Elba “The Teacher” Esther: The Rank and File Fester

Gordillo: Imelda, but collects panzer divisions instead of shoes.

Considera 98% de los maestros que la prioridad de sus líderes es enriquecerse: “98% of Mexican teachers believe the top priority of union leadership is to get rich” (La Jornada).

You will recall that it was a strike by an SNTE local, Sección 22, that ignited the situation in Oaxaca.

The union’s national leader, former PRI president Ester Gordillo, had allied herself politically with PAN and Calderón against her former party and did not like the idea of a strike during the election season.

And deu que deu, as we say in Brazil. Gordillo stated publicly yesterday that she had sealed a close political alliance with Calderón and PAN, after meeting in private with the interior minister-equivalent at SEGOB. On the agenda: Educational reform.

A close Gordillo associate has recently been named to the top antiterror operations spot, and the accountants of political booty say her share of the political spoils for services rendered — whatever those may have been — during the elections has been impressive.

Gordillo is often charged by the “vote by voters” with having stacked the deck of volunteer poll-station officers with members of the SNTE in the July elections, in furtherance of a classic mapacheria operation in the northern portion of the country. There is evidence to support this theory.

Gordillo maneuvering to retake control of the PRI has led to complaints to federal election authorities that ballot-stuffing was employed in the party elections.

Gordillo is also said by the “vote by voters” to have packed the IFE, the federal elections institute, who are elected by Congress, with political supporters and SNTE bagmen. There is evidence to support this theory as well, but no official inquiries.

La primera encuesta realizada a 60 mil maestros del Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación (SNTE), para conocer su opinión sobre las prácticas gremiales, reveló que 98 por ciento cree que la principal prioridad de sus dirigentes ­encabezados por Elba Esther Gordillo­ es enriquecerse y tener poder; 97 por ciento no conoce ningún informe sobre rendición de cuentas, y 87 por ciento piensa que sus cuotas se las quedan los líderes o se utilizan para comprar voluntades.

The first survey ever taken of the 60,000 teachers of the SNTE, to discover their opinion on how the union is run, revealed that 98 percent believe that the main priority of their leadership, headed by Elba Esther Gordillo, is to enrich themselves and hold on to power; 97 percent know of no rendering of accounts by union leadership; and 87 percent believe that their dues are held onto by the leadership and used to buy support.

Asimismo, 76 por ciento asocia el programa Vivienda Magisterial (Vima) al fraude y la corrupción, y sólo 1 por ciento lo relaciona con una “casa digna”. Para rematar con esta pésima percepción, sólo 1 por ciento considera que quienes los dirigen están comprometidos con la educación.

Likewise, 76 percent associated the Vivienda Magisterial (VIMA) housing subsidy program for teachers with fraud and corruption, and only 1 percent associated it with “decent housing.” Reinforcing that dismal outlook, only 1 percent of SNTE members consider that their leadership has a genuine commitment to education.

Al hacer una “autorrevisión” de su quehacer, 59 por ciento asegura que lo que lo motiva para ser sindicalista es “enriquecerse” y 10 por ciento señala que “para no dar clases”. Apenas 1 por ciento dice que el mayor incentivo del maestro es la vocación, mientras el programa de estudios lo cumplen en un “60 por ciento y con baja calidad”.

Asked to make a “self-criticism” of union practices, 59 percent stated that what motivates them to be in the union is “getting rich,” while 10 percent say it is “so as not to have to teach classes.” Only 1 percent say that their major motivation is a vocation for teaching, and say that they carry out “60 percent” of their duties, “with low quality.”

Los resultados de la encuesta, cuyo avance dio a conocer este diario, fueron presentados ayer por la Asociación Ciudadana del Magisterio (ACM), presidida por Noé Rivera, así como por integrantes del sindicato, entre ellos el maestro Aurelio Chávez, de la sección 18 de Michoacán, así como por Octavio Gordillo y Homero Polito, estos últimos miembros de la ACM.

The results of the survey, news of which was broken by this newspaper, were presented yesterday by the Citizen Teachers Association (ACM), presided over by Noé Rivera, along with union members, including Aurelio Chavez of Section 18, Michoacán, and ACM members Octavio Gordillo and Homero Polito.

De acuerdo con el sondeo, cuya muestra equivale a 4 por ciento del total nacional de los agremiados del SNTE, para lo cual se cubrieron las 57 secciones sindicales, 57 por ciento de los docentes opina que el programa educativo no responde a la realidad escolar, 89 por ciento cree que la carrera magisterial ­impulsada por Gordillo­ sólo sirve para mejorar económicamente, mientras apenas 4 por ciento considera que es benéfico para la educación. La mayoría (82 por ciento) afirma que este plan es un fracaso.

According to the poll, which sampled 4 percent of SNTE members from 57 independent locals, 57 percent of teachers believe that education policy does not correspond to the reality of the schools, 89 percent believe that the career path promoted by Gordillo only serves to benefit teachrs economically, and only 4 percent consider it beneficial for public education. The majority (82 percent) consider the Gordillo plan a failure.

En materia de capacitación, el “cero por ciento” de los maestros dedica tiempo a la actualización, porque la mayor parte de sus actividades la pasa entre el salón de clases (50 por ciento), la preparación de las mismas (20 por ciento) y las juntas (30 por ciento).

With respect to continuing education, “zero percent” of teachers spend time keeping up to date, because they spend most of their time delivering lessons in the classroom (50 percent), planning lessons (20 percent) and taking part in union activities (30 percent).

Apenas 5 por ciento considera que el desarrollo académico del magisterio es alto, 71 por ciento señala que los programas especiales impactan al proceso docente como “estorbo” y apenas 24 por ciento piensa que sirven de apoyo.

Only 5 percent consider that teachers have a “high” level of academic preparation. 71 percent say that special programs “disrupt” the teaching process and only 24 percent say these programs “support” it.

La encuesta da cuenta de la opinión que tiene el maestro de aula ­que fue al que se le pidió contestar el cuestionario­ sobre sus dirigentes, quienes son considerados, por la generalidad de la base, como corruptos y totalmente ajenos a los trabajadores.

The survey reflects the opinion of classroom teachers who were asked to respond to survey questions about their leaders, whom they generally consider to be corrupt and totally alienated from the rank and file.

De esta forma, 91 por ciento indica que la corrupción sindical es “mucha” o “excesiva”. El 85 por ciento apunta que sus dirigentes se dedican a otros asuntos que no tienen que ver con los intereses de los trabajadores, como la “política”, la “grilla”, “perder el tiempo” o dedicar el tiempo a sus “asuntos personales”.

Thus, 91% said they thought union corruption was “great” or “excessive.” 85% say that their leaders dedicate themselves to matters that have nothing to do with the interests of workers, such as “politics,” “wasting time,” “machine politics,” or “personal matters.”

El 85 por ciento no tiene confianza en sus líderes ni conoce las actividades que realizan, pues nunca cuentan con información al respecto. El 79 por ciento no conoce siquiera a los miembros de su comité ejecutivo seccional.

85% say they have no confidence in their leaders or know what  it is they do, having never been informed about their activities. 79% cannot name the members of their local executive committee. 

A pesar de los cuantiosos recursos que se manejan en los programas para beneficiar a los trabajadores de la educación, sólo 5 por ciento tiene vivienda mediante un crédito de Vima, y de esa cifra más de la mitad lo obtuvo por recomendación. De los que no han logrado acceder a ese servicio, la mayoría (73 por ciento) considera que el principal motivo es por la corrupción que impera en ese programa.

Despite the copious resources the union manages for the benefit of education workers, only 5% have a home financed by VIMA credits, and of those, more than half obtained it through a personal recommendation. Of those who have not managed to qualify, the majority (73%) believe this was due to the corruption that predominates in this program.

De hecho, 77 por ciento dice que cuando se logra una prestación es por recomendación o “a cambio de algo”. Para 78 por ciento, el sindicalismo significa “poder” y para 15 por ciento “no trabajar”. El 69 por ciento cree que la mayor motivación del maestro son las prestaciones y 30 por ciento la seguridad.

In fact, 77% say that when a loan is granted, it comes through a personal recommendation or “in exchange for something.” For 78, union membership means “power,” and for 15%, “not having to work.” 69% believe that the major motivation for teachers are access to loans, and 30% job security.

El 57 por ciento considera que no es importante la participación del SNTE en la política y 43 por ciento opina lo contrario. De ellos, la mayoría se identifica con una postura nacionalista, más que con una ideología de izquierda, de derecha o de centro.

57% believe it is not important for SNTE to participate in politics; 43% believe the contrary. Of these, the majority identify with nationalism rather than ideologies of the left, right or center.