Does anyone know the contract really well?

My principal is a quack and it gets worse if she doesn't take her medication.

Now she is on a lesson hunt....What does the contract say about lesson plans and what is the alternative to not having observations?

TIA...BTW, I would never ask my UFT rep because she is a DB!

Re: Does anyone know the contract really well?

My understanding is that supervisors cannot collect plans. You can write your lesson on toilet paper if you want. As for observations, it seems like the principals have the option of observing you twice. For HS it says "two periods a year by an AP or one period a year by a principal." For informals, there's no limit but you should keep track to see if you are being singled out. If you get a U for an informal, you have the right to a follow-up meeting. If you make the request in writing and don't get a meeting, you can grieve it.

Found this on the site:

Lesson Plans
For many years, supervisors collected lesson plans en masse and dictated a strict format, but that is no longer permitted under the teachers’ contract as a result of contract changes in the 1990s. As the educator responsible for providing classroom instruction to your students, you are responsible for developing lesson plans and can determine their format, organization, notation and content. Your supervisor may suggest, but cannot require or insist upon, a particular format unless you have received, or are about to receive, a “U” rating. Your supervisor may enter your classroom and ask to see your lesson plan, at any time, but cannot collect them on a regular basis. If you need help perfecting your lesson plans, you should contact your mentor (if you have one); math or literacy coach or lead teacher (if your school has them); or the UFT Teacher Center (1-212-598-9500).

Hope this helps.

Re: Does anyone know the contract really well?

Message edited 11/7/2009 12:14:01 PM.

Re: Does anyone know the contract really well?

Wow Pennycat where is your union person? You have a major grievance on your hand. My suggestion is to call the UFT office and tell them what's going on....NOT ALLOWED!!!! and they have been getting away with it because the teachers at your school have accepted this practice as the 'norm' You all need to stand up for yourselves!!! That is insane!!!!

Re: Does anyone know the contract really well?

Be careful...format and content of a lesson plan are two different things. While a principal can't dictate the format (eg. is it typed?) he/she absolutely CAN insist on certain aspects of the content. If his/her vision is to foster differentiated instruction in the classroom, then by all means he/she can insist on seeing how you differentiate instruction in your lesson plan. Same this goes for other aspects that are expected to be demonstrated daily (eg. group work, independent work, mini lesson, aim...ect.)

Lesson plans shouldn't be collected routinely UNLESS it is done in an effort to aide and assist a teacher improve his/her instruction. One thing you might want to start doing is asking for feedback, in writing (e-mail works well here ) for every single lesson plan that you submit. Ask specific questions that will help you improve your instruction --and make the administrators work, not just continuously collect them!

It's a ridiculous practice when used improperly, but unless the teacher feels like he/she is being harassed (in which case a special grievance can be filed) then there's not much else that can be done.

So, if, in fact, this practice by the administration is done to help the teachers improve the quality of instruction in the school, then that's wonderful! You have a truly dedicated principal who has the children's best interest at heart--ask him or her for feedback, in writing...every single time

P.S- Also keep a log of requested feedback and if/when you don't receive any...just for your own records

Re: Does anyone know the contract really well?

I wasn't the one who recieved a U, but one of my teachers did. I would have not given the lesson an U. She went on the basis that the lesson plan wasn't explicit enough. I am the literacy coach and work closely with the ELA dept. My principal just has it out this year for particular teachers.

And I struggle because I am caught in the middle. This year she has decided that she wants every ELA teacher using the same materials and be on the same page every day. That is just insane. We track in our school and there is no way the E section moves as quickly as the A section.

I hate formal lesson plans because you can spend all sorts of time planning, but there are so many teachable moments that come up and are teachers supose to ignore those because the "plan" didn't permit them?

If that is the case, then the art of teaching is lost. We could all just get scripts and read from them like robots.

All of my teachers have tenure and are considering the alternative to observations.

We never know which "principal" is going to show up each morning. It all depends if she takes her medication or not!

Re: Does anyone know the contract really well?

I think that according to UFT contract, we cannot be told how to write our lesson plans.