ATR 1 has moved from school to school. Last year she found a "home", a school where the kids loved her and she loved them. She worked hard, got them to succeed, got satisfactory ratings from her AP but got an excess letter in June anyway. It was be gone and make room for the young one coming in. This year, she was placed in a school far from home, but she did her best, built a relationship with the kids only to be transferred midyear. The new school seemed like heaven. Everything was going great. Along came June and along came the excess letter.
ATR 2 has a similar story to ATR 1, only slightly different. ATR 2 was appointed to the school she is currently in. They begged her to come to them. Everything was going great. She thought she finally landed a permanent position. And then, along came June, complete with excess letter.
ATR 3 has a different background but has been bruised beyond belief as well. He has gone above and beyond the requirements of any teacher in hopes of showing the stuff he is made of. The school saw it and agreed he was great. They gave him tutoring assignments and per session money. But, they also saw him as working stock and piled on assignment after assignment, giving him only the bare minimum amount of time to have lunch. He finally asked for equal treatment, only to be denied. ATR 3 has no hope of being appointed to the school he is currently with. The interviews he's been on end with a "don't call us." He knows it is all about his age.
The part of all this that hurts me the most is the bashing that is coming from the ATR peers, with the superior attitude. Any one of them could end up an ATR any minute. It could happen from a closing school, a program that no longer exists or a vindictive principal. How about ending the abuse from our end and starting a drive to support our fellow union members. Remember, it is about us, and us includes the ATR.
