What your end-of-year records, ratings
By ANNE MILLMAN
As with most jobs, teachers receive an annual evaluation. Each June, at
the end of the school year, teachers receive an Annual Professional
Performance Review from their principals stating their attendance
records and end-of-year ratings. You should keep this statement in a
safe place for future reference.
Your CAR
Be sure to check that your attendance record is accurate and report to
your school secretary any disagreements or discrepancies immediately so
they can be investigated and resolved.
Also, check your Cumulative Absence Reserve (CAR), a key component of
your attendance record. This is the number of sick leave days you have
accumulated in your absence reserve "account" because you did not use
up your allotted 10 days per year. You may accumulate days in your CAR
for possible future use if a serious illness requires you to take a
long-term absence.
Your CAR belongs to you. You can "donate" days to colleagues who have
exhausted their sick leave days and need more time to recover. Such
donations are made on a 2-for-1 basis: for every two days you donate,
the recipient gets one day of sick leave. Ask your chapter leader or
UFT borough office for details if you are considering making such a
donation.
At the time you retire, the DOE will redeem any days that remain in
your CAR up to 200 days on a 2-for-1 basis: for every two days in your
CAR, the DOE will pay you one day’s salary.
Your rating
Another component of the end-of-year statement is your rating. Just as
your principal and supervisor rated you based on observations during
the year, they will rate your performance as "satisfactory" or
"unsatisfactory" at the end of the school year. By this time, you
should be able to anticipate your end-of-year rating based on your
record so far.
While most teachers receive satisfactory or "S" ratings, many of them
still feel some uncertainty or nervousness about their ratings. That’s
quite normal.
However, if you have serious concerns about getting an unsatisfactory
or U rating, consult your chapter leader in advance. Your chapter
leader can explain the implications of a U rating and what you may need
to do.
Teachers who receive a U rating should immediately contact their UFT
borough office and ask to speak to a U-rating advocate.