Last May, I was desperate to leave my school.
I had responded to six schools that were on the "Open" Market Transfer list did not hear back from any of them.
Through friends, I heard of four possible openings at schools. When I looked, NONE of them were on the "Open" Market Transfer list.
I have been active in the system and have friends in many schools through curriculum projects that I have worked on and some email lists. This is how I found out about the openings (two via the mailing lists, one from a friend and one from an AP who is now a principal).
I talked to one principal on the phone (I had worked in a school with him when he was an AP) and he said that he would get back to me. He said I should check the "Open" Market Transfer List and that if I saw my job posted it, that it was for me and I should apply.
I talked to another principal (unfortunately at a school which involved a long commute). He said if I wanted a job, to call him and he would try to post a job for me on the OMTL.
I interviewed at the two jobs I found out about on the mailing list. One said that they were considering it. It was a very small school and I wasn't sure if the job would last.
The other school interviewed me twice. Then the principal offered me the job. He said that when I accepted he would post it.
By now, I had applied to over 12 schools on the "Open" Market transfer list and gotten no replies. And talked to four schools with openings BUT nothing posted on the OMTL.
When I accepted the offer, it was posted. I am now very happy at a new school.
Nothing done by the principals who didn't post first violates the rules of the OMTL. There is no necessity to interview anybody for the people who posted on the OMTL. The other jobs that I inquired about through the OMTL never contacted me to submit my resume.
So, do you need a new job? Call friends and contacts, send out your resume and then maybe you will get contacted!
IN FACT: I do know a few people who got jobs that they applied for on the OMTL — but most of the people who changed jobs got them they way I did.
First they applied, then they were accepted, then they accepted the job and THEN it was posted. Makes it easier for the principal — but means there is no longer system wide seniority which has led us into the ATR situation.
The OMTL reflects the death of a basic principle of unionism: the ability to transfer within a system based on seniority rather than cronyism or nepotism.
5 comments:
This post should be titled, duh, tell us something we already didn't know. OK, it's nice to see it put out so honestly.
I have been talking to a lot of teachers lately, and many do not know what they voted for in 05. Far fewer know what New Action now is.
Teachers are the meekest workers that I have ever seen. They vote for these contracts then complain that they can't find a job after their school closes. You idiots are the reason that people like me who voted no will now have to find a job in a system that went back to the Tammany Hall era. Thanks a lot.
I'm looking at the last paragraph of the post, which says that now people get jobs based on cronyism or nepotism.
Your story, however, reflects quite the opposite. You didn't get that job through cronyism or nepotism. And you probably wouldn't have gotten it through Seniority either since principals only had to post half of their jobs under that system, and even if it was posted, you'd need the years.
For the jobs not posted on seniority, principals could only hire brand new unappointed teachers.
In other words, unless the position was among the 50 percent posted, AND you had a lot of years, no matter how desparate you were to get out, you weren't going anywhere.
Sounds to me like the new way worked for you.
I am a nyc teacher of 20 plus years who has applied to 200 schools on Open Market. Is this a joke? No one wants a teacher with that many years!
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