March 8, 2011

THREATS OF LAYOFFS
The UFT opposes the layoff of ANY teacher. Mayor Bloomberg is seeking to divide us by pitting older teachers and younger teachers and supervisors against each other. He is using threats of layoffs of younger teachers as a tool to terrorize us in order to change layoff laws so that they can be used to fire teachers who earn too much money and who exercise their rights. Bloomberg's goal is not to lay off fewer teachers by getting rid of older teachers, but to destroy the UFT, as well as the CSA, our supervisors' union. His goal is to wipe out a century of law and collective bargaining gains and bring back the age of nepotism, cronyism and favoritism. He wishes to divert our attention away from our right to organize and collectively bargain, and turn New York City into another Wisconsin.

The city actually has a projected $3 billion surplus, and the governor's projected cuts of $500 million should not result in any layoffs. Yet the mayor is falsely claiming that the cut to the city is $1.5 billion just so that he can get rid our older members.

On Tuesday, March 1, the New York State Assembly passed the Bloomberg-backed bill to change layoff rules. Thankfully, the Assembly refuses to even consider looking at this bill. This in part was due to our lobbying efforts that day.

The bill had nothing to do with reverse seniority and everything to do with revoking collective bargaining and a century of gains for our union and our profession. It would have undermined the Triborough amendment to the Taylor Law (which keeps provisions of an expired labor contract intact until a new collective bargaining agreement is signed) by allowing the mayor to impose his own labor rules upon us once a contract expires. Therefore, the city would have absolutely no reason to negotiate.

Bloomberg’s bill would have allowed the firing of teachers and supervisors who:

• Were disciplined for any wrongdoing, no matter how minor.

• Were accused of any wrongdoing, even if the allegation was unsubstantiated

• Were convicted of ANY crime, no matter how minor

• By the August 31 of the year in which layoffs take place, have not completed their certification

• Had been absent too much no matter what the reason

• Received a "U" rating at any time in the past 5 years, even if rated "S" ever since
• For two years or more, have been ranked in the bottom 30 percent of teachers based on their students’ test scores.
• Were not granted tenure after three years, but whose probation was extended for the year preceding layoffs.

This has nothing to do with keeping the “best” teachers.

Additionally, teachers who do not get one of their three choices on their preference sheet according to the contract could be excessed if they do not want to take the grade that their principal assigned them.

TEACHERS CHOICE
The Teacher’s Choice purchasing period ends on March 15, 2011. You must submit the Teacher’s Choice Accountability Form with original receipts taped onto paper to the principal by March 23, 2011. It is strongly recommended that you retain copies of your Accountability Form and all of your receipts.
All materials purchased through Teacher’s Choice are the property of the Dept. of Education. You may use them for as long as you are working at P.S. 123K. However, if you transfer to another school or retire, all Teacher’s Choice materials must be left in the building. You may keep any materials purchased with your own money.

PROBATIONARY TEACHERS WORKSHOP Teachers who are up for tenure this year must attend the probationary teacher workshop at the PS 106 library on Thursday, March 10, from 3-5 PM. The school is at 1314 Putnam Avenue. If you do not attend, there is no makeup session.

EARLY CHILDHOOD CONFERENCE
The 4th Annual Early Childhood Conference will be held on Saturday, March 26, 2011, from 8:30AM – 3:00PM at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, New York, NY. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. There will be workshops offered. Please see the flyer in the main office for course descriptions. Let me know if you wish to attend.

EXCESSING LIST
The new School Excessing Seniority List will be posted in Room 251 shortly. Teachers are listed according to seniority in the license that they are working under. Please leave the list in 251.

KEEP CUTS AWAY FROM KIDS
Our schools have absorbed $2 billion in cuts already in the last two years and we must do everything to can to protect classrooms and direct services to children even amidst difficult economic times.
Go to UFT.org and click on the Get Involved tab on top to send a fax to your state legislators telling them to keep cuts away from kids. It only takes a minute.

UFT BROOKLYN BOROUGH OFFICE- (718)852-4900
Call Theresa Samuels for certification and licensing questions.
Call John Settle before taking any kind of leave.

NEXT CHAPTER MEETING
Our next chapter meeting will be on Wednesday, March 23 during the lunch periods. District representative Kathy Sharko will be here. We will discuss the latest issues affecting us. I urge you to attend.