Arthur makes a good point when he discusses the manner in which the DOE has managed this crisis. The attempt to take punitive action against teachers (by taking away sick time or other contractual benefits if they did not come in last friday was the usual petty bullying from a government agency that spends a lot of its time bullying students with metal detectors, police in the schools and disciiplinary actions that are fundamentally racist (just take a look at who winds up in the detention rooms, hearing rooms and special conduct centers).

We've got stop and frisk going on in the schools.

But Arthur, let's not kid ourselves. Our Union, run tightly by a the UNITY Caucus has a lot to learn from the rank and file members but the structure UNITY has established in the past 50 years precludes the rank and file having much influence.

Delegate Assemblies are often tightly run exercises in non-democracy with much of the discussion time clock run down by the leadership so there is barely any time for the wide ranging discussion necessary. Truth be told, and I was a Chapter Leader and delegate for much of the time, the UFT has been absent throughtout the past week due of course to the technical problems of electrical power. But like our Political Class, the Mayor and Governor, the UFT failed to prepare for a storm that we've been warned about not for just a week, but for nearly 20 years. I was trained in Environmental Science and taught science and social studies before being excessed the June before last.

Scientists, Engineers and Activists have attended conferences paid for by the Political Class that provided guidelines for preparing for the challenges of Storm systems like Sandy. The Political Class ignored those warnings. The Prima Facie evidence for that is the entrance to the brand new South Street Ferry station last Tuesday. It looked more like an entrance way to Davey Jones locker than a vital part of a major public transportation system.

The UFT has to push back against Walcott and demand that Walcott apologize for threatening to take away sick leave (CAR).

My wife, a nursing teacher at Clara Barton High School in Brookyn put in over 70 hours at the Wadleigh High School evacuation center begining the day before the storm through this past Saturday. She was not the only one. Teachers, workers from many other Municipal Unions put in many hours as first responders and support staff. Walcott and the City should be singing their praises not looking to go after those who themselves were victims of the storm.

On a personal note, I have retired (not because I was tired of teaching but was tired of the constant bullying by the DOE and its Principals, APs and their ''standardized test linkage to teacher evaluations". The Walcott-Bloomberg team are dragging NYC public schools down further - and this is their modus vivendi as Walcott's bullying actions demonstrate.

I feel that administration at Tweed continues to see teachers as helpless, unprepared, confused individuals who must be given directives; otherwise, they’d be lost. It doesn’t matter what time these directives come. According to the Chancellor, teachers must be guided, no matter at what the time, by the DoE in order for 80,000 educators to march in a straight line as per those directives.

I truly feel that leadership does not only entail guidance but it should also show trust, consideration, and empathy for those called the classroom leaders. Many of my lessons are prepared a week to two week in advance. I would have modified my lesson, which I did, to take into consideration that various emotional sessions that I may encounter with my students come Monday. So had I missed going to work on Friday would that had affected by ability to lead my students into these necessary share-outs yet not neglecting the instructional time they still need? A teacher comes prepared for all sorts of unforeseen occurrences that may enter the school or classroom on a daily basis. This is the nature of a teacher – always prepared.

Some of my colleagues were unable to come in on Friday yet they were ready on Monday. They told me that they felt it was an insult to learn that they must come in on Friday when there were all sorts of obstacles making it impossible for them to travel. They were dealing with the difficulties of getting gas, food, shelter. One teacher told me he had to take of his family first. Who comes first? Sandy brought a lot of stress and financial hardship, but we cannot argue with Mother Nature. Sandy was an unreasonable force to contend with. You would think that the chancellor would be more reasonable and make plausible decisions better than Sandy.

I know that our colleagues, neighbors, and friends will support each other in the coming weeks; recovery will be slow but it will come. One of my wonderings is the following: will Chancellor Walcott realize that true leadership is more than spewing directives? Trust and allowing others to take the lead when there’s a crisis brings respect.

Thank you Arthur for always bringing out the truth. I commend you for not mincing words.