Sunday, August 27, 2017

BERNARD GASSAWAY "SUGGESTS" PLACING ATRS IN TOP SCHOOLS

The NY Post quoted former NYC Principal Bernard Gassaway in their editorial slamming Absent Teacher Reserves.

Here is the tweet:
If ATRs are truly qualified to teach, then place them at the highest performing schools where vacancies exist. No exceptions!
Those of us who have been ATRs or are ATRS are qualified to teach Dr. Gassaway. It looks like this tweet was sent out in a kind of a sarcastic way but let's take Dr. Gassaway at his word. His idea is a form of how the system worked before 2005. If someone came from a closing school, he/she picked six schools and the Board of Ed placed them in one of them. The world didn't end and the kids learned.
Why can't we do an experiment and at least try placing ATRs in the highest performing schools as Gassaway suggests? I can just about guarantee you the reputations of the schools,  the test scores on SAT's and Advanced Placement Exams, the Regents results and more won't suffer in the least.
Dr. Gassaway is the principal who once had an assistant principal tell a teacher I know that the person wasn't "a good fit" for a program Gassaway ran after this teacher taught successfully in the program the preceding year and began the new year in the same program at the same school. Why did the teacher have to go? The teacher was white. That is what the AP said was why Principal Gassaway didn't want this teacher.

I am still amazed that the UFT shut down the schools for months in 1968 to protect a group of teachers from being transferred involuntarily out of a district but in the next generation, the UFT basically allows principals to do whatever they want to our members and most teachers do not grieve for fear of being targeted if they uphold basic rights.
I am not attempting to fight the 1968 strike over again or make any  kind of statement other than that I condemn bigotry, including against ATRs. The point here is to say that without real checks on principal and superintendent power, we are in a system where cronyism - based on whatever the desires of a particular principal or superintendent are - rules. It is not healthy for the schools or society. However, if we put those ATRs - many who are teachers of color - in the top schools, nobody would get hurt Dr. Gassaway.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Seems like a great idea, but an arrogant remark meant to ridicule. I know many fantastic ATRs that would love to teach in a great school.
He publicly humiliates himself if this was his intention.

waitingforsupport said...

He's out of touch with reality...he has however made one good decision, he self evicted from Boys and Girls.
Please place me at Stuyvesant 😄

Anonymous said...

"Why did the teacher have to go? The teacher was white. That is what the AP said was why Principal Gassaway didn't want this teacher." Could you imagine if a white principal did that to a black person. Would be front page across the country, houses would be burning down. This comment, nothing. Double standard. How sick.

Anonymous said...

Place me at Townsend Harris thank you.

Anonymous said...

Many years ago I worked in a co-located school. Dr. Gassaway was the principal of the other school. He seemed very thoughtful and forward thinking. I scrolled through his twitter acct, he seemed to have more in common with pro-public schoolers.

waitingforsupport said...

@3:32 It's disgusting on every level. When will we all just get along

Anonymous said...

I would gladly take Principal Gassaway's challenge. Taught at Laguardia HS as an ATR for a year and got a 100 passing for my Regents.

Anonymous said...

What a bunch of assholes. This is the ATR email being sent around.

Dear Teachers,

You are receiving this email as you are currently or were recently in excess. We want to support you in searching for a full-time placement. Please be mindful that many hires are made between now and when students return to school. If you are receiving this email in error, please disregard.

We encourage you to use the Excessed Staff Selection System directions provided below to identify vacancies in your license area, and reach out to the schools in which you are interested.

If at any time, I can provide support in this process or anything related to your service in the Absent Teacher Reserve, do not hesitate to email.

Best,

Brian

Brian Faughnan
Assistant Principal/Case Manager
ATR Unit, Office of Support and Supervision

LEGALLY PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL: The information contained in this e-mail message and any attachment(s) is privileged and confidential. It is intended only for the individual or entity named above. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copy of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please immediately notify me by reply e-mail and destroy all hard copies and any copies that may be on your computer.

To access the Excess Staff Selection System. Click here. Click “Sign In.”

If you know your password, you can login. Your username is the first character of your first name, the first 3 characters of your last name and the last 4 digits of your social security number.

Should you not know your password, click “Forgot Password” and follow the directions.

Should you be unsure if you have registered or not, click “Registration” and follow the directions.

Upon entering the Excessed Staff Selection System, you can search for vacancies. We encourage you to email your resume to principals of schools in which you are interested. You should also apply through the excessed staff selection system.

If you have any questions please contact Brian Faughnan, at BFaughnan@schools.nyc.gov.

Anonymous said...

Who cares? Send me to whatever hellhole for the year or rotate me - I don't care. It's all the same - hell.

Anonymous said...

You get a bunch of assh-les rating staff. Many of these administrators are psychopaths - love to cause harm to others. They enjoy it. Emails that get sent out try to be 'politically correct', but everyone knows that lurks behind words that state and imply this system as being just. Bring back real educators and education system.

Anonymous said...

It's time for the over/under...How many people will be shot or stabbed in Brooklyn at the parade? Of course its all about heritage and taxpayer giveaways, which turns deadly every year, but wouldnt want to take that away, because its racist. And then we get cursed and abused by the same type next week.

Zukemania said...

Knowing Dr. Gassaway professionally, this AP is way off base. Period. It's offensive to hear anyone suggest his decision was based on the color of someone's skin. Dr. Gassaway has the highest expectations for teachers and school leaders. Just because someone taught in a program one year doesn't mean this person is the most qualified candidate...Putting the best teachers in front of students should be every educator's priority. As far as reality is concerned, he's one of very few administrators I've met who really gets it. If anyone thinks otherwise, take a look in the mirror because you're the one who doesn't get it.