From this week's edition The Organizer, a question from Unity's Gene Mann:
Why the Fear?
I know I speak from the admittedly safe perch of the retiree, but I am constantly amazed at the level of fear among our members, even those who are tenured. I just want to remind-or inform-everyone of the protections new to our current contract:
The new contract language specifically states:
“The Board shall maintain an environment that promotes an open and
respectful exchange of ideas and is free from harassment, intimidation,
retaliation and discrimination.”
“All employees are permitted to promptly raise any concerns about any
situation that may violate the collective bargaining agreement, rule/law
/regulation, or Department policy or that relates to their professional
responsibilities or the best interests of their students. The harassment,
intimidation, retaliation and discrimination of any kind because an
employee in good faith raises a concern or reports a violation or suspected
violation of any DOE policy, rule/law or regulation, or contractual provision
or participates or cooperates with an investigation of such concerns is
prohibited.”
Gene has a point. This clause was added to what was in the last contract.
Article 21H2:
2. The disciplinary process should never be used to retaliate against whistleblowers
or for any other illegal reasons. All employees who make a knowingly false allegation
shall be subject to discipline, but decisions relating to the imposition of such discipline on non-UFT bargaining unit members shall not be subject to the grievance processes set
forth in the relevant collective bargaining agreements.
We also have Article 2, Fair Practices. Here is a major part:
The Union agrees to maintain its eligibility to represent all teachers by continuing to
admit persons to membership without discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color,
national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, handicapping condition or age and
to represent equally all employees without regard to membership or participation in, or
association with the activities of, any employee organization.
The Board agrees to continue its policy of not discriminating against any employee
on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation,
handicapping condition, age or membership or participation in, or association with the
activities of, any employee organization.
Everyone who is observed or written up for file a day or two after they complain vocally about something should file a grievance immediately. If you lose at Step I, publicize the hell out of it.
If people would file grievances instead of writing anonymous comments, we could be much better off. If the UFT doesn't support you, get us the information (not anonymously please) and we will review it and then post it here if it is verified.
14 comments:
Because we know if we do anything, that clause in the contract will be ignored just as much as the hardhsip travel clause. I piss on the contract. That was a quote from a principal in the Jefferson building in Brooklyn. Even if they cant terminate, they will torture.
If it's ignored, get the information to Chaz, Norm, South Bronx School and/or me and I can't speak for them but I know I will get the news out on the internet and my guess is the other bloggers will too. We have decent track records at protecting UFT members who fight. We can't help anonymous comments.
There is no wonder that 50% of teachers have considered leaving the profession- a difficult decision, but to maintain mental sanity, it’s necessary. My decision has been one I’ve been wrestling with for years, but this week it’s been a feeling I can not shake. As I continue to teach and look at the beautiful faces of my students, I wonder how they will feel if I tell them I’m leaving at the end of the year. As I meet with my parents, I wonder if I should let them know that they will need to get to know a new teacher. As I met with my principal, I think about telling him that I will not be back so he will need to find another teacher to sponsor my afterschool activities.
I think about leaving constantly, but I am not alone. As I talk to my colleagues, they feel the same, but many are beyond the “thinking of it and are actively planning on leaving. They discuss their job opportunities and their trepidations with leaving the kids, but the satisfaction that will come on day one when they will not be entering a classroom. The scary part is that every professional learning, conference, or workshop outside my building, every ‘good’ teacher I know is discussing leaving.
The conversations are no longer hushed and just between small groups of teachers, but teachers are vocal that they are DONE. Some have even gone as far as retiring early, utilizing FMLA to be off of work, or worse just turning in their keys and never to return again. These are not your ‘bad’ teachers, but are the teachers who have won national awards, sponsored after school activities, or who have the highest growth percentiles- all of them are tired.
The simple task of asking to help a colleague, support a school initiative or help an upset student is not a big deal, but coupled with all of the increasing demands of teachers, it has made the job of teaching almost unbearable. So unbearable, that in the last five years, I have seriously contemplated quitting teaching. Each year the urge gets stronger and stronger, and it’s not just me, but most of my fellow teachers are with:
The increased demands of teachers to be more accountable than parents.
The lack of resources to help teachers actually support the content.
The assumption that teachers should pay out of pocket for resources for students.
The escalating behaviors of students with mental health issues and parents.
The lack of flexibility for teachers to actually being active learning on the job.
The neverending amount of paperwork attached to student learning that teachers are supposed to complete.
Piss right on back at the principal if he pisses on the contract.
Reasons for the fear:
My chapter leader is too inexperienced and does not know the contract. I can't say much about that because I have no interest in being the CL.
My UFT rep is friendly with my principal and tells him the who and what when teachers do contact him. I do not trust anyone the UFT to help me or protect me. The UFT is as corrupt as the DOE.
I do not think it is difficult for an administrator to retaliate within the limits of the contract. Also, the teachers who are in the principal's pocket are treated better than the others. It is easy to let some teachers slide on things: not attending meetings, no lesson plans, lateness, absenteeism, no drive by visits, give them easy per session $, etc.
There are more reasons to fear, but I feel I have vented enough. I don't know how any of this is going to change for the better. If the NYC DOE keeps going in the same direction, things will get worse.
It won't improve if you don't fight back. You can start by exposing the corruption.
By the way, I am helping several members who are fighting back. We are doing fairly well generally. I can't help anonymous comments.
lets talk James
in D08 Bx
its crazy the amount harrassment we are experiencing
Email us at ICEUFT@GMAIL.COM. We certainly can talk.
In agreement with 12:16am, many are talking openly about it. Many of us feel the union just sweeps concerns regarding contract under the rug. We have been around a couple of decades and "have learned" by experience our union really does not support us and consequences for voicing contractual violations results in punishment tactics like a really inhumane schedule, excessive drive by's and reduced observation ratings based on whatever the observer chooses to SAY OR NOT SAY, no matter how ridiculous they sound trying to justify a negative rating in any of the 8 domains. UFT, "looks like they followed the procedure!" Yes, so many of us have learned by experience to lay low and off the radar because we know UFT support for us is really not what it should be to counteract such abuse or workload expectation.
I am also looking to retire early and "lick the wounds" because everything loved about my work has been dismantled little by little, piece by piece to a point that the profession no longer serves our students, the "whole child" but rather some data entry number that tells us what kind of teacher we are.
This is so sad
Please post anonymously
Is it legal that an AP at a school gives teachers a hard time for absences? He claims that “new teachers” only need a doctors note for a sick day. Don’t we get self treated days?
Ten self treated days. Show chapter leader blog?
THe administrators twist everything. They can still give you a letter in your file for doing the most minor of infractions and still give . you negative ratings. Unfortunately, the DOE protects abusive principals. Just read all the blogs and articles. E.g. Namita Dwarka
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