RH Jones to Dave Speas: We need direction from ORTA

From RH Jones, September 09, 2006

Subject: ORTA leadership

Dave,

Concerning your letter to John explaining the stand that ORTA is taking in the coming election, I looked up the term "lead". The Webster Dictionary "New World" Edition mentions "lead" as this: 1. to direct 2. to guide 3. to head 4. to be the head of 5. to be head of in a contest 6. to show the way. 7. to be or go first 8. to lead off 9. in the forefront....etc.etc. & etc. In particular, I like # 5. to be head of in a contest. We sir, as educators, are in the contest of our lives. We need direction from ORTA and are not getting it.

When I was in "leadership school" in the army at Fort Benning, the logo on the entrance gate was: "Follow me". Today, as followers of ORTA leaders, we need direction. We voted you into office to lead. We pay our dues for leadership. We public educators Pre-K-16 are at war with those who are taking public tax dollars and putting them into the pockets of entrepreneurs who would like to privatize our public schools. Our survival as STRS retirees depends on our traditional public schools that are doing the best they can as multimillions flow away to inferior charter schools -- proven to be so by state testing. And we depend on those politicians that support the education system that has made us the number one world power. A democracy depends on public education -- an intelligent voting decision! Profiteering entrepreneurs do not know how to educate students, educators do. Making money is their job, or is teaching.

We members realize that we are made up of diverse political, racial, ethnic, religious and every other persuasion that makes us Americans. In this fall election OEA is made up to the same people, only they are younger. OEA, OFT, FOP, and other unions lead members with their political endorsements. That is a major responsibility of organizing, of coming together in union. Endorsements, in one way or another, help in making informed voting decisions. ORTA is going to have to lead or get out of the way. CORE is coming on strongly and will soon be in serious contention for membership. Perhaps, however, OEA may have waited too long, as well. CORE represents active educators too.

No one knows the future, but be certain of this: we want leadership. Personally, I do not want to hear that we need to work with those who would destroy our schools. They do not want to hear us; they have not listened to us in the last 10-yrs. or so. They will not listen to us now. Just let us know whose these politicians are so that we can do our best to retire them out-of-office. That is our ORTA elected leaders and the ORTA hired staff's job. Are you all up to it, I wonder?

RHJones, SummitCRTA & ORTA Life Member