tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33431390.post4848024179182308161..comments2024-03-26T11:07:03.496-04:00Comments on Ed Notes Online: Merit Pay Has Arriveded notes onlinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15018047869059226777noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33431390.post-51366855571849413882007-10-24T22:28:00.000-04:002007-10-24T22:28:00.000-04:00Can someone tell Michael Fiorillo that there is no...Can someone tell Michael Fiorillo that there is nothing to "reject"? Can we get past the flowery language and deal with substance?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33431390.post-78140849186243739412007-10-19T22:43:00.000-04:002007-10-19T22:43:00.000-04:00I won't take blood money. I won't sign on for it o...I won't take blood money. I won't sign on for it or work for it nor accept it. I don't need the money. If it was forced on me I'd give it to the children. Literally I would hand out cash to the kids. and tell them: now go burn down what's left of your no longer public school system.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33431390.post-59930449683107517672007-10-19T22:23:00.000-04:002007-10-19T22:23:00.000-04:00Randy sold out all our teachers' rights. The loos...Randy sold out all our teachers' rights. The loosers are the children. I can't wait to see all the antagonisms among the teachers in the schools who will get the money. Randy you are breaking the union!! Who is advising you??Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33431390.post-54782845185992162622007-10-19T05:09:00.000-04:002007-10-19T05:09:00.000-04:00Totally agree, Loretta.Since the newspapers seem t...Totally agree, Loretta.<BR/><BR/>Since the newspapers seem to be reading these blogs now, let me say loud and clear:<BR/><BR/>THERE ARE TEACHERS YET IN THIS SYSTEM WHO WILL CONTINUE TO TEACH HARD AND STRONG WITH OR WITHOUT THE EXTRA BUCKS. <BR/><BR/>We've been doing it under all of BloomKlein's attacks, and we've been doing it regardless of Weingarten's silence and capitulation. <BR/><BR/>We believe in our profession, we trust our skills, and we teach with our hearts. We cannot let the press or anyone else portray us as venal. We are not just workers grabbing for any money that's thrown our way. <BR/><BR/>This merit pay / pension deal was Randi Weingarten's tactical power grab. Teachers did not push her to get 55/25 in this way. In fact, she did it in stealth, negotiating all this behind our backs and announcing it without warning at a D.A. <BR/><BR/>The great majority of us who work with kids are not sell-outs. Most of us keep hanging in there in spite of the two-pronged campaign against our profession, by immoral officials on the one hand and a visionless, self-serving union leadership on the other.Under Assaulthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18222267229529062957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33431390.post-36674128294769080002007-10-18T21:46:00.001-04:002007-10-18T21:46:00.001-04:00Let's see if i get this right. I am paid a regula...Let's see if i get this right. I am paid a regular salary and can't get kids to meet standards. But give me $3000 minus taxes, $2000 extra dollars - then i will work hard and do it. What an insult! What a message to our kids and their parents!<BR/>Not having chapter leaders on the committee to select the process to be used to determine how the money is distribure and the ultimately to the teachers who will receive the money is a really smart move. Chapter leaders will not be facing the wrath of the teachers who don't get the crumbs. <BR/><BR/>Who is going to take the kid who is a low Level 1? Spec. ed.? ELL? Just transferred in from a correctional facility? Is sickly with a poor attendance record? Has parents who neglect him/her? Lives in a temporary shelter? Moves around alot? <BR/> <BR/>When we begin to see kids as liabilities (or paychecks) we have lost our sense of mission and worth.<BR/> <BR/>LorettaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33431390.post-80056490887806248672007-10-18T21:46:00.000-04:002007-10-18T21:46:00.000-04:00Yesterday's Delegate Assembly marked yet another m...Yesterday's Delegate Assembly marked yet another major<BR/>sell-out by the UFT Weingarten leadership, the<BR/>acceptance of a form of merit pay, which she then<BR/>tried to spin as a victory!<BR/><BR/>The capitulation of the union before the<BR/>Bush/Bloomberg NCLB onslaught opens the door to a<BR/>really bad situation. Whether presented as<BR/>"voluntary", "school wide bonus pay," or other<BR/>euphemism, it is bad for teachers and abd for kids. <BR/><BR/>Not least is the principle of "equal pay for equal<BR/>work." Reducing teaching to the profit motive, and<BR/>pitting teachers against each other are vicious<BR/>union-busting tools. Schoolwide or individual merit<BR/>pay, there will be enormous pressure on all teachers<BR/>to abandon teaching for test prep. Schools will have<BR/>incentive to push "low performing" kids out of the<BR/>system (so as not to bring the schools test scores<BR/>down and "deprive" teachers of bonuses). Obviously,<BR/>teachers will be forced out as well, pressured by<BR/>principals, and now their colleagues!<BR/><BR/> It's obvious that some teachers will feel they need<BR/>economicallyi to transfer to high performing schools,<BR/>to abandon committments to resource rooms, ESL<BR/>classrooms, and all the special resources we have<BR/>fought hard to make available.<BR/><BR/> It's interesting that the New York Times noted,<BR/>while Weingarten did not, that this is a major victory<BR/>for Bloomberg. And that when the school-based team<BR/>meets to dole out the cash, they can "choose" to do it<BR/>in any fashion EXCEPT seniority based.<BR/><BR/> There is no way merit pay is not directed<BR/>against minorities, second language students, special<BR/>ed students. In fact, there is an agenda here, a<BR/>nationwide drive for a two-tiered educational<BR/>system--one for elite (read: white) kids, and one for<BR/>everybody else who just need McSchools, because<BR/>they're only going to get McJobs.<BR/><BR/> In 2005, the union "traded" off senioritiy rights<BR/>for a raise. That enabled the DOE to "restructure"<BR/>(i.e. downsize, excess, push out, hire cheap) the<BR/>schools and to hundreds of teachers now sitting in ATR<BR/>pools and rubber rooms.<BR/><BR/> Now, in 2007, again the union has "traded off" a<BR/>basic union principle for the 25-55 (which may or may<BR/>not go through) and "finding" a lump-sun payoff to<BR/>retirees-and near-retirees to sweeten the deal.<BR/>Again, a great deal will be lost.<BR/><BR/>--Marjorie Stamberg<BR/>GED Plus teacher<BR/>Manhattan HubAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33431390.post-47964352752404564252007-10-18T07:38:00.000-04:002007-10-18T07:38:00.000-04:00This is quite a horrible day for the students, par...This is quite a horrible day for the students, parents, and teachers of NYC. I really feel that the UFT "sold" us out. What for? Now we can retire at 55 after 25 years of service (27 for new hires). Randi of course sold it to the members yesterday at our Delegate Assembly meeting as a great victory. She told us that now we can collaborate as a whole school. This was suppose to be a good thing. The problem is that the only thing teachers will be collaborating about will be how to raise test scores. To me the union of educators just agreed that you can improve education by getting better test scores. Instead of standing up and fighting, my union just agreed with the NCLB premise, that the way to improve education, is for students to get better test scores. <BR/>Oh yes, it will be voluntary, schools will vote whether or not they want to participate. Who will turn down the chance to make another $3,000 dollars? Many teachers did not like the merit pay scheme, but we were told it was a package deal. We were not allowed to vote on the 55/25 and the merit pay separately. <BR/> <BR/>It was certainly a very bad idea to "settle" with the city last spring and call off the demonstration. Parents, students, and teachers loss our bargaining power. Now what do we have? The UFT?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33431390.post-57163050418475643362007-10-18T04:49:00.000-04:002007-10-18T04:49:00.000-04:00I walked out of the assembly following the introdu...I walked out of the assembly following the introduction of this horrible proposal. I've never seen so many district reps rallying their chapter leaders/delegates to speak in favor of the initiative. It was a sickening experience.yomisterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04265404144487567580noreply@blogger.com