ATRs to Hold Informational Picket at UFT Delegate Assembly

With the avalanche of closing schools, the ATR crisis is sure to grow. The DOE spends money on hiring field supervisors to observe ATRs who are shifted from one school to the next each week. Pretty amazing when they spend so much time teaching as subs out of their area of expertise.

Think ahead to September with thousands of ATRs while new TFAs are hired and the assault on ATRs based on the costs. 

When ATRs complain to the UFT they are told, "No one has been u-rated yet."

In August, GEM began an ATR support group and set up a listserve which has been active amongst ATRs who have joined in sharing information and announcing gatherings. At the Feb. 4 State of the Union, almost a dozen ATRs held a lunchtime meeting where they came up with the following action.

Tomorrow (Feb. 15) a group of ATRs will be handing out this leaflet outside the UFT DA to alert chapter leaders and delegates to the situation. If you are an ATR come on down from 3:30-4:30 to help out.

One of the goals is to have more ATRs join the listserve so they can communicate with each. If you know an ATR send an email to gemnyc@gmail.com.

Here is the text if you can share with ATRs in your school. Or email to have a pdf sent.

Think being a Delegate or a Chapter Leader will stop you from becoming an ATR?
Think Again!
Every school closing, every school transformation puts you in the crosshairs of the Mayor’s let's make another ATR machine.
Help Us, Help You, Help Us All.
Demand No School Closures!
Demand an elected ATR Chapter Leader for each borough!
Demand the numbers of ATRs be published including the number of ATRs in essentially provisional jobs!
Demand a meeting of ATRs at 52 Broadway. Demand that the UFT oppose the sham evaluation of ATRs.
Demand that Michael Mendel retract the statement he made “that it’s OK for the DOE to evaluate ATRs” on lessons and classroom management! An evaluation after one day in a school? How absurd, who does he work for? Demand an immediate meeting to be called by President Mulgrew on the ATR crisis!
Don't let UFT leadership sleep while our Union is gutted!
Put a Stop to Teacher Harassment by DOE.
ATR evaluations are a sham meant to enable teacher firings. Imagine being evaluated for a lesson in Chemistry if your license area is Phys Ed!
Stop The Coming Lockout!
Imagine when 50% of the teachers at nearly 30 closing schools (maybe yours?) are forced to look for new jobs, in essence, locked out from their appointed posts! Say good by to tenure then. Then picture job hungry teachers applying for those newly vacant positions. Is this the scenario you want to watch unfold from the sidelines?
If an injury to one is an injury to all still means something to you, don't remain silent. Fight back by proposing the demands above, Now!
ATRs Informational Picket, Feb 15, 3:30 -4:30 UFT Headquarters 52 Broadway
Contact GEM ATR email: GEMNYC@GMAIL.COM