I received my online edition of the "Organizer" and I was struck how the author, a "Unity" retiree is drinking the leadership's "kool-ade" on how the Open Market Transfer System (OMTS) is a success. The author, Gene J. Mann, states that the OMTS allows 4,000 teachers to transfer yearly, compared to only 300 annually before the OMTS. While, I do not dispute his union supplied figures, my question is what is the actual experience breakdown of the 4,000 teachers in the OMTS who change schools?
My educated guess is that few of the 4,000 teachers who change schools through the OMTS are veteran teachers with ten or more years of service. In fact, I believe the vast majority of the OMTS are actually untenured teachers who make less money that the average teacher salary of the receiving school which allows the Principal to have extra money to spend in his or her budget. Moreover, with schools receiving no more than 92% of the "fair student funding", few principals are willing to hire veteran teachers. Of course neither our union leadership or the DOE are willing to supply the nreakdown of teacher experience who successfully transferred to another school.
One of the more unaddressed issues of the OMTS is the failure of struggling schools and schools with a challenging student population to retain their better teachers. The OTMS allows for a mass exodus of teachers from the schools who are in most need of good teachers and transfer to the better schools in the system. The result is that the struggling schools suffer from high teacher turnover, and an unstable school environment, not conducive for student academic achievement. In other words, the OMTS ensures that struggling schools continues to struggle.
Interestingly, as these struggling schools hire an inexperienced teacher corp annually to replace the departing teachers, averaging 5,000 in the last couple of years, there are almost 2,000 ATRs languishing without a permanent position. The ATRs cost the DOE over $100 million annually and the union's failure to demand that the DOE "do the right thing" and offer the ATR a permanent placement in their district. Instead, our disconnected union leadership allowed the DOE to become "second class citizens", subject to field supervisor "flyby observations" and potential termination.
While retiree Gene J. Mann can write about how great the OMTS is, the truth is that its basically a useless tool for veteran teachers.
The open market transfer system, along with fair student funding is age discrimination plain and simple
ReplyDeleteI'd argue that even if we took this at face value, it ignores the blatantly obvious cost, which is the ATR. How the hell do you paint a happy face and ignore a thousand or more teachers marching around and subbing in classes they may or may not understand? How do you ignore all the provisionally appointed teachers doomed to be dumped back in the pool in most cases? That's not even taking into account second-tier due process, or the awful people out there whose jobs entail observing ATRs.
ReplyDeleteROLL CALL: If you are a veteran teacher with more than 10 years experience and have successfully transferred via the open market, please post your experience here. (Post up if you tried and failed as well)
ReplyDelete"the OMTS allows 4,000 teachers to transfer yearly, compared to only 300 annually before the OMTS"
ReplyDeleteMajor missing fact: today teachers are FORCED to transfer by closures, downsizes, excessing, renewals, etc. That 300 is from a different era.
On a much more simple note, how funny are these "renewal" schools? I work in one of them now and no one, I mean no one showed up for our recent open house for September. No 8th graders are showing any remote interest and it's seriously a joke what they are trying to make people believe. The truth: parents do not want their 8th grade children attending a renewal school. I don't blame them. Would I send my daughter to a piece of shit renewal school where the grad rates are consistantly below 60% attracting the "leftovers" and recent releases from Rikers Island? Mayor DeBlasio and Chancellor Farina are pitching some serious Kool-Aid with this idea. NO ONE is applying to renewal schools. Not the asian kids, not he brighter kids, not the respectful kids, etc etc. No One! You just gave millions and millions and millions of taxpayer money to schools that will show a 3% increase or something like that. For what? Anyway, gave me an extra few years so I'm happy. Thank GOD I do not send my own kids to NYC schools. Thank you Lord!
ReplyDeleteSix years ago I used the Open Market System to get out of my hellhole school and since I had not achieved tenure yet, I had interviews to all the schools I applied to. Fast forward to last year, I now have almost ten years in and applied to other schools since my school has deteriorated so badly. Despite applying to 8 schools, I received not one interview, despite being rated "effective" the last two years.
ReplyDeleteStop picking the wrong schools 4:26
ReplyDeleteI applied to over 10 schools last year, I didn't receive not one phone call. I have twenty years experience and became an ATR after my school closed last year. I was picked up by a renewal school in Oct. as a provisional teacher for the school year. I receive nothing but developing on my observations and most likely will be released at the end of the year. I have a co-teacher in two of my classes, she is a teaching fellow.
ReplyDeleteThis teacher fellow is a very nice girl, it's her first year teaching and has no idea what she is doing. I write the lesson plans for the classes we teach together and help her write the lesson plans for her other classes. Yet she receives mostly 3-effectives on her observations, while I receive mostly 2's-Developing on mine. When I go to the union rep he tells me, the Principal is not going to change it and the union is not going to do anything about a developing. I'm only 45 and would love to stay in this profession, but feel like I
I'm being pushed out.
I have nine years in the DOE and I work in a renewal school. I have a set of admins straight outta' every teacher's worst nightmare. I expect a massive staff turnover this summer. I decided to stay put. I know there are schools far, far worse than this one that are not on the 'renewal' list. I don't think this school will close. In any case, nine years in makes me an 'expensive' teacher and I'm over 40 to boot!
ReplyDeleteI had a hard enough time transferring when I only had two years in. I hate that even thought the DOE vetted and hired you, you still have to interview at school after school and do endless 'demo' lessons. Why do we have to constantly reapply for our jobs?
Absolutely nothing has changed for the better. It's as if Bloomberg were still in charge of the schools. It's sickening.
ReplyDeleteAs a current principal in the Bronx I would like to offer my lens on the open market system.
ReplyDelete1) Once I post a vacancy I receive roughly 50-100 resumes for that 1 job. You need to stand out to get an interview
2) I immediately discard any resumes from teachers commuting from Long Island or Brooklyn. Past experiences have taught me that teachers commuting from those 2 areas just do not work out, either to absences/lateness or just to use my school until they find a placing closer to where they live
3) I have had success hiring from the system but my interview process is very thorough and most candidates can handle it (interview with myself, demo, interview with coaches, interview with teacher team, essays)
4) most candidates fail at interview because they spend majority of time bashing current/former school. The interview is about your skills, not bashing others
5) Most of my new hires come from teacher referrals. I have always found my better teachers this way and it helps with building on the strong culture we have.
Do you hire veteran NYC teachers with more than 10 years in the system or are you binded by the fair student funding formula. Do you tend to hire tenured teachers? Please be honest. We appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteAnon 10:06
ReplyDeleteMaybe you hire the best teachers for your school but you are one of the exceptions. Every Principal I have run into has told me that they are penalized for hiring veteran teachers, be it ATRs or teachers from another school due to fair student funding.
I am an 18 year veteran in a D75 school. I love my school and the students I serve. However, in the recent past few years, the commute endured from New Jersey every day has had significant impact on quality of life related to work, family and home. I have posted resumes and applied to a minimum of at least 25 vacancy's if not more in Staten Island during last years Open Market Transfer System period. I have applied and posted for the last three years without one nibble!! I could see that happening if I were not a teacher in good standing or in need of a TIP but, I happen to be an excellent teacher with solid foundational skills in teaching students with Autism, students with behavioral challenges and students with intellectual
ReplyDeletedisabilities. On the aside, I have has students in standard assessment K-2 classes get not only 2's, but 3's and 4's on 3rd grade standard assessments.
I query, is it that veteran teachers do not have the skills and capabilities of those fresh out of college???
What is it that we cannot be considered for transfers??
I am anon 1006
ReplyDeleteI hire the best teachers but I give priority if they come recommended by a fellow teacher. I cant express how important culture is to the success of a school. If they are recommended and I find them at least competative with the other candidates I almost always hire them (although I have turned away a few referrals)
In reference to hiring tenured teachers, I of course do and good principals who know how to work a budget can get around the FMF system. It is hard to explain on a blog but it has to do with paying certain teachers under different galaxy lines. This means a teacher who makes 100k (depending on their role) can be factored into the average cost of a teacher in my building or paid with different monies (completely legal btw).
I would honestly say that any hesitation to hire a veteran teacher has less to do with funding and more to do with that teacher buying into a culture. I hired a veteran teacher coming out of a phase out school and she was a disater. She almost single handily destroyed one of my teacher teams and her instruction was terrible. She came out of a school where they rated everyone effective and despite giving her plenty of human resources for support she refused to change her bad practice because "my practice was ok in my last school". Lets just say there was a reason her school failed.
@10:06 "current princi(no pal)" I am a 15yr NYShitty health teacher 6yr ATR.
ReplyDeletethis is my interview to you - you are a huge GLUTEUS MAXIMUS! am I expert enough!