Whitney Tilson's School Reform Blog: Passing of Torch from Shrewd Negotiator to Blunt Instrument

As promised, here's the real story on the UFT and the reality behind Randi-the-Reformer. Let's start with Tom Carroll on Randi's replacement, Michael Mulgrew:

I haven't always agreed with Weingarten, but I always respected her sense of strategy, her ability to frame issues, and her perfect ear for how far the political process could be bent in her union's direction.

Over the weekend, however, we got a glimpse of a new UFT. Michael Mulgrew, the new UFT president, issued with much fanfare a blistering report offering charter-school "reforms" that would disembowel charter schools in New York City and beyond. Not a subtle passage in the 16-page document. All red-meat for the anti-charter union masses as he attempts to position himself for re-election in spring 2010, after failing to secure a city teachers contract from the Bloomberg administration.

The report, issued on the Christian Sabbath, was timed to come out before the start of the 2010 legislative session. Early action on a cap hike is anticipated as the state finalizes its Race to the Top application due January 19th.

With a new UFT leader, gone is Weingarten's velvety smoothness. Mulgrew's report had all the subtlety of an ironworkers strike.

The shrewd negotiator has been replaced by the blunt instrument.

Some of the crasser proposals include the following:

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