Wednesday, December 19, 2007

ATR


Recently I have become friendly with an ATR in my building. I guess my hostile, anti-social vibes attract other people feeling the same way. We tend to have free periods together and sit and bitch together. It is very enlightening.

I'm glad I got to know this woman. Without her, I would have no first hand knowledge of the plight of an ATR. This woman is in her position because her school was closed. HER SCHOOL WAS CLOSED! She did nothing wrong. SHE DID NOTHING WRONG This woman is a warm caring person. She is bright. She wants to teach. She wants to help kids. She is a good teacher.

When this ATR first showed up in our building the AP wanted to put her in a classroom. Principal Suit said NO. When a vacancy in her license appeared, this woman wanted it. Principal Suit brought in an inexperienced person to fill the position. He would not even allow her to teach a model lesson to audition for the job. This person would love to work with a regular class or with small groups of students to give them extra help in a subject that she knows well. Suit still says NO. And, so she goes from room to room, from class to class filling in for absent teachers. I am sure they are trying to get her to leave. She won't. She's smart. If they want to pay her to do nothing, she will have to come to terms with that to keep the checks coming. She doesn't think they can do anything about her or to her. I hope she is right.

I worry about this ATR and others in her position. I am willing to bet that Bloomberg and Klein are busy trying to figure out how they can get these people off the payroll. I know they can't get them on teaching, especially if the subject they are expected to teach is not in their license area. They will get them on classroom management. This ATR has been covering classes where there is no work for the kids to do. It is hard to keep kids behaved when there is nothing for them to do. Administrators are watching and criticizing. I don't think the union will protect these teachers.

The school system is spending a fortune on F status people yet, there are people in the building that are not being allowed to work. Some things just make no sense.

5 comments:

JUSTICE not "just us" said...

Well I certainly feel for her since I will either be in the rubber room soon, not that I am doing anything illegal or immoral or will, or my wonderful shool closes and the veteran staff is scattered to the four winds and we are all ATRs.

This situation is beyond sickening. They are breaking the law with their discrimination of this lady on the basis of her age.
I hope for the day when she can sue the hell out of all these bastards. How can these people, adminstrators, live with themselves knowing they are keeping an able person from doing his or her job? Like her I will have the same attitude when and if I become an ATR, the rubber room may come first. PAY ME! But I do agree that Bloom/Klein have a plan and our "union makes us not so weak"--the UFT will leave her and me and many others "out in the cold".

I will predict this though, something has to give either a major lawsuit will come or something "tragic" will happen.
I have lived long enough to know that you don't push people to the wall without something or some one pushing back!

I AM SOO DISGUSTED WITH MY CITY, MY UNION AND SOME OF MY CO-TEACHERS.

Thanks

Anonymous said...

I was shocked to learn the the UFT supported a suit against letters in files and won. (See the Ice Blog) Maybe the ATRs should think about filing too. Is your union rep helping her?

I hate to say this, but this is what I would do if (heaven forbid) I became an ATR. I would go to him and offer to do extra coverages or work on bulletin boards if he would give me a chance to review my resume and skills. If I really worked hard, other teachers will notice and talk. We have subs that we just love because they go the extra mile with the kids.

I might also try to find some fun activities on the net to do with certian classes when teachers do not leave work. When I was first laid off, I worked as a sub. I always came in with prepared lessons and activities to do just in case the teacher did not leave plans.

Or, I might try to meet with other teachers and find out what kind of review they would like me to do if they should be absent. I would send a memo to each department heads asking if they would like certain students to receive extra tutoring during my prep time.

What I wouldn't do is just sit back and collect a salary because that would only label senior teachers as lazy. Especially next year when the ATR pool becomes larger, I would try to get my foot into the door by kissing up. The truth is we do not know if the next contract will stop protecting ATRs. If you recall, originally Klein wanted ATRs to find a position within a certain time frame or be fired. Given Randi's track record, she just may agree to it.

It's really a sin to say this, but Randi has forced ATRs to market themselves while new teachers can walk into a school right off the street.

Pissedoffteacher said...

It is much harder to be so prepared on the high school level. You don't know from day to day what subject or even what grade you will be teaching.

I would be sucking up to administration also. Unfortunately, I don't think my principal would even care.

ed notes online said...

I was tagged by Eduwonkette into revealing 7 pieces of information about myself in the chain of info going around the blogging world like a virus.

The rules are:
- Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
- Share 7 random and or weird things about yourself.
- Tag 7 random (or not) people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
- Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Sorry, you are one of the unlucky chosen 7.

Anonymous said...

School Gal,
I would never suck up to the adminsitration, because I have self-respect. If you do not, then enjoy your brown-nosing.
I can not bring work into school because I do not have access to a copy machine. And I do not sit on my proverbial ass and collect a pay check--I work with kids who want extra help. I always offer it.
I am an excellent teacher, and resent the administration who put me in this position. If they want to treat me like I am useless, than that's their loss.
Many teachers are unfriendly--I would never approach them and tell them I will bend over backwards for them.
Thank G-d there are people like Justice and pissed off who really know how things are.
windhover