Two of the questions I keep getting from teachers is "why didn't the union file an unfair labor practice?" and "how come the union never filed a lawsuit?"when the DOE implemented the "fair (unfair) student funding" formula that discriminates against senior teachers? The simple answer is that the union leadership didn't care that's why.
If the union had cared not only would they have filed an unfair labor practice with the NLRB and a PERB complaint with the State but would had taken the offensive against the Bloomberg/Klein/Walcott tyranny by going to the mass media by showing that their ideological policies were actually hurting the students.
For example, the union could have produced a commercial showing how important it is for students to have a "quality teacher" in the classroom and that many "quality teachers" find themselves without a classroom because the "fair (unfair) student funding" formula forces principals to hire the cheapest and not the best teachers. Study after study shows that a "quality teacher" is the most important part of a student's academic development in school. However, the consequences of the Bloomberg education policy and the reduction of school budgets by 14% in the last six years requires schools to look for the most inexpensive teachers rather than the "quality teachers" that are needed for students to succeed.
If your child needed surgery would you want an untested surgeon in her first year in practice to preform the operation or a veteran surgeon who has done thousands of the same type of operations? The answer is very obvious, the veteran surgeon! The same is true for your child's education as it takes an experienced teacher to get the maximum academic achievement out of them. We're sure you wouldn't want your child to be the educational "guinea pig" by getting an untested and inexperienced teacher who is subject to a "steep learning curve"instructing them.
The fact that our union remains strangely quiet and has taken no action against the DOE policy of dumping senior teachers into the ATR pool while encouraging principals to hire untested teachers because they are cheap speaks loudly that our union is part of the problem and not the solution to this discrimination against senior teachers and the ideological policy of Tweed that results in a "children last" program for the New York City Public Schools.
14 comments:
I heard this just happened at Sinatra - newbie was hired not an atr. And there are still many atrs who are allowing the contract to be stamped on. Atrs are answering phones and putting labels on envelopes and making copies. What is wrong with you guys?? Stop now!! You are causing a huge problem and you are not helping anyone - especially yourself!
It is rather simple why the UFT does not file an unfair labor practice lawsuit: They know that when veteran teachers get the shaft and quit in frustration that they will be replaced by newbie teachers who ARE STILL DUES PAYING MEMBERS. The UFT could care less who is teaching our students as long as the dues money is coming in. As a matter of fact, it seems even more shocking that the UFT is doing diddly squat to fight the charter movement in NYC as most charter school teachers are not represented by the UFT. The charterization and privitization of schools in NYC is a real threat to the dues money train that the UFT collects.
Anon 6:41 pm
Not surprising, the school I was at last year hired two newbies for chemistry and no ATRs were interviewed. If it happened in this school, its happening in all schools.
all over the city, neophytes are being hired while atrs are being treated as pon scum. the union and doe want us to go away. i doubt anything will change under de blasio
Thanks chaz from all of us displaced teachers. Its about time one somebody exposed the DOE UFT collusion at the expense of the senior teachers.
Chaz, I hear you on this but its always not a good idea to shoot yourself in the foot by bashing the UFT. THis serves counter productive and opens up cracks for people like bloomshit and moskowitch...So, while we need to monitor UFT please remember they are US
The newbie are the due paying future.
The atrs will all retire in the next few years. If the media is made aware that the atrs are costing over a quarter BILLION dollars they'll demand termination. Under state law the newbies go (LIFO). This would be a disaster for Bloomberg and UFT, so yes there is collusion.
anon 441
2000 teachers in atr pool (if that many)
x 80,000 - average salary
------------------------
TOTAL 160 million NOT QUARTER BILLION BOZO---- which is less than 1 percent of the 25 Billion dollar Educational budget.
Get your facts straight AND never write if the media finds out than they will demand?? Demand what?? THe media is a reporting agency....get on point and stop writing like you are scared of "them"
Amy Arundel is constantly saying the union members didn't get a raise because they're protecting the atrs, the truth is they're protecting Bloomberg's new teacher hires. If anyone goes it has to be them. I'm tired of listening to this bullshit, wtf is the union doing other than playing us for fools? These new hires can't teach or control a class; then we have to go in like lion tamers as these newbies start to constantly call in sick or quit.
Its 2000 - 5000 atrs ,genius ,and that adds ups to 250,000,000 plus, which by the way is a quarter billion dollars. I never mentioned budgeting in any regard , the media are not reporting anything so who do you suppose is suppressing the information if their a reporting agency? I'm not afraid of the media but it sure sounds like you are. Do you work for the union or Bloomberg? Then again what's the difference?
Hey guys wherever the number 100, 160, 250 million it doesn't matter that's wasted funds that could be used to reduce class size and get "quality teachers" back into the classroom.
Here is a copy of §209-a of the Taylor Law:
www.perb.ny.gov/stat.asp#ips
Which portion of the law did DOE allegedly violate?
If none, then there would be no point in filing an improper practice charge with PERB (the New York State Public Employment Relations Board) because it would be dismissed.
But, if there is even a single portion, then an aggrieved person may file the improper practice charge. There is no requirement that the UFT do it.
Study this website carefully:
www.perb.ny.gov/index.asp
It will provide great insight into how PERB functions.
In my school, senior teachers are harassed and given the crappiest jobs in order to quit. The chapter leader is a joke. She says to just go along so as to knock rock the boat. I was kicked out of my "coaching job" for a 27 year old. I had 27 years teaching experience. She only taught 5 years of second grade. Guess what I am back in the trenches in a bottom 5th grade class. I got 3 more years to go. Nobody from the union is helping. The only advice I got was try to get another job at another school. REALLY--- tell me which principal is going to hire a 27 year veteran over a newbie. The union is only good at taking my dues.
There is rampant age discrimination being enacted by the NYC DOE. The union is in collusion, adding insult to injury by blaming ATRs as the reason we have no contract or raise.
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