In New York City, when large schools close, many teachers are left without assignments.
Through no fault of their own, with no poor job evaluation, they join the Absent Teacher Reserve.
They float through the system, from school to school, hoping someone will hire them.
They are paid, but they are treated to soul demoralization.
Here is a heart-breaking account of the first day of school for an ATR.
There is now an entire class of teachers in New York City called ATRs.
This is reform.
Experienced, knowledgeable teachers, treated like dirt.
Money wasted.
Experience wasted.
Careers in tatters.
Lives tossed aside.
The tenth year–or is it the eleventh?–of reform in the New York City public schools.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Eleven years of reconstructing NYC public schools has not improved public education for our children. It has disrupted and dismantled the public system to pave the way for privatization, corporate takeover and transfer of school funds and assets into private hands. This is a theft strategy disguised as a reform campaign.
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Thank you for featuring this. There is so much pain out there, and we mostly suffer in silence. Speaking out really helps overcome the fear of being shamed, which can be a powerful barrier to fighting back.
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Disgraceful! We should all be walking–the entire nation of teachers should stand down until this madness stops. I remember the head of education in Finland saying that if teachers there had to put up with this mindless reform, they would strike until it went away. Well?
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