I have been contacted by a teacher in Brooklyn who told me he was removed from the ATR pool and reassigned while being charged with using his personal email on his own laptop, not even a DOE computer during school time. While I cannot tell you if there are more charges in his anticipated 3020-a papers, it seems the DOE's Office Of Legal Services has stooped to a new low in going after select ATRs who the DOE would like to remove from payroll with frivolous charges. What is our union doing about this ramping up of charges against their members? Nothing, nothing at all.
I found it very difficult to see how teachers can collaborate with the DOE leadership at Tweed and even the new Superintendents who are routinely not granting tenure to teachers and making them work an additional year before a tenure decision is rendered. Moreover, the DOE encourages large class sizes, the hiring of "newbie" (sorry Jonathan) teachers because they are cheap and easily fired, and refuses to allow for teacher autonomy in the classroom but wants school supervisors to micromanage them.
Let's see, our disconnected union leadership has a love affair with the Mayor and Chancellor while the teachers are subject to "gotcha" administration, a punitive Danielson framework, and the lax student discipline code making it unsafe for both teachers and students. With protectors like Mikey Mulgrew and his inner circle, beware of the 3020-a charges that are becoming a regular fear for many teachers who are increasingly being abandoned by the union leadership as they continue their love affair with Chancellor Carmen Farina and Mayor Bill de Blasio.
While our union leadership continues to "deal with the devil" the members are the ones that get burned.
During school time or during class time?
ReplyDeleteWhether this matters is a secondary issue. How it happened is of particular importance. Was this an allegation reported by faculty or staff acting below their pay grade? Or was it some form of "spyware" with in your personal technology? This message raises serious concerns. Like if I checked my nycdoe email on my own personal phone, laptops at home is this a back door to spy on ATRs and every one else for that matter? Watching the HBO interview with Snowdon makes me feel deeply troubled. Techies what say you?
DeleteMight as well throw $1300 or so into the toilet as get anything much for your UFT dues. And before anyone complains, may I remind you that only 25% of teachers apparently voted in the last election. When they should have been throwing out this foul corrupt Mildew for his collusion and collaboration with the DOE, they sat on their inert rear ends with their hands over their eyes, their ears, and their pen, dooming those of us who bother to inform ourselves to the same disgusting abandonment. They takes our money and laughs all the way to the bank, after kicking us in the rear end. And these people are supposed to be TEACHING kids anything? What a great demonstration of being a participatory citizen---not.
ReplyDeleteThis is a huge double standard, as innumerable regular teachers check their personal email, not merely on work time, but via DOE computers.
ReplyDeleteThis is definitely disparate treatment.
Also, a lot of people use their personal email for completely work related purposes, such as checking on professional development opportunities. So, this use could have been cited as work related.
How was this discovered? An administrator, field supervisor or snitch teacher?
Chaz, I do not know the specifics of his charges, but have him look at this link that shows a worse offense than that and that was dismissed by my arbitrator.
ReplyDeletehttps://goo.gl/0ryzNw
DOE vs Francesco Portelos SED 22,380
" The inference that he was operating a business or "scamming" the Department by engaging in his real estate business on their time is not supported by Dr. Candia's testimony or any other evidence. To the extent that Respondent used the Department computer to view listings or check his personal email account during lunch or after school, it was incidental and de minimus. I do not find that Respondent's activity violated Chancellor's Regulation 110, conflict of interest provisions in the City Charter or otherwise constituted misconduct. Dept. Exs. 2, 5, 6 & 7. Specifications 1-2 are dismissed. "
I know this time-thieving ATR. He dared to send emails during school time. The snitch was the recipient, a former AP he had accused of Regents tampering. The charge is laughable on the ground of selective prosecution and record keeping. Like how many payroll secretaries keep copies of ATR assignment sheets going back years?
ReplyDelete