Before we begin our analysis, let's acknowledge and thank Jonathan Halabi over at JD2718 for copying these sample programs and making it easy for me to paste them in this space. These samples look like they were written by someone who didn't spend much time in secondary schools.
Sample Schedule 1 below for middle school or high school basically throws the UFT Contract out the window.
There is an 11 period day for teachers. My understanding of the standard day is there is an eight period day for teachers and to go beyond that requires a School Based Option. I guess they got a citywide SBO.
Teachers are scheduled for six, 41-minute teaching periods. My understanding of the Contract is teachers in secondary schools are supposed to teach five periods a day.
Article 7A4 Teaching Periods
a. Teachers shall have a maximum teaching load of 25 periods per week except
where they are programmed for an average of 25 periods.
Add everything up in the sample: It is two double periods which equals four periods in a row of teaching in the morning. and then a double period in the afternoon. My not so advanced math skills tell me that is six teaching periods per day. If we multiply that by 5 it comes to 30 for the week. Wait, there is more.
Article 7A2. Program Guidelines
Wherever administratively possible, teacher programs should follow these guidelines:
a. There should be no more than three consecutive teaching assignments and no
more than four consecutive working assignments (including professional activities)
This program has four teaching periods in a row and five work assignments in a row with the 30-minute Instructional Coordination period. In addition, teachers still have an additional regular professional activity period and an Office Hour period. That makes three professional assignments. Last time I looked, the Contract says teachers select "a professional or administrative activity..." Article 7A6a high schools or Article 7B8a middle schools.
Board of Education policy gives high school teachers one prep period per week for every class that is taught so that means five periods of teaching a day equals five prep periods per week which equals one a day. For the middle schools, look at Article 7B4: Teacher Programs, where the school day is defined rather simply:
a. A basic maximum of 25 teaching periods, five preparation periods, and five
professional activity periods for teachers shall be established before any other type of
program for administrative purposes in which teachers teach less than 25 periods is
arranged.
I am really laughing reading about the 30-minute preparation period at the end of the day on all three of these schedules. The DOE thinks teachers are so eager to get out early that they will trade a full prep period for a half-hour earlier exit. If prep is remote from 2:20 P.M. to 2:50 P.M., then unless a teacher lives next door to their school building, they will be doing their prep duties in their cars on the way home, on the subway or the bus or maybe even walking or bicycling home.
Fear not, I think everyone in the secondary schools could easily apply to teach a sixth class as per Article 70, Shortage License Area. Actually, it would be the seventh class of the day on the first schedule. Could teachers apply to teach on their prep time on the way home?
It would not surprise me if the UFT agreed to alter the Contract in this way but I hope they laughed as hard as I did when they looked at this program.
The second sample below is a big improvement as it only requires five teaching periods. The second one also doesn't require four teaching assignments in a row or five consecutive work periods but it does have a ten period day and three professional activity periods. Prep is also only 30 minutes and expected to be done on the ride home.
The elementary school schedule deprives teachers of a small part of their lunch period which contractually is mandated to be 50 minutes (Article 7C4a) and a great deal of their preparation period which, just like with the secondary schools, will be spent in transit. I don't at all understand how the ten periods that are shown in the sample are called a seven-period day but what do I know?
After looking at all of this, I wonder if the people at the Department of Education who designed the first schedule even know that secondary school teachers teach five periods per day. These bureaucrats who can't count to five are going to keep our kids and teachers safe? I don't think so.
At this point, I really don't think we're going to re-open. But if we do, personally, I have no problem with it, given that it's going to be a complete disaster and most students, at least in my school, won't show up.
ReplyDeleteWatching this crap-show unfold is hella entertaining all on its own. And I expect it's going to get even better in the coming weeks.
James, is this a grievance? How can the contract be changed without any vote by members?
ReplyDeleteI believe the proper term is shit show.
ReplyDelete@5:56: No, the proper term is the cesspool hitting the windmill.
ReplyDelete5:55, Of course it's a grievance. That said, the Union has control of the grievance process after Step I and they could decide not to move something forward. Rank and file pressure on the UFT has moved the UFT and is our best hope.
ReplyDeleteLet's remember the reason why we're having our prep outside of the building is safety. We're doing DOE a favor to leave. In return they take 20 minutes of our time. Something about that equation doesn't make sense.
ReplyDeleteOk, so now you dont want the opt out people to say anything, yet this is another union failure. What would you like us to do now that you wrote that the union contract has been made into a mockery?
ReplyDeleteYou could've entitled this...Dues well spent. What else would you expect?
ReplyDeleteWhat is the uft response?
ReplyDeleteLol. Uft failed. I'm shocked.
ReplyDeleteScabs were right. Too bad for us.
ReplyDeleteComments are assuming the UFT agreed to these. We do not know that.
ReplyDeleteChicago teachers planned a strike vote for next week. A few hours later, they announced a full remote opening. We're like lambs to the slaughter.
ReplyDeleteLol again. I know how this goes. Uft has a lousy track record
ReplyDeleteWhat about students eating with no masks while we teach?
ReplyDeleteOur principal sent out 3 possible schedules which we voted on. Needless to say none of them made any sense, and it doesn't matter which schedule you vote for, it's going to be a disaster regardless of which one they adopt. I'd like to know about the eating in the classroom too.
ReplyDeleteEVERYTHING IS OUT THE WINDOW IF STUDENTS CAN EAT LUNCH IN CLASS WITH MASKS OFF!
ReplyDeleteWhat teacher is going to want to teach in a room where all students have masks off?
Even if we go in for high school, students should take their core classes be done with teachers by 12:15-12:30. PE, art, music, language etc can be remote.
The students will also use eating lunch to keep their masks off all period. They'll just say, I'm still eating.
ReplyDeleteI think Anon2323's idea of an AM/PM with core classes in person, with kids in every day, with a take-out lunch, is a sensible compromise and would've made more sense than the one day on one day off. Increased busing costs would've been the only monkey wrench, but the cost of that is minimal compared to what the City wastes money on.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what the hysteria is over the lunch. Mind you, I think the kids should get a lunch period. Nonetheless, it's no different than when you go out to eat. And before you say Cuomo/Diblahblah (as if their opinion matters) kept city restaurants closed, realize that people are just patronizing restaurants in Nassau and Westchester.
Then they shouldn't be required to wear them at all. Carranza said that kids who refuse to wear masks will be forced to go home.
ReplyDelete