Friday, August 28, 2009

Can Even Klein be this Evil?


I've seen so many dirty tricks played in the 7+ years of the BloomKlein reign that perhaps I've started seeing things where nothing exists, but this item caught my eye because of the timing.

According to Gotham Schools, Teaching Fellows who have not been placed by September 18th can earn $250 a week for six weeks by doing four days of "practice teaching" a week (if someone knows what practice teaching is, please fill me in. I can only picture a classroom full of mannequins being huddled in groups of 4). That is certainly not a lot of money if you're out of work, and it's a pittance in NYC. Still....

It just might be enough to keep those TFs on a bit longer. And this is where the timing comes in. Six weeks after September 18 brings us right to election day weekend. Suppose Mayor for Life Bloomberg wins--is it possible that he will lift the hiring freeze immediately after he is re-elected and hang all the ATRs out to dry? As of right now, Klein insists that the hiring freeze will remain in place, but that may be just to give Bloomberg cover in an election year. Mike can claim he's doing all he can to place the ATRs and avoid the political fallout of the 80 million a year the ATRs cost the city, and then fill the vacancies with TFs as soon as he gains his unethical third term.

Is it far fetched? A coincidence? I don't know. but we've had the football pulled away from us too many times to be sure.

3 comments:

12 more years said...

I can't quite put my finger on it- but you know that stringing along the TFs is somehow tied in to something much more insidious- wish I knew what. I'll bet though that somehow, it all has something to do with our probably already negotiated contract.

Rachel Grynberg said...

I think it also has to do with the fact that word must be getting around among TF's that there's less chance of getting a job than they thought. The TF's at my school have talked about friends who can't find work, etc. I think BloomKlein might be afraid they might not be able to recruit as much fresh meat the way things are going.

Anonymous said...

Well, more than 500 of the 750 teaching fellows this year are designated for Special Education... and that freeze has already lifted. I suspect this extended teacher training is more of a result of last year's debacle of unemployed fellows.

The practice teaching is just an extended period of student teaching at a school that they hope will have a vacancy upcoming.