The ATR World According to Amy Arundell, Pt. I

MANHATTAN, UFT Headquarters, October 1 
   UFT special representative Amy Arundell's statements; and she routinely interrupted ATR members' questions:

Italics are quotes or paraphrases of Amy's statements.

On the prospects of having an ATR's page in New York Teacher:

Arundell: It's not going to happen.

Publicization of the meeting; Guidelines for rotation

[As a matter of interest, most of the people at the meeting only happened to get information about the meeting by word of mouth. Most ATRs have not learned of the meeting through a direct email from the UFT or from the chapter leader at their rotation assignment. The UFT is still producing a guidelines for the use of ACRs/ATRs that lacks DOE and UFT logos and letterheads.]

Representation:

Member: No one knows how long we will remain unappointed. Until everyone is appointed, we need our own chapter and a representative on the committee that is deciding our fate. [Arundell and her new aide, Mike Sill, an ATR, are the two UFT representatives on the four member DOE-UFT committee on ATRs.]
Arundell: There is no need for ATRs to have their own chapter leaders, because they already have representation. [This is as far as some at the UFT claim she spoke.  ATRs recall differently, that she said to an ATR's point that we have no representation, No you don't! I am your representative!]

Positions:

Arundell: All the excessed teachers, guidance counselors, social workers, are appointed, and have all the rights that every other member has.

[Arundell spoke at length on her view that displaced staff have the same rights as other staff. She did not accept the term, “unassigned,” as applying to the displaced teachers, guidance counselors, social workers, librarians, secretaries without permanent school assignments. A number of members described Arundell's position as hair-splitting, and said that the displaced teachers who she says are appointed remain in rotation with no continuing assignment at a particular school.]

[Member asked where is our file when the school has closed down?]

Arundell: Your file remains at the physical building of where the school was where you were last working [i.e., where regularly assigned].

Funding, schools, getting placed permanently:

[Members pointed to the issue of Fair School Funding, a 2007 DOE school funding change which gives schools set budgets based on numbers of students and types of students, and how it creates incentives for principals to hire newer, cheaper staff]

Arundell [Interrupting the member, who hadn't finished her question]: The union has never supported Fair School Funding. The union is on the record as being against Fair School Funding.

Member: You'll hold the next mayor to eliminating Fair School Funding?

Arundell: No

On working assignments and conditions for displaced teachers (and guidance counselors . . . ) in rotation:

Arundell: You need to be pro-active, assertive; you need to be an advocate for your rights on the job.

Guidance counselors: I suggest that you think of things you can reasonably do at a school, such as, “here are 5 things I can offer you for the week.”

[Members recited assignments that violate the DOE-UFT guidelines.]

Arundell: Guidance counselors should not be alone in the classroom; guidance counselors should not cover in the SAVE room.

Parking:

Displaced staff can apply for parking pool like anyone else there.

Wifi access:
Member asked about wifi access in schools.
Arundell: Ordering things on Amazon, that you should not do at school. But, if it's for gathering material to prepare for a lesson, that's acceptable.

Injuries:

The meeting wound down with Arundell's initial hedge of a response to a question on line of duty injuries (LODIs), with excuse that it was 6:00. Yet, no horde was packing up or racing to the door.

The following revision of guidelines for displaced, rotating staff was given by UFT staff at the door. As the 2012 version, it lacks a NYCDOE or UFT logo. It is attached to a list of district representatives for Manhattan schools and their emails. It does not provide school chapter leaders' names.