DETROIT – For most of Steve Conn's 30 years as a math teacher at Detroit Cass Tech High School he has been a thorn in the side of Detroit Federation of Teachers (DFT) union leaders.
Now, he has been elected union president.
"This is a civil rights fight for equality and education opportunity for the young people of Detroit," said Conn.
He said teachers are frustrated by low pay, large classroom sizes and the loss of students to charter schools. The Detroit Public Schools district remains under a state-appointed emergency manager.
When asked what power the DFT union has anymore, Conn said: "I would put the exposure that I want ... expose the failings of the state running the school district, with it run into the ground."
Four years ago, when Conn lost a close vote for DFT president, he disrupted the swearing-in ceremony. Conn is part of the advocacy group "By Any Means Necessary."
Steve Conn 2011 protest
"I'm very proud of our record of standing up. And yes, sometimes you have to get loud. Sometimes you have to do a ruckus," he said.
In 1999 at a stormy union meeting at Cobo, Conn forced a vote which triggered a five-day strike. In 2007, the district fired him for bringing students to disrupt school board meetings. A federal judge ordered the district to rehire him.
"I mean these are real, live issues for human beings and, yeah, people get agitated sometimes and maybe sometimes it's right to be agitated," said Conn.
Conn isn't talking strike, but some believe he wants to lead the union in that direction.
"Whatever it takes -- by any means necessary. Nothing's ruled out, nothing's off the table in terms of tactics. It will be decided democratically, though, it will," he said.
The union is led by a 17-member executive board. Not a single one of them ran on Conn's slate. Edna Reeves, who lost the election, is going to ask for a recount.