Fwd: LA SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS CRISIS: --DISTRIBUTE WIDELY Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2012 03:42:31 -0700 (PDT) From: neil chertcoff <neil1...@sbcglobal.net> Subject: [May 19th Movement] Fw: SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS CRISIS: --DISTRIBUTE WIDELY
Please study and spread /debate info here!! Good luck! From: fmartin6 <fmart...@yahoo.com> Sent: Sunday, August 12, 2012 12:21 AM SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS CRISIS: DISTRIBUTE WIDELY Hello everyone, The recent changes disallowing classroom teachers the freedom to request their substitute is upsetting and has worried many senior career Substitute Teachers. However, latest information indicates that there is more to it and subs will be the biggest losers when these changes begin to be executed the first day of school. In a meeting with Substitute Teachers UTLA president indicated that RIF and displaced contract teachers will have priority in daily substitute assignments and only after these two groups have been assigned jobs, then senior career Substitute Teachers will be given the rest of the jobs if any are available. With regard to requesting specific subs by teachers, Mr. Fletcher indicated that this practice will still be in place but only after all displaced teachers have been assigned a day of work. Since Displaced and RIF teachers quantify a numerous amount, there is no guarantee that career substitute teachers will get enough days of work and, as a result, they will never qualify for health benefits. This means that the jobs and the well being of thousands of fellow subs will be on the line. Unfortunately, our Union leadership has not shown any will to fight back by calling for job actions or by taking a firm stand to defend every dues payer in this union. Instead, our union leaders are promoting the illusion that once RIF teachers are placed back in their teaching assignments, and if Governor Brownâs Tax Prop,. passes, things will level out and Subs will be called again and resume their substitute activities. However, it is our knowledge that there have been previous waves of RIF/Displaced teachers and up until now, not all of then have been rehired back again as regular teachers. In consequence, Displaced teachers will be acting as Pool Subs and as regular day to day Substitute Teachers in their own and other schools. By default, they will absorb the majority of substitute jobs available throughout the District. On a document dated 08/08/2012, The union states the following âDisplaced teachers in the contract pool will serve as substitutes of âfirst calledâ priority status. The district has informed us(UTLA) that displaced teachers will receive a telephone call each morning and told where to report for substitute service. If not called that day the teacher will have been told, or will already have a pre-designated reporting site.â This directly implies that the number of substitute displaced teachers in the sub unit will be larger than the number needed every day. Also, since the number of displaced teachers is tremendously large, it might take a year or more before all these teachers are placed back in any contract teaching assignments. This in turn, will make it hard for Substitute teachers to regain their previous calling status. We have to emphasize that there are still some teachers from last year who need to be assigned in permanent positions. Since many of us depend on our Substitute teaching job as the primary source of income to support our families, a expected long process of reassigning teachers, might not fit well with many of us in the substitute unit. How long can a person remain unemployed in this time of economic crisis? Since, unemployment continues to rise in the State, California Govt. officially admits to a 10.7 % unemployed status, and only surpassed by Rhoda Island with 10.9% and Nevada with 11.6%. What can be out there available for many of us that already past age forty? In that case, would it be wise to remain silent wile our jobs evaporate and we become part of the 10.7% unemployed in California? So what is in the horizon for us? What assurance do we have that we will ever again get a job as a substitute teacher in California? Reality indicates that we might never regain our full employment again. Obviously, if you read UTLA latest document, (08/08/2012) everything seems to be a one side mandate from the District. What roll did UTLA played in all these things? We believe that it is our duty and responsibility to fight back and demand that classroom teachers exercise their own freedom to request their own substitute teachers. In that case, we need to demand that teachers exercise that right regardless of what the District and UTLA want to implement. These are times to come together as rank and file members. As the leadership of UTLA betrayed us now by not implementing a plan of action to defend Substitute Teachers, then we are almost certain that they will also betray many of the others that will remain employed. Anything that would allow the destruction of Substitute Teacherâs jobs, will only serve one purpose: the degrading /destruction of public education and the teaching profession as we know it. History has thought us good lessons. In the recent past, senior Subs experienced a similar situation. In 2009, UTLA signed a secret agreement that stripped away substitute teachers seniority rights. Fortunately, an immediate response by substitute teachers then triggered a small rebellion and the deal was exposed and finally reversed. Todayâs situation is ten times worst than in 2009. The number of RIF teachers is much bigger and their length of time in the sub pool will technically be indefinite. The UTLA leadership has already proven that they are not supporting any position to defend Substitute Teachers or the regular membership. They are failing us now just as much as they did in 2009 and before. Traditionally, UTLA has used us as bargaining chips and have negotiated away benefits that at one point we had. Those vets who have been around long enough might well remember that Substitute Teachers used to enjoy sick and holiday pay. Unfortunately, UTLA negotiated that away in the early 1980âs. Letâs not just become another victim of political manipulation and other shady acts of this mis-leadership. It is time to stand up and fight to defend our jobs and the well being of our own families. If you are aware of this situation and feel that we need to do something about it, speak to other fellow teachers and organize actions at your school sites and demand that your right to call your own sub is respected. Let's not be divided and remember: an attack to one is an attack to all of us. 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