Letter to the Editor
President Glickman is the right leader for BTU
By Ted Florival-Victor
Let me start by saying: I am not someone who would normally write to a newspaper. After seeing the outlandish attack printed against BTU President Sharon Glickman that was riddled with lies, I couldn’t help but feel that it would be an injustice not to tell your readers the REAL story.
President Glickman is the right leader for BTU. She stepped up at a time when the union and the hard-working educators of Broward County needed it the most. She was the first president of the Broward Teachers Union following a criminal scandal by the previous, long-term president.
President Glickman has been a BTU member since the union’s inception. She taught in Broward schools for 34 years, she served as a union steward for over 20 years, and was an executive board member for more than six years. President Glickman has been dedicated to fighting for educators long before her tenure as BTU President. When she decided to run for president, it wasn’t because it was a glamorous or powerful position. She did it because she so desperately wanted to see BTU be the organization that it’s members deserve.
Since being elected BTU President in 2012 and re-elected in 2014 (both victories by a landslide), President Glickman has worked tirelessly to rebuild BTU. She has fought to increase membership and has members more engaged in their union than ever before.
There are numerous examples of
her leadership during her time as president. She instituted a policy that gives members the training necessary to be an important part of the contract negotiation teams. As a result, last year, educators got their first real salary increase in four years. She has rebuilt a strong support system of field staff and assistants to be a resource for members.
Also under her leadership, BTU created joint task forces with the Bro-ward School District to reexamine the future of teacher evaluations and high school schedules. In addition, BTU has built a robust professional development program to give teachers the tools they need to continue to grow professionally, including the ESE training all educators need for recertification.
During her tenure, President Glick-man has worked cooperatively with our state and national affiliates, numerous partners from around the community, and all BTU members. Sharon Glickman has exhibited all of the qualities and dedication any member could hope for in a BTU President. Anybody who would say otherwise has motivations that are not in the best interest of Broward Teachers Union.
