There are times when a school reduces the size of its faculty, such as when it experiences an unexpected drop in student enrollment, loses a budget line or pursuant to state or federal law, is being closed, or phased out. Excessing is the process of reducing staff in a particular school when the number of available positions in a title or license area is lower than the number of people in the school who require an assignment in that title or license area.
According to the UFT/DOE contract, you must be informed in writing by June 15 if you will be in excess for the next school year, but it is still possible to be excessed after that date due to changes in enrollment or the budget. To be sure your seniority information is correct, check the excessing list in your school, which is available from your chapter leader.
When a teacher is notified that she is in excess, she should register on the Open Market System for purposes of providing updated contact information. She will also have access to a list of current vacancies throughout the city and the right to apply to any of them in her license area.
As of the summer of 2021, in most cases, the DOE no longer places newly excessed staff in the Absent Teacher Reserve (ATR) pool. Instead, the DOE says, “Superintendents, executive superintendents (or a designee) and Borough Central Office staff will find funded vacancies within their district for all newly excessed staff who have not found a job though Open Market in preparation for the upcoming school year.” So, if a staff member does not find a position via Open Market, they will be placed in a school in their district and remain there until they transfer or leave the system.
Following the passage of the state class size law, it is important that schools consider the mandate for smaller class sizes before excessing any teachers. If you receive an excessing notice, you should speak to your chapter leader to see what the implications of your excessing status are on your school’s ability to comply with the class size mandate.
Additional information: