Members of the Absent Teacher Reserve (ATR) who have positive ratings will fill regular assignments in September in schools where they are needed. In most cases, ATRs will be permanently assigned to the same school to which they were temporarily assigned this year.

With this policy change, the DOE acknowledges what we have long known: Members of the ATR pool make valuable contributions to the schools and students they serve when given the opportunity to do so.

Here is more information about the changes:

• Position funding: Superintendents, executive superintendents (or a designee) and Borough Citywide Office staff will find funded vacancies within their districts for all newly excessed staff who have not found a job through the Open Market by Aug. 7 in preparation for the upcoming school year.
• Transfer subsidy placements of excessed teachers: Most excessed educators will become regular staff members at the school where they are currently assigned for as long as they remain in their role/title. This assignment will allow educators to continue working with the colleagues and students with whom they’ve built relationships this school year.
• Provisional hires: Similar to previous years, at the end of this school year, provisionally hired staff will be retained as permanent staff at the school if both of the following conditions are met: (1) The school has a vacancy in the same title/license area the following school year or available funding; and (2) The employee did not receive an overall rating of Ineffective or Developing on their Measures of Teacher Practice (MOTP) or an overall Unsatisfactory rating.   

Current ATR members can expect to be notified of their permanent assignments by Friday, June 18.

If an ATR member would rather not stay at the school to which you were assigned this school year, they can use the Open Market Transfer system to find a new position. Although there are not many positions showing at the moment, there will be many more once schools get their budgets in the next few weeks.