The Delegate Assembly is Wednesday, Feb. 13.

The next Update will be March 1.

This Week's Focus

2 percent pay increase takes effect on Feb. 14

The salaries of UFT-represented employees covered by ratified DOE-UFT contracts will increase by 2 percent effective Feb. 14. Pedagogues and paraprofessionals on the Q Bank payroll will see the higher rate of pay for the full pay period in their Feb. 28 paychecks and two days at the higher rate in the Feb. 15 paychecks. UFT-represented employees on the H Bank payroll will see the higher rate of pay for the full pay period in their March 8 paychecks and a partial increase in their Feb. 22 paychecks. Q Bank Feb. 15 and H Bank Feb. 22 checks will be calculated in full at the higher rate and then show a deduction of the difference between the higher and lower rate for Feb. 1-13 (Q Bank) and for Feb. 3-13 (H Bank). These deductions are accurate. All pedagogues who work per diem or per session will see the 2 percent pay rate in the March 12 paycheck for any time worked on Feb. 14 and Feb. 15. Paras working per session and para substitutes will see their increase based on the new salary rate in their regular semimonthly paychecks dated Feb. 28. All new longevities and increases to existing longevities will also take effect on Feb. 14. Read the full article on the UFT website. See the new salary schedules. If you have any questions, please contact a salary rep in your UFT borough office.

50 schools to join Bronx Collaborative Schools Plan

UFT President Michael Mulgrew and Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza joined Mayor Bill de Blasio on Feb. 8 to announce the first 50 schools accepted to the Bronx Collaborative Schools Plan, an initiative created in the DOE-UFT contract to help schools facing the greatest challenges. The Bronx Plan, when fully implemented, will support 180 historically underserved schools, the majority in the Bronx, over the next three years by empowering school communities to address challenges and innovatively plan together to achieve their goals. “The Bronx Plan moves decision-making powers and resources inside schools, and it focuses on schools that historically have not gotten their fair share,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew. “This is not change from the top down, but from the bottom up. Our job is to support your vision.” Through collaborative decision-making, principals and UFT-represented educators will create a plan to increase student achievement that is tailored to the needs of their local school communities. This plan may include curriculum changes, instructional coaching, additional teacher leader positions or other tools and innovations to move the school forward. Participating schools may also receive a “hard-to-staff differential” to attract and retain educators in hard-to-staff subjects.

Report any oversize classes to your district rep next Tuesday

We thank chapter leaders who teach in schools that reorganize for the spring term for reporting oversize classes on Feb. 6. We are calling on you again to do your part to keep class sizes within proper limits by using the new resolution process for class size in the new DOE-UFT contract. Report any classes that exceed contractual and other mandated class-size limits to your district representative on Day 10 on Tuesday, Feb. 12, and Day 14 on Monday, Feb. 25. Chapter leaders should work with school administrators during the first 10 days to eliminate all oversize classes. On Day 10, the central labor-management committee will meet to discuss “chronically out-of-compliance” schools (those that have had oversize classes for four of the past six years). If these can’t get resolved, they go immediately to arbitration and the arbitrator can order a remedy. Between Days 11 (Feb. 26) and 19 (March 4), the UFT district rep and district superintendent will meet to try to resolve oversize classes in the rest of the schools in the district. On the 21st day, all oversize classes not resolved by district reps and superintendents go to the labor-management committee for review. Only if the labor-management committee can’t resolve the issue does it then go to arbitration. All arbitrations must take place between the 20th and 34th school days of the term. Once heard, the arbitrator’s remedy will be implemented within 10 days of the hearing. Any schools with oversize classes after the first 10 days will now have on their record a year of history of violating the contract regardless of the remedy later negotiated by union and school officials or ordered by an arbitrator.

Mulgrew calls for $2.2 billion in additional school aid at state hearing

UFT President Michael Mulgrew on Feb. 6 called for a $2.2 billion increase in state school aid in testimony in Albany before the state Senate and Assembly Committees on Finance, Ways & Means and Education on the proposed executive budget for the upcoming fiscal year. He advocated driving much of that additional funding to schools with the highest numbers of students in need to begin to create a level playing field for all schools. Mulgrew asked lawmakers to restore funding for Teacher Centers statewide to the 2008-09 level of $40 million and to provide $5 million for the UFT’s Community Learning Schools Initiative. Mulgrew also requested $1.5 million to expand the Positive Learning Collaborative program to up to 15 more schools in New York City. To pay for these and other important initiatives, Mulgrew called for the continuation and expansion of the state millionaire’s tax, which ensures that the highest earners pay their fair share of taxes. “We’ve got 63 percent more millionaires than we did when we passed the so-called millionaire’s tax in 2009. And New York City is home to 103 billionaires, more than any city in the world,” he said. You can read the full budget testimony on the UFT website.

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Your Chapter Leader Checklist

• Sign up for training on resolution writing and parliamentary procedure: Wish you better understood the rules governing the Delegate Assembly? Want to write a resolution for the body to consider? Training is now available to chapter leaders and delegates in how to write union resolutions and use Robert’s Rules of Order, the parliamentary procedure the UFT uses at the Delegate Assembly. This training is on Wednesday, Feb. 27, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, 19th floor, room B. Register online. Space is limited so sign up ASAP. You can read the resolution that created this training session on the UFT website.
• New contract strengthens voice for consultation committee: Your school consultation committee, which meets monthly with the principal, is a great organizing tool that empowers chapters by creating a venue to discuss and attempt to resolve issues at the school level. If an operational issue (paperwork, professional development, curriculum, basic instructional supplies, workload or space) or an issue involving a violation of the safety standards is first addressed in a consultation committee meeting, the principal has five days to resolve the issue. When an issue cannot be resolved by the consultation committee, you should reach out to your district representative. After each consultation committee meeting, you should fill out the UFT’s online Consultation Summary Form (you must be logged in to the UFT website to access it). This new online form resides in the Chapter Leader section under Consultation. This report will inform your district representative about issues raised at your school, any need for assistance or your request to escalate an issue to the District Consultation Committee or District Paperwork and Operational Committee. Find out more about the role and responsibilities of the UFT consultation committee. Principals are required to meet with their school’s consultation committee once a month, according to the DOE-UFT contract. Contact your district representative if you need help forming a consultation committee or if you are encountering any problems with consultation, including setting an agenda, resolving issues or confronting your principal’s refusal to meet with your committee.

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Share with Your Members

UFT’s Black History Month Film Series flier

2019 UFT Election Notice

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

Evaluation

Guidance for ATR pool teachers: Some principals have told ATR pool teachers they will be evaluated under the Advance system. The contract is clear: Teachers should not be rated under Advance unless they teach — and are the teacher of record — for six months and for at least 40 percent of a full program. The UFT is working with the DOE to resolve this issue. Find out if you are rated for evaluation under Advance by logging onto the Advance page of the DOE website.

Functional Chapters

New Test prep for Education Officer Civil Service Exam: The UFT Teacher Center, in collaboration with the Education Officers/Analysts Chapter, will offer a test prep course for the upcoming Education Officer Civil Service Exam to those chapter members who are UFT members. Eligible education officers may participate in a two-day weekday session or a one-day Saturday session at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway. The weekday session is on Tuesday, Feb. 26, and Tuesday, March 5, from 6 to 8 p.m. The Saturday session is on Saturday, March 2, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Registration will open soon, and the information will be posted on the Education Officers/Analysts Chapter page of the UFT website.

New Members

New Staten Island probationary teacher tenure workshop: Staten Island-based probationary teachers may attend a spring tenure workshop on Monday, Feb. 25, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the UFT’s Staten Island borough office, 4456 Amboy Road. Participants will learn about their probationary licenses and the process/requirements for obtaining tenure. For more information and to register, see the Tenure Framework Workshop flier.

Opportunities

Apply for a sustainability mini-grant: The New York City Department of Sanitation and Citizens Committee for New York City invite all K–12 schools to apply for Green Team mini-grants of up to $1,000 for expenses such as recycling and garden projects, T-shirts/uniforms, school sustainability events and eco-friendly giveaways. Participating schools are encouraged to attend an informational session in the Bronx or Manhattan in February prior to submitting a grant application. The spring deadline is Friday, March 15. Schools that won in the fall of 2018 are not eligible for spring 2019 grants. For more information and to apply online, see the Zero Waste Schools website. Email schools [at] dsny [dot] nyc [dot] gov (schools[at]dsny[dot]nyc[dot]gov) if you have any questions.

UFT Shanker scholarship deadline extended to Feb. 15: The application deadline for the $5,000 Albert Shanker college scholarship has been extended to Friday, Feb. 15. 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. Students selected for the scholarship must be matriculated in a full-time, 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.

Political Action

Nominating petitions due by Feb. 15: The UFT is holding elections for president and other officers, executive board members and convention delegates. All the positions are three-year terms, effective July 1, 2019. The nominating petition deadline is Friday, Feb. 15. Balloting will be conducted by the American Arbitration Association. The ballots will be mailed on Monday, 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.

Recognition

New Chapter leader shoutout to Deborah Navarro: 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 Deborah Navarro, the chapter leader at PS 226 in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, for building true collaboration at her school. Navarro secured her new principal’s consent to change the schedule of the monthly UFT chapter meetings and she worked with him on the school calendar to ensure consultation meetings were scheduled for the year. The school faculty’s instructional cabinet, which handles educational issues, is a “strong voice for teachers,” Navarro said. “It’s the place where we make decisions about what is beneficial to us in professional development.” You can read more about Deborah Navarro’s achievements on the UFT website.

Salary and Personnel

New Apply for a sabbatical leave by March 19: Eligible teachers who want to study to enhance teaching skills have until Tuesday, March 19, to submit an application on SOLAS for a study sabbatical for the 2019-20 school year. Tuesday, March 26, is the deadline for a principal’s recommendation to the superintendent. Coursework must be rigorous and related to one’s teaching assignment. All teachers are eligible for a one-year study sabbatical after 14 years of service. Junior high or high school classroom teachers with seven years on the job can also apply for a six-month study sabbatical for the spring semester only. Teachers earn 70 percent of their salary during a full-year sabbatical and 60 percent of their salary during a six-month sabbatical. Members can read guidelines and eligibility requirements in the Sabbatical Leave of Absence page on the DOE website.

UFT dues can only be deducted from state taxes: Under the 2018 federal tax law, union dues and other miscellaneous itemized deductions are no longer permitted. But as a result of legislation passed in April 2017, thanks to union lobbying, union members in New York State may deduct their union dues from their state income taxes if they itemize deductions on their state taxes. Find out what you paid in UFT dues in 2018. If you are an eligible educator, you may still deduct from your federal income taxes up to $250 of any unreimbursed expenses in 2018 for books, supplies, computer equipment (including related software and services), other equipment and supplementary materials you use in the classroom, according to the IRS. If you are married, filing jointly and both spouses are educators, you can deduct up to $500, but not more than $250 each. For courses in health and physical education, expenses for supplies are qualified expenses only if they are related to athletics. The educator expense is an “adjustment to gross income” so use it if you use the standard deduction or itemize on your tax return. In the past, teachers also were permitted to deduct more than the $250 by deducting unreimbursed employee expenses on Schedule A — the amount that exceeds 2 percent of your adjusted gross income. In addition to union dues, those expenses could also include travel and anything related to the job paid out of pocket and not reimbursed by the school. President Trump’s tax overhaul eliminated those miscellaneous deductions as well. You should keep documentation, such as receipts or canceled checks, for any deduction you take. For all income tax questions, see IRS Publication 529 for miscellaneous deductions and IRS Publication 17.

Teaching and Learning

New Lessons on Black History Month: The AFT’s Share My Lesson website offers many lessons you can easily bring to your classroom during Black History Month. Elementary teachers may access a culturally responsive lesson plan on Langston Hughes' “I, Too, Sing America.”  Middle school students can study how hip-hop has provided an outlet for Rashidi Omari to deal with life’s challenges. High school students can read Maya Angelou’s poem “On the Pulse of Morning”  and learn more about this Renaissance woman. You can find more lessons and webinars on the Share My Lesson website.

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This Week in Education and Labor News

Oakland teachers on the verge of a strike: Oakland teachers voted overwhelmingly on Feb. 4 to authorize a strike, ratcheting up their dispute with administrators of the financially troubled district over wages and class sizes, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. The vote allows union leaders to call a strike after Feb. 15, when a neutral fact-finder is expected to release a report that attempts to bridge the impasse. Wages remain the main point of contention. The school district has proposed a 5 percent pay increase over three years. The union has asked for a 12 percent increase over that period. The starting salary for Oakland teachers is $46,500, and the average salary is $63,100.

Denver teachers may strike on Feb. 11: Teachers in Colorado’s largest school district are preparing to strike on Monday after Gov. Jared Polis announced he would not intervene in a pay dispute between the Denver school district and the teachers union, reports Chalkbeat. Teachers are driven by pent-up frustration with a pay-for-performance system they feel has failed to deliver on its promises, as well as with the broad swath of education reform policies that system represents.

AP registration to shift to November: Registration for Advanced Placement exams will move to Nov. 15 beginning this fall — instead of the traditional spring date — based on the results of a pilot program showing that fall registration especially increases the rate of low-income and minority students earning a score of three or higher, reports Education Dive. The study of 800 schools and 180,000 students showed that moving the date from spring to fall boosted the number of underserved minority students registering for the exam by 14.2 percent. The pilot also showed that students were more likely to persist when they encountered more challenging material in the course and students became more selective in choosing AP courses instead of registering for multiple courses to impress college admissions officers.

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Events Calendar

Featured

Saturday, March 2: The UFT's fourth 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. Hone your skills, hear about the new state regulations governing school counseling, visit exhibits and network with fellow counselors. The theme is School Counselors Are the Heart of the School. Participants may attend two 75-minute workshops on topics including bullying, writing letters of recommendation, the pitfalls of social media and supporting LGBT students. The registration fee is $30, which includes breakfast and lunch. The deadline to register is Wednesday, March 6. Register online. You must be logged in to the UFT website to access the registration link. For more information, including a full list of workshops, see the School Counselors Conference brochure.

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 UFT Paraprofessionals Chapter is from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the New York Hilton Midtown at 1335 Sixth 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

Monday, Feb. 11: The School Counselors Chapter Executive Board meeting will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, 19th floor.

Tuesday, Feb. 12: Staten Island-based members are invited to a sabbatical workshop from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the UFT’s Staten Island borough office, 4456 Amboy Road. Participants will learn about sabbatical guidelines. Light refreshments will be served. Seating is limited. Register online.

Tuesday, Feb. 12: The Attendance Teachers Chapter meeting will take place from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway.

Wednesday, Feb. 13: The Delegate Assembly will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, 2nd floor, Shanker Hall.

Thursday, Feb. 14: Brooklyn-based members are invited to a sabbatical workshop from 4 to 6 p.m. at the UFT’s Brooklyn borough office, 335 Adams St., 25th floor, rooms E/F. Participants will learn about sabbatical guidelines. Light refreshments will be served. Seating is limited. Register online. For more information, see the Brooklyn Sabbatical Workshop flier.

Thursday, Feb. 14: The UFT Black History film series will present "Pioneers: Reginald F. Lewis and the Making of a Billion Dollar Empire" from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway. A discussion will follow. Register online. This event is free. See the flier in Share With Your Members.

Save the Date

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. View the Middle School Sixth Annual Conference flier.

Saturday, May 18: The UFT Spring Education Conference will take place at the New York Hilton in midtown Manhattan. See the coupon for conference details, including workshop descriptions. Registration will open 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

Union Proud testimonial: Megan Tobiasen on how the union helped her when she had certification problems

Brooklyn Parent Newsletter - February 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.

Association of Teachers of Social Studies and UFT Jewish Heritage Committees

• Sunday, March 24, 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., annual Holocaust for Educators Program with American Society for Yad Vashem. For more information, see the Holocaust for Educators Program flier.

Capably Disabled

• Thursday, March 21, 4:15 p.m.to 6 p.m., General Membership Meeting. Speaker: Patricia Hazell, TV host of “Patreehsa’s Potpourri.” For more information, see the Patreesha’s Potpourri flier.

Irish American Heritage

• Thursday, March 21, 4:30 p.m., annual heritage celebration. For more information, see the Annual Heritage Celebration flier.

Science

• Friday, March 8, 7:15 p.m., “Bigger Isn't Always Better. Tuning the Size, Composition, and Structure of Nanostructured, Precious Metal Electrocatalysts for Enhanced Performance in PEM Fuel Cells.” Speaker: Christopher Koenigsmann, Fordham University.

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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, Kathleen Guilbert, Anthony Harmon, Sarah Herman, Janella Hinds, Junior Linton, Joe LoVerde, Samantha Mark, Deidre McFadyen, Michael Murphy, Gabriel Nott, Suzanne Popadin, Debra Poulos, Jeffrey Povalitis, Tina Puccio, Briget Rein, Sterling Roberson, Michael Sill, Anne Silverstein, Dermot Smyth, Geofrey Sorkin, Rosemarie Thompson, Miriam Vega, Vanesia Wilson and Shelvy Young-Abrams.