March 2016

HEALTH PLAN CHANGES                                                                                            UFT members employed by the Department of Education as well as retirees who are not yet eligible for Medicare will see changes in the coming months to their city health benefits plan. The changes, announced on Feb. 23, were negotiated by the city and the Municipal Labor Committee, the umbrella group of municipal labor unions of which the UFT is a member. When the changes take effect in the next several months, the GHI copay for a visit to a GHI subscriber’s primary care physician will remain at $15, but certain other GHI and HIP copays will be adjusted. Some will increase, but others were eliminated to make low or no-cost options available for many health care services. To discourage the use of ERs when a doctor’s visit would suffice, the co-pay for hospital-based ER visits will increase from $50 to $150. Members can see a doctor at short notice at one of EmblemHealth’s Advantage Care Physician offices with no co-pay or at a participating Urgent Care facility with a $50 co-pay. HIP subscribers also will see changes in their health plan. HIP is introducing a new plan called HIP Preferred. HIP subscribers may use their HIP doctor with no co-pay if he or she is in the HIP Preferred network. HIP subscribers now will have a $10 co-pay if their doctor is not in the HIP Preferred network. More details will be made available shortly.

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. The Know Your Rights section is a valuable resource for understanding your rights regarding leaves, lesson plans, preps, grievances, etc.

 “Like” the UFT on Facebook and follow the UFT on twitter.  

CELEBRATE OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS     On Wednesday, May 4, the UFT will be participating in a nationwide celebration of public schools. We see the day as part of the Passion and Promise in Our Public Schools campaign that the UFT launched in September.

With “education reformers” spending millions of dollars trying to undermine our public schools, we need to get out the word about all the good things happening in our public schools!

If you have suggestions for what we can do, email me your suggestions or share them at our chapter meeting on Wednesday.

PREFERENCE SHEETS                                                                                                You will soon receive a preference sheet for the 2016-2017 school year. 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 with the understanding that, where advisable and possible, such preferences will be honored. You must receive one of your choices in your license area. After two school years without your first choice, you must receive your first choice. Photocopy your preference sheet.

If you do not list three grade choices, then you risk receiving a grade assignment that you don’t wish to have.

ICT positions must be posted. In order to be assigned either a special education or general education ICT position, the teacher must have applied for it. A check-off on the preference sheet does not count. If there are no teachers applying for an ICT position, then the principal may assign it to the least senior teacher in the license area, but not in two consecutive years.

TEACHER LEADERSHIP POSITIONS                                                             The application for Teacher Leadership Positions is now available online on the DOE website. Tenured, full-time teachers are eligible to apply if they were rated Effective or Highly Effective last year. The available positions are Model Teacher, Peer Collaborative Teacher, and Master Teacher. These are great opportunities. Successful applicants can be screened and placed in an eligible pool, which allows them to potentially transfer into a teacher leadership position in another school, either this summer or in the future. 

UFT ELECTIONS                                                                                                            About a month from now, you will receive an election ballot in the mail. You can vote for a whole slate by checking a box on the first page, or vote for individual candidates.  I recommend voting for Michael Mulgrew’s UNITY slate.

It is very important that you vote. If members are willing, we can have a “Vote-in,” where we can vote together. 

 CONTACTS                                                                                                                                         UFT Welfare Fund: (212) 539-0500   

Teachers’ Retirement System: 1-888-869-2877     

UFT Brooklyn Borough Office: (718) 852-4900 

Our next Chapter Meeting will be held on March 30 with Kathy Sharko.

March 3, 2015

FIGHT CUOMO WEEK   We are entering the most critical month in our fight to protect our schools and our students from Governor Cuomo's disastrous education agenda. During the week of March 9, all schools will be conducting activities to engage and draw support from members of their communities. Therefore, on the morning of Thursday, March 12, we will assemble in front of the school from 7:30 to 7:50 to protest against Governor Cuomo’s agenda. Make signs and encourage parents to join us. As a show of solidarity, we will all link arms. If you can, “wear red for public ed.”  I will submit photos to the New York Teacher newspaper, and we will share them on social media.

Continue to bombard social media and message boards. Get the message out to friends and family how Cuomo’s plans will destroy public education and our profession. Keep writing to your elected officials.  

MARCH 4 THUNDERCLAP     This coming Wednesday, when our member lobbyists (including Mr. Gossett and myself) are in Albany talking to state lawmakers about the real issues facing public schools, it’s crucial that public school educators dominate the conversation on Facebook and Twitter about what our students really need and the threat posed by Gov. Cuomo’s education agenda. That’s why we are asking members to participate in their borough’s social media thunderclap where we all tweet out and post on Facebook the same message at the same time. Join our thunderclaps. The way it works is you sign up to have a tweet or Facebook post sent on your behalf at the exact same time as hundreds of other educators from that borough. Each borough’s thunderclap will be released at different times over the course of March 4, creating a rolling wave that will focus attention on social media on the things that really matter to our schools: fair funding, relief from high-stakes testing, smaller class sizes and more. If you’d like to participate in more than one thunderclap, feel free to do so.

Go to:

http://www.uft.org/join-our-thunderclap-tell-gov-cuomo-what-allkidsneed  

Or “like” the PS 123K UF Action Page on Facebook and click the link.            

FYI         Under the CFE lawsuit settlement that Governor Cuomo refuses to follow, the State of New York owes the DOE public schools $2.5 billion. Out of that, PS 123K is owed $2,213,540.16! 

SABBATICALS         Eligible teachers who want to study to enhance their teaching skills or restore their health if they are ill may request a sabbatical leave for the 2015–16 school year. For study sabbaticals, coursework must be related to your teaching assignment. Restoration of health sabbaticals must be approved by the medical director.

Sabbatical guidelines, deadlines and applications can be found on the DOE website and in the sabbatical section of the UFT website. Applications for the study sabbaticals will be submitted on SOLAS and are due no later than March 17.

ANTI-BULLYING TRAINING                     A six-hour training in the prevention and intervention of bullying, discrimination and harassment is now required for certification by the New York State Dignity for All Students Act. This course is mandated for all teachers and school-related professionals who apply for their state certificate on or after Jan. 1, 2014. The UFT is an approved provider of this course and offers it at 52 Broadway and in the union’s borough offices at a cost of $25 for paras, $50 for all other members and $100 for nonmembers. Check the UFT Safety Workshop page for dates, times and registration information or call 212-598-9287. 

Our next chapter meeting will be on Wednesday, March 18 during the lunch periods with Kathy Sharko.                                                     

CONTACTS                                                                   

UFT Welfare Fund: (212) 539-0500

Teachers’ Retirement System: 1-888-869-2877

UFT Brooklyn Borough Office: (718) 852-4900        

November 24, 2014

PARKING PERMITS                                                                                                          We will hold the parking permit lottery for the month of December on Tuesday, November 24 during the extended time. Those who had a permit for the month of November will not be included until everyone in the lottery has had a permit. If you have a permit this month, you MUST return it to Ms. Parache in the main office before you leave on Wednesday, November 26. Failure to do so will exclude you from future lotteries. If you give your permit directly to the person receiving it for the month of December, or if it goes to the person who you carpool with, let Ms. Parache know before you leave. Those who receive a parking permit for the month of December can pick up their permit in the main office on Monday, December 1.

LOBBY FOR FAIRNESS AND EQUITY FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS                                                     Between now and Jan. 7, when the next session of the state Legislature convenes with a new Republican majority in the state Senate, we are making a full-court press to meet with every state Assembly member in the New York City delegation as a part of our union’s new campaign to demand fairness and equity for all schoolchildren. We need to work with our friends in the Assembly to make sure that they know we're here to support our shared vision of fair and equitable education for all children. We will come bearing four messages: 1) support fair funding for education; 2) do not raise the charter cap; 3) repeal facilities funding for charter schools; and 4) do not sponsor the Education Investment Tax Credit bill, which would grant individuals tax credits of up to $1 million for donations to scholarship funds for religious or other private schools. Our elected representatives need to hear from public school educators and parents about the importance of fairness and equity for all schoolchildren. Please join us! Call Kathy Sharko at the Brooklyn UFT office, or email me so I could forward your information to her. You can also contact your own Assembly representative to demand fairness for public schools.

SECURITY                                                                                                                   1) Please remember that all staff must enter and exit through the front door of the school at all times. This is for the safety and security of the students as well as the staff members of our school. 

2) Reports of larceny in New York City schools are increasing. Please take care to secure all personal belongings and valuable school equipment such as laptops, and ELMOs. 

FREE FLU SHOTS                                                                                                                From now until the end of December, UFT members can take advantage of Mayor de Blasio's Flu Vaccination Campaign. The campaign allows all UFT members to get a free flu vaccination at in-network doctors’ offices, participating pharmacies and Advantage Care Physician facilities. Only city employees who are currently enrolled in city health benefits are eligible to receive the flu shot through the Flu Vaccination Campaign. Wherever you go to get the shot, please bring both your DOE-issued ID or other proof of employment and your health plan card. For more information about the Flu Vaccination Campaign, see the FAQ at http://files.uft.org/2014-free-flu-Shots.pdf

ENTEROVIRUS                                                                                                                        While only a few cases have been documented in the New York metropolitan area, it’s prudent to follow best practices as we enter the cold and flu season. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, your students and colleagues may be infected and not present any symptoms. Visible symptoms may include some or all of the following: fever, runny nose, sneezing, cough, skin rash, mouth blisters, and body and muscle aches. Enteroviruses are spread through close contact with infected people or touching infected surfaces or objects and then putting your hands in or near your mouth, eyes and nose. Children are at particular risk for more serious illness from this virus. Staff and students should frequently wash their hands with soap and water and avoid close contact, especially with those who are sick.

CONTACTS                                                                                                                                        UFT Welfare Fund: (212) 539-0500

Teachers’ Retirement System: 1-888-869-2877

UFT Brooklyn Borough Office: (718) 852-4900 

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

JUNE 2, 2014

SCHOOL-BASED OPTIONS (SBOs)                                                                                             In accordance with Article 8B of the contract, SBOs allow staff the flexibility to collaboratively modify contractual articles and/or create positions that the contract does not automatically allow for. An SBO is adopted in a school when 55 percent of the UFT members who vote support it. All SBOs sunset at the end of the school year, except for the 7/8 period day SBO, which remains in effect until the staff votes otherwise.

This week we will hold an SBO vote to reduce the lunch periods to 45 minutes, with the time being returned to us by having dismissal and the end of the work day on Fridays at 1:55 PM for the 2014-2015 school year. This will benefit the school by making all seven periods consistent in length, which will make scheduling easier.

We will not hold an SBO on reconfiguring the extended time because the results of last week’s survey showed that there is very little support for changing the contract as written.

Within the next two weeks we may possibly hold other SBOs, including holding the November and March afternoon and evening parent-teacher conferences on the same day. Details to follow.

 

CONTRACT VOTE                                                                                                        The American Arbitration Association is counting the ballots. Results should be in by Tuesday.

 

SUMMER SCHOOL APPLICATIONS                                                                                  Online summer school applications are now being accepted. The deadline is June 10. Go to: https://www.nycenet.edu/summerjobs/

 

TRANSFERS                                                                                                                                            The Open Market Hiring System is up and running. You have until August 7 to transfer without the principal’s permission. Look under the Human Resources section of the DOE website.

Additionally, the DOE is opening 24 new schools. You may apply on the DOE website under “Schools in the Community/Work at a new school.”

ROOM CHANGES/MATERIALS                                                                               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 materials purchased in the past through Teacher’s Choice, they belong to the DOE and the school. If you are moving and need the materials for next year, then move with the materials. If you are transferring or retiring, materials purchased through Teacher’s Choice remain in the building There is no word yet on Teacher’s Choice for 2014-2015.

 

EMAIL                                                                                                                         Please give me your non-DOE email address if I don’t already have it so that I can contact you if necessary. Send a message to 123uft@optonline.net so that I could add you to my address book.

Thursday, June 5 is a Chancellor’s Conference Day, which is 6 hours, 50 minutes.                                          Hours are from 8:00 AM – 2:50 PM.

 

 

GROUP PENSION MEETINGS FOR THOSE PLANNING ON RETIRING BY JUNE 30 – NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED

BROOKLYN                                                               

Tiers I/II                              

Location: Brooklyn borough office, 335 Adams St., 24th floor

Thursday, June 5

Tuesday, June 10

Monday, June 16

Tier IV

Tuesday, June 3                                                              

Location: Brooklyn borough office, 335 Adams St., 24th floor (please note this is a change in location from Abraham Lincoln HS)

Thursday, June 12                                                           

Location: Abraham Lincoln HS, 2800 Ocean Parkway

Tuesday, June 17                                                             

Location: New Utrecht HS, 1601 80th St.

QUEENS                                                                        

Tiers I/II                                          

Location: Queens borough office, 97-77 Queens Blvd.

Monday, June 2

Monday, June 9

Monday, June 16

Wednesday, June 25

Tier IV

Thursday, June 5                                                             

Location: PS 139, 93-06 63rd Dr., Rego Park

Thursday, June 12                                                          

Location: John Adams HS, 101-01 Rockaway Blvd., Ozone Park

Thursday, June 19                                                            

Location: Bayside HS, 32-24 Corporal Kennedy St., Bayside

Monday, June 23                                                                 

Location: Long Island City HS, 14-30 Broadway, Long Island City

Check UFT.org for meetings in other boroughs.

 

 

 

 

April 8, 2014

END OF YEAR UFT EVALUATION GUIDE                                                                                                                                                    End-of-year guides to the new teacher evaluation and development system have been shipped to schools. This is the first — and we hope the last — guide to ending a school year under this particular evaluation system. As you know, the UFT is in talks with the city. The guide, called Summing it up: An end-of-year guide to the new teacher evaluation & development system ,includes a timeline and information on summative conferences, artifacts, professional records, ratings and how student assessment results will figure into evaluations. You will also be able to access the guide plus additional information on the evaluation system on the UFT website   

ARTIFACTS                                                                                                         Teachers who are covered by the new evaluation and development system must know that Friday, April 11 is the last day to submit artifacts. If they are missing evidence on any Danielson component for domains 1 and 4, they may consider what kind of artifact they could submit to demonstrate their effectiveness in that area. When submitting an artifact, they might also consider making it clear to their evaluator in writing or verbally that they are submitting an artifact. Members may, in addition, consider sending the evaluator a follow-up email after submission asking for feedback. If a principal or other evaluator is missing evidence on any components for a teacher, the evaluator must ask the teacher for additional artifacts (for domains 1 and 4) or for additional observations (for domains 2 and 3). You can view a partial list of some possible artifacts on the UFT website. Teachers may choose to submit their lesson plans as an artifact for evaluation, but a principal cannot mandate it.


OBSERVATONS                                                                                                                              Once you sign your official observation report, the form must be put into your official file. In addition, you have a right to attach a written response to the official observation report. It is very important to review and proofread your written responses before attaching them to the reports. If you email your responses to the evaluator, use your DOE email. Whether email or letter, use a professional, responsible tone and bring up any issues or concerns that you have about the observation, including whether there were distractions such as from photos being taken or from multiple evaluators being in the room, or if evidence of your practice was missed or not taken into account. In other words, a teacher’s written response to an observation report is an opportunity for the teacher to make any concerns part of the official record.

You are able to file an Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) complaint form online at uft,org if you feel your rights under the new system are being violated. The complaint form is part of a formal enforcement process in the evaluation system. Members have up to five school days after becoming aware of an issue to complete the complaint form online and give copies to their principal and chapter leader. A copy of the completed form will automatically be sent to the district representative, which will trigger a resolution review.

 

 

SECURITY                                                                                                                                        When you are finished dismissing students and are the last one at your exit, please make sure that the door is completely shut. Please make sure that you use the main entrance when you exit the building. If you have an appointment with a parent, please let the school safety agent know.  This will help prevent intruders from entering the building.  

                                                                                                                              

 

 INVESTIGATIONS                                                                                                                                  If an investigator comes to the school to question you,  either as a subject or as a witness, don’t answer their questions. Ask for his/her business card. Then contact me immediately so that I can call the UFT to arrange for legal representation. If you are arrested in school, I will call the UFT to get you legal representation. If you are arrested on your own time, contact Mrs. Greene immediately in writing. Then contact  the Office of Personnel Investigations at 65 Court Street, Room 409, Brooklyn, New York 11201

 

SBOs                                                                                                                                                                        After the April break, we will discuss the SBOs for the 2014-2015 school year.  We will have a chapter meeting on April 29 with Kathy Sharko in attendance.

SPRING CLEANING                                                                                                                      Letters to the file that have not been used in a disciplinary proceeding must be removed “three years from the date the original material is placed in the file,” per Article 21A of the Contract. Teachers have the right to examine their file and should do so periodically to know what's in it and to have old material removed. In addition, they have the right to reproduce any material in their file. You should start the next school year with your file up-to-date.                                                                                                  

MATERNITY AND CHILDCARE WORKSHOPS                                                                                                                                            April 24, 4:15 PM - 5:45 PM                                                                                                                     UFT Brooklyn Borough Office                                                                                                                    335 Adams Street, 25th Floor                                                                                                                    -Look under “Calendar” on uft.org and click on the link to register.   

UFT Queens Borough Office                                                                                                                         May 15, 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM                                                                                                                          97-77 Queens Blvd., 5th Floor                                                                                                                        Rego Park

RSVP to Karla at Kjordan@uft.org with your name, due date,                                                                file number, cell phone number and personal email address (no DOE emails).