The Daily News in today's edition has again disparaged the ATRs and wants them terminated after a six month time limit. The editorial calls the ATRs the "walking dead" and "unwanted". Furthermore, the editorial claimed that the ATRs are of "poor quality" and the students would be "unlucky" to have them teaching in their class.
Of course the Daily News editorial board's ideological slant is evident in the article since they once again fail to identify the real reason there are over 2,000 ATRs in the system. Let's look at what the editorial failed to mention.
Fair student funding:
There is no mention of the biggest factor for principals not hiring ATRs, the "fair student funding" formula that restricts principals from hiring the "best teachers". Instead they are encouraged to hire the "cheapest teachers" and subject the students to inexperienced and untested teachers, many who will be gone from the classroom before they ever become a "quality teacher" as many ATRs are. In other words, its all about the money and not what's best for the students.
Ageism:
Nowhere in the editorial do they mention that the age of the teacher is a factor in hiring ATRs. The data that I obtained previously showed that the average age of the ATRs are in their 50s and few long-term ATRs are under 40 years of age. Did the Daily News bother to look into why the ATR pool has a disproportionate amount of older teachers in it? Of course not.
School budget reductions:
Since 2008 the average school budget has been reduced by 14%, forcing principals to increase class sizes, reduce staff, and have fewer resources. Therefore, when combined with the "fair student funding" directive, principals will stretch their budget by giving their staff a sixth period and hire the lowest salaried teachers, usually "newbies", even if that is not what's best for the students.
Contract:
The editorial wants a six month time limit for ATRs to obtain a position, as if the other issues listed previously does not exist, and asks that this be part of the next contract. However, they know full well that the Bloomberg Administration had offered the union the two 4% raises, including "retroactive raises" if the union agreed to an ATR time limit. The union refused since it will create a "slippery slope" that would eventually undermine Civil Service Law and that would prompt the other Municipal unions to file a lawsuit to stop it. There is a "snowball's chance in hell" for the union to negotiate n ATR time limit and the Daily News should know that.
Weekly ATR rotation system:
The editorial board falsely claimed that before the weekly rotation system, the ATRs "hang out and get paid". The reality is that many principals gave ATRs full classroom schedules and were able to reduce class sizes for all the teachers since the schools were getting "free help". This was a "win-win" for the schools since the principals recieved free help while the ATRs felt needed and part of the school culture. The ATRs were desired by principals rather than being "unwanted" as the Daily News falsely claims since it helped the resource starved schools improve their instruction by getting an experienced teacher who can help mentor the "newbies" the principal was being forced to hire. By contrast the weekly ATR rotation system is a waste of talent, money, and is demoralizing to all staff.
Leadership Academy Principals:
There is no mention of the inept, incompetent, and poor quality of the "Leadership Academy Principals" many of them with limited classroom experience and quite a few who never achieved tenure! Yet the Daily News gives them a free pass and puts the blame on the teachers for a school's failure and the hiring practices.. You can found many of these principals here.
A real newspaper would investigate both sides of an issue and bring up all the facts, regardless how inconvenient it is. On the other hand a propaganda rag will leave out the facts and twist, pervert, and change information to suit their ideological aims. Which one is the New York Daily News?
When it comes to protecting the education policies of ex-Mayor Napoleon, Master Gates, WeinGreewKleinRhee and ObamCan, there are no such thing as "newspapers". They all are cut from the same cloth. That includes the "paper of record" and the Amazon Post.
ReplyDeleteThe one exception, who has clearly come to see the light in the last year is Valerie Strauss. The NSA should consider hiring her, because clearly based on her columns she is the greatest computer hacker in the world, because I find it so shocking that she is able to get the stuff on her blog that she does, because clearly she has not gotten the memo from the corporate headquarters.
What about you Chaz? Do you tell both sides of the story? What about your yellow Journalism? What research did you use to conclude that most ATRs want to be forced place with no choice in a school where the students spit and assault you and the Principle will lie and 3020a you with no proof what so ever. In the mean time the DOE will support that evil principal even though they know he is wrong and lying, while the uft stands by and does nothing just like they do nothing about the traveling AP'S! In fact the uft lawyer will try and convince you that you can't win your 3020a and that taking a deal where you resign is in your best interest. Then we fired the Uft lawyer and pay money from our own pockets and win! Even with a hearing office who is under threat that his contract will not be renewed by the DOE if he does not fire the teacher with the uft standing by and doing nothing there either. Uft Lawyer Mitch Rubinstein is infamous for telling teachers to take deals to resign, and there is a record number of teachers who have fired him and won with their the right to keep there jobs with their own private lawyers, yet the uft has done or said nothing to their uft Lawyer Mitch Rubinstein! Anyway getting back to your yellow Journalism, most atrs would rather rotate than face these job ending schools principals and where students can spit and assault teachers, with no problems! And don't forget that we are now held responsible and not the parents for the students academics thanks to Cuomo and Obama! Instead if teachers don't want to go to a certain school, or a school has a hard time with staffing then that brings public attend to the schools! Why don't teachers want to go there! Because the Principal is bad and the students assaults spit and curse teachers and the parents don't want to take responsibility for their kids. That would put the spot light on the DOE, UFT, and the Mayor to do something, unlike that school in far rockway P.S. 106 where nothing was done to the Principal! I hope you and your loved ones chaz have the pleasure to work with a principal like that, where you crys of justice and help go unanswered by both the DOE and UFT. You should be the first one forced placed into one of these schools. But it does not matter it looks like you will get your way, however know that many of us atrs will not forget what you and the uft has done to us come election day at the uft! P.S. I would love to see you post this one for your readers! I away your yellow reply.
ReplyDeleteAh ha haaaa haaaaa ha ha haaa!!!!
ReplyDeletehttp://nypost.com/2014/02/09/murry-bergtraum-hss-blended-learning-a-scam-whistleblowers/
Anon 12:00
ReplyDeleteFirst, we are teachers and we should be teaching in a classroom with our own students and that's a fact! If you don't want to be in a classroom then change your profession.
As for your yellow journalism crack, I did bring up the facts unlike the Daily News.
The person brings up some great points. The UFT lawyer should be terminated if we she/he said is true. Perhaps a blog on this? I also agree I don't want to be forced placed into a Wings or Grace Dodge,
DeleteExactly. This is how students graduate. The only way most students graduate. Has anyone ever heard of online gym? And then they ask why everyone is obese. What a joke. And then they ask why these students cant succeed in college, cant get a job, cant keep a job, and have no work ethic. they get to school when they want, leave when they want, do no work, get free everything, disrespect everybody, then say who cares if I fail, ill take the class online or the teacher will be pressured into giving a 65.
ReplyDeleteI hope you let us know what school you wind up at come sept. I'm guessing you wount be at Springfield.
ReplyDeleteAnon,
ReplyDeleteIf your point is that WeinGrew & Company are just as much at fault as BloomRheeKleinDuncama, no one disputes that. The sad part is that I do agree with you to a certain extent. There is a certain ease under the current circumstances to being an ATR. I have yet though, to meet an ATR that has anything less than 15 years in the system. And I say 15 because I don't remember the exact years in that they all had, but believe me, I would remember if I had met someone that was an ATR with less than 10. And due to where I am in the building, I see just about all of the ATRs that enter the school I work in.
And I have said for the last decade as I have become more aware of the politics in both the UFT & DOE that I am not even sure that there are a set of circumstances that will get an administrator fired. Even if they get "caught" committing illegal acts, they get "fined" they NEVER get fired. Crap as far as I can tell, all most bad administrators get is promoted and given raises and more power to destroy more schools. At one point we had a "talent coach" that was an AP at not one, but TWO schools TWEED could not wait to close. Maybe she was a good AP but not as far as I could tell. She was very good at doing her Klein imitation, spending all day on her iPad...even as she was "observing". When this was brought up, she replied, I am not going to stop.
Anonymous 12:00
ReplyDeleteWhy are you accusing Chaz of yellow journalism? He is telling the truth about how ATRs should be back teaching in a classroom. Many of us came from closed schools and the reason they closed? They struggled academically and others were in terrible environments where vindictive administrators charged teachers with misconduct only for those charges to be much less than claimed.
You owe Chaz an apology by comparing him with those ideologues at the Daily News.
I have slightly less than 15 years in the system. Every year satisfactory, from a closing school. I apply to certain jobs on the Open Market, get ignored. The ones they send me to, garbage.
ReplyDeleteWhat don't you understand? I explained very clearly! Where does Chaz get off telling everyone that most atrs would rather be placed instead of rotating? Did he or you conduct a poll? Most of the atrs I spoke with want to be placed yes but not the way chaz wants. We would rather rotate than to be force place in one of those schools with career ending principals like the ones you read about here or students that spit curse threaten and assault teachers. We want a say on where and who we work for! Just like in the old days. Instead maybe chaz should be writing about bring back seniority transfers, and if we can't do that then the next best think is to fix the student base funding so principals can hire us. Once they give the principals the money to pick us up you will see how well the rotation works, because its the next best thing outside of seniority transfers! Why because get to see what it feels like to work in that school for about a week or two, we meet the Principal the staff and the students, and they meet the atrs. If we like each other then they will offer us the job and we will take it. The only thing missing here is the money to buy us! The open market does not work because the principal is not going to take a chance in pick up senior teachers unless they have had the experience of working with then for a week or two and see what they are like! Those schools that can't pick up teachers or have a hard time keeping teachers, will come under the gun. It will expose them. The question why aren't teachers willing to go there? (expect you and chaz who are willing to teach anywhere yeah right)Is it because the principal is crazy or the students out of control? Is it safe for teachers to work there?
ReplyDeleteThis will put pressure on the DOE Uft and the mayor to look into these hard to staff schools and make some real changes, unlike the changes made at the far rockway school P.S. 106. But I can write until I am blue in the face you and chaz will never understand unless you and him are force into one of these hard to staff schools white students who curse threaten spit or assault teachers and with one of these crazy lying principals who the DOE backs no matter what! Then you and chaz need a nice 3020a hearing with one of those dishonest hearing officers who are worried if the DOE will renew their contact if they don't fire the teacher. And the icing on the cake for you and chaz to be represented by uft lawyer Mitch Rubenstein, the lawyer who tells you he had a great deal for you. Take 3 months and resign. Lovely!Then because you and chaz are so smart you will fire him and dig deep into your own pockets and hire your own lawyer so you stand a chance of keeping your job. The UFT will not help you pay for your own lawyer. They would much rather pay Mitch Rubenstein for sitting back and doing nothing! Walk a mile in the atrs shoes and yes maybe then you will understand why I say chaz is using Yellow Jouralism. Why don't you and chaz ask the atrs what they think for a chance instead of making things up to suit your needs. Atrs do not want to be forced placed. And as far as your comment about if we don't want to teach go find another job, I can teach rings around you chaz. You could never teach in the schools I have worked in! You would not last. Maybe you should be the one to get out of teaching. After all you know what is best for us just like the DOE! Hey there's an idea chaz, maybe you should get a job working for the DOE, after all you both think alike at least you do on the atr issue. Or maybe a nice safe easy job at the uft. Because if you work there not only will you not be placed in one of those career ending schools but you will be paid for doing nothing but talking like you are doing now. So if you can't still understand go take some of those DOE credit recovery course to help you out.
Anon 5:52
ReplyDeleteYou are a teacher and should be in a classroom and if that means being in a school that doesn't meet your elitist standards that's just too bad.
I never said "forced placed" but it's possible that some of us may be in a school we rather not be in. However, no teacher should ever accept this rotation system and if you do, rather than doing your job of teaching students, maybe you should think of finding a new job.
Anonymous 5:52pm
ReplyDeleteI won't be as nice as Chaz. You must be a real jerk! Your ranting is very disgusting and inappropriate and I can't understand why Chaz allowed it to be published.
Chaz taught in my school and he was and is an excellent teacher whose students always had nice things to say about him. Anybody who taught with Chaz will tell you the same thing.
Sorry Chaz, I agree with him. The DOE has become so disgusting, I would rather rotate. I wish I had the guts to just quit. Its pathetic waking up every day and going to see these criminal students and out of control supervisors. Hate it, always have, always will. Its not just a school problem, its a societal problem...Way too big to fix.
ReplyDeleteI never called you or chaz any names so don't start call me names. I can call you a whole lot worst. You and chaz have never seen me teach, and I have a whole lot more students and fellow teachers who can testify to that than you and chaz put together. Here is a history less for you, we are in the United States of America and I an entitled to my views and my opinions on the atrs issues and what I think is the best way to solve it! Chaz does not speak for all of the arts, just ask them what they think or are you afraid to because of what they will tell you? Nor will I be insulted or talked down to by Chaz when he tells me to go find another job if I don't want to teach. Again yellow Journals. Does Chaz know what kind of teacher I am that he has the nerve to say that to me? Chaz and you started throwing insults first because you both disagree with me and I respond in kind! As for your foolish question why he allows me to post my opinions, if he didn't like you would like then he would really be unAmerican and more in line with what the doe and uft does. They don't want to give a voice to people who don't think like them. And that is the act of a coward.
ReplyDeleteIs that what you are? You most be afraid that people will read what I have to say and start writing back that they agreed with me as they already have! Just read it yourself. If you and Chaz don't want to be insulted then don't insulted me and my opinions!
I'd like to back to teaching but have yet to be in one school (out of the 17 so far in the Bronx) that's even remotely tolerable to my very low standards. A place where the students don't constantly tell you to suck their d--ks and yes I've been spit at. Unless your into masochism the rotation is the way to go. I understand how that person feels.
ReplyDeletei agree and I love teaching but I will not be force placed in a crap school to get rated ineffective and kicked out - chaz is wrong on this one. No choice - keep me rotating,
ReplyDeleteLet's face facts. It sure looks like all of us will be placed in classrooms next school year so it makes little sense to argue over a rotation system that won't exist.
ReplyDeleteI need to remind all of you that the problem is the news media and the failure of our union to respond to these attacks on us by them.
Everyone should pick up the phone tomorrow and call the union. Tell them you want a direct response to the attack on us by the Daily News. I believe a full page ad is warranted-- heavens knows with the amount of dues we pay, the union can afford it.
DeleteYup, we will most likely be forced placed so no point in fighting over what we prefer. CHAZ, can we be placed in the borough we live in? That would at least help. Suggest that at your meetings. Especially for Staten Island people.
ReplyDeleteHey are we forgetting what chaz's article is talking about? How the Daily News is printing misinformation and the union is not challenging them on it?
ReplyDeleteInsulting chaz because you disagree with him about placing ATRs is plain stupid and hurts our cause. Stop the bickering and stay on task.
Anon 8:31
ReplyDeleteThe contract requires that all ATRs be placed in their district. While District 76 is both Brooklyn and Staten Island, I believe that has been resolved by keeping the Brooklyn and Staten Island people in their own boroughs.
Chaz, I am saying, for example, teachers who live in Staten Island but were excessed from District 73, should be placed in Staten Island as an ATR or as a regular teacher. That would make life a bit easier.
ReplyDeleteChaz,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your words concerning the "news" article. I was devastated by what was said this weekend. Your analysis of that rag has helped me face another day in the new rubber room. I didn't know that other people call us the "walking dead". I thought it was just me.
LEAVE THE DAILY NEWS ALONE
ReplyDeleteNo need to bicker about the trash garbage daily news. Daily circulation is 516,000 and their readers have reading levels below 4th grade. So, pay no mind to the yellow journalism goons at the news because they are irrelevant and reach basically no one.
Chaz why are we only hearing about "forced placement"?? There are other alternatives such as the fair student funding formula, seniority rights transfers as such. What are the chances of other alternative?? Perhaps we can have force placement to start but then things can slowly work out by instituting the fair student funding formula and principals will then start to hire more experienced people as they will not have to worry about salary issues....Or, if we have the seniority transfer system in place things will get even better as more senior teachers will get positions and the students then will have real educators working with them. As an ATR I hear students talking all the time how the teachers in their schools are too young to teach them anything. Even the students know how incompetent a first year teacher is on their own with no mentor...
ReplyDeleteI agree with the notion that the daily news is basically irrelevant however I believe the reason Mulgrew is staying quiet on the ATR issue and not coming out and speaking to the article is the right thing to do. Mulgrew is doing the right thing by not giving the article any more publicity then it deserves. This way it basically stays quiet we as a union do our thing and all will be forgotten and the atr issue will be nothing but a long nightmare. If Mulgrew came out and addressed the article is could start a firestorm of other rags to join in on their misery of living in a yellow journalism world where basically all journalist and their lonely editors are oh so miserable and they want to see others miserable as well....that is why the got along so well with mikey boy....
ReplyDeleteYou notice the atr story got no coverage while Bloomy was in office? Now that he's out they're trying to cause public outrage that will hurt DeBlasio , no matter what he does-- and maybe get a two for one by hurting us as well.
DeleteIsn't the daily news the same rag that endorsed christine quinn?? How did that work out?
ReplyDeleteImagine, this garbage rag endorsed creepy christine quinn who broke laws, went against the peoples will and handed ole mikey bloomsht anything he wanted. NYC voted completed the other way so clearly daily news rag not in touch with the people of NYC.
Clearly the previous blogs are so correct about the rag news being irrelevant. If you read the article you will notice that there are only 6 comments after the article which shows how irrelevant the paper is and who is actually reading the garbage
ReplyDeleteCan anyone out there tell me what the union is doing about all the unsatisfactories being given out to ATRs for covering unfamiliar classes in unfamiliar schools? Or about the constant attacks on us by the media? Or anything positive at all concern our representation?
ReplyDeleteAnon 8:44
ReplyDeleteNot a chance but you might apply on the open market to see if you can obtain a position in the Borough that you live in.
Chaz-I have applied and have been ignored. That also means I am traveling 90 plus minutes to work each way, which violates the contract. What is being done about that?
ReplyDeleteHopefully this will all change next year. Just suffer through one more semester of this abuse.
ReplyDeleteGetting sick and tired of cuomo going back and forth on which side of the fence he is on. I once liked cuomo very much but something strange about him has happened could possible be because its election year and he is trying to wipe everyones butt but why is he now so concerned about teacher evals??? Has he listened to what has been going on regarding teacher evals and the junk science and all that?? So,cuomo wants to continue the madness now?? He is a strange cat and I am now a bit concerned about reelecting him for governor....The reason the board of regents has delayed the common core is because it was rolled out just as badly as the obama care medical plan...so just shove the new crap down all educators and students throats (sounds like something bloomberg would approve - asswipe) but anyway, the goal is to get it right and not shove it down everyones ass....so tired of these incompetent bozos running the show and screwing up just about every time...digust
ReplyDeleteChaz,
ReplyDeleteTime for your article on Common Core. It's OVER!! When parents with money (ie. Scarsdale, Long Island, Bedford, etc) start complaining, results happen!!! The Common Core is delayed by years and years and by that point, it will be something else. The parents with brains and power have win. The parents of NYC kids tried to save their closing schools, but failed because they have no power. This time, the SED messed with the wrong type if parents.
how does all this affect teachers ie the danielson evaluations?
ReplyDeletewhat happens if we still get rated ineffective by our principals for the next two years? are we goners?
No way!!! You are not a goner if rated ineffective. There is a 2 year reprieve to fully understand this nonsense. After that, who knows. You will not be affected over these next 2 years, even if rated ineffective. By the way, Cuomo is a mutha f _____!!!!
DeleteSo we have 4 years then?
ReplyDeleteI know a 30 yr teacher rated ineffective
Another one sided, bulls--t article in the Post today concerning ATRs. The papers are now making this an news issue because Bloomberg is gone. The hope is that the public will join their band wagon, forcing DeBlasio's hand (and if not it creates some discomforture for him). In many ways this recent article is worse than the previous two in the News.
ReplyDeleteSomeone needs to put a mug over that campbell brown she is a loud mouth no nothing hillybilly from Louisiana yapping on fox network about the ATR and spewing nothing but misinformation to the public. This is a woman who was married for one month and then filed for divorce only to marry another man right after and then convert herself to Judaism to please her "new" husband. This is a woman who actually has teaching experience - 1 year in Czechoslovakia no less!! This woman is a complete no nothing hillbilly who needs to shut up!
ReplyDeleteYeah campbell brown was fired from CNN because her ratings were in the garbage as basically no one was listening to her crap
ReplyDeleteDid I just read about full implementation of Common Core by 2022? Did they actually write the year 2022? OMG. How funny is that? AH HAHA HAAA HAAA!!!!!! 2022?? Huhhh??? Just dump it. Why joke about it and write 2022? That was amazing that some dope actually ok'd that year. Haaaaa!!!!!
ReplyDelete