Promises Broken: Recruited Immigrant Teachers Lied to by NY Leaders!

NEW YORK — New York City teachers recruited from Jamaica, Trinidad and other Caribbean countries a decade ago said Wednesday that the city needs to do more to help them and their families obtain permanent U.S. residency. Some 500 Caribbean teachers were recruited in 2001 when the city faced a teacher shortage. The teachers say they were hired with the understanding that New York City officials would help them regularize their immigration status. But teachers who attended a news conference Wednesday on the steps of City Hall said they are here on H-1B work visas they need to keep renewing or risk deportation; meanwhile, their adult children are not legally able to work.

Special education teacher Antoinette Nesbitt said her 27-year-old daughter went to culinary school but can't use her degree. "It's killing her," she said. Kevin Lowe, a 26-year-old whose mother is a music teacher, said he has no choice but to stay in college. "It's hard to wake up every morning not knowing what your future will be like," he said.

Advocates for the teachers said that until recently, New York City officials have not shown a commitment to help with the teachers' immigration status. "For over a decade, these teachers and their families have been in a legal struggle, fighting to stay in this city and build a life," said City Councilman Jumaane Williams of Brooklyn.
But they said the city is now on board. Said Fatima Shama, who leads Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Office of Immigrant Affairs, "We are committed to identifying and working for practical solutions that will provide permanent residency for our international teachers." Shama did not elaborate on what help the city would provide. But supporters of the teachers say what is needed is a unified lobbying effort to secure special immigration status for the teachers and their families.

"This is now a federal issue and we need to fix this in Washington, D.C.," said teachers union President Michael Mulgrew. "It's going to require us going together to Washington and saying enough is enough."

Similar issues have arisen in other U.S. communities that recruited foreign teachers. Hundreds of Filipino teachers in Maryland's Prince George's County fear they could be sent back to the Philippines after school officials said they would no longer request work-visa renewals for "non-critical workers" such as elementary, music and language teachers.

Republican TeaParty Official Fired for Urging "Deadly Force" on Wisconsin Teachers

TeaParty Republican Official in Indiana Fired for urging "Deadly Force" on Wisconsin Teachers:
A Republican TeaParty official in Indiana has been FIRED for urging "LIVE AMMUNITION" be used on Peaceful Teacher protesters in Wisconsin. Indiana Deputy Attorney General Jeff Cox was removed on Wednesday for saying on his personal Twitter account that police should "use live ammunition" on Teachers Peacefully Protesting in the Wisconsin legislature for their rights.

TeaParty Republican Extremist Cox made the comment last Sunday in response to a Tweet from Mother Jones magazine that riot police might force protesters out of the Wisconsin capitol building.

In a Twitter exchange with Mother Jones editor Adam Weinstein, Cox argued, "Against thugs physically threatening legally-elected state legislators and governor? You're damn right I advocate deadly force."

The back-and-forth continued with Cox telling Weinstein, "I support police unions. Funny you would advocate for a police union when liberals hate police." He later told the journalist, "Typical leftist. Try to silence anyone who disagrees with you."

Weinstein at the time did not know he was talking to one of Indiana's deputy attorney generals.

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller said late Wednesday he was dismissing Cox after a "thorough and expeditious review" of his online postings.

The same day, Indiana lawmakers dropped a similar ANTI-union bill after Democrats followed their Wisconsin counterparts and fled the state.

Cox's postings include blog entries in which Cox called President Barack Obama "incompetent and treasonous," and former Labor Secretary Robert Reich and members of the Service Employees International Union "brownshirts," referring to the paramilitary group of the Nazis. The COWARDLY Cox has since deleted his blog, but his Twitter comments remain online. "We respect individuals' First Amendment right to express their personal views on private online forums, but as public servants we are held by the public to a higher standard, and we should strive for civility," Zoeller said.

The removal of Cox occurred on the second day of a boycott by Democratic state lawmakers. The lawmakers are in neighboring Illinois to prevent a quorum required to pass the Republican bill.

God Bless Our Teachers and Unions!

STOP GOP Union Busting Pt 3: Teachers & Unions NOT to Blame for Wisconsin's Economic Woes!

Republicans and Wisconsin Gov. Walker are attempting to blame Teachers and Unions for all of their "Budget Crisis" issues. This is like the Gambling Addicted Dad blaming the kids for his losing at the crap tables, then forcing them to give up their lunch money to pay off his bookies. The Budget crisis in any state is NOT due to the Teachers, their pay, their benefits nor the Unions.
As we all know, the reason we are in this economic mess is primarily due to the shenanigans on Wall Street. We cannot allow Republicans to target our Teachers and Unions and use them as scapegoats. It's all a SCAM! They know our Teachers and Unions are NOT at fault. However, what they are really doing is attempting to Bust the Unions across the country. Union members traditionally vote Democratic. They are Union busting in hopes of gaining more strength for the 2012 election. We've already seen the attacks on Teachers and Unions beyond Wisconsin, in neighboring states like Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.
Now let's talk about how the Wall Street shenanigans are the root cause for the problems in Wisconsin.

As we know, our economic mess started in the early 2000's. Almost everyone was getting calls from lenders to refinance their homes or purchase new homes. Bankers and Mortgage companies were lending money to everyone. There were countless independent people also hawking cheap, unscrupulous, balloon mortgages, reverse mortgages, and scam loans. You didn't need good credit. Loans were easy. Everyone was raking money in. Builders were building new homes in every neighborhood. Most of these homes were overpriced, particularly in states on both coasts. Home flippers were everywhere -- buy low, sell high for a quick profit.

Banks, Mortgage Companies and Lenders were not holding on to these mortgages. Wall Street unscrupulously bundled these very risky loans and sold them as securities -- Bonds or Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (CMOs). To those of you who don't "play the market," Bonds, or asset backed securities are sold as "low risk" investments. The shady bankers/mortgage companies sold them as highly rated, virtually risk free investments. Many states purchased these CMOs from their State Pension Fund monies, believing what they were told by their Investment Advisors (also Wall Streeters), that they were safe, risk free investments. We are talking about State Pension Funds....YES, the Teachers and Other State Workers' Pension Funds. These same Pension Funds that Governor Walker is saying are bankrupting the State.
IF THERE ARE SHORTAGES IN THESE PENSION FUNDS, IT IS NOT THE FAULT OF THE STATE WORKERS OR THE UNIONS! IT IS THE FAULT OF THE UNSCRUPULOUS SHENANIGANS THAT OCCURRED ON WALL STREET IN THE EARLY 2000's AND WHICH ULTIMATELY CAUSED OUR ECONOMY TO NEARLY COLLAPSE IN SEPTEMBER, 2008.
What is astounding is that Governor Walker knows this, yet continues to Blame the Teachers and the Unions. And even more preposterous, even with all of his so-called Budget shortfalls, he continued with his TAX CUTS to the rich-Big Business, many of whom were the connivers in the Wall Street Mess!

The reason Republicans are targetting teachers and unions is just part of the Republican Agenda. If we allow them to Bust the Unions in Wisconsin, look for them to target Unions in every state in the Country. Once they abolish Unions, look for them to fulfill the rest of their Republican Political Agenda:

1. Eliminate Entitlements including: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid

2. Privatize the School System (No More Public Schools)

3. End to Global Warming Initiatives

4. Demolish Planned Parenthood

5. End Unemployment Compensation

6. Mass Deportation of Latino Immigrants and Racial Profiling bills like sb1070 in Every State; Changing Birthright Citizenship.

7. CONTINUE to Cut Taxes for the Rich and let the Wall Street Crooks Walk!

STOP GOP Union Busting Pt 1: Why I Love Teachers

Over the last several days, tens of thousands of teachers, nurses, firefighters and other public sector workers have camped out at the Wisconsin State Capitol. They have been protesting Republican Gov. Scott Walker's attack to Break the Unions. His plan includes reducing their take-home pay -- by increasing their contributions to their pension plans and health care benefits -- and BREAK THE UNION. Although Republican Walker CLAIMS he was forced to impose cutbacks because the state is broke, teachers found that he offered generous TAX BREAK to BIG BUSINESSES that were equivalent to the value of their proposed givebacks.

Teachers do not have large salaries, particularly considering they are required, at a minimum, to have Bachelors degrees; all continue their education and many have Masters degrees. The starting salary for Wisconsin teachers is $25K; the average salary is $46K. In return for lower salaries, their unions have helped them negotiate pension and healthcare benefits. Where the STARTING salary for teachers is $25K, overall, the average salary offered to 2010 graduates is $48.4K, almost DOUBLE the amount of starting wage for Teachers in Wisconsin. Now the governor wants to unilaterally slash what has been negotiated. The Governor is WRONG. He is deep in the pockets of Big Business/Koch Brothers! (more on this in Parts 2 and 3 of this topic)

I stand with the Teachers, the workers, the Unions. We are Middle America. WE THE PEOPLE! March On Heroes! We support you!

I LOVE TEACHERS! As President Obama has often said, "Education is the Great Equalizer!"
You have to be a very special person to become a teacher. Most teachers know and understand they will have low salaries. Most are compassionate, caring human beings who care about educating our children. I had several teachers in my lifetime that were very influential in helping me become who I am today. Perhaps the most influential was my 1st grade teacher.

We were a poor, hard working Mexican American family with ten children. My Dad worked three jobs and my mother was a stay at home mom. Every summer, we picked crops - migrant laborers. My father wanted us to learn a good work ethic.

In first grade, I was the only Mexican American in class. I was shy. The first time I stood up to read in class, I stumbled over my words and the kids laughed, whispering I couldn't speak English. My teacher, a nun, stood next to me, put her arm over my shoulder, and she told all the children in class, "Dee is a little shy today, but she is a very good student. We are All God's Children! And she is going to prove to us this year how good she can be!" I finished reading and the kids didn't laugh again. My teacher encouraged me and encouraged me, often saying, "Dee, you can do anything you set your mind to!" I believed her. Within months I was in the top reading group and by the end of the school year, I won the spelling bee. I attribute much of who I am today to that one teacher. Had she ignored me, I could have easily failed. There were other teachers throughout my school years who were also very influential. I am grateful to them!

I stand with the Teachers, the workers, the Unions. We are Middle America. WE THE PEOPLE! March On Heroes! We support you! God Bless You! God Bless America!