
One of the most closely held secrets by both the DOE and UFT is the demographics of the ATR pool. The reason being that both organizations knows that if they released the information, it would show an age discrimination issue and that only younger and untenured teachers were being selected for vacancies. However, thanks to the Solidarity Caucus we at least have a partial data set that shows that the ATR pool is made up of older and veteran teachers.
The Solidarity caucus survey numbers on ATRs are as follows:
ATRs surveyed = 127
Average age = 52
Years of Experience = 20
Rated Satisfactory = 68%
Rated Unsatisfactory = 23%*
No Rating = 9%
Excessed from school = 39%
Closed schools = 32%
Won their 3030-a = 23%
Black = 21%
White = 47%
Other = 32%
Looking at the data above, the following conclusions can be reached.
- The ATR pool consists mainly of highly experienced and older teachers
- Salary and seniority overrides all other factors.
- Racial factors have little to do with who ends up in the ATR pool.
In conclusion, the UFT leadership's claim that its an "urban myth"that veteran teachers are being discriminated against has been found to be false as the data above clearly shows the discrimination in the ATR pool.