Monday, September 29, 2014

NY TEACHER SAYS ALL IS WELL IN SCHOOLS EXCEPT OVERSIZE CLASSES

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I just arrived home from work and right there in the mail was my brand new copy of The NY Teacher newspaper. The cover stories are on a scho...
13 comments:
Thursday, September 25, 2014

NEW CHANCELLOR BUT SAME OLD OVERSIZE CLASS PROBLEM

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The story of oversize classes in New York City schools this fall seems to have escaped the mainstream media. The following report is taken d...
18 comments:
Monday, September 22, 2014

GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER TONIGHT AT YOUR EXPENSE

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The UFT is inviting Chancellor Carmen Farina over for dinner at tonight's Executive Board meeting. It is an executive session so rank ...
17 comments:
Saturday, September 20, 2014

MULGREW-FARINA CLARIFY LESSON PLAN POLICY

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The email below concerning lesson plans was sent to us from the Chancellor and UFT President. It attempts to clarify issues concerning les...
10 comments:
Friday, September 19, 2014

ATR PANIC STRIKES ON SUBWAY

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I am on my way to my mandated interview the other day but the subway stops between stations. I left nice and early because I don't want ...
7 comments:
Wednesday, September 17, 2014

HOW TO HANDLE TEACHER IMPROVEMENT PLAN CONFERENCE FOR TEACHER NEAR RETIREMENT

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The new evaluation system mandates teachers who receive a rating of developing or ineffective will get a Teacher Improvement Plan. Part of t...
6 comments:
Tuesday, September 16, 2014

CLASS SIZES NEED TO BE ADJUSTED TO LEGAL MAXIMUMS BY WEDNESDAY

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The tenth school day this fall will be Wednesday, September 17th. That is the day set by the UFT contract for class sizes to be lowered to l...
3 comments:
Saturday, September 13, 2014

UFT TELLS US PARAMETERS FOR ENDLESS MONDAYS & TUESDAYS

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Call me a crazy idealist but I took a teaching job to spend time working with the kids, not for useless nonsense.  However, since the UFT an...
24 comments:
Wednesday, September 10, 2014

NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION; ATRS NEED OUR OWN UFT CHAPTER AND DELEGATES

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Yesterday there was a UFT meeting for Absent Teacher Reserves in Queens.  The UFT is having these meetings throughout the boroughs this week...
30 comments:
Sunday, September 07, 2014

CONTRACT REOPENED BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE RETIRED

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This one borders on the bizarre. The United Federation of Teachers and the Department of Education when they negotiated our recent contrac...
52 comments:
Saturday, September 06, 2014

WEEK ONE AS AN ATR

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I spent my first week in the Absent Teacher Reserve pool and I must say I am a pretty fortunate ATR to have been assigned to Aviation High S...
7 comments:
Thursday, September 04, 2014

MY OPEN EMAIL TO JANELLA HINDS ON ALL THE ADVERSE RATINGS DURING THE FINAL YEAR OF JAMAICA HS

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(Janella Hinds is UFT Vice President for Academic High Schools) Good Day Janella- We knew teachers at a phasing out school would be ...
12 comments:
Tuesday, September 02, 2014

ICE RECOMMENDS TEACHOUT/HAWKINS FOR GOVERNOR AND OFFERS FULL SUPPORT FOR STRONGER TOGETHER NYSUT CAUCUS

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It was a very productive ICE meeting on Friday, August 29, 2014.  It was much more than chatting and chewing as full discussion and analysis...
2 comments:
Monday, September 01, 2014

DID FARINA REALLY JUST DECLARE WAR ON ATRs?

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Multiple people have sent me copies of the Daily News piece from Sunday where Chancellor Carmen Farina said she is looking to make it easier...
12 comments:
Friday, August 29, 2014

ICE MEETING THIS AFTERNOON AT STARLIGHT DINER (34TH STREET & 9th AVENUE IN MANHATTAN)

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ICE is meeting today in Manhattan at the Star light Diner.  Norm put the details of the agenda on Ed Notes  Here they are: James Eterno ha...
1 comment:

2% SALARY INCREASE COMING SEPT 30 ALONG WITH RETRO FROM 2013-14

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UFT members will probably not be surprised that a full summer of preparation was not sufficient for the Department of Education to be able t...
4 comments:
Monday, August 25, 2014

ATR ASSIGNMENTS COMING THURSDAY (UPDATED)

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I am away in Georgia attending a family wedding but I had a chance to look at my Department of Education email. Not surprisingly, the applic...
16 comments:
Tuesday, August 19, 2014

NYS AFL-CIO STAYS OUT OF GOVERNOR'S RACE FOR NOW BUT WHY NOT ENDORSE TEACHOUT?

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I suppose it is a small victory when the New York State AFL-CIO stays neutral  (at least for now) in this year's election for governor i...
4 comments:
Saturday, August 16, 2014

DIANE RAVITCH ENCOURAGES CRITICISM OF UNION POLICY AND PRACTICE

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There is no more famous critic of corporate school privatization than NYU Professor Diane Ravitch .  Her blog along with the Washington Post...
6 comments:

COMMON CORE TEST SCORE RESULTS BASED ON LOWER CUT SCORES

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Please let's not talk much about results of Common Core tests.  No spin and no need to call anyone any names or punch anyone in the face...