January 19, 2010

WELCOME
We wish to welcome Ms.Vera to our staff. May she have long and successful career.

PEER INTERVENTION PROGRAM
The Peer Intervention program helps tenured teachers and guidance counselors who are struggling in their program and who volunteer to participate. Teachers/guidance counselors who meet these criteria get help from experienced and specially selected colleagues. All assistance is given on a voluntary, confidential basis and is tailored to the participating member's strengths and weaknesses in their program. For more information, or to enroll, go to:

http://www.uft.org/member/education/peer/

or call (212) 844-0600.

RALLY AGAINST SCHOOL CLOSINGS
There will be a protest rally at the P.E.P meeting at Brooklyn Tech on Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 4 PM.
The rally will be held on South Elliott Place between Lafayette & DeKalb. Bring signs, banners, etc. protesting the school closings. It could hit our district next year. We can meet in front of the school and go together. Let me know if you will be joining us.

NORO VIRUS
A citywide increase in norovirus, a viral gastrointestinal illness which can include vomiting or diarrhea, indicates the arrival of the annual outbreak of this highly transmittable illness. The NYC Department of Health recommends frequent hand washing with soap and water, avoiding vomit, and that ill people stay home for at least two days after illness ends.

SPRING CLEANING
Make an appointment to check your file. You can have either me or any UFT member of your choosing with you. If you have a letter in the file three years or older, you can remove it and discard it.

BROOKLYN UFT OFFICE: (718) 852-4900
Before taking a leave of any kind (maternity, family medical leave, etc.), call John Settle.
For certification questions, call Elizabeth Perez.
Once again, if you received a letter about your certification expiring, act on it NOW.

SBO VOTE
In order for students in grades 4 and 5 to fully participate in Schoolwide Enrichment on Friday afternoons, it is proposed that grades 4 and 5 have their lunch period switched to period 5 (12:15-1:05) and grades 2 and 3 have their lunch period switched to period 6 (1:10-2:00). This would be on the following Friday dates:

1/22, 1/29, 2/5, 2/12, 2/26, 3/5 and 3/12

We will conduct a vote during the lunch hours. The date and places will be posted.

FORMAL OBSERVATIONS
Your supervisor should tell you in advance that she will be formally observing you on a particular day. Ask for both pre- and post-observation conferences, in writing if necessary. Use the pre-observation conference to clarify what your supervisor expects to see during the visit. You may be asked for a lesson plan. Following the observation, you should write down your recollections of the lesson, which will help you at the post-observation conference with your supervisor.
At the post-observation conference, your supervisor will discuss what she has seen and give you a written report of the observation. If you believe the report is inaccurate or unfair, you should speak to me so that I can help you formulate a written response and advise you of the other options open to you. Your response must be attached to the original report and placed with the original in your file.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
Many of you have been asking about what is being asked of you in terms of bulletin boards, word walls, summary charts, etc. The following is from Article 21 of the collective bargaining agreement between the UFT and the City of New York:

The following issues shall not be the basis for discipline of pedagogues: a) the
format of bulletin boards; b) the arrangement of classroom furniture; and c) the exact
duration of lesson units.
If you are disciplined in any way for the above, see me immediately.

UFT SPRING COURSES
Check the New York Teacher for the list of courses.