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CANDIDATES' SPEECHES TO THE MAY CTU HOUSE OF DELEGATES MEETING: Deborah Lynch's speech to the May 5, 2010 CTU House of Delegates meeting

Deborah Lynch - May 06, 2010

[Editor's Note: On May 5, 2010, Substance asked the five candidates running for President of the Chicago Teachers Union for digital copies of the speeches they were delivering that night the the union's House of Delegates meeting. The following, provided to us by Deborah Lynch, candidate from the ProActive Chicago Teachers and school employee (PACT) slate. It was provided to us the following day. We are publishing the speeches of all the candidates for CTU president here so that as many members of the union (and the general public) can follow what is one of the most important elections in Chicago this year. Readers can also get information about Deborah Lynch's candidacy at the Website of the PACT caucus. The May 2010 print edition of Substance will be published and distributed beginning May 11, 2010, and will contain exclusive materials not available here in our on-line edition, including interviews with several candidates. Those who wish to receive the May edition by mail can subscribe (see button on the right below our ads). Additional copies will also be available. George N. Schmidt, Editor, Substance].

Three of the PACT candidates were distributing literature and being interviewed by Substance reporter Sarah Loftus prior to the May 5 meeting of the CTU House of Delegates. Left to right, Maureen Callaghan (candidate for CTU Financial Secretary), Deborah Lynch (candidate for President), and Mary Edmonds (candidate for Area B vice president. Substance photo by George N. Schmidt. SPEECH OF DEBORAH LYNCH, candidate for President on the ProActive Chicago Teachers (PACT) slate, to the Chicago Teachers Union House of Delegates May 5, 2010

Good afternoon. The question of the moment is “Why vote for me and PACT?” First of all, we believe in the power of the union. We believe that the union can make a difference in the lives of its members. That it can be so much more. We are committed to restoring the strength, power, and respect, lost in the last six years along with the loss of 100 schools, the loss of 5000 CTU positions and the loss of millions of dollars of your CTU dues.

PACT candidates Joesphine Perry (left, candidate for Vice President of the CTU), Lawrence Milkowski (candidate for high school functional vice president), and Deborah Lynch (candidate for President) were distributing PACT campaign materials prior to the May 5 House of Delegates. meeting. Substance photo by George N. Schmidt.What else do we believe in? We believe in you, the delegates. We know that you need more support in being the union leader your members deserve. We will get you the support you need. House meetings will again be the places where you come to get the information you and your members need. It will once again be the place where we all discuss, debate and decide the vital issues and challenges of the day.

We have experience. PACT has a track record by which you can judge us. We brought you the highest salaries in 20 years, the extra sick days for those at the top steps, PEP. PSRP gains including seniority from date of hire and annual bonuses. We lowered your dues, eliminated excessive officer and staff perks and benefits. Our salaries were based on salary schedule you follow, unlike the current CTU president who makes over $300,000 of your dues dollars. We reactivated the coalition of CPS unions to present a united front to management; we worked extensively with parent, community, reform and other education advocacy groups on common issues. We fought the 2 school closings for academic reasons, and it was only 2, that happened on our watch. We organized large protests, which are an important strategy, and forced Arne Duncan to agree to a deal to prevent them, an agreement supported by a 75% vote of this House. We vigorously promoted the CTU as a union of professionals. Our motto is “Good working conditions are good learning conditions” and we will not apologize to anyone for fighting for what we have achieved and getting more of what you deserve.

As for me? Like you, I want to make a difference every day in my classroom, my school and in my union. I have always seen the union as our only source of power.

Daborah Lynch delivers her speech on May 5 while Marilyn Stewart (right in above photo) and others look on. Substance photo by George N. Schmidt.As a young teacher, I went to CTU and asked why we weren’t offering classes for members’ advancement? I was told, “Go ahead, put something together.” I did, and so began the CTU Graduate Program. I spent 8 years in Washington DC at the AFT national office, and co-wrote the $1.3 million MacArthur Grant that launched the CTU Quest Center. Former CTU President Jackie Vaughan then asked me to come home and run it. We began training CTU members for National Board Certification with the NTL (Nurturing Teacher Leadership-NTL) Program and created the first union-run graduate school for teacher leadership in the nation.

I am the first CTU president in our history to go back to the classroom after serving. I now have six years of high school experience in addition to 12 years of elementary experience to offer. I believe in the CTU. I want to put us back on the path we started, restoring respect to the union, and power to the delegates and our members. I have learned from my experience in CTU leadership and acknowledge the areas in which we can and will improve, beginning with increased transparency.

If elected, on July 1, I will do the following six things: 1.) call 14 CTU members, representing every caucus and ask them to chair a CTU Standing Committee, which gives them a seat on the Executive Board to restore unity and ensure all voices are heard; 2.) call Ron Huberman and tell him there will be no reopening of our contract and no givebacks—the Board already stole $1.3 billion from our pensions, while our current union administration and trustees stood by; 3.) call Michael Madigan and tell him there will be no more political contributions until Democrats do something for us; 4.) call Arne Duncan and tell him there will be no merit pay will be no merit pay in Chicago schools and we’re going to expose him for the fake that he is; 5.) call the Reverend Senator James Meeks, who is also the Chair of the Illinois Senate Education committee, and tell him that vouchers absolutely don’t work and if he really cares about the neediest students, he will work with us; and 6.) call Richard Daley and tell him thatI’m back and the free ride is over.

I have stood toe to toe with these people and am not afraid to do it again.

If you’d like to know what’s on for July 2, then elect me and the PACT Team. With a strong union supporting them, our members would not be in the state of fear in which they currently exist. With a strong union they would know that their questions would be met with knowledgeable answers they could trust. With a strong union they would feel confident that they were protected and their best interests were being served. Go back to PACT! 

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