Another Victory!

                               

                                   Mulgrew wins again!                                               

       I look to the future with joy and happiness at being alive and healthy. That's something many teachers and ATRs I know can't say, and if the UFT can do something to alleviate its members anxiety, it should do so. I've read the new ATR agreement, but it is vague on many points. There's been an offer of 50K to retire or 35K to resign, but more than a couple of us are wondering why the questions concerning the agreement aren't being openly discussed. Is there something being concealed? Is it that the truth may dissuade those who don't want to be placed from leaving? Or is it something outrageous that will shock the conscience of the rank and file? For instance, do principals have to accept ATRs in a permanent placement? If not, how are they to be placed? Will they be placed? If there are more ATRs than there are for certain vacancies, how are the placements to be decided? If there are no vacancies, for certain license areas, how are those ATRs to be placed? The system seems ripe for outrageous indignities to be heaped on ATRs - which was the reason the weekly rotation was developed in the first place - to avoid schools taking unfair liberties with teachers placed in the status of ATR. This was of course after the terrible mistake of allowing an ATR system to be created in the first place.
   The UFT should be having meetings now to help ATRs decide if this is the right time to leave based on what is or is not planned. I have plenty of aquiantances that are principals and they have told me they can't afford ATRs even if they are free at first; that some of them (they seem pained to admit) believe the stereotypes about most of us; will not want our seniority to trump a newbie superstar and do not want us to infect their staff with unknown union rights. If I was racing horses I might feel the same way. Why should I pay top dollar for some old broken down horse (that may have a disease), when I can get three foals for the same price? The DOE seems to want to put us out to pasture but it seems like we're being led by our handlers into a glue factory. We are not horses, we are teachers. Our experience should make us vastly more valuable than a new hire. I guess the Belmont Stakes is bringing out all these metaphors. I read the asinine comments from some of our UFT handlers. It's infuriating not to have a voice, be treated like a fool and then told that a couple of ATRs are excited. We're running the good race, but it looks like the fix is in. Always enjoy the race, even if you lose.