Those of us who run this site have had a sneaking suspicion that not all the comments are actually from teachers. To test this theory, we recently installed a plug-in that can trace the locations of IP addresses to the general area they come from.
Today, June 2nd, from approximately 2:03-2:17 PM, there was only one IP address (81.94.195.202) looking at different pages. During this time, 3 comments appeared under the name "Skeptic":
- Skeptic June 2, 2012 2:07 PM
That's
a pretty serious accusation. If you can back it up you should go to
the NLRB. If not then you have nothing, and you're setting up a Straw
Man to stir up trouble for its own sake.
- Skeptic June 2, 2012 2:10 PM
I hope you're right and the union isn't trying to censor discussion. That would be very bad form.
- Skeptic June 2, 2012 2:16 PM
What
I would find really interesting is if we knew what they had before and,
for a true comparison, factored in the dues money that had paid the
union.
Then we'd have an accurate picture that would show if they did better or worse, although we still wouldn't know what they would have received from their company without having a union represent them.
I'm not anti-union, but as my screen name implies, I'm skeptical that the Guild can do anything for us that we can't do on our own merits. If we are going to pay for a service (representation) it should deliver tangible results.
Is the Guild willing to put guarantees of better pay and benefits in writing?
Then we'd have an accurate picture that would show if they did better or worse, although we still wouldn't know what they would have received from their company without having a union represent them.
I'm not anti-union, but as my screen name implies, I'm skeptical that the Guild can do anything for us that we can't do on our own merits. If we are going to pay for a service (representation) it should deliver tangible results.
Is the Guild willing to put guarantees of better pay and benefits in writing?
I added the bold for emphasis. Note the use of the pronouns "us" and "we". This is interesting, since when I trace the IP address of this person, this is what I get:
| Visitor Analysis & System Spec | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Referring URL: |
(No referring link)
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Host Name: | 202-195-94-81.rackcentre.redstation.net.uk | Browser: | Firefox 12.0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| IP Address: | 81.94.195.202 — [Label IP Address] | Operating System: | MacOSX | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Location: | United Kingdom | Resolution: | 1680x1050 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Returning Visits: | 2 | Javascript: | Enabled | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Visit Length: | 14 mins 1 sec | ISP: | Dedicated Server Hosting | |||||||||||||||||||||
Yes that's right, these comments didn't come from NYC, they came from the UK. I checked with teachers from the other 2 schools, and no one knows of any teacher currently on vacation in the UK. Who is in the UK though that may be interested in our efforts to unionize? The headquarters of Kaplan International, of course.
Trying to pass yourself off as one of us is pretty low, KIC.
You fail.
- "Teacher"
Good job! It seems pretty obvious that the comments are not coming from a teacher. Even a skeptical teacher wouldn't be so insistent on seeding doubts and making twisted arguments. It seems like every time a new post goes up there is immediately some quip to try cast a shadow on what has been written.
ReplyDeleteTo the genuine skeptics out there: please don't take this as an offense. Your real questions and worries are not something that I or anyone I know would scoff at.
So out of all the proxy servers in the world to choose from in which to hide your identity, you choose the one where our headquarters is located?
ReplyDeleteSure thing.
I'll take that bet by the way...let's say 20 quid?
Skeptic, if you are a Kaplan teacher, then you just called one of your fellow co-workers a moron. That's messed up.
ReplyDeleteI do wonder why you would need a proxy server since all the schools in question are located in Manhattan. If you are in NYC, why go through all the trouble to hide it? Doesn't really make sense.
I think this blog was set up for civil, adult discussion among teachers, for and against. Skeptic, you've been constantly writing rude and writing derisive comments about everything, which isn't very helpful to teachers, no matter what their stance.
ReplyDeleteIf you aren't a teacher, then Kaplan should be ashamed of having engaged in this kind of tactic.
If you are a teacher, you should be ashamed of having resorted to calling your fellow teachers nasty names.
Amen.
DeleteAssuming we are all teachers--because I am willing to give people, even anonymous Internet people, the benefit of the doubt--no one is helped by name-calling and finger-pointing. Whatever your stance on the union is, I'd like to work from the assumption that we all want to do our best possible work at the best possible schools. What we disagree on is how exactly to achieve the best possible schools. If we can keep in mind that shared common goal--the best possible Kaplan for our students and ourselves, we're all going to be happier in the long run however this union thing shakes out.
I'm not trying to hide anything. I use this server every time I surf the web to protect my privacy on the web (what little we have left).
ReplyDeleteAs it happens the program I use jumps randomly - could have been the UK, US, China or anywhere.
Frankly if my "co-worker" wants to imply that I'm a liar and doesn't understand how the internet works, he is a moron.
Dear TFABT,
ReplyDeleteHas Kaplan made its annual statement and all its accounting data available to you -- particularly data about profit margins and executive pay? If not, can you get reasonably accurate estimates from other sources?
Are you willing to refuse their next contract offer? Does Kaplan believe you are?
If Kaplan really could not "afford" much better pay, job secur- ity, and benefits because of "the market," they would not be stalling. They would put evidence before you, and the issue would be settled. And if they could simply fire you and hire replace-ments, they would have done so when they first suspected you of seriously planning to organize.
TFABT's struggle pretty much defines our "front line." Apart from some global economic catastrophe even worse than the last, you can only fail if you do not persevere or if you allow solidarity to erode.
Let me know if I can help.
Greg P. Hodes, Ph.D.
816-361-9968