City unveils algorithm that will assign ATR’s to new weekly spots

merry-go-round

October 7, 2011

City unveils algorithm that will assign ATR’s to new weekly spots

by Philissa Cramer, at 6:31 pm

The Department of Education is preparing for the high volume of new assignments it will have to make starting Tuesday, as Absent Teacher Reserve teachers are shifted to a new school every single week.

Starting next week, the nearly 1,300 teachers in the ATR pool will report to a fresh school every Monday, an arrangement set in a deal between the city and teachers union to avert teacher layoffs. Teachers enter the pool when their positions are eliminated, usually because of budget cuts or school closures. While some teachers quickly find new positions in the city schools, others do not, and some stay in the pool for years without finding a new position.

A computer algorithm and multiple DOE staffers are tasked with making matches between ATR members to their weekly school placements, DOE officials told reporters today in a telephone briefing. The officials said the process is a work in progress, acknowledging that it may require more time and energy from central office staff and principals than the previous ATR arrangement. Previously, ATR teachers held long-term assignments. The relatively comfortable stability was seen by some as a reason why longstanding members of the pool failed to find new positions.

Union officials explained to skeptical teachers in the ATR pool earlier this week that the arrangement is meant to help them land permanent positions.

DOE officials echoed that explanation. The placements should be seen as a tryout that could easily result in a full-time position, according to Larry Becker, the chief executive officer of the DOE’s human resources division.

But a month into the school year, there are fewer open positions than there are ATR members, and the department does not expect that the pool will be cleared, only reduced, Becker said. He said that there are about 550 open positions in the core academic subjects, the ones where hiring is most likely to be taking place right now.

Each week, a computer algorithm will assign teachers a new placement. The algorithm will take into account teachers’ license areas, the district where they last held a permanent position, and schools’ needs. A team of four or five DOE staffers will monitor the placements, Becker said. Becker signaled that more staff members might be brought on to the project if the city’s hiring freeze is lifted.

The computer programming was a one-time cost and the salaries amount to just a fraction of the $40 million in projected savings in substitute costs, officials said.

Becker said guidance counselors and teachers already filling in as long-term substitutes would not be reassigned weekly because doing do would harm students, Becker said. But he said most students wouldn’t experience any upheavals from the ATR deal because they would likely have had different teachers substituting in their classes each week anyway.

One unanswered question is who will evaluate teachers in the pool if they do not have a single direct supervisor over the course of the year. DOE officials are still considering the issue, but it is likely that principals, district officials, and department officials would jointly issue the ratings, Becker said.

At meetings for ATR teachers held by the teachers union this week, United Federation of Teachers representative Amy Arundell assured teachers that they would not be evaluated based solely on one week of work at a school. But several teachers who were assigned to temporary positions outside of their speciality voiced concerns that they could be evaluated while teaching classes or student populations that they are not licensed to teach.

Pogue

It’s ageism, it’s criminal, it disrupts the flow of education, and it abuses those that give their lives to children. I cannot wish enough bad things upon this administration.

I am so disappointed in my union for going along with this.
ANGRY ATR

I tell you how they are placing teachers! The furthest school from there home! They want us to quit. The union sold us down the river!
bee

It’s criminal!
http://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/ Norm

Yes, angry ATR, the algorithm includes a “furthest distance from home mileage calculator.” How many Staten Island teachers sent to Brooklyn and how many Brooklyn teachers sent to SI?
chaz

The reason for the weekly ATR algorithm, if it really works, is that principals abused the ATR system by placing ATRs in vacancies only to not hire them at the end of the school year. not because ATR were not looking for jobs. Where did you get that from?
chaz

The reason for the weekly ATR algorithm, if it really works, is that principals abused the ATR system by placing ATRs in vacancies only to not hire them at the end of the school year. not because ATR were not looking for jobs. Where did you get that from?
guest

This is the time a lot new teachers start quitting, so hopefully, ATR’s will find jobs.

Also, with the oversized class problems, some schools will have to hire more teachers (budgets be damned). That should help, too.
Michael Fiorillo

Oooh, they’ve got an algorithm! How scientific!

Gee, it’s just like on Wall Street, with all of its “financial innovation” that has worked so well in creating an economy of full-time, living wage employment, and creating widespread prosperity for our nation, a knowledge economy where the future will be won by waitresses, bartenders, retail clerks and home health care aides.

And, of course, bodyguards and security details for the 1% who seek to profit from the disruption and takeover of the public schools. ATRs, your problems are solved: technology will save you, just as it will educate our students and prepare them for the tedium, debt that insecurity that await them.
Pep414

What algorithm don’t have any openings now and they sent us two ATRs, one teaches a subject we don’t even offer. If you believe in this algorithm nonsense, I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn.
Pep414

That should say: What algorithm. We don’t have any openings now and they sent us two ATRs, one teaches a subject we don’t even offer. If you believe in this algorithm nonsense, I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn.
Pep414

That should say: What algorithm. We don’t have any openings now and they sent us two ATRs, one teaches a subject we don’t even offer. If you believe in this algorithm nonsense, I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn.
Pep414

Has anyone bothered to ask them how much this is costing? Probably more than they are saving in substitutes. And, subs are still being hired and covering long term absences. Meanwhile, some ATRS are not shuffling from week to week.
Michael M. (parent still)

The DOE (pronounced “doh”) is a big believer in the algorithm method.
I noticed that…

Question: 1) If an ATR or two ATRs are sent to a school and for that week and let’s say no teachers are absent, how is that helping the ATRs to under the type of students that are enrolled in that school if they’re not covering classes? You can’t place them in a classroom when their assignment is only for one week. 2) Two ATRs are assigned to the school, and they are 5 teachers out sick (flu). Three subs are still needed. So how is this supposed to work with respect to the DoE’s mantra of Children First?
ATR DEPUTY 1

I LOVE THIS SYSTEM SOOO MUCH. FIRST OFF, I AM IN THE ATR POOL. IT IS HYSTERICAL EVERY DAY. EVEN THOUGH IT’S A DISGRACE, I HAVE COME TO TERMS WITH IT AND JUST LAUGH. MY NEIGHBOR IS REALLY PISSED BECAUSE I JOKE WITH HIM ALL THE TIME SINCE I MAKE OVER 100K AND AM BASICALLY A SUB. HE SAYS, “HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN?” I SAY, IT’S THE D.O.E. SO NOT TO MUCH MAKES SENSE AND IT’S REALLY NOT ABOUT THE KIDS SO IT DOESN’T REALLY MATTER. HE THEN SHAKES HIS HEAD, PASSES ME A CIGAR AND WE THANK GOD THAT OUR OWN KIDS ARE IN A REAL SCHOOL SYSTEM, OF COURSE OUTSIDE N.Y.C. THIS STUFF WOULD NEVER FLY HERE. AGAIN, PARENTS ARE WAY TO SMART TO DEAL WITH THIS CRAP. IMAGINE YOUR CHILD SITTING IN FRONT OF AN “ATR” SCIENCE CLASS AND HE/SHE IS A PHYS. ED TEACHER? I MEAN WHERE ARE THESE PARENTS? YOU JUST CANNOT MAKE THIS STUFF UP!!
bookworm

I was a Science teacher last year. I am certified in ELA and Reading. I am also deathly afraid of fire so any lab requiring this was simply not done (or I asked someone else to do it). And the kids did the worst science projects EVER because I really had no clue. I tried my best and was still, by my standards, awful. This would NEVER fly out here in the ‘burbs. The parents would be looking for an administrator’s head on a platter within 24hr.
Brianmckingsley73

Seriously though, why is this really not looked at and brought to the attention of the mainstream public? This is so embarrassing yet it just seems to be okay. It’s as surreal as it can get. I mean this could not even happen in Yonkers. Ahhh, who cares, enjoy the free Monday all!
Hmerr

Pull 3 clusters and pay teachers for lost preps.
O Robles

Open School Night is in 2 weeks. What do the ATR’s do? Ahha Ha ahHhha HAha aH HA HA A Ah hahaah HA HAha Hahhahahahhahha ha HAh HAHAHh Haa HAhahhaha HA Ha a hAHahhahah HA AHha ah Ahhahah HA HAhhahhahahhha h ahaaa.

Good evening Mr……….. _____
O Robles

Open School Night is in 2 weeks. What do the ATR’s do? Ahha Ha ahHhha HAha aH HA HA A Ah hahaah HA HAha Hahhahahahhahha ha HAh HAHAHh Haa HAhahhaha HA Ha a hAHahhahah HA AHha ah Ahhahah HA HAhhahhahahhha h ahaaa.

Good evening Mr……….. _____
guest

You are NOT allowed to do experiments unless a certified science teacher.
George J. Morales EDUCATOR

I’vr been teaching for over fifteen years and was damn close to tears today when it became clear what this farce of sending teachers to a different school every week really means. It means, at least in my case so far, sitting around with nothing to do all day and then being assigned to cover lunch duty in violation of my contract and that was the sum of educational interaction with students. I further realized that throuugh this innovatove approach and this god send of an algo rithim it would mean an entire year of not beng able to servvice children effectively in terms of providing consistent and planned lessons based upon individual student needs. I for one would rather be assigbned to one school where I can get to know the children and develop and implement lessons based upon their needs as opposed to covering a classess at different schools weekly.
This plan if you can call it that ! Is an insult to educators many of whom have multiple degress and the students that could benefit from our services.

Here is a radical plan Mayor Blunderberg and Chancellor wrongcott you have to pay us ATR’s regardless why don’t we use us as a resource to truly reduce class signs by making smaller classes and assiging them to teachers in the atr pool.

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merry-go-round

October 7, 2011

City unveils algorithm that will assign ATR’s to new weekly spots

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