Public Employee Press

Letters to the Editor

PS 112 students miss laid-off School Aide

I am a laid-off School Aide from PS 112 in District 4. Our family is now in a financial strain. We have had to put many things on hold, especially now during this holiday season.

My absence at PS 112 is one heartfelt situation. Almost every day my former principal and co-workers express how much my support is needed and missed, as well as my hard work and dedication. We already lost two School Aides, one due to medical reasons and another through retirement. It has become difficult to provide the appropriate coverage during lunch and recess, therefore outdoor recess for the children is now limited due to the lack of available supervision.

I believe the title of School Aide is not taken to heart. It is a job of dire need, importance and dedication. Not a day goes by that a student doesn’t ask me, “Why didn’t I see you today?” or “Why were you not in the lunchroom or out in the yard?” or “Are you coming back?”

These children know we are there for them and that we take care of them. These layoffs have impacted our schools tremendously, especially in the East Harlem community where the majority of cuts were executed. Hopefully our voices will be heard so this can be resolved and we can all return back to our jobs.

—Socorro Martinez, Local 372

No right to hold on to a provisional position

I read with great interest your December 2009 article on Jonathan Silverstein, who was bumped from his provisional position as a lead expert back to his permanent civil service title. While I don’t question his expertise and personal loss, I find it strange to think that Mr. Silverstein assumed he had a permanent right to a position which he was holding provisionally.

It behooves DC 37 to lobby for a situation where tests are given and lists established before appointment. Test and then appoint, don’t appoint and then test.

Mr. Silverstein scored 124 on a list for APM out of 5000 who took the exam. No mean feat! All too often individuals serve provisionally and then fail the test or score low and bemoan the fact that those who passed the test replace the provisionals.

DC 37 should concern itself with individuals in competitive class positions which they have qualified for based on merit and fitness. Provisionals do not have the same rights as tenured workers, nor should they. Mr. Silverstein should certainly be appointed off the list he scored so highly on; however, he does not have a right to a provisional position no matter how qualified he is.

—Dr. George Silberman, Retired Sup. III Social Work

Correction

Brooklyn School Aides Carolina Bastidas and Gloria Rivera, Local 372 members who were shown in the December issue of PEP, were laid off from PS 86, the Irvington School, not PS 186, the Irving Gladstone School.