This is from the UFT concerning Election Day:
Sounds okay but not so fast. This is from the Department of Education on Election Day:
Election Day Guidance
As shared in previous editions of Principals Digest, and as per the 2021–22 School Year Calendar memo, November 2 (Election Day) is a remote, asynchronous instructional day for all students, and attendance must be taken on this date for every student. Please note the following:
Professional Development: Election Day is also a professional development day for teachers. The DOE-UFT MOA on Digital Classrooms states that in the event all students in a school are fully remote, teachers and mandated related service providers shall be permitted to work remotely; however, the principal may, with reasonable advance notice, direct staff to be on site. Therefore, principals should inform these employees by the end of day on October 15 if they are expected to report to work in-person on Election Day. Otherwise, principals should prepare to provide professional development remotely on Election Day.
If a per diem substitute’s assignment includes Election Day, then they would work that day and can be directed to report in-person, as needed. Principals may choose to include substitutes in professional development, where appropriate.
Please note that kitchen staff, school safety agents, and custodians are expected to continue to report in-person and may not work remotely on Election Day.
The UFT says, "November 2 will be a remote workday for all school-based UFT members." DOE says, "The DOE-UFT MOA on Digital Classrooms states that in the event all students in a school are fully remote, teachers and mandated related service providers shall be permitted to work remotely; however, the principal may, with reasonable advance notice, direct staff to be on site." Who is right?
Election Day used to be a day off and then it was a day off for kids but a professional development day for staff many years but now it is considered an instructional day and PD day. Why the change?
The school calendar is so tight this year that the DOE-UFT created this instructional day out of thin air. While not exactly educationally sound, it is not the end of the world.
The DOE is throwing schools a few hours of per session to create assignments for the students. This seems like wasting money to figure out busy work for kids on what had previously been a day off for them.
At some point, the UFT and DOE should agree to a fixed number of days in the annual school calendar, as most surrounding school districts have, so we can end the annual uncertainty about having the correct number of state-mandated school days.
For all of us who have correctly criticized Mayor Bill de Blasio's school policies, we have to admit he has added three holidays to the school year (Lunar New Year, Eid Al-Fitr, Juneteenth) without asking for anything in return from teachers. The annual calendar juggling ritual that this year includes a faux instructional Election Day is a consequence.
This is a good thing. Just post a bs assignment on google classroom. Make it ungraded. Nobody will do the work. Nobody cares and we won’t have to commute.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete12:43 You are spot :
" Nobody will do the work. Nobody cares and we won’t have to commute."
trained well by the corrupt DOE...4 more years for me and thanks for the memories
You win some and you lose some.
ReplyDeleteIt’s true that DeBlasio added 3 days of religious/cultural celebrations to the calendar—however it was inevitable. However, these days off are not guaranteed — like the 3 early autumn Jewish holidays -as they sometimes fall out on weekends. Lincoln’s birthday(Feb.12) was incorporated into the President’s Week/midwinter week off. The UFT claimed they fought tooth and nail for years to get that week off as neighboring suburban districts had that break for years.
Even though you are at home—there are 2 days that are now guaranteed instructional days—-Election Day—which is always on a Tuesday—and the Thursday Brooklyn//Queens Anniversary Day in June—which could also be changed to an instructional day—as Juneteenth (June 19) is now a state holiday.
Just have the feeling the city will be negotiating with the UFT to revisit the entire calendar September to June calendar — during the upcoming 2022 contract negotiations..
Eric Adams has gone on record with words of a longer school day—and a potentially longer school year—if the state gives the okay.
So, hang on to your hat.
Plus per session. Nice
ReplyDeleteAdams wants longer days and longer years?? OK Adams put up the money honey cause this is gonna cost you pal...lots of dough might make him change his mind
ReplyDeleteAdams bad for teachers? But he’s a democrat. No way.
ReplyDeleteAdams will only give us pay raises if we have a longer day or longer school year which technically isn't a raise. All it is is compensation for more hours and days.
ReplyDeleteDo yourself a favor—if any principal requires on site for teachers on November 2–just take a personal or sick day and stay home.
ReplyDeleteDo yourself a favor—if any principal requires on site for teachers on November 2–just take a personal or sick day and stay home.
ReplyDeleteAnd still the government come April will say not enough is being taken out of your check for taxes and we'll end up owing. It's getting to the point where I'm afraid to make more money.
ReplyDelete130 ok Borris.
ReplyDeleteA longer day or longer school year would just mean staggered schedules for teachers. Maybe teachers could actually choose the days they wanted off then…staggered schedules could also ease overcrowding. Imagine the option to have off sept/oct instead of the summer? Or May/June? It might not be a bad thing to have a week off every 3-4 weeks…many states do this…
ReplyDelete5:19: I don't know I'm stuck to the old way. I like looking forward to having 2 months off. Remember being a kid how excited you were on the last day of school knowing you had 2 months off.
ReplyDeleteIt’s true. The two months off is almost vital to physical and emotional exhaustion. I think I could get used to a full week off though every few weeks. Might take some time to adjust. My friend is on that staggered schedule in California and he loves it. He said it took time to get used to, but he claims that the way the time off is distributed is very relaxing as far as vacation time goes. But I def don’t see teachers “working through the summer.” I think that school would be open year round, and teachers would still teach the same amount of time-only difference is that they would either choose the months/weeks they work, or they would choose from a staggered daily schedule. I’m curious to see how it would work.
DeleteLonger school day?? I thought our after school PD sessions were supposed to solve all of the problems and make us all Highly Effective and help students thrive. Now we also have this BS circular 6 that takes away from real prep and grading.
ReplyDeleteOh Yes. After school PD is idiotic. Time that is filled with useless inquiry and the same presentations year after year. If we were able to actually teach, then maybe kids would learn.
ReplyDeleteA week off isn't really much when you think about it even if we had several of them. Before you know it it's Wednesday then Friday and then Sunday night. It might be easier to schedule vacations though and cheaper.
ReplyDelete