Friday, December 23, 2011

NOTES ON MY MEETING WITH SOME COLLEAGUES


Members and former members of Jamaica High School met last evening. I heard from people who are now in Brooklyn and Queens.  Here is what my friends are reporting:


  • The Danielson Framework for evaluating teachers is very anti-teacher and if it is implemented citywide, it will lead to many teachers being terminated. Teachers at the restart-transformation schools where they use Danielson universally hate it and many are blaming the UFT for not protecting them. We will provide specific details in a future post.  



  • Being an Absent Teacher Reserve and going from school to school on a weekly basis is a horrible way for people to make a living as it robs teachers of their professional dignity.  ATRS pretty much feel they have been abandoned by the UFT. 



  • Newer teachers who are being denied tenure feel that the UFT does nothing to help them.
Not a pretty picture.  However, when I go to Delegate Assembly meetings, I hear how it's not so bad out there.

Happy Holidays!


8 comments:

Tom Forbes said...

Thank you for the report. When you see the weak chapters in the new and smaller schools, the UFT will virtually be nonexistent within the next 10 years. Just collecting dues.

Anonymous said...

Chapters are weak in older schools, as well. My colleagues are terrified of the principal, and rightly so. This woman should be evaluated for mental instability and the superintendant goes right on supporting her. The chapter leader is impotent, lacking true backing from the UFT.

Too much was given up in the last contract. The inability to grieve letters to the file. Principals have carte blanche to steamroll whom ever they want out.

The UFT holds onto the pretense. When will the members wake up?

zulma said...

ATRs have the contractual rights to review their official file and to remove negative letters that are 3 years old. However, when are ATRs able to review their files if they are in various schools each week? An ATR asked me where is his official file being kept. I was informed that an ATR's official file is kept in the original school he/she was originally excessed from and the ATR would have to review his/her file after work.

It is very disappointing to know this. ATRs are treated like gypsies and now they are inconvenient by reviewing their official file after work. This issue has to be brought up at the next D.A. I truly feel that respect for them should not only be during school hours, but all the time.

Anonymous said...

Only teachers who retain their own lawyers and sue are successful. One teacher in Brooklyn was sent to a 3020a hearing on bogus charges. She was offered the usual "retire and the proceedings will be dropped" bulls**t. NYSUT's lawyer didn't want to fight. She refused to resign, got a lawyer, sued and won in a court of law. The judge not only ordered her to be reinstated, she was awarded full back pay.

I think that she should sue not only the DOE, but NYSUT as well for all legal costs.

Anonymous said...

Please provide some details on this case. Maybe some others could benefit and find their own lawyers.

Anonymous said...

Not a nice world in the achools. Now what qill uft do to help?

Anonymous said...

The people down at 52 Broadway are living in their own little bubble of patronage and bullshit. Most there see at least ten more years of double pensions, and cushy jobs, and by then, most of them will want to retire...or maybe hold on for another five years of chicanery. Actually, most will hold on for as long as they can...after all, you don't look a gift horse in the mouth...

Anonymous said...

Well then it is up to the membership to make them do the right thing.