I suspect that the UFT will present it's members with a new contract quite soon. The question is what will the new contract include? Here are my best guesses.
- A three year contract with raises averaging around 2% annually. Probably back loaded with the lowest raise (1%) the first year and the highest raise (3%) for the final year of the contract.
- Only two observations yearly instead of four, at least for those educators who are "highly effective".
- No change in the ATR rules. Therefore, look for 1,300+ ATRs at the beginning of the semester. More teacher misconduct chargesmay be subject to the "probable cause" provision and therefore can be removed from payroll and have their health benefits suspended.
- No change in the DOE hiring process and fair student funding.
There may be other changes but I doubt they will be beneficial to UFT members, I just hope the union leadership does not allow for "givebacks" to the City.
Anyone know why AP Justin Stark vanished from Edison's website? I hear he was "escorted out" the door.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't be surprised if tenured folks go to one or two formal observations a year as is the case for our Long Island colleagues.
ReplyDelete2 observations for all TENURED teachers regardless of the prior year's rating. This is how it works in every other district in NYS. Anything more than 2 observations for tenured teachers is totally unacceptable.
ReplyDeleteWhat about returning the TRS TDA to 8.25%/ Why do administrators and CUNY employees only enjoy 8.25%
ReplyDeleteOkay, tenured teacher here! If the two observations are per year and we chose the 4 short informal and have two in the Sept 2018 term till Feb. 2019 would that mean that we would be finished fir 2019? Somebody please respond?
ReplyDeleteYou have very low expectations.
ReplyDeleteSo I guess the ATR issue will continue until all the senior teachers retire. Then, the nycdoe can manipulate all the newbies into quitting also. LOL. So, what is left? Answer: An influx of foreign teachers from third world countries to relate to the third world education system currently operating in the NYCDOE. Sorry people for the harsh words but really our school system has turned third world evident in all the past administrators - white and alike - running for the hills in this system of total dysfunction and political corruptness. Take a look at the students and the administrators in the buildings. Any questions?
ReplyDeleteYou are correct! Our system is a disgrace! I have taught in third world countries and they are better than NYC!
DeleteUnfortunately the UFT is complocit of the abuses and age discrimination going on.
DeleteCould we really get that 8.25% back through the new contract? That is worth so much money, if a person is maxed out in Fixed! Much more than a raise, over the course of a lifetime.
ReplyDeleteChaz,
ReplyDeleteDo you know when will someone who's experienced a 6 month suspension, receive their longevity increase? Is it at the designated time or 6 months after the designated time in order to make up for the 6 months suspension?
Anon 6:35
ReplyDeleteWishful thinking, no way will we get back the 8.25% interest rate.
Washington:
Your longevity raise is delayed by 6 months.
Question , when can we start pulling out the interest from our TDA without penalty ? I thought 591/2 yrs old but someone just told me not till 70 . Which is it ?
ReplyDeleteYou can actually start taking out your money penalty free at the age of 55 if you retire that year. You would of course have to pay ordinary income taxes. My plan is to keep my balance and just take out the interest so I have an extra check coming in every month
Delete59 and 1/2
ReplyDelete59 1/2. At age 70 you must start withdrawing a minimum amount. You need not do anything. If you do not request, TRS will send you the proper amount the year you turn 70 1/2
ReplyDeleteI do not know why we need a contract. Tge UFT does not enforce the actual contract, and they ler the DOE violate my tenure rigths.
ReplyDeleteWhat exactly are our tenure rights? We get due process and.....
DeleteDoes the tda continue to grow at 7% per year upon retirement?
ReplyDeletethats enough $ to live off the interest if so
Yes it does. Guaranteed 7% every year. Must pay income taxes however
DeleteLet me get this straight 7% risk free and you are complaining. You really need to stop talking about our 7%. Nobody in the private world gets that.
ReplyDeleteThe general public see us working 10 months. All holidays plus some that John Q Public never heard of. Every time there is a drop of snow (in their eyes) we are off. And in John Q eyes we are napping or mowing the lawn by 4pm. We get to work with their lovely kids instead of real adult work. And we don’t pay a penny towards health premiums.
You need to understand the reality of the situation. Cops get shot, Fireman run into falling building and the sanitation men make all the garbage and snow disappear when it is zero degrees out there. And then you got that teacher who GAVE my kid a bad grade.
With all that, the union does us pretty well.
Are TDA and the pension federal and state tax free upon time to withdraw?
ReplyDeleteBoth most pay federal taxes but are exempt from NYS taxes.
ReplyDeleteIf you are in Fixed the 7% interest rate stays in effect during retirement.
ReplyDelete8:32 response. The UFT is a larger union than the CSA administrators union. We should never have had our fixed TDA account reduced from 8.25% to 7%. The CSA union still maintains the 8.25% for its members. This has been a loss of thousands upon thousands of dollars for UFT members. The CSA isn't complaining since they still get it.
ReplyDeleteThe NY Teacher newspaper used to be distributed twice a month. Now it's down to once a month since there are so many givebacks. There isn't much good news to report. Randi Weingarten agreed to reduce the TDA 10 years ago and soon after she took a golden parachute to head the AFT union. Randi took care of herself at our expense.
8:32 I agree with where you're coming from as well as that fighting for more than 7% guaranteed is a dead end.
ReplyDeleteHowever not even the public thinks that we get off when a flake of snow drops. That might be true in the suburbs or for Catholic schools but there needs to be a blizzard before NYC schools close. We also don't get the days back if we go over 180, which NY Archdiocese schools do.
To the ipersonthat left the comment that "we should be happy with 7% TDA return you must be either brain dead or a union idiot. The UFT sucks ass right now and everyone knows it. C
ReplyDeleteI thought if you retire with the 55/25 pension you could withdraw money if you needed to from your TDA without penalty ? Can you please clarify
ReplyDeleteThanks !
You absolutely can if you retire at 55
DeleteAdmins are ramping up the letters to file. I just got one for a very frivolous reason, and the AP threatened to "send it upstairs" if I complained about it.
ReplyDeleteIf you worked as an F status teacher while on a child care leave is that time pensionable? Can you buy back F status work?
ReplyDeleteBeing rated in another system it is also discriminatory. And not having assigned classes is discriminatory while they hire new teachers. Having our Union negotiate secret deals without voting on it is discriminatory. Being rated by someone we never met is outrageous. The whole ATR Pool is discriminatory. Etc....
ReplyDeleteShameful and ridiculous. The Union is to be blamed for the harassment that we put up with, and the abuse.
You can buy back back your time , make sure you do it before you retire
ReplyDeleteIt’s so hard to actually get F-Status anymore