From NYUP.com:
Students took to social media and made videos organizing the protests. Democrat and Chronicle reported that some students organized to protest upon arrival to school while others walked out of school mid-morning. Several teachers were seen accompanying the chanting teens during their protests through downtown Rochester.
Video from News 8 and WXXI:
Here is some background from Spectrum:
More than 150 Rochester City School District teachers learned Friday that they may be out of a job in just 25 days.
It all stems from job cuts to try to fill the district’s $30 million deficit. After students left school for the day on Friday, principals hand delivered the news to their teachers.
Rochester Teachers Association (RTA) President Adam Urbanski said the letters informed teachers that they would be terminated as of January 1, if the Board of Education approves the cuts.
Urbanksi confirmed that most of the schools in the district were affected, and at least 115 of the layoffs are elementary school teachers. He says primary schools are most affected because it will be easy to combine small class sizes there.
"As a teacher, it's devastating. This profession isn't something you go into thinking I'm going to make money or, you know, you go into it to make a difference," said Deana Jackson, an early pre-kindergarten teacher with the district.
That opportunity to make a difference in students could be coming to an end for some teachers in Rochester.
"It's really heartbreaking to hear stories of the bonds that children formed with these teachers and how distressed the students are to learn that when they come back from the Christmas break, their teacher will not be there," Adam Urbanski, president of the Rochester Teachers Association added.
Rise Community School, formerly School #14, had the most layoffs. Fourteen individuals were given the pink slip.
"So if you have huge class sizes in elementary schools that then sets the children back because they don't get individualized attention that they need,” said Urbanski.
I can only imagine the disruption for kids and teachers of doing this in the middle of the school year.
I'm called a scab because I opted out? You are paying as nothing is changing. In my mind, you are accepting status quo and telling untiy that they can keep the scam running. I made a statement.
ReplyDeleteBullshit. You are a selfish scab. You can justify it to yourself but we know the reality. Statement my butt.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, where is the racist? Just watched the video here. A number of those kids in Rochester were black. They didn't look like criminals to me, just kids. You can't reach them. Maybe you should try something different.
Ok, so with you paying dues, what has changed? As you continue to pay dues for the next several decades, what will change? Show me what unity has done, in terms of listening to teacher complaints while paying dues. Have you reached the kids? I would love to know what school you work in and what the numbers are. Every school I look at, based on real numbers, is failing...Or just based on their writing ability. See all the articles on grade fraud...
ReplyDeleteHaha, so now all the kids in NYC are being reached except by one teacher. LOL.
ReplyDeleteWe put up with a ton of bullshit here in NYC. However, thank God we don't have to worry about massive layoffs due to budget problems. (Even Bloomturd passed on trying to fire tons of teachers a few years back)
ReplyDeleteThe only reason teachers weren't laid off here was because the Democratic Assembly under the corrupt Sheldon Silver didn't bring the bill to fire us out of seniority order to the floor. But for that, I would have probably been laid off. Bloomberg wouldn't lay off teachers if he had to let go the junior teachers first.
ReplyDeleteThe UFT and DOE will never change. It’s like a duel in which the UFT purposely shoots into the trees, while the DOE shoots straight between the eyes. This is an awful job, awful career. For most people...Get out, ASAP.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't the uft have stopped the layoffs? Just like they got us every penny of retro 11 years later with no interest? And got us 1.3% raises per year over 7.5 years. And got the discipline code ignored. And allowed the open market to be a fraud. And grade fraud. And graduation fraud. And got the tda reduced, only for us.
ReplyDeleteWho needs scabs when we have Mulgrew? Only waiting 12 years now. UFT President Michael Mulgrew, the UFT’s state affiliate NYSUT and education advocates this week called for full funding for education in the upcoming state budget. Mulgrew and NYSUT President Andy Pallotta were part of a panel on Dec. 3 calling on Albany to raise new revenue and then pay the funds owed high-needs school districts such as New York City. “If I’m a teacher in a classroom and I have kids speaking four different languages and six kids in that class who are also homeless, how do you expect me to do my job and meet the needs of my students if you’re not funding properly?” Mulgrew asked lawmakers. New York City public schools are owed $1.1 billion in additional education aid from the state, according to city Department of Education estimates. Educators and advocates argue the funds are owed as part of the 2007 Campaign for Fiscal Equity court case ruling that found the state’s existing education funding streams shortchanged schools, particularly high-needs school districts. Pallotta said 400 school districts across the state are owed a collective $3.4 billion — with $2.3 billion owed to high-need schools — as a result of this still-unmet promise. He recommended starting this year’s budget process with a $2.1 billion increase statewide for education. “I believe the time has come for us to really stand together with advocates and say, ‘Why would we be in this position year after year?’” Pallotta said. The hearing was called by the New York State Senate’s education and budget and revenue committees.
ReplyDeleteThat says it all...I honestly dont think more funding would do anything, but it's the principle of the thing.
ReplyDeleteIf the uft is so valuable, how are they still begging for billions of dollars from 2007?
But pay dues or be called a scab? How about unity doing something to earn my dues? Yes, I know, it could be worse, but they damn sure aren't doing their job.
ReplyDelete