March 2, 2009

Rally For New York!
Even with the federal stimulus package, devastating budget cuts still threaten our communities, our jobs, our neighbors and our families. Join us for the Rally for New York at City Hall on Thursday, March 5 at 4 PM. We will meet in front of the school at 3:05 PM and leave together. We will take the Manhattan-bound L train to Union Square to the downtown 4,5 or 6 to City Hall. Bring your friends, family and neighbors. Carry banners and signs.

Welfare Fund Prescription Plan
By now you should have received your new Medco Prescription Drug ID Card and the new Express Scripts Injectables Chemotherapy card. If not, call the Welfare Fund at (212)539-0500 immediately.

Parking Passes
There have been some abuses of the parking passes. We are still having a few problems with some of our fellow members. You must return your pass at the end of the day, even if you teach afterschool. You may not keep the pass all week and simply sign for it at the beginning of each day. Also, if you take a pass and are absent, that is one less pass that your colleagues can use. This only adds more unfairness to this unfair situation caused by Mayor Bloomberg (Remember this on Election Day!). People who continuously abuse the situation will no longer be allowed to use the passes.

I have filed another appeal for more permits, and have filed a request to change the Suydam parking from 7AM - 4PM.

Teacher’s Choice
The UFT has informed me that the deadline for purchasing Teacher's Choice materials has been extended to March 20. However, your accountability report and receipts are still due on March 31. Try to submit your forms as soon as you can. I have requested that copies of the Teacher's Choice Accountability forms be made. If you need additional forms, I have posted a direct link to them on our chapter blog,
http://uft123k.blogspot.com/

Teachers of Tomorrow Program
Our school has been deemed eligible to participate in the NYCDOE Teachers of Tomorrow Program (TOT). If enough funds are available, you may be eligible for a TOT grant or for loan forgiveness. You can call the DOE at (718)935-2449 for more information. For a complete explanation of the program, visit
http://www.teachnycprograms.net/
Contact the Office of Scholarship and Incentive Programs at teachersoftomorrow@schools.nyc.gov
for questions or concerns. The deadline to apply is March 20.

Early Childhood Conference
The UFT Early Childhood Conference will be held on Saturday, March 28, 2009 from 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM. Breakfast and lunch will be provided The worshops are geared towards grades K - 2. Let me know by Friday, March 13 if you wish to attend.

Sabbaticals
For Fall 2009-2010, members must submit applications to principals by March 5, 2009.

Maternity Workshops
The Queens UFT office will hold Maternity Workshops on March 10; April 14; May 12; June 9; and June 16, 4:30–6 p.m., 97-77 Queens Blvd. RSVP to Karla Jordan at
kjordan@uft.org
Include your due date, file number, non-DOE e-mail address, school, district and phone number. You will be registered for the workshop according to your due date. This workshop is for women only.

UFT Summer Camp Program
Applications are now being accepted for the 2009 UFT Summer Camp Program. The applications for a scholarship of $100, which will be paid directly to the summer camps, is hanging on the board inside of room 251. Feel free to make copies, but return the originals. There is a list of eligible summer camps in the packet with the application. These applications are for the $100 scholarship only. They are not participating camp applications. UFT members’ children are eligible for two-week stays at various camps. These camps are non-sectarian. You must call the camps on the list directly to enroll your children.

Letter In the File
Before any material is placed in your file, you must be given an opportunity to read it and acknowledge its receipt by signing it. Your signature does not mean that you agree or disagree with its contents, only that you have seen them. Nothing positive is accomplished by refusing to sign such a letter. All that happens is that the principal gets a witness to attest that you saw the letter and declined to sign it, and the letter goes in the file anyway. By the way, if you file a grievance, no record of that grievance or the grievance decision can be placed in your file.

If material in your file is negative, you should write a response, detailing why you disagree with its contents. You should speak with me, your district rep and/or the borough office. They can help you write an appropriate response and advise you on any other possible course of action, including procedural matters that you may be able to grieve. The response should be attached to the original letter in your file; your supervisor cannot respond to your response. You have the right to remove negative material in your file after three years if it has not been used in any disciplinary action against you (such as in a U-rating, discontinuance of service or a Section 3020-a proceeding) If you are denied a teaching assignment, a per-session job or a transfer based on a letter in the file, the letter can be challenged as part of the grievance of the denial. You cannot get a letter for the format of bulletin boards, the arrangement of classroom furniture and/or the exact duration of lesson units.

You can examine and make a copy of your official file. Review your file at least once a year to be sure that it does not contain any inappropriate material, including outdated or unsigned documents. You may examine your file with me, or with any UFT member.

For more about your rights, visit
http://www.uft.org/member/rights/your_rights/

Barring any urgent issues, our next chapter meeting will be on March 31 with district representative Kathy Sharko.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!