Web Corner
UFT launches blog
Sep 8, 2005 2:08 PM
Even though there wasn’t any announcement, the UFT made a splash in the blogosphere when it launched EdWize last month. The site drew immediate attention from other bloggers, who welcomed it as a place where reasonable and informed discussion about education and labor could be conducted.
Two days after the launch, the Daily News ran a story about the blog and the dialogue that was taking place. A week later, the New York Post took a pitiful swipe at UFT President Randi Weingarten and the site’s disclaimer. [See www.nypost.com/postopinion/editorial/27335.htm; free registration is required.]
This auspicious beginning sets the stage for a venture that is certain to generate spirited discussions between members and others that will ultimately strengthen the UFT’s democratic culture. In addition, EdWize was motivated by a belief that the UFT should be leading discussions about public education taking place on the Internet and provide a counterpoint to the conservative pro-voucher, anti-union ideologues. As it says in the disclaimer on the site, EdWize is “where members, public education advocates and others can express opinions in an effort to establish an agora of informed commentary on public education and labor issues.”
For those of you who are not certain about what a blog is, here is a definition from Wikipedia [en.wikipedia.org]: “A weblog (usually shortened to blog, but occasionally spelled web log) is a web-based publication consisting primarily of periodic articles (normally in reverse chronological order).” These posts can be anything from a series of links with summaries to whole articles and comments. EdWize is a collaborative blog that contains a variety of posting styles. It is written by various UFT staff and in the near future will include posts by members and other guests. Each post provides a space for comments.
The first post, “No Contract,” has sparked much debate and includes this comment by The Education Wonks [http://educationwonk.blogspot.com/]
“Welcome to the EduSphere! Good site, nicely done. I hope that some day the unions to which I pay dues (NEA and the California Teachers Association) will also sponsor a site that permits dialogue between members who hold a wide variety of viewpoints. Discussion is vital to the fostering of a strong and democratic organization.”
There have since been posts on topics as far-ranging as the “Better Pay in the Suburbs” to “Wal-Mart: Always Lower Wages. Always!” One spirited discussion began from the post “Beware the Giuliani solutions” that criticized a guest editorial in the Daily News by Josh Greenman, who espoused the “merit-pay” solution to raise teacher salaries and to stanch the exodus of qualified professionals from the school system. Greenman was policy guru and speech writer for Mayor Rudy Giuliani and is currently director of strategy and communications for the Teaching Commission [www.theteachingcommission.org]. The Teaching Commission espouses performance pay for teachers. It also calls for a career ladder, something the UFT proposed several years ago. Greenman also joined the discussion on the blog.
But EdWize is more than a place where you can participate and read spirited discussion about education and labor issues. It is also a catalog of interesting blogs of New York City and other teachers across the world. New York City teacher bloggers include Nani on “Se Hace Camino Al Andar” (which means “paths are made by walking”) at upthedownstaircase.blogspot.com. There is “Ms. Frizzle” at http://msfrizzle.blogspot.com from a middle school teacher in the Bronx. And, “NY Teacher” at teachinginnyc.blogspot.com may be noteworthy since it is the blog of a first-year Teach for America teacher who has a lot of questions that remain unanswered by the school administration.
The catalog continues with blogs by educators outside the city, labor blogs and those that promote political commentary. Eduwonk is an especially active blogger and the Teacher’s Lounge is trying to create a lesson plan exchange. Very few unions engage in blogging, but there is plenty of political and social commentary in the blogosphere. See two of the most famous like Daily Kos [www.dailykos.com] and Talking Points Memo [www.talkingpointsmemo.com]. I like Eschaton [www.atrios.blogspot.com] for his point of view.
In the meanwhile, EdWize is already establishing credibility by its reasoned tone and the expertise of the posters. The space for commentary has also drawn praise; as a comment to “CitySue” by “curious2” says: “By the way, I really admire this blog and your posting for being open to discussion and debate with those who have a different point of view.”
That’s the whole point of EdWize: a place where varying and reasoned opinions on public education by public education advocates are offered to readers.
