In doing research for the Arah Lewis story, I read in several places that only about 400 of the 2400 ATRs had been placed so far, despite the hiring freeze and financial incentives paid to principals who take on ATRs. (At the time the freeze began, there were only 1100 ATRs, so we can see how effective Klein's plan has been.)As the new school year approaches, it seems to me there are only two possibilities left:
1. Klein will grow a pair and force principals to hire from the ATR pool or else.
2. Klein will declare that despite all his hard work on their behalf, the ATRs are the unwanted pariahs of the school system. Thus, he will lift the hiring freeze, thereby securing jobs for people like Arah Lewis--you know, the ones principals want to hire because they're cheap, pliable, and will most likely leave before they put in five years. Klein will then declare the ATRs a financial burden on the system and seek to get them fired as part of the next contract.
Given Klein's track record, which one seems more likely?
2 comments:
Scenario 2 is probably the one that will, unfortunately, come to pass.
The ATR situation and the rubber room situation are inherently connected.
As you may know, the vast majority of rubber room inmates settle their cases by paying a several thousand dollar fine in what has been been best described as a "Chicago-style pay to play scheme" and retrun to the schools as ATRs.
This, of course, is a perversion of tenure rights and due process. And, of course, flies in the face of a 3020a hearing whereby the purpose is not to punish but to determine fitness to teach and the ability to fulfill professional responsibilities.
The growing (and it is growing once the released Rubber Room inmate totals are added in) ATR pool is slated for dismissal.
By abandoning the (mostly innocent ) rubber room population AND the veteran teacher ATR pool, Randi has tacitly signalled her reluctance to fight for their jobs.
Klein will describe the ATR pool as comprised of teacher with past disciplinary problems (and he isbecoming more and more accurate in this description given the scheme described above)or teachers who's abilities were not up to snuff (not picked up by any principals) and there will be little opposition to his moves to dismiss the ATR pool.
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