P.S. 123K Chapter News

June 23, 2011

2011-06-23T16:46:00.000-04:00

RATINGS
If you have worked for 20 days or more, you will receive a rating from the principal within the last 10 days of the school year, but not less than four days before the end of the school year. It will either be Satisfactory (“S”), Unsatisfactory (“U”), Doubtful (“D”) or Not Applicable (“N/A”). Tenured teachers’ rating sheets can only have their rating, as well as attendance information. If you are a probationer, the “U” rating could lead to discontinuance of your probationary period. Since there are ramifications to a “D” or a “U” rating, you should go the UFT Brooklyn borough office at 335 Adams Street immediately at the end of the day you receive your rating for assistance. Specialists there will help you file an appeal of your adverse rating and explain the various options available. Contact me as well and I will forward the information to our district rep.

TEACHERS CHOICE
We do not yet know how much, if anything, we will get for Teacher’s Choice this upcoming school year. Keep checking UFT.org and the DOE web site periodically. I will email as many people as I can when I hear.
It is the school’s obligation to provide you with basic instructional supplies and books, including textbooks, paper, chalk, and math manipulatives. That’s a contractual right, written into Article 7R of the UFT teachers contract, which states that schools are responsible for providing “appropriate and sufficient basic instructional supplies and books to deliver an effective educational program” for students. “Basic instructional supplies and books” are defined as those without which classroom instruction will be impaired.

BE READY FOR ACTION IF THE MAYOR ANNOUNCES LAYOFFS
If despite the city’s $3.1 billion budget surplus and all our best efforts, Mayor Bloomberg should announce teacher layoffs from now to any time in the summer, we’ll need each and every one of you to be ready to respond immediately and in force. At a moment’s notice we must be ready to rally. This union leaves no educator behind. If the mayor should opt for the drastic and unnecessary recourse of layoffs, we must be ready. We, and our most vulnerable members, will be counting on you. We protect everyone. That is why I need your contact information. I need to collect the non-DOE email address and telephone number of every UFT member in the building. If you haven’t provided me with it yet, email it the email address at the top of this page today.

FIRST DAY BACK
We return to school on Tuesday, September 6, 2011. Both Sept. 6 and 7 will be Chancellor’s Conference Days, and will run from 8:00 AM – 2:50 PM. You are not required back until then. However, if you want to come in a week earlier to set up your room, call in advance. Please do not take furniture from other rooms if you come in earlier.

SUMMER PENSION CLINICS

Tuesday, July 19: Part I, for Tiers I & II, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., 52 Broadway.
Wednesday, July 20: Part II, for Tiers I & II, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., 52 Broadway.
Thursday, July 21: Tiers III & IV, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., 52 Broadway.
Tuesday, Aug. 23: Part I, for Tiers I & II, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 52 Broadway.
Wednesday, Aug. 24: Part II, for Tiers I & II, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 52 Broadway.
Thursday, Aug. 25: Tiers III & IV, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 52 Broadway.

SUMMER CONTACTS UFT Brooklyn Office, 335 Adams Street (718) 852-4900 M-Th, 9-4 UFT Headquarters, 52 Broadway (212) 777-7500 M-F, 9-4 UFT Welfare Fund (212) 539-0500

April 4, 2011

2011-04-04T21:27:00.000-04:00

PREFERENCE SHEETS
You have received a preference sheet for the 2011-2012 school year, which are due on April 11. List three grade choices in order of preference. Your choices are strictly up to you. Special education teachers may choose the age range of special education classes and education program designation (e.g. staffing ratio, ICT, SETSS, etc.) with the understanding that, where advisable and possible, such preferences will be honored. You must receive one of your choices. After two school years without your first choice, you must receive your first choice. Photocopy your preference sheet.

MAY DAY 2011 DEMONSTRATION
May Day takes on a special meaning this year. As workers’ rights come under continuing attack from coast to coast, mark your calendar for the Sunday, May 1 demonstration at 1 PM at Manhattan’s Foley Square, Worth Street (between Centre and Lafayette Streets). Join over three dozen labor unions and labor organizations, including our own UFT, to press for labor rights, immigrant rights and jobs for all.

SPRING EDUCATION CONFERENCE
Saturday, May 7 is the date for the UFT Spring Education Conference at the New York Hilton. The day will include breakfast, panels/workshops, exhibits, a gala luncheon, and presentation of the John Dewey Award. Please let me know by this Friday if you wish to attend.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN…
Someone has been taking the toilet paper rolls from the bathroom in 251. This is an inconvenience to your colleagues who wish to use the bathroom. Also, toilet paper comes from the custodial supply budget. So in effect, you are stealing school supplies. And at 69 cents a roll you can afford to buy your own for the home.

UFT DISASTER RELIEF FUND
On March 11, one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded and an ensuing tsunami devastated the Japanese city of Sendai and much of the surrounding area, resulting in thousands of deaths. The catastrophe also damaged the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.
The UFT Disaster Relief Fund is collecting donations on behalf of the Education International Solidarity Fund. In solidarity with teachers, students and the people of Japan, Education International has established a solidarity fund to aid relief efforts. EI is committed to supporting its member organization, the Japan Teachers’ Union, to help teachers and students through this difficult time.

If you wish to donate, e-mail me 123uft@optonline.net and I will send you a pdf of the form to fill out.

The UFT Disaster Relief Fund is only accepting checks and money orders. All donations are tax-deductible.

“TOWN HALL” WITH CATHIE BLACK
A community meeting with Chancellor Cathie Black is scheduled for Thursday, April 7 at PS 274 at 6PM. To get there, go down DeKalb Avenue and make a left onto Bushwick Avenue. The school is at 800 Bushwick Avenue. CANCELLED DUE TO HER RESIGNATION

WRITE FOR THE NEW YORK TEACHER
Do you have creative ideas, interesting practices or innovative methods for improving classroom instruction that you feel could benefit fellow educators? The New York Teacher is looking for educators to write Teacher to Teacher columns. The articles should explain pedagogic techniques, approaches or resources that educators can use to help students. The pieces should be about 750 words, and columnists will be paid $150 for accepted works. If you are interested, please call Ron Davis during business hours (10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday) at 212-598-9201 or email him at rdavis@uft.org.

UFT.ORG
If you have not done so already, register at UFT.org. This will enable you to receive urgent Action Alerts from the UFT, subscribe to news updates in your areas of interest, enroll online for UFT courses and workshops, view searchable contracts online, and update your contact information.

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

WEAR RED FOR PUBLIC ED
What started as a one day event has grown into a weekly movement across America. People who support public education will be wearing red every Tuesday.

By wearing red, people will be symbolizing not only their support of America's public education system, but also their disagreement with many of the education reforms, programs, and policies currently being implemented.

FROM NYSUT
TIME IS RUNNING OUT TO SAVE EDUCATION
EXTEND THE MILLIONAIRES TAX – SUPPORT EDUCATION

PLEASE CALL YOUR STATE SENATOR AND THE GOVERNOR IMMEDIATELY

Call your Senator and the Governor via the NYS AFL-CIO action line - 1-877-255-9417 (when prompted press 2 to be connected to your Senator's office and press 1 to be connected to the governor’s office).

March 8, 2011

2011-03-08T17:18:00.000-05:00

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.

January 16, 2011

2011-01-16T15:15:00.001-05:00

TEACHER DATA REPORTS
The UFT has filed an appeal to Judge Cynthia Kern’s decision to allow the DOE to release the TDRs to the public.
There are many teachers who have reported that their TDRs have errors, such as incorrect grades/subjects taught, and the wrong students. Please check your TDRs and note the following:
1. Errors in TDRs should be reported to TDRreports@uft.org or teachers should call the UFT TDR Hotline at (212) 598-6860. Inform me if there are any errors.

2. Teachers have been assigned to one of four groups to verify their class lists. Assignments are based on a teacher’s birthdate.

3. There is a DOE hotline for problems. You can call (718) 935-4000 and press #6 for the Teacher Data Initiative. You can e-mail TDIsupport@schools.nyc.gov.
The UFT met with the DOE on January 3 to discuss the verification process for the TDRs. The UFT demanded the DOE inform principals that time is needed to be given to the teachers during the school day, as well as access to computers, for teachers to verify the data.

Your TDR can not be used against you. If you are disciplined, punished or harmed in any way by the results of your TDR, or by the release of it, contact the UFT.

PAPERWORK
Please provide me with samples of the paperwork which you must do. Please give them to me by January 20.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HOURS
More than 600 teachers who have to provide proof of completion of 175 hours of professional development by the end of June received notification and a tracking form from the New York City Department of Education. These teachers received their state certificate(s) on Sept. 1, 2005 or Feb. 1, 2006 and will reach the first five-year professional development cycle of 175 hours on June 30, 2011. These teachers should follow the directions in the letter and submit the tracking form by June 17. Questions and concerns should be directed to the educational liaisons in the UFT borough offices. More details will be in the Jan. 20 edition of the New York Teacher.

CHECK YOUR FILE
Check your file at least yearly to point out and remove old letters in your personnel file. Our contract provides that any letter over three years old should be removed if no disciplinary charges are attached to that letter. If you have not done so recently, make an appointment to see their file and flag files for removal.

SPECIAL EDUCATION CHANGES
In a cost-cutting measure that the UFT maintained would hurt students, the regents voted to change state regulations, effective Dec. 8, 2010, to eliminate minimum service requirements for speech and language services. The new state regulations also allow schools to add an additional 13th student with a disability to a collaborative team teaching (now called integrated co-teaching or ICT) class by notifying the State Education Department and to add a 14th student to a ICT class only with prior approval by the State Education Department.
The State Education Department issued implementation guidelines. Here are the highlights:

• Most students will continue to require speech services at least two 30-minute sessions a week.
• Students who need speech less than twice a week are now eligible for services.
• Consultations and other indirect services are not considered “related service” to the student.
• Schools cannot unilaterally reduce the frequency of services, nor can they make service decisions solely on factors such as budget, staffing or administrative convenience.
• Schools must begin the school year with no more than 12 students in ICT classes.
• Schools can exceed the maximum of 12 students with disabilities in ICT classes “only when exceptional circumstances arise.”
• Schools may not routinely apply for waivers.

A city DOE memo reinforced these state guidelines along with existing rules regarding the composition of ICT classes in New York City public schools. The DOE memo states that “NYC will continue to adhere to its policy, whereby the maximum number of students receiving ICT services in a class cannot exceed 40% of the total register of the ICT class.” It also states that the addition of a 13th student to an ICT class “should be used infrequently.”
The DOE will not implement the new procedures until the state Ed Department has created new variance forms and directions, which will be posted on the UFT website as soon as they become available.

SAFETY
Be sure to secure your handbags, purses, etc., and always lock the door whenever you leave the classroom. This will also prevent students from entering an empty classroom where they can either take things and/or injure themselves. Keep cleaning chemicals locked up where the children can’t get to them.
If you are threatened, assaulted or injured in any way by a student, parent, intruder, etc. be sure to fill out a UFT Safety Report in addition to the DOE reports.
Please be reminded that it is not advisable to remain in the building without the presence of the school safety agent.

PARKING PERMIT #6 IS MISSING!
If you have it, stop playing games and return it immediately. If not, I will notify the DOT that the pass has been stolen, and you will deserve the ticket that you receive for using it!

November 22, 2010

2010-11-22T18:05:00.001-05:00

TRANSFER PERIOD FOR HEALTH COVERAGE ENDS ON NOVEMBER 30
You can now go online both to review your current coverage information and to change that coverage. Access is through the Employee Self-Service System, as the city’s Health Benefits Administration advised members by DOE email. Login instructions are in the email. Those unable to access the system can fax their changes directly to the Department of Education at 718-935-5125. Note that this is the last year that faxes or paper copies will be accepted.

TRANSITCHEK
The expansion of the New York City TransitChek Program is finally here. The city has selected WageWorks as a provider, and the expanded benefit now covers many more mass transit carriers, such as the LIRR, MetroNorth, PATH and NJ Transit.

The program, which allows city employees to pay for commuting costs with pre-tax dollars, now also includes parking costs at mass transit stations. The new plan goes into effect at different times depending on your current TransitChek plan. Watch for details on all the plans in the Nov. 25 issue of the New York Teacher. Members who haven’t previously been enrolled in the Commuter Benefits Program but would like to join now that the program has expanded can do so beginning Dec. 1. Members will be able to enroll online via the DOE’s payroll portal effective Dec. 1.

FOR THOSE WITHOUT COMPUTERS
For employees who do not own a computer, the DOE implemented a new Payroll Interactive Voice Response System (IVR). This system is for the Q Bank, per diem, per session and H Bank payrolls. All members will now be able to access their payroll check information by telephone as well as the DOE’s employee information system via the Payroll Portal. Employees will also be able to submit a payroll inquiry that will be forwarded to the appropriate payroll office for follow-up. The number for the IVR telephone system is 718-935-3300. Call Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. On telephone payroll inquiries, you will only be contacted during the day from Monday through Friday.

OPPOSE THE RELEASE OF TEACHER DATA REPORTS
Do you oppose the public release of Teacher Data Reports? Voice your opposition by signing the petition, “Our Teachers Are Not Test Scores!” sponsored by Time Out From Testing. Let the public know that you support meaningful teacher evaluations but believe that the TDRs are an unreliable and inaccurate gauge of teacher quality and that their public release will encourage even more test prep in our schools. Go to:

http://timeoutfromtesting.org/notdr/

PARKING PERMITS
The DOT will not issue us two additional permits (like they did last year) at this time. The DOE has taken note of my request and will notify me if the situation changes. Therefore, we only have 18 permits. Please play by the rules and sign for your permit when you arrive and when you return it prior to going home. And falsely accusing a colleague of keeping passes makes for a hostile environment. Remember, all schools employees (UFT, assistant principals, DC37 and custodians) may use the permits.

TEACHER’S CHOICE DEPOSITS
Teacher’s Choice stipends will go out in December. For most teachers who are enrolled in direct deposit, their stipends will be electronically transferred to their accounts on Thursday, Dec. 9. First-year teachers who have not enrolled in direct deposit yet will receive a new debit card with the stipend amount together with the Dec. 15 paycheck.

If you received a debit card in the past, be sure to check that your current card is activated before Dec. 1 or any funds remaining on the card will expire, the card will be canceled and the DOE will not be able to replenish it. Cards activated by Dec. 1 will retain any funds now on the card and the DOE will add this year’s stipend to it on Dec. 15.

If you have any questions about your debit card, please call the DOE’s Office of Special Projects at 1-718-935-3304. If you have lost or destroyed last year’s card, you must contact Chase Customer Service at 1-866-795-3890 for a replacement card. You are entitled to one free replacement every year.

SALARY DIFFERENTIAL
If you completed courses over the summer that qualify you for a salary differential, be sure to apply for the extra payment within six months or the salary increase will not be retroactive to your date of eligibility. The DOE now requires an online application process. You can access the application form by going to the DOE’s payroll portal system. Click on Payroll Portal Main Page, then fill out the login information on the left and click on Salary Differential “Documents.” Finally, click on the online form link. If you are using the online application for the first time, you must enter your Bachelor of Arts information first.

Each application will receive a tracking number. Print out your completed application. Keep one copy for your records; submit another copy to the DOE together with your original transcripts, which the DOE will evaluate, This process takes from four to six weeks to complete. You will receive a Certificate of Salary Differential via email indicating which differential you were granted and its effective date.

NEXT CHAPTER MEETING
Our next chapter meeting will be on Wednesday, November 24 during the three lunch periods with District 32 representative Kathy Sharko.

October 29, 2010

2010-10-29T16:35:00.000-04:00

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. Take notes. 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.

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 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 or cumulatively.

MICROMANAGEMENT
The contract expressly forbids supervisors to discipline you for the appearance and format of your bulletin boards, the arrangement of your room, or the length of segments of your lesson.
You have the right to place your desks and chairs as you deem fit. This includes your own desk, and the placement of items on it, as well as placement of books, binders, etc.

TEACHER DATA REPORTS (Gr. 4-8)
In order for the UFT to be successful in court on the TDI case, we need specific information on incorrect Teacher Data Reports. If yours contains errors, tell me immediately so that UFT Central can be notified.

We have set up a hotline (212-598-6860) and email address (tdrreports@uft.org) for members who may have errors in their reports. One-to-one support will be available.

SAFETY
Be sure to secure your handbags, purses, etc., and always lock the door whenever you leave the classroom. This will also prevent students from entering an empty classroom where they can either take things and/or injure themselves.

If you are threatened, assaulted or injured in any way by a student, parent, intruder, etc. be sure to fill out a UFT Safety Report in addition to the DOE reports.

PREPS AND LUNCH
You are entitled to five unassigned preps per week. You cannot be compelled to attend any meetings other than the monthly staff conference during one lunch period per month, and the monthly grade conference during one common prep per month. You may not be forced to attend meetings, demo lessons, etc. during your prep and/or lunch.

CHANCELLOR’S CONFERENCE DAY
November 2, 2010, Election Day, has been designated as a Chancellor’s Conference Day. All staff must be in by 8:00 AM and may leave at 2:50 PM.

NEW PARKING PERMITS
We have only been provided 18 permits. I will appeal for more. You MUST sign for the permit in the morning and return it at the end of the day. Those caught abusing the privilege will be barred from using permits. No excuses.

TDA
Help prepare for your retirement now by enrolling in the Tax-Deferred Annuity Program (TDA) of the City of New York. Just a small percentage of your paycheck can be worth thousands down the road. Call 1(888) 8-NYC-TRS, or go to www.trsnyc.org

THANK YOU
I will be accepting the UFT’s Ely Trachtenberg Award at this year’s Teacher Union Day Awards Ceremony on November 7. I wish to thank all of my colleagues who in the past several years:
• Accompanied me to Albany to meet with our local state legislators;
• Telephoned these same state legislators in Albany to stop budget cuts;
• Sent postcards to Albany fighting education cuts;
• Fought to defend IEPs and for the rights of Special Education students;
• Attended rallies to fight to prevent layoffs of our colleagues and education cuts which hurt our students;
• Attended the OneNation rally in Washington, DC;
• Donated to the UFT Haiti Relief Fund;
• Passed out leaflets;
• Contributed to COPE;
• And who continue to exercise their rights as educators and work their best even in the face of relentless attacks against our union, our dignity as professionals, our pensions and benefits from politicians, the media, charter school advocates and even our own mayor and schools chancellor.

Barring any urgent situations, our next chapter meeting will be on November 24 with our district representative, Kathy Sharko.

September 21, 2010

2010-09-23T22:16:00.004-04:00

WELCOME BACK
We wish to welcome Kristy Benenati and Jenna McGowan to our staff. May they have long and successful careers.

Welcome back, Merri Erlich.

Congratulations to Erin Reese and Daisy Lopez on the birth of their babies.

Congratulations to Juan Zevallos and Cindy Pena on their marriage.

Congratulations to Daniella Costanzo on her marriage.

Good luck to our friends who have retired or transferred.

We wish to express our sadness at the passing of Dolores Candella, a former teacher and chapter leader at P.S. 123.

SBOs
The lunch period SBO passed with 40 out of 64 (62.5%) voting “Yes.” Lunch will now be 45 minutes long. Friday’s dismissal and work day will end at 2:32.5PM for the 2010-2011 school year.

The extended time SBO passed with 63 out of 68 (92.5%) voting “Yes.” Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday’s extended time of 8AM-8:37.5AM will be with the children doing small-group tutoring, test prep, etc. Thursday’s extended time will be devoted to inquiry team work, and data-related work, and will be without the children present.

CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
If you are required to attend a certain amount of hours of PD in order to keep your certification, keep track of what you are required to take, and don’t delay doing what is required. For certification questions, call Elizabeth Perez at the Brooklyn UFT office.

PARA REPRESENTATIVE NEEDED
We need a para representative to complete the term expiring in June, 2012. Please let me know by Friday if you are interested. Only a para can be a para rep.

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP TEAM
We need two UFT members to represent the staff on the School Leadership Team (SLT). Any UFT member may serve. Meetings may be before and/or after school. If you wish to nominate someone, or wish to nominate yourself, please submit your nomination in writing to Bonnie Skibins by Thursday, September 23.

CHAPTER MEETING
Our first chapter meeting will be on Wednesday, Sept. 29, during the lunch hours. If an election for the SLT is necessary, it will be held at the end of the meeting.

PEER INTERVENTION PROGRAM
The Peer Intervention Program (PIP) 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.

If you have switched grades, or have returned to the classroom after being out of the classroom, and would like assistance, the PIP may be able to assist you.

You may enroll online at:

http://uft.wufoo.com/forms/request-for-assistance/http/true

For more information, call (212) 844-0600.

PREPS AND LUNCH
By contract you are entitled to a daily duty-free lunch and five unassigned preps a week (first-year teachers may have two preps assigned per week). We SBOd having only one staff conference a month during a lunch period and only one grade conference a month during a prep period.

There may be meetings or PD during common preps or during lunch periods. While you may attend some of these if you wish to, you can not be compelled to do so, or penalized for not attending. If you want a copy of any handouts from these meetings, you are entitled to receive them.

Your lunch period is yours to do what you wish. You may not be told where to eat and who to eat with.

LEAVES
Before taking a leave of any kind, call John Settle at the Brooklyn UFT office.

CONTACT INFO
You can e-mail me at 123uft@optonline.net

Chapter Blog: http://uft123k.blogspot.com/

Brooklyn UFT Office: (718) 852-4900

CHANGE OF STATUS
If you moved or need to add a dependent to your UFT Welfare Fund benefits, you need to fill out a change of status form.

June 14, 2010

2010-06-13T20:22:00.002-04:00

RALLY AGAINST BUDGET CUTS
The Municipal Labor Council is holding a rally at City Hall on June 16, 2010 at 4 PM to protest the state and city budget cuts. Education cuts don’t heal. These cuts are hurting our students, our communities and our colleagues. If you will be attending, please meet at the front of the school at 3:05. We will travel together by subway. You may bring protest signs. T-shirts will be distributed at the rally.

PEER INTERVENTION PROGRAM
The Peer Intervention Program (PIP) 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.

If you have switched grades, or have returned to the classroom after being out of the classroom, and would like assistance, the PIP may be able to assist you.

You may enroll online at:
http://uft.wufoo.com/forms/request-for-assistance/http/true
For more information, call (212) 844-0600.

RATINGS
If you have worked for 20 days or more, you will receive a rating from the principal within the last 10 days of the school year, but not less than four days before the end of the school year. It will either be Satisfactory (“S”), Unsatisfactory (“U”), Doubtful (“D”) or Not Applicable (“N/A”). Tenured teachers’ rating sheets can only have their rating, as well as attendance information. If you are a probationer, the “U” rating could lead to discontinuance of your probationary period.

Since there are ramifications to a “D” or a “U” rating, you should go the UFT Brooklyn borough office at 335 Adams Street immediately at the end of the day you receive your rating for assistance. Specialists there will help you file an appeal of your adverse rating and explain the various options available. Contact me as well and I will forward the information to our district rep.

ROOM CHANGES
If you are changing rooms, while you must leave school furniture, bookcases, etc. in your old room, you may take materials which you own. As far as Teacher’s Choice materials, this is a quote from an official with the UFT:

“Teacher's Choice materials technically belong to the school. If the teachers who are moving need the materials for next year, then they should move with the materials.”

OPEN MARKET TRANSFERS
If you want to switch schools, access the Open Market Transfer Plan. ANY pedagogue may transfer to another DOE school without the principal’s release through August 7. After that, you may only transfer if she releases you. For more information, visit: http://www.uft.org/news/teacher/qa/open_mkt_plan/
To apply, go to:
https://www.nycenet.edu/offices/dhr/transferplane/

RESIGNATIONS
If you are resigning, you must give the principal 30 days notice. If you are retiring, do not resign.

END OF YEAR PARTY
Our end of year party is on June 24 at O’Neill’s. Please give payment of $50 per person to Mrs. Berberena or myself ASAP.

TEACHER’S CHOICE
We do not yet know how much we will get for Teacher’s Choice this upcoming school year. Keep checking UFT.org and the DOE web site periodically. I will email as many people as I can when I hear.

SUMMER CONTACTS
UFT Brooklyn Office
(718) 852-4900
M-Th, 9-4

UFT Headquarters
(212) 777-7500
M-F, 9-4

Should an issue arise this summer, call the UFT Brooklyn office first.

May 3, 2010

2010-05-03T18:15:00.000-04:00

TERMINATIONS/VALID STATE CERTIFICATE
If you received a letter stating that you will be terminated because you do not have a valid state certificate, call Elizabeth Perez at the Brooklyn UFT office IMMEDIATELY at (718) 852-4900. Otherwise, you will not be on this fall’s organization sheet in any way, shape or form.

OPEN MARKET TRANSFERS
If you want to switch schools, the Open Market Transfer Plan period has begun. ANY pedagogue may transfer to another DOE school without the principal’s release through August 7. After that, you may only transfer if she releases you. For more information, visit:
http://www.uft.org/news/teacher/qa/open_mkt_plan/
To apply, go to:
https://www.nycenet.edu/offices/dhr/transferplane/

SUMMER POSITIONS
Summer applications are due on May 18. Print out everything. Don’t forget to claim retention rights if you are eligible. Be sure to give your correct email address, as you will not get a position if it is mistyped. That is because they cannot contact you.
https://www.nycenet.edu/summerjobs/

EXCESSING LIST
The DOE still will not release the current excessing list. I have posted a copy of last year’s teacher excessing list in room 251. I crossed out your file numbers to ensure privacy. Just add a year to your total.

PARKING
A couple of passes are missing. If not returned, they will be reported as missing, and you will be ticketed for using them.

PHONE CALLS TO PROTECT STUDENTS
On Tuesday, May 4 during your lunch period, please take a minute to call Bushwick’s state representatives to do the right thing and protect our students (and jobs).
The calls will only be a minute. Just say:
“I’m (name) from P.S. 123 in District 32, Bushwick. I am calling to tell (representative) to protect our children and not cut the education budget.”

Call either (or both)

Sen. Martin Malavé Dilan (518) 455-2177

Assemblyman Darryl C. Towns 518-455-5821

If you are unable to do this during lunch, please do so after 3:00.

SEND A FAX
Send a fax to your own local representatives to oppose cuts to the state education budget. Go to UFT.org and click on the action alert on the right side of the page, or go to:
http://petitions.uft.org/give_a_kid_a_chance

SCHOOL SECRETARIES ANNUAL AWARDS LUNCHEON IS MAY 22
The luncheon will start at 12 noon, at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, Manhattan. Sign up now. There will be a cocktail hour followed by luncheon, awards ceremony and entertainment. Send your check for $30 (payable to the UFT) by May 10 to Faye Huegel, PS 79, 55 East 120th St., New York, NY 10035. Include your name, address, home phone number, school & borough, file number, school phone number, district, e-mail address, the honoree you are attending to celebrate, and who you would like to sit with.

END OF YEAR PARTY
Our end of year party will be held at O’Neill’s on Thursday, June 24. Please pay as soon as possible.

March 15, 2010

2010-03-15T15:12:00.000-04:00

UFT ELECTIONS
By this week you should have received your UFT Election Ballot at your home address. Please mail in your ballot before the deadline. Considering how public schools and UFT members in general have been under relentless attack by Chancellor Klein and Mayor Bloomberg, as well as the tabloids, it is crucial that all members are aware of the issues facing us and vote for who they feel can best fight for us.
If you do not receive a ballot by Thursday, call the UFT Brooklyn borough office at (718) 852-4900.

LUNCH DUTY
Please remember that except for the lunchroom coordinator, UFT members do not perform lunch duty, even on half days.

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT SURVEYS
Shortly we will be completing the Learning Environment Survey. This year, all teachers, guidance counselors and paras will fill out the survey exclusively online. The process is completely confidential.

TEACHERS OF TOMORROW GRANTS
Newer teachers who qualify for the Teachers of Tomorrow (TOT) Program must complete the online application by May 14 to receive tax-free grants of up to $3,400 annually for up to four consecutive years. These grants can reimburse as much as $13,600 in tuition costs or loan expenses that the teacher incurred toward achieving a first master's degree, subject to statute and funding availability. If you received a DOE notification about your eligibility, go to the TeachNYC Web page and follow the directions the DOE sent. If you have any questions, contact a program manager or call the DOE at 718-935-2449.

HAITI
Our school collected $260 for the UFT Disaster Relief Fund, thanks to the generosity of UFT and DC-37 members who donated.

TEACHER DATA REPORTS
Teachers who taught in grades 4-8 last year can now access their Teacher Data Reports on the Web. The DOE is sending individualized logins to each teacher's DOE e-mail account. Principals have already received copies of the reports and may want to discuss them with each teacher. Members should be sure to download their report and become familiar with it before such a discussion. Education liaisons in the Brooklyn UFT borough office can help teachers to understand their reports if they have questions. Reports are not to be shared without the teacher's permission.

The chancellor has directed principals to consider the reports as one measure among others in making a tenure decision. The UFT has filed a complaint with the state about this directive because it was not negotiated with us.

The DOE has created a toolkit on their website to answer any questions that you may have.

TEACHER’S CHOICE
Today is the final day for Teacher’s Choice purchases!

3rd ANNUAL EARLY CHILDHOOD CONFERENCE
Saturday, April 24, 2010, 8:30 a.m.–3 p.m., at UFT headquarters. The theme is: “Children ... The Heart of It All.” Conference includes breakfast & lunch, plenary sessions, workshops, and resource materials. Early childhood teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals in early childhood grades, guidance counselors, child care providers, social workers and parents are invited to attend. If you are interested, see me.

ARE YOU RETIRING OF LEAVING?
Although you are under no obligation to do so at this time, please let Mrs. Greene know as soon as you are sure. With budget cuts looming, advance notice may help save a colleague’s position.

February 22, 2010

2010-02-22T07:30:00.001-05:00

CATHERINE SPATOLA (1930-2010)
We mourn the passing of Catherine Spatola. She was a part of our P.S. 123 community for over 35 years. She was a music teacher for many years before serving as our principal for 22 years. She left P.S. 123 in 1998 to become District 32’s deputy superintendent.

Under her tenure, P.S. 123 was the top elementary school in District 32. After many of our students won writing contests in the early 1990’s, WCBS-TV ran two reports on Mrs. Spatola and P. S. 123, calling our school “An oasis of learning.” Her impact on the Bushwick community is still felt today.

TENURE
Chancellor Klein has instructed principals to use student test scores as part of the criteria for making tenure decisions. The UFT will use all legal means possible to fight this, as only the state legislature has the authority to change the law.

Chapter 57 of the Laws of 2007 added Section 3012-b to Education Law requiring the Board of Regents to develop rules establishing minimum standards and procedures for tenure determination of teachers. Section 3012-b was amended by in 2008. The amendment:

Changes the effective date of the legislation requiring these new standards and procedures to apply to teachers whose probationary period commences on or after July 1, 2008;
Prohibits school districts and BOCES from using student test scores to grant or deny tenure; and
Establishes a two-year sunset on Section 3012-b, which will allow the Legislature to revisit this law in 2010.

PAY STUBS

On March 1, 2010, all city employees paid via direct deposit will receive their pay stubs electronically. To view your pay stub, access the DOE payroll portal at:

https://payrollportal.nycboe.net/payrollportalweb/main.aspx

If you wish to continue receiving a printed pay stub, you may do so by accessing the DOE’s payroll portal at:

https://payrollportal.nycboe.net/payrollportalweb/main.aspx

Then do the following:

Select “Employee Self Service” located on the left hand side of web page.

Select “EFT/Direct Deposit” listed under “Employee Self Service”.

If you are in more than one Payroll Bank, please select the appropriate Payroll Bank from the list of radio buttons.

Select the “Update” function from the list of available actions displayed and click “Continue”.

Verify your “User and EFT/Direct Deposit Information” and click “Continue”.

Select the “Yes” radio button listed next to “Print Pay Stub:” field and Click “Continue”

Confirm your update.

Those still receiving checks are not affected. If you have any questions, call HR Connect at (718) 935-4000

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: 3rd ANNUAL EARLY CHILDHOOD CONFERENCE

Saturday, April 24, 2010, 8:30 a.m.–3 p.m., at UFT headquarters. The theme is: “Children ... The Heart of It All.” Conference includes breakfast & lunch, plenary sessions, workshops, and resource materials. Early childhood teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals in early childhood grades, guidance counselors, child care providers, social workers and parents are invited to attend. If you are interested, see me.

MATERNITY WORKSHOPS

On March 9, April 13, May 11, June 8 & June 22, maternity workshops will be held from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Queens UFT office. RSVP to Karla Jordan at kjordan@uft.org. No unregistered members will be allowed. Include your due date, file number, non-DOE e-mail address, school, district and phone number when reserving a spot. You will be registered for workshop according to your due date. This workshop is for women only (Sorry, guys!).

ALBANY LOBBY DAY

Albany Lobby Day will be on Tuesday, March 9. After a lunch reception, we will meet with Bushwick’s state senator and assemblyman. The day will count as an authorized conference day for teachers, but will be considered as a non-attendance day for paras. Busses will depart from the Brooklyn UFT office on Adams Street at approximately 6:30 AM, and return in the early evening. If interested, see me by 11 AM tomorrow (February 23).

PARKING (AGAIN!)

Someone’s been very naughty! You can not sign out a permit, keep it, and simply sign out the same numbered permit each day. You can not have a colleague hold one for you, or call from your cell phone, asking them to put one aside for you if they arrive before you. This applies to all personnel. We all must play by the same rules.

January 19, 2010

2010-01-19T19:48:00.000-05:00

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.

December 3, 2009

2009-12-03T16:18:00.002-05:00

Schoolwide Performance Bonus Program
With 79% of the total staff voting “YES,” we have elected to participate in the SPBP for 2009-2010. If we reach a yet-to-be determined goal, we will be given a sum of bonus money equivalent to $3,000 for every full-time UFT member on staff. That is not $3,000 awarded per member. If we reach a partial goal, then that amount is $1,500 for every full-time member.

A compensation committee made up of two UFT members, the principal, and a designee of hers, will meet to divide the bonus awarded to the UFT staff. As of this writing, the following have been nominated. Alphabetically, they are:

Mary Keegan
Debra Aglio

Patricia Molina

Voting will occur during Friday’s lunch periods. Accommodations will be made for those on trips or PD, so see me.

NEW TEACHERS

Approximately 1,344 newly appointed teachers have not validated their online Salary Step Application. The DOE is preparing to send an e-mail to these teachers who have a pending application in the system.

This e-mail will come from noreply@SalaryStepSalaryDifferential.nyc.gov.

It may look like spam, but it is NOT.

You need to open this e-mail and follow the directions. Teachers with prior teaching service and/or per diem service will not receive this credit if they don’t validate their salary step application.

You have only six months to validate their prior teaching service in order to receive retroactive pay to your start date. It’s important, however, that ALL teachers validate their application, whether or not they have prior service credit, since the validation process generates an anniversary date that will be used for all future salary steps.

ACTIONS TEAM DATABASE

Volunteers from our school community are needed to be involved in our local, borough and city level mobilizations and campaigns. If any staff, parent or community leader is interested in volunteering, give me your contact information. The UFT will contact you.

MATERNITY WORKSHOP

Dec. 8, 2009, 4:30 – 6 PM, Queens UFT office. RSVP to Karla Jordan at kjordan@uft.org

MEETINGS DURING PREPS AND LUNCH

By contract you are entitled to a duty-free lunch and five unassigned preps a week (first-year teachers may have two preps assigned per week). We SBO'd having only one staff conference a month during a lunch period and only one grade conference a month during a prep period.
It has come to my attention that there are teachers being told that they must attend meetings or PD during each common prep or during several lunch periods a week, sometimes by their own colleagues! Except for the once a month staff conference and the once a month grade conference, you can not be compelled or pressured in any way to give up your preps or lunches to attend these meetings, workshops, etc. If you want a copy of any handouts from these meetings, you are entitled to receive them.

BUDGET CUTS

The mayor and governor are planning massive cuts to our schools. While the UFT has asked that the chancellor make cuts from Tweed hall, he intends on making more cuts from the schools. Hundreds of DC37 school aides have been laid off. UFT members are not to perform school aide duties such as lunch duty, hall duty and bus duty.

PARA REP NEEDED

We need a para rep to complete the term expiring in June, 2012. Any para may be nominated, including self-nominations. I have been authorized to appoint one. If you want to volunteer, see me.

HOLIDAY PARTY
Our holiday party will be at O’Neill’s on Tuesday, December 22. Please give payment of $55 to Mrs. Molina, Mrs. Reese, or Mrs. Berberena ASAP.

PARKING

A certain someone has been taking a parking pass without always signing for it, and has not always returned it. If this continues, YOU will not be allowed to borrow a pass again.
Supposedly we will be getting two additional parking passes. I will let you know when they arrive.

NEXT CHAPTER MEETING

Our next chapter meeting will be on Tuesday, December 15. Kathy Sharko, District 32 representative, will be here to discuss important issues.

Have a joyous holiday season!

November 18, 2009

2009-11-18T21:49:00.000-05:00

Schoolwide Performance Bonus Program
Our school has been asked to participate in the Schoolwide Performance Bonus Program (SPBP) for the 2009-2010 school year. In order to participate, 55% of the ENTIRE UFT staff must vote “yes.”

On Monday, November 23, we will hold chapter meeting which will conclude with an SBO on the SPBP during the lunch periods in room 201. There are no absentee ballots for those who are absent that day. Arrangements can only be made for those on field trips or those on PD. Votes will be counted starting at 2:15 PM. Please make every effort to attend.
If we do participate and meet our goal, there will be a pool of funds to be divided. The pool will have $3,000 ($1,500 for a partial goal) for every full-time P.S. 123K UFT member. It is not $3,000 awarded per member.

If approved, a compensation committee made up of Mrs. Greene, a designee of hers, and two UFT members will divide the funds, At Monday’s meeting, any UFT member interested in being on the compensation committee can sign up. If more than two members sign up, then an election will be held to decide who the members representing us will be.

I will discuss any important matters from Wednesday’s Delegate Assembly as well.

GRADE CONFERENCE SBO
The results of the SBO on holding the once a month grade conference during “common” prep instead of during one lunch period a month passed. 36 (85.7%) voted “Yes,” while 6 voted “No.”

MIDYEAR CUTS
Devastating mid-year cuts to education in New York State are planned. We must let our voices be heard. Send your legislators an online fax. Go to:

http://petitions.uft.org/protect_classrooms_from_midyear_cuts

MATERNITY WORKSHOP
Dec. 8, 2009, 4:30 – 6 PM, Queens UFT office. RSVP to Karla Jordan at kjordan@uft.org

CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
If you are required to attend a certain amount of hours of PD in order to keep your certification, keep track of what you are required to take, and don’t delay doing what is required. For certification questions, call Elizabeth Perez at the Brooklyn UFT office.

MEET THE PRESIDENT
There will be a meeting with our new UFT president, Michael Mulgrew. This meeting will be at I.S. 383, 1300 Greene Ave., on Tuesday, November 24, from 4 – 6 PM. There will be refreshments and a raffle. Please let me know ASAP if you will be attending.

LUNCH DUTY
Please remember that UFT members are not to be in the lunchroom with the students. This also includes half days. The only exceptions are IEP paras if the IEP requires a para at lunch, and the lunchroom coordinator.

EXCESSIVE PAPERWORK
Citywide, there have been many complaints about the mountains of paperwork which teachers are required to do. The UFT wants to fight it. I need samples from each grade of the paperwork which you are required to do. Please give samples to me immediately so that the paperwork can be fought on a citywide level. Blank forms are okay.

PARA REP NEEDED
We need a para rep to complete the term expiring in June, 2012. Any para may be nominated, including self-nominations. Since there have been no nominations, the deadline will be extended to 3PM on Wednesday, November 25. Please submit nominations for Para Rep to me by then. Only paras may be Para Rep, nominate someone, and vote.

HOLIDAY PARTY
Our holiday party will once again be at O’Neill’s, on December 22. Please give payment of $55 to either Mrs. Molina, Mrs. Reese, or Mrs. Berberena ASAP.

LEAVES
Before taking a leave of any kind, call John Settle at the Brooklyn UFT office.

CONTACT INFO
You can e-mail me at 123uft@optonline.net

Brooklyn UFT Office: (718) 852-4900

October 26, 2009

2009-10-26T18:48:00.002-04:00

WELCOME
We wish to welcome Angela Espinal and Paula Inestroza to our staff. May they have long and successful careers.

SCHOOLWIDE PERFORMANCE BONUS
According to the UFT, we are now scheduled to receive our bonuses this week!

GRADE CONFERENCE SBO
This past spring. We took a School-Based Option (SBO) vote on holding the 40 minute monthly grade conferences during the lunch periods instead of holding them on Monday after school. It passed overwhelmingly.
However, many members have expressed the desire to hold them during their common prep instead. The only way this can legally be changed is through the SBO process.
Therefore, as was discussed at the October 21 chapter meeting, we will hold another SBO vote. It will be as follows:
“Instead of holding the monthly grade conferences once a month during the lunch periods, we will hold the monthly grade conferences once a month on a common prep.”
The specific contract articles to be changed are Article 6 and Article 7, subsections C4 and Q
In order to pass, 55% of the UFT staff voting must vote yes.

DISTRICT 32 SUNSHINE FUND
The District 32 Sunshine Fund is to aid students in the district whose families are the victims of tragedy. Voluntary donations of $1.00 may be given to me.

MATERNITY WORKSHOP
Nov. 17 and Dec. 8, 2009, 4:30 – 6 PM, Queens UFT office. RSVP to Karla Jordan at kjordan@uft.org

NOVEMBER 4 MEETING CANCELLED
The November 4 chapter meeting with Kathy Sharko has been cancelled.

CHANCELLOR’S CONFERENCE DAY
November 3, 2009, Election Day, has been designated as a Chancellor’s Conference Day. All staff must be in by 8:00 AM and may leave at 2:50 PM.

CONFERENCES, MEETINGS, ETC.
Please make sure that you return to your class on time at the end of the period. This will enable the cluster teacher to provide a full prep period to the next teacher whose class they instruct.

SAFETY
1. Other schools in the city are reporting an increase in petit theft and grand larceny, and staff members are the victims. Be sure to secure your handbags, purses, etc., and always lock the door whenever you leave the classroom. This will also prevent students from entering an empty classroom where they can take things and/or injure themselves.

2. If you are threatened, assaulted or injured in any way by a student, parent, intruder, etc. be sure to fill out a UFT Safety Report in addition to the DOE reports.

EVENTS
Check the New York Teacher for workshops, courses and events. Also, check the UFT bulletin board outside of room 251.

CONTACT INFO
You can e-mail me at 123uft@optonline.net.

Chapter Blog: http://uft123k.blogspot.com/

Brooklyn UFT Office: (718) 852-4900

Before taking a leave of any kind, call John Settle.
For certification questions, call Elizabeth Perez

October 1, 2009

2009-10-01T18:42:00.001-04:00

Welcome Back
Welcome back Ms. Cordero. Welcome Ms. Lomonaco, Ms. Martin and Ms. Del Candida to our staff.

Congratulations to Ms. Amenta, Ms. Lomonaco, Mrs. Quiles and Mrs. Wagner on the birth of their babies. My apologies if I forgot anybody.

A few friends have retired or transferred. We wish them well.

We wish to express our sadness at the passing of Gail Goldberg, a former colleague at P. S. 123K.

PREPS, CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS
There will be one staff conference each month during a lunch period and one mandatory grade conference each month during lunch. This was SBO’d in the spring. 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. If you choose to give up your prep to attend PD or meetings, that is your choice. 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.”

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 or cumulatively.

INVESTIGATIONS
If the police should arrest you in school for any reason, work-related or not, contact me IMMEDIATELY so that I could call the UFT borough office for assistance. If you are arrested, you must notify Mrs. Greene and the Office of Personnel Investigations in writing. The UFT will provide legal assistance if you are arraigned. If you are arrested for any actions arising out of the disciplining of a student, you should immediately apply to both the DOE and the city Corporation Counsel for representation. If you face criminal or civil charges as a result of disciplinary actions taken against a pupil while you were doing your job, the DOE must provide you with legal representation. You should immediately contact your district representative or your UFT borough office for assistance in getting a DOE attorney.
If you are arrested outside of school for ANY reason, during vacations, weekends, evenings, etc., you must contact OPI IMMEDIATELY. Since your fingerprints are already on file with the DOE, once you are fingerprinted, the DOE will learn of your arrest before the ink is dry.
If an investigator questions you in school, even as a witness, say nothing. Your statements can be held against you. Contact me so that I can call the UFT borough office to arrange for representation.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Office of Special Investigations
65 Court Street – Room 922
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone #: 718-935-3800
Fax #: 718-935-3925/3927

Office of Personnel Investigation
New York City Department of Education
65 Court Street - Room 223
Brooklyn, New York 11201
Telephone: 718-935-2666/2668
Fax:718-935-4366

UFT BROOKLYN BOROUGH OFFICE
335 Adams Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201718-852-4900

INTERNET
Be careful when it comes to online networking sites such as Twitter, MySpace and Facebook. Once you make a post, it is there for the world to see. It is not be advisable to have students on your Facebook friends list. Things can so easily be misinterpreted by parents.

Do NOT access internet porn sites, or store such material on any DOE computer or personal laptop that you bring into school. Teachers who have done so have had their hard drives seized by the DOE.

PARKING
The parking permits are now good until November 1. The default method is that the principal gets one permit and ALL other DOE personnel (UFT, assistant principals, DC37, custodians) sign for one each day, first come, first served.

CONTACTING ME
You have the right to contact me regarding any issue at all, or to show me any letter or document. Nobody can tell you anything different, and you don’t need permission. The contract protects you. Check the prep schedule for when I am free, or e-mail me at the e-mail address listed above.

LEAVES
Before taking any kind of leave, call John Settle at the UFT Brooklyn Borough office.

YOU MUST REGISTER TO VOTE BY OCTOBER 9 IF YOU WISH TO VOTE IN THIS YEAR’S MAYORAL ELECTION!

June 1, 2009

2009-06-01T23:41:00.000-04:00

SWINE FLU
There has been much panic about H1N1, or swine flu. The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to those of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.

In children, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

· Fast breathing or trouble breathing
· Bluish skin color
· Not drinking enough fluids
· Not waking up or not interacting
· Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
· Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
· Fever with a rash

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

· Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
· Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
· Sudden dizziness
· Confusion
· Severe or persistent vomiting

These can also be symptoms of other illnesses and medical conditions.

Take the following steps to help prevent the spread of H1N1 flu, just like with other air-borne illnesses:

· Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

· Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze (and after using the bathroom – NO EXCUSES!).

Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
· Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

If you get sick with influenza, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.

BROOKLYN-QUEENS DAY
Many teachers have asked me if we have to be in by 8:00 AM on June 4. The answer is yes. It is in the contract that on professional development days, the work day is 6 hours and 50 minutes. You must stay until 2:50. The same holds true for the two days prior to Labor Day.

SPRING CLEANING
Make an appointment to check your file.

ORGANIZATION
The tentative organization sheet for the fall will be out shortly. All teachers must have one of their three choices. This applies to ALL teachers, regardless of tenure status. According to Article Seven of our contract, grievances may be lodged if:

1) In any year an elementary school teacher fails to be granted one of his/her stated program preferences; or

(2) For two years in succession the elementary school teacher has been denied his/her first priority of program preference.

Grievances must be filed within 48 hours of the distribution of the organization sheets. If the organization sheet comes out on a Friday, then they must be filed by Tuesday.

Unfortunately, due to budget cuts and the manner in which schools are now funded, some positions will be cut. Please lobby your city councilman and Albany representatives, and remember this when you vote on on Election Day.

CHAPTER ELECTIONS
Digna Ortiz was the only nominee for Para Representative, and I was the only nominee for chapter leader. We will serve in these positions until 2012. WE STILL NEED A TEACHER TO BE OUR DELEGATE! See Rona Kassel or me.

OPEN MARKET TRANSFERS
If you want to switch schools, you may use the Open Market Transfer Plan. ANY pedagogue may transfer to another DOE school without the principal’s release through Aug. 7. After that, only if she releases you. For info, visit: http://www.uft.org/news/teacher/qa/open_mkt_plan/

To apply:
https://www.nycenet.edu/offices/dhr/transferplane/

SBO’s
All SBO’s except for the eight period day have passed and have been signed and approved. We will have the programmer and lunchroom coordinator positions posted. Grade and faculty conferences will be held once a month during lunch hours. Afternoon and evening Parent-Teacher conferences will be held on the same day. From Mon.-Thurs, extended time will be from 8:00AM-8:37.5AM, with the school day running from 8:37.5AM-2:57.5PM. On Fridays, the school day will run from 8:40 AM-3:00 PM.

Since the eight period day SBO failed, the school day will remain a seven period day. The only way that we can change it to eight periods is through the SBO process. If the staff wants to change this, it can only be done through the next SBO vote in May of 2010.

TEACHER’S CHOICE
All materials are the property of the Dept. of Education. You may use them for as long as you are in P.S. 123K. However, if you retire or transfer, all Teacher’s Choice materials must be left here.

PROGRAMMER & LUNCHROOM COORDINATOR
If you wish to apply for either position for the fall, see Mrs. Greene.

BUDGET CUTS
With city budget negotiations entering the final month, we need you to send a fax to your City Council member through the union’s Web site, UFT.org, and explain to them what’s at stake. Please also call your council member. Write and call the City Council members as well. If you have have not yet signed up on uft.org, do so now to join the budget fight to protect classrooms. So far, more than 4,420 faxes have been sent by UFT members.

TEACHER’S CHOICE (Part 2)
The mayor and chancellor have announced that they want ZERO funding. DEMAND THAT YOUR CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES RESTORE THE TEACHER‘S CHOICE PROGRAM! (See above)

A REMINDER
When moving rooms or packing materials for the summer, please avoid lifting heavy boxes or objects, or climbing up on furniture. The resulting injuries would not be considered to be “line of duty.” As items may somehow disappear over the summer, take home personal items. Lock up materials.

EMAIL
Please email me from your non-DOE email account at 123uft@optonline.net. This way I can contact you over the summer regarding Teacher’s Choice and other issues.

FYI - FROM THE UFT
This was sent to me by the UFT:

Retiring or resigning? Give plenty of notice to help ATRs find positions
Although it is not mandatory and there will be no penalties if you do not do so, the UFT is encouraging all staff who plan to either retire or resign before the beginning of the next school year to inform their school administration as soon as possible. Please distribute this information to your chapter so we can help to reduce the number of ATRs in the system. As we all know, the current fiscal situation requires schools to carefully plan how they will be staffed for next year. The recent hiring restrictions set by the Department of Education offer current staff the first opportunity to secure available positions in schools for next year. The union wants to emphasize that letting your school administration know of your plans not to return will greatly assist in the planning for school staffing for the upcoming school year, allowing schools to have as complete a picture as possible and affording other interested staff members the chance to secure positions in a timely manner.

HEALTH PLAN CHANGES
There will be some changes to some plans. Check future editions of New York Teacher and your mail at home for details

Here are the results of the May 18 SBO vote:

1. Programmer
75 voted
70 Yes (93.3%)
5 No
The position will be posted.

2.Lunchroom Coordinator
75 voted
68 Yes (90.7%)
7 No
The position will be posted.

3.Eight period day
79 voted
21 Yes (26.6%)
58 No
FAILED. We will continue the present 7 period day for 2009-10.

4. Extended time in the AM
76 voted
72 Yes (94.5%)
4 No
We will continue to have ext day M-Th from 8am-8:37.5am

5. Hold faculty conf. during lunch
75 voted
70 Yes (93.3%)
5 No
We will hold faculty conferences during lunch periods

6. Hold grade conf. during lunch
73 voted
67 Yes (91.7%
6 No
We will hold grade conferences during lunch

7. PTC on the same day
66 voted
62 Yes (93.9%)
4 No
We will hold both the afternoon and evening conf. on the same day.

April 27, 2009

2009-04-30T12:30:00.003-04:00

PARKING
We STILL have a few members who consistently refuse to play by the rules. You may NOT keep the parking passes overnight, or for a few days for ANY reason. You may NOT use them at other schools that you may be assigned to. They are school-specific and you will be ticketed. They belong to the UFT staff of our school. We will now have to exclude those who refuse to play by the rules.

Several months ago I appealed the DOT’s rejection of my request for more parking permits, and requested that the signs on Suydam Street be changed to reflect our early start time. The good news is that they have finally changed the signs to 7 AM - 4 PM. As far as additional parking permits are concerned, I haven’t received word one way or another from the DOT.

PREFERENCE SHEETS
You have received a preference sheet for the 2009-2010 school year. List three grade choices in order of preference. The choice is strictly up to you. Special education teachers may choose the age range of special education classes and education program designation (e.g. staffing ratio, collaborative team teaching, SETSS, etc.) with the understanding that, where advisable and possible, such preferences will be honored. You must receive one of your choices. After two school years without your first choice, you must receive your first choice. Photocopy your preference sheet.

SBOs
We will consider whether to change the school schedule from the current seven-period day to an eight-period day. Mrs. Sharko will be in shortly to discuss this with the membership. We will discusss all of the SBO options at a chapter meeting in the near future.

SWINE FLU
For staff and students, here are the best ways to avoid getting or spreading swine influenza:

Encourage all people to cover their mouth and nose when they cough or sneeze.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
If you get sick, limit contact with others to avoid infecting them.
If you get sick with influenza, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.

TERMINATIONS/VALID STATE CERTIFICATE
If you received a letter stating that you will be terminated because you do not have a valid state certificate, call Ann Rosen at the Brooklyn UFT office IMMEDIATELY at (718) 852-4900. Otherwise, you will not be on this fall’s organization sheet in any way, shape or form.

Summer Positions
Summer applications are due on May 13. Print out everything. Don’t forget to claim retention rights if you are eligible. Be sure to give your correct email address, as you will not get a position if it is mistyped. That is because they can not contact you.

https://www.nycenet.edu/summerjobs/

OPEN MARKET TRANSFERS
If you want to switch schools, the Open Market Transfer Plan period has begun. ANY pedagogue may transfer to another DOE school without the principal’s release through August 7. After that, you may only transfer if she releases you. For more information, visit:

http://www.uft.org/news/teacher/qa/open_mkt_plan/

To apply, go to:

https://www.nycenet.edu/offices/dhr/transferplane/

MENTOR PROGRAM
If you are being mentored, you will be or already have received a mentoring verification letter. If not, let me know.

EXCESSING LIST
I will soon post a copy of the excessing list in room 251. I need time to white out your file numbers to ensure privacy. The Paraprofessional seniority list has been corrected.

CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS
Contract negotiations have not started yet. However, it was the hot topic of discussion at the last Delegate Assembly. Chapter leaders and delegates from all over the city gave our union president an earful. Many of us strongly expressed our wishes to regain grievance rights, gain back the two days before Labor Day, not have any more extended time, have relief from paperwork, TC, AUSSIE, etc. Also demanded was the right to teach lessons using the methodology WE choose, rather than being forced to do the “Workshop Model,” or any other dictated format.

SPRING CLEANING
Remember to make an appointment to check your file. You may remove negative material more than three years old.

March 2, 2009

2009-03-02T07:37:00.001-05:00

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!

January 12, 2009

2009-01-13T15:34:00.002-05:00

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: INVESTIGATIONS
Union representative should be present at investigatory interview

You have the right to union representation at an investigatory interview. An investigatory interview occurs when a supervisor questions an employee to obtain information which could be used as a basis for discipline or asks an employee to defend his or her conduct.
Management is not required to inform employees of their right to union representation; it is the employee’s responsibility to claim it.

The DOE uses three avenues of investigation to probe charges of misconduct: the Office of the Special Commissioner of Investigations, the Office of Special Investigations, and the school principal.

The UFT strongly recommends that you do not speak to any investigator without union representation, even if you are being questioned as a witness. If approached by an investigator, ask for the investigator’s business card and say that a union representative will be in touch to set up an appointment. Then immediately inform the UFT borough office that you are under investigation and need union representation. If you are being questioned as a witness, an investigator may say that you don't need union representation because you are only being questioned as a witness. Don't believe him. They can use your answers against you. For example, if an investigator asks if you saw Mr. Smith hit John Doe and you say “yes,” they can bring you up on charges for not reporting it!

Upon concluding an investigation, OSCI and OSI both produce a report, which usually contains a disciplinary recommendation for the DOE to follow. You will usually be called to the superintendent’s office to discuss the report. You should contact the UFT district representative through the union borough office to arrange for a union representative for that meeting.
For investigations conducted by the school principal, do not speak to the principal about any allegation without the chapter leader present.

All allegations of misconduct, regardless of the avenue of investigation, should be taken seriously. Do not rush into any hearings or interviews without proper union representation. If you are removed from a school pending the conclusion of an investigation, the district rep should be contacted immediately. The rep will give you advice about how to proceed while reassigned.

Arrests
If the police should arrest you in school for any reason, work-related or not, you or your chapter leader should call the UFT borough office immediately for assistance. You should give the UFT representative the name and precinct of the arresting officer along with any other details you have regarding the arrest. If you are arrested, you must notify your principal and the Office of Personnel Investigations in writing. The UFT will provide legal assistance if you are arraigned. If you are arrested for any actions arising out of the disciplining of a student, you should immediately apply to both the DOE and the city Corporation Counsel for representation.

Legal Assistance
If you face criminal or civil charges as a result of disciplinary actions taken against a pupil while you were doing your job, the DOE will provide you with legal representation. You should immediately contact your district representative or your UFT borough office for assistance in getting a DOE attorney.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Office of Special Investigations
65 Court Street – Room 922
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone #: 718-935-3800
Fax #: 718-935-3925/3927

Office of Personnel Investigation
New York City Department of Education
65 Court Street - Room 223
Brooklyn, New York 11201
Telephone: 718-935-2666/2668
Fax:718-935-4366

UFT BROOKLYN BOROUGH OFFICE
335 Adams Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
718-852-4900

Extended Time
Remember that as SBO'd last May, extended time runs from 8AM - 8:371/2 AM with the school day running from 8:371/2 AM - 2:571/2 PM Monday through Thursday, while Friday runs from 8:40 AM - 3:00 PM.

“Teacher Data Initiative” Reports
Your “Teacher Data Initiative” reports are to be confidential between the you and the principal and cannot be used in teacher evaluation.

Teacher’s Choice
Save your Teacher’s Choice receipts. Keep receipts for classroom purchases made after Aug. 1 for Teacher’s Choice reimbursement. The purchasing period ends on March 15, 2009. Reports and receipts for all items purchased must be submitted by March 31, 2009. For more information, go to

http: //schools.nyc.gov/Offices /DFO/BusinessOperations /KeyDocuments/Teachers+Choice.htm

Leaves
Before taking a leave of any kind, call John Settle at the UFT Brooklyn Borough office, 718-852-4900.

Certification
Ann Rosen at the UFT Brooklyn Borough Office can assist you in certification matters.

Our next chapter meeting will be a UFT pension meeting on January 27 with special representative Stephen Gappelberg.

December 11, 2008

2008-12-11T15:45:00.000-05:00

Parking Permit Problems
We are on a first-come, first-served honor system with the parking permits. Sometimes someone may accidentally forget to return their permit at the end of the day. However, a few members are habitually not returning permits to room 103. Please be considerate of your fellow UFT members and return the permit before you leave. Otherwise we may have to explore other distribution options. We are still awaiting action on our appeal for more spaces and permits. As far as the permit situation, you may lodge complaints to the man who created this fiasco, Mayor Bloomberg, by calling 311.

Leave Policy for Cancer Screening
and Blood Donation
Under a new personnel memo issued by the DOE, UFT members are now eligible for an excused leave for breast cancer screening, prostate cancer screening and blood donation.

UFT members will have up to four hours of paid leave to get a mammogram, up to four hours of paid leave for prostate screening, and up to three hours of unpaid leave to give blood.

Under the procedures outlined in the memo, the member must make the request for time off in advance and in writing. Approval must be granted by the principal (or designee) as long as the request does not "substantially disrupt the normal operation" of the school.

Lesson Plans
We are responsible for developing lesson plans. However, you can determine the format, organization, notation and content. Supervisors may make suggestions, but cannot require or insist upon a particular format. or make you use pre-printed lesson plan sheets, the exception being if you had a “U” rating last year, or are about to receive a “U” rating.

TEACHER’S CHOICE
If you have direct deposit, you should have received your stipend on December 1. All others will receive debit cards on December 15th. All other rules and regulations regarding Teacher’s Choice remain unchanged. This year, all teachers receive $150; guidance counselors, social workers and school psychologists, $100; lab specialists, $75; and secretaries, $50. Remember to save receipts for your purchases. The spending period runs from Aug. 1, 2008, to March 15, 2009.

NEWS AND EVENTS
Check the bulletin boards outside of 251 and inside 251 for UFT events, courses and other activities.

Holiday Party
Please give payment to Mrs. Reese, Mrs. Molina and Mrs. Berberena ASAP.

Welfare Fund Moves to New Prescription Benefit Manager for In-Service Members
The UFT Welfare Fund will be switching providers for its prescription drug plan from Express Scripts to Medco in February 2009. The move to Medco follows a careful process in which the union’s Welfare Fund reviewed its plan in order to continue to ensure the best coverage possible for UFT members. In December, members will receive a mailing at home with information on the transition. In January, all eligible in-service members will receive a “Welcome Package” from Medco, which will contain members’ new drug cards and complete plan information. The move to the new plan will be effective Feb. 1. The plan co-pays will remain the same.

The Fund wants members to begin to check their current prescriptions. Available refills will be transferred to Medco from Express Scripts. Prescriptions that have expired or that have no refills left, however, will not be transferred.

Smoking Cessation Program
The UFT, in partnership with the NYC Department of Health, is offering a smoking cessation program for our UFT members and staff. Stop by the UFT Safety and Health department at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, 15th floor, to pick up your patches and to get confidential assistance on how to quit smoking. If you are eligible, they will provide you with smoking patches at no charge. Call (212) 598-7763 for questions and information.

Pension Expert
A pension expert will be visiting us on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 during the three lunch periods to answer any questions that you may have about retirement, or planning for the future if you are a newer teacher. Considering the state of the economy, all teachers are strongly encouraged to attend.

CONTACT INFORMATION
You may email me at:
123uft@optonline.net

Have a merry Christmas, a joyous Chanukah, a blessed Kwanza, and a happy new year!

November 14, 2008

2008-11-14T05:00:00.000-05:00

PARKING
We should have at least three more parking passes. I have appealed for more, but there are hundreds of other schools appealing and the waiting list is long. Most passes are taken by 7:15, so if you arrive later and see one or two empty spaces, it is doubtful that there are passes available.
Parking pass #12 is missing. Return it or else...

SCHOOLWIDE PERFORMANCE BONUS PROGRAM
Our staff voted to participate in the program for the 2008-2009 school year. Only UFT members are eligible, so if you haven’t already done so, submit your membership card and welfare fund applications. Congratulations on Lydia Berberena and Mary Keegan for their election to the SPBP committee.

SAFETY
Theft has risen dramatically system wide. Please secure your personal belongings. Women should keep their pocketbooks with them at all times. Also, we should lock our classroom doors whenever we are out of the room. Not only would this keep your possessions secure, it would also prevent students from sneaking into your empty classroom. At one of the other schools, a student took keys from a teacher’s pocketbook and stole her car, ending with tragic results. In the past in our own school we have had paychecks and money stolen from pocketbooks, and once even a fur coat was stolen from an unlocked, empty classroom. Keep 251 and 451 locked at all times. Students are not permitted.

I would not recommend eating food or drinking coffee when students are present in the classroom. A student can accidentally get burned. Also, at one of the other schools, students were spitting and putting things into their teacher’s coffee in an attempt to poison her. Don’t let this happen to you.

A reminder: Please avoid lifting heavy boxes or objects, or climbing up on furniture. The resulting injuries would not be considered to be “line of duty.”

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES
Parent-Teacher conferences will be held on one day, November 20. The students will have half a day. You are not to stay with the students at lunch whether or not it is a half a day. IEP paras only assist the student they are assigned to. The only teacher who is allowed to serve lunch duty is the lunchroom coordinator who can legally be there because the position was SBO’d. If you are injured in the lunchroom while on lunch duty, it is not considered to be “line of duty” because lunch duty is not part of our job.

OBSERVATIONS
Every teacher is entitled to a pre-observation conference with their supervisor prior to a formal observation, regardless of years on the job or tenure status.

TEACHER’S CHOICE
This year your allocation will be given to you via direct deposit. If you are not signed up for direct deposit you will receive a debit card.

JOEL KLEIN: SECRETARY OF EDUCATION?
Chancellor Joel Klein is lobbying the Obama transition team to appoint him Secretary of Education. Never has anyone been so arrogant as to have done this before.
We educators know that what Klein has done to our system is what is in store for the rest of
America. It’s time to make our voices heard. Contact the Obama transition team (and ask your friends and family, too) at the following sites and let them know the truth about Joel Klein:

www.petitiononline.com/campd227/petition.html

www.change.gov/page/s/contact

BUDGET CRISIS
Mayor Bloomberg has said that the Department of Education's budget will be reduced $181 million this year, resulting in the elimination of 475 positions of which 219 would be layoffs. No UFT members will be laid off. However, there will be reductions in summer programs, school safety, pre-K services, custodial, construction/repairs and food service.

RALLY IN SUPPORT OF ATR’S
With the financial crisis, many of our members face excessing and becoming ATR’s. Chancellor Klein and his allies claim that ATR’s can’t find positions because of incompetence. We know this to be false. ATR’s want to teach, but Bloomberg and Klein won’t let them. Klein wants to fire them.

The UFT leadership has called a rally to support the ATRs, our most vulnerable members. It will be held on Monday, November 24 at Tweed Courthouse, 52 Chambers St. at 4:30 PM. We need volunteers to make the rally a success. The sign up sheet to attend is in room 251. Please join your colleagues throughout the city. The job you save may be your own.

NEWS AND EVENTS
Check the bulletin boards outside of 251 and inside 251 for UFT events, courses and other activities.

CONTACT INFORMATION
You may email me at 123uft@optonline.net.

In non-emergency situations, my prep and UFT periods are as follow:
Mondays: 8:50, 2:05
Tuesdays: 8:50
Wednesdays: 12:20, 2:05
Thursdays: 2:05
Fridays: 11:25, 1:15, 2:05

October 22, 2008

2008-10-22T12:47:00.004-04:00

POLITICAL BUTTONS
On Friday, October 17, 2008, the UFT lost its arbitration case on wearing political campaign buttons in the schools. We may not wear them or post political material in places where students are present. However, we may post political material in the staff lounge and other places where students are not present, and we may place political material in the mailboxes before 8:00 and after 3:00.

CHAPTER DELEGATE NEEDED
We need a teacher to volunteer to be the UFT chapter delegate for the remainder of this school year. The delegate’s role is to represent the needs of the teachers in the monthly Delegate Assembly, held on Wednesdays in Manhattan from 4:15 - 6:00 PM, as well as to assist me in protecting the rights of our members. See me if you are interested.

PARKING PERMITS
We are distributing permits on a “First- come, first-served” basis. Thank you for making things go as smoothly as possible. Unfortunately, there will be a few problems now and then. If too many problems arise, then we will discuss other options.

COPE
Your voluntary contributions gave us 55/25 and continues to be used in the fight to protect tenure rights, as well as the fight not to use standardized test scores in the decision of whether or not to grant tenure. If you haven’t done so, please see me to enroll in COPE.

NEW TEACHERS
If you are not yet a member of the UFT, or if you have not yet received your membership application, Welfare Fund application (for your prescription, dental and optical coverage), or COPE form, see me ASAP.

OBSERVATIONS
Every teacher is entitled to a pre-observation conference with their supervisor prior to a formal observation. No exceptions.

LUNCH DUTY
Teachers are never to serve lunch duty, regardless of whether or not it is a half day. The only teacher who is allowed to serve lunch duty is the lunchroom coordinator who can legally be there because the position was SBO’d. If you are injured in the lunchroom while on lunch duty, it is not considered to be “line of duty” because lunch duty is not part of our job.

THEFT
System wide, grand larceny thefts (over $1,000) have increased 173 percent over last year, and the theft of laptops is up 191 percent. Forty-one percent of the property stolen belonged to UFT members. The NYPD recommends that you leave valuables at home, don’t leave your keys or property unattended, don’t flash your cash, and have a strong lock and don’t share or give out the combination or key.

INCIDENTS
If you are assaulted, threatened or injured in any way, you must file a UFT Incident Report in addition to the report that you file with the DOE.

TELL THE UFT
An e-mail address, myviews@uft.org has been set up so members can register their opinions on term limits and the budget crisis, and where the union should be directing its energy. The budget crisis and ending term limits affect the well-being of the children we serve and our professional and economic livelihoods

OUR NEXT CHAPTER MEETING
Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, October 29 during the lunch hours with Kathy Sharko. I have requested that a pension speaker come in on a future date to assist new and veteran members on pension and TDA matters.

Contact me at 123uft@optonline.net

SEPTEMBER 22, 2008

2008-09-19T13:46:00.000-04:00

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.

Letter-in-the-File Arbitration Victory

2008-06-26T07:10:00.003-04:00

This was sent to me:

Dear Richard,

In a major victory for UFT members, an arbitrator has ruled that members may seek the removal of a letter written for the file if there is an underlying substantive violation of the collective-bargaining agreement.

In this case, a Brooklyn high school principal gave any teacher who was absent 10 or more days a letter for the file for being excessively absent. One teacher who received such a letter for the file filed a grievance under Articles 16 (absences) and 20 (Chancellor's Regulation C-601) of the contract, arguing that the principal violated the chancellor's regulation on attendance.

The arbitrator ruled in the teacher's favor, asserting that no specific number of absences can automatically trigger discipline. He stated that a good faith, case-by-case analysis of the facts and circumstances of each teacher's absences should be conducted before determining whether discipline is warranted.

The arbitrator went further to say that multiple factors should be considered in deciding whether a teacher was excessively absent. Those factors include:

-Whether the absences were due to unusual circumstances
-Whether the absences are likely to recur
-Whether there is a pattern of absences
-The teacher's attendance and work history, including the number of
days in the teacher's CAR and the number of years of service
-Whether the teacher had a serious illness
-The impact of the absences on the school and its students.

This arbitration decision can be used in other areas of our contract besides absences. For example, a teacher who receives a letter for the file alleging he or she committed corporal punishment could file a grievance under Article 20 if there is a substantive violation of the Chancellor's Regulation A-420 (Corporal Punishment), such as the investigation was not done properly. The teacher could ask as a remedy for a proper investigation in addition to the removal of the letter from the file.

If you have any questions regarding the application of this grievance decision, you should call your district representative or your UFT borough office.

Sincerely,
Howard Solomon
UFT Grievance Director

June 20, 2008

2008-06-20T07:55:00.001-04:00

FALL ORGANIZATION
When a revised organization sheet comes out and your assignment has been changed to one that is not one of your three choices, you have 48 hours to grieve. According to Article Seven, Section C 1 e of our contract:

Grievances hereunder may be lodged if:
(1) In any year an elementary school teacher fails to be granted one of his/her stated
program preferences; or
(2) For two years in succession the elementary school teacher has been denied his/her
first priority of program preference.
Any assignment that is grievable shall be reviewed in accordance with the standards
applicable to Articles 7C1b and c.

ROOM CHANGES
If you are changing rooms, while you must leave school furniture, bookcases, etc. in your old room, you may take materials which you own. As far as Teacher’s Choice materials, this is a quote from an official with the UFT: “Teacher's Choice materials technically belong to the school. If the teachers who are moving need the materials for next year, then they should move with the materials.” If you are leaving employment in the building (retiring, transferring, etc.), then you must leave all Teacher’s Choice materials in the building.

LETTER IN FILE FOR ATTENDANCE
This week, the UFT won a major arbitration case. A teacher received a letter in the file for excessive absences. He was out after having surgery. The arbitrator ruled that it violates regulations, and that “(T)here are no specific number of absences that automatically triggers discipline.” Things must be on a case by case basis, as there are many circumstances that UFT members have, such as injuries and health issues. More details will follow, including an update to the Know Your Rights section of the UFT web site.

RATINGS
If you have worked for 20 days or more, you will receive a rating from the principal within the last 10 days of the school year, but not less than four days before the end of the school year. It will either be Satisfactory (“S”), Unsatisfactory (“U”), Doubtful (“D”) or Not Applicable (“N/A”). Tenured teachers’ rating sheets can only have their rating, as well as attendance information. If you are a probationer, the “U” rating could lead to discontinuance of your probationary period. Since there are ramifications to a “U” rating, you should immediately contact the UFT Brooklyn borough office for assistance. Specialists there will help you file an appeal of your adverse rating and explain the various options available. Contact me as well and I will forward the information to our district rep.

E-MAIL
The UFT is filing a grievance on the mandated use of DOE e-mail. Any changes to working conditions must be made through collective bargaining. The DOE decided to mandate the use of DOE e-mail by teachers without going through collective bargaining.

SUMMER CONTACTS
UFT Brooklyn Borough Office
(718) 852-4900
M-Thu, 9-4

UFT Headquarters
(212) 777-7500
M-F, 9-4

Should an issue arise this summer, call the UFT Brooklyn office first.

Have a great summer.!

May 28, 2008

2008-05-28T18:53:00.000-04:00

Programmer & Lunchroom Coordinator
If you are interested in either the Programmer or Lunchroom Coordinator positions, please inform Mrs. Greene in writing ASAP. Legally, a teacher may hold only one of these positions. Any teacher may apply for these positions.

Fall Organization Sheet
All teachers must have one of their three choices. This applies to ALL teachers, regardless of tenure status.

According to Article Seven of our contract, grievances may be lodged if:

1) In any year an elementary school teacher fails to be granted one of his/her stated program preferences; or

(2) For two years in succession the elementary school teacher has been denied his/her first priority of program preference.

Grievances must be filed within 48 hours of the distribution of the organization sheets. If the organization sheet comes out on Friday, June 13, then they must be filed by June 16th.

Fax The Chancellor
Trying to avoid accountability for deep funding cuts in the city’s most successful and stable schools, Chancellor Klein is stooping to “divide-and-conquer” tactics, pitting neighborhood against neighborhood, school against school, and parents against parents. As the June 7 deadline for adopting a city budget fast approaches, we need to keep the pressure on the mayor and the Council to increase school funding as they promised last year. If the city used a small portion of its $4.5 billion surplus, no city school would have to suffer any budget cuts.

Our school’s budget is being cut drastically! Please send an online fax now. Go to:
http://uftproviders.org/the_city_must_keep_its_promises_to_kids
Also use the “forward to a friend” function in our new online fax tool to ask your friends and family to help us win this budget fight.

Monday, June 2 is the Brooklyn 311 call-in day. Call during your free time to demand that the mayor keep the promise to fund city schools. Call 311 or call the mayor at 1-800-961-6198. You can also call your City Council member.

Know Your Rights
If you are asked to sign a document, whether a counseling memo, letter in the file, extention of probation, termination, or ANY document, you have the legal right to representation before signing. You must consult me, Kathy Sharko, or in certain instances, a NYSUT lawyer. No one can deny you your guaranteed right to union representation.

Spring Cleaning

Letters in the file that have not been used in a disciplinary proceeding should be removed three years from the date placed in the file, per Article 21A of the contract. You have the right to photocopy any material in your file. You should not review your file by yourself. Take either the chapter leader or a colleague with you when you look at your file. Make an appointment with the principal to see the file. Click on http://www.uft.org/member/rights/your_rights/ for more details. You should review your file annually.

Randi Weingarten is holding an emergency chapter leader meeting on June 9. I will hold a meeting that week to report the details to the chapter. Randi says that it is very important.

May 12, 2008

2008-05-12T15:02:00.000-04:00

Preference Sheets
Preference sheets are due on May 16. List your three grade preferences in order of your priority for next year. These preferences are entirely your own choice. Remember, you must receive one of your three preferences. This applies to ALL teachers, regardless of tenure status.
According to Article Seven of our contract, grievances may be lodged if:

1) In any year an elementary school teacher fails to be granted one of his/her stated program preferences; or
(2) For two years in succession the elementary school teacher has been denied his/her first priority of program preference.

Seven/Eight Period Day Survey
95% voted to keep the seven period day. We will vote on it this THURSDAY to make it official.

Budget Cuts

The UFT is trying to fight the budget cuts. While school funding is being cut, hundreds of millions are being spent on consultants and non-bid contracts. Part of the UFT plan about budget cuts is for all members to fill out postcards protesting the cuts. I will pick up the postcards tomorrow. Please fill one out when we complete the final SBO vote on the seven period day.

SBO Results

1. Programmer
85.2% approved the position for 2008-2009.

2. Lunchroom Coordinator
82.7% approved the position for 2008-2009.

3. Extended Day
90.2% voted in favor of keeping the extended time from 8:00AM - 8:37.5AM. The regular school day will be from 8:37.5AM - 2:57.5PM Monday - Thursday. Friday’s regular day will be from 8:40AM - 3:00PM.

4. Faculty Conferences
100% voted in favor of conducting all faculty conferences during lunch rather than on Monday afternoons.

5. Parent/Teacher Conferences
98.2% voted to hold the afternoon and evening conferences on the same day.

APRIL 7, 2008

2008-04-07T20:38:00.001-04:00

Open Market Transfer Plan
The DOE will begin to post vacancies on its web site
http://schools.nyc.gov/)
beginning April 15, as per our contract. As principals continue to learn of vacancies they will be added to the site throughout the transfer period, which ends Aug. 7. When a position has been filled the listing will be removed from the site. You will be asked to complete an online registration form, which involves creating a user ID and password. Once you do this you’ll be able to electronically apply to any and all vacancies in your current license area. There is room on the online application for a cover letter and resume. You will also be able to apply to transfer to schools that have not advertised a vacancy. If you choose to do this your application will be kept on file should a vacancy subsequently arise. Upon submitting an application, a confirmation page will appear, Print a copy of it for yourself and keep it on file. Candidates also may be considered at job fairs, which will be posted on line.

Summer Session
The DOE’s Division of Human Resources began accepting online applications for summer session openings on April 2. To apply for a position, go to
http://schools.nyc.gov/offices/dhr
and click on the hyperlink in the “Time Sensitive Information” section. Only online applications will be processed. Applications must be submitted by May 7 to preserve applicants’ retention rights and for applications to be considered timely. After applying online, members should print out a hard copy of their application and write down their application confirmation number. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Special Representative Amy Arundell at aarundell@uft.org.

Letters in the File
If you have received a letter in the file, please let me know immediately. Kathy Sharko has instructed me to fax copies of these letters to her so that we can fight them. Remember, if you are required to do classroom or hall bulletin boards, their format is up to you. While supervisors may make suggestions for improvement, the contract expressly forbids supervisors to discipline you for the appearance and format of your bulletin boards, the arrangement of your room, or the length of segments of your lesson.

School Surveys
Teachers who have not received surveys may request a bar code to fill it out online. Call 1-800-690-8603. As of this printing, we still do not have the bar codes for the paras.

Miscellaneous
Your chance to “Speakout” in the New York Teacher
Got something on your mind that you’d like to share with your colleagues? Is there an issue in your school, an educational priority, a cause for celebration or a source of constant aggravation that you just know other educators would enjoy, sympathize with, or want to know about? Send an idea for the “Speakout” column of the New York Teacher or write it up in about 800 words and email it to:
mspielman@uft.org
Include some brief information about where and what you teach (or taught) and how you can be contacted. Please let members in your school know about this writing opportunity, too.

Coming next month: SBO’s and a delegate election.

MARCH 17, 2008

2008-03-17T20:48:00.002-04:00

EXTRA!

DRASTIC BUDGET CUTS ANNOUNCED

Here is part of the text from a letter from Randi Weingarten that was sent to me:
“The budget situation facing our schools is potentially dire. The city has now proposed another cut for this September. Taken together, this September's cut will be SIX times that of the mid-year cut in January. If that happens, everybody's life - the students and our members in particular - will be changed.

We haven't seen a situation like this since the early 1990s or maybe even the mid-1970s. The mid-year cuts led to the elimination of after-school and weekend classes and tutoring, less money for textbooks and instructional supplies, no money for extracurricular activities and student clubs, no budget for substitutes. This will be much, much worse.

That is why we need to be on the streets en masse on Wednesday, March 19. That is when the fight about city and state priorities needs to take place. If the streets are not flooded with parents and educators protesting these cuts, the governor and state legislative leaders, the mayor and the Council Speaker won't feel the need to make education their priority. “

We here at P.S. 123 will not be immune from these cuts. That is why we should be at the rally this Wednesday, March 19, along with parents, students, administrators and community members. Take the L train to Manhattan. Transfer at Union Square to the 4, 5 or 6 to City Hall.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

Teachers are not responsible for selling candy, and cannot be held financially responsible for unsold candy. Not one penny!

All teachers are entitled to a pre-observation conference. Use the pre-observation conference to clarify what your supervisor expects to see during the visit. Take notes. She may ask you 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. Simply telling you that they will be coming in does not constitute a pre-observation conference, even if they say it is!

Teachers are not to stay with their classes in the lunchroom.

Kathy Sharko will be at our chapter meetings on Monday, March 25.

MARCH 3, 2008

2008-03-03T07:26:00.004-05:00

55/25
A 55/25 retirement option long sought by the UFT took effect when Governor Eliot Spitzer signed the legislation needed for it to become law. Under the new retirement option, in-service educators in Tiers II, III and IV will be able to retire with 25 years of service and begin collecting an unreduced pension at age 55. Previously, teachers and other Teachers’ Retirement System members hired after 1973 had to work 30 years or wait until they were 62 in order not to have their pensions reduced, while Board of Education Retirement System members, such as therapists and nurses, had to be 62 to retire with an unreduced pension.

Eligible UFT members have a one-time-only 180-day window to opt in. That gives us I believe until August 25. Knowing how the DOE operates, I would suggest not waiting until the last minute. Those who opt in will have an additional 1.85 percent of their salary deducted from their paycheck retroactive to Feb. 27. The additional contribution will continue until June 29, 2008 or until the member completes 25 years of service, whichever is later. The earliest that an eligible member may retire is June 30, 2008.

Given how long and hard this struggle was, it is highly unlikely that current members will ever have another opportunity to join the 55/25 plan so it is important to consider now whether or not you want to opt in to this plan. The UFT will try to provide all the information you need to make this important life decision. As soon as the dates and locations have been set, a listing of all the informational sessions about 55/25 that the union will conduct around the city will be posted. I have been notified that 55/25 forms will be distributed at the March 19 rally.

ALBANY RALLY DAY
March 11 is the UFT’s annual Lobby Day trip to Albany. It is a time when members travel to Albany to meet with their local Assembly Members and Senators to explain firsthand what New York City educators need to be successful in their schools. If you are interested in attending this all-day event, let me know immediately. This day is not taken from your CAR.

TEACHER'S CHOICE
All purchases must be made by March 15. I have requested that copies of the accountability report be made. You must submit it with receipts to the principal by March 28. You can access the forms online at http://www.uft.org/member/forms/teachers_choice.pdf

I have printed a copy of the Teachers Choice guidelines. It is in room 251. You can access it at

http://schools.nyc.gov/Offices/DFO/MostPopularClicks/tchoice.htm

RALLY AGAINST BUDGET CUTS
The “Keep The Promises” coalition, which includes the UFT and CSE, as well as many parent and civic groups, is holding a rally at City Hall on March 19 at 4 PM to protest the state and city budget cuts. Funds have been cut mid-year, with drastic cuts to follow this fall. These cuts are at the school level, not at the top level. This will have a profound impact on the schools. If you will be attending, please see me to sign up. You may bring protest signs. We will travel together by subway.

The UFT needs an updated e-mail list. E-mail me at 123uft@optonline.net

February 6, 2008

2008-02-06T07:27:00.000-05:00

Value-Added Scheme
The DOE has unleashed a “Value-Added” program. The principals of almost 300 elementary and middle school schools volunteered for the study, which was conducted in the fall of 2007. The DOE kept their identities confidential, despite the union’s repeated demands for a list of the participating schools. Most principals have not even informed their teachers that they were part of the study. The DOE is considering using the information gathered in granting tenure, evaluating teacher performance and awarding bonus pay. This is in violation of the contract and state law. If you are graded A, B, C, D or F, let me know IMMEDIATELY. The union will use any legal means necessary to stop this.

COPE
If you haven’t done so, please sign up for COPE, the Committee on Political Education. Your voluntary contribution pays for political actions which go a long way toward helping improve learning and working conditions in our public schools. Your COPE contributions help the UFT lobby for laws and budgets that help educators help their students. UFT lobbying helped increase City Council funds for Teacher’s Choice this year. COPE also helped us fight against dangerous changes like vouchers, tuition tax credits and attempts to strip workers of hard-won union rights. It also won 55/25. Please see me now to sign up.

Supreme Evaluation Afterschool Program
If you are considering working the Supreme Evaluation Afterschool Program, you must consider this important piece of information. While the pay is good, this program is operated by a private company and not by the DOE, which means that there is no union protection. You will not be able to grieve assignments, working conditions, or terminations for any reason, and the pay is not pensionable. You are not covered by the DOE if you are injured on the job.

Miscellaneous
Check the bulletin board in 251 for UFT workshops, activities and events.

Remember to keep the doors to 251 and 451 shut and locked (451 must be manually locked). Children may not enter these rooms for any reason. If they do enter 451, we risk losing our vending machines!

Mayoral control has led to several reorganizations, no-bid contracts, endless, redundant paperwork, micromanagement and marked increases in letters in the file, amongst other problems. If you are fed up with this, then attend the UFT Task Force on School Governance meeting in Brooklyn on Tuesday, Feb. 12, at the Brooklyn UFT, 335 Adams St., 24th floor, at 4:30PM. Let me know if you will be joining me there.

You may contact me at 123uft@optonline.net

You have the right to have a letter removed from your file three years from the date that it was issued. Schedule an appointment to check your file. See me if you have any questions.

55/25 updates at uft.org: Now, on the home page of the UFT Web site, you can click on the fuchsia “55/25 Update” button for the latest updates on the progress of 55/25.

The UFT’s “Know Your Rights” manual, an abbreviated, A-Z ready reference, is online at

https://www.uft.org/member/rights/your_rights

January 28, 2008

2008-01-28T15:11:00.000-05:00

COPE

If you haven’t done so, please sign up for COPE, the Committee on Political Education. Your voluntary contribution pays for political actions which go a long way toward helping improve learning and working conditions in our public schools. Your COPE contributions help the UFT lobby for laws and budgets that help educators help their students. UFT lobbying helped increase City Council funds for Teacher’s Choice this year. COPE also helped us fight against dangerous changes like vouchers, tuition tax credits and attempts to strip workers of hard-won union rights. It also won 55/25.

CONSULTATION

In consultation, we were able to have the locks on the staff restrooms repaired (I have also requested that the third floor lock be repaired, as it does not work as of this writing). This had been a problem, as parents and students have been using them as well. Please close the restroom door upon leaving.

We asked for additional coverages for Kindergarten teachers to administer ECLAS. Unfortunately, there is not enough funding for extra personnel.

To ensure that our students are being serviced, please continue to be vigilant as to providers signing in when the children are serviced.

There have been changes to the consultation committee. The members of the committee are Lydia Berberena, Michelle Brenes, Amarilis Castillo, Mary Keegan, Judy Moschera, Juan Zevallos, Digna Ortiz and myself.

PARAS

Paras and Suspensions: Just a reminder that the para is assigned to the school. If a student is sent to a buddy school or an alternate learning center, the para stays in the assigned school and does not accompany the student unless the para chooses to.

Trips: Remember that paras do not pay their own way on field trips. Also, paras can not take students on field trips without a teacher or administrator, even if it is a small group of students. If you are asked to take a group of students on a field trip by yourself, it is the only time that you can refuse an administrator’s order without being insubordinate. If this happens, contact me immediately.

MISCELLANEOUS

As we have no delegate, please contact Bonnie Skibins if I am out of the building and you need to reach me. We will conduct another election in May to fill the position. You may also contact me at 123uft@optonline.net.

Check the bulletin board in 251 for UFT workshops, activities and events.

Remember to keep the doors to 251 and 451 shut and locked (451 must be manually locked). Children may not enter these rooms for any reason. If they do enter 451, we risk losing our vending machines!

The UFT has endorsed Hillary Clinton. If you wish to go to the UFT Brooklyn office on January 30 to make calls to get the vote out, let me know.

Want to have a better governance than mayoral control? All are invited to attend the UFT Task Force on School Governance meeting in Brooklyn on Tuesday, Feb. 12, at the Brooklyn UFT, 335 Adams St., 24th floor, at 4:30PM.

YOUR RIGHTS

The chancellor has unleashed the “Value Added Program,” which rates teachers based on the test scores of only a handful of students in their classes. We may be rated only Satisfactory, Unsatisfactory, N/A, or Doubtful (1st year only). Let me know IMMEDIATELY if you receive a letter grade of A-D. The UFT is aware of this situation and is fighting it.

You have the right to have a letter removed from your file three years from the date that it was issued. Schedule an appointment to check your file. See me if you have any questions.

The UFT’s “Know Your Rights” manual, an abbreviated, A-Z ready reference, is online at
https://www.uft.org/member/rights/your_rights

December 17, 2007

2007-12-17T09:11:00.000-05:00

Schoolwide Bonus Committee

In last week’s SBO for the Schoolwide Bonus Committee, I was selected as a member. Since I am now chapter leader, I must recuse myself from the committee to avoid any conflict of interest. The second and third place vote-getters will be on the committee. They are, alphabetically, Patricia Molina and Griselda Quiles. This was decided after meeting with our district representative, Kathy Sharko. If there are any questions or concerns, please feel free to speak to me at any time.

From The UFT

Frustrated with excessive paperwork that steals your time from instruction? Email your concrete examples to paperwork@uft.org as we continue our talks with the DOE on paperwork reduction. Please give your name, grade level and school in these emails so we can follow up if need be, but rest assured that we will protect your confidentiality in any discussions with the DOE.

One-click 55/25 updates plus calendar items at uft.org: Now, on the home page of the UFT Web site, you can click on the fuchsia “55/25 Update” button for the latest updates on the progress of 55/25. You will also find background information on the 55/25 retirement option, the dates and locations of this month’s informational sessions, and frequently asked questions about the pension enhancement. Also new on the home page is the “UFT Calendar” button, linking to union- and education-related events.

New, online DOE form for change of status: The way to inform the Department of Education of a change of personal information has changed. Changes of name, Social Security number, tax information and date of birth are now made by downloading a new form from the DOE Web site and following the instructions. One part of the completed form is to be sent to the DOE and the other given to your school secretary. This online form replaces the now-discontinued OP-85 form. Change of address, home phone and marital status can be reported to the DOE’s HR Connect at 718-935-4000. You must also notify the union and the TRS. To notify the UFT, members who are already enrolled in the UFT Welfare Fund can use the new online change of status process to: 1) make changes to your name; 2) update your mailing address, and 3) update your family profile including dependents and beneficiaries. Members may also continue to use the blue “Change of Status” packets that are available through your chapter leader or by calling the UFT Welfare Fund forms hotline at 212-539-0539.

Know your rights: The UFT’s “Know Your Rights” manual, an abbreviated, A-Z ready reference, is online at:

https://www.uft.org/member/rights/your_rights