SEPTEMBER 22, 2008

SCHOOLWIDE BONUS

WE MET 100% OF OUR GOAL!!!!!!!!!!! $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$


NEW TEACHERS We wish to welcome Stefanie Britton, Kaitlyn Comastri, Ann Gibbons, Amanda Gill, Karen Konrad, Annalisa Lewis, Ania Lubeka, Melissa Nascimento, Eric Rauscher and Karla Tobar to our staff.
If you haven’t done so already, please submit your membership and Welfare Fund forms to me so that you may use, amongst other things, the prescription, dental and optical plans. Include your file number.


PREPS, CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS
There will be one staff conference each month during a lunch period. This was SBO’d in the spring. There is only one mandatory grade conference each month as well. Each teacher is entitled to one prep period each day. These periods are for unassigned professional work.


A prep is a prep, whether or not it is a “common” prep. If you already had a grade conference for the month, you may not be forced to give up your prep or lunch for any reason whatsoever. Once again, only first-year teachers can have two prep periods a week directed by the administration.


NOWHERE in the contract does it say “every teacher on the grade will be responsible for grade-wide meetings with Administrators, Coaches and any demonstration lessons.”


Once again, you must attend the one monthly grade conference and one monthly staff conference. All other preps are yours to do your work as you please. Of course, if you choose to attend these meetings, that is your right. But once again you can not be forced or intimidated to attend. If conference time is provided back-to-back with your prep, you still have the right to take your prep. If you are disciplined in ANY way for exercising your rights, see me IMMEDIATELY. According to our contract here are only two exceptions:


1. During the first year of employment of a teacher who has not had previous professional employment as a teacher, two preparation periods per week shall be designated as professional support periods.


2. For uncertified teachers being mentored during their second year of employment, two preparation periods per week shall continue to be designated as professional support periods exclusively for the purpose of mentoring.


DIAL-A-TEACHER

Soon you will receive Dial-A-Teacher stickers. Please have the students place them on their notebooks. They can receive homework help over the phone with a teacher in many languages.



PARKING PERMITS

Nineteen permits will be allocated to our school. We will be pooling the permits and they will be used on a “first come, first serve” basis. If there is a space by the school, park your car, enter the building, sign for a permit, place it in your car’s front window, and return to the building. Return the permit before you leave the building at the end of the day.


This must be done on an honor system. Please do not hold onto them or take one for a friend. If the privelege is abused, than we will have to change how the permits are allocated.


We have been instructed to allot one permit each to the four administrators and the head custodian. This is being done because as soon as their unions reach agreements with the city, we would have to surrender those five permits anyway.


LESSON PLANS

As the educator responsible for providing classroom instruction to your students, you are responsible for developing lesson plans and can determine their format, organization, notation and content. Your supervisor may suggest, but cannot require or insist upon, a particular format unless you have received, or are about to receive, a “U” rating. Your supervisor may enter your classroom and ask to see your lesson plan, at any time, but cannot collect them on a regular basis.


DISAGREEMENTS
From time to time we have disagreements with our colleagues. Please discuss your disagreements with your colleagues as the professionals we are. It is not necessary to go to your supervisor over every little issue.


OBAMA - BIDEN

The UFT has endorsed Barak Obama for President. If you want an Obama - Biden button, see me. One per person, first come, first serve.


EVENTS

Check the board outside of 251 regularly for events.


Maternity/Childcare Workshop
Tuesday, Oct. 7, 4 - 6 PM
UFT Brooklyn Borough Office, 335 Adams St.
Call (718)852-4900 to register


CONTACT INFO You may e-mail me at 123uft@optonline.net.
Access our chapter blog at: http://uft123k.blogspot.com
Know Your Rights Manual:
http://www.uft.org/member/rights/your_rights/


Please don‘t vandalize flyers in the bathrooms. UFT and, in the past, even Social Committee postings have been destroyed and have had obscenities written on them by some anti-union and anti-social colleagues. If you don’t wish to participate that is your prerogative. Don’t deny the rights of others to be informed and to participate in staff events.