From NYSUT:
APPR
I would like to now speak with you about testing in teacher evaluations. With changes in state standards and testing coming on board in the next few years, now is the time to make significant changes to New York State's teacher evaluation system. Teacher evaluations should be returned to local control with no state mandates. With nearly 700 unique local school districts in New York State, a one size fits all evaluation system does not work. The overemphasis on testing has placed an unfair burden on students. Furthermore, changes in the federal law contained in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) eliminated the mandate for testing in teacher evaluations. The purpose of teacher evaluation should be teacher support and development so the children they serve have the best teachers possible. These changes are necessary to restore parents’ trust in the state education system. We urge you to work with us to make these statutory changes.
This works for me. The only problem is if teacher evaluation is returned to the local districts, NYC APPR would have to be negotiated between Michael Mulgrew and the Department of Education. We know how those negotiations inevitably turn out in favor of the city.
It is interesting to note that the NYSUT story refers to Pallotta as NYSUT Exeuctive Vice President, not as President.
If the State returns evaluations to the local districts (and they should), it will mean great things for the districts that have decent teacher unions. As mentioned, Mulgrew always fucks things up. Between the new contract and the possibility of local evaluations, Mulgrew has the ball in his court. If he blows it, Janus will become his deathbed.
ReplyDeleteIf this happens and the State allows local decisions on evaluations, Mikey better get us 2 OBSERVATIONS like everyone else. I will gladly tell my friendly UFT door knocker how I feel about that!
ReplyDeleteHow about one observation?
DeleteIt seems that the Union is leaving members defenseless by not enforcing the contract, ignoring any abuses and letting the guard down. Mulgrew is a disgrace.
ReplyDelete"Seems"? He is a total disgrace. He is also about to fall from grace unless he can get his act together in regard to a decent contract.
ReplyDeleteMulgrew isn’t even acknowledging that our teacher contract is about to expire. Usually, we get a survey about what we would like to prioritize in negotiations. No such luck, now. If he really were trying to stem the Janus losses, he would do this survey and show members he gives a rip. But, I strongly suspect Mulgrew is actually trying to eliminate the contract altogether. Heck, Randi’s pal Leo Casey called contracts a “relic of industrial unionism.” What?! And, notice that they haven’t even written the current one that is set to expire in October. We’re actually operating on an MOA! They used to mail us a hard copy of each new contract. Now, they can’t even write one.
Delete11:07, The current contract is in PDF form online. Why the UFT never sent us copies of it to the membership is a mystery. Maybe this is a good question for our executive board members to ask.
DeleteThe UFT is making it very easy to target ATRs by refusing to enforce the contract. By refusing to file grievances that are legally legitimate. By creating the ATR pool. By agreeing to field supervisors that are only there to go after veteran teachers. By not allowing a chapter for ATR's. By making us third class citizens. Which per diem subs are being observed by field assassins? By eliminating seniority. By agreeing to fair student funding. By destroying thousands of teachers careers. By agreeing to rotation in a vocation that is built on relationships. By refusing to respond when we are vilified in the press. By telling us that we are lucky to have a job and benefits. By refusing representation in any situation that they should be helping. By theft and denial of services. I can also mention racketeering. They colluded with the DOE to not only create the ATR pool but to assist in the psychological warfare that they the Human Resources enforcement arm of the DOE.
ReplyDeleteThe UFT had sold us out at every turn. The truth is that because of NYS civil service laws they can't have us fired . So all you can possibly say about the UFT is that they pupport to represent our interests and take our money for it. They just hurt us terribly. There is a special place in hell for these sociopathic parasites. I eagerly wait for JANUS. I'm going to keep my money. They need to be starved. Mulgrew is a completely a disgrace.
And to rob us of the retro, which some of us will never see...
ReplyDeletehey 8:29
ReplyDeleteatrs are not per diem subs
which teachers dont get evaluated?
and no i am not an admin- or a troll
just speaking the truth.
Who gets observed in classes and schools where they don't know anyone? Totally unfair for ATRs to be rated based on observations.
DeleteUnfortunately our Union is looking the other way. Shameful.
Deletethere is no way that is fair to rate atrs that is also fair to other teachers as well
ReplyDeleteThe UFT with Mulgrew as a leader is totally a corrupt disgrace.
ReplyDeleteWe have a Union that does not challenge or fights back.
ReplyDelete8:29 WOW!!! Well said!
ReplyDeleteATRs can put a complaint for differential treatment with respect to other regular teachers. All teachers should have a regular program according to Article 7. The ATR pool has become a dumping ground for the most experienced teachers. ATRs are also observed under a different rating system despite not having a regular program, being setup for failure. Also ATRs are not getting per session, and are not being permanently placed. The DOE has taken the positions of these ATRs away, and has hired les qualified and inexperienced teachers. Because of the fair student act an ATR will never be able to find a permanent position again as he/she used to have. Also ATRs are subject to observations out of license, and observations on students they just met in circumstances that the UFT has agreed to that are not equiparable to a regular teacher, and are totally unfair. As an educator we know that we need to know our students and their learning styles to plan and prepare a lesson succesfully. The rating officer that rates ATRs are usually someone an ATR never met. Also the Field Supervisor may not have a license to teach the subject for which the ATR has, so how can the Field Supervisor help the ATR. The whole observation process agreed by our Union that was not voted for is geared to push and harass ATRs out of the system. A complaint should be filed against the National Board of Labor Relations against the UFT for not acting in good faith, and for negotiating behind the backs of ATRs. The UFT keeps looking the other way while they know Field Supervisors are harassing ATRs to quit or retire.This whole ATR pool has been discriminatory since its creation, and the UFT needs to start defending its most experienced workforce.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.eeoc.gov/
One thing not be considered is how some of us Teachers get left holding the bag. If it weren’t for my past experience, then I would totally support your campaign. But, when a T goes on family leave, admins ask others to teach an extra class. “Ask” being a relative term because when you tell them no, they ask again and threaten you with program changes for the next year and imply adverse ratings. This has happened to me and many others. Teachers with no children are especially targeted because it is thought that our respobsibilities couldn’t possibly match those of the Mommy Daddy crowd. Never mind that the Mommy and Daddy crowd *choose* to have children, while we others don’t always *choose* our obligations (caring for ailing parents and the like)
ReplyDeleteYou guys are highly organized for the interests of a narrow slice of childbearing oriented folks. I don’t think you’ve surveyed members to see if this is something we want to negotiate for, or if we’d prefer negotiating for something that is more equitable. Again, I would like to support you, but, you don’t seem at all realistic about how what you want for yourself is going to effect your coworkers. Be honest, and put something in your proposal that garauntees that your brothers and sisters don’t have to pay in bloodwork for your life choices.
Isn’t the mandate part of our federal funds? I know it came in Cuomo’s budget deal, but, it was also backed up by Obama’s RTT which is still in effect (under the EASA reality). If I’m right, then Pallotta’s barking up the wrong tree. In any event, this change would be negotiated behind closed doors. So, Pallotta “calling” for t is basically saying it ain’t gonna happen, but, he wants his members to think he tried. The Union publicly calling for anything ensures the politicians won’t do it.
ReplyDeleteNo, 8:55, the new Federal ESSA law takes out the mandate that teachers have to be graded by student test scores. This is why we can ask for it to be changed and not risk losing any federal funds.
ReplyDelete