Unity Speaks

The UFT paper says the new 6th class is not a sixth class. They're happy they got the DOE to agree on that concept. Now, all they have to do is convince the teachers actually teaching the sixth class that it isn't a sixth class, and it will, evidently, cease to be a sixth class.

I've just discovered that those of us on extended time schedules will not be teaching the sixth class--we'll just have five longer classes. It's just one more little thing that says "Unity does not value your time at all and is more than happy to bargain it away for a pittance." Still, it beats the hell out of the sixth class in which most of my unfortunate colleagues will be trapped

Unity also urged the city not to send us into the lunchroom until September, though, apparently, it has no right to do so. In fact, according to Unity, the contract appears to be a huge mess of unresolved issues and unintended consequences.

It's too bad our leadership doesn't bother to read agreements before signing them. We will all pay for their lack of foresight, as will NYC's 1.1 million schoolchildren, who seem destined to waste their time after school in classes of doubled and tripled up "small group instruction" classes in which nothing of consequence will occur. The DOE doesn't care whether or not teachers "instruct" within their license areas, and plans to pair you with paraprofessionals, so that you'll be, in effect, teaching 20 rather than ten kids.

Small indeed are the minds that dreamed up "small group instruction".