Chapter Leader UpdateJan. 7, 2019
Chapter Leader UpdateJan. 7, 2019
Photo of the Week
DECK THE HALLS: Music teacher Michael Vazquez from PS 228 in Queens congratulates his chorus members after their performance at LaGuardia Airport on Dec. 19.
This Week's Focus
Attend a student debt relief information session
Members who are concerned about paying their student loans can find help with the UFT's Student Debt Relief Program. As an educator working in public service, you’re entitled to participate in federal debt relief and loan forgiveness programs that can help you reduce or even eliminate your student debt. Navigating your options and applying for the program that is right for you can be complicated. The UFT’s Student Debt Relief Program is a brand-new service exclusively for UFT members to guide them every step of the way. The first step is to attend one of our upcoming free information sessions, which will be offered in all five UFT borough offices in late January and early February. We’ll provide you with an overview of the range of debt forgiveness programs. After you attend this session, you'll be able to make an appointment to speak by phone with trained UFT staff and a loan specialist to discuss your individual needs and create an action plan. The union worked hard to create this program because it knows that student debt is a big concern for our members. The UFT wants you to have less to worry about so you can focus on your job and your family. Register online for the information session in your borough.
Teacher’s Choice receipts due on Jan. 18
Remember that you have until Sunday, Jan. 13, to make Teacher’s Choice purchases. Eligible members should submit their receipts and the Teacher’s Choice Accountability Form detailing their purchases to their payroll secretary by Friday, Jan. 18. Members who received Teacher’s Choice funds and do not file an accountability form with the required receipts by the deadline will be obligated to pay back the money to the Department of Education. Educators in the Absent Teacher Reserve pool should submit their receipts to the administration of the school to which they are assigned on Jan. 18. Eligible UFT members received their Teacher’s Choice allotments ($250 for teachers and other amounts for other eligible titles) in their Nov. 30 paychecks. For more detailed information about the Teacher’s Choice program, including the amounts that members in different titles received, go to the Teacher’s Choice section of the UFT website.
Register for our Early Childhood Conference
Register early to reserve your spot at the UFT’s 12th annual Early Childhood Education Conference, which will be held at union headquarters at 52 Broadway, Manhattan, on Saturday, March 16, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The conference will feature a plenary greeting from UFT President Michael Mulgrew and a welcome address from UFT Vice President for Elementary Schools Karen Alford. Shawn Brown, edu-tainer from the “Super Fun Show,” is the featured keynote speaker. This year’s theme is “Innovate, Integrate, Motivate.” Participants can choose from among 15 exciting workshops covering topics that include exploring the five senses through multi-sensory experiences and meeting the needs of a wide range of ability groups in the classroom. CTLE credits are available. Breakfast and a box lunch will be served. For fee breakdown and to register, see the online form. For a full listing of workshops, see the Early Childhood Conference flier. The registration deadline is Friday, March 8.
Come to a pre-Women’s March breakfast forum on Jan. 19
An unprecedented number of women won elected office in New York and across the country in November. But that was only the beginning. We need to build on that momentum by continuing to support progressive women candidates and by encouraging a broader range of newcomers to take the plunge and run for public office. You are invited to attend a pre-Women’s March breakfast forum on Saturday, Jan. 19, from 8:30 to 10 a.m., hosted by the UFT and Eleanor’s Legacy titled Meeting the Challenge of Electing More Women to Public Office. The forum will take place at PS 191, 300 W. 61 St., Manhattan. A light breakfast will be served. Brette McSweeney, the executive director of the nonprofit Eleanor’s Legacy, and UFT President Michael Mulgrew will discuss recent political victories, and what it takes — in time, money and commitment — for women to launch successful campaigns. They will be joined by women City Council members and other elected officials. Eleanor’s Legacy has helped elect dozens of progressive, pro-choice Democratic women candidates since it was founded in 2001. To register, see the online form.
Your Chapter Leader Checklist
- DA resolutions online: Couldn’t get to the last Delegate Assembly? You can now find online all the resolutions passed at the DAs. On the home page of the UFT website, click on “Where We Stand” at the top of the page, and then on “Union Resolutions.”
- 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.
- PROSE informational session on Jan. 10: All schools that are interested in becoming a part of PROSE are invited to attend an informational session on Thursday, Jan. 10, 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.
Share with Your Members
2018 UFT Welfare Fund Medical Learning Series flier
Sign Up for UFT Text Messages flier
Early Childhood Conference flier
You Should Know
Certification
Free elementary physical education certificate: K–5 teachers of physical education who are not yet certified may apply for a 12-credit supplementary certification program at Brooklyn College. Take classes throughout 2019. The Department of Education will pay full tuition for the 12 credits and Brooklyn College will waive the application fee. However, after obtaining the certificate, participants must pay for the remaining credits required for the master’s degree while working toward their initial certification for physical education. Applicants must attend a mandatory orientation and Q&A session at Brooklyn College on Tuesday, Jan. 29. For program details and to apply online, see the Brooklyn College Physical Education Certification Program flier. The application deadline has been extended to Friday, Jan. 11.
English Language Learners
New accommodations for Regents exams: English language learners/multilingual learners may now complete the Regents the day after the exam if they have been granted extended time and are scheduled to take two Regents the same day. This new accommodation, referred to as next-day completion, goes into effect during the upcoming Regents this month. For more information, see the memo from the New York State Education Department.
Political Action
Meet the candidates for public advocate at the UFT’s Brooklyn forum: UFT members are invited to attend a UFT forum on Thursday, Jan. 10, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the UFT Brooklyn borough office, 335 Adams St., 25th floor, rooms E and F, to meet and ask questions of the candidates vying to succeed Letitia James, the new NYS attorney general, as the city’s public advocate. A special election has been set for Tuesday, Feb. 26. At this final of three events organized by the UFT to give members the opportunity to size up the public advocate candidates, all the candidates will be on the stage at the same time answering questions asked by the moderator, UFT President Michael Mulgrew. Please register online.
Professional Learning Opportunities
Teacher Center conference on social-emotional learning in the early childhood classroom: Teachers and paraprofessionals working with young children are invited tothe UFT Teacher Center’s citywide conference Nurturing the Whole Child: Social-Emotional Learning in the Early Childhood Classroom. This event will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 12, at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway. Participants will learn strategies for creating a classroom environment that supports social-emotional growth and identify ways to integrate skills like persistence, flexibility, cooperation, empathy and respect into the curriculum. Participants will earn four CTLE hours. For the fee breakdown and to register, go to the online form.
Rights and Grievances
Clarification on professional activity and prep periods: 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 in which they work. Prep periods are used for unassigned professional work determined by the teacher. Some examples of this work include preparation for classes, preparation of teaching materials and conferences with the principal, other teachers, counselors or parents. Professional activity periods are periods during which teachers perform various instructional, professional development and/or administrative duties. 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. 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.
Special Education
Your rights on reorganization: Special education teachers with an unreasonable number of different courses, each requiring preparation or given in multiple rooms, may use the reorganization grievance process. This procedure includes ICT and special class teachers in middle/junior high schools and high schools. Teachers have two days to file a reorganization grievance from the date of knowledge. Any change in schedule or assignment may be considered a new date of knowledge. Because the circumstances that lead to a reorganization grievance vary and other factors affect the viability of a grievance, members should immediately bring the problem to the chapter leader.
Teaching and Learning
Explore class trip destinations: The UFT website’s Class Trips section offers ideas for class trips from traditional (the Museum of Natural History) to unique (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 on Jan. 18:
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, 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.
This Week in Education and Labor News
Federal employee union sues Trump administration: A federal employee union on Dec. 31 sued the Trump administration for forcing employees to work without pay during the government shutdown, reports USA Today. The American Federation of Government Employees says it is illegal to compel workers to perform services without compensation. Hundreds of thousands of workers have been furloughed or are on the job without pay during the shutdown. “Our members put their lives on the line to keep our country safe,” said J. David Cox Sr., the union’s national president. “Requiring them to work without pay is nothing short of inhumane.”
L.A. school district hires nonunion substitutes: Facing a threatened teacher strike on Jan. 10, the Los Angeles Unified School District has hired hundreds of nonunion substitute teachers to keep schools open, reports the Seattle Times. United Teachers Los Angeles, the union representing 34,000 educators, bashed the move in a statement saying, “It is outrageously irresponsible… to think that 400 substitutes can educate more than 600,000 students.” The union also maintains it is illegal for the district to hire nonunion teachers to teach in district classrooms. Among the sticking points at the bargaining table is the union’s demand for a 6.5 percent pay raise and a cap on charter schools.
Students rack up debt to eat:
Students in the Washington, D.C. area owe nearly half a million dollars so far this school year in “lunch debt,” according to the Washington Post. Many students in debt belong to families who earn slightly too much to qualify for free meals or whose parents failed to complete the free-lunch paperwork. School leaders said some immigrant families are fearful to return the free-meal application after the Trump administration announced plans to make it harder for immigrants who receive public benefits to obtain green cards or permanent residency status.
Events Calendar
Featured
Wednesday, Jan. 23: School social workers and school psychologists are invited to the UFT’s 13th annual Clinician Appreciation Day from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, 2nd floor, Shanker Hall. The event is full for social workers, but there is still room for psychologists. Register online.
Friday, Feb. 8: Career and Technical Education teachers are invited to honor their colleagues who teach, collaborate and advocate for students at the 2019 CTE Awards Recognition Ceremony at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, 2nd floor, 4 p.m. For more information, see the CTE Awards Recognition Ceremony flier. Register online.
This Week
Saturday, Jan. 5: The School Secretaries Annual Seminar will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, 2nd floor, Shanker Hall. Register online.
Wednesday, Jan. 9: The Academic High School citywide meeting will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. at the UFT Queens borough office, 97-77 Queens Blvd., 5th floor, Rego Park.
Wednesday, Jan. 9: The CTE citywide meeting will take place from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, 19th floor, room H. Members’ CTE initiatives and successes and what the union can do to support those efforts will be discussed. Register online.
Wednesday, Jan. 9: The School Secretaries Executive Board meets from 4 to 6 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, 19th floor.
Wednesday, Jan. 9: The Speech General Membership and Executive Board meeting will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, 19th floor, room G.
Thursday, Jan. 10: REGISTRATION CLOSED for the maternity and child care leave workshop for Manhattan-based members from 4 to 6 p.m. at the UFT's Manhattan borough office, 52 Broadway, 10th floor.
Thursday, Jan. 10: REGISTRATION CLOSED for the Money Moves: Financial Wellness workshop at the UFT Queens borough office, 97-77 Queens Blvd., 5th floor, Rego Park.
Save the Date
Saturday, March 2: The fourth annual Men in Education Symposium takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway. Workshops offered on mentoring, fatherhood and empowerment. Breakfast and lunch provided. Registration will be available soon.
Saturday, March 9: The 19th annual School Counselors Conference will be held at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway. Registration will be available soon. If you would like to conduct a workshop, please submit a proposal using the online form by Friday, Jan. 18.
Saturday, March 16: The UFT’s 12th annual Early Childhood Conference will be held at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, Shanker Hall. See the item in This Week’s Focus.
Saturday, March 23: The UFT’s 38th annual Paraprofessional Festival and Awards Luncheon will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the New York Hilton Midtown at 1335 6th Ave. This year’s theme is Uplifting Hearts and Minds: Pathways to Social Emotional Learning. The registration fee is $25. CTLE credits are available. For a list of workshops and to register, see the online form.
Saturday, March 30: The UFT’s 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.
In Case You Missed It
Press Releases: UFT sees gains in workers and dues payers
UFT resolution in support of racial and economic justice in New York City public schools
UFT resolution to unite with organizations against the toxic political atmosphere
Photo Gallery: Drum line at East Village Community School, Manhattan
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.
Asian-American Heritage Committee
- Wednesday, Jan. 9, from 4 to 6 p.m., general membership meeting.
Science Committee
- Friday, Jan. 11, 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, Rita Danis, Crystal Deoraj, Evelyn DeJesus, Paul Egan, Ellie Engler, Alison Gendar, Brian Gibbons, MaryJo Ginese, Kathleen Guilbert, Anthony Harmon, Sarah Herman, Janella Hinds, Katherine Kurjakovic, Charles Lobello, Joe LoVerde, Deidre McFadyen, Michael Murphy, Gabriel Nott, Suzanne Popadin, Nadine Reis, Sterling Roberson, Nanette Sanchez-Rosario, Michael Sill, Anne Silverstein, Geofrey Sorkin, Rosemarie Thompson, Liz Truly, Miriam Vega, Vanecia Wilson and Shelvy Young-Abrams.