Teacher Bathroom Behavior Charges

The following comes from the files of, "You Can't Make This Shit Up!"

Last month Chaz in a blog post wrote...

Up until this previous school year the Office of Legal Services would include every trivial infraction as a specification in an educator's 3020-a charges and this was known as "throwing shit on the wall and hope enough sticks" to get the arbitrator to terminate the educator.  

You left toilet seat up once? It's chargeable. You farted in a non-prescribed, unapproved DOE manner? It's chargeable. Well, check this stuff out.

A colleague of mine just got hit with 3020-a charges today. Among the normal incompetence and teaching stuff were two doozies. Perhaps the first time charges of this type were ever leveled against a teacher. What are the gist of these charges?

Proper bathroom hygiene. I kid you not.

One charge involves my friend, let's call him Aaron Goldstein. One day, in fact one morning, Aaron arrived at his school and suddenly his stomach started to "percolate." His stomach started to rumble, and at this moment Aaron felt the need to relieve himself. Being that he was on the first floor of the school he started heading upstairs to the fourth, and highest, floor where there is the only men's bathroom in the school (This particular school was built over one hundred years ago. If you ever been in one of these the schools, the fourth floor can seem like climbing a mountain).

Aaron ascended the stairs as quickly as he could, trying his best to hold in what is colon wanted to push out. He finally made it into the bathroom but alas, Aaron was a bit too late. Let's just say Aaron missed his target, and instead created a scene such as Jackson Pollock would've. Not just in the stall, but on himself as well.

Aaron, being the professional that he is, cleaned himself up, made sure there were no remnants left behind, cleaned the stall, and reported the issue. He had to. For he had to go home. It is safe to assume that the custodial staff was called in.

I empathize with Aaron. I am diabetic and one of the drugs I take, Metformin, tends to make you this way. One of my biggest fears is that this will happen at school.

Not too long after this incident Aaron had to go pee-pee. Again, Aaron was on the first floor and the men's room was in another time zone. The first floor just had a ladies room as do the third and fourth floors.

Aaron had the pressing need to pee. Now we here at SBSB do not know if Aaron has prostate issues, had an UTI, or had drank an inordinately large amount of water that day. All Aaron was aware of is that he had to pee. Badly.

Aaron went to the first floor ladies room. He made sure no one was in there and he locked it when he went in. He soon had a gladder bladder.

But that is not what Aaron got written up for and what he is now being charged with. Aaron got written up for leaving three droplets of pee on the seat. Yes, Aaron should have lifted the seat and yes an argument can be made that he should not have used the ladies room. But one can also make the case that Aaron was so traumatized from his previous bathroom incident, that he just felt he could not make it to the fourth floor.

This is just inane. This is yet another case of the DOE throwing whatever it can find and  throwing it against the wall, to see what happens. It's also another case about disparities in discipline. If Aaron were a favorite all he would have had was a talking to.

We here at SBSB are calling for an equal distribution of bathrooms in all NYC public schools, as well as ensuring that all bathrooms be no more than two floors from another male or female bathroom. This way we can ensure that there will be no more incidents like Aaron's

Might This Be the End of the UFT?

Is it the end of the world UFT as we know it, is it the end of the world UFT as we know it, and should I feel fine? 

Earlier this week, the New York Post's intrepid reporter, Carl Campanile, basically wrote a story on how the $128 million budgeted UFT might have to change it's ways with the Janus court case expected to reach the Supreme Court sometime this year. The roosters are coming home to roost at 52 Broadway.

According to the Post, the UFT;

is a far-flung enterprise with a $42 million payroll that includes more than 700 members paid to perform full-time or part-time union duties

with borough reps, district reps and 65 staffers each making more than $150,000. Mulgrew pulls in $283,000.

See, this is just not right. This shows that the leadership is just completely out of touch. Yes, there are some in the UFT who actually, in my opinion, that do earn that money. But why do salaries have to be that high? Why must there be such a disparity between the "anointed ones" and the rank and file? Heck, I know someone from my town who works for the UFT and he makes 30% more than I do and he has never taught. He's a great guy, a great dad, and I like him quite a bit, but he should not be making more than teacher. At least with District and Borough Reps, officers, you can make an argument for, but someone who has not risen through the ranks making that money...no. And, I would not begrudge Mulgrew his salary if he was more transparent. Or accessible. Or proactive. Or listened.

How exactly is OUR money being spent. Why isn't each member of the UFT mailed or given EASY access to how each and every dime is spent?

But according to the Post, the UFT might be getting a clue in regards to this summer's retreat...

The event was held at UFT headquarters at 52 Broadway instead of the Hilton Westchester in Rye, NY, where the union typically holds its retreats.

That's a start! I've been to that retreat. The grub served there is much, much better than most Bar Mitzvah's. Hey, at least have the retreat where there is a golf course. The Doral Arrowwood about 5 minutes up the Hutch in Purchase has a decent 9 hole course. Solve problems, etc... over match play or best ball.

But this must have the UFT crappin' it's pants...

If the Supreme Court rules against government employee unions, membership and dues revenues would likely plummet by 20 percent to 30 percent, labor sources said. The union would have to get written consent directly from teachers to collect dues from them.

It's now a death watch. Who will be this 20-30 percent? The newbie blonde hair and blue eyed teachers who still have mommy and daddy pay for the closet sized apartment in Manhattan while Junior weekends in the Hamptons with his babe Buffy.

Yeah, these teachers can't look past their their next drink when the hang out in their hipster bars in Brooklyn or Amsterdam Ave nursing their craft beers (WHAT IS WRONG WITH JUST HAVING A COORS LIGHT?) while they converse how special they are that they, the rich chosen ones, are sacrificing and delaying their ascent into business or law school.

Let them shit themselves when they need representation in a discipline meeting or worse, a lawyer. Let them be on their own.

Better yet, and this should happen with a reverse lawsuit, if you don't pay the dues you get noting. Bupkus. Nada.

Yeah, I am not happy with the UFT leadership. But I will keep paying my dues because not only do my dues benefit me but my dues benefit other teachers.

Once you stop paying your dues you get none of the spoils of the contract. You must negotiate your own salary with the principal. You teaching schedule. Your days off. Your hours. EVERYTHING! No health benefits. No welfare fund,. No pension. No nothing.

You don't pay union dues, you are then a independent contractor. Heck, you are paid as a 1099 and have to pay your taxes quarterly.

Every CL in each school will share a list of teacher's that refuse to pay dues and those teachers will be nothing more than rats and scabs. Let them be an island onto themselves. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

Same goes for the UFT. They need to get their act together. Show us what you got. Now.