The New (and to be Abused) Model of ATRs for Next Year

     Hundreds of displaced teachers will be disbursed into schools next year. http://ny.chalkbeat.org/2016/04/01/hundreds-of-teachers-must-soon-reapply-for-their-jobs-at-six-troubled-schools/#.Vv_RhfD3aK0 This placement is forced and for a year at a time. These teachers will come from failing schools that have been taken over. These teachers will be forced to do whatever is asked of them. This was agreed upon by the UFT. Think about the ramifications of that for a moment as a teacher and a union member.

   
   There are several layers of deceit here. The first thing that strikes me is the forced placement of teachers. Shouldn't the teacher and the school have a say? Secondly, when is a teacher not a teacher? When forced placed into a position in which any duty can be legitimately thrust onto that person and "no" is not an option. Next, these pseudo-teachers will not be called ATRs by the UFT or City because they have a position for a year. This is still a rotation and it is not permanent. Therefor these teachers are ATRs.  It will statistically skew the true ATR numbers to show stagnation or a reduction (depending on how many of us leave this June).

   Additionally this will prove that schools are not being closed. It will have the same name and some of the same students. That goes to the question, "What is a school?". Is it its staff and students or its name and location? I've been to several of these schools as an ATR and I have friends at several others. These teachers are extremely hard working, caring individuals. The schools were set up for failure by the former Mayor Bloomberg. All the students, that the charters and his new McMini schools didn't want, were thrown into schools like Lehman HS. That the UFT would agree to this type of placement for veteran teachers, who have struggled for so long, is incredulous.