New Action knows the ABCs of the ATR

New Action, a caucus within the UFT, has issued a proposed resolution concerning the members of the Absent Teacher Reserve (ATR). 

The "be-it-resolved" section of the resolution is rather weak; the strongest proposal is that the UFT should designate a special representative to deal exclusively with ATR issues.

The "whereas" section, however, shows that New Action has done its homework and knows the world of the ATR very well.  Here are some highlights: 

1. "The teachers in the ATR have been subject to a campaign of media vilification, falsely claiming or implying that teachers in the ATR are less able or are bad teachers, and intentionally conflating them with teachers facing disciplinary proceedings."

2. "The teachers in the ATR have been targeted for layoff or termination several times over the last several years, including by the Department of Education during contract negotiations; the anti-union group Educators for Excellence in its seniority reform proposal this spring; and Mayor during his campaign to undo Civil Service law in Albany earlier this spring."

 3. "Teachers in the ATR often are made to feel like outsiders in the schools where they work."

4. "Teachers in the ATR, in too many instances, are forced to perform inappropriate work in the schools where they work."

5.  "Teachers in the ATR, to the extent they are made to feel like outsiders or feel vulnerable to being moved, are often reluctant to seek appropriate relief."