Thursday, September 19, 2019

DECEMBER 23 UPDATE FROM MULGREW AND MORE FROM CHAPTER LEADER MEETING

Each September the UFT has their annual Chapter Leader meeting in Manhattan. Yesterday was the day for this year's meeting. We have Arthur Goldstein's report. We will attempt to sum it up succinctly:
  • Happy talk on the state of the schools from Mulgrew: the system is doing the better than ever according to the President.
  • There are plenty of concerns from the schools and the UFT's goals this year are to empower, organize and engage each school site. 
  • Nothing new on December 23rd being a day off; Mulgrew mentioned a possible NY Post editorial if we get the day back as a day off which we always had off in the past when December 23rd fell on a Monday.
Here is the December 23 material right from Arthur's minutes of Michael Mulgrew's lengthy President's Report:
December 23rd—Been dealing with state and DOE since calendar came out. Believes common sense and rational adult thought will prevail in a short period of time. If we lose one day, we still have three snow days. Lots of confusion now, will play out. You know a certain NYC paper would write an editorial about it were it to happen. We have to be reasonable—most people work on the 23.

This is a little less confident then what he stated last week at the Executive Board but still somewhat optimistic. However, I fear when Mulgrew says we have to "be reasonable". Does that mean givebacks? Also, waiting too long on this hurts people who are attempting to plan for that week including my family.   

If we are so afraid of the pro-charter school NY Post's editorial board, I just just checked the Success Academy charter school calendar. You are not going to believe this on Eva Moskowitz' schools:

Monday, December 23 – Monday, January 6 No School: Winter Break K, 1, 2, 3, 4

Monday, December 23 – Monday, January 6 No School: Winter Break 5, 6, 7, 8

Monday, December 23 – Friday, January 3 No School: Winter Break 9, 10, 11, 12

That should stop the Post editorial dead in its tracks. 

Can anyone find a school district that is open on December 23rd this year besides NYC? 

Our Schools are doing Better than Ever:
 Again right from Arthur's minutes of Mulgrew's report:
Disturbed we are hearing nothing good about school system. Enemies are happy at that. Parents saying we don’t believe in standards, suspensions, G and T, only makeup and demographics. Fact is school system doing better than ever but we don’t hear it. Even with vocational diploma never had grad rate this high. Outperformed rest of state four years in a row. Not heard in public discourse.

Further down:
No one is hearing about graduation and dropout rates, or outperforming state, but only these things . We need to take what we’ve been doing and work with communities to show our successes. No one would have anticipated this 15 years ago.

How did the system achieve these huge advances in the graduation rate? 

Just go to the second question from a Chapter Leader and you get the answer in the question:
Q—What can we do to expose abuses inside schools before media? Sometimes done wrong way with teachers blamed. Schools pushed to pass students. We know that much of it is fake. Happening everywhere. We are under pressure from abusive principals. Untenured play along, will backfire. Leaders use comp time to create a clique, de facto admin.

(Mulgrew) A—If we’re going to make an allegation, we need documentation to prove it. If there’s something going on, we want to know. CL has right to say no to comp time positions. It’s tough. People who want jobs are members, but you have to say no if it’s making someone de facto admin. You have right to do that. DOE denies this stuff, but ends up in paper. Use consultations to build case for when we go public. We will back you.

You heard it: "We will back you."

If you want to read about the new call centers, new class size procedures, special ed, removing disruptive students from class, how the UFT is going to empower, organize and engage each school site, protecting Bill de Blasio's pre-k legacy and much more go over to Arthur's site. It's all there.

63 comments:

Anonymous said...

So nothing on 12/23. We lose. Mulgrew touting success? Huh? Look at all the complaints across the city. Could it be any worse?

Anonymous said...

Did you ask Mulgrew when we are getting 8.25 back? I mean, there is no more financial peril, right?

Anonymous said...

Even Ebenezer Moskowitz gives 12-23 off.

Anonymous said...

Arthur has turned into a Unity mouthpiece. Revolting!

Anonymous said...

What is all this "we" stuff? Aren't you retired, getting paid to sit around and write this stuff.

James Eterno said...

My wife is still an NYC public school teacher and my kids are still in the system. I am directly impacted by December 23 for sure.

James Eterno said...

Arthur still writes detailed reports of chapter leader, Delegate Assembly and Executive Board meetings. I for one thank him for that as should everyone. It is a valid source of UFT news.

Anonymous said...

Arthur is a Unity hack who gets paid to sit around the Unity office writing whatever Mulgrew tells him to while the rest of us are observed to death. You shouldn't post that stuff which obviously can't be trusted.

Bronx ATR said...

Unfortunately, after reading these excerpts I can only conclude that the G&T (gin and tonic, not gifted and talented) UFT crew (and their boss Mulgrew) previously agreed to Dec. 23rd being a work day. I do not believe that agreement will be changed.

Anonymous said...

We have to be reasonable—most people work on the 23.....most people work in the summer too and every other week we have off, does that mean that's changing soon? Most people don't have to persuade 34 angry little urban monsters to participate in a socratic circle either, we have those break because minds would be lost and broken if we didn't. I am half way to my 25/55 and pray everyday for the strength to make it through.

James Eterno said...

Arthur is chapter leader at Francis Lewis HS. I don't agree with his changed perspective on the UFT but 5:41 makes it seem like he does not work in a school. That just is not true. The report just tells us what was said at the meeting.

Anonymous said...

"we will back you"

yeah... more like "we will back you into a corner" as we will rat you out to central.

Send your specific complaints of abuses and evidence to Sue Edelman instead. Email her SEdelman@nypost.com since she's the only one trying to hold people accountable.

Giving it to Unity means it'll never see the light of day and the beatings will continue until morale improves.

Anonymous said...

Is your AP allowed to bring the parents of a student in your class up to your classroom in the middle of the day while you’re teaching without any prior notice? And then continue to have a small meeting in the back while you’re teaching? The reason the parents came to the school was to complain about another student in the class who keeps bothering their child and they wanted to see what was going on in the classroom so the AP brought them to my room.

Anonymous said...

My daughter was a para, she got a teaching position at another school. Yesterday she learned that the nomination was withdrawn immediately. This leaves her without a job. She didn’t formally resigned from her para position. The principal of the new school is willing to hire her as a substitute teacher. What can she do now.?

Anonymous said...

Our old union rep held UFT meetings every month and did a great job. Now we have a new rep for the last few years and barely ever holds union meetings. We pay union dues every paycheck and I think we should have monthly union meetings. I was curious how often other schools hold UFT meetings?

Anonymous said...

I'm a 3rd year PE teacher in the DOE. This has been my toughest year to date. For the past few years I've been teaching a combination of PE/Health, even though I'm not licensed to teach health. I haven't once complained or made mention about my situation. This year, things have completely changed. The majority of my teaching time is now in the classroom (health) compared to my PE classes, which have lessened. The administration has come to me multiple times regarding my health lessons and the quality of them (in person and via email). They have even come to me multiple times in one day. I was told that if my lessons were not up to their standards, I could face disciplinary action. Never once has this happened with my PE classes. While I wish I could give it my all the rest of the year, I fear that I am being targeted and I'm not sure why. If anyone knows of any PE positions, in or out of NYC, please leave a comment below.

Anonymous said...

I do not understand why there were 4 extra snow days written into the calendar.

Does that mean if zero snow days are used we will get Memorial Day week off?

No. We won’t.

Mulgrew is in the mayor’s back pocket. But why? What is mulgrew getting?

James Eterno said...

11:25 para parent, Please contact us off list on email (Iceuft@gmail.com). We need some details to refer to right people.

James Eterno said...

11:27, UFT Constitution says minimum 6 chapter meetings per year. Chapter leader is accountable to members in his/her school. Tell her/him. I did them monthly like your previous CL.

James Eterno said...

11:29, If you are not licensed to teach health, state regulations limit you to 1 class per day out of your certification area. You would have to grieve program.

Anonymous said...

Listen to all these issues. I thought we were off to a smooth start.

Anonymous said...

Keep payin those dues, according to these comments, things are running perfectly

Anonymous said...

I have to say it was good to read the minutes from the meetings, but those minutes are almost always distressing. Is better to read them, knowing no one can do squat about it? Perhaps or perhaps not. The minutes for the most part have remained objective and even though their interpretation via Arthur was mostly logical, those opinions now appear to openly defend Mulgrew. I can no longer read Arthur’s blog - as I feel his views have become tainted to the point they are now poisonous. It’s a shame; he is now just a Unity shill and his blog a mere, albeit slightly better version of the monthly UFT rag.

James Eterno said...

11:25, The only people you have to let into your classroom are the students on your roster and licensed school administrators. Everyone else is voluntary unless rules have changed that I don't know about

Delete

Anonymous said...

So they pull me to cover a bad ass third grade class while the teacher is at a safety meeting. I don’t know why they keep calling them college bound scholars! Half of them can’t formulate a decent sentence!

Anonymous said...

So now I am told doing 4 in a row is no longer a thing and they can make us do it? UFT wonders why its losing members hand over fist? And then they bitch that I dont get all my work into them on time. Anyone know if this is fact? I did it so not to be "insubordinate" but this is starting already to push me over the line and its not even October. Can you imagine howe many teachers are already taking days? SMH

James Eterno said...

Four in a row can be grieved. Open and shut.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, grieve. And then what? Get targeted? Oh, right, uft has our collective back. Just like they did with 10% over 7 and a half years, 11 years of waiting for retro, losing 8.25 while everyone else kept it...

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately, this is the expectation...The hits keep coming, what suckers we are.

Anonymous said...

Well I guess it had to happen. That little trouble maker kept hitting and scratching one of the girls. I separated them and he headbutted me in the crotch, scratched my arms and face. My arms are okay, but there's a little scratch on my chin that is bleeding. Para was no help.

Anonymous said...

Nobody's found a school district open yet. I guess ther aren't any except us.

Anonymous said...

I can't believe you reproduce the lies of that filthy turncoat bastard as though he and Mulgrew didn't make them up. Who knows what really went on in that meeting? By posting that stuff, you're just as complicit as Arthur is. This blog is becoming more and more useless every day.

Anonymous said...

So we've accomplished nothing, with the uft having our backs...

ed notes online said...

Can you be any dumber than this anonymous gutless piece of crap: Anonymous Anonymous said...

Arthur is a Unity hack who gets paid to sit around the Unity office writing whatever Mulgrew tells him to while the rest of us are observed to death. You shouldn't post that stuff which obviously can't be trusted.

Thursday, September 19, 2019 5:41:00 PM

Arthur spent 15 years slamming the Unity leadership and ran against them numerous times while you were hiding under your rock.

Anonymous said...

Oh woe is me - we have to work December 23. Go teach in West Virginia or Oklahoma.

James Eterno said...

5:14, Having been to 18 years worth of chapter leader meetings, I can vouch for the accuracy of Arthur's notes. Are you implying that we are complicit with Unity too? I think we have as much of a critical view of the UFT leaders as ever.

Anonymous said...

While I might not agree with Arthur’s viewpoint, I very much appreciate his posts and notes on the meetings. This is one of the only ways for us to know what’s going on

Anonymous said...

MY PREDICTION: We are gonna work on December 23rd but the UFT/DOE will work out a "deal" that cancels our Monday afternoon PD time that day. Place your bets now!

Anonymous said...

Your a bunch of hacks just posting whatever. those notes might as well be mulgrew talking. someone should start a blog and start telling the turrthabout this.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 7:02,

Working on the 23rd is another giveback. I am sure you have heard the saying "Give them an inch, they take a mile." Perhaps we should work on December 26th? Next, we give back Good Friday? How about Memorial day? Then perhaps work an extra week in June? then perhaps the fixed return goes to 5%? then we work in August? Then the school day is extended to 7 hours....it will not stop.

I have more than 25 years in and there have been numerous givebacks (these did not exist when I started teaching); not just working on on Brooklyn-Queens day but making it a PD day which is double torture, decrease of TDA %, Danielson's, numerous observations, professional periods, extra 150 minutes a week, loss of interest on retro pay, and I am sure there are more givebacks that I have not mentioned. I think we had off on election day, too but I don't remember.

For those of us who take our teaching jobs seriously, working on the 23rd is a subtle message of disrespect for teachers and the profession. The fact that the UFT did not demand the day off, is another subtle message from the UFT that teachers are on their own.

James Eterno said...

Totally agree 2:07. I appreciate that Arthur still writes the reports.

James Eterno said...

7:55, You are so right. Don't forget Tier VI, four years of probation with routine extensions, the creation of numerous ATRs, loss of transfer rights, lack of ability to grieve file letters and more.

Anonymous said...

I need a good lawyer I can’t deal with the union anymore!! Im trying to sue some admins... who can help me?!

Anonymous said...

Ok, ok. How many of you are ACTUALLY going to take off on December 23rd? And if so, are you going to call in sick that morning? Doctors note, etc? I want to know your plan.

Anonymous said...

I’m in my 2nd year. I have a masters and 3 years experience. Last year I applied for a differential and step. I got the pay increase, so I was happy. I never checked payroll portal cause I got paper stubs. For some reason today I checked my salary info on payroll portal. I’m at 2A. I went back in my email and I was granted (last year) 4A, so I should be 5A this year. It was not changed in payroll portal and all last year I got step 1. What can I do? I’m so upset and embarrassed with myself. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

So currently my school is in disarray ... second week of school and already several injuries among students because of aggressive behavior , etc . These are seasoned teachers who know how to implement various strategies for behavior management . Simply put ... the school is out of control . Teachers are begging for help and even making suggestions of moving around paraprofessionals and splitting up students that seem to be the biggest triggers . The response is no ... no changes will be made. An email was sent about how black students have a greater success rate when hey have a black teacher and that everyone needs to reflect on their cultural responsiveness . The issue is that your school is dangerous , changes are not being implemented to help the situation Yet emails like this are being sent out. I found it inappropriate.. what do you all think ?

Anonymous said...

I have 6.5 years with the DOE and just started with a new school this year. I am seriously thinking about resigning because I don't see myself surviving in DOE for the next 20+ years.

I am not officially hired by the school yet and still under the ATR pool. They are waiting for a teacher who is resigning to leave in October so I can replace her position.

I feel terrible resigning now especially they are hiring me to replace someone who is resigning too. How should I proceed with this?

Bronx ATR said...

There’s no way those asinine and inane minutes could be manufactured by any sane human being. The spoken comments themselves are a different story - Mulgrew usually lies by omission. He hasn’t said if the UFT agreed or did not agree to Dec. 23rd as a work day. He hasn’t said if the UFT agreed to Fair Student Funding - just that the UFT couldn’t fight it; and he hasn’t said if there were UFT members that dropped out or the number that has - he has remained silent, in stark contrast to last year. Unfortunately, the UFT is such an undemocratic, indifferent facade of a union that it doesn’t take minutes or allow filming for the R&F (rank and file). James, could you explain the rules for those disaffected nobodies (everyone who doesn’t hold a position with the UFT) in the R&F who would like to attend an Executive Board Meeting and hear the eloquent Masters of the Universe discourse on the eternal first hand?

Anonymous said...

At my school the math and science ap has seen every teacher in his department 3-5 times since the first day of school. None of these teachers have gotten an IPC and he is requesting lesson plans. He even cced the union rep saying that a teacher was in violation of his contract because he did not send his lesson plan by the end of the school day. (The obs happened 7th, teacher was teaching 8th and works after school so they sent it at 6)

The other departments ela/ss are having their ipcs now and their ap hasn’t even come in once. This feels like “gotcha “ observation.

Prehistoric pedagogue said...

We absolutely had Election Day off for many years
Brooklyn Day was a particularly harsh blow .Ddownhill slide started when we let Queens in on the deal. Think that happened sometime in the 80s. Used to be a pretty good job, administrators at least were decent teachers at one time and respected our judgment. So glad I retired. Sometimes it seems like a bad dream

James Eterno said...

Prehistoric Pedagogue- We turned election day into a PD day when we got the midwinter recess in 1991. Before that it was a day off. Queens always had Brooklyn Queens Day back from when I was a kid. It wasn't just Brooklyn. I went to school in Queens. It was a day off for both boroughs until the 2005 contract. That was just a little giveback among many bigger ones.

9:59, Administrators can ask to see a lesson plan and they can observe for non evaluation purposes before they have the IPC. Excessive observations should be handled with UFT consultation committee. You can probably stop this on harassment as it is educationally unsound to bother you constantly but this has to be done correctly.

Bronx ATR, Any UFT member can go to the Executive Board. Meetings are two Mondays per month at 52 Broadway. As a member, you can attend each meeting if you like. You can also speak before the Executive Board once a term if you so desire. There is an open mic before each meeting. Just call Leroy Barr and ask to speak at the open mic.

9:31, Please email us away from the comments and we will respond.

9:29, Handle your situation under school safety parts of the contract. Contract is worthless if not enforced.

9:27, Check first with secretary who handles payroll in your school and then call HR Connect. Then, call UFT for a salary specialist. Your salary should be adjusted.

9:27, I would recommend calling in sick and getting a doctor's note for the 23rd if we have school that day. I am keeping my kids out that day.

9:25, Email me off list. We will refer you.

I think that answers everything. I once again have to monitor the blog very closely. I think some different people have discovered us along with the regulars.

Anonymous said...

Wow, looks like teachers are thrilled so far this year. UFT really looks to be doing a great job.

Anonymous said...

Hello, Last year I graduated college and started at a public high school but left after only five weeks due to a combination of freaking out and having severe anxiety. After leaving the school I ended up having a great deal of regrets and ended up thinking I ultimately made a mistake as I went back to my part time job that I had left to start my new career. Fast forward a few months and I began working two jobs as a substitute teacher and my part time job. Anyways, the summer came and went and I decided that I needed to find a steady decent paying full time job and felt like I should give full time teaching another go. I started a new job as a social studies teacher for 6th grade this week in a charter school. I now feel like I made a huge mistake as I sit here overwhelmed with anxiety about the upcoming week, feeling the same emotions I left the original teaching position for last year. I’m sorry for the rant but I’m at a loss for what I should do for support for this anxiety, or what I should do with myself, if I should stop teaching, etc etc. My school runs from 7-4 and wants our lesson plans uploaded a week in advance, and I’m barely keeping up to have lessons prepared 2-3 days in advance. I feel like a failure in my ability to retain full time work and I guess I’m posting this to see if anyone here has any recommendations as to what I should do or how i should approach any of this (the anxiety, new job, lesson planning quickly and efficiently). Thank you for reading.

Anonymous said...

$62 per check hard at work.

Anonymous said...

what should a tenured teacher do if they were threatened with termination last year and have returned to the same school and they started to see a paper trail showing incompetence through for emails and it’s only September ! What should my friend do ? TIA

Anonymous said...

How many lessons are you supposed to plan in a day ?

10 lesson plans in 7 periods ?

Reading 1
Mini lesson plan
Small group lesson plan
Conferences
Share time

Reading 2
Guided reading lesson plan
Read aloud or shared reading lesson plan

Writing
Mini lesson plan
Small group lesson plan
Conferences
Share time

Phonics mini lesson

Math
Mini lesson plan
Small group lesson plan

Science & Social studies lesson plan

Anonymous said...

So we waited again, Mulgrew said that everyone agrees about 12/23, yet we have no resolution and the dumb teachers still cant make plans...

Anonymous said...

If we don't get the 23rd back(which is ridiculous considering we have FOUR snow days built in this year) then I reaaaally hope it snows. Just a couple of inches would work.

James Eterno said...

Email us please with questions. Don't worry about losing anonymity. We will keep it to ourselves.

Anon2323 said...

December 23rd is just a slap in the face and what boils my blood is the lack of common sense from the city and the Union whom we pay plenty to. 4 snow days in the bank is beyond absurd. Someone mentioned we should have the friday before memorial day if we do not get the 23rd I agree.

Also, wondering if our retro money has been collecting interest over the last 10 years because it would not be surprise me if the city used our interests to help pay us back.

Tier VI teachers are so screwed basically allowing the city to help the Tier IV members who have civilized pensions unlike the sewer rats treated as the Tier VI.

Next year is a awesome year with breaks and start of the year.

Anonymous said...

I am considering taking a personal day (will put in ahead of time) since my out of town family will be in for the 23rd before flying to Italy for the holidays. Am I crazy and just setting myself up for aggravation if it's denied? I know myself, and if I just call in sick, I will be worried the entire break about the retribution that is bound to follow. What say all of you? DISCLAIMER: I hate taking days off, and have never put in for a personal day in 20+ years.

James Eterno said...

If you have a legitimate doctor's note, you are okay. Note the word legitimate. If a doctor signs off but there are pictures of you partying, it could be a problem.

Prehistoric pedagogue said...

Saturday 5:01 PM. I am assuming that you are a person still in their early 20s. Clearly, teaching is not for you. This is your second job and your Complaints seem identical. Really, seriously consider another line of work