"'Rubber rooms' don't work.
They don't work for schools, students or taxpayers. They especially don't work for teachers, who have no desire to have incompetent or misbehaving colleagues but who also insist that the discipline process be fair and objective.
What's more, the rubber rooms are a problem that can be solved.
The UFT has offered many ways to streamline and expedite the process.
There is no reason most investigations cannot be completed in 30 days, and we have urged the hiring of more investigators to speed this part of the process.
In 2002, we negotiated an expedited process for lesser misconduct. That agreement permitted the Department of Education -- with the teacher's agreement -- to limit the total time for a hearing to three days. In the last eight years since this procedure was agreed upon, the DOE has used it twice.
In 2008, we worked with the DOE to increase the number of arbitration-panel members dedicated to these cases."
They don't work for schools, students or taxpayers. They especially don't work for teachers, who have no desire to have incompetent or misbehaving colleagues but who also insist that the discipline process be fair and objective.
What's more, the rubber rooms are a problem that can be solved.
The UFT has offered many ways to streamline and expedite the process.
There is no reason most investigations cannot be completed in 30 days, and we have urged the hiring of more investigators to speed this part of the process.
In 2002, we negotiated an expedited process for lesser misconduct. That agreement permitted the Department of Education -- with the teacher's agreement -- to limit the total time for a hearing to three days. In the last eight years since this procedure was agreed upon, the DOE has used it twice.
In 2008, we worked with the DOE to increase the number of arbitration-panel members dedicated to these cases."
