The Delegate Assembly will be Wednesday, Dec. 12

This Week's Focus

Holiday member-only discounts on UFT-Mobile — and the UFT website now

As a union member, you benefit from strength in numbers. Leveraging the same power the union brings to the bargaining table to negotiate for its 185,000 members, the UFT has negotiated special member-only discounts with local and national merchants. With the holiday season upon us, you can use the union’s app, UFT-Mobile, to access discounts for apparel, holiday decorations, travel and much more. Now, members can access the same discounts in a member-only section of the UFT website; you will have to log in to reach it. UFT members can benefit from an array of discounts, from discounted tickets to the Radio City Music Christmas Spectacular to special rates on merchandise from Ann Taylor LOFT, Michaels, Skechers and J. Crew. If you haven’t checked out UFT-Mobile yet, please download the app for Apple phones or the app for Android phones now. You will access the app using the same username and password that you use for the UFT website.

Chapter leader stipend checks will be mailed in December

As a thank-you for the work you’ve done and the work you will do, we will be mailing you your stipend check in December, as compensation for out-of-pocket expenses you incur while performing your duties as chapter leader during the school year. The stipend is calculated at a rate of $6 per member. Each chapter leader receives a minimum of $300 and a maximum of $1,350. The IRS is very clear that for tax purposes, any excess you receive must be included in your gross income. Therefore, we strongly suggest that you keep any and all receipts. Clearly, this is just a small acknowledgment of your devotion to your duties as chapter leader throughout the school year.

Listen to Michael Mulgrew and a Brooklyn chapter leader discuss teacher evaluation

The new DOE-UFT contract will reduce the number of observations for the vast majority of teachers starting in the 2019-20 school year. In the latest episode of On the Record with Michael Mulgrew, the UFT president talks with Trisha Arnold, the chapter leader at Brooklyn’s PS 204 and a member of the union’s 400-member negotiations committee, about the changes to the teacher evaluation system and how they will benefit teachers. Listen to this 15-minute UFT podcast on the UFT website, on iTunes, on Spotify, on Stitcher or on Google Play.

Explore class trip destinations for city students

There’s no better way to expand learning beyond the classroom than a field trip, and New York City offers a wealth of captivating destinations for teachers and students. In the UFT website’s Class Trips section, you’ll find ideas for class trips throughout the five boroughs, from traditional (like Manhattan’s Museum of Natural History) to unique (like Brooklyn’s wastewater treatment plant), all with links to the information you need to book a trip. Curious to read about how New York City public school students experienced some of these trips? Check out the archive of New York Teacher class trip stories.

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Your Chapter Leader Checklist

• New Maintain an up-to-date UFT bulletin board: Do you have a UFT bulletin board in your school? It’s your contractual right. The UFT bulletin board is a good place to hang information regarding health benefits, helpful UFT phone numbers and fliers for upcoming events such as the Elementary School Division’s new toy drive and the Spring Conference next May. Make sure the union is always visible in your school. Check out these photos of UFT bulletin boards in schools across the city. Have a union bulletin board you are proud of? Send a photo of it to uftphotos [at] gmail [dot] com (uftphotos[at]gmail[dot]com).

• Include and support school librarians: If you have librarians in your school, please make sure that they are included in all UFT member meetings and that they receive all member materials. It is important that our librarian colleagues have the opportunity to exercise their voices and participate fully in school and union activities. Don’t forget to invite librarians to chapter meetings, and remember that these members should be included in school-based professional development.

• Assist paraprofessionals who have received termination notices: The Department of Education recently sent termination notices to paraprofessionals who have not completed their certification requirements. Please tell these paras that they should log into their TEACH account on the State Education Department’s website and find out what they are missing. Paraprofessionals who have received notice of termination for lack of college credits can apply between Feb. 1 and March 31 for the Career Training Program for the summer semester. The program pays tuition for from three to six credits per semester for undergraduate study at participating colleges and universities. Two and a half hours per week of release time and/or a summer stipend are also provided to support study. Paraprofessionals who have received a notice of termination and have specific questions should contact the UFT’s Certification Department at 212-420-1830.

• Stay in touch with the UFT: For news alerts and important information about your rights and benefits as a UFT member, sign up on the UFT website, opt in for text messaging, "like" the UFT on Facebook, follow the UFT on Twitter and read the New York Teacher.

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Share with Your Members

Share in the Season of Joy flier

2018 UFT Welfare Fund Medical Learning Series flier

Sign Up for UFT Text Messages flier

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You Should Know

Community Service

Encourage eligible students to apply for the UFT Albert Shanker Scholarship: We are asking high school teachers, college advisers and school counselors to make sure that high school seniors apply for the UFT Albert Shanker Scholarship. You can conduct informational workshops or advisories to explain the scholarship in detail; write letters of recommendation for applicants; and check in with students regularly to help them through the application process. You can also encourage your friends or relatives who have college-bound seniors attending the city’s public schools to spread the word. To receive a $5,000 scholarship from the fund, those selected must be accepted in a full-time, matriculated, degree-granting program at an accredited college or university. The application deadline for the Albert Shanker student scholarship is Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019. You can get more information on the scholarship and application materials on the UFT Scholarship Fund page or download the full online application.

Functional Chapters

New Absences and leaves for paraprofessionals: The DOE-UFT contract for paraprofessionals establishes particular rights for when you may be absent or take time from work. Paraprofessionals can use earned sick leave and get paid for self-treated absences, personal business days and medically certified absences. You can also apply for non-attendance days for illness due to certain childhood diseases or qualify for certain leaves with or without pay. For details about these various absences and leaves, read the article on the UFT website.

Health and Safety

New CELF spring program to study air quality: The Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation’s (CELF) is offering a professional learning program to help educators engage students in real world learning through air quality data collection and analysis to acquire an in-depth knowledge of air pollution on health. The program, titled Citizen Science in NY School Communities, is for teachers, grades 5-8. The first 10 schools to register are eligible for participation in the project at no cost through grant funding. Teachers are eligible for P-Credits through ASPDP for $90. For more information and to register, see the Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation website.

NYSUT insurance plan deductions: Members enrolled in insurance plans through NYSUT began paying deductions in the Nov. 15 paycheck. These deductions run through the end of June 2019 and display as “UFT Insurance” on your pay stub. For enrollment information, contact NYSUT Member Benefits at 800-626-8101.

New Members

Review your records: Members should carefully review and save emails from the DOE’s Department of Human Resources, which records all information concerning city licenses/appointments and state certification. If you receive inaccurate information, you should immediately follow the DOE’s instructions to correct errors in the record.

Opportunities

2019 Kids’ Night on Broadway on Tuesday, Feb. 26: The Broadway League has announced that Kids' Night on Broadway tickets are on sale now. Kids 18 and under can see a participating show, including The Lion King, My Fair Lady and Wicked, for free when accompanied by a full-paying adult. A Kids' Night on Broadway ticket also includes restaurant discounts, parking discounts, and more. Select shows will offer in-theatre activities for kids including talkbacks and activity books.

Celebrate Kwanzaa: Members are invited to learn about Kwanzaa at the UFT African Heritage Committee’s annual Kwanzaa celebration on Thursday, Dec. 20, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, 3rd floor. This event features door prizes and a light dinner. Registration is $30. For more information and to download the mail-in registration form, see the Kwanzaa 2018 flier. The registration deadline is Thursday, Dec. 13.

Political Action

New Meet the candidates for city public advocate: You are invited to a UFT town hall to hear from the candidates running for New York City public advocate; the current occupant, Letitia James, will be sworn in as state attorney general on Jan. 2, and a special election will be held this winter. The union is hosting the town halls on:

• Thursday, Dec. 13, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the UFT Queens borough office, 97-77 Queens Blvd., 8th floor
• Tuesday, Dec. 18, from 4 to 6 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, 19th floor, room D/E
• Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the UFT Brooklyn borough office, 335 Adams St., 25th floor, rooms E and F.

The union appreciates the vital role the public advocate has played in the past fighting for New York City public education. Encourage your fellow members to join you as the candidates share their visions for our public schools and more. Please register for the Queens Town Hall, the Manhattan Town Hall or the Brooklyn Town Hall.

Recognition

Academic High School Award nominations 2019: The fifth annual UFT Academic High School Awards Celebration honors those who deserve recognition for going above and beyond to connect with students, communities and the union. Please nominate a colleague, community member or school whose work you appreciate and whose contributions to our union and commitment to our school communities may be hidden from your colleagues. The deadline for nominations is Friday, Dec. 14. Read the award descriptions and use the online form to submit a nomination. The 2019 Academic High Schools Awards Celebration takes place on Thursday, April 12. If you have questions, contact Angel Valentin at Avalentin [at] uft [dot] org (Avalentin[at]uft[dot]org).

Chapter leader shoutout to Amanda Walsh: Chapter leaders are on the front lines, defending members’ rights, ensuring members have a voice in school decision-making and mobilizing members in political action to benefit public schools. Congratulations to Amanda Walsh, the chapter leader of PS/MS 108 is East Harlem, for standing up to a domineering principal. Walsh filed 20 grievances in a two-year period against a principal who made teachers write five-page unit plans, instructed them to attend “lunch-and-learn” sessions, observed teachers on the day of state exams and gave out Ineffective and Developing ratings for flimsy reasons. “We banded together, spoke up and had each other’s backs,” Walsh said. “We showed that principal we would not be intimidated anymore.” You can read more about Amanda Walsh’s achievements on the UFT website.

Salary and Personnel

Teacher’s Choice money in Nov. 30 paychecks: Eligible educators should have received their Teacher’s Choice allotment in their Nov. 30 paycheck. Teachers received $250 this year. UFT-represented employees in other eligible titles received between $50 and $100. To make use of your Teacher’s Choice funds, you must save your receipts for purchases made between Aug. 1, 2018, and Jan. 13, 2019. You must submit your receipts, along with the Teacher’s Choice Statement of Purpose/Accountability Form detailing your purchases, by Jan. 18 to your principal or payroll secretary.

Teaching and Learning

New Youth Climate Summit for high school students: The DOE Office of Sustainability, in partnership with the Wild Center, will host its first Youth Climate Summit (YCS), a daylong sustainability event for teachers and high school students. This event takes place on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway. High school students will develop critical leadership and problem-solving skills through experiential learning in workshops, expositions and keynote speakers. Students will gain climate action knowledge and build peer networks to expand sustainability in their schools and communities. Teachers can use the online registration form to enroll students in this event. For more information, see the NYC Youth Climate Summit flier.

 

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This Week in Education and Labor News

Huge Marriott strike ends with new contracts: A nine-week, multi-city strike involving thousands of workers at the Marriott hotel chain came to an end on Dec. 3 as employees in San Francisco reached a settlement with the company, reports the Huffington Post. The new contract includes wage and benefit increases as well as sexual harassment protections. Nearly 8,000 Marriott workers walked off the job in early October at the hotel’s properties in Boston, Detroit, Honolulu and other cities. In September, Marriott reported a profit of over $610 million for the second quarter, up 25 percent from the previous year.

New pressure on Spectrum to end strike: Gov. Cuomo and state labor leaders are accusing Charter/Spectrum cable of “union-busting” activities and have unleashed a campaign seeking new boycotts against the company, reports the New York Daily News. About 1,800 workers have been on strike for more than a year. More than 1,000 people rallied in support of the IBEW Local 3 workers in front of Spectrum headquarters on Dec. 5.

Nation’s first charter-school strike in Chicago: Complaining of low wages, overcrowded classes, and insufficient support services for bilingual and special education students, roughly 550 unionized educators employed by the Acero Schools charter network went out on strike on Dec. 3, reports New York Magazine. Acero is one of Chicago’s largest charter-school networks, serving more than 7,000 students. Educators employed by Acero are members of the Chicago Teachers Union.

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Events Calendar

This Week

Monday, Dec. 10: The School Counselors Chapter Executive Board meets from 4 to 6 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, 19th floor.

Monday, Dec. 10: Bronx probationary high school teachers may attend a tenure workshop with Bronx high schools superintendents from 4 to 6 p.m. at the UFT’s Bronx borough office, 2500 Halsey St., rear entrance. Register online. For more information, see the Bronx High Schools Tenure Workshop flier.  

Tuesday, Dec. 11: The Attendance Teachers Chapter meets from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 50 Broadway, 3rd floor, 3 North.

Tuesday, Dec. 11: Members are welcome to attend the UFT Welfare Fund Medical Learning Series for Breast Cancer Update 2018, a discussion of the current state of breast cancer treatment and the latest research from the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. A question-and-answer period follows. This event runs from 6 to 8 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, 19th floor, rooms D/E. Light refreshments will be served. To register, call Christine Jittan at 212-539-0667.

Wednesday, Dec. 12: The Delegate Assembly will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, 2nd floor, Shanker Hall.

Wednesday, Dec. 12: Manhattan-based speech teachers may attend a speech survival class from 4 to 6 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway.

Thursday, Dec. 13: Queens-based members are invited to come out to a UFT New York City public advocate town hall. For information and registration, see the item in Political Action.

Thursday, Dec. 13: The academic high schools meeting will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. at the UFT’s Brooklyn borough office, 335 Adams St.

Thursday, Dec. 13: Bronx-based members may attend a maternity and child care leave workshop from 4 to 6 p.m. at the UFT’s Bronx borough office, 2500 Halsey St., rear entrance. Participants will learn about their rights concerning paid parental, maternity, child care and FMLA leaves. Register online. See the Bronx Maternity Workshop flier.

Thursday, Dec. 13: REGISTRATION CLOSED—Money Moves: Financial Wellness Workshop for UFT Members will be held at the UFT’s Staten Island borough office, 4456 Amboy Road, from 4 to 6 p.m. Participants will learn how to live within their means and save for  short- and long-term financial goals.

Friday, Dec. 14: Queens-based speech teachers are invited to a speech survival class from 4 to 6 p.m. at the UFT’s Queens borough office, 97-77 Queens Blvd., Rego Park.

Save the Date

Friday, Feb. 8: All Career and Technical Education teachers are invited to the 2019 CTE Awards Recognition Ceremony at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, 2nd floor, 4 p.m. Event details and online registration link will be available soon.

Saturday, March 23: The UFT’s annual Paraprofessional Festival and Awards Luncheon will be held at the New York Hilton at 1335 6th Ave. Event details and online registration will be available soon.

Upcoming LearnUFT workshops

LearnUFT, the UFT’s professional development institute, offers an array of affordable workshops and professional learning opportunities for UFT members. The cost to register, unless otherwise indicated, is $30 for teachers seeking CTLE hours and $15 without CTLE hours. The cost for all paraprofessionals is $15. Participants will earn two CTLE hours for each workshop, unless otherwise specified.

These workshops will take place at UFT borough offices, unless otherwise indicated:

See LearnUFT courses in the Bronx »
See LearnUFT courses in Brooklyn »
See LearnUFT courses in Manhattan »
See LearnUFT courses in Queens »
See Learn UFT courses on Staten Island »

For a full listing of upcoming LearnUFT workshops, see the LearnUFT page on the UFT website.

For more events, go to uft.org/calendar.

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In Case You Missed It

Chapter News: An inspiring physical therapist

Photo Gallery: New Member Super Saturday 2018

Team high school newsletter—December 2018

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Professional Committees

UFT Professional Committees offer a wide range of workshops, presentations and exchanges, enabling all members to take an active part in their professional growth. Unless indicated, meetings are at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, Manhattan. Check in the lobby for exact locations. For further information, contact us at 212-598-7772 or visit us online.

Hellenic American Educators Association

• Friday, Dec. 28, 1 p.m., Holiday celebration at Zavo Mediterranean Restaurant, 1011 Third Ave., near East 60th Street in Manhattan. The cost is $35 and includes an appetizer, an entrée, dessert, tax and tip. RSVP by Sunday, Dec. 23. Please email Deme62003 [at] yahoo [dot] com (Deme62003[at]yahoo[dot]com).

Science Committee

• Friday, Jan. 11, 2019, 6:45 p.m. The topic is Engineering Tomorrow. For more information, see the Engineering Tomorrow flier.

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Editor: Peter O’Donnell

Executive Editor: Bernadette Weeks

Contributors include: Karen Alford, George Altomare, LeRoy Barr, Jackie Bennett, Jeffery Bernstein, Hannah Brown, Joseph Colletti, Crystal Deoraj, Paul Egan, Christina Gavin, Alison Gendar, Mary Jo Ginese, Kathleen Guilbert, Anthony Harmon, Sarah Herman, Janella Hinds, Junior Linton, Joe LoVerde, Samantha Mark, Deidre McFadyen, Michael Murphy, Gabriel Nott, Suzanne Popadin, Tina Puccio, Briget Rein, Sterling Roberson, Michael Sill, Anne Silverstein, Dermot Smyth, Geofrey Sorkin, Miriam Vega, Vanesia Wilson and Shelvy Young-Abrams.