RTR Teaching Fellows to Gather at Tweed Nov. 5, Update on Mystery Grievance

These first year teachers hired under false pretences have had enough.

Gather November 5, 2008, 4:15 p.m.

The Tweed Courthouse Headquarters of the NYC Department of Education
52 Chambers Street, Manhattan

RTR Teaching Fellows threatened with firing on Dec. 5 gather at Tweed a month before that date to request a meeting to have basic questions answered.

How much was the New Teacher Project paid to train these people, only to see them fired?

Will these teachers be allowed to keep their certification or will they be barred from teaching after Dec. 5? Or to put it another way: How do you say they are qualified/certified on Dec. 5 but not on Dec. 6?

"We welcome anyone interested in hearing answers about the Teaching Fellows due to be terminated on December 5, 2008 and anyone who is interested in having the relationship between the DOE and the New Teacher Project clarified.

Most importantly we welcome anyone who wants to ask the DOE why it will attempt to circumvent the New York State Taylor Law to lay off teachers who it recently paid a good deal of money to an outside organization to train to teach in our public schools even when they are in dire need (and under state orders) of reducing class size.

Contact cohort16unity@gmail.com for more information.


UFT Commits to Holding Rally Before Dec. 5
Late November or Early December
ABSOLUTELY before December 5th (firing date for RTRs.)


Update on UFT Mystery Grievance -
The UFT hasn't provided any information on their alleged grievance on the behalf of the Teaching Fellows, though some have asked to see it. Either there isn't one or if there really is one, it was a rush job that they threw together at the last second.

SHOW THE FELLOWS A COPY OF THE GRIEVANCE!
TELL THEM WHAT THE TIMETABLE IS AND IF THERE IS ANY HOPE THEY CAN BE RETAINED ON DEC. 5 BASED ON A QUICK TURNAROUND OF THE GRIEVANCE.

The Fellows, after just a few months of exposure to the UFT, are skeptical.

"After repeated requests they still haven't given any information on Alternative Certification issues. We shouldn't have to fight with our union. After all, they should be working FOR us or at least with us (another paycheck yesterday and another $47.27 to them).

"Ask your UFT rep in school for a copy of the grievance. Let them see how many of us are together in fighting for our jobs."