In a significant victory for Absent Teacher Reserves, Speech Teachers, Pre-K Teachers and other teachers not covered by Advance, an arbitrator has ruled that UFT members are entitled to a lesson specific pre-observation conference before a formal observation.
This is from the NY Teacher with a quote from Grievance Director Ellen Gallin-Procida:
With respect to the principal’s lack of notice, Gallin-Procida said the arbitrator’s ruling “confirms that a formal observation is one where the teacher knows in advance when an administrator is coming.”
There should be no surprise formal observations.
The arbitrator also ruled that post observation and pre-observation conferences are separate meetings according to the NY Teacher.
Teachers are supposed to be rated by formal observations under the old system. Therefore, while informal observations, which should also have a post observation conference, can be placed in teacher files, formal observations are needed for the rating.
This is an important ruling but why wasn't it taken on over two decades ago when this provision was put in the contract for all teachers?
9 comments:
If it's part of the contract why does it have to be fought for and won? Two years ago the UFT had to go into arbitration to fight the automatic Unsatisfactories given to ATRs for going over 10 days absent with doctors notes. The UFT won and the the DOE still gives out the automatic Unsatisfactories for the same reason. If an ATR asks for a pre observation there's a 70- 30 chance she will not get it. An ATR supervisor came in last week and said he can observe formally without any notice, at any time, and in any class. Other than being able to bring up the already exisiting rules during a 3020a, what good is it to win at arbitration if the DOE ignores it?
i THINK THAT AS A UNION ALL TEACHERS SHOULD CHOSE THE FORMAL OBSERVATION OBSERVATION. AS A UNION WE SHOULD KEEP THE CSA, OUR NATURAL ENEMY, AS BUSY AS POSSIBLE. aLWAYS. I KNOW HOW TO WRITE AND EXECUTE A LESSON. THE CSA SLUG CAN SIT IN MY ROOM ALL PERIOD. MAYBE THEY WILL LEARN SOMETHING USEFUL. I WANT A PRE OB & A POST OB. AND IF ANYTHING IS MARKED DEVELOPING I WANT THE MORON TO MODEL IT!!! WHICH I GUARANTEE Won't HAPPEN BECAUSE THESE POS CAN'T TEACH. I WANT THE POST OB & PRE OB TO LAST ALL PERIOD. I WANT TO ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS. OVER AND OVER AGAIN. I WANT TO TAKE NOTES LIKE CRAZY.... AND ASK THEM TO REPEAT THEMSELVES. I WANT TO ASK THEM IF I CAN VISIT THEIR CLASSROOM AND WATCH THEM SINCE THEY ARE MY SUPERIOR. PLEASE ENLIGHTEN ME. O MASSA. IF WE ALL DID THIS THAT WOULD BE NEARLY 3 HOURS OF THIS SOB'S TIME THAT I WASTED. GREAT SUCCESS!!!! THINK ABOUT IT PEOPLE. THE SHORT 15 MINUTE DRIVE BYS ARE RELINQUISHING YOUR POWER TO THESE TROLLS.
4:08,
Actually it was won for a U being given to a teacher that was absent for 3 consecutive days without a doctor's note, The teacher/ATR was given an Unsatisfactory and the UFT won the arbitration because you don't have to present any doctors note under 10 days. The DOE is still going after teachers and ATRs for the same thing, even though this was won in arbitration and is in the contract. You're point remains valid.
Anon 4:47:00
Exactly why I chose the formal! Couldn't have said it better myself.
Trust me, even with medical notes you will get a U. 15 days out, 9 with medical documentation, over several months, ended up with a U.
I always choose formal obs choice. I am REALLT hoping that with the new evaluation system that tenured teachers get less observations. NYS law now says that only 2 observations are required. (One formal and one informal) I have a feeling that most principals are not big fans of doing so many observations like they do in NYC. Thoughts???
Administrators who have better things to do with their time than harass good teachers would prefer to do fewer observations. Those into command and control want to observe each and every period.
The key point is that principals can still "get" a teacher with just a couple of observations. Why make it more difficult by making principals do 4-6 observations a year? As far as I know, NYC has more required observations than any other district in NYS. The reason is that the UFT/DOE could not come up with an agreed upon number of observations so Quomo "punished" NYC by making us do these insane numbers of observations. I would really like to hear what the CSA wants in regard to the number of observations that their members have to do.
This is a major success? That they provide what has been agreed upon in our contract for years?
Oh, just stick a fork in me now.....I'm done.
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