NEW ACTION / UFT
NEWS RELEASE Contact: Greg Distefano
August 28, 2014 Phone: 718 757 4552
Unjust, unfair firing of probationary teachers – give them a second chance.
Press conference
Tuesday, September 2, 4:30 PM
in front of the Department of Education (Tweed), 52 Chambers Street.
Stephanie (Barchitta) Casertano PS3 Staten Island and
Dana Parisi PS253 Brooklyn,
both discontinued, will speak briefly, will deliver their appeals to Carmen Fariña, and will be available for interview.
Others may join them.
Under the Bloomberg / Klein administration, many principals were hired based on management, not educational/pedagogical skill. While some grew to be fine principals, hundreds remained incompetent and became abusive. And as probationers can be fired without cause, hundreds of probationary teachers were unjustly discontinued and prohibited from working anywhere in the NYC Department of Education.
The teachers here today could work elsewhere in the system – other principals want them. They spent many years of college preparation, and were fired without being given proper support. But they are unfairly barred. They are asking the Chancellor to review their discontinuances. And we urge the Chancellor to review all the discontinuances of incompetent principals.
New Action is a caucus within the United Federation of Teachers.
New Action - UFT 
They are *blacklisted*….. is what they are.
>>>But they are unfairly barred.>>>>>
Let’s call it what it is.
Good on New Action for pushing this.
That said, it’s going to take more pressure than a press conference and a resolution to change the mentality of people who would put such a disgusting practice in place in the first place.
And then KEEP it in place. Year after year.
But… a good beginning, nonetheless.
Teaching is not for everyone, but the pendulum has swung too far under Bloomberg/Klein/whatshername/Wolcott. Make teaching a career worth pursuing. If a principal is willing to hire a discontinued newbie, he or she should get a second bite at the apple. Also, the UFT should be doing MUCH MORE about abusive, vindictive AP’s and principals who are worried about their own skins, and data, than supporting new teachers.