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NEW TEACHER Q & A

Q:What is excessing? Will my probation or tenure

Apr 10, 2008 1:00 PM

A: Excessing generally occurs at the end of the school year when a school finds that it has more teachers — or other staff — in a particular license area than it needs for the next school year. Excessing may be triggered by budget cuts, a decline in a school’s enrollment, changes in the programs offered by the school and, in some cases, when a school is being phased out or closed.
Excessing is not layoff. If you are excessed, you will stay on p ayroll. However, you will have to find a new position in another school. You may be sent to schools within your district to interview for positions in your license area. You also may use the open market transfer plan to seek a new position.


If you don’t find a new position using these two options, you have the right to go into an Absent Teacher Reserve (ATR) pool — either in the school from which you were excessed or in another school in your district — until you are chosen to fill a vacancy in your license area. ATRs are assigned to cover the program of absent teachers. ATRs may not be used solely for hall patrol, lunch duty or other nonteaching assignments.


Excessing follows reverse systemwide seniority order. That means the least-senior person in a license area is excessed first and probationary teachers are excessed before those who have achieved tenure in that license area. If you have any questions, ask your chapter leader to check the School Excessing Seniority List or call your UFT borough office.


Your probation or tenure will not be affected if yo u are excessed. If you are serving your probationary period, you will continue to do so either in a new teaching position or as an ATR. If you are already tenured, you will stay tenured in your new position. Either way, you will continue to have all the rights and obligations of any other probationary or tenured teacher.