On Monday the DOE's Open Market Transfer System (OMTS) ends and few, if any, senior teachers were hired through the process. In many cases teachers who applied didn't even get a courtesy interview. First, let's look at the history of the OMTS. The OMTS was created by the DOE in the wake of the infamous 2005 contract that eliminated seniority-based bumping and worst of all eased the excessing restrictions in the District. In other words, the School District no longer had to fill their vacancies with excessed teachers before they offered them to "newbie teachers". The result was an explosion of excessed teachers, called ATRs that ranged from 1,200 to 2,800 teachers depending on the time of the school year.
The union hailed the OMTS by claiming principals were no longer able to hide their vacancies (before principals were allowed to hide 50% of their vacancies). "Unity's" top propagandist and supporter of the infamous 2005 contract, Leo Casey, once even bragged how well the OMTS worked in the first year. Of course this was before Tweed's "fair student funding formula" was implemented (However, I believe even those statistics showed that schools did not want to hire higher salaried teachers). Of course as the DOE's "fair student funding formula" was fully implemented and principals were financially punished if they hired a senior teacher, those statistics changed drastically. By 2008 even Leo Casey obviously realized there was a problem and not to embarrass his "Unity" bosses, he failed to follow up on these more disturbing statistics that reared their ugly head in age and salary discrimination for the years that followed. I know the UFT has the numbers, why don't they publish them?
Now we come to the end of the latest OMTS and nothing has changed. I am in a DOE shortage area and applied to ten vacancies as well as going to a "job fair". Despite being an excellent teacher, I did not get one interview, not one! Why? Because I am an older teacher and make too much money. Is it just me? No, I know many ATRs in my situation and not one I know received a job offer and almost all did not even get an interview. Worse, I overheard a conversation at the "job fair" between two administrators who talked about how they are are looking for young, inexpensive, and preferably untenured teachers in excess to fill their vacancies.
The OMTS is simply a "waste of time" if you are a senior teacher and seems only to work for younger, lower paid teachers looking to transfer to a better school. "Children first"? Don't make me laugh. It is really "children last...Always" as great teachers are no longer given the opportunity to compete for a vacancy if they are a senior teacher.
P.S. tell me your story about the OMTS.
Very true.
ReplyDeleteDOE has never intended to carry out any agreement that hinders and hampers the unbridled power of a building principal. All there agreements do are to provide some political cover for UFT leadership, DOE knew it, so did UFT.
ReplyDeleteI am not suprised by anything anymore.
ReplyDeleteThe abuse will continue and escalate. When senior teachers are glorified subs and sent to a different school, it will be much clearer.
This is disparate treatment and constructive discharge.
It is well past the time the pricks at the union should have done something.
It is time for a class action suit.
Sincerely,
Angry Nog
Constructive discharge is an interesting idea. A senior teacher who does not belong to a union probably would have a better legal ground on the constructive discharge complaint, but when you have the "backing" of a union, it is hard to say how a court will look at the complaint? What about administrative remedy? The judge may ask why not first to complaint by his or her union first? If your own union does not believe it the constructive discharge, then you will have a hard time to convince the court.
ReplyDeleteConstructive discharge is an interesting idea. A senior teacher who does not belong to a union probably would have a better legal ground on the constructive discharge complaint, but when you have the "backing" of a union, it is hard to say how a court will look at the complaint? What about administrative remedy? The judge may ask why not first to complaint by his or her union first? If your own union does not believe it the constructive discharge, then you will have a hard time to convince the court.
ReplyDeleteI agree with anon 7:15 if the UFT refuses to file an age discrimination lawsuit, the courts will not entertain such a class action lawsuit from the eachers.
ReplyDeleteIf you remember the UFT was set to file such a lawsuit until they dropped it for the first ATR agreement which the DOE refused to abide by.
That was probably the reason wny a group of teachers (Teachers4action) sued and listed both DOE and UFT as co-defendants, but they got slaughtered. How can someone kill two elephants (DOE and UFT) with one shotgun bullet?
ReplyDeleteI went to 2 job fairs, contacted one of the principals I spoke to there, and applied to 80+ schools online. I didn't realize it was that many until I counted them. AND, Nothing. Really???
ReplyDeleteIt would be disheartening but I am starting to not care anymore.
It seems the union isn't backing the ATR's. I can only hope the principals will be somewhat courteous to the ATR-SUBS.
Last year I was in danger of being excessed. Mind you, I'm an experienced ESL teacher - you would think I'd have no trouble finding a job. I applied to every open position but received not one interview. For some reason, I was not excessed and ended up back at my old school. I have no idea why I was not excessed but let me tell you, I was lucky. Had I ended up in the ATR pool, I know I would have never gotten out of it.
ReplyDeletedoes anyone know about the service history that principals are able to generate about the backgrounds of teachers? it is a bit different from the ones that we as teachers have access to. for instance if you were in the rubber room, it states that your were suspended with pay. it is very demeaning. i had a teacher call me in tears saying that she would never be able to get out of the ATR pool since this history is available to principals. I agree with her. last year, i followed all the protocoals, went to all the job fairs and i teach chemistry. i got nothing. this year, i refused, because the DOE and union thinks so little of us that they don't even give a calender as to the dates of the job fairs. they just email you a week or so before the fair and expect that u must be available at such short notice in the summer. this is a joke but I am hardly laughing.
ReplyDeleteThe whole system is corrupted. Four years ago I applied for School Social work job they claimed there was none available. They offer a sub-Para job until vaccines open. Four years later, I still trying, I receive an offer but told I can’t transfer because I am in Para line and not social work line. Yet I am seeing people who Para was being promoted to teachers in new line. I have seen social work job post in the new teacher’s finder, with notes not to apply because they already have their candidate and only post so the person can apply. May God help all of them!!!!
ReplyDeleteThe whole system is corrupted. Four years ago I applied for School Social work job they claimed there was none available. They offer a sub-Para job until vaccines open. Four years later, I still trying, I receive an offer but told I can’t transfer because I am in Para line and not social work line. Yet I am seeing people who Para was being promoted to teachers in new line. I have seen social work job post in the new teacher’s finder, with notes not to apply because they already have their candidate and only post so the person can apply. May God help all of them!!!!
ReplyDeleteI teach in a shortage area for the NYCDOE. Recently, our entire school must relocate to another site while repairs are made on our building. At least, half of our staff said they were going to try the open market to get new jobs as the relocation site is so far away.
ReplyDeleteIt was to my dismay that I must report that you are correct in your evaluation of the Open Market System. It simply does not work for senior teachers and the "newbies" or "fellows" had not trouble finding a position elsewhere.