Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/99010
Weinberg retires after 33 years from those foundational beliefs, and included a strong sense of humility and a belief in doing no harm, which Weinberg has always taken seriously "I try to choose my words . very carefully, so as not to intentionally hurt anyone or make a situation worse. I prefer to listen rather than tell, as I find the answer usually lies with the individual or collective conversation in the room. I also try to be supportive of new ideas and say yes as often as possible." Quiet Strength That's Howard Weinberg. After 33 years with DSEA, an era ends with his retirement. Ten years after that first union meeting, he was hired by Helen Wise to be a UniServ director for DSEA uiet Strength is the title of former Football Coach Tony Dungy's best-selling autobiography, but it applies to Howard Weinberg as well. Both men lead by example, an example of quiet wisdom, kindness and respect, grounded in their values. Q Understanding the power of doing what is right When Howard Weinberg was first hired in 1969 to teach business at a high school in the Interboro School District in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, the local teachers union was in a contract dispute, and the membership was trying to decide whether or not to strike. Opponents feared that a strike would financially harm new teachers more than the veterans. "I remember standing up – and I had just been hired a few months earlier – and saying that if the issue was worth striking for, then we shouldn't let anything unrelated to that issue be an obstacle," comments Weinberg. Three years later, in 1972, he became president of this local union and chief negotiator, too, eventually leading a very successful strike. Then he found himself involved at the regional and state level of PSEA, despite no union history in his family . Where did this union involvement come from? He remembers in middle school sticking up for Albert, the guy with Down syndrome whom no one wanted on their baseball team. And in high school, he remembers getting roughed up for sticking up for another friend. "As for teaching, I just knew. I was a camp counselor, life guard, For Howard Weinberg, his early experience as president of the Interboro E.A. was so energizing and positive that he knew that advocacy would be his life's work. sitter for kids in the neighborhood – it was always about helping kids, so I knew I wanted to be a teacher," he says. He began college at night school where an English professor recognized his hard work and persistence. "I was never the best student," he says now. "I wasn't a bad kid, just mischevious! This professor saw me struggling, but praised "What really separated me from teaching in the end was the support I got from so many smart, energetic people," he says. "The PSEA folks at the regional and state level really encouraged me, and contributed to my views on collaborative problemsolving, and making room for everyone in our Association." He found the Association work "Although I did not coin the Gandhi reference to Howard, it certainly captures his essence, a gentle soul, always bringing calm and much-needed perspective to the frenzy occurring around him. - Bill Oberle, former Delaware State Representative 1976-2010, Speaker Pro Tempore 2010, DSEA Legislative Friend of Education 1992 my effort, and that kept me going to get my teaching degree." It's hard to imagine Weinberg not being a good student, given that his tenure at DSEA is full of insightful decisions, always grasping complex policy issues easily, and never at a loss for creative, even bold suggestions for tackling problems. "Believe me," he grins, "I was not a great student. If it were not for my parents' resolve that I go to college, I may not have gotten there." 12 Nov./Dec. 2012 DSEA ACTION! energizing and fun. "I did some part-time work for PSEA bargaining ESP contracts, and serving as UniServ director on a temporary basis, again, with lots of enthusiastic support from PSEA staff. His strong beliefs in justice for all, doing what is right and best for all, being at ease with advocating for people and issues come from his family upbringing and the close community in which he was raised. His leadership style did not veer At an NEA Representative Assembly in the summer of 1979, there were job postings and lots of state interviews going on. Helen D. Wise, former president of NEA and PSEA, had just been hired as exec. director for DSEA, and she interviewed Weinberg for a new UniServ position. "I was ready to leave the classroom, and work full-time. Helen hired me in part because of my DSEA experience, and she wanted me to help bring the ESP (Educational Support Staff – school secretaries, paras, aides, custodians, bus drivers and food service workers) into the Association." This was the time right after desegregation, when the court consolidated the 11 districts in New Castle County into one big district. NEA and AFT members (American Federation of Teachers, which had represented Wilmington and De La Warr locals) were now in the same union. The stronger of the two had been the AFT, but NEA members now had greater numbers, and won the battle for representation, so there was a lot of tension. It was a time, Weinberg said, of enormous challenges in the schools and power struggles between the newly-created New Castle County Education Assoc. (now the biggest local in the state), Kent County, Sussex County and DSEA. This huge district wasn't workable, so the court divided it into the four new districts that we have today: Brandywine, Red Clay, Christina and Colonial. www.dsea.org