Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Its Quantity And Not Quality When It Comes To Hiring Teachers In The NYC Public Schools.



























With the unexpected wave of retirements, the NYC public school system had to hire 6,000 new teachers.  You would think that many schools would be thrilled to replace their retiring teachers with experienced teachers since it would not significantly affect their budget.  Guess again, the schools, rather than during what's best for their students, instead saw an opportunity to hire novice teachers and in some cases getting two for the salary of the retiring teacher. Meaning quantity over quality at the expense of the academic outcomes of the school's students.  In other cases the principals reduced their staff salaries and used the additional funds for their own pet projects.

Unfortunately,  the NYCDOE is famous for its "education on the cheap" policies when it comes to funding schools and the classrooms.  To ensure that schools suffer from tight budgetary constraints, the DOE imposed the "fair student funding" formula on them that forces principals to hire the "cheapest and not the best teachers" for their students. Is it any wonder that student academic achievement has shown little or no gains and the racial/income achievement gap is as wide as ever?

Novice teachers suffer from a steep learning curve, in acquiring effective teaching techniques, fully understanding the curriculum, developing classroom management skills, and staying power as 50% of the "newbies" leave the classroom within five years and 80% leave the school they started in.  What a waste of money in training and time when only 20% of the "newbies" will be in the school by the time they get tenure and are considered "quality teachers".  Moreover, how unfair is it to subject the students as guinea pigs to untested teachers who may or may not even last the school year?

Too bad the mass media choices to ignore the DOE's "education on the cheap" policies that hurt student academic achievement but loves to demonize the teaching profession, especially ATRs.

10 comments:

ReadyToRetireNow said...

Let's not forget that novices are easier to mold, scold, intimidate and fire. I'm glad that I'm an old dog with tenure and due process rights.

Philip Nobile said...

Let's not get too excited about due process. Special reps won't defend you when OSI hauls you in for an interview. They don't challenge the investigators, and if they take notes, you can't have them until you're charged. NYSUT lawyers are worthless, with exceptions like Chris Callagy who saved Portelos. They won't expose corrupt OSI dicks or pursue perjury charges against lying DOE witnesses. Then there's Mulgrew, our Rex Ryan, who okayed switching the burden of proof to teachers in incompetence cases. How did we let him get away with THAT?

ReadyToRetireNow said...

Agreed, but at least we have some semblance of protection before possible termination. Outright termination without the opportunity to defend oneself is worse.

Anonymous said...

Another NYSUT lawyer that is good is Antonio Cavallaro

Philip Nobile said...

To ready: Of course you're right.
Better some than no due process. Randi once admitted to me in front of her Secretary Mike Mendel, star NYSUT lawyer Chris Callagy, and then New York Teacher reporter Jim Callaghan that she was soft on the notorious Commissioner of Special Investigations Richard Condon because Condon did her the favor of shutting down Joel Klein's early clandestine campaign to swiftboat her. Remember, Randi was in the closet until 2007.

anonymous said...

Noble when did this change on burden of proof occur? In the new contract?

ReadyToRetireNow said...

Wow, I didn't know that. Well, I can understand her not wanting to be "swiftboated". After all, as AFT president now, she is also representing teachers who live in ultra-conservative cities and states. Even so, it still a self- serving move.

Anonymous said...

Anyone interested in a provisional position in an elementary school in Manhattan?

Anonymous said...

Why can't an age discrimination law suit be pressed against DOE for not allowing seniority transfers?

ReadyToRetireNow said...

5:32 - Seniority rights were a "giveback" to Bloomberg two contracts ago. That's something the union should have pressed back for during recent negotiations.