Rubber Rooms Still Exist

Teachers accused of incompetency or misconduct in New York City were bounced to "rubber rooms" to await a hearing before they could be fired. Some teachers idled for years, playing cards or working on laptops while collecting full salaries before their hearings. The rubber rooms were disbanded in 2010 when an investigation found more than 600 teachers languishing in them. Following the scandal, the NYC public schools expedited the hearing process and teachers were reassigned to food service or clerical work while they waited.