Group Urges DOE To Give "Rubber Rooms" The Bounce
To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.
Then come back here and refresh the page.
Protestors renewed their call Thursday for the Department of Education to eliminate its so-called "rubber room" system.
The group, which included State Senator Ruben Diaz Senior, gathered outside the Bronx offices of Community School District 7 which houses a "rubber room."
City teachers who have been accused of wrongdoing are sent to rubber rooms until their cases are decided.
"Those teachers that are sitting there waiting for a hearing. The hearing should be conducted. If they are guilty they should be expelled. If they are innocent they should be put back in the classroom. But they cannot continue paying 660 teachers sitting down for doing nothing," Diaz Sr. said.
Diaz Sr. is calling on legislative leaders to introduce a law giving the DOE the power to eliminate rubber rooms.
A spokeswoman for the department told NY1, "Thank you, Chairman Diaz."
She said Albany leaders are finally getting fed up with the options that state and labor laws give the DOE, and are starting to talk about the changes that the DOE has been pushing for.