I'm not going to get into a debate regarding what is and what isn't social justice. I have shared my own ideas on these pages how social justice should be handled. But as to paraphrase Justice Potter Stewart "I know social justice when I see it." UFT Unity's attempt at claiming it is the true social justice party is quite laughable.

While the opposition caucuses seem to think that tweeting is how you do political action, they couldn’t find it in themselves to contribute a single tweet to the work of passing the paraprofessional pension legislation. Reading their social media, one would not even know that paraprofessionals existed.

It’s easy to ‘talk the talk’ of social justice unionism.

This not social justice. This should be called, "Doing what you should be doing and because it is the right thing to do and putting members dues to good work justice." 

The definition of Social Justice is as follows...

"justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society."

Yes, I will give kudos and props to the UFT increasing the rights, pay, and working conditions of paras. Paras are underrated and overworked. They deserve so much more. I have worked with some fantastic paras over the years and they make life so much easier. I hope they get more in the next contract and continue to for years. But this is not social justice.  

But let's use UFT Unity's skewed logic on social justice and see what they should do since UFT Unity is the "true blue social justice" caucus.

Medicare (Dis)Advantage aka Mulgrewcare

Explain how throwing thousands upon thousands of retirees into MAP is social justice? These are retirees with years of relationships with their current doctors. Many retirees who live on an extremely fixed income. Retirees who are scared and anxious of this sudden and illegal change. How is this social justice?

Teacher Harassment

Teachers are being harassed left and right by abusive administrators. Still. There was supposed to be an avenue on the latest contract on how to fight back against abusive administrators. Has the UFT ever successfully, let alone brought a case to either a chancellor's hearing or arbitration against a abusive administrator? I mean just for one individual teacher, not an entire chapter (While we here at SBSB to applaud this). How is this social justice?

Better yet, if Unity UFT really wants to show how social justicey they really are why are there not workshops at UFT borough offices on how to document and fight back against abusive administrators? 

One SBSB groupie is still fighting back against years of abuse. 

ATRs

Do I need to elaborate? Is this social justice. Oh wait, how much time and energy did the "true blue social justice" caucus of the UFT put into blocking an ATR chapter from forming? How is this social justice?

Retro Pay

Bad enough that teachers had to wait 11 years to get what was owed them. But to pour salt into the wound of teachers that were terminated, quit, or died without their well deserved as well earned back pay was just wrong. How is this social justice?

Concierge Service

I freaking hate it!  How is this social justice?

Abuse of Camille Eterno

How is defaming Camille Eterno, a proud unionist and mommy to two wonderful children social justice?  

Lack of Democracy and Transparency

The DA's are nothing more than propaganda. Rules aren't followed. There is no real debate. For some perverse reason I as an elementary teacher must vote for VP of High Schools. District Leader s are anointed. Those that suckle on the colon are rewarded. How is this social justice? 

I can go on and on, but the above is what popped into my head. I am sure there will be more in the comments. 

But please, Unity UFT is not, nor will ever be, the social justice caucus.  

And lastly....

The UFT election is right around the corner!

 

So, what is to be of the ATRs this coming school year?

Back in June were told that all ATRs, irregardless of anything, will be placed at the school they were in for the 2020-2021 school year. We would no longer be ATRs but a permanent member of the school community. All this was to be completed by June 18. June 18 has come and went.

Then there was word that the principals raised a ruckus about forced placements and the plan was put on the table. Gee, is anyone surprised?

The Crack Team has found out that "the plan" is till going forward, however there is a but. Most teachers will be placed where they were last year, but some won't. And there will not be any rotations. 

So as of today, August 23, 2020, not one ATR knows where they are going or what they will be teaching. In fact I got a call today from an SBSB groupie wondering where she will be come September. She's anxious and new to this ATR stuff. She is a dear friend and wants answers. There aren't any to give right now. 

But there are problems afoot, Raise your hands if you can guess the problems.

Think about this. The ATRs that will be placed will be the young ones, the ones who don't make that much money and were basically excessed. Those teachers, though forced placed, will be welcomed by their school's administration and given the benefit of the doubt. 

Those who are labeled as "others" will not be welcomed in their school community.  Those others will consist of those with many years in the system and/or make too much money. Have institutional memory, are rabble rousers, have big mouths, have gone through hearings, etc... How long do you think it will be before a principal or an AP will start greasing the skids on these teachers? The Rubber Rooms (They never went away) will be full again. 

Here is another problem. How many ATRs received a preference sheet this past school year? If ATRs are placed at last year's school shouldn't they have some building seniority? Should ATRs have some preference choice? Are wee not teachers? If you prick us, do we not bleed? 

How many teachers have had an entire summer to prepare for their assignment this year? A lot. We will not be finding out our assignments until September 1 at the earliest. Some but not find out until September 3 when one should open up DOE Outlook. 

And worse, this might be a way for the DOE to save money. With the Delta Variant plowing it's way through New York City what better way to save money than to place ATRs in filthy overcrowded schools and hope that most of them die? 

Yes, we know that it is in the contract that ATRs be forced placed. But couldn't the DOE have not been dicks about it? Why not have spent the summer trying to match ATRs to schools? It would have been win win for everyone. But alas, the DOE must be dicks. 

But it would sure be swell to hear from the UFT.

 Even though The Kinks are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame I have always thought they have never truly gotten their due. If you think about it it The Kinks were at the forefront of Heavy Metal and if you look at their early seventies stuff one might even say the preceded Bowie with all that glam and glitter. 

One of my favorite albums of theirs is "Schoolboys in Disgrace." And one song from that album has some lyrics that really hit home for me, that I feel about this school year and moving forward is "No More Looking Back." 

No more looking back, No more living in the past, Yesterday's gone and that's a fact, Now there's no more looking back. Got to be hard, Yeah, look straight ahead. That s the only way it's going to be

Next year is a new chapter, a new beginning, now more than ever. Just from a personal standpoint that I was not happy with certain things this year at my school. There is now nothing I can do about it. I realize that and I accept it. There are also many positive things about the school I was at this year but sometimes it just best to ride off into the sunset. 

It's also the end of ATRs as we know it. It's going to be a brave new world out there for us. There is a lot of anxiety out there for us. We don't know where we are going or what we will be doing. It would sure be swell if the UFT would have some type of virtual meeting with us. But I understand, after listening to Mike Mulgrew at the DA today, that there are lots of other stuff going on. I know they don't have all the answers now, but sometimes just touching base show caring and acknowledging our feelings. 

But we as ATRs must look ahead and not to the past. We need to go forward. It's just easier to go forward than just spinning our wheels or looking backwards. 

In a perfect world the UFT, the ATRs, and the DOE should have worked together to find everyone a good fit.