Lots of fill-in teachers had past troubles

ONE IN three city teachers who act as floaters — filling in for their absent colleagues — have had past troubles on the job, city school officials confirmed Friday.

About 32% of the 822 teachers in the city’s controversial absenteacher-reserve pool landed there following legal or disciplinary problems, newly published Education Department data shows.

The unassigned educators also had relatively bad job ratings, the figures reveal.

The data show that roughly 75% of unassigned teachers got positive job ratings in 2016, compared to about 93% of all teachers.

About 12% of the floaters got negative ratings, compared to about 1% of all teachers citywide.

The ratings were based on classroom evaluations, student academic performance and other factors.

The revelations angered critics such as Students FirstNY Executive Director Jenny Sedlis, who said students would be better off if those teachers were fired.

“There is not one parent in New York City who would willingly accept one of these teachers into their child’s classroom,” Sedlis said. “It is unconscionable.”

The pool costs about $150 million annually.