Friday, November 11, 2005

Molly speaks out: AND: Harmony, Reality, and a Hand Extension

"We should not lump together -- in a negative way -- the local ORTA chapters who have supported and worked hard for the same things CORE has espoused, nor should we forget that 21,729 active teachers put John Lazares in office over Eugene Norris."

Nov 10, 2005
From Dennis Leone:

Good point, Molly, pertaining to the fact that REAL problem has been with the LEADERSHIP at both ORTA and OEA. We should not lump together -- in a negative way -- the local ORTA chapters who have supported and worked hard for the same things CORE has espoused, nor should we forget that 21,729 active teachers put John Lazares in office over Eugene Norris. The speakers we heard at the STRS Board meeting on Sept 15 were driven by the LEADERSHIP of OEA, pure and simple. There is no way that they all would be saying the same thing without being coached to do so.


"Let's work with membership who elected Leone so warmly and were dedicated to his election."

November 9, 2005
From Molly Janczyk:

No one is saying anything other than we need to be specific if we have a complaint to direct it to the particular officer(s) of OEA or ORTA. We MUST not use names of entire organzations when we KNOW the membership of OEA and ORTA delived us Lazares and Leone. Membership are upset that we keep hammering with the names ORTA and OEA when they feel THEY are ORTA and OEA and many do not agree with the 2 or 3 officials either.

It is stated that 2 remaining VOTING ORTA board members still preside. and some other exec comm members may agree with them or not as well as a very few rta officers . But the majority of mebership seems with us and fought for leone and I was told they are upset asking: WHO ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT? WE DELIVERED LEONE! ORTA IS MEMBERSHIP, the local RTA's , not a few remaining officials. Let's work with membership who elected Leone so warmly and were dedicated to his election. If we wish to criticize, name those we are specifically speaking about as, I was told so as not to offend membership. But to keep saying ORTA in genreal is offending many members who fought for Leone and work with us at the RTA's. I am ORTA lifetime and work for change within. Waiting for the change first is leting the others do this job. Others like Glenna Barr, and the many, many RTA's who worked so hard with us and Roger Pancake and hundreds of others who are ORTA AND CORE. So, to keep saying ORTA is misleading. It is not ORTA, but is some within ORTA and many of those are on their way out. We cannot condemn an entire 105,000 grp of people and that is how I am told many in the membership are interpreting our messages and I don't wish to do that. I named clearly who I wished to address and yes some others as well. Let's focus on the many hundreds and hundreds who wish cooperation instead of feeding a flame and angering them. If one wants to pursue the ORTA board members and some of Exec Comm. of 16 members and few RTA pres. and officials name them. I was told plainly we are angering the ones who helped and that is not necessary or appropriate because we oppose some.

Many of those who helped Leone want to hear from him in the ORTA qrterly newsletter. Should they be denied bec/ 3 board members which is now down to 2 opposed making a public statement? I think we should work on getting him published and heard by his constituency and MANY OR MOST OF THEM are ORTA members. It is not their fault. They did all they were asked and much more for DENNIS! They deserve to have their rep speak to them. Leone still travels far and wide to meet them. The newsletter is another way and I hope this issue will be revisited. I don't care what a few at downtown ORTA in Cols. do. It is the membership who matters and this is what they ask of us. i think it's fair. I don't wish to stay on a point that I feel harms us.
Larry KehresMount Union Collge
Division III
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