....asks Woodlass, a 20 year veteran teacher and recent ATR on her blogunder assault. Here is an excerpt:
Is the word "prevaricator" politically incorrect?
If what NY1 reports she said is really true (and there’s no reason to believe it isn’t, is there?) -- Randi Weingarten should be growing a nice long nose by now:
"We have to attract and recruit and nurture teachers in order to get the best and the brightest, not only to get them to come, but stay."
WHAT ?
Attract them and recruit them, yes. But nurture them?
When was the last time you “nurtured” a teacher, Randi?
Was it when you cut our summers a little shorter? or when you incrementally allowed a 5-period teaching day to turn into a 6-period one, which calculations showed hardly made a dent in take-home pay? (I think some actually thought it didn’t even equal what we had before.)
15 comments:
Perhaps in Weingartenese, "nurturing" means "sucking the life and spirit out of people who truly nurtured and taught for a living"!! Congratulations, Madam Randi,you have just sunk to an abysmally new low!!
Since when did Randi think it was her job to recruit teachers? That's the DOE's job not hers. Her job is to protect the rights of her CURRENT members. She's such a clown.
Is it woodlass or dumb ass??
Hardy har har hardy har...
Since most of the other unions have contracts through 2010-2012 I'm wondering if Randi has negotiated another contract for us. When will she strategically make that announcement?
dead puppies- I've been saying that there's another contract hidden somewhere for a long time. It'll probably add a full teaching period to our day, for a whopping 2% pay increase. Oh yes- what about our contributions to our medical insurance? I didn't forget about that either.
Prediction for announcement of new contract: shortly after the May 2008 increase.
As I've said before, you can tell a Unity hack by puerility alone.
When I wrote letters to the Leaders of the UFT in the Bronx expressing my concerns about the "merit pay" they basically told me I should take a course on global history and that I was operating on a narrow view. ie. my only concern being for the teachers in my building.Needless to say the email I recieved was very condesending. In my email I questioned the fact that "we" as a union were not given the opportunity to vote on the merit pay. The response was that "we had already taken votes on both of these issues" (merit pay +55/25) and that "they were outstanding from our pervious contract and they did not have to go for a vote because it already was in the ratification of the contract." I sure don't remeber any of this. Needless to say I reponded that " perhaps the UFT might include a course on pitting teachers against each other, and for them to include a class on nepotism" My email was blocked, and I had to send it directly to the UFT email. I spent this weekend with a group of teachers that are so overwhelmed with work and "binders" that they were having anxiety attacks and stress related heart pains. Things will only get worse when teachers will be expected to work 24/7 in order to meet the bench marks which we are waiting for them to announce. This year , before Nov.ends 15% of the City's highest need schools will be eligible to participate. In 2008-09 30% of DOE schools will be eligible. The DOE will identify approximately 400 of the highest-need shools in the city. I can only conclude that eventually we will all be worked to death and those that do not meet the bench marks won't have any money to pay for their funerals! But who am I to judge? According to the UFT I am just a stupid nobody with a narrow minded opinion!
so if your 55% of your chapter votes for the bonus plan but you are one of the dissenters and you don't partcipate then what??? can you be FORCED - e.g. letters in file etc.. - to comply??? has anyone bothered to ask this question???
and what if the state legislature fails to vote in 55/25? are we still "on board" with the bonus scheme???
someone please find out and get back to us!
The 55/25 will pass because there is an obvious move to be rid of teachers making top pay. As for voting in for merit pay. 55% of the staff has to agree to buy in. One problem is that the principal may attempt to sway the two teachers on the committee to put the funds into the hands of a choosen few. Many teachers are worried that principals will do away with subjects like music and art because the main goal will be to get test scores. In many ways the merit pay will divide teaching staffs because some will feel that they are carrying the weight of "deadbeat" teachers. (who have a life outside of the building and who may not be able to live, sleep and breath school improvement benchmarks.) Remember when ARIS is up and running all teachers will be expected to log on ( and we will be tracked) in order to differentiate instruction.I don't know about others , but in my school we don't have the technology nor the time to sit at a computer. In other words, we will will be expected to work at home on our own time. This is yet another scheme to divide and conquer! It also puts the emphasis on test scores rather than authentic teaching and learning!
So you're saying when I was "asked" to stay two hours after school (might I add by 3:12:30 I already feel like I'm about to drop dead) for ARIS training I had better do it? Is this more of a demand than a request?
Some great points being made and sadly most likely all true. Merit pay is here to stay, and yes it will divide schools between the young and new and the more senior. G-d help you if you want to try and have a family life working as a teacher. A job in my humble opinion should be doable during the work hours provided (ideally). I am realistic enough to know that this isn't very true for many professions. Having to do some tasks from home or take some work home is a reality of life that teachers have always understood and accepted same as any lawyer or cubicle worker. It's just that at least before it felt like it was your decision to do it. Now, it is expected. In my school "do it at home or over the weekend" have become normal and are thrown around by administration and teachers alike. Worse there is so much paperwork (portfolios, datafolios, weekly assessments, benchmark assessments, e-class, etc...) and no new time allotted into the teaching day to accomplish them. The time many teachers spent doing some of this, plus organizing and preparing for the next day is now spent in 37 1/2 minutes.
Well at least you can retire at 55, albeit alone burned out, with high blood pressure and no family. Nothing like something to look forward to.
Unitymustgo!
There's always a dictionary if you can't handle 5-syllable words.
Anonymous name caller, you may think you're accomplishing something here, but you're only proving what idiots Unity has within their midst. You have to live with yourself....obviously you have nothing else going on in your life, or you would be more respectful of others who are victims of this Vichy UFT, which is nothing more than a bunch of racketeers with degrees.
It's true. Anon is laughing all the time, even when he eats. That's why he always has stains on his ties.
Without 55/25 there is no bonus plan.
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