There is little question that the DOE's use of school based fair student funding has hurt student academic achievement by making it difficult, financially, for schools to hire veteran teachers and far too many schools have teaching staff with little experience and steep learning curves. More importantly, the academically struggling and Renewal schools suffer the most as few veteran teachers are hired and the remaining veteran teachers leave those schools for either retirement or a better teaching environment.
When school based fair student funding was proposed by the DOE in 2005, the UFT understood the implications that it would cause an explosion of veteran teachers in the ATR pool and warned the DOE not to impose such a system. However, instead of aggressively confront the DOE and stop them in their tracks, the UFT leadership meekly allowed the DOE to do as they pleased. The result is a continuous group of 1,200+ teachers that are excessed and due to their age, salary, and seniority, they cannot obtain a permanent position.
With the imposition of fair student funding principals were now incentivized to "hire the cheapest and not the best" teachers for their school. The Open Market System is simply a joke for veteran teachers as fair student funding penalizes principals who want to hire a highly skilled veteran teacher. Moreover, "newbies" are prized because they will actually lower the school's average teacher salary and if they don't work out or leave, so be it, there are other "newbies" to take their place. Finally, every year between 4,000 and 5,000 teachers leave the system, yet the ATR pool remains stable as the few ATRs who retire are replaced by teachers excessed due to closings and downsizing or won their 3020-a termination hearings.
Please go to Bryan Glass's web page. the teacher's Lawyer, and fill out the questionnaire, if you are an ATR as a potential class action discrimination lawsuit may be filed if enough ATRs fill out the questionnaire.
As long as the DOE uses school.based fair student funding, discrimination against veteran teachers will continue and that's not good for student academic achievement.
26 comments:
We need to change excessing rules! If you are excessed you remain on the payroll as an ATR while new people are hired. This does not make sense at all!
Every ATR needs to fill out this survey. All of us have experienced discrimination. Some may be afraid of the DOE finding out they filled this out and becoming targeted. It would go a long way if the law firm could mitigate this fear. Chaz, is our information confidential? Or will the law firm present this publically before deciding to go to trial? Many ATRs are afraid and paranoid for good reason.
Yeah babyyyyy...everyone jump on this ship! About time!!!! Corrupt UFT won't do it so leave up to a private attorney.
Well it's about time. We live in the internet age for Gods sakes.
I'm not an ATR yet, but I am a client of Bryan Glass. I'm a veteran teacher that has had to work in a hostile school environment for several years now. Each year getting worse and trying hard to stay in the game. And only the legal system has allowed me to keep working in my school and not sent to 3020a on false charges.
Let's also not forget that many older teachers are not fully OK physically. We' are a little slower to walk, have a pain or two and this would make becoming an ATR extremely difficult. Yet what can we do? Thats why this lawsuit is important. You don't throw people away like they're trash so that Bill Gates can meet his agenda.
Let them eat cake!
From what we are hearing no information like names will be shared with anyone until those who filled out form have a meeting with Bryan Glass. His office only disclosed the average age and years of experience are high. As expected.
Is there any buzz on what UFT stance on ATR pool is going into contract negotiations?
ABOLISH ATR SYSTEM NOW!!!
END FAIR STUDENT FUND NOW!!!
Anyone have any stories about DOE’s Office of Appeals and Reviews?
OAR EXEC: “What do you do with a person who has served thirty years of Satisfactory service, and then, suddenly, in their thirty-first year, they no longer have the energy to control their classes? What do you do? I think the system owes that person something!”
Nothing is more obvious that the UFT's complacency through silence. NY Times, Chalkbeat, NY Post, NY Daily News...hit after hit after hit. The NY Teacher??? Nothing!
Unity could have taken the reigns in this matter, but now it is in the members' hands. Will the UFT even share their statistics for the action?
You will have to receive the statistics through the class action. They will be nice and juicy as well.
They're not just complacent. If they were just complacent we'd be lucky.
They're also complicit. They are actively involved in the wrongdoing to the members.
And for that they should be punished.
I would like to see the Glass action to also name the UFT as a respondent.
3:55 you are absolutely correct. Every ATR, teacher who received little, poor or no support from the UFT should file a lawsuit against this corrupt organization. The Queens Office is a joke. There are a number of Queens Principals who have destroyed once great schools in addition to destroying the careers of many distinguished veteran teachers and sucking the life out of the others who remain. Yet, the first thing Vasquez does when he enters the building is run into their office gets on his knees and kisses their rings. Then he sees the staff and his standard answer to anything is prepare your resume. He is a useless piece of s--t, who is stealing us blind by taking our dues money as salary.
I too am a client of Mr. Glass - no one better to take this case.
Fariña and Mulgrew are destroying our schools.
Also, let's not forget to include something critical in the Glass action.
The importance of the teachers' ties to the community. This is something that cannot happen with ATR's because they are not connected with any particular school. This is another tragedy for both the teacher and the student.
C L A S S
A C T I O N
Its time for the People to stand up. Lets settle now and each ATR take one million $$ each and we will forget the class action AND leave the sorry ass DOE and UFT.
I filled out the form for the above law firm. I welcome the phonecall and interview.
classssss action, I as well filled out the form....time to expose JAMES Vasquez aka ( the $$$$nake)
The Queens GUT office is a disgrace for students and teachers. They will pray a price for siding with the bad principals.
Mulgrew and all the inept representatives should pay for the damage they have caused.
We need to sue the Union.
James Vasquez and Washington Sanchez are on the side of Principals destroying our schools. They cannot hide it anymore.
And Mulgrew too for being a sham.
I filled it out too because this lawyer is on the up and up. Share the link with others. It's disgusting how we have been treated. It's about time.
This is the right way to do it. Most importantly because it goes to the root of the problem. Any reasonable person that takes a look at Fair Student Funding will immediately see that it encourages age and pay discrimination. That's what it was created to do. And it cheats the kids out of having a teacher with a wealth of knowledge and experience and ties to the community.
I think Apple, Microsoft , Bloomberg, and Amazon should pay a higher percentage of taxes so that good quality/paying jobs can be available for people throughout their lives. After all WE allow them to make their multi-billion dollar profits off of us. They are the people who are driving this movement guys. Their multi-billion dollar profits are not satisfying their greed. They want the whole pie.
Thanks for sharing Chaz. I filled it out and waiting to hear. I hope the cost is minimal on our end.
I thought James Eterno and Norm would be all over this too. Do they know?
The DOE and UFT have set up a system where educators of all licenses/certifications loose their skills. As an ATR educator you do not partake in the school community, receive information, proper skill development through proper supervision without the principal's authority. Unfortunately,then you are labelled incompetent. Most of the time, the principal does not provide this authorization. The DOE and UFT are very shady. The UFT should never have dropped the age discrimination lawsuit.
It is about time this is seriously being looked into. How would those holding union positions like to become ATRs and be treated like a parasite?
Hope David Suker is involved in the lawsuit. Whether an ATR files for this class action or not, it should include everyone. Sometimes an ATR may not have "proof".
The UFT helped Dwarka to run the school to the ground by letting her get rid of experienced teachers.
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