Teacher who was late 111 times says he was eating breakfast (and keeps job)

SF Gate ^ | August 28, 2015 | Shawn Marsh

[Zakeet]

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — An elementary school teacher who was allowed to keep his job despite being late for work 111 times in two years said Friday that breakfast is to blame for his tardiness.

"I have a bad habit of eating breakfast in the morning, and I lost track of time," 15-year veteran teacher Arnold Anderson told The Associated Press.

In a decision filed Aug. 19, an arbitrator in New Jersey rejected an attempt by the Roosevelt Elementary School in New Brunswick to fire Anderson from his $90,000-a-year job, saying he was entitled to progressive discipline.

[blackdog]

The second standard source for the “bottom third” claims is more clear and well-documented. It is a subsequent McKinsey report (2010), one which doesn’t rely on questionable interpretations from indirect sources, but rather its own analysis. That report claims, “The U.S. attracts most of its teachers from the bottom two-thirds of college classes, with nearly half coming from the bottom third.”

http://drwilda.com/tag/do-teachers-really-come-from-the-bottom-third-of-college-graduates/

In Wisconsin it was the bottom 20%.

[MD Expat in PA]

saying he was entitled to progressive discipline

I will say from an HR perspective, that “if” the school ignored his lateness the other 110 times, if they didn’t write him up and give him written warnings or documented verbal warnings for any of the previous lateness’s, then they might have been on shaky grounds to fire him for the 111th.

He also claims that he was never more than a few minutes late except for one time and claims there was an “unwritten grace period” for clocking in.

On Thursday, Anderson told CBS New York station WCBS-TV that nearly all the instances of tardiness happened during an unwritten grace period for teacher arrivals in the few minutes before classes begin.

"You clock in, there's a long line and stuff like that, so you have a three-minute window," Anderson said. "In the two years, I was late more than 10 minutes only once, and I mean, you know, my car broke down."

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-jersey-elementary-school-teacher-late-111-times-eating-breakfast/

But I will also say that when it comes to clocking in, most private companies that use time clocks, especially when a lot of employees are using the same time clock to punch in at the same start time; they do have policies that allow a grace period and some use a 7 minute rounding rule for clocking in, but that is on the side of clocking in early, not for clocking in after the start time. Where I work, at manufacturing company, for hourly production workers, clocking in even 1 minute late is considered being tardy and attendance points are assessed and that is a written policy, in the handbook that they have to sign an acknowledgement for. After an employee accumulates so many attendance points, they get a written warning, and then a progressively stronger written warning and then once they reach the max number of points, they are terminated.

The problem I have as a PR manager is getting all the managers to apply the policy consistently or note where it was a pre-approved/excused lateness or whether a point was assessed. I am constantly following up on late punches and asking managers to note if it was excused or unexcused lateness.

There’s a saying in the military: “If you’re early, you’re on time; if you’re on time, you’re late; if you’re late, God help you.”

I’ve never been in the military but I follow that rule when it comes to meetings. I am amazed how many people show up to meetings either at exactly the start time or wander in up to 5 minutes late.

[BigCinBigD]

Now we know the reason.

[Envisioning]

Amazing, I guessed without seeing the picture....

[MortMan]

I’m not so sure. In a union position one must have a documented set of occurrences. The 2 year cycle could simply have been to document the issue so he could be dismissed.

[grimalkin]

Yeah, I know. Obviously many of us are doing something wrong. LOL

[Maris Crane]

90K for 9 months “work.” Not bad.

[Vehmgericht]

I suspect that his tardiness is an indication of his overall attitude toward work. There are some great teachers. I suspect that he is not one of them. Public education is a racket, a jobs program for the motivationally deprived. Superintendents are granted PhDs and make millions while being barely literate.

[Politicalkiddo]

Well, you can’t indoctrinate children while you’re eating breakfast at your house. I say let him keep his job.

[Vermont Lt]

Critical thinking comes from experience, education, and the ability to think abstractly. That stuff was NEVER taught in schools. Public schools in the U.S. were designed to teach youth enough to work in a factory. College was for the top 15% or so.

Now there are no factory jobs. And colleges graduate students who spend all day texting, but who are incapable of communicating.

[Vermont Lt]

A simple math proble. Mr. Late teacher makes 90k for nine months of work, with eight holidays, three weeks of vacation, and ten sick days.

At that rate, Mr. tardy would make how much if he worked twelve months, with three weeks of vacation, five sick days, and five holidays?

It’s a trick question. He would have been fired after being late five times in one year where I worked.

[blackdog]

I agree. This situation is / was due to bad administration of existing district policies. If the administration did their job by the book, the guy would have been fired. This says more about the administration than about the individual.

I had this at work recently. An employee was being called into HR for missing (calling in sick) 14 days in three months. That comes to 14 "occurances", and you are fired after 5. The supervisor was keel hauled for making it into an issue for not doing his job times three.

[joe fonebone]

question...

why does a person who teaches third grade math need a bachelors degree???

[Maris Crane]

Thank Heaven there is still some sanity somewhere. Gives me hope.

[Maris Crane]

Thank Heaven there is still some sanity somewhere. Gives me hope.

[Maris Crane]

Memo to self: Don’t post twice.

[azishot]

Is this photoshopped?? I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

[Trailerpark Badass]

Not only that, but many school systems require teaching certifications, which entail a semester or two of post-grad work. Many school systems give you a raise if you have your Master’s. It’s quite a sweet set-up for Big Education.

[Zakeet]

Is this photoshopped?? I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

You should cry.

A few years ago, Mean Scott Walker cracked down on Wisconsin teachers unions. The underpaid civil servants staged massive protests that included a sit-in at the state capitol building (which they trashed in the process). That unretouched photo was taken at one of their demonstrations.

I like to use the snap from time to time because, well, it proves a point ... rather dramatically.

I have no idea who she is, but I am willing to bet that if you track her down, you will discover that the blond babe holding the sign is still gainfully employed in a teaching position and has been given several raises since taking her pro-union stand.