Fear is a mighty strong emotion. We all have some fears. Some are rational and some are not. But these are OUR own fears. We have ownership over our fears and only can either decide to cave to our fears or fight back against the fears that inhabit our souls. But there is something, or rather, someone worse than our fears.Who could it be you ask?
These types decide to manipulate and feel the need to pour gasoline on our fears for their own self-aggrandizement. Such types can be labeled sociopathic, psychotic, narcissistic, manipulative, or if a male, in possession of a Freudian physical shortcoming, in which they feel is grossly inadequate and to make up for the lack of size and find the only way to "feel big" is to make others feel small.
One can even say that this type of person is so overcome with their own fears, that their fears control them, that the only way to make themselves feel a modicum of being fearless is to project their fears onto others, to make themselves feel powerful and important. They feel it is better to bring others down to their level of living in the gutter, rather than trying to move out and letting the sunlight expose them for what they really are.
As ATR's we are constantly living with our antennae in a constant state of alert. We go around wondering if this is the day they are going to get us. Is this the right school I am in? Will the principal or field supervisor judge me objectively? Will I have a bathroom key? Am I still a good teacher? Am I still an adequate human being?
Are the DOE and the UFT in cahoots against me and my fellow ATR's?
Yes, we need reassurance while needing the ability to be in control of our destinies. It is a powerful balancing act. How do we toe the line between the two? How do we "play the game," while at the same time keep the dignity we so deserve along with the ability to stand up for ourselves?
I know of one thing that does not accomplish either goal. Fear mongering.
Sadly in our ATR world there are, or is it "is," an entity so bereft of any empathetic values, so attuned into itself that the only way It feels it can succeed is by scaring the shit out of others and look down at the carnage It has created with a smile.
This disturbing email addressed to ATR's came across the desk of The Crack Team recently.
From: It <Pennywise@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Sep 14, 2016 at 2:12 PM
Subject: IMPORTANT- 1 minute ATR Survey
To:
Good afternoon,
Whether you are now still an ATR, provisionally placed or just hired permanently this year, please take a quick moment to fill out this important ATR Survey. There is chatter that the DOE is releasing the names of all ATRs to a hedge fund backed parent group looking to attack ATRs in the press. They have already started last year in an effort to paint ATRs as sub par educators. We to counter their attacks and false claims with the truth.
Click here and take the survey by Friday please. The data we collect will mean less if only a few us contribute. Your names and email addresses will not be shared out. Results are listed at the bottom of the survey page.
CLICK HERE FOR SURVEY
Let's make one thing clear. This chatter, this thing that hedge funds are seeking out the names of ATR's is clear bullshit. Actually, this movement is being led by Students FirstNY and you can read the FOIL request here. Even if the hedge funds are seeking out the names the DOE will not provide them voluntarily. This information comes to The Crack Team from very high up. Do not worry. Do not let the darkness of It control your emotions.
It had lofty
As Kirk said to Khan...
"but like a poor marksman, you keep missing the target!
What ATR's are getting in this email is a falsehood sent by a false self-anointed deity and just a desperate method to sign up others to It's flailing failure of a movement.
ATR's will not be played for fools or marks, and certainly won't be the targets of grifters or scheisters.
8 comments:
I am FED UP and PISSED off that this self anointed deity continues to lurk in every alley and continues to infiltrate his fungus on the weak, innocent and unknowing.
sadly the followers will continue to follow him off the cliff. I actually feel sorry for them that they're so cluless.
You are absolutely right about the two types of fear that people face and people should face up to their own personal inner fears and fight forward. However, you are completely wrong, misinformed, or both when you say that the people in the ATR pool are not under attack. You say that you have it from a source within the Department of Education that holds a high position and is privy to the sort of information that would contradict the email sent out to ATRs, even going so far as to highlight the section in the email that you contended to prove wrong.
l would like to point out that your source is one of the following or possibly all, wrong, a liar, not in the know, or worse yet, a figment of your imagination. As proof to my point I would direct you to the StudentsFirstNY website in their press release section:
http://www.studentsfirstny.org/parents_demand_answers_from_mayor_on_atr_cover_up
After reading the press release, if you still hold the same opinion that ATRs are not under attack and that ATRs do not have worry about their names being released in the paper as a way to humiliate them, then I would have to seriously question your motives for writing such a misleading blog post. I already have serious reservations about your source of information, as there is a plenty of evidence to speak to the contrary of the information the alleged source gave you. Did your source miss the protest outside of City Hall? Maybe your source does. It actually know anything about what is happening in the FOIL Department of the DOE Maybe your source decided to mislead you to throw the crack team at South Bronx Schools off of the scent.
Yes, the email was sent out to ATTs to gather information about the background of the typical ATR so that we will be able to present evidence against the attack on people in the ATR Pool, of which you are a member.
Ask the people that attended the UFT Executive Board Meeting what was said about ATRs. Amy Arundell stood up with a clear conscience and said that the UFT did not have numbers on how many ATRs exist but that they know the number is shrinking. And then Michael Mulgrew announced that the number of people in the ATR Pool is smaller than at any point in his tenure as leader of the UFT. How would they know this if they don't have hard data?
You have personal written a blog post calling for the UFT and NYSUT to stand up and defend teachers.
http://southbronxschool.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-uft-and-nysut-must-seek-justice-for.html?m=1
http://southbronxschool.blogspot.com/2016/03/this-was-bound-to-happen-to-me.html?m=1
http://southbronxschool.blogspot.com/2016/07/s-is-for-surviving-year.html?m=1
So you know that our current leadership is not doing what needs to be done to protect teachers in the classroom. You also know that ATRs are being harassed and attacked but choose to attack the people that are actually trying to do something about the attacks. Is it really so far fetched that ATRs, the lowest on the totem pole, would be first to get picked on?
You really need to let go of your anger and move past this obsession because it is clouding your better judgment. You have more than said your piece, so move on because for a person that claims they are being bullied, you sure try to do a lot of bullying.
Your information is wrong and needs to be corrected in light of evidence or you can continue down the path of denialism.
First John, thanks for correcting me. I misspoke when I said, "this thing that hedge funds are seeking out the names of ATR's is clear bullshit." I wasn't paying attention and I will correct that statement.
I should clarify this line as well, "Even if the hedge funds are seeking out the names the DOE will not provide them."
I will also add to the post that this request for the names of ATR's had come from Students First NY. I had known about this and had forgotten about who exactly. In fact yesterday when writing the post I was thinking it was Campbell Brown and Mona Davids who were behind this. But thank you for correcting me.
What I will not apologize for nor correct is the substance of my post. I stand behind 100%. Just look at what is highlighted in yellow. And, my source is impeccable.
"There is chatter that the DOE is releasing the names of all ATRs to a hedge fund backed parent group looking to attack ATRs in the press."
Now John, what is wrong with this sentence? I'll tell you.
"chatter that the DOE is releasing the names of all ATRs..."
These words make it as if the DOE is voluntarily considering or about to release the name of all ATR's to Students first. We know that is not the truth. The proper wording should have entailed something like, "Students First has filed a FOIL request for the release of all names and pertinent information regarding NYCDOE. ATR's."
Why wasn't it written that way? Because the latter method does not instill the fear and uncertainty the original wording was intended to create.
The attempt to sow fear and and anxiety through liberal use of words and the creation exaggerated situations is no different from what we have been seeing of Donald Trump.
Those words in yellow were no accident. It was purposeful and done with the intent to instill fear. Simple as that.
But you and yours are so enamored by FOILing, which is a great idea but sometimes you have to be a realist, yet do not share the limitations of the FOIL law. http://www.dos.ny.gov/coog/foil2.html#s87 Maybe it is time you share more.
Yes, I am not happy with the current leadership of the UFT. But I sleep better at night knowing that MORE has the high school seats and has a foundation on which to build on.
As for you claiming I have anger, please, stop projecting. I just report and opine the dumb ass things and lies I come across. Simple as that.
I suggest you speak up about harassing members of MORE and others (mostly of the female persuasion) for years or months and the showing up uninvited at people's houses.
You are a good person John. I genuinely enjoy talking to you and find you quite intelligent. You have said wonderful things about my son on Facebook, and appreciate it. However, I think your eyes are wide shut when it comes to certain matters.
I am available anytime you wish to talk.
Atrs do need to be scared no matter the reason that they find themselves in their current predicament. I would ask you to step up and attend the Executive Board Meetings at the UFT in order to hear what is going on in our union.
I too am happy that someone other than Unity has a voice at the table but nothing much will change unless we keep the pressure on. Seven seats at the Executive Board are just a start but not nearly enough.
You continue to speak of harassment but whenever I see members of More, I am welcomed with well wishes as is Portelos. In fact I witness members of More greet Portelos quite warmly and this is true of both woman and men. Yes there are some hard feelings as to be expected but the people that want real change know that there will come a time when all non unity groups have to get together and make the push that finally wrestles the union away from the current leadership that allows teachers of all stripes to be abused while that leadership claims victory for everything that gets done whether that something be bad or worse. It is time to put behind us past disagreements and move towards the next level.
You have taken it upon yourself to attack Portelos and UFT Solidarity at every turn, even while others are beginning to heal old wounds. Yes, I would call this behavior anger otherwise it is obsession. If not anger or obsession, why else would you write over thirty blog posts about the same issue in under a year? The average teacher does not even know that caucuses exist within the union, but you chose to write blog after blog about what Portelos and UFT Solidarity is doing in the negative form. How does this behavior help union members? What are you personally doing, big or small, to change our current condition? How does threatening another teacher help the Uft members?
I think you could do a lot more to help students and teachers if you changed your focus. You have had more than enough time to get over whatever happened to you and have said your piece. Case and point, two teachers were brought up on 3020- a charges last week that had developing ratings the past two years, but you do not have the time to talk about that. Instead you write yet another post about UFT Solidarity. Way to let the membership know that we are actually trying to do something other than rehash old feelings. My brother, you are an ATR, the DOE will come back around again to try and take your career and you are more vulnerable than ever. I know that you know this- survivor post proves this point.
It is time to unite for the greater good. More and New Action knew that they needed to unite when old rivals joined to win the High School Seats on The Executive Board. When will you know it is time for you to move on for the greater good?
I would love to attend an executive board meeting. I was planning on it last Monday but when I realized that Thursday was going to be PT conferences I changed my mind. Didn't feel like getting home at 8:30 two nights last week.
I don't doubt for a minute that you were treated warmly by members of MORE. However, I think your vision of It being treated warmly is quite fantastical and and you have mistaken politeness for warmth.
No, I have not taken it upon myself to attack It and your caucus at every turn. So what if I wrote 30 blog posts. Don't want me to write about It or your caucus don't give me material. Simple as that. Stop the lying, the games, the manipulation, and the subterfuge and then I won't have anything to write about. Heck, no one complained about how often I wrote about E4E, Whitney Tilson, or Eva Moskowitz.
But again, about what you claim is my obsession/anger, how is this different from the obsessive, taunting, intimidating emails to members of MORE, not just for a week or so but for over a year? How is this any different from showing up at someone's house, at night, uninvited? I mean I can really go on and on and on.
Yes, you know of two teachers that got brought up on 3020-a charges last week. Good for you. I know of two teachers that got discontinued this summer, one brought up on a 3020-a charge, and one brand new teacher to the DOE. Big whoop! You have no clue what I know, who I know, what I have done. I don't need to. Those that know me know what I have done. I don't need to wear anything on my sleeve and make it all about me.
Yeah, ATR's should be scared, and I even think that is too strong a word. I think vigilant is better, but this is open to discussion. However, I will not sit still or be silent when anyone who purports to have the best interests of ATR's in their mind lies,manipulates, and instills fear to further their own goals. The cognitive dissonance is so strong with you you still can't even get your mind around what I am talking about.
But I still like you. You should come see Sam play one day. He's playing 18u ball this fall.
It is great to hear that Adam is playing 18U. Make sure that he is mentally ready for the challenge, as pitchers at that level are going to have much more complicated pitch patters and feature better off speed pitches. He will get a good education on the curveball and change up at that level. He will struggle at the plate at first, but as long as he takes the struggles as a learning experience and he is willing to let things go when he has a bad game he will be fine.
I hope that you fixed the issue of his are placement if he is going to catch at the 18U level. Tucking the elbow while catching older pitchers will cause many problems on pitches in the dirt, which he will see more of behind the plate. I'm sure he will do well and I look forward to getting out to see one of his games.
On another note, I find it a little disturbing that you claim to know others emotions and thoughts. You claim that I , a grown man cannot tell the difference between garden store variety politeness and warmth. You also claim to know that not a single member of More regards me warmly, which is a little frightening because I have not done anything to anyone for them to think of me other than kindly. Even if they believed as you do, that I am a cool aid drinker, why would they hate me for that? But you claim to know all.
Another issue of concern, is the fact you claim that lies are being pushed, but recognized that you were wrong about the the blog post, as the information was being seemed out by StudentsFirstNY but still stick to your line of we do nothing but lie. You even admit the ATRs should be scared but scared might be to harsh a word. I think conceded, worried, or nervous could also be used but scared works just fine.
Lastly, I didn't mention the two teachers to brag or show off. I'm sure you know lots of people, totally and many many people talk to you about the 3020 process just for whatever. I mentioned the two teachers to highlight a recent trend, which you completely glossed over so that you could make a random point about what you know. Teachers are being brought up on termination charges even when they have two developing ratings. Maybe you should talk about that in your blog post, as opposed to all the free press that you are giving UFT Solidarity. But rather than see the point, you went off on a spiel about what you know. Teachers that are rated developing are being brought up on termination charges.
We both agree that things are out of hand at the union and something needs to be done. We just need to get on the same page about how we are going to do it. Look forward to seeing you today at the meeting.
I meant Sam and sleek check corrected it. Sorry about that mistake. Trouble seeing on the phone and I'm getting old, Lol
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