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This Week's Focus

Governor’s budget prioritizes public education

Thanks to the UFT’s advocacy, the Democratic majorities in the state Assembly and Senate have proposed legislation to eliminate the requirement that school districts use standardized test scores in teacher ratings and return the question to local school districts and collective bargaining. Gov. Andrew Cuomo showed his support for that change by including it in his budget presentation on Jan. 15. The measure was part of a roster of progressive changes proposed by the governor and state lawmakers in the first two weeks of the new legislative session. “We agree with Gov. Cuomo’s important proposals to safeguard New Yorkers, whether that’s strengthening women’s rights, enhancing voting rights, ensuring workers’ rights or protecting our environment,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew. “We also agree that additional investments in education should go to the neediest students.” Mulgrew noted that in the past three years, New York State has invested more in public education than any state in the country. “This is the result of our work,” he said. Though the state is facing a potential $3.1 billion budget deficit, Mulgrew said the UFT will continue to advocate for increased school funding targeting the neediest students. The governor’s proposed budget also includes a $50 million increase statewide for community schools and a $3 million pilot program to identify the best practices to improve school climate.

UFT election is taking place this spring

The UFT is holding elections for president and other officers, executive board members and convention delegates. All of the positions are three-year terms, effective July 1, 2019. The nominating petition deadline is Feb. 15. Balloting will be conducted by the American Arbitration Association. The ballots will be mailed on March 25. If you are interested in running for one of the positions, please read the 2019 UFT Election Notice for details. You can find the candidate statement form and the nominating petitions in the UFT Elections 2019 section of the UFT website.

Come to a UFT film series exploring African-American history

In celebration of Black History Month in February, the UFT invites members to a film series exploring African-American history. Following the screening of each documentary, there will be a discussion. These free events will take place on Thursdays at UFT headquarters (52 Broadway) from 4:30 to 7 p.m. You are welcome to attend any or all of them. Here are the choices:

• Feb. 7: The Infamous Future, a documentary on the inspiring educators and exceptional students of the Eagle Academy for Young Men schools in New York City
• Feb. 14: Pioneers: Reginald F. Lewis and the Making of a Billion-Dollar Empire
• Feb. 28: Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin
• March 7: Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities

For descriptions of each film and to register, go to the online sign-up form.

Listen to Michael Mulgrew discuss paid parental leave

In the latest “On the Record with Michael Mulgrew” podcast, UFT President Michael Mulgrew talks with the UFT’s Greer Hansen-Velazquez about paid parental leave, a hard-won benefit more than 1,400 UFT-represented employees have taken advantage of since September 2018. “It is a game-changer,” says Hansen-Velazquez, who runs what used to be called UFT maternity workshops — now called UFT parental workshops since men and adoptive and foster parents are now eligible for paid time off with their new children. Before the UFT won paid parental leave for its members, these workshops often ended in tears, Greer said, as expectant mothers learned they would only get time with their baby if they paid for it themselves with banked sick time. “Now the sessions are more joyous,” Greer said. Listen to this 15-minute UFT podcast on the UFT website, on iTunes, on Spotify, on Stitcher or on Google Play.

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Your Chapter Leader Checklist

• New Jan. 31 deadline for state Seal of Biliteracy program: Speak with your principal about applying for the New York State Seal of Biliteracy program. The seal is a diploma endorsement students receive upon graduation that recognizes attainment of a high level of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing in one or more languages in addition to English. You can put the New York State Seal of Biliteracy program on the agenda for your next consultation. The principal must apply online by Jan. 31. If your school participated in the program last school year and you would like to participate again this year, you must reapply. For more information, see the New York State Seal of Biliteracy website.

• Apply to become a PROSE school: If you work in a school that is highly collaborative and has innovative practices, you may be interested in becoming a PROSE school. PROSE offers truly collaborative schools the ability to make changes to the UFT contract and DOE regulations to enable out-of-the-box ideas and teacher-led innovations. The key is teacher voice, and the PROSE application itself should be created with strong staff involvement. Schools may apply to PROSE by submitting an application to the PROSE panel. The deadline to apply is March 29. For more information and a link to the application, see the PROSE page on the UFT website or contact the PROSE panel at prose [at] UFT [dot] org (prose[at]UFT[dot]org).
• Be wary of outside pension “specialists”: Tell your members to be mindful about information or solicitations they may receive from individuals claiming to be connected to the DOE or the UFT. Examples include fliers in your school for outside pension “specialists” who invite members to attend their workshops or who want to come to your school to speak. They may go by impressive-sounding names like Fortis Lux Financial or Pension Seminar Plus. These groups are not sanctioned or endorsed by the UFT, and we cannot guarantee the accuracy or quality of their information. They may even try to convince members to remove money from their pensions or TDAs so they can manage the money and collect commissions and fees. The DOE has a memorandum (#24, 1988-89) and bylaws that prohibit these people from speaking on school premises. Tell your members that their retirement savings are too important to risk with solicitors.

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Share with Your Members

New 2019 UFT Election Notice

New Men in Education Symposium flier

MSK Talking with Children about Cancer flier

Sign Up for UFT Text Messages flier

Early Childhood Conference flier

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You Should Know

Community Service

UFT Shanker scholarship deadline is Jan. 31: Make sure high school seniors apply for a $5,000 Albert Shanker college scholarship. The application deadline is Thursday, Jan. 31. Each year, the UFT awards $1 million in scholarships to academically excellent and financially eligible New York City public high school seniors through the Albert Shanker College Scholarship Fund. Please reach out to your school’s college advisers and school counselors to make sure that eligible seniors apply for these scholarships. If you do not work in a high school, please reach out to family, friends and community members who may qualify for this award. 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. You can get more information on the scholarship and application materials on the UFT Scholarship Fund page of the UFT website.

English Language Learners

New Updates to bilingual glossaries: As in prior years, English language learners can use approved bilingual glossaries and translated directions for the SAT School Day exams. The DOE website has an expanded list of approved bilingual glossaries that includes more than 100 languages. Updated versions of the translated test directions will be uploaded to the Accommodations for English Language Learners page of the DOE website as they become available. The DOE will release additional information regarding supports for English language learners soon.

Evaluation

New Know your MOSL: Teachers evaluated under the DOE’s Advance teacher development and evaluation system must know the courses and measures included in their Measures of Student Learning (MOSL). To avoid future complications, teachers should log into their Advance web page, navigate to the MOSL tab and review the information to ensure that the measures listed there reflect their school MOSL Committee’s decisions. If the measures are something other than what the committee selected, the teacher should contact the chapter leader and the principal immediately.

A time to talk: Midyear professional conversations provide teachers with the opportunity to talk to evaluators about the good work they are doing in classrooms. Discussions about successful teaching units, specific struggles with students or pedagogy, and the improvements that teachers have seen in students help to humanize the evaluation process and ultimately make future observations more authentic. These conferences are optional for teachers except those on a Teacher Improvement Plan (TIP). See your administrator if you would like to hold a midyear professional conversation.

Functional Chapters

New Learn about UFT functional chapters: The UFT has more than 37,000 functional chapter members including paraprofessionals, speech teachers, school counselors, occupational and physical therapists, and education officers and analysts. If you hold one of these job titles, visit the Our Chapters section of the UFT website to learn how your functional chapter leader is supporting you and the role you can play in your chapter. If you aren’t receiving email alerts from your functional chapter leader, please sign up online. For more information, see the “What You Need to Know about Functional Chapters” article on the UFT website.

Paraprofessionals should join the pension system: Paraprofessionals are eligible to join the pension system, but their membership in the Teachers’ Retirement System is not mandatory. Paras must contact TRS at 888-869-2877 and ask for an enrollment application. Substitute paraprofessionals may join the Board of Education Retirement System (BERS). For more information, call 929-305-3800.

Opportunities

New Comic book convention: All educators, families and students are invited to the Art and Design High School Parent Teachers Association’s 2nd annual comic book convention, FanfaireNYC, on Saturday, Feb. 16, and Sunday, Feb. 17. FanfaireNYC celebrates creativity, entrepreneurship and technology in the arts from cartooning and animation to architecture and fashion. Art Spiegelman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author/illustrator of Maus, and Neal Adams, the renowned comic book artist of Batman, Green Lantern and X-Men, will be the guest speakers. The event features more than 125 artists and exhibitors in the Creator’s Marketplace. Admission is $5 per day for teachers and students and $15 for other visitors. For more information, see the FanfaireNYC flier.

Political Action

New UFT supports L.A. teachers strike: UFT delegates on Jan. 16 unanimously passed a resolution to stand in solidarity with members of United Teachers Los Angeles in the first week of their strike. The teachers, who have gone without a raise for 10 years, are demanding a 6.5 percent raise retroactive to July 1, 2016, as well as more school counselors, nurses, librarians and other support staff and smaller class sizes.

Professional Learning

New Become a school librarian: Teachers interested in becoming school librarians may attend an information session about the Teacher2Librarian program. The workshop, presented by the Astor Center for Public School Libraries at New Visions, the DOE Department of Library Services and Syracuse University iSchool, will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 12, at New Visions for Public Schools, 205 E. 42nd St., 4th floor. Program participants can earn a master’s degree in library and information studies from Syracuse University and NYSED school library certification. A partial scholarship is available for 75 percent of the tuition. Refreshments will be served. Register online.

Rights and Grievances

New Know your rights about legal assistance: Occasionally a Department of Education employee is sued (for example, by a parent) because of something he or she allegedly did at work. When the New York City Corporation Counsel finds that the employee broke no rules or laws in carrying out their duties at work, it will provide legal representation to the employee and, if the employee is found financially liable, will reimburse the employee the amount he/she is required to pay. In order to be entitled to this defense, the employee must provide to Corporation Counsel a copy of the summons, complaint, notice, demand or pleading within 10 days after the employee is served with any of these documents and then fully cooperate with Corporation Counsel in its defense. Corporation Counsel may refuse to provide representation until any disciplinary action is resolved and the employee has been exonerated. In addition, the UFT may provide UFT members with legal representation if a member if facing criminal charges as a result of disciplinary actions taken against a pupil while the member was doing his or her job. The member should immediately contact his or her district representative or UFT borough office for assistance in this situation. At the same time that UFT members contact the DOE and Corporation Counsel, they should also get an application for the NYSUT Legal Defense Fund. Contact the office of the NYSUT Secretary-Treasurer by calling 800-342-9810 for the form. If a UFT member is fully exonerated of all charges, the fund will reimburse the member for up to $25,000 in legal fees.

Salary and Personnel

New Check your W-2s for accuracy: W-2s will be delivered to schools and offices on Thursday, Jan. 31, for those who did not register for electronic W-2s. Members who are no longer in service (as a result of retirement, resignation or termination) or who are on a leave will have W-2s mailed to the home address currently on file with the DOE. W-2s for pedagogic per diems also will be mailed. W-2s for substitute paraprofessionals will go to the school in which the substitute para received their last December 2018 paycheck or paystub. ATRs who pick up their checks at 65 Court St. will get their W-2s there as well. Members can request copies of their W-2s for the last three years or request a correction by logging on to the DOE’s payroll portal beginning in the middle of February. If an address correction is needed, the member must contact HR Connect at 718-935-4000 before the duplicate and/or corrected W-2 is requested. If members have questions regarding their W-2s, they should call HR Connect. Members will get 1095-c (proof of health insurance through their employer) with their W-2s. In-service members may view and print their W-2s by logging into NYCAPS Employee Self Service. For more information, see the DOE memo.

The UFT can help you with student debt: Members who have registered for information sessions will learn details about the Student Debt Relief Program, a new service for UFT members that can help them access federal debt relief and loan forgiveness. The first round of information sessions are full but members may fill out the UFT's expression-of-interest form and be the first to be notified about the next round of sessions. The sessions are offered in the five UFT borough offices throughout the school year, and after the session, members can make an appointment to speak by phone with trained UFT staff and a loan specialist to discuss individual needs and create an action plan.

Special Education

New Students with disabilities section of UFT website: Did you know that an entire section of the UFT website is dedicated to the rights and responsibilities of educators serving children with disabilities? Teachers, paraprofessionals and school-related professionals who provide services to students with IEPs will find a wealth of information and resources in the UFT website section for students with disabilities.

Dial-A-Teacher in full swing: Students who need help with homework may call Dial-A-Teacher at 212-777-3380, Monday through Thursday, from 4 to 7 p.m., during the school year. Dial-A-Teacher’s classroom teachers can also assist parents with questions and give advice on how they can help their child at home. The staff speaks 10 languages: Armenian, Bengali, Chinese (Mandarin, Cantonese and Fukanese), English, French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian, Spanish and Tagalog. Please post this Dial-a-Teacher flier on your UFT bulletin board. For more information about Dial-A-Teacher, read the article on the UFT website.

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This Week in Education and Labor News

Hopes rise for a settlement of LA teachers’ strike: The Los Angeles teachers’ strike entered its fifth day on Jan. 18 with hopes for a settlement building after a long day of negotiations, reports the Los Angeles Times. The length of the first day of talks was one hopeful sign. Another, perhaps, was a mutual understanding that neither side would discuss the content of negotiations in public. On Jan. 17, attendance at schools was the lowest yet during the strike, with about 17 percent of students showing up.

Janus has little impact on union rolls: City workers are sticking by their unions following the Janus decision, dealing a huge blow to conservatives who had hoped to cripple organized labor, according to Crain’s New York. The Independent Budget Office on Jan. 14 reported that the unions representing city government workers had lost 11,202 members – a 4 percent drop – in the six months after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states could no longer compel workers to pay dues if they declined to join the union. The UFT has fared the best among the city’s large unions. Conservatives were hoping for a 40 percent drop, consistent with the dip in union membership in Wisconsin when similar rules were instituted under former Gov. Scott Walker.

Pence to teach in an anti-LGBTQ school: Karen Pence, Vice President Mike Pence’s wife, has accepted a part-time teaching position at a private Christian school that prohibits gay students and requires employees to affirm marriage exists only between men and women, reports the Huffington Post. The Immanuel Christian School in Springfield, Virginia, disqualifies candidates for homosexual or lesbian activity and transgender identity. Virginia, as well as other states, allows private employers to discriminate on the basis of sexuality and gender identity. Pence taught at the school when her husband was in Congress, and their daughter attended the same school.

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Events Calendar

Featured

Friday, Feb. 8: Career and Technical Education teachers may 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. See the CTE Awards Recognition Ceremony flier for more information. Register online.

Saturday, March 2: The 4th annual Men in Education Symposium takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway. Former New York City schools chancellor Rudy Crew will facilitate the morning plenary session and Bronx teacher Alhassan Susso, the New York State Teacher of the Year, will deliver the keynote speech. Workshops will be offered on mentoring, fatherhood and empowerment. Breakfast and lunch provided. Register online. For more information, see the Men in Education Symposium flier. This is a free event.

Saturday, March 9: The 15th annual School Counselors Conference will be held at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The keynote speaker will be Cheryl Hall. The theme is School Counselors Are the Heart of the School. Register online.

Saturday, March 16: The UFT’s 12th annual Early Childhood Conference will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway. 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. 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.

Saturday, March 23: The UFT’s 38th annual Paraprofessional Festival and Awards Luncheon celebrating the 50th anniversary of the para chapter 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. For a full list of workshops and to register, go to the online form.

This Week

Saturday, Jan. 19: UFT members are invited to attend a pre-Women’s March breakfast forum 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. To register, see the online form.

Wednesday, Jan. 23: REGISTRATION CLOSED — School social workers and school psychologists are attending 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.

Wednesday, Jan. 23: School counselors are invited to a workshop on graduation policies for special education students. The workshop takes place from 4 to 6 p.m. at the UFT's Brooklyn borough office, 335 Adams St., 25th floor. Register online.

Wednesday, Jan. 23: The School Nurses Chapter meets from 4 to 6 p.m. at the UFT's Brooklyn borough office, 335 Adams St., 25th floor.

Wednesday, Jan. 23: The monthly meeting of the Administrative Education Officers/Analysts Chapter and their colleagues in the Education Officers/Analysts Chapter will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the UFT's Brooklyn borough office, 335 Adams St., 24th floor.

Save the Date

Saturday, March 30: The UFT’s 6th annual Middle School Conference will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway. 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.

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In Case You Missed It

Photo Gallery: Michael Mulgrew visits PS 107 in Brooklyn

Bronx Parent Newsletter - January 2019

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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.

Pride Committee

• Thursday, Jan. 24, 4 to 6 p.m., Pathways to Parenthood workshop. For more information, see the Pathways to Parenthood flier.

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Editor: Peter O’Donnell

Executive Editor: Bernadette Weeks

Contributors include: Karen Alford, George Altomare, Amy Arundell, LeRoy Barr, Jackie Bennett, Jeffery Bernstein, Hannah Brown, Joseph Colletti, Evelyn DeJesus, Crystal Deoraj, Paul Egan, Christina Gavin, Alison Gendar, MaryJo 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.