The following was printed in the Queens Courier in answer to an Op-Ed by Bloomberg:
Mayor Michael Bloomberg is so busy patting himself on his back for the new teachers' contract that he has no time or vision to see how demoralized the teachers of New York City public school students have become under his regime. I'm not even going to mention the salary. While it is a good income, it is not a raise. A raise is more money received for doing the same job. Teachers are now doing more than ever.
With the extra days added in the beginning of the school year and the extra time added on to our day, we are probably not getting a raise at all. I wouldn't mind the extra time if it was used to better my students' education, but it is not used this way.
Staff development, as it is called, consists of having teachers who have taught for maybe 2 years, telling experienced teachers what to do. We sit around in a room, or an auditorium and waste time.
The new professional assignments we have been given are anything but professional. Potty patrol is not what I went to college to do. Teachers can no longer decide how to spend their time in school. We have no time to speak to parents, guidance, write college recommendations, or do any of the hundreds of things we normally do.
Mayor Bloomberg, the contract you offer us is no bargain and not worth the paper it is written on.
The rantings of a teacher who retired from the classroom but not from education.
2 comments:
Well, this newer contract is a raise, but as it does not keep up with city inflation, it could be a marginal decrease. Now this is better than a large decrease, and I think you'll admit that.
A large decrease is when you take zeroes, and we took many, as I'm sure you'll recall. We won a few perks in exchange, which our entrenched and cynical leadership traded away for less than cost of living in 05.
They do not hesitate to represent time for money swaps as raises, and even when you deduct them, the remaining 05 increases are only raises if you count our time doing hall patrol and our severely abridged rights as nothing.
That's one great letter though.
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