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.