ufman reports on ICE-mail:Just read the UFT weekly update and was caught by this line,
“Denied a transfer? Let us know! We are asking members who have been denied a transfer to click on the “denied a transfer” link on the UFT Web site and give us the details.”
The funniest line in the update?
"We are particularly interested in hearing from members who were told, explicitly or not, by the principal or other school official that salary played a role in the denial of the transfer."
Hope they bought along a tape recorder.
A follow-up from a teacher:
Denied a transfer? What transfers? There aren't any. I found out yesterday I interviewed for a job that was already filled. They wasted my time, not to mention left me feeling like a total idiot.
The interns at my school have more job offers than they can handle and I have 8 years seniority and can't get a transfer to a school down the block from mine.
I give up.
Isn't it time that we teachers have collectively realized that we have
ReplyDeletebeen sold a bill of spoiled goods by the leaders of our union, vis-a-
vis the contract that was passed last year?
I know for a fact that the so called "Open Market" transfers are
anything but- in my case, the way that I have obtained my transfer was
through people that I knew at the school that I interviewed for who
recommended me for the position that was open. Then, the paperwork was
put through for the OMT AFTER I was interviewed and hired by the
administrative team.
I suspect that this is happening throughout the entire system, based on
my conversations with other colleagues that have also been lucky enough
to obtain transfers made on recommendations made to Principals by
people that they know at schools they have applied to.
Where does that leave people who DON'T know anyone, or have connections?
Apparently, jobless, and left in limbo....
As union members, we should be fighting to bring back the old system of
transfers, or, at least, to insist that the Open Market transfers are
INDEED open to all that apply.
As currently implemented, the system is only open to political
patronage and abuse.
A social studies teacher in my high school with over 20 years of experience applied to many schools over the open market system...she is an awesome teacher but doesn't get along with the new AP of social studies in our school.
ReplyDeleteShe has not received on interview.
Another teacher in our school (a new teacher) got a "U" by the same AP and told me that this follows her into the open market system. Our chapter chair is a real idiot and is more interested in kissing the butt of the principal so these teachers are screwed...
Thanks Randi for destroying seniority and for collecting over 1000 dollars in dues and showing us nothing.
You run a great patronage mill. The UFT is no longer a union.... Thanks!
Here, let me add my experience.
ReplyDeleteWas excessed.
We're told to go online and find another job. I told them, No Thank You, that's your job, not mine. Or something like that.
I called the HR person at the bottom of the excessing letter. She told me flat out: "The days of us finding you a job are over." I told her flat out that I would quote that verbatim in an email to Randi. She became a little more friendly. I wrote Randi anyway.
Next: Consulted UFT website, which says that excessed teachers should be a little careful volunteering to find another job, since it hasn't been worked out whether they will lose their right of return? Is anyone surprised yet?
Next: I decided to cover my proverbial a... (too close to pension time to mess around) and applied online to 7 schools.
Next: __________
That blank space is a description of what happened: Exactly nothing. Not even an interview. Why do you suppose that is? Salary too high at 19 years? Age discrimination at 60 years? Hmmm.... I wonder how this could be.....
Next: Remember I had written to RW to ask if each of us should file age discrimination lawsuits on our own or is the UFT planning to file a big class action one on our behalf.
Well, it turns out, they seem to be in a collecting data mode up there. And if you've gotten this far and care to do something that might be good for us in the end, read on.
They're compiling a database of Denied Transfer staff. But it is also true that you would not even bother to poke that link on the UFT website if you are like me -- never actually DENIED a transfer, just never having been invited for an interview in the first place. Having made a follow-up phonecall to the union at their instruction, I found out that they are interested in knowing of any incidents where resumes have been excluded from review because of high salary (or age, too, I guess). I told them that two secretary friends of mine have already told me their principals didn't even want to look at high-salary aplications, and another AP I know was told by his principal to stick to hiring the lower salaries.... ("Heh, heh, heh ... Two for the price of one, get it? Heh, heh, heh.") These are the kinds of things the UFT says they want to document.
So on the off-chance that your comments or input will do some good: Go to uft.org, scroll down for Denied Transer link, fill in the blanks that are required (red stars) and go to Comments entry point at end. Then submit. In other words, you are not tying your comment to a specific school, but reporting an incident of someone, or some-many, not letting you be seen in the first place.
Maybe it's worth their collecting this info. If it's too techy for you, or you feel duped no matter what you do, email me your tidbits on this issue and I myself will pass this stuff on. I have enough activist genes in me to hang on a little while longer -- at this point, if only for the amusement of it all. juliwoo@fastmail.fm
An honest principal (and a really decent guy) said to me half as a joke, it's not age discrimination: it's experience discrimination.
ReplyDeleteHe knows that's the same thing: but really looks at how many years in the system (file numbers are a good way to know).
He said he would be really upset if he had to make a decision whether to hire me or someone not as good.
Our school under the new funding is losing about 18% of our budget!
It's being "held harmless" for two years: getting the same money. After that he has no idea what is going to happen.
(I think he said "held harmless" but I'm not sure).
Hey, you're right -- I mean about "experience discrimination". That's in the mix, too.
ReplyDeleteI think it's Thom Hartmann on AirAmerica Radio who has a clock to time out the days of the Bush presidency. With this much disregard for contract, age, seniority and salary, to say nothing in some cases of quality teaching, I never thought I'd have to make my own countdown clock, for when I can put in for retirement.
But, that's what they want, of course. If they're going for a bottom green line, why not do it with top teacher salaries and the pensions based on them. The "deciders" in this field all send their kids to private schools anyway.