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Great piece by @elizashapiro.
Contrasts @NYCMayor, who is guided by sentiment rather than principle, with Michael Mulgrew, shrewdly focused on @UFT permanent interests, structurally at odds with those of taxpayers and subjugated communities. @thegrade https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/24/nyregion/deblasio-school-reopening.html?smid=tw-share
Contrasts @NYCMayor, who is guided by sentiment rather than principle, with Michael Mulgrew, shrewdly focused on @UFT permanent interests, structurally at odds with those of taxpayers and subjugated communities. @thegrade https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/24/nyregion/deblasio-school-reopening.html?smid=tw-share
Two threads in the (back)story. First, @NYCMayor, more desperate to be seen as a leader than to actually lead. @UFT Mulgrew trivially manipulates him by flattering his vanity, playing Putin to his Trump.
Second, the @UFT long game. 1) Under Bloomberg, accept unprecedented salary increases in exchange for peace under Mayoral control. 2) After Bloomberg, attempt to reverse mayoral control, narrowly lose on the merits.
3) Rebuild UFT political capital by riding deBlasio's sentimental, tactically-boneheaded focus on "teachers" rather than on "education". 4) Leverage COVID to place @UFT at the chokepoint of operational decisions, allow @NYCMayor to take "credit".
5) When political catastrophe ensues, allow @NYCMayor to take full blame, and position @UFT as the rational, responsive adult in the room trying to find a way out of the mess.
6) Chef's kiss/baller move (thank you for surfacing, @elizashapiro): Use parent outrage over @UFT-authored hellscape to push for formal union governance of @NYCSchools
For those with visual learners at home today, I've created this handy guide.
The Man of Iron will be live on WNYC's @BrianLehrer show today at 10:30ET, then via podcast. https://www.wnyc.org/shows/bl
