ATR HORRORS

These stories of ATR horrors come from the files of "YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS SH** UP!"

Again, for those who do not know, click here to learn what an ATR(Absent Teacher Reserve) is. 

Reading these stories, what bothers me the most is not the nasty treatment from administrators or secretaries, that's to be expected, but rather the nasty treatment by fellow teachers and union members.

Here's the thing to all teachers who decide to dump on ATR's. It might happen to you one day so don't do stuff that will invite the Karma Fairy to see you.

This will be done in two parts. I have also fixed grammatical and spelling mistakes as opposed to what I had posted the other night. I wanted to keep it real but someone got their knickers in a bunch. Remember, these were received in quickly written emails. As far as upper and lower case letters being where they should and/or punctuation, who cares right now? ;P Any highlighting or italics or whatever has been added by The Crack Team.

If anyone needs any help, advice, to vent, to have a shoulder to cry on, or whatever, email me.

So yesterday I went into the teacher's center to use a computer. They were, apparently, having a retirement party for someone. I walked in and looked around. A person I've never seen before comes over to me an says, "You need to leave. This is not for you."

 

It was when K'Tori asked me (a guidance counselor ACR)  to count all the books in the library. He demonstrated how to do it by verbally counting 1, 2, 3, and pointing his finger at each count.

 

You are just an Atr., you don't work here, you are a visitor.

 

"The Uft calendars are for the teachers in this school, you are an ATR ". That was said to a fellow ATR in front of me by a "teacher" at some HS in the Bronx.

 

I'm livid. Super popped in for an informal obs on an iss class. (Not my license) Ap told me to direct them to castle learning and super didn't think that was good enough and wants to now give me a U.   He has already observed me and given me an S.  Ap told him I am doing a great job, and he insists its not good enough. I told him I'm tired of the games. You say you are going to help me find a job but the truth is you are looking for any excuse to fire me. I'm done being Mrs nice guy

 

An ATR I know told me she tried to take a cup of water from the water dispenser in the teachers' room and was told nastily that she couldn't have any and only the teachers in the school were chipped in were allowed to have any of this magical water lol

 

No bathroom keys in any of the schools. which means you have to walk from the fourth floor at times to the first to go to the bathroom.

 

I was invited to the teachers appreciation luncheon and be told that only teachers could eat.

 

Bathroom key? You're here a week. What do you need a key for?

No place to keep my things. I have to walk around from class to class with my coat, bookbag, hat scarf and anything else I'm carrying. The teacher room is locked in most schools and no teacher seem to have a key for it. I have been given no materials and told that there are no books that I can use. (I was in the science room). The kids come without pencils or paper. I can't use a laptop to get to the smartboard. In some schools there's no place to write anything because they all use the smartboard. I think subs are treated better then ATR's Given Lunch duty, Save room and told to file papers in the office. The principal told me that the teachers are meeting with parents and then doing inquiry team work. So I need to file papers in the office.

 

A 69 yr old ATR told me a principal made her walk the hallways 5 periods a day for hall duty. She was very upset.

 

 At the school I just was assigned to; I had to contact Amy and then Mike Sill to get bathroom keys.

 

So this loudmouth teacher at my current school started in with me again yesterday. (The same one who said principals don't want ATRs because they come from failing schools and must be bad, even though she admits she doesn't know what an ATR is.) I took a phone call from my son's school in the faculty room during my lunch. She starts reading from her phone an article on "cell phones in the workplace"-LOUDLY. Looking at me while she does so. Then a few minutes later my husband called to see what was going on with me getting home. We were on the phone less than three minutes. She continued reading from the article - LOUDLY. Then said, "I think we need to copy this and blow it up poster size and hang it here in the room because SOME PEOPLE have no manners and need a REMINDER". Looking at me. I asked he if she had a problem because the passive aggressive behavior was really over the top. She looked SHOCKED and said, "Well, you are in everyone's face with your phone calls and you're loud and you have a big mouth. No one wants to hear you. No one cares about your phone conversations and you're here blasting it out for everyone to hear. No one WANTS you here. No one wants you eating lunch here. No one wants to hear your shit while we try to eat! And we don't like you trying to talk to us like you belong here." So I responded, "Here's a plan. I won't direct my big mouth at you and you keep your big mouth shut around me and we can just agree to ignore each other! DEAL?" And then she got all shocked and hurt and said I can't handle "constructive criticism".Top of Form 1

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I've been told several times" I wished I could be excessed so I can rotate from school to school and get paid for doing nothing!"

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I'm going to Renaissance School of the Arts where I was threatened on an interview back in October. The principal told me that my response would be called in as a refusal since I have an accommodation and can't walk up to the fourth floor every day. Now I will have call HR or go in armed with my accommodation letter and hope and pray that I get a new placement without getting into some kind of trouble.

 

I had a TIA and the stupidvisor called the hospital to see if that was true.

 

 

At Fannie Lou, the old stupid safety agent refused to open a bathroom for me. One of the Aps told me that their crazy students do better with their real teacher. Many times I am being asked are you a teacher? In another school the secretaries will not answer my greeting.

 

Was working in the basement "save room" for the better part of the last 4 weeks, so, had to constantly deal with the worst of the worst, trying to sneak out while my back was turned, wandering around the room looking for trouble, boys touching girls, girls sitting on boys laps, "play fights", NO INTERNET NO CELL SIGNAL, NO WINDOWS...very prison-like. OH, and One 15 yr old black kid on his way OUT of the save room on Fri saying "bye WHITE BOY" to me. Very nice. I won't miss THAT school, let me tell ya.

 

A principal told me she didn't like my kind and only real teachers get a bathroom key.
The principal of the school below informed the school safety agents to tell me that I would be arrested, If I continued to use his school's bathroom.  District rep hung up on me and after I called his boss. That mother fucker came to me and said, I hung up the phone on you because I have an African-American wife and a gay son.  Oh, I believed that the principal didn't like my kind as being the gay kind.

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The only time Debbie Otto will speak to you will be to ream you a new one or give you more work to do. My mother in law died while I was there and when I called to let them know I'd be taking off, the secretary told me I had to get "PERMISSION from Ms. Otto". When I told her about my mother in law, she said, "Well, are you going to need all your days because you're a sub and you're here to save me money not cost me money. You can't bring her back, you know." When I returned after taking my FULL allotment, she saw me and said, "Welcome back from your vacation. Here's your class." Not a damn word of sympathy from a soul at that hell hole.

 

I came into the office one morning and the secretary announced "The slave labor is here."

 

As an ATR, I recorded a principal that lied because she stated that I refused an assignment and stated I was problematic. That never happened. I sent the UFT District Representative the recording and no action was taken to support me against false accusations.

 

I'm being observed trying to teach when I have no regular class or school. I've tried to reach UFT appointed representatives Michael Sill or Amy Arundel sometimes to no avail. Sometimes I will get a response to my concern only after several days have passed. I'm constantly being demeaned and humiliated by being called and treated like a substitute. I receive no bathroom key, no place to hang my coat, no place to sit to have lunch, asked to punch in and out in violation of the contract, do clerical work, hall duty, teach gym and self-contained special education classes alone even though I have a Career and Technical Education license. I am denied access to UFT chapter meetings inside the schools, and no longer offered per session positions. I have always been a strong supporter of the union and feel completely abandoned.  

At times it takes me 2 hours to get to work which is a violation of the contract. I am sent to the furthest locations in the borough while other ATRs, on opposite parts are sent closer to me.

 

There appears to be an unfair hiring practice as most of the new teachers are young and inexperienced. Why isn't the UFT addressing this? Veteran and experienced ATRs are applying to countless positions that are being filled by less expensive and more novice educators.