"These new hybrid positions combine social work, plan writing, and managing ever-increasing caseloads. I’m currently at 45 cases and climbing," said caseworker Erica MacDougall.
When I was nearing the end of my career at Providence Public School Department (PPSD), the PPSD attempted a similar job combining ruse. I was a Special Education Classroom Teacher. For years we wrote our own IEP's (Individualized Education Program) for each student. Later, with the advent of computerized technology, IEP's. were pre-programmed and students needs were selected from a drop down menu. To a large degree, the drop down menus did not contain the services students needed. After much debate, I refused to sign IEP's (legal documents) as they did not comply with the students needs. Shortly after this, the PPSD tried to reclassify us as Case Managers. I flatly refused to be reclassified as a Case Manager because that is what the Social Workers were titled. I saw this as an attempt to eliminate social workers and combine their jobs with classroom teachers. Job titles and job classifications were historically contractual agreements between the Providence Teachers Union (PTU) and PPSD. These job eliminations/combinings were part and parcel of the privatization of the public sector, specifically education. I don't know the status of these things at PPSD now since I've been retired since 2009, but it is clear to me that these anti worker measures are a planned attack by business/corporations/union busters to squeeze as much profit out of us while at the same time driving our working conditions and our ability to live a decent life into the ground. Fight back!!!
When I was nearing the end of my career at Providence Public School Department (PPSD), the PPSD attempted a similar job combining ruse. I was a Special Education Classroom Teacher. For years we wrote our own IEP's (Individualized Education Program) for each student. Later, with the advent of computerized technology, IEP's. were pre-programmed and students needs were selected from a drop down menu. To a large degree, the drop down menus did not contain the services students needed. After much debate, I refused to sign IEP's (legal documents) as they did not comply with the students needs. Shortly after this, the PPSD tried to reclassify us as Case Managers. I flatly refused to be reclassified as a Case Manager because that is what the Social Workers were titled. I saw this as an attempt to eliminate social workers and combine their jobs with classroom teachers. Job titles and job classifications were historically contractual agreements between the Providence Teachers Union (PTU) and PPSD. These job eliminations/combinings were part and parcel of the privatization of the public sector, specifically education. I don't know the status of these things at PPSD now since I've been retired since 2009, but it is clear to me that these anti worker measures are a planned attack by business/corporations/union busters to squeeze as much profit out of us while at the same time driving our working conditions and our ability to live a decent life into the ground. Fight back!!!