The next Chapter Leader Update will be Friday, Jan. 4

This Week's Focus

Clarification on professional activity and prep periods

Due to concerns raised by teachers about how schools were managing professional activity and preparation periods, the Department of Education agreed to the union’s suggestion that a reminder of what the contract says was in order. The item in the Principals’ Weekly noted that all teachers with full programs are entitled to at least five preparation periods and up to five professional activity periods per week, depending on the division they work in. Preparation periods are used for unassigned professional work determined by the teacher. Some examples of this work include preparation for classes, preparation of teaching materials, demonstration lessons, teacher training and conferences with the principal, other teachers, counselors or parents. The key is the teacher gets to decide. For first-year teachers, two preparation periods per week may be designated as “professional support periods” and directed by the school administration for tasks such as observation of classes conducted by experienced teachers, common planning or consultation with mentors. Professional activity periods are periods during which teachers perform various instructional, professional development and/or administrative duties. In middle schools and high schools, teachers receive five professional periods per week. In elementary schools on an eight-period day, all teachers receive one professional period per week. The DOE-UFT contract contains a menu of professional activities for teachers that includes assignments such as small-group instruction, club advisory, student assessment activities, common planning time and cafeteria duty. Teachers in compensatory time positions and athletic coaches should use professional periods to further the work of those positions. Teachers may only be assigned to one professional activity — and it must be on the menu of options. Chapter leaders in middle and high schools are relieved from professional activity assignments. For more information, read what the DOE told principals in the Principals’ Weekly.

Listen to Michael Mulgrew and State Teacher of the Year Alhassan Susso discuss education

In the latest “On the Record with Michael Mulgrew” podcast, President Michael Mulgrew and New York State Teacher of the Year Alhassan Susso, a social studies teacher at International Community HS in the South Bronx, talk about the magic of teaching and what it takes to reach students. “The only way you can influence somebody, whether it is an adult or a child, is when the person senses that this person deeply cares about me,” Susso said. Mulgrew agreed, saying reaching students means understanding “where each of these children are coming from and which then gives you the ability to develop opportunities to engage them in  a way that’s real to them.” Listen to our podcast with Alhasson Susso on the UFT website or subscribe to UFT podcasts on your favorite podcast app.

UFT borough offices are closed during winter break

The UFT’s borough offices will be closed during the winter break and will resume regular working hours on Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019. UFT headquarters, at 52 Broadway in lower Manhattan, will operate with a skeleton crew from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 26; Thursday, Dec. 27; and Friday, Dec. 28.  

Back to top

Your Chapter Leader Checklist

• New Ask school counselors about MySchools: Please talk to your school counselors about MySchools, the new program being used by the DOE for articulation. Encourage counselors to give the union feedback on what issues they have encountered using the system and if the extended deadline helped with the application process. School counselors should send their feedback by email to guidancecounselorchapterleader [at] uft [dot] org (guidancecounselorchapterleader[at]uft[dot]org). Assure counselors that all information shared with the union will be kept confidential.
• New Help reduce the incidence of theft in your school: Chapter leaders should tell members that reports of larceny in our schools are increasing. Please distribute the NYPD Lock It or Lose It flier in your members’ mailboxes and post on your UFT bulletin board. Also remind members to secure all personal belongings and expensive school equipment including electronics during the winter break. This 2014 news story, which is still relevant, gives helpful information about how to report a theft and what to do to prevent theft.
• New PROSE informational session: All schools that are interested in becoming a part of PROSE are invited to attend an informational session on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, 19th floor, room H. Participants will learn about PROSE and the application process as well as have an opportunity to talk to the panel about ideas they are considering as part of their application. Participants are encouraged to attend the session with their school-based team. Register online. The deadline to apply to be a PROSE school is March 29, 2019.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Back to top

Share with Your Members

2018 UFT Welfare Fund Medical Learning Series flier

Sign Up for UFT Text Messages flier

NYPD Lock It or Lose It flier

Back to top

You Should Know

English Language Learners

New New testing accommodations for Regents exams: Students who are English language learners/multilingual learners taking Regents examinations may now complete tests the next day if they have been granted extended time and are scheduled to take two Regents examinations on the same day. This new accommodation, referred to as next-day completion, becomes available in the January 2019 Regents examination period. For more information, see the memo from the New York State Education Department.

Functional Chapters

Absences and leaves for paraprofessionals: The DOE-UFT contract for paraprofessionals establishes particular rights for when members may be absent or take time from work. Paraprofessionals may use earned sick leave and get paid for self-treated absences, personal business days and medically certified absences. You can also apply for nonattendance days for illness due to exposure 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

CELF program to study air quality: The Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation offers a professional learning program to help educators engage students in real-world learning. Through air quality data collection and analysis, students acquire an in-depth knowledge of the effect 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 may participate in the project at no cost through grant funding. Teachers are eligible for P-Credits through the After School Professional Development Program for $90. For more information and to register, see the Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation website.

Opportunities

New Apply to be a DOE Showcase School: Teachers who work in schools with practices they want to share are encouraged to apply for the DOE Showcase School program. Participating schools host visits that are active, transformational learning experiences to expose visitors to promising practices and the conditions that help those practices thrive. For more information, see the Showcase Schools website. The deadline to apply online is Friday, Jan. 4, 2019.

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

2019 Kids’ Night on Broadway on Tuesday, Feb. 26: The Broadway League 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-theater activities for kids including talkbacks and activity books.

Political Action

Meet the candidates for public advocate: UFT members are invited to UFT town halls to meet and ask questions of the candidates vying to succeed Letitia James as the New York City public advocate. A special election will be held in early 2019. The union is hosting two more town halls on:

• 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 over the years fighting for the city’s public schools. It wanted members to have an opportunity to hear from all the candidates running for the position. Please register for the Manhattan Town Hall or the Brooklyn Town Hall.

Salary and Personnel

New Check the address on your W-2: If you moved in 2018, update your mailing address with the DOE to ensure your W-2 is mailed to the correct address. The deadline to change addresses to avoid incorrect information on the W-2 is Friday, Dec. 21. Contact HR Connect at 718-935-4000 or log on to the DOE NYCAPS Self Service Portal. All in-service UFT-represented employees may receive their 2018 W-2 electronically by logging in to the portal no later than Jan. 3, 2019 and choosing a paperless option.

Teaching and Learning

Explore class trip destinations: The UFT website’s Class Trips section offers 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. For more information, check out the UFTs archive of New York Teacher class trip stories.

Youth Climate Summit: The DOE Office of Sustainability, in partnership with the Wild Center, will host its first Youth Climate Summit, a daylong event for teachers and high school students, 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 may enroll students using this online registration form. For more information, see the NYC Youth Climate Summit flier.

 

Back to top

This Week in Education and Labor News

Deal reached to end Chicago charter schools strike: The nation’s first teachers strike against a charter school operator will end after their union and management struck a tentative deal on Dec. 9 that includes protections for students and immigrant families living in the country illegally, reports the Washington Post. The agreement prohibits Acero from collecting and distributing information about the immigration status of students, teachers and families and restricts access by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to schools except by court order.

Schools lose funding as states court big business: A new report finds public schools in 28 states could have received nearly $2 billion in funds that instead were given away by state and local governments as corporate tax abatements last year, according to Citylab.com. The Good Jobs First report estimates the money, given to tech giants including Intel, was enough to pay for more than 28,000 new teachers in 10 states and contributed to a nationwide teacher shortage. While tax incentives are used to attract businesses, such as in the recent multi-city contest to lure Amazon, research shows they do not have a significant effect on location preferences.

Online charter chain to shift to career readiness: In a major pivot, K12 INC., a for-profit virtual charter school operator, will now focus on career education, according to U.S. News and World Report. The company will concentrate on information technology, business, manufacturing, health sciences or health care, and agriculture. K12 has a checkered past when it comes to delivering a quality product. In 2016, it reached a $168 million settlement with California, which said it fudged student attendance records and falsely advertised its schools.

Back to top

Events Calendar

This Week

Wednesday, Dec. 19: The Lab Specialists Chapter's monthly meeting will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 50 Broadway.

Wednesday, Dec. 19: Manhattan-based speech teachers are invited to a speech survival class from 4 to 6 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, 19th floor, room G.

Wednesday, Dec. 19: Brooklyn-based speech teachers are invited to a speech survival class from 4 to 6 p.m. at the UFT’s Brooklyn borough office, 335 Adams St.

Wednesday, Dec. 19: The Occupational Therapists/Physical Therapists general membership meeting will take place from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the UFT’s Bronx borough office, 2500 Halsey St.

Wednesday, Dec. 19: The monthly meeting of the Administrative Education Officers/Analysts Chapter and the Education Officers/Analysts Chapter is from 5:30 to 7 p.m.at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, 19th floor.

Thursday, Dec. 20: 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.

Thursday, Dec. 20: The Paraprofessionals Chapter’s monthly meeting of its representatives will take place from 4:15 to 6 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway. 

Thursday, Dec. 20: The Supervisors of School Security Chapter's monthly meeting will take place from 5 to 6:30 at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway.

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 16: The UFT’s 12th annual Early Childhood Conference will be held at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, Shanker Hall. Event details and online registration 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.

Saturday, March 30: The sixth annual middle school conference will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, Shanker Hall. For more information, see the Middle School Sixth Annual Conference flier.

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.

Back to top

In Case You Missed It

Photo Gallery: New Member Super Saturday 2018

Union Proud testimonial: Laurie Foglia on how the union provides job security

Detailed information about special classes for students with disabilities

Back to top

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.

Back to top

Send us your feedback

We are committed to making the Chapter Leader Update as interesting and relevant as it can be. Please fill out this online form to let us know what you found most valuable in this week's newsletter and how we can improve the Chapter Leader Update.

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, Evelyn DeJesus, Paul Egan, Christina Gavin, Alison Gendar, Mary Jo Ginese, Kathleen Guilbert, Anthony Harmon, Sarah Herman, Janella Hinds, Katherine Kurjakovic, Junior Linton, Joe LoVerde, Samantha Mark, Deidre McFadyen, Michael Murphy, Gabriel Nott, Suzanne Popadin, Jeffrey Povalitis, Tina Puccio, Briget Rein, Nadine Reis, Sterling Roberson, Michael Sill, Anne Silverstein, Dermot Smyth, Geofrey Sorkin, Rosemarie Thompson, Miriam Vega, Vanesia Wilson and Shelvy Young-Abrams.