From one retired teacher to another retired teacher, the contract is definitely a bad one. Why would I want retro pay if my union brothers and sisters will be sent to the slaughter house. I definitely do not want blood on my hands. Vote No!
The leadership roles for teachers, including that of Model Teacher, Ambassador Teacher and Master Teacher is not merit pay. Mulgrew made it clear that this will not be "Principal's Pet" and the teachers will be selected for these positions by DOE and UFT staff. The teachers who qualify and are selected for these positions will work extra days during the summer and extra hours during the week. Teachers in my school are against Merit Pay but when they heard the details of these positions, they were all ok with it.
In all my years teaching I have never seen a position like this given out fairly. Principals use "persuasion" methods to get people to give up positions they want and to get staff to vote the way they want. Yes, it is merit pay and if you believe anything else, I feel sorry for you.
Concerning the 200 PROSE Schools. Mulgrew said that only schools where there is a high level of TRUST between administration and the staff should apply to become PROSE Schools. Even then, over 65% of the staff must vote for it and it will have to be approved by the UFT. There are limits on what can be changed, for example, there can be no requirement for additional hours worked without compensation. I'm not thrilled with everything about the contract, but after hearing Mulgrew explain some of them I have a better understanding of them and they're really not that bad.
Mary, I guess you have no fear of ever becoming an ATR or of someone drumming up charges against you because you disagreed with them. Glad you trust administrators so much. This contract would give me lots of money and no problems as I am retired but I hope and pray it does not pass.
Mary, I guess you have no fear of ever becoming an ATR or of someone drumming up charges against you because you disagreed with them. Glad you trust administrators so much. This contract would give me lots of money and no problems as I am retired but I hope and pray it does not pass.
I'm a Chapter Leader and the first morning I heard details of the new contract I was discussing what I'd heard about suspending some union rules in up to 200 schools. I said straight out... "We're not doing that. Nope, we're not doing that." I happen to like my Principal but there have been some issues. The level of trust would have to be extremely high before any school should even consider it. There's probably only one school I've ever worked in where I think it would be ok to do that.
I had more fear of becoming an ATR under the Bloomberg Administration than I do now. Bloomberg was closing schools right and left which is where the majority of ATRs came from. I have less fear now but as I said, I would not apply to become a PROSE school. Even if I wanted to, which I don't, over 65% of my staff would have to agree to it, which they wouldn't do either.
The ATR is THE WORST part of the entire contract.. and many people do not realize, ANYONE CAN BECOME an ATR or also known as 'excessed' through no fault of their own. If people, including SBST think that it will never happen to them, then they are kidding themselves.
Mary has been defending Mulgrew. Interesting how people believe every word that comes out of his mouth. And for anyone to say the contract "is not that bad" have no heart for the experienced teachers who want a position but had the bad luck of working in a school that was closed. My friend's husband is among them. I knew his school. Half the students came from homeless shelters and were transient. But test scores were the determining factor instead of the social ones that effected his school. He is a good a dedicated teacher, but will now have to remain quiet, not attend or speak up a union meeting for fear of what he says getting back to a principal, jump as high as a principal wants even if it's against his contractual rights. Principals can make his life hell just to break him, and I am sure that's the message Frandina is giving them the same way her boss Klein did in Sept. 2006.
13 comments:
Very nice to the person who wrote that piece to Newsday. I should meet that person some day. She definitely knows what she is talking about.
From one retired teacher to another retired teacher, the contract is definitely a bad one. Why would I want retro pay if my union brothers and sisters will be sent to the slaughter house. I definitely do not want blood on my hands. Vote No!
The leadership roles for teachers, including that of Model Teacher, Ambassador Teacher and Master Teacher is not merit pay. Mulgrew made it clear that this will not be "Principal's Pet" and the teachers will be selected for these positions by DOE and UFT staff. The teachers who qualify and are selected for these positions will work extra days during the summer and extra hours during the week. Teachers in my school are against Merit Pay but when they heard the details of these positions, they were all ok with it.
Mary
In all my years teaching I have never seen a position like this given out fairly. Principals use "persuasion" methods to get people to give up positions they want and to get staff to vote the way they want. Yes, it is merit pay and if you believe anything else, I feel sorry for you.
Concerning the 200 PROSE Schools. Mulgrew said that only schools where there is a high level of TRUST between administration and the staff should apply to become PROSE Schools. Even then, over 65% of the staff must vote for it and it will have to be approved by the UFT. There are limits on what can be changed, for example, there can be no requirement for additional hours worked without compensation. I'm not thrilled with everything about the contract, but after hearing Mulgrew explain some of them I have a better understanding of them and they're really not that bad.
Mary
Mary, I guess you have no fear of ever becoming an ATR or of someone drumming up charges against you because you disagreed with them. Glad you trust administrators so much. This contract would give me lots of money and no problems as I am retired but I hope and pray it does not pass.
Mary, I guess you have no fear of ever becoming an ATR or of someone drumming up charges against you because you disagreed with them. Glad you trust administrators so much. This contract would give me lots of money and no problems as I am retired but I hope and pray it does not pass.
I'm a Chapter Leader and the first morning I heard details of the new contract I was discussing what I'd heard about suspending some union rules in up to 200 schools. I said straight out... "We're not doing that. Nope, we're not doing that." I happen to like my Principal but there have been some issues. The level of trust would have to be extremely high before any school should even consider it. There's probably only one school I've ever worked in where I think it would be ok to do that.
Mary
I had more fear of becoming an ATR under the Bloomberg Administration than I do now. Bloomberg was closing schools right and left which is where the majority of ATRs came from. I have less fear now but as I said, I would not apply to become a PROSE school. Even if I wanted to, which I don't, over 65% of my staff would have to agree to it, which they wouldn't do either.
Mary
The ATR is THE WORST part of the entire contract.. and many people do not realize, ANYONE CAN BECOME an ATR or also known as 'excessed' through no fault of their own. If people, including SBST think that it will never happen to them, then they are kidding themselves.
Tracie
Retired teachers voting on a contract? Don't think so.
No, misinformation.
Mary has been defending Mulgrew. Interesting how people believe every word that comes out of his mouth. And for anyone to say the contract "is not that bad" have no heart for the experienced teachers who want a position but had the bad luck of working in a school that was closed. My friend's husband is among them. I knew his school. Half the students came from homeless shelters and were transient. But test scores were the determining factor instead of the social ones that effected his school. He is a good a dedicated teacher, but will now have to remain quiet, not attend or speak up a union meeting for fear of what he says getting back to a principal, jump as high as a principal wants even if it's against his contractual rights. Principals can make his life hell just to break him, and I am sure that's the message Frandina is giving them the same way her boss Klein did in Sept. 2006.
Thank you for your letter.
Schoolgal
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