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And still the City has no way of proving whether the teachers in the ATR pool have attempted to get jobs via a job fair or via online?  I am not really clear in how the City claims that remainder of the people have not tried at all.  

It is very naive from DoE officials to believe that it was not “common” for jobs to be denied if they are in the ATR pools.  

It was not until about just recently when J. Klein questioned the honesty and the hard working ethics of those in the ATR pools and then, he turns around and send a letter telling his Principals to only hire from the ATR pool? 

While an ageism lawsuit would be difficult to prove, there has been a very blatant bias against teachers who happen to be veterans, whose public persona have to elements in common, many years in the system and age on top of that.  It is a darn shame that the DoE and Tweet, as well as City Hall are not able to see that what they decided to give in term of salaries and benefits, perhaps will be unsustainable.  

I say have the guts to say that they have made a financial mistake in signing these previous teachers contracts and to honestly say that older, veteran teachers have no room in their ever tightening budgets.  

Of course, that will be the day when sanity is a common feature in those who run the City, something that went missing a long time ago.  

I got around on the NY1 website to watching the unqualified, arrogant, uncertified lawyer masquerading as an educator spin on this last night on Inside City Hall. It’s enough to make you want to regurgitate your lunch, He is a liar, pure and simple. He went through the whole thing how he needs the $100,000,000 to hire more teachers…the insanity of that statement escaped the moderator. They then played the statement by the UFT President which the unqualified lawyer ridiculed and pointed out how Randi Weingarten had reached a contract settlement with that other piece of you know what, Ms. Rhee allowing her to terminate teachers. Why can’t the UFT do the same for the children he asked. He then went on with the usual lies how many of the teachers in the ATR are not being hired because they are unsatisfactory. The moderator made an effort by asking wouldn’t it be better if these teachers were working in the schools and Klein, from his vantage point and the great amount of experience he has had in education, said no. They’re not the right fit!

Is it age discrimination? Well in one of the articles, it was pointed out the average age of those in the ATR unable to find jobs is $82,000. You can draw your own conclustion.

As I said elsewhere, this has to be a deal breaker for the UFT. The UFT President has to make it clear there is no way he is going to violate civil service law and allow these people to be laid off when there are others working in the system in the same license area with less seniority. In the next day or two, you will see editorials in the two rags, the Post and News, praising the unqualified lawyer masquerading as an educator and asking why the UFT is allowed to protect these “laid off” teachers at the expense of the children.

Incidentally, why didn’t the moderator ask the unqualified lawyer masquerading as an educator about his lies about narrowing the achievement gap? Just wondering.

I agree with Estbeban. If I were ever to be excessed from my job in the Bronx, I would be very limited to where I could accept another postion- everywhere but the Bronx and upper Manhattan (and even that would not be ideal) would entail too long of a commute. I’m a parent and I can’t spend any more time commuting.

They say “call HR” if you are in excess and the website says you arent in excess. I hhve spent 48 hours calling HR and the UFT and all they did was pass me on to the next person, still dont have an answer, still cant get in. still cant see vacancies.

I, too, agree that commuting time is a valid reason for not accepting a position. I have young children and a husband who works midnights, getting home at 7:00 a.m. We have no family in the area and all of our friends and neighbors work or have their own kids to get to school in the morning. Any position requiring me to leave the house before 7:00 would mean I’d be leaving three kids, ages 9, 7, and 4, alone until my husband gets home from work. This is unacceptable and illegal. Since I live on Long Island, I am limited to schools in eastern/southern Queens or some schools in eastern Brooklyn with later start times.

And so I begin year 2 in the ATR pool, hoping that my union doesn’t sell me out and wonder what happens to other reading teachers when my district rep basically told us that the reading license is “dead”.

This whole problem is a lot more complicated than people make of it and it too often gets reduced to a PR-spin meant to either rally the public against teachers or unions or the opposite PR spin of the unions demonizing the people, elected or otherwise, put in charge to deal with these issues. (Does anyone really still read the NY Post as a credible newspaper?)

The teaching profession has changed a great deal — it is no longer a career for life (so few jobs are these days) and teachers need to wake up and realize this.  So, maybe you’ve been very fortunate to live around the corner from where you work, but now that is a luxury  and you’ve got to commute.  Maybe you have to consider moving. Maybe your child care plans will change. Maybe you will expand your job search.  Maybe you will have to learn a new curriculum (or two) in order to keep teaching/working/learning and growing.  No one is guaranteed a job anymore.

I am a teacher and I know how bureaucratic the DOE and HR can be. The other day I was on hold for over 35 minutes with HR.  The “person” who ultimately “helped” me was a rude idiot who chastised me for answering an employment application question honestly.  I can totally believe and sympathize with the people who have been screened out of seeing available jobs — you gotta know this happens. (And I’m sure there are also a few crazies who have been in the “rubber room” for a year or more and who have done nothing to help themselves.  Can you even imagine having to sit in a dull room day after day after day?  I’d quit or go crazy.)

Regarding the age discrimination — this is definitely a reality.  I am a 50+ excellent teacher who has always taught in testing grades and I’ve consistently produced high standardized test scores as well as students who have improved their reading, writing and math abilities.  I’ve worked 60-70 hour weeks (at school) and another 10-15 hours on weekends consistently for 10 years. The 2 times in this decade when I tried the “transfer option” because I felt like I wanted a new challenge, I received a total of zero responses to my stellar resume and well-written cover-letter attached to glowing recommendations from supervisors, colleagues and parents.  Principals don’t want to pay the higher salaries and some (who are brand new — having taught 2 or 3 years before being courted to be a principal) are threatened by experienced teachers.  It’s almost as if the whole system is designed to hire brand new, young teachers and not worry about it if they all leave before receiving tenure after three years.  Maybe this is the future of the teaching “profession.”  For now, we can’t just throw the other folks out the door or keep “waiting them out” to leave on their own because we’ve made them report to a bare, windowless room day after day. (Some of this situation is absurd)

   Sure, I’ve had the summers off — but if you were ever a teacher (especially in a high-needs school) you would know that you need time to refuel and prepare for another year.  So, stop resenting teachers because they have the whole summer “off” and start realizing that teachers are at work in buildings that feel like pizza ovens until the very last day of June and return before Labor Day so that they can set up their rooms for their students.  Do all teachers work like this? Of course not — are all lawyers honest? are all doctors competent? are all salespeople knowledgeable about their products?…
We desperately need a system that will do a better job of recognizing those teachers with talent and promoting their growth as teachers. We also need to have a system that phases people out of a “career” that they never should have started.  Do we need to pay gym teachers $85,000 a year just because they hung in there for 10 years or more? Why do we pay a reading teacher the same amount as a gym teacher?  Are some gym teachers great and versatile and role models for children – of course.  But the two I’ve had to work with are totally not suited to work with other intelligent adults, let alone impressionable children.
This is all complicated — there are so many shades of gray — but the media and the self-serving players on both sides of the union/management battle try to make it black or white (And don’t think there are not racial overtones and undertones to some of this as well — but that’s a whole ‘nother book to write). 
We’ve got to hammer out new policies, new plans and change perceptions, expectations, feelings, etc.  This is hard work but it must be done.  Think beyond your own small world — everything is connected.  Each of us has to be part of the solution and not a contributor to the problem. 
(Thanks for reading and thinking about this issue)

I Noticed That,

Yes, i have tried that. this is the response I get every time.

Dear Applicant,

Thank you for your inquiry.

We have researched your current status and found that available budget and human resources records do not verify that you have been placed in excess as of this time. Please note the following:

Eligibility to use the Excessed Staff Selection System is based on your current title and your “in excess” status.

Even if you have received written notification from your school that you are in excess, you will not be able to access the Excessed Staff Selection System until you are listed as “in excess” in a school or other budget/Table of Organization.

If you have discussed this with your current school and you are still uncertain of your status, you may contact the HR support staff at your Children’s First Network (CFN) office for more information.

If you are a full-time, school-based employee in a UFT-covered title, but you have not been placed in excess, you can still apply for a transfer using the Open Market Hiring System when it again becomes available during the Open Market Transfer Period, approximately April through August. More information will be posted on the DHR website at http://schools.nyc.gov/Offices/DHR when the Open Market transfer period begins in April.
If you are not a full-time employee: The Excessed Staff Selection System is not a system for hiring new staff or changing the status of staff (from part-time, per diem, or substitute to full-time, regularly assigned). Click on the following link to view a full list of eligible titles: https://www.nycenet.edu/offices/dhr/transferplane/Titles.aspx
For applicants who are not currently employed with the DOE, or those who are employed on a part-time or substitute basis and are looking for full-time opportunities, please visit http://www.teachnyc.net for more information.
Thank you for your cooperation.

Transfer Plan Application Support

jr,

Wow, the nonsense that the DoE is giving you is ridiculous. Please take all your information to the UFT borough office and show them the letter. If you are in excess, you should appear in the Excessed Staff Selection. It truly seems to me that the principal did not excess you, but wants to get rid of you. Go the UFT borough office and seek advice immediately.

I’m sorry but something doesn’t sound kosher!