Thread: 1,500 NY teachers paid to do union business & miss class

1,500 teachers paid to do union business and miss class

By SUSAN EDELMAN
Last Updated: 11:11 AM, February 27, 2011
Posted: 12:40 AM, February 27, 2011

In the city's funny math, you get only one teacher for the price of two.

The Department of Education pays about 1,500 teachers for time they spend on union activities -- and pays other teachers to replace them in the classroom.

It's a sweetheart deal that costs taxpayers an extra $9 million a year to pay fill-ins for instructors who are sprung -- at full pay -- to carry out responsibilities for the United Federation of Teachers.

With Mayor Bloomberg calling for thousands of teacher layoffs to balance the 2012 budget, critics say it's time to halt the extravagant benefit.

Tom Dromgoole: Manhattan high schools DOE Salary: $100,049
UTF Salary: $50,461

"In these tight fiscal times, it defies common sense to pay two different people to do one job," said Dick Dadey, executive director of Citizens Union, a government watchdog. "It's a waste of money."

That $9 million would cover the salaries of 198 new teachers at the current annual $45,530 starting pay

The DOE lets 40 experienced teachers collect top pay and fringe benefits, but work just one class period a day.

Under a contract agreement since 2003, the DOE excuses these veterans to work for the UFT -- currently 38 as district representatives and two as union vice presidents. The UFT pays them another salary, plus expenses.

English teacher Tom Dromgoole, for instance, collects top teacher pay, $100,049 a year, from the DOE for his slot at Leadership and Public Service HS in downtown Manhattan. But he is relieved for most of the day to serve as a UFT high school rep. The UFT supplements his salary by $50,461, records show.

Dromgoole is outspoken on state budget cuts, which he blasted at a boisterous protest last March with UFT President Michael Mulgrew. Reached Friday outside his Brooklyn townhouse, Dromgoole brushed past a reporter who asked about his UFT work, saying, "No comment."

Another veteran teacher said of the lucrative gigs, "It's a plum because you're not teaching. Some principals give them little or nothing to do" because the UFT reps are powerful.

The rest of the 1,500 teachers paid for time away from students are UFT "chapter leaders," who represent faculty at each school. They get at least one class period a day "for investigation of grievances" and other union-related duties, the contract says.

The UFT reimburses the DOE only about $900,000 of nearly $10 million it spends to replace the teachers, officials said.

One principal said his school's chapter leader is helpful as a staff liaison, but he questioned why the UFT -- which collects $126 million in member dues -- doesn't cover the cost: "They have a lot of money to run TV ads. Should DOE be paying for this?"

UFT spokesman Dick Riley said such arrangements are common among city unions "and were instituted with the agreement of NYC government."

A spokeswoman for Mayor Bloomberg declined to comment.

Additional reporting by Farrah Weinstein

susan.edelman@nypost.com

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/unio ... MAtzqHASxI

And then thay wonder why taxpayers would like to see them disband or major change take place. They are NOT doing their assigned responsibilities and that is teaching

THIS IS A TOTAL DISGRACE TO THE TEACHING PROFESSION! How dare these people call themselves teachers! Each and everyone of them needs to resign their teaching position and go to work strictly for the union. Let them live on their Union salary and leave teaching to those who want to teach!

I know...I spent my first 10 years as a teacher in Western NY back in the late '60's and early 70's. It was going on then but seems to have gotten much worse now. Unions once had their place. Today, they seem totally out of control and a line must be drawn soon!

It's a total disgrace to our country also. Selfishness and lack of control has taken over these protestors. I don't care if they want to protest on their off time but not on taxpayer dimes! If I felt any sympathy for them at first, I sure as heck do not now. Let them go teach the democrats some American history and the democrats can pay them...

Originally Posted by forest

It's a total disgrace to our country also. Selfishness and lack of control has taken over these protestors. I don't care if they want to protest on their off time but not on taxpayer dimes! If I felt any sympathy for them at first, I sure as heck do not now. Let them go teach the democrats some American history and the democrats can pay them...

I didn't know there was a protest in New York......

Teacher Tenure Reform Catching On Across States

Posted February 4th, 2011

Education reform is taking shape across the nation, and for many states, the next wave of change is coming as state leaders push for teacher tenure reform. Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, and New Jersey have proposed to eliminate or dramatically restructure the current form of teacher tenure.

Additionally, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg “has campaigned aggressively for the state to end ‘last in, first out’ protections for teachers.â€