If you are injured on the job, see your UFT chapter leader about your
rights and how to preserve them.
The UFT’s Victim Support Program (1-212-598-6853) contacts every member
who becomes a crime victim, offering advice, counseling and assistance with
police, the judicial system and the DOE’s medical division.
The DOE will reimburse you for up to $100 for stolen or destroyed property,
but being a less attractive target to the thief is the best policy. Lock up
your valuables.
Report all safety incidents at www.uft.org. Look for the orange button.
Safety and Discipline
As a professional, you expect to have a safe working environment. Sadly,
that isn’t always the case in New York City’s schools. Some
of your students may be disruptive or have other behavior problems. Or intruders
may come into your building. It happens.
Serious learning cannot take place in an atmosphere of fear or chaos. That’s
why the UFT has worked to make schools safer.
The results are evident. The fact that schools have safety officers, security
systems, alternative settings for disruptive students, a zero-tolerance
policy on weapons, and a systemwide student discipline code is in significant
part due to union pressure and expertise.
Here are a few things you can do to protect yourself, your students and
your school:
Rules
- Start in your own classroom by defining consequences for behavior from the first day of school – and then standing by your rules.
- Become aware of the systemwide Student Discipline Code and any variations on it that your school has adopted. Stand behind that code, too. Depending on your situation, it might be worthwhile discussing it with your students.
- The discipline code includes a “ladder of consequences,” a list of infractions that are matched to punishments that can or must be taken in each case.
– For minor infractions, such as misbehaving in class, a parent may be
called to school for a conference.
– For the most serious offenses, such as having drugs or possessing a firearm,
a student may be suspended and transferred to an “alternative educational
setting.” There, students with a history of violent or disruptive behavior
can learn without disturbing their classmates. In addition, they will get the
counseling and other support they need to overcome their behavior problems.
- Learn about the School Safety Plan that your principal is obliged by contract to negotiate with your union chapter. This is a plan specific to your building that details every facet of security in your school. If you experience any safety-related problems, talk with your chapter leader to see if the Safety Plan addresses them. If the administration or the school system fails to enforce the plan, the union can take action.
- The UFT’s Violence Prevention Program works with individuals and schools to improve safety. Your chapter leader can call them in.
- If you should have the misfortune to be injured by a student or intruder, the UFT’s Victim Support Program will help you on a one-to-one basis.
Student Fights
- Observe students for signs of hostility and aggression.
- Use nonviolent techniques to break up fights or confrontations. Speak loudly to order students to stop fighting.
- Send for help, by intercom or phone if possible, or by means of another staff member or a student. Many schools use a special pass with your classroom’s room number which, if carried out of the room, is a code to say that there’s an emergency there.
- Remember that a trained school safety agent, supervisor or dean can do more than you can do alone and will serve as a witness if any injuries occur to you, another staff member or a child.
- Breaking up fights is the prime cause of school-related injury among UFT members. DO NOT get between fighting students unless you believe it is absolutely necessary to prevent serious injury.
Intruders
- Deal with intruders cautiously, since they present the most potential danger. Of course you have the right to defend yourself, but if you are faced with the threat of a weapon, avoid quick movements and comply with the assailant’s demands.
- Try to minimize theft of your belongings by not wearing or bringing valuables to school.
- Keep your pocketbook, briefcase and coat under lock and key.
Reporting Incidents
If you are involved in an incident or become aware of a violation of the safety plan, immediately report it to your chapter leader. To make sure your school is as safe as possible, you (or your chapter leader) should also report what happened to the UFT so the union can address the situation, make sure your school has the safety resources it needs and keep accurate records. The easiest way to report is online.
- On the homepage of the UFT Web site click on the orange button that says “Safety/Discipline report,” and follow the directions.
- If you need immediate advice, call the Emergency Hotline at 1-212-701-9407.
Enhancing your “voice”
Schools run best when staff has a say about school policies and operations. Promoting collaboration in school decision-making is a major goal of the UFT, and the union continues to fight for more opportunities for members to be heard. Once you get your feet under you, there are several ways you can participate in school-wide decision-making:
School-Based Options (SBOs).
The school staff can modify provisions of the contract, if there is broad agreement. With a vote of 55 percent, schools can decide to exceed certain class size limits, change the daily schedule, or rotate assignments in different ways to suit the needs of the students and staff.
Professional Assignments.
Every year, teachers select from a menu of options for professional work at the school. This can range from small-group instruction and curriculum planning to bus duty and hall monitoring — one period a week in most elementary schools and five times a week in secondary schools. The principal makes the final decision and can assign you an administrative chore like bus duty for one year, but thanks to the union’s insistence, the following year you can pursue the assignments that most interest you.
School Leadership Teams (SLTs).
These teams, made up of the principal and an equal number of elected parents and staff (plus students in the high schools) review the school’s budget and its education plan, and function as the central coordinating team in the school.
School-Wide Bonus Program.
A pilot program in effect in 200-plus schools from 2007-2009 rewards high-needs schools with funds for distribution among the staff when the students meet certain performance targets. Fifty-five percent of the staff and the principal must approve the program, and an elected committee decides how to allocate the bonus money.
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