Resolution “For Appropriate Supervision”

This resolution was presented at the UFT Executive Board, and tabled for revisions. I wrote about it last week. Find below the actual text.
The “field supervisors” don’t know the teacher, the students, or the schools. How could they possibly have meaningful conversations with the people they are observing? Many of them become the “field assassins” Chaz identifies.
The system of ATR field supervisors wastes money, tortures members, and is a misuse of trained administrators. It needs to be ended.

For Appropriate Supervision

April 18, 2016

Whereas both the Danielson Framework and Teaching for the 21^st Century envision consistent conversations between teachers and supervisors; and

Whereas these conversations are informed by the content of the class and associated standards, by the curriculum being followed, by the students assigned to the class, by the pedagogical orientation of the school, and by the culture of the school; and

Whereas some supervisors have more knowledge of all or some of the content, standards, curriculum, students, school pedagogy and school culture than other supervisors; and

Whereas teachers should go through observation cycles with the leader of the school or the most appropriate supervisor available; and

Whereas there exists a class of supervisors – ATR Field Supervisors – who are disconnected from students, from content, from school-specific pedagogy, from school-specific culture and who thereby are unable to engage in the rich conversations envisioned both in the Danielson Framework and Teaching for the 21^st Century; and

Whereas ATR Field Supervisors perform a function that others could more appropriately perform, and could be assigned instead to productive roles;

Therefore be it resolved that the United Federation of Teachers will convey to the Department of Education our concern that some teachers are being observed by other than the most appropriate supervisor, and be it further

Resolved that the United Federation of Teachers will immediately open discussions with the Department of Education to reassign administrators who are currently ATR Field Supervisors to appropriate assignments, and be it further

Resolved that the United Federation of Teachers will feature a series of New York Teacher and website articles on the appropriate role and function of supervisors in our school system.