Public Union Hero of the Day

Meet Alan Rosenfeld.

In a defiant raspberry to the city Department of Education — and taxpayers — disgraced teacher Alan Rosenfeld, 66, won’t retire.

Deemed a danger to kids, the typing teacher with a $10 million real estate portfolio hasn’t been allowed in a classroom for more than a decade, but still collects $100,049 a year in city salary — plus health benefits, a growing pension nest egg, vacation and sick pay.

….

Since the DOE closed the teacher holding pens in June 2010, those facing disciplinary charges were scattered to offices and given tasks such as answering phones, filing and photocopying.

But Rosenfeld and six others whose cases have long been closed are “permanently reassigned.” Rosenfeld reports to the Division of School Facilities, which maintains DOE buildings, in a warehouse in Long Island City.

Asked what work he does, Rosenfeld laughingly told his friend, “Oh, I Xeroxed something the other day.”

Rosenfeld could have retired four years ago at 62, but his pension grows by $1,700 for each year he stays — even without teaching. If he quit today, his annual pension would total an estimated $85,400.

“Why not make it bigger?” the friend said.

Rosenfeld will also get paid for 100 unused sick days when he leaves.

New York has no mandatory retirement age for teachers.

Indeed, why not make it bigger?

Heck, he might as well hang on until the pension is larger than the salary he’s currently being paid, given how little he’s being asked to do in “work”.

This is working the rules exactly as the unions have negotiated it. The rubber rooms, by the way, were for teachers accused of questionable behavior — not the totally incompetent. And there are plenty of totally incompetent teachers in the NYC system. All those credentials mean bupkis, when one considers that education majors tend to be the weakest academically in most colleges.

I would say that’s ironic, but it’s pretty much guaranteed.

When you can’t get fired for skeevy behavior, much less for being a dumbass, and one’s promotions are based on how many meaningless pieces of paper you accumulate (and the colleges get paid for providing them)…. what did you think would happen?

So unions, don’t be surprised that your latest bitching about pension reform falls on skeptical ears (more about that particular “debunking” later). People aren’t going to be all that enamored of a workforce that works all the angles with regards to pensions and benefits.

It’s nice to talk a good game about “retirement security” and images of destitute teachers scouring the wastelands…. but when these people are being paid north of $100K/year, get benefits beyond what most private workers get (including being able to retire before age 60), and, to top it all off, are well-nigh impossible to fire…. yeah, don’t be surprised that the taxpayers want to change the rules.

Note from Dan: What did Alan Rosenfeld teach that drew such a salary? Typing.

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