Veteran substitute teachers protest loss of work

About 100 angry substitute teachers denounced Los Angeles teachers union president A.J. Duffy tonight at a demonstration outside the Wilshire district headquarters of United Teachers Los Angeles. The protesters were angry that Duffy had signed an agreement that could result in reduced work hours for veteran substitute teachers and put their health benefits at risk.

Duffy signed the one-year agreement -- a side letter to the union contract -- in July. Details of the agreement did not emerge until more than a month later, after an inquiry from The Times. Under the agreement, 1,800 full-time teachers who were laid off this summer are given preference for open substitute jobs. In L.A. Unified there are roughly 2,200 openings for substitute teachers every day.

The demonstrators carried homemade signs — some hand-lettered on the back of professionally produced UTLA signs that these same teachers had carried on behalf of UTLA’s anti-budget-cut campaign earlier this year. 

“Duffy has always been considered a savior of our sub unit, but he has betrayed us,” said Margarita Bonoan, 82, a substitute for 21 years. “I have always been called at 5:30 a.m. with three choices of jobs, and now I don’t hear the telephone ring.”

Duffy defended the agreement in a statement: “This was a difficult decision to make, but we had to do what was best for our students …Now, because of this agreement, hundreds of the 1,800 released teachers have been reemployed as long-term subs or in other positions at their original schools.

"This stabilizes schools and provides crucial continuity for students who have built relationships with these teachers," Duffy added. "It also helps keep the next generation of teachers in the LAUSD system, so they can be rehired once openings are available.”

Sandy Nevler, 59, a sub for 13 years, said she usually works about 200 days a year but has not been called since the end of June.

“I won’t be able to pay my bills or my mortgage, ” she said.

Substitute  work over the summer was also limited by the cancellation of most summer school classes — a budget cut — and a declining number of year-round schools. But the work hasn’t picked up since the start of the traditional fall schedule, the protesters said.

Subs must work one day a month to keep their health benefits and must total 100 days worked in a school year to earn benefits for the next year. In his statement, Duffy pledged to help the veteran subs recover the work hours they needed.

The potential loss of benefits especially worries Josephine Danels, who suffers from sciatica and skin cancer. She hasn’t had a work call since June 16, she said.

“Give me back my job or 10 years of union dues,” one sign said. Another gave Duffy an “F” for truthfulness and reliability. Using white medical tape, many of the teachers had the initials S.O.S., for Save Our Subs, on their foreheads.

After marching and chanting for an hour on the sidewalk, demonstrators tried to lead reporters upstairs where a membership meeting was about to begin on a school-reform proposal. On orders from union leadership, security guards would not allow the group upstairs. Later, some subs were allowed into the meeting, which they have a right to attend, but only if reporters were kept out.

The union’s representative body will take up the agreement on substitutes at its regular October  meeting, union officials said. 

-- Howard Blume

Photo credit: Kirk McKoy

Comments

[Grace]

Explain to me again why employment-based health insurance is worth saving?

Why should people be at risk of losing both their jobs and their health insurance at the same time?

It's not just layoffs that put us at risk. People also often lose their jobs when they fall catastrophically ill. Doesn't an ill person have enough to worry about, without adding the stress of losing their health care plan (and access to the doctors who know and understand their case) ?

What kind of sick society are we?

[Jim Q. Citizen]

This is a a deceitful way for L.A. Unified to get rid of English speaking teachers in favor of the newly hired Spanish (Latino) speaking teachers. It's racism at its worst and everyone is afraid to call it what it is. A.J. Duffy has shown himself to be a true rotter. I hope to see a massive civil rights lawsuit filed against L.A. Unified.

[Michael McMahon]

It's too bad that the older substitute teachers never availed themselves of the opportunity to serve the students of LAUSD on a full-time basis. Why should they be rewarded now and the younger teachers who were full time be penalized?

[Art]

I am currently a substitute teacher who two years go areceived my Masters in Education. I have applied for fulltime position, not even one interview. I went into teaching after 20 successful years in the corporate world. Hopefully make a difference in students. The problem is the hiring practices of LAUSD and maybe all other school districts. The best are not being hired. It is these backroom deals and who you know is that gets you in. I am 100% sure that these substitutes would make better full time teachers. Base who should be hired or retained on performance. Teachers are often not considered "Professionals" by the outside world.

[bob]

It is interesting to note that UTLA and LAUSD needed to negotiate a side letter to provide a benefit that is already afforded to teachers in state law (Ed Code 44956(a)(5).

[Mister H]

Subs, protest this sellout by lowering your dues to fair share. UTLA does not represent you. Don't give them an extra dime.

[LV]

Dear Michael: I'm a sub. Why should I get a full time position when I was able to provide for myself on a sub salary and not have to deal with the same bratty talkative disrespectful students everyday? Now that the subs have been run under the bus I will try to get another job. Too bad because subbing was enjoyable, we gave back to the students without stressing ourselves out.

[joseph]

I attended a LAUSD job fair after graduate school while concurrent with credential training. I found the LAUSD representives to be brusque, impolite and indifferent towards me because, I suspect, it was obvious that I didn't represent their La Raza attitude. It's no wonder LAUSD is the pitts.

[mimi]

RE - the person who signed himself "Art". I do hope he is not an English teacher! How does a person with such poor writing skill ever qualify to be even a substitute teacher?

RE - substitutes displaced by full-time teachers who had been cut due to broad lay-offs: substitute teachers are at the bottom of the totem pole in the hiring scheme and are, of course, displaced by those with full-time contracts who happened to be let go due to budgetary constraints. It happens in all unionized industries. Everybody moves down one slot and the folks formerly in the bottom slot are "out" for a while. Didn't they understand this status when they agreed to work as substitutes? "Voluntary substitutes" either do not wish full-time work or wish to avoid the responsibility of a contract job. They took a risk with this status; now they need to stop whining.

[Dan]

Side deals, secret negotiations, etc. are not the kind of transparency that a supposedly democratic organization should be employing. When is the District and UTLA going to employ a fair and objective evaluation system for probationary and permanent teachers whether regular or substitutes. Until a fair evaluation system occurs, the current system will be employed which does not effectively serve teachers or students.

[Adam Soto]

I love how some are already throwing out the race card in this.

Jim Q. Citizens says it well when it comes to why our state is in the situation it is in - white baby boomers do not want to play taxes that will service non-white Californians.

Nevermind that non-whites have been the driving force in the state's economy since, well, since humans inhabited the land.

[Mario]

Though not one size fits all... Mimi is right on the money! For the most part, substitute teachers are educators who chose not to take the responsibility of a classroom year after year. After all, substitute teaching offers many perks: work six hours, decline undesired assignments, make themselves unavailable whenever needed, and not deal with "bratty talkative disrespectful students everyday" as LV mentioned.

Moreover, substitutes know very well they work at the desire of the School Board per California Education Code 44953, they are "at will" employees.

Finally, Jim Q. Citizen's comment on race is plain ludicrous because this is not about race. It is about who got a teaching credential to teach in the State of California and who had a teaching contract with the district, as opposed to simply renewing a 0-Day Permit that allows substitutes to substitute in a class no more than 30 days (Title 5 California Code of Regulations, Section 80025.

[John]

I agree to some extent what Mario states. Please remember there are substitutes who are fully credentialed who would like to work full time. Are they second class citizens? It is wrong to look down at all subs. Many regular teachers started as subs. As Art stated, the best are often not chosen. I don't know if Mimi or Mario has ever worked for a corporation. Look for a job in the private industry. One will see a better selection process. Teachers are not considered to be professionals. They are are perceived as whiners who tax payers must constantly support with their hard earn money. There are great regular teachers as well as substitutes. Why punish the great subsitutes and keep the bad permanent teachers. Art's comments are valid!!

[LOL]

For 'ART'

There are several reasons you haven't been interviewed:
1. You failed to complete the application properly
2. You have a Master's degree in a non-shortage area (ex: elementary)
3. You have a Master's degree WITHOUT an accompanying credential
4. After seeing your sub performance, Principal's do not wish to hire you full time.
Advice: Go back to the corporate world since you were so 'successful' there.

[Mister H]

I have a question to anyone. Why would Duffy and Cortines have to take this action to keep RIF'd teachers in their home schools (for the benefit of the students)? If they were just put into the sub pool without priority, these schools could just request them to fill their sub positions? Why do they have to go to the top of the substitute priority list? That is a real question I'd like an answer for.

Ok, this part is me just venting about how stupid Duffy is... Doesn't he get why substitutes are part of the UTLA in the first place? It is so that schools aren't tempted to hire low priced substitute replacements, and thus derail the unions negotiating power against LAUSD. Otherwise these subs could be end up being scabs that cross the picket line. In essence, what he just did is make thousands it's own members into people that are willing to cross that line the next time teachers go on strike. And I'm one of them. But hey, it's for the benefit of the students.