(this post also indebted to Education Notes Online.
The Ed Notes piece itself was referring to this March 15, 2010 Anna Phillips piece from GothamSchools.)
"Note: 3rd line, 3rd paragraph: they have not been charged with anything, just accused. It's not the UFT's job to investigate and bring charges, that's the employer's job, those who made the accusation. The strategy seems often to be that they will finally resign or retire. But it's not far-fetched to say that people shouldn't be fired based on accusations, but no investigation, no charges, and no opportunity to appeal.
Having had some good friends who spent time in the rubber room--and who eventually retired with pensions, after 6-9 months of waiting to be charged--let's not get railroaded into assuming they are all child-abusers, peverts, drunks, etc. Those I knew most about were first rate people and were happy to defend themselves if they ever though they'd get a chance to do so.
Deb
And now, this proposal from the Independent Community of Educators on handling Teacher Reassignment Center cases:
I would disagree with this angle: DOE investigators are biased. ICE proposed the UFT hire paralegals to do their own investigation to give a balanced view.
One big example is that of the 22 year teacher whose Leadership Academy principal urged a parent to call the police over an incredibly minor incident that occurs in classrooms every day. After 5 policemen took the teacher out of the school in handcuffs, the lead investigator went back to the school and was so clear that this was a railroad job the teacher was released. At the 3020A hearing, the parent testified that they kept her in the station until the middle of the night trying to convince her to walk away from this. She demanded an apology from the teacher and the teacher wouldn't give one because she felt she didn't do anything wrong and she herself should get an apology. It is now over 3 years she has been in the rubber room.
I took that teacher to the UFT Exec Bd meeting a few days after the incident and she spoke there. I asked the UFT to get the cop on record and at least do something to get the story straight. "That is the teacher's responsibility," they said.
Thus the ICE proposal to address these issues in a timely matter would be extremely useful to the teacher.
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I have posted about the biased investigations that the DOE has done and believe a more balanced investigative procedure is necessary.
ReplyDeletewe need more educators to come out and speak about this pervasive practice that makes a underground economy on the backs of teachers and children. where is the gusto, the guts, the drive to do the right thing and stand up for our rights.
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