CAT Tracks for December , 2010 WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT

As Madam President and I sat in closed session with the Board of Education - facing, as usual, the circled wagons - a flashback to one of those moments in time that mark our journey through life...

As the holiday season approaches, the pleasures of the season are oft accompanied by the memories of friends and family who now accompany us in spirit only...

I had one of those memories last night...

I sat quietly by as Madam President ably defended herself against the latest outrage routinely inflicted upon "the messenger"...an assault on her professionalism, inflicted for standing up for the contractual rights of CAT members. I was awaiting "my turn" as ad hoc CSD labor-management historian...armed with my exhibits...contracts from 1993-1996, 1996-1997, and 2008-2011.

Then came the moment...

In her eloquence, Madam President had overlooked one of the false charges made against her. Knowing that she would want to touch upon the subject, I opened my mouth and whispered to her "(person's name) and her student".

That's it...five words...as a reminder.

Well, WHOA!

Got my fuzzy CAT butt jumped...BIG TIME...by a BOE member who had seemed out of sorts throughout the meeting. He was possibly under the weather since he was nursing himself with throat lozenges and coffee. But...DAMN!

(Actually, it got uglier later in the meeting when "my turn" came...he accusing me of making "threats" against the Cairo Board of Education, when I informed the BOE that the Association needed an answer to our contractual issue tonight...Friday morning at the latest, since Friday was the last day of school before the holiday and the affected members needed to finalize their vacation plans. When another member of the BOE indicated that they would take the matter under consideration and that the Superintendent would render the decision on behalf of the BOE, I indicated that we needed the answer by 10 a.m. or we would be forced to appeal the matter to the Financial Oversight Panel at its 10:30 a.m. meeting Friday morning. Well, double, triple, multitudle WHOA! How dare me!!! "You don't scare me", growled the under-the-weather [pissed off?] BOE member. Well...DOUBLE DAMN!)

Anyway...

The moment in time...

A flashback to another meeting...a negotiating session from the mid-1990's...ironically the very same negotiations that changed/produced the contracts being presented as exhibits.

Elaine Bonifield was the Superintendent. My friend and colleague Steve Kohn, was the CAT Chief Negotiator...and our dazzling "numbers man".

Steve was none too subtle (almost silly) about the flattery that he would toss Elaine's way. However, as they say, she "bought it". THE sappiest line - that tested Steve's team members' ability to maintain a dignified "game face" - came after Dr. Bonifield had explained at length various numbers from District financial documents. Steve placed his hands flat on the table, looked Dr. Bonifield in the eyes and said..."Elaine, I loooove your budget."

Okay, you had to be there...had to have sat through the days and nights of fruitless negotiations. But...the look on Elaine Bonifield's face was priceless. She all but blushed, literally stumbling and stammering to respond...voicing her appreciation of his "expression of love".

Okay, okay...I have digressed. That was a pleasant memory of times gone by...the veritable "Best of Times - Worst of Times".

Back to the déjà vu moment...

I don't know if it was this same meeting or a later meeting...that things turned ugly.

Sitting across the table from (the kindest word that comes to mind is) "obstinate" people would test the patience of the Biblical Job.

In fact, at this one particular meeting, the bonds of "loooove" were tested...

Steve Kohn snapped, went ballistic, pick your adjective. Don't remember - following the display of shock and awe - what set Steve off. (Steve would later say that it was all an act...designed to get their attention. If so, there would have been no competition for the Oscar that year!)

Steve started speaking in a very loud voice...expressing his frustration. He rose from his seat, started pacing the room, the volume of his voice rising by the moment, his face turning red. A few mild four-letter expletives entered his soliloquy and then he started lobbing the F-bombs. I lost count. Everybody...CATs and BOE members were transfixed by Steve's outburst. Except for Steve, you could have heard a pin drop. As he neared the end of his tirade, his voice hit an octave that I have never hear in the human voice. (Hell, that note would have made Mariah Carey stop and take notice.)

Finally, Steve came back to his seat and collapsed into his chair...trembling and shaking from the adrenaline.

Not a sound...

...from anyone.

Eyes fixed on Steve...nervous glances all around...except for Steve, who sat and stared fixedly at the papers on the table in front of him.

I sat there thinking..."Oh, sh*t! They're going to discipline him...suspend him...fire him."

After the very pregnant pause, I tried to break the tension and distract the BOE members and Superintendent by venturing some innocuous statement. I don't even remember exactly what I said, but it was something mild under any circumstances, but especially in light of what had just transpired. Something like..."Dr. Bonifield: We just feel like the BOE has to offer the teachers more than is being currently offered because, as Steve has shown...the money is there."

And this was the "Well, Whoa!" moment in time that flashed before my eyes last night...

Dr. Bonifield turned her gaze toward me and said "Mr. Newell...You don't have to be rude."

WTF?!

Steve Kohn spends at least 10 minutes literally screaming at the top of his lungs at the Superintendent and three members of the Board of Education, using the infamous F-word freely...and I'm being rude?! (Hmmm...maybe it was because I dared get between Elaine and the man who "looooved her budget".)

To my knowledge, no District official ever said one word to Steve about his outburst. Then, again, maybe they knew better...maybe they were scared.

So...

Last night, when the out-of-sorts BOE member took offense at my whispered reminder to Madam President...I had to smile.

Memories...light the corners of my mind.

Good friends...good times.

Happy Hanukkah, Steve!

We will never forget...