There appears to be a rumor going around in the ATR community that the DOE and UFT are talking about an ATR buyout as well as an incentive. Just to be clear, my sources did not mention to me that an ATR buyout might be on the table. However, if the rumors are true and there is an ATR buyout as part of the 2017-18 ATR agreement, what will it be?
My best guess is that the ATR buyout, if one is actually agreed to, would be similar to the failed ATR buyout back in 2014. In that ATR buyout, ATRs who took the proposal received one week's pay for every complete year of service up to 20 years. The average payout was a measly $16,000 and only 97 of the 1135 ATR teachers actually took the buyout or only 8.5%. Moreover, the vast majority of ATRs who took the buyout were retiring anyway or were subject to 3020-a termination charges. Finally, the average payout was only about 20% of a year's salary and few ATRs who were not in trouble were tempted by the inadequate buyout offer.
If there is going to be an ATR buyout, what should it include? There are two buyouts that would interest ATRs. First would be a buyout that includes a 2 week salary for every year completed with no cap. This allows a 26 year teacher to receive his or her full yearly salary. The second would be giving a 2 year pension credit like the Tier I people received to get them to retire.
The bottom line, if the rumors are true and the DOE and UFT are really negotiating an ATR buyout, it needs to be significantly improved upon the inferior ATR buyout of 2014. Otherwise, few ATRs would be willing to take the offer as shown when the DOE and UFT agreed to an inferior ATR buyout in the last contract.