Come to the MORE Caucus (UFT) meeting, tomorrow, Saturday, Sep. 22, 12-3 pm, at the CUNY Graduate Center, rm. 5414.
Bring concerns, whether they be how the fair funding formula feeds into school closure, ageism, teacher displacement --displacement of veteran teachers by less experienced, lower paid staff (strikebreaking by another name).
In interim assignments, more often we are shunned as outsiders, and worse, sometimes bullied instead of being welcomed as new colleagues.
For things to change we need to come together and act.
Suing should of happened a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteThe DOE gave principals total control of the hiring process as a result of the 2005 contract so they "hired the cheapest and not the best teachers" for their school. The Fair Student Funding adpoted by the DOE in 2007 is also discriminatory against senior teachers but the UFT agreed to it. That is another reason that they are targeting experienced teachers with 16 years or more of experience so they can be replaced by a newbie or made an ATR. Then the Field Supervisors come in to continue with the agenda to get rid of ATRs through harassment. Then they do press releases saying ATRs are bad teachers, and they are costing too much money, etc. It is hypocritical and wrong. These policies are hurting our schools, and the reputations of many good experienced teachers. Ultimately they are hurting our students the most by depriving them of an experienced teacher. Reserarch shows that students with an experienced teacher do better in tests. The Union has a new slogan for newbies we want you, and another for ATRs you still have a job even if you are abused.
ReplyDeleteWe need to sue the UFT.
ReplyDeleteThe UFT needs to stop the campaign og targeting veteran teachers. Many 9f them brought on incompetence charges illegally.
ReplyDeleteUnless the UFT steps up yo the plate all experienced teachers are going to be targets.
ReplyDeleteThe UFT is in cahoots with the DOE to push older teachers out.
ReplyDeleteThe contract negotiations are done in secret by the UFT. No need for it - only to blind side teachers which includes ATRs.
ReplyDeleteOnly corruption at its best.
DeleteFair student funding is responsible for age discrimination , including but not limited to : negative observation ratings, being told harassing lies during your post-ob , being over-scrutinized on a daily basis as administrators look for anything they can call a problem even when it isn't a problem, being treated differently than younger teachers and told you didn't do enough of something during the lesson, false accusations, principals having derogatory conversations about you with parents in an effort to gang up against you, closing schools and dismissing only older teachers who have to go on interviews that they will never win, being unfairly targeted for termination charges, being ATRed and therefore sent like a bag lady or man from school to school. And the list goes on. And this is ALL the result of Fair Student Funding
ReplyDeleteThe DOE will still be allowed to have two lists of ATRs. The first list for ATRs who came from closing schools or programs and the other for ATRs who survived their 3020-a discipline hearings. Based on past placements, the DOE only recommends hiring from the first list and only when there are no ATRs left on the first list will ATRs who won their 3020-a termination hearings be offered a vacancy. To ensure that ATRs who won their 3020-a hearings are not offered a position, the Scarlet Letter (red flag) remains on their file for principals to see, even when the ATR was found not to have committed the charge. The average age of an ATR is around 53, so this qualifies as age discrimination. Many fellow teachers that are being hired have not completed their masters, or are completely inexperienced. There are rumors that Tweed had encouraged Principals to target their more senior staff, and field supervisors are also coming with an agenda.
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.
We are being discriminated, and they are hiring newbies.
ReplyDeleteThe UFT has agreed to Field Supervisors to help the DOE with ageism.
ReplyDeleteThe observations of ATRs in rotating assignments is unprofessional and unacceptable on several counts:
ReplyDelete*The ATRs often don't know the students.
*The ATRs often have been covering a class out of license, with or without the regular teacher's lesson plan.
*The ATRs are told to differentiate lessons for the students, but they have not met them or have not been provided their IEPs or other personal data such as ELL status.
* There are no consequences for these Supervisors to lie. Most of them are falsifying the dialogue.
*All a setup for engaging in age discrimination. The observation system used as a weapon to make an experienced teacher look like incompetent.
* The rating officer is someone an ATR never met. It used to be the Principal.
It is all about discrimination, and harassment. Thank you Mulgrew. How can a Union agree to have ATRs observed? It is a nuisance that is causing stress to teachers near retirement. It is a blank check given to Field Supervisors. It is wrong , and the UFT is to be blamed for accepting this secret deal which is a another fiasco.
We have an apatheid system and an useless Union.
ReplyDelete