Randi has never hidden her support for mayoral dictatorship, but she has had to game it as a political issue within the union, since the membership – even that part of it that supports her – opposes it. And well they should: they, along with the students and parents, are the one’s who’ve had to drink long and deep from its bitter cup.

The UFT Governance Committee was a dog-and-pony show, with Randi going through the motions of rank and file participation and democratic procedure, then hurrying to make the Big Men happy, which in the short term at least should work out for her: she’ll be able to appear at press conferences with the oligarchs who are taking over the schools, and be lauded as a new kind of responsible union leader. You know, the kind that has more in common with management than with the members.

The only question for me is, why did she betray everyone so soon, even prematurely: she could have at least shown us the consideration, and the political good sense, of PRETENDING to negotiate some limits to mayoral dictatorship, and then emerged from the pre-ordained disappointing last-minute deal to say she tried her best. But no, teachers and parents – who I believe are the one’s who really feel shocked and betrayed here, since they’re less likely to be be long time observers of Randi – get the thumb in the eye weeks early, almost as an open expression of disregard and contempt, and reflective of the impunity with which our overseers behave.