The Rubber Room documentary

Jeremy Garrett is a former NYC school teacher who directed and produced a documentary film called, 'The Rubber Room'. The rubber room is slang for holding rooms operated by the Department of Education which house teachers who have accusations or charges against them but cannot be fired or let go due to lengthy union regulations. They cannot be allowed with students until they have been given due process, but cannot be let go due to union rules. 40 million is spent on salaries for teachers in the rubber room. They exist in a purgatory where the innocent mingle with the guilty and no daily activity is asked of them other than signing in and out.

In an interview on NY1 Garrett talked about the new legislation which came out today that will close down these rubber rooms. Garrett spoke about how the problems created by these rooms is not the sole fault of the teacher's union but the Department of Education as well. At one point there were, by his estimation, almost a thousand teachers in rubber rooms all awaiting a resolution. There was one teacher he knew of that had been in the rooms for 12 years.

This film shows actual footage from these rooms and interviews with the educators. Teachers only have to show up to sign in, take a hour lunch, and sign out at 2:45. Garrett says one of the worst things is the mindless passing of time these teachers must endure, they're given no guidance, no suggestions, and really no rules. Many of the interviewed teachers voice concerns about false accusations of ill behaved students, or the black mark being sent to the rubber rooms puts on your records making it almost impossible to get a new job. Garrett states how difficult it was to make this film, he was denied interviews many times from Joel Klein, the school chancellor, the teacher's union, and teachers themselves who were afraid to speak out. He actually pulled out a camera in a Brooklyn rubber room and was arrested by police called by suspicious teachers. The irony he said is that if the DOE had found out he would have been taken out of his substitute teaching job and placed in a rubber room himself!

Hopefully this film will make people aware of exactly where their tax dollars go and the injustices enabled by this money. Of course, now that these rooms are closed solutions must be found and due process must be sped up so that those accurately and falsely accused can move on. Not everyone is meant to be a teacher but that doesn't mean they should be punished by "teacher jail". Many of them should just be given the merciful treatment of the pink slip.