New York TeacherJuly 4, 2019
Cover Stories
Teacher’s Choice gains regular line
Teacher’s Choice, since it was initiated more than 25 years ago by the UFT, has been funded as a special allocation of the City Council. In a major milestone for the program that reimburses educators for some of their out-of-pocket spending on classroom supplies, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Council agreed on June 14 to allocate funds for Teacher’s Choice as part of the annual city budget.
The decision to baseline Teacher’s Choice in the city budget for at least the next three years came after years of UFT members sharing how they used their Teacher’s Choice funds to enhance learning for their students. Those stories — of funds spent on classroom libraries, telescopes, school supplies for homeless children and other items — helped convince the mayor and City Council members of the program’s direct benefit to classrooms.
The Council and the mayor agreed to set the program’s base funding…
Albany passes patient protection legislation
In a big victory for the UFT, union-supported legislation curbing hospitals from charging exorbitant fees to out-of-network patients for emergency care passed both houses of the state legislature in June and now needs Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s signature to become law.
Abe Levine, a UFT founder, dies
Abe Levine, the first vice president for elementary schools and a steadfast presence at the UFT until his final months, died at age 89 on June 13.
Latest News
East Bay teachers’ strike ends after three weeks
Educators in California’s Bay Area ended their three-week strike on June 9, enabling them to be back in their classrooms for the final week of school. The strike, the New Haven Unified School District’s first, saw nearly 600 teachers, school counselors, psychologists, speech therapists and nurses join picket lines outside their schools in a fight over pay.
‘We can afford to do better’
Some 18,000 teachers in the Clark County School District in Nevada have vowed to strike if the state doesn’t come through with funding to pay for salary increases without cuts to the classroom.
Feature Stories
Starting young
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[[nid:112553; float: right; styleName:article_x_medium_auto]]For Jo Ann Westhall, an elementary school education includes reading, writing, arithmetic — and computer science.
Westhall, a computer science teacher and the chapter leader at PS 31 in Bayside, Queens, brought a subject reserved for middle and high school students to children as young as 4 years old.
“By increasing exposure to computer science and STEM-related careers at an early age, I feel you empower students to consider opportunities they may not have otherwise,” said Westhall, who received a city Department of Education Big Apple Award for teaching this year. “Early exposure might close the gap for underrepresented communities in these fields.”
At first, providing that exposure would prove easier said than done.
“In the very beginning, I didn’t know where to turn,” said Westhall. “There wasn’t a lot…
‘I wanted to be like her’
Yadira Hans is a 4th-grade teacher at PS 249 in Flatbush, Brooklyn, and one of this year's Big Apple Award winners. PS 131 teacher Anita Betances, who taught Hans third grade, set her on her path.
Learning in style
Students at PS 811, a District 75 high school for special needs students in Bellerose, Queens, wowed classmates, teachers and families on June 12 at their Fashion Avengers Fashion Show, where many of the outfits they created were made from recyclable materials.
More in Feature Stories
Member Spotlight
Kudos to Adam Shapiro, PS 116 in Bushwick, Brooklyn
Even before he was elected chapter leader at PS 116 in Bushwick in September 2018, Adam Shapiro led a “brigade” of 25 UFT members to a meeting at the UFT’s Brooklyn borough office to discuss their principal’s intimidation of staff and extensive breaches of the DOE-UFT contract.
Teacher and counselor honored for saving co-worker
UFT members Connor Valvo, a teacher at Kingsborough Early College Secondary School, and Janu Williams, a school counselor at the HS for Sports Management, both in Brooklyn, were honored by the city DOE in June for providing lifesaving assistance to colleague Elizabeth Kullman last November.
Around the UFT
Better Speech and Hearing Month Celebration
Thirty-two student projects were honored May 30 at the 13th annual Better Speech and Hearing Month Celebration at UFT headquarters in Manhattan, where about 200 students, parents and speech and hearing providers gathered in Shanker Hall for a ceremony and dinner.
Retired Teachers Chapter Luncheon 2019
Nearly 500 retirees shared stories and camaraderie on May 28 at the UFT’s 56th annual Retiree Luncheon at the New York Hilton in midtown Manhattan, honoring fellow members for chapter leadership, political and human rights activities, community service and for 50, 60 and 70 years of union membership.
Daniel Dromm Scholarship Brunch
The second annual Daniel Dromm Scholarship Brunch at UFT headquarters in Manhattan on June 1 kicked off Pride Month, honored members of the LGBTQ community past and present and honored five high school seniors with $1,000 scholarships for being exemplary students and LGBTQ student activists.
Making the contract work for us
During the final Delegate Assembly of the school year on June 12, UFT President Michael Mulgrew talked about how the new DOE-UFT contract has given members a greater voice in their workplaces this year.
Queens and Brooklyn Pride marches
In a landmark year for the LGBTQ community, UFT members and their families marched in Queens on June 2, and in Brooklyn on June 8, to celebrate Pride Month. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, where the patrons of Manhattan’s Stonewall Inn revolted against police brutality and launched the modern LGBTQ rights movement.
Your Rights and Benefits
Know Your Benefits
Health and Cancer Helpline
Receiving a life-threatening medical diagnosis can be an emotional rollercoaster. The UFT Welfare Fund offers an array of services that can help you navigate the road ahead.
Your Well-being
Managing transitions
As another school year ends, students and educators face transitions. And while summer may be eagerly anticipated, transitions are not easy for everyone. But there are ways to help ensure a healthy transition to summer.
You Should Know
Grants, Awards & Freebies
Grants, Awards & Freebies
See our list of current opportunities for educators to receive funds and recognition for their hard work and dedication.
You Should Know
Task force seeks more freedom to reject Calif. charters
A California task force on charter schools delivered a report to Gov. Gavin Newsom on June 7 that recommends local school districts have more leeway in deciding whether to approve new charter schools by including criteria like saturation and need for new schools as factors to consider. The task force consisted of charter school representatives, labor unions and local school administrations.
You Should Know
Teach for America helps charter movement
The Walton Family Foundation, created by the founder of Walmart, failed to reveal that its $20 million grant to Teach For America in 2013 to recruit and train nearly 4,000 teachers for low-income schools had unusual terms intended to boost charter schools.
Secure Your Future
Passport Fund choices will change in 2020
Next year TRS members’ investment choices, collectively known as the Passport Funds, will change. TRS plans to add two funds and discontinue a third.
Opinions
VPerspective
The changing world of special ed
If there is one thing that is a constant in special education, it’s change.
President's Perspective
Understanding bias and how it affects us
We all carry biases and can benefit from a better understanding of how they affect our relationships with others, personally and professionally.
Editorials
Restore the 9/11 fund
The calamity that was Sept. 11 has receded in memory for many people who were not directly affected by the terrorist attacks. But for the first responders and the people who lived, worked and attended school near Ground Zero — some 425,000 New Yorkers — the tragedy continues to unfold.
Editorials
Teachers leading
When the UFT and the Department of Education launched Teacher Career Pathways seven years ago, it was an effort to give teachers a career path that allowed them to remain teachers and share their hard-earned knowledge for the benefit of their colleagues — with a stipend for the extra responsibilities they take on.
Editorial Cartoons
Teaching Resources
Teaching
17 winners earn DOE advisory role
"You are the best," schools Chancellor Richard Carranza told 17 Big Apple Award winners at the seventh annual awards ceremony at the city Department of Education headquarters in Manhattan on June 11. In addition to their Big Apple honors, the 17 educators will form the Chancellor’s Teacher Advisory Group.
Teaching
Honored for following their ‘passion’
Nine public school teachers were among the honorees at the annual Blackboard Awards ceremony recognizing outstanding educators on June 10 at the New York Institute of Technology in Manhattan.
Linking to Learning
Using online exit slips
Online exit slips are an effective way to get feedback from students, do checks for understanding and even accept suggestions or constructive criticism.
Teacher to Teacher
Read all about it!
When I became a New York City public school teacher three years ago, I was shocked to discover our high school didn’t have a newspaper. So this past January, I turned my 11th-grade ELA class into the school’s newsroom.
Building Your Career
Building Your Career
The Readers' Throne
We use the Readers’ Throne in my classroom when students present their independent writing projects.
Building Your Career
Fellows welcomed to UFT, DOE
The UFT family grew by nearly 1,000 new teachers on June 17, as the Department of Education welcomed its newest cohort of New York City Teaching Fellows at an event at City Tech in Brooklyn.
New Teacher Articles
Keys to a relaxing but productive summer break
Welcome to summer! Here are some suggestions for making the most out of a relaxing and productive break from school.
Retired Teachers News
UFT continues to use automated dues refund system for retirees
If you are a new retiree, you will notice that full in-service dues were deducted from your summer pay checks. There is no need to request a refund. Upon receipt of all the dues records for UFT members from various city agencies, the accounting department will automatically calculate a refund for all eligible members and send them a check. Checks are expected to be sent out in December.
Summer checks for new retirees
Members who are retiring at the end of the school year will receive four summer checks.
Changing banks for your EFT retirement payments
If you’re planning to choose a new bank to electronically receive your monthly retirement payments from the Teachers’ Retirement System, keep in mind the following so that you can avoid suspension of your Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT).