To the New York Sun, May 2, 2008

May 2, 2008 12:36 PM

May 2, 2008

To the editor:

Contrary to your assertion, it is the New York City Department of Education and not the teachers’ union that has made it difficult for many experienced educators working as substitutes to land permanent teaching positions (“Exercise in excess,” May 2).

Teachers who lose their positions through no fault of their own because their schools close or their classes are eliminated are assigned to an absent teacher reserve (ATR) pool to fill in for teachers who are absent or on long-term leave. The contract between the city and the United Federation of Teachers requires the city to place them in permanent jobs unless principals object, but the DOE fails miserably in this regard.

In fact, the DOE makes it harder for experienced teachers by providing financial incentives for principals to forego hiring them in favor of newer teachers who earn less, which is why the union alerted the City Council about the problem and filed an age discrimination suit against the DOE. We raised this issue in contract negotiations in 2005 and warned the DOE that such problems would arise but to no avail. It is disingenuous for Chancellor Joel Klein to now act surprised by this development and blame the victims. He should stop shifting responsibility for what is a management function to the backs of educators who need his support, not his scapegoating.

The Daily News should for once take an objective look at DOE practices instead of always assuming the chancellor is right when he turns to the news media in pursuit of goals he could not achieve at the bargaining table. School reform never works without real collaboration between parents, educators and the administration.

Randi Weingarten, President
United Federation of Teachers