house 1,000.

The fact that North River pays a lot of rent to Our Lady of Mercy at a time when the city is facing a budget crisis due to the pandemic could also play a role.

The North River principal told his LSC that the alderman supports the move, but there has been no community meetings to discuss it.

Engels

TWO HUNDRED YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF ENGELS

By Stephen Wilson

 

           He certainly made a name for himself in Russia. His presence is betrayed by countless statues, squares and streets commemorating his name. In Russia alone as many as 455 streets and squares are named after him. And Russian historical journals have featured articles on him as two hundred years have passed since his birth in the town of Barmen, in Germany, on the 28th of November 1820. Due to the highly controversial influence of Marxism on the fate of Russia, Russians  can either curse him or attempt to at least establish what was the main gist of his beliefs. Have his views been distorted by the example of the Russian revolution or can you blame him for what happened in Russia? For example, one historian states in a recent article in the Journal 'Historian', Number 11,{71} November 2020, that Engels would have reacted highly negatively to the bloodshed of the revolution - 'Of course, they would have been very against all this bloodshed' states the Russian historian Alexander Tsipko.' He partly views Engels as being part of humanist movement who sought to alleviate the appalling conditions of the working class they witnessed in England during the 19th century. But some Russians are less charitable. Engels, along with Marx, have been accused not only of hypocrisy, but Russo phobia!  

 For instance, in the latest issue of the journal Rodina, {November 2020,number 11} Nikolai Andreev asks how on earth could Engels, a capitalist who owned a textile factory, complain about how capitalists treat the workers when he himself was making a profit from workers in Manchester? Did he do anything himself to alleviate the conditions of workers in his own factories such as cutting their long hours, boosting their wages and improving their dreadful housing conditions? Andreev can't find any evidence he took such measures. We just don't know. As far as I know no historian has bothered to research the fate of Engels own workers. Until then the allegations that he was a pure hypocrite lack concrete evidence. 

 I heard the same allegation being made against Engels when I was a student forty years ago. After all he could have done what Robert Owen did in New Lanark in Scotland when he not only made great improvements in the conditions of his factories, but provided decent housing and access to education. But perhaps Engels did something like this. Who knows?

 

What is evident is that Friedrich Engels played a profound role in the birth, development and spread of Marxism. Without his financial support it is difficult to imagine how Marx would have found the time to devote his time and energy to writing the work Das Kapital. Engels was modest about his role as a key partner. He declared - 'Marx could well have done without me. What Marx accomplished I would not have achieved. Marx stood higher, saw farther, and took a wider and quicker view than the rest of us. Marx was a genius.' In fact, some critics claim that Engels himself oversimplified, misrepresented and distorted the works of Marx. But what Engels tried to do was to convey the views of Marx in a simple, straightforward and more accessible way so that he would reach a wider audience. If you have ever tried to read the volumes of Das Kapital then you 'll quickly grasp this point. When I brought a copy of Volume one of Das Kapital to college a Marxist told me, "Forget about reading that. You'll never make head or tale of that. Nobody can get through that". 

 Lenin argued that, 'You cannot understand Marxism and you cannot fully explain it without taking into account the works of Marx and Engels.' It is worth noting that  2 volumes of Das Kapital are in fact the work of both Marx and Engels as Engels edited, rewrote, selected, ordered and completed them. Engels himself stated that, "There is no one but me who can decipher this handwriting and these abbreviations of words and style." Marx's handwriting was atrocious. Few people could make it out. When Marx once desperately applied for a post as a railway clerk, he failed to get the job because of his bad handwriting. One wonders whether he was greatly relieved by this rejection or regretted it.

 

Whether he played second fiddle to Marx or not he wrote many works. In 1845 he wrote 'The Condition of the English Working Class', shared authorship with Marx in his famous Communist Manifesto, The German Ideology, and later wrote 'The Origin of the Family, the Property and the State ' as  well as many other works.

 

What kind of man was Friedrich Engels? He was no doubt a very pragmatic and down to earth man who understood he had to go into business to get by. Although Engels was born in Barmen in Germany he ended up taking the reins of the family business in Manchester. He seemed to have a cheerful temperament and enjoyed horse riding, hunting foxes, as well as drinking. Although he never had a further education he was very knowledgeable in a wide area of subjects. He was a polyglot. He could speak as many as eight languages including Russian. The idea that he was anti Russian widely misses the mark. He certainly detested the Tsar, serfdom and the role Russia played in crushing the revolutions of 1848-49. However, he  had a high opinion of Russian culture and appreciated it. Engels was usually a very cheerful, warm and generous person who liked to live life to the full. But in many ways he had the opposite temperament to Marx. While Marx was very tidy and disorderly, Engels liked order; Marx was a very family-orientated person while Engels was not; Engels tended to dress with care and groomed himself while Marx forgot about his appearance. You can see this just by looking at their photos. While Engels took the trouble to trim his beard, Marx just let it sprout out and about. 

 You might think they were the odd couple. But what united them was a common belief in the fact that the working class were subjected to grave injustices and that the working class and a revolutionary party were capable of building a fairer and more just society. It is easy to understand why Engels became a socialist. The conditions of the English working class were appalling in Manchester. As many as 57% of children of the workers died before they reached the age of 5 and as many as 350,000 workers in Manchester were living in damp barracks you'd hesitate to call homes. Children were growing up with distorted  and stunted bodies and aging before their time. In the words of Marx, people grew up 'crippled monstrosities' where their talents and creativity were crushed. Marx and Engels were motivated by a new vision of humanity where a person could develop all his wider abilities and talents. Both Engels and Marx were against a person overspecializing in just one form of activity which led him or her feeling completely powerless and alienated. His idea of a communist society was spelled out as follows:

'In communist society, where nobody has one exclusive sphere of activity but each can become accomplished in any branch he wishes, society regulates the general production and thus makes it possible for me to do one thing today and another tomorrow, to hunt in the morning, fish in the afternoon, rear cattle in the evening, criticize after dinner, just as I have a mind without ever becoming hunter, fisherman, shepherd or critic'.{Engels and Marx,1845}

If you read diligently the works of Marx and Engels you'll discover that they were for freedom of the press and speech, and against forced labor of any kind. In fact, they aimed to liberate people from the forced labor they had witnessed in Manchester. Engels once stated that the occurrence of a revolution can become an authoritarian event as force is used. He preferred a scenario where a revolution would come about peacefully. Unfortunately, you never hear this voice of Engels or how he warned that his ideas might not be appropriate for Russia as Russia was too undeveloped and not ready for such a change. Two centuries have passed and people are still putting their own words into Engels'  mouth. The least we could do is let Engels speak for himself. That is we should patiently and properly read him.

Robots Replace Teachers?

BOOK REVIEW

ROBOTS REPLACING TEACHERS?

HOMO DEUS

A brief History of Tomorrow, by Yuval Noah Harari

Published by Vintage ,London, 2017

 

Review by Stephen Wilson

 

You cannot avoid the figure which suddenly looms up. For on the huge window of Dom Knigi in Sokol, Moscow you see his figure flanked by his works such as Homo Sapiens, Homo Deus and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century. The huge photo is of the author Yuval Noah Harari  whose presence in Russia has become inconspicuous. His book boasts of being a bestseller that has sold a million copies. His main works can be bought in Russian.

 

Part of the attractive appeal of his works lie in the fact that he is not afraid to grapple with controversial as well as relevant issues which worry so many people. His work is written in a simplistic, straightforward and concise style which renders his work more accessible to a wider audience. Some academics might accuse of him of being 'populist' but he at least backs up his arguments with listed sources. His works are certainly not dull.

 

What is more controversial is his interpretation of how he perceives the nature of humanity and his questionable interpretation of ideas. People who have read him can be forgiven for believing that he is a prophet of dark times. He argues that we might be entering a new scientific and technological age where all the old religions and ideologies will soon be either irrelevant or obsolete. He argues that a new religion called 'Dataism' will emerge where the ability to derive and use data quickly will be the key to progress. Instead of humans deciding their own destiny algorithms will. Algorithms not cadres will decide matters! Since humans can't cope with an overwhelming avalanche of information, it is best to surrender this task to machines or computers which are more efficient in processing data and arriving at solutions to the world's problems. He argues - 'Dataism is most firmly entrenched in its two mother disciplines: computer science and biology.  Of the two, biology is the more important. It was biology's embrace of Dataism that turned a limited breakthrough in computer science into a world shattering cataclysm that may completely transform the very nature of life.'{page 499}

Harari views a person as being a bio-chemical organism who does not have that much control over his body. A person not only has little control over his body, but can't control the relentless advance of technology. In fact, Harari argues that machines can do things most humans do more effectively, efficiently and economically. Therefore machines will make most professions obsolete and we won't just face a perspective of mass unemployment, but many people will be unemployable! Their lives will be so expendable they'll be superfluous. Harari bases his claim on not only current trends, but some research. For instance, you read - 'Some economists predict that sooner or later unenhanced humans will be completely useless, robots and  3 D Printers are already replacing workers in manual jobs such as manufacturing shirts and highly intelligent algorithms will do the same to white collar occupations. Bank clerks and travel agents who a short time ago seemed completely secure from automation, have become an endangered species. How many travel agents do we need when we can use our smart phones to buy plane tickets from an algorithm?{pages 363-364}

'According to research by Frey and Osborne, 2013, titled 'The Future of unemployment', 47% of U.S. jobs are at risk and there is a high probability that sports referees, cashiers, chefs, tourist guides, bakers, bar tenders and security guards will lose their jobs. Doctors will also lose their jobs because new machines can offer a more accurate diagnosis than unreliable doctors.

 

Harari declares - 'We're not there yet but it is conceivable that in the not too distant future FMRI scanners could function as almost infallible truth machines. Where will that leave millions of lawyers, judges, cops and detectives? They might consider returning to school to learn a new profession.

When they enter the classroom, however, they may well discover that the algorithms have got there first'.{page 365}

Yes, you have already guessed, robots will also replace teachers! Harari mentions how companies such as Mindojo are developing interactive algorithms that will not only teach math, physics, and history, but study and treat students better. In a very telling phrase, Harari states, 'And these digital teachers will never lose their patience, never shout at me, and never go on strike'. {page 365}

It is clear that Harari is overawed by the advance of science and technology and overestimates its power. The role of a teacher is not simply to impart knowledge but to maintain an essentially human relationship with them, to act as a kind of role model and in school, to help bring them up. Olga Stefanova, a teacher based in Moscow stated, "A teacher in school doesn't just prepare children for exams but brings them up and instructs them to tell the difference between what is right and wrong". Many pupils don't want a digital robot, but someone who can fully respond to them in a way a robot can't. 

The problems which people are currently having in banks and supermarkets are that they can't arrange an appointment with a bank manager to remedy some error. When they phone up, they often get some mechanical reply which is next to useless. The advantage of  being driven by a taxi driver or meeting a shop assistant is that this can be a source of friendship in a community. A shop assistant or a bar tender does not just sell you things but can help strengthen bonds of unity in a community. They help some lonely people break away from isolation. What if the economist Adam Smith got it wrong when he presumed the butcher does not sell his meat out of benevolence?  It is not that far fetched to imagine a mainly benevolent butcher in some part of the world that cares more about his customers than merely making money from meat!

So Harari and others should ask, 'What exactly is the real function of many of those jobs?' A doctor does not just diagnose a patient but is there to talk, treat and console a patient. The question remains, 'What is more important: doing things more efficiently, effectively and economically or serving and strengthening the well being of a community by looking after the weakest members?' Despite those dark apocalyptic predictions of most people losing their jobs there will be always be some kind of work that needs to be done. Now some people might think some new jobs may be useless. They may argue this profession is no longer useful. But this begs the question 'What is the use of use?'

 

Harari is at his best when he attempts to deconstruct the claims of nationalism and hypocrisy of some religions. I liked it when he mentioned that when people embark on projects that are doomed to failure they refuse to look reality in the eye and continue to press on. For instance, he offers the example of how the financing of the new Scottish parliament rose from an estimated cost of 40 million pounds to 400 million pounds in five years. Rather than abandon this reckless investment from 1999, the government pressed on. He also speaks about the 'Our boys did not die in vain syndrome' which prevented an early peace settlement to the First World War. The Italians did not wish to admit that entering the war against Austria was a grave mistake and continued to fight on leading to more and more needless deaths. He warns - 'Not only governments fall into this trap. Business corporations often sink millions into failed enterprises, while private individuals cling to dysfunctional marriages and dead-end jobs. Our narrating self would much prefer to continue suffering in the future, so it won't have to admit that our past suffering was devoid of all meaning'.{page 353} 

Could we apply this analysis to the example of charter schools? Although I think this book expounds a questionable view of human nature as well as offering a determinism where technology is the main catalyst of history, it still makes compelling reading.  Despite finding the conclusions of this book depressing, it is full of intriguing facts and findings. But I truly hope robots will never replace teachers. God forbid such a dreadful scenario!     

HOD Nov.

November House of Delegates Discuss Return to School

By Jim Vail

From left in red CTU Chris Baehrend Charters, VP Stacy Gates & Pres. Jesse Sharkey

The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) House of Delegates (HOD) met last November 4 to discuss the fight between the union and the Chicago Board of Education (CBOE) about whether or not students and teachers should return to the classroom.

There is a growing movement to go back to school across the country, however the number of Corona Virus cases continue to rise in the city and the date when pre-k and special education students should return to school has been postponed. They are supposed to return during the Second Quarter which began this week.

The union said it was a strategic move from CPS to provide air filters which makes it look like the schools are ready and safe, but classrooms still need air flow, and open windows are not sufficient because it doesn’t mean there is necessary air circulation and ventilation in the room.

"CPS has a strategy to win the public to go back to school, which makes it a risk to our position to make us seem to be more isolated," President Jesse Sharkey said. "If we keep saying no, it can leave us isolated, and our members will be demoralized, because it would appear we are not bargaining and we keep saying no."

The CTU pointed to a safety demands petition on the union's website to fill out: ctulocal1.org/petition 

Chicago Covid cases continue to rise, and areas of the city such as the Southwest Side and Little Village have a 28 percent positivity rate.

While the country is struggling during this second wave of Covid, it is not dire everywhere. Jesse mentioned that Maine has a positivity rate of only 1%, while San Francisco is very low as well although they have not gone back to school. Cities appear to be divided between schools in person or online.

Union officials continued to say CPS needs adequate ventilation, testing, social distancing and staffing, to make it safe.

Will there be a strike? The union said it is up to the members to decide if we need to fight should CPS demand a return to schools before people feel it is safe enough. The union said there needs to be more input from parents and teachers. Should there be a strike, the executive board would first have to authorize it, then the delegates vote in favor at the HOD and the members vote in the schools.

Should the HOD have online visitors? Visitors can’t vote with delegates, but the union could broadcast the delegates meetings behind a member portal, or live stream the meeting - but the mainstream corporate media - which is owned by big business and thus anti-union - could watch the meeting that is internal union business. Delegates discuss sensitive subjects such as problems with their principals that if made public could jeopardize their jobs, Sharkey said. Still, he said meetings should be as open as possible.

Sharkey lamented that the recent presidential election was not an outright "repudiation" of Trump as he was hoping for. There were only about 3 million more votes against Trump.

"He is anti-working class, immigrant and native workers," Sharkey said. "We don’t get stronger by crapping on our neighbors. It weakens our cause ... Unions need to organize against Trumpism."

The following Resolutions were passed:

• Resolution for CTU to stand in support of members in the schools who take collective action to safeguard their safety of families and community in defiance of employers refusing to respect rights of school staff;

• Resolution for unions to protest if Trump tries to stop counting the ballots. Against any effort to subvert outcome of the presidential election. Take any non violent actions necessary including a strike to protect our democracy for constitutionally mandated peaceful transition of power as result of 2020 Presidential elections.  (95% Yes, passes) from AFT.

The union organizers said they want to stop 3 school closings in Lawndale to build a new magnet public school. Why close these schools instead of giving the neighborhood schools the resources they need? Why are they doing this during Covid-19? They say they are working with politicians. Have meetings about this!

The union said Acero Charter trying to expand into Michigan, and they asked if this controversial charter operator formerly known as UNO was using tax dollars to expand into Michigan. They are looking into it.

There are 11 contracts with charter schools expiring in 2022. The CTU Charter Strategy Summit is scheduled in early 2021 to prepare.

"They want to divide our staffs to go back, we need to be unified," Sharkey said.

One delegate said their paid parent volunteers were being pressured to come into the building in Brighton Park where Covid positivity is pushing 20. The union said she should work with the PPC and the union organizer in her network.

One delegate asked if the union can work with the Governor to keep the schools closed during the pandemic. VP Stacy Gates said to "not hold our breath" for the governor to shut down the economy like before unless we see more deaths.

For now, it's a wait and see approach on the part of the union to protect teachers and students and the Chicago public schools focused on kids learning in schools so parents can go back to work.

Core Upset

Members First Upsets Core in Pension Fund Election

By Jim Vail

Members First Phil Weiss upset Core to serve as a teacher
trustee on the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund.

The teachers union recorded its first major upset in 10 years after Members First Philip Weiss defeated Core's Cathy Cunningham-Yee to win a position as teacher trustee on the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund (CTPF).

Tina Padilla (Core) and Phillip Weiss (Members First) won the election to serve as teacher trustees on the pension fund for a three year term. There were four candidates in the election.

The Coalition of Rank and File Teachers or Core has been the ruling caucus party of the Chicago Teachers Union since 2010 when they were able to join other caucuses to upset the ruling party UPC and lead the teachers union.

They have been a dominant force ever since.

Core has won every union election in the last 10 years. Core President Jesse Sharkey defeated Members Fist Therese Boyle in the last election with about 70 percent of the vote.

Core first made its name before the historic 2010 election when Jay Rehak and Lois Ashford won positions on the pension board against the ruling party UPC. Former CTU president Debby Lynch said this had never happened before.

Did this pension upset expose a weakness in Core? MF did win four executive board seats in prior elections, but this was the first big election win for the party first started by Therese Boyle and Frank McDonald when they started looking at the numbers and criticized union political spending and the CTU Foundation which is not accountable to the members.

Members First complained that Core used unfair election tactics and far outspent them in the pension election.

Every CTU member received a slick colorful mailer to vote for Tina Padilla and Cathy Cunningham to the pension board.

Tina Padilla won re-election as trustee to the pension board.

Members First, on the other hand, took to social media and its facebook page to make a video about why it was important to vote for their candidates. Phil and Mary noted that the fund has lost 2.5 percent of its value in the last three months. A pension fund trustee said it has lost that much in the last year, which is still "unacceptable."

Members First spent about $250 on FB promoted posts. Core's postcard mailer to 28,000 members is estimated to have cost $10,000.

The fact that the CTPF has been rocked by scandal amid accusations of racism and intimidation in the last couple of months could have contributed to electing an opposition candidate. CTPF President Jeffery Blackwell wrote in a letter, "As trustees we cannot condone racism, harassment or targeted discrimination. We will no longer allow former trustees and active trustees to terrorize our fund with unethical behavior and acts. If we are not part of the solution then we are part of the problem." 

The turnout was very low. Only 3,996 votes were cast, a mere 14 percent of eligible voters. Tina Padilla recorded 2,344 votes, Philip Weiss 2,150, Mary Esposito-Usterbowski 1,668 and Catherine Cunningham-Yee 1,600.

Members First said the election could have been decided on the strength of the candidates resumes. Tina and Phil boasted the strongest finance backgrounds.

"Now what will CORE do to Blackwell?," one MF member asked. "Will he be punished for letting members know about the problems at the fund? Will they vote in a new President of the Trustees? Wonder who is jockeying for that spot?"

Namrud Negash

NAMRUD NEGASHI

A FIGHTER FOR THE HOMELESS

By Stephen Wilson 

 

           There are some dreams you have which leave an indelible impression on you. They are so disturbing you can't forget them. They jolt you out of your humdrum routine life. A few days ago I had a dream where I saw an old friend walking toward me seeking a meeting. It was Namrud. When I approached him he retreated and vanished into thin air. I could not find him or rather was unable to cross some kind of threshold. When I woke up and reflected on this strange meeting it occurred to me that Namrud Negashi, an old friend and colleague from Ethiopia who helped the homeless, had died ten years ago. I wondered whether the dream was just a coincidence. But it is easy to get carried away when we interpret our dreams so I think it is better to skip speculation or indulge in fruitless mysticism. What really matters is that Namrud Negashi's life left a priceless legacy. And this remains a living legacy. He was one of the few people who wholly devoted his whole life to helping the homeless and the hungry not only in Moscow but in Ethiopia during the dreadful famine of 1984-1985. Namrud was not short of detractors. He certainly made mistakes, but we all made terrible errors during the establishment and creation of the Brotherhood of Saint Seraphim of Sarov. I don't think those detractors completely acknowledge or appreciate the pressures he bore in attempting to do, at times, impossible feats. Despite errors, it is what he accomplished which should amaze us!

 

I can remember a lot of good things about Namrud. He usually came across as a very warm, cheerful and talkative person. He was also a great storyteller who told us endless anecdotes.This should come as no great revelation as Ethiopia is a land with a strong oral poetic tradition where storytelling is deeply rooted in their culture. Ethiopians use stories to not only entertain people but educate and strengthen the bonds in communities. When a wife of a Priest had heard Namrud had died she felt very sorry for him. She told us, "He was a very kind man. Do you know that when I was pregnant in a maternity ward he dropped by us and fed us with his Ethiopian cuisine." I had never heard of that story before. I wager that there are many such stories we have never heard about concerning Namrud's deeds. I know that Namrud had struggled to help all kinds of refugees and that he had often spent hours speaking with officials at the Migration services or with all kinds of officials hopelessly pleading their cases. He was also trying to help some homeless and poor children. I recall the brotherhood even organised a small summer camp for poor children.

From around 1996 into the next decade of the 21st century the Brotherhood continued to feed, cloth and try to comfort the homeless from a Church located within the vicinity of the three railway stations of Moscow. It was hardly easy. There were many people against this. The only reason we could do this because there was a good priest, Father Stefan, who fully understood and supported what we were doing. But many people in his congregation did not like this and strongly objected. They would say things like "Why should we help those people who are just wasters and petty criminals?" or "We can't let them wander our church. They can come in and steal things" and  "I am afraid of them."  But Father Stefan who had spent over a decade in prison for his religious beliefs had no such fear. He would invite them round the church explaining his belief and what this or that icon represents. One elder who worked in the church became jealous of the amount of attention and support the priest was giving Namrud. He started to attack the Brotherhood saying, "What right have those people to call themselves the Brotherhood of Saint Seraphim when some of those volunteers are Protestants or atheists?" 

In the Brotherhood we had volunteers from the Lutheran church and, yes, there may well have been an atheist. One woman came up to me and said, "O You are a Protestant" as if it was some kind of heinous sin. I felt that, 'This is like Northern Ireland all over again'. I replied, "Where did you get this information? How do you know it is true?" So Namrud and others found themselves being dragged into some foolish conflicts and church office politics which we strove hard to avoid. 

The Brotherhood was not set up for prestige, power or to make some money. It represented a genuine attempt to comfort the poor and the homeless who often only encountered hostility in the streets. But that is not how many people saw this. Charity can be a magnet for all kinds of petty criminals and con-artists. Namrud and I often felt we were like policemen questioning certain people. What at first seemed like a simple and straightforward project quickly became excessively complex. There was a lot of opposition to feeding the homeless. They perceived the homeless as a threat in terms of crime, hygiene and morals. There still is such opposition. It was more difficult for Namrud because he was an Ethiopian, who at times endured racist slurs which I witnessed, and once when I arrived with him to go back to his hostel he was not allowed in by the security men. When I stayed with him I recall telling a security man that I was from Serbia just as a joke. Later, the OMAN raided the room where Namrud and I were sharing and one man asked us "Where is this Serbian guy?" I showed him my British passport and they moved on. Instead, they took away all those Chinese students and thrust them into a long bus. Fortunately, Namrud and I avoided this for some reason.

 

The Brotherhood attempted to set up a paper for the homeless twice. But each time the project failed. Why was this case? It was not because of the enthusiasm of the homeless who made a great effort to sell such papers. The reason was partly due to police harassment where vendors could be detained or told to move on. Another reason was that potential sponsors wouldn't help us because we represented 'competition'. The Big issue in London refused to offer material or moral sponsorship because, "The people in the Saint Petersburg newspaper for the homeless objected." That was inexplicable to us. You would have thought that such people helping the homeless would have greatly welcomed such an initiative. But for some reason they have never given they refused! The only hint I received about their motives for refusing was that,  "We were competition". You can readily understand why many people question the motives of those who work in charity. I mean what has competition got to do with the original Latin meaning to Charity which is 'Loving respect'? When many years later I heard a Moscow Charity for the homeless deride another charity as 'competition' I ceased to support them. At a meeting with one directer of a homeless shelter I offered the aid of volunteers who were prepared to visit and offer their skills to the homeless. He answered, "We don't need all that. All we need is money for repairing things." At least the Brotherhood did not turn away any volunteer who wanted to help the homeless.

Homeless Newspaper in Moscow Namrud directed

I recall that when Namrud entered a police station all the homeless who were behind bars got down on their knees to render homage to him. I think a lot of homeless people practically worshiped him. Even some of the police were glad to hear that he was working hard to defend their interests. Unfortunately, Namrud became very sick and was taken to hospital. But even though he was sick he still talked about the importance of helping the homeless. Jim Vail told him, "Look you are in no condition to help the homeless. You need to get yourself straightened out." He fell victim to alcoholism and developed sclerosis. In the hospital he found some poor man wandering around the bathroom desperately scavenging for cigarette ends. So we managed to at least get him a packet of cigarettes.

 

When I last spoke to Namrud it was by telephone. He was at the airport on his way back to Ethiopia where he later died a few months later. I asked him how he felt about returning and he told me, "Very sad but also in some ways I welcome it. I would like you to carry on helping the homeless, and in particular the shelter which was looking after me". For some reason, Namrud never wanted to return to Ethiopia  and to be honest, I don't think it was the right thing for him to be sent back. Russia had become his first home! His soul belonged in Russia. This was the decision of the shelter which was taking care of him and feared a potential scandal least he die in their place.

 

I have to admit that Namrud was inscrutable. There is a lot I don't know about him. His daughter who lives in Canada was inspired by him and is helping the downtrodden. So she is carrying on his struggle. This ought to be a consolation for Namrud! Whatever people say, Namrud struggled to the end to help the sick and the homeless. Even when he was in hospital his thoughts were with the other patients. We are justified in regarding him as a true fighter for the homeless. We are proud to have met him. We certainly won't forget him !

Pension Election

Candidates Charge Dirty Tactics in Pension Election

By Jim Vail

Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) members are voting to elect two teacher trustees to the Chicago Teacher's Union Pension Fund (CTPF) amidst accusations of dirty campaigning and charges of racism at the fund.

Tina Padilla, a current trustee, is running with Catherine Cunningham-Yee on the CORE ticket against Mary Esposito-Usterbowski and Phillip Weiss with Members First. 

Teachers can vote Nov. 2 - 6 at https://vote.yeselections.com/ctpf-t/

Members First complained that CTU employees were calling teachers to campaign for the CORE pension trustees and were identifying themselves as delegates or CTU members, but not their caucus affiliation. They say it gives the impression that the union has endorsed these candidates which it has not.

Core countered that the accusations were false to give the impression that they are intentionally spreading disinformation to make it appear the CTU is trying to unfairly tilt the election. They pointed out that Sherri Parker who was phone banking to get out the vote for Core correctly identified herself as a CTU member, delegate and PSRP leader and wasn't trying to deceive anyone.

The election for two teacher trustee positions comes at a critical time when CTPF President Jeffery Blackwell wrote a letter that he read at a recent pension fund board meeting where he accused employees and trustees of racism and pressure from the CTU to make political hires at the fund.

It's gotten so bad that Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, a bitter foe of the CTU, has commented to the mainstream media that she is concerned about the pension fund.

Teachers and retirees take note, if the mayor who represents business interests is concerned, that is not a good thing. Businesses have been pressuring state politicians like Madigan to cut public worker pensions just like they did in the corporate sector.

The Members First candidates noted in a facebook election campaign video that the fund has lost over 2 percent of its value in the last three months. However, this is only partly true according to one trustee. The fund has lost 2.5 percent over the last year.

Why is the fund down and why all the chaos?

There are no simple answers here.

Second City Teachers will take an in-depth look in our next article at these very questions in order to better understand things. It is especially critical to hold highly-paid fund managers and trustees accountable when it comes to managing the retirement of teachers.

Tina Padilla is running for reelection to the CTPF. She has served since 2011 and has a strong finance background. She worked as a math teacher for over 20 years at Lane Tech High School until she clashed with a corrupt principal who fired her. She is considered one of the most active trustees who sparred with the fund's former director who some believe helped orchestrate the recent turmoil.

Cathy Cunningham-Yee is running on the Core ticket with Tina Padilla for teacher pension trustee. She is a veteran teacher and activist in Core. She currently teaches special ed at Rickover Naval Academy High School where Phil Weiss also works.

Philip Weiss is running on the Members First ticket for teacher trustee. He has an extensive finance and investment background. He has owned and traded various types of securities and commodities, including stocks, bonds, oil and precious metals since he was 12 years old. He said he also invests in start-up companies and he founded 2 companies that owned and rented two dozen apartment units to lower income families.

Mary Esposito-Usterbowski is running with Members First for teacher pension trustee. She currently works as a school psychologist and has been a teacher member of the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund (CTPF) since 1998.