Saturday, November 05, 2011

Is This Really Something To Cheer About As One Out Of Every Ten ATRs Have Been Provisionally Placed For The School Year?


The latest statistics supplied by the DOE via Gotham Schools, shows that 10% of the ATRs have found provisional (not permanent) placements in schools throughout New York City. This leaves approximately 1,200 ATRs who are forced to move weekly to different schools. Interestingly, the longer term ATRs had less success in finding a long-term placement, with only 4.4% long-term ATRs were able to find a position for the school year. It would seem that principals were not interested in the ATRs that had been in the pool over a year and is similar to employers who don't want to hire the long term unemployed as if there is something wrong with them.

The real question is the information behind the statistics that the DOE has but has not made available. Here is the information that needs to be given to determine who is being offered positions and who are not.

  • What is the average age of the ATRs selected by the schools when compared to the age of the entire ATR pool?
  • What is the average salary of the ATRs selected by the schools when compared to the salary of the entire ATR pool?
  • How many years of experience did the ATRs selected by the schools have when compared to the experience of he entire ATR pool?
In addition, how many of those ATRs panicked and settled for positions in schools that have a history of high teacher turnover, terrible Administration, are restart/transformation schools or schools outside their District or Borough?. Finally, the question that still has not bee addressed by either the DOE and UFT is the failure of principals to fill their vacancies with certified teachers in the subject area.

The statistics are nice but it's the information behind the statistics that is needed to adequately determine what is really going on in the ATR hiring process.

8 comments:

bookworm said...

I found a job in August after two years in the ATR pool, and I can certainly say that I am one of those that panicked and took a job in a troubled school with a 'reputation'. One reason was that I was afraid of being sent to schools that I could not logistically get to due to child care considerations, the other was that I do not trust that my union will NOT throw the ATRs under the bus in the next contract or ATR "agreement". No matter how many times they say they will "never" sell out the ATRs, I don't trust them. I wonder why. I mean they have certainly has the ATRs' backs all this time. *snort*

So now work in a school in the armpit of a district, get cursed at all day long, watch as a decent administration and really great group of teachers try to make a go if it as the school gets bled of resources and the demands on us increase exponentially. Heck, I have even been chided by the CUSTODIAN because of all the trash the kids leave on the floor at the end of the day, saying that he's going to show pictures to the principal and get me in trouble. Even though when I tell the kids to clean up I get told "F*** you!" or an imperative to suck something.

It came down to choosing which version of hell I could best tolerate, but there are many days where I wonder if I made the wisest choice.

Anonymous said...

A chem teacher at my school was removed from the class a replaced with an ATR. Wanna bet the ATR is out of a job in June? Unless the ATR is under 30, s/he doesn't stand a chance.

zulma said...

So far all the ATRs that came to my school has been over the age of 40. One ATR told me that he has been an ATR for 5 years. So I wonder how this ATR deal will really pan out if this teacher has not been hired in 5 years.

As for the discipline problems in the schools, I know how hard it is for the teachers, the administrators who are supportive, and for those students who do the right thing but the recalcitrants will not allow the teachers to teach and for the students to learn. I am dean and because I tell students to do the right thing I get cursed out all day. The sad part is the fact that some parents are having a very difficult time with their own children. Another infuriating part is the fact that we have parents who enable their children to curse at teachers and to defend their child while blaming everybody in NYC.

It's a damn if you don't and you are definitely damned if you do.

Anonymous said...

I can't believe the DoE let the schools get to the point where teachers being cursed at is normal. What level of hell is this? Why has the UFT been silent? The DoE is useless as is Bloomberg.

Anonymous said...

Most of the ATRs at my school have been middle-aged or better. This is just another incarnation of the Kafkaesque hell that awaits veteran teacher all over the city. I have 12 years in the system and am 33 years old. Every time I see another ATR I am tempted to say "before the grace of God". These are human rights violations.

You can moderate this part Chaz:
Would you be interested in doing a link exchange? My blog is part teacher, part history, part Occupy Wall Street. I think my readers would be greatly educated by the resources on your site and your readers might be interested in many of my articles. Let me know.
Blog: theassailedteacher.com
Email: uftsiroonian@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

this is such a joke! we had better stand up and occupy the doe. stop being so scared. fear just makes us more victimized!

Anonymous said...

Let us cheer for nothing.....I am on my latest assignment in Long Island City. I was in LIC last week and spend $70 on parking and this week will be more $$$. I have a feeling that ATR's will be kept in this area of Queens just for the intention of sticking us with parking fees. What do you think Chaz?

veteran teacher said...

good point, chaz,

I would like to see some follow up data after the school year on how many atrs who took jobs are back in the atr pool next year.

election day PD should be fun for us ATRs.

'So, you've been here one day, tell us why you have no classroom management'

Report card night should rock. Can't wait for a parent to say,'I want to meet the ATR!'