New York TeacherJune 6, 2019
Cover Stories
Civics education
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[[nid:112192; float: right; styleName:article_x_medium_auto]]Two years ago at PS 81 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, students spoke up with a concern: They didn’t have enough of a voice in the school.
It was an eye-opening moment for PS 81’s educators. Their first response was to strengthen the school’s student government. They decided that every class, from 5th grade down through kindergarten, would hold elections and send representatives to weekly student government meetings.
To give the school a sense of community — and to make sure even its youngest learners had a say — student government representatives started by nominating a school mascot, which was then selected in a schoolwide vote.
It may not have been as high-stakes as the 2016 presidential election. But the vote at PS 81 ushered in a new era of student engagement and a growing appreciation at the…
50 years of launching successful careers
Although they officially became Albert Shanker College Scholarships in 1998, UFT college scholarships have been helping New York City public high school students from low-income families since their inception in 1969. Many of these scholarship winners have gone on to distinguish themselves in amazing careers. Here are the stories of six of them.
UFT fighting to rein in hospital fees
The UFT has mounted a campaign in Albany this spring to pass legislation that would help rein in spiraling health care costs by barring hospitals from charging outrageous fees for emergency care to out-of-network patients.
Latest News
Oregon walkout results in school funding boost
A week after tens of thousands of Oregon educators walked out of their classrooms on May 8 for a statewide “day of action,” the state's governor signed a $2 billion funding package into law to pay for smaller class sizes and more educational programs.
UFT's candidate wins Council seat
With the UFT’s support, Farah Louis won the special election on May 14 to fill the New York City Council seat left vacated by Jumaane Williams when he became the city’s public advocate.
California teachers pay for subs during extended leave
Public school teachers in California are forced by state law to pay for their own substitute teachers when they take extended sick leave.
McDonald’s workers strike for wages and rights
Hundreds of McDonald’s workers walked off the job in 13 cities on May 23 to call for a minimum wage of $15 per hour and expanded rights in their workplace, including protection from sexual harassment. The labor action came the same week as employees in 20 cities filed sexual harassment complaints against the fast food company.
Health benefits highlight value of UFT membership
Telling the story of why the union matters, Geof Sorkin, the executive director of the UFT Welfare Fund, discussed the “very robust benefit package” that UFT-represented employees have.
Feature Stories
Students have teaching down to a science
[[nid:112226; styleName:article_x_large_auto]][[nid:112227; float: right; styleName:article_x_medium_auto]]Gail Sims Bliss remembers the science fairs of her youth, when she did experiments that had no connection to what she was learning in school. So when the science teacher was asked to coordinate a fair at PS 84 in Brooklyn, she conceived a different kind of event and turned the tables on learning.
At the school’s fifth annual Science Exploratorium on May 15, more than 400 parents and guests experienced 47 hands-on experiments led by 320 Junior Scientists, aka students, in grades 2–8, who became teachers for a day at the school in Williamsburg.
“There is discussion — an interchange — between the student and the person they are teaching. It is not a presentation,” said Sims Bliss, who teaches 3rd- to 5th-graders. “They master content and then draw on what they’ve learned to both teach and…
Same journey, different map
United by a bright blue ribbon that extended the length of their lineup, students from PS 372 @ M 113 in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, circled their school block during their second annual Autism Awareness Parade on April 30.
Balancing act
Students at Manhattan's Professional Performing Arts School have succeeded in striking a balance between the challenge of high academic standards and success in the performing arts.
More in Feature Stories
Member Spotlight
What I do: Desiree Mark, teacher’s aide, ADAPT
What drew you to ADAPT? I saw a telethon for United Cerebral Palsy and disabled children were on the program. I like working with people…
Showing their pride
Hundreds of occupational therapists, physical therapists and educators donned UFT T-shirts on May 13 for the UFT Occupational and Physical Therapists Chapter’s day of solidarity to increase visibility for their chapter and for the work they do.
Kudos to Lillian Palladino, Susan E. Wagner HS on Staten Island
Susan E. Wagner HS Chapter Leader Lillian Palladino credits the union-negotiated process for tackling excessive paperwork for resolving an issue at her Staten Island school and for “unifying staff, revitalizing morale and bridging the gap with administration.”
Around the UFT
Nurse Recognition Day 2019
“You have different skills, certification and education, but you all have the ability to stand up in the middle of chaos — no matter how crazy it gets — and say, ‘This person matters,’” Anne Goldman, the head of the Federation of Nurses/UFT and the UFT vice president for non-DOE members, told the nurses attending the union’s sixth annual Nurse Recognition Day on April 30.
District 11 Scholarship Dinner
A crowd of 600-plus packed Villa Barone Manor in the Bronx on May 8 for the UFT's third annual District 11 Scholarship Dinner, featuring dinner, dancing, awards and 52 raffle baskets.
Students show off skills at fair
From vintage educational memorabilia to cutting-edge drones and 3D printers, the UFT Spring Education Conference’s exhibit hall put the best of New York City’s career and technical education high schools on display.
Using art to deliver an important message
Dozens of posters from 16 schools were on display at UFT headquarters on May 21 for the awards ceremony of the UFT BRAVE program’s fifth annual video contest and the UFT’s Young Artists Unite Against Bullying poster contest.
Provider Appreciation Awards Ceremony 2019
"We are not babysitters, we are early childhood educators serving New York,” Chapter Chair Tammie Miller said on May 11 as UFT Family Child Care Providers Chapter members gathered for the union’s sixth annual Provider Appreciation Awards Ceremony at UFT headquarters in Manhattan.
More in Around the UFT
Your Rights and Benefits
Know Your Benefits
Summer prescription drug plan tips for in-service members
As summer approaches, some of you will be heading out of town or even out of the country. Remember to take care of your maintenance prescription needs before you pack your bags. For emergencies, always carry your Express Scripts prescription ID card.
Your Well-being
Creating schools that welcome LGBTQ kids
There is a lot that educators can do to make the school environment more welcoming for these students — and a more inclusive environment for all students and staff.
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.
Q&A on the Issues
Protecting yourself from measles
A national measles outbreak, including more than 400 cases in New York City, has generated concern. This Q&A from the New York City Department of Health answers some of the most common questions.
Opinions
VPerspective
Being an informed educator
One of my responsibilities as the UFT vice president for education is to make sure you stay informed about the rollout of New York State’s Next Generation Learning Standards. In 2018, we focused on raising awareness; this year we are focused on building capacity.
President's Perspective
The power of unity
It’s June, and our enemies are coming out of the woodwork with a barrage of misinformation about unions and union membership. There is a lot at stake: Our profession, our public schools and our ability to take care of ourselves and our families.
Editorials
Our time
More than 30 of the 51 New York City Council seats — a common entry point into elected office — will open up in 2021 because of term limits. It’s an opportunity to elect more public school educators and other UFT-represented professionals to elected office.
Editorials
Crisis-in-waiting
New York City has reached the legal limit of charter schools, which has prompted a big push by charter advocates to raise the cap. Albany needs to stand firm.
Editorial Cartoons
Teaching Resources
Teacher to Teacher
Inquiry-based learning with young students
Do you want to help your students explore their interests and extend their learning beyond a scripted curriculum? Consider trying inquiry-based investigations in your early childhood classroom.
Building Your Career
Building Your Career
Who my students work hard for
At the beginning of each school year, I ask my students to write about and bring in a photo of a loved one to put on display so they can walk up to that photo in times of struggle and success to remind them who they work hard for.
New Teacher Diaries
Giving voice to the smallest complaints
I am a high school English teacher that has it pretty good. What follows is my attempt to give voice to the smallest, most insignificant complaints imaginable from my first year.
Retired Teachers News
Teachers want what students deserve
This month’s column is by Leo Casey, the executive director of the Albert Shanker Institute and a former UFT vice president, from remarks he made at a recent Democratic National Committee Labor Council meeting.
— Tom Murphy, RTC chapter leader
When teachers went on strike in West Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona, Kentucky and North Carolina in the Teacher Spring of 2018, it was not just for themselves — although their pay, pensions and health insurance have been diminishing for the last decade. It was just as much for the students and the communities they serve, so that they might have the schools they deserve.
The strikes were driven first and foremost by government underfunding of public education, which is most intense in “red” states with Republican…