I am increasingly concerned over the fate of many ATRs in rotation as they are being increasingly harassed by the DOE to include Danielson, Common Core, and rigor in their lesson, despite the ATR being subject to "the teaching for the 21st century" Article 8j in the contract. When ATRs complain to the union leadership about the unrealistic expectations that the ATR field s
There are too many people contacting me about their field assassins giving them "Unsatisfactory" observations. These field assassins find fault with the ATR for not giving a coherent lesson (Dainelson), classroom management, or rigor. It matters little that in far too many cases the ATR is only providing the work the classroom teacher has left. Since the ATR does not know the students and has no ownership of their grades, it is unrealistic to expect students to be well behaved and engaged in the assignment unless you are in one of the top schools in the city. Yet the ATR field assassins demand this impossible task. Moreover, if am incident with a student occurs and the building Principal gives the ATR a Letter-To-The-File, it automatically triggers an "Unsatisfactory" rating for that year! Despite the ATR having satisfactory observations throughout the school year. That means that the ATR cannot teach summer school, do per session grading, and other income producing activities in the DOE. Finally, if the ATR takes more than ten sick days in any one year, the ATR will be rated "Unsatisfactory" by the field supervisor unless the ATR took FILMA (unpaid family leave). I already know three ATRs who were rated "Unsatisfactory" for taking more than 10 sick days and one of them had 150 sick days in his CAR!
It appears to me that the UFT is not only looking the other way when it comes to the abusive ATR field assassins but is quietly supporting the DOE in their attempt to demoralize, defame, and destroy the ATRs and force them to either retire or resign by making them second class citizens and allowing the ATR field assassins to demand unrealistic expectations and when the ATR cannot possibly deliver, "U rate" them and possibly terminate them with two consecutive "Unsatisfactory" rating.
With friends like our union leadership, who needs enemies when you are a rotating ATR?
The UFT knows we, ATRs in rotation can only be rated for time and attendance. Nothing else will hold up. I know a guy who has 6 straight years of Unsatisfactories and he has not been brought to a 3020a hearing. It's all harassment. The DOE will target you even if you have less than 10 days if you don't provide doctors notes (even though the contract states we don't have to supply them until after 10 days). They will also go after you for less than 10 days if you take Monday's and Friday's or before or after holidays. There is a Superintendents mandate that all principals must send a report every month listing any teacher who has done so. Rarely does it result in an Unsatisfactory for the year for a permanent teacher; it will however always result in an Unsatisfactory for an ATR - provisionally placed or on rotation. The UFT is doing absolutely nothing to stop any of this. We need our own chapter. Amy Arundel and Mike Sill's annual meeting just doesn't cut the mustard.
ReplyDeleteMulgrew when selling this contract via Skype said the expedited removal process was a benefit for the ATR so they wouldn't linger with charges over their head. He has also said with Farina, that the process is to help those who should be in a different profession find their way out. Additionally, Farina and Deblasio were accompanied by Mulgrew when they announced the success of the "shrinking of subpar teachers, also known as ATRs". He never corrected their appraisal of ATRs; only added a tidbit about Bloomberg creating a mess that would take years to fix. This is the same guy who's said we don't need a chapter because we are a temporarily displaced group. Time and time again, he has publicly sold contractual discriminatory provisions against us, denigrated us and perpetuated Bloomberg created stereotypes.
ReplyDeleteSo, has the union leadership sold the ATRs out?
Not to mention that it's pretty transparent that theyre targeting people.
ReplyDeleteThe ones being targeted, as you say, are people that have taken sick days. Also, these are the people that have had the temerity to tend to their dying parents but haven't taken a FMLA leave, which the city really wants, because that gets you off the payroll.
Also, the targeted are the people that have spoken up for their rights. And people who still have years before their retirement. The ones that are left alone are the ones who are just one or two years away from retirement. The DOE doesn't want it make it too obvious that they are killing peple's possibility of full pensions.
Of course it has. Join MORM and stop caring about teaching and focus on smiling and faking it!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is looking like a big liquidation. The survivors will be the exceptions.
ReplyDeleteOf all the egregious policies that you've uncovered, this has to be one of the worst cases.
Meanwhile, completely unprofessional admins, like Schmutz, go free.
5:08 pm, that's a dangerously misleading line about no ATRs going into the 3020a process from observation U's. Like Chaz, I'm getting too many emails from ATRs that are subjected to outrageous observations and are in the process of being terminated.
ReplyDelete--An ATR in the know.
Those in 3020a process are combined with attendance, lateness, or some other behavior that has put their necks on the block. Ask those you know, to let us know.
ReplyDeleteObservations coupled with charges (absences,insubordination, etc) for 3020a. Stop frightening
ReplyDeletepeople, Betsy.
MORM here. So great to have the feeling that I do. Feels do Dan good to know that I've given up. With the "given up" mentality, I've become so popular at my school. Today was AWESOME! Had a little food & pie & rice/beans, etc each period. It was so great. Everyone smiling. Everyone passing. Drove home with no worries. Feels great. Should've been doing this for years. Can't believe it took me this long. I used to complain, team up with other miserable UFT members who just loved to bitch & moan. No more! No way, never going back to that mentality. Master your relationships. I certainly did.
ReplyDeleteConfused MORM, did you leave the DOE, or are you still there? Also, I read something about your rules the other day. There was one that suggested getting out the building every day. I'd like to read the other ones? where they are they?
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving 9:24. What a beautiful beginning to a wonderful day with family. Can you believe, in the 60's this 4 day weekend? Gorgeous!
DeleteAnyhow, yes I am in full DOE mode. Not quite 55 yet. I'm not complaining though. I mean where else can you make 6 figures + full benefits + a guaranteed 7% fixed rate in TDA + 10 sick days carried over + 11 days coming up for X-mas break + half of January doing regents prep/regents proctoring + walking out of work prior to 3pm + more and more? What a dream!
If only teachers would realize to Give Up. Embrace the disaster. Laugh all the way home as you realize you work in a fake system. You cannot change anything. BUT you can continue to make miney + pad your pension/TDA.
My mentality is for those like me. Started as a teacher and by this point, approx. in your 40's with over 15 years in. If you are Tier V or VI, do not read anymore. You are unfortunately screwed. I tried to explain to this young lady who is in her 1st year (Tier VI) at 23 years old, that she has 40 years to do in order to get a pension. She didn't know she must work until 63. These youngsters are so misinformed.
Anyway, sorry to go off in that direction. Back to reality, for those of us who are winding this profession down and MUST SURVIVE. Follow the rules and become a Master Of Relationships Movement type.
A group of us veterans came up with specific rules for survival. As mentioned, you should definitely follow one of our main rules which is:
Get Out of the Building.
When you leave the building for a nice walk, it refreshes you. You need this. You cannot stay in an asylum all day. The break is needed. Take the opportunity to get out of building for lunch. You are certainly allowed.
Another rule is:
Never Go In Teacher Lounge.
It is a huge mistake to enter the lounge of death. Nothing but negativity, complaining, and backstabbing. Avoid the lounge at all costs. You will feel incredible after a few days of never going back.
Every UFT member should be reading this blog for sanity purposes. Great job Chaz.
Survival is the key. Remember, you worked to hard to get where you are TO LET others take it from you. Do not get voted off the island. DOE Survivor Series is real. Become a player. Feels so great when you surrender.
To the Master of the MORM strategy:
ReplyDeleteYou are a genius and an inspiration to us all. I have been quietly following the techniques you espouse for the last few years now, though I was never able to fully articulate them as a strategy as deftly as you have done.
I've only got nine years in the DOE and I'm in my 40s and I don't want to start over yet again in a different career. I have already set my sights on 55 regardless of the fact that I will have less than 25 years in. Pay me a reduced pension for life - the health benefits are the most important anyway.
Every admin I have had in the DOE save one has been an absolute bully/psycho who delights in causing mental anguish on as many people as possible. We exist in an impossible system. Stuff a room with 30-40 'students' of all ability levels, English or no English, behavior problems, mental illnesses, criminal records, wide age differences and then tell the teachers you must turn them into Einsteins by next week or you will get the dreaded 'target...' "Support" consists of irrelevant PDs, punitive observations - it's all a farce.
I never go into the teacher's lounge (it's the size of a closet anyways). I smile at the psycho admins. I keep up with all paperwork and the other BS. I smile at the students. I pass everyone. I try to do a good job. I leave the building at 3. I stopped caring about the 'observations' two years ago when the admin of the time told the staff she will purposefully rate us low and then higher later on so she can 'show growth.' It's all a game. As long as you don't get an ineffective two years in a row, and admins don't really want the lawsuits and grievances, you will not be losing your job. Be a Master like the founder of MORM. Kudos to our spiritual leader!
Just to add to the end of your great post, even if you get 2 ineffectiveness in a row, there's really no consequence. I'm working in a broken down original Bronx HS that has been decimated. When the ratings finally came out there were over 20 teachers with 2 ineffectives in a row. As of now there has been no consequence or rumblings anything. I believe it's all a sham. Does anyone else have information on this? Does anyone know if any teacher out there is terminated or getting terminated because of I's in a row? I'm going to say BS in this. No stories out there if terminations.
Delete20yr veteran of the doe the last 3 as an atr. Use to bust my ass to help students pass the regents and for all my hard work my school closed and was discarded into the pool. Started following the MORM philosophy about 2 yrs ago and love it. Screw the doe looking out for myself and family. Rotate every few weeks and fake smiles, try not to talk to anyone and rotate out. Fake system deserves fake effort. Thanks for your posts and please continue to remind all of us that you need to stop complaining and get along. Smile and stay under the radar.
ReplyDeleteaNON 11:53
ReplyDeleteNot true, I know of a few teachers who have been sent to the 3020-a hearings. Further, it could be that in those sc hools the ineffective came from the test part and principals were reluctant to loss the teachers. However, three ineffectives will result in an automatic 3020-a hearing if the peer validators agree with the ineffective rating.
I know a lady who's going into a 3020a with 2 Developing and trumped up charges of verbal corporal punishment with the help of the schools Chapter Leader.
ReplyDeleteRegardless if they want to get you or me, you always have a heads up of at least two years before you are finally canned, and that's if they want to go through the trouble of getting you at all. Two years from the moment you sense danger is a lot of time to get your financial house in order for the big arrow aimed at you.
ReplyDeleteMy advice to every teacher I know is as follows: invest in high quality dividend paying stocks. Try to get up to at least 2-3 grand a year as a start and then keep going. Get into rental properties, but do it smart. Get one, use those rents to get you another one asap and so on. Pay down every personal debt you have as furiously as you can. Build up a cash reserve.
It seems like it would be hard to do those things when there are ordinary expenses eating up our salaries, but if you go into 'survival mode' now you would be surprised how you can stretch the money in different places. Tell yourself you are going to lose your job in a month, and then see how panic helps you budget better and avoid frivolous expenses. Stop going on vacations. Stop buying what you don't need. Get your finances in order and then when you don't need the DOE anymore if you don't want, then live again.
Hard times are coming to this nation, regardless of whether or not we have our 'jobs.' As each year passes and my outside income grows, I care less and less about how much the psycho admins can hurt me.