After the election of Donald Trump, everything dear to us is on the line. We have political strength, but we can always be stronger. Every UFT member must contribute to COPE. If you contribute, please consider contributing an additional amount. 

When we endorse a candidate, we want that candidate to win. Winning always requires money. So let’s get behind COPE and strengthen our political efforts.

Abe Levine, retired

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Little ears are listening to our remarks and internalizing everything that is being said. So please, parents and teachers alike, we need to choose our words wisely for the benefit of our children.

Lucy Molina, PS 316, Brooklyn
(via Facebook)

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Trump said he would freeze new hires of public employees. Does this include teachers? What will happen to our education system? Do you think he will try to break up the teachers union? No one ever talked about education policy during the race.

Castielle Ortega, student, City College of New York
(via Facebook)

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“An educated public is a prerequisite for a functioning democracy.” The words by Noam Chomsky have certainly come to the forefront during this presidential election. Like many, I awoke on Nov. 9 a stranger in a strange land with the election of Donald Trump. 

 The incendiary nature of his public discourse may have many causes such as economic inequality and a plethora of extremist media outlets, but a decline in the quality of schooling must also be considered. If such is the case, a large part of the cure will be to give more resources to upgrading the quality of educating children. The corrosive cynicism of our public discourse is a direct assault on the health of our democracy, and a quality education might just be the primary cure for the disease.

 Those who have actually taught must be given a prominent voice in asking the right questions, experimenting with a variety of teaching methods and creating potential solutions. While our country (and the world) has been thrust onto the precipice of extreme uncertainty, teachers will play a significant role in restoring civility, decency and facts to our public discourse. Our “functioning democracy” may very well depend on it.

Larry Hoffner, retired

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What if the Democratic Party establishment, including the NYSUT and the UFT, had not anointed Hillary Clinton, a flawed candidate, as its presidential nominee? Perhaps now we would be celebrating the election of Bernie Sanders. Sen. Sanders has not only been a longtime champion of education and labor issues, but also has been a tenacious opponent of economic (and resultant political) inequality. 

On the issue of economic inequality, the same unfortunately cannot be said for Wall Street, neoliberal Democrats like Hillary Clinton. It was a major reason why she lost the election to the dangerously unqualified and unpredictable Donald Trump. 

Howard Elterman, retired