Back in 1945 George Orwell published a book called "Animal Farm" that was based upon the 1917 Russian Revolution. The book showed how some animals were more equal then other animals. The same can be said about the UFT leadership. In today's New York Post a prime example of this is President Michael Mulgrew getting free tickets for the U.S. Open year after year from the legal group that gets millions of dollars from the UFT. Read Susan Edelman's New York Post article on it Here.
By contrast teachers cannot receive any gift greater than $50 dollars and are never offered "freebies". This is the very same union leadership that agreed to Charlotte Danielson for teacher evaluation, without member input. Moreover, the very same union leadership that allowed the ATR pool to occur, without educator input, and agreed to the useless rotation without member discussion. Finally, it's the very same union leadership that agreed to inferior raises and significant "givebacks" that made teaching in the NYC classroom a minefield.
Both the DOE and the UFT have a pecking order that treat different groups differently. President Michael Mukgrew and his cronies are the "pigs" in Animal Farm while the rest of us are simply farm animals.
There's a brilliant section of lyrics by Roger Waters of Pink Floyd in the song "Dogs" off their ANIMALS album that at times, when I do think of this stuff, reminds me of Mulgrew and UNITY. The section of lyrics are as follows, "You gotta be trusted by the people that you lie to/ So that when they turn their backs on you/ You'll get the chance to put the knife in." Brilliantly said.
ReplyDeleteThat is why Mulgrew makes secret deals to discriminate veteran teachers.
ReplyDeleteI don’t care about the tickets - I care about the fact that our money is being handed over to the Grand High Witch Weingarten’s old law firm. How much in kickbacks is she getting? How much is Mulgrew getting?
ReplyDelete@all atr'r that makes you the jackasses of the animal world. im sure he get far more than tennis tickets. at one school in the Bronx we bumped shoulders going past each other on the stairs. I turned and saw it was him I paused for a second then decided I wanted to speak to him about a possible mercury thermometer problem in these old schools. I ran back to the office and im stopped by the building rep. I tell him I want to speak to my union president. he says mr mulgrew is having lunch with sen. klein and he will relay message. really what came to mind was the pope, the president, a mafia don. what a joke our society has become. $1000 dollars per year gets you nothing and mulgrew free tennis tickets. I take it back your not jackasses your worms!
ReplyDeletehonestly I found this site in the summer and it was interesting to read but you're starting to go on and on and on and on and on and on about ATR's. WE GET IT .. Are there any other issues to cover ? Lets talk about tenure and switching licensing ...
ReplyDeleteWith state government controlled by the Democrats, it's time for an evaluation overhall and a 25/50 retirement incentive.
ReplyDeleteAnon 10:55
ReplyDeleteIf you read my blog I talk about many issues besides the ATRs.
Unfortunately the contract has passed, and the same failed policies will remain in place. Our schools have been deteriorating rapidly because they are pushing out experienced teachers which are necessary. High turnover rates, unstable staff, easy credit with no consequences, inflated graduation rate, etc. We should demand this nonsense to stop because it is hurting our students. It is a system that has lost its way. The cat is out of the hat. Thank you Mulgrew for contributing to the destruction of our schools.
ReplyDeleteWhat I like about the blog, is while he does cover ATRs a lot (which hardly anyone does, so), he also talks a lot about investing in the TRS and other issues.
ReplyDeleteAnyone remember the days when Michael Bloomberg and Joel Klein use to give Eva Moskowitch the run of our school buildings. It use to be OH Eva you want this or oh Eva you want that....and Eva got whatever she wanted including jamming her fregan schools into our buildings.
ReplyDeleteFast forward today with dem controlled Senate in NY now. Guess what Eva? NO more bloomy no more klein and no more schools
They were opening and closing schools, while targeting older teachers. Those schools actually got worse.
DeleteThis is happening while veteran teachers are being targeted, and not defended. ATRs are being treated like second class citizens, and are getting observed in classes of students the ATR never met before. Teachers are being rated ineffective for speaking up. The elite does not care about the rank-and-file fighting abusive and vindictive principals. Bad policies for over more than a decade. Shameful.
ReplyDeleteI can sincerely remember the Eva people coming by, right into my classroom, (while I was teaching, mind you), and doing measurements for the rooms. "Oh don't mind us" they would say. I'd be like "who the fuck are you? Can't you knock or anything?"
ReplyDeleteThis blog discusses everything.
ReplyDeleteAnd to be honest, people don’t get the atr issue. It’s huge.
If ATRs go then everyone will go.
The FSF is the single biggest deterrent to people getting jobs.
Principals should have zero input in who they hire.
Why you ask? Because they are bullies and power hungry
teachers are headless chickens.
ReplyDelete