This week …

Know your rights on programs and professional activities

The DOE-UFT contract’s provisions regarding teaching programs and professional activity assignments give teachers a voice while providing for a more objective selection process. Each spring, all teachers should receive a program preference sheet to indicate the three classes (including grade/subject and special education classes) they would like to teach in priority order for the following school year. All teachers should ask for assignments in their license area; this is especially important for probationary teachers, who could have their tenure delayed if they teach out of license.  For more information about the procedures for programs and professional activities, see our latest Know Your Rights column on the UFT website.

You Should Know

Evaluation

Know your MOSL: CORRECTION — Teachers evaluated under the DOE’s Advance teacher development and evaluation system should know the courses and measures included in their Measures of Student Learning (MOSL). To avoid future complications, teachers should log into their Advance web page, navigate to the reports tab (not the MOSL tab, as previously indicated) and review the information to ensure the measures listed there reflect their school MOSL Committee’s decisions. If the measures are other than the committee’s selections, the teacher should immediately contact the chapter leader and the principal.

Functional Chapters

Follow your colleagues on Instagram: The Social Workers and Psychologists Chapter now has an Instagram account. Follow them at @SWPsyChapter.

Chapter meetings for school secretaries: School secretaries are encouraged to attend borough-wide chapter meetings with School Secretaries Chapter Leader Doreen Berrios-Castillo in March and April at the UFT’s borough offices. To find out the date and location of your borough’s meeting, see the online registration form. The next one is Tuesday, March 12, in Queens.

Health and Safety

Lecture on breast cancer treatment: All members are invited to the UFT Welfare Fund Medical Learning Series lecture, “New Developments in the Medical Treatment of Breast Cancer,” presented by Dr. Larry Norton, the deputy physician-in-chief for breast cancer programs at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. This event is on Thursday, March 14, from 6 to 8 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, 19th floor, rooms D/E. Light refreshments will be served. To register, call Christine Jittan at 212-539-0667. For more information, see the 2019 UFT Welfare Fund Medical Learning Series flier.

Special open-enrollment period for New York City health benefits: A special open enrollment period for NYC Health Benefits is available for in-service members during the month of April. Members can make changes during the entire month of April. These changes are effective July 1, 2019. Though any plan change can be made during this time, this period was specifically created to give members the opportunity to enroll in the restructured HIP HMO Gold Plan.

Opportunities

Community Learning Schools Showcase 2019: The UFT’s Community Learning Schools (CLS) initiative is holding its annual CLS Showcase on Thursday, March 21, 9 to 11 a.m., at PS/IS184, The Newport School, 273 Newport St., Brooklyn. This event will introduce participants to the history, impact and unique qualities of the CLS model. We’re offering breakfast at 8:30 a.m. and an optional half-hour school tour at 11 a.m. Space is limited. Register online by March 14.  If you have questions, please contact David Ng by email at dng@uft.org or by phone at 212-510-6322. For more information, see the Community Learning Schools Showcase flier.

Recognition

Empire State Excellence in Teaching Award: All pre-K to 12 teachers may apply for the Empire State Excellence in Teaching Award. This award recognizes innovative educational leaders who exemplify professional work and strive to attain New York State standards and foster critical thinking for all of their students. Winners receive a $5,000 stipend for continued learning and professional endeavors. For more information, see the State University of New York website. For full eligibility requirements and to submit an application, see the online form. The application deadline is Friday, March 22.

Salary and Personnel

New vendor for commuter benefits: New York City is changing its commuter benefits vendor from WageWorks to Edenred Commuter Benefit Solutions beginning this spring. If you participate in the commuter benefits program, a new card will be sent to you. Balances on your WageWorks card will be automatically transferred to the new card. Please verify your email and mailing address by logging on to the DOE payroll portal/Employee Self Service/Wageworks commuter website or by calling the DOE Payroll Benefits Unit at 718-935-3545. For more information about transit benefits, see our Know Your Benefits column on transit programs.

Apply to become a Teacher Leader: The application period for Teacher Leader positions is open through Monday, April 1. Teacher Leaders receive an additional $7,500 for the Model Teacher role and $12,500 for Peer Collaborative Teacher (PCT), as well as yearlong professional learning including opportunities to collaborate and network with other Teacher Leaders in their community. For eligibility requirements and to apply, see the online form. For updates about the program, sign up for the DOE mailing list. You can also read the FAQ or email the DOE at teacherleadership@schools.nyc.gov.

This Week in Education and Labor News

AFT launches campaign to boost school funding: The American Federation of Teachers on March 4 announced a major education initiative aimed at pressing state and federal lawmakers to increase funding for public schools, reports U.S. News and World Report. The initiative, Fund Our Future, focuses on the fact that 25 states spend less on K-12 than they did before the 2008 recession. It calls on state lawmakers to prioritize education spending, especially for the most disadvantaged students. “The root cause of every single one of those teacher walkouts that have been roiling the country is the lack of appropriate investments,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten.

Georgia school voucher bill fails in Senate: A Republican-backed proposal in Georgia to use taxpayer money to send students to private schools in a voucher program failed in a close vote on March 5, according to AJC.com. The bill, which stalled in the state Senate, sought to establish “scholarship” accounts through which parents could direct the $5,500 on average in state money now going to their child’s public school to a private school or other educational costs instead. Parents receiving this money would have had to commit to educating their children outside the public system, whether at home or in a tuition-based school. The bill was expected to eventually cost as much as half a billion dollars annually.

Kentucky teachers hold “sickout”: Kentucky’s largest school district on March 6 staged a massive teacher “sickout” in response to a school choice proposal, reports the Courier Journal. The bill, which still has a chance of squeaking through in the final days of the 2019 legislative session, would encourage Kentuckians to donate to private school scholarship programs in exchange for annual dollar-for-dollar tax breaks of up to $1 million. Educators across Kentucky have voiced opposition to the bill, which they say would drain money from the state’s revenues and ultimately hurt public schools.

District 11’s 3rd Annual UFT Scholarship Dinner Dance

Wednesday, May 8:  District 11’s 3rd annual UFT Scholarship Dinner Dance at Villa Barone Manor.  The cost is $85.  It includes cocktail hour, open bar, sit down dinner, and dancing.

Please let me know if you are interested in attending.  I am starting to collect checks and cash for the tickets to this wonderful event that showcases all of the wonderful things happening in District 11.  Last year we had a table.  It would be nice to have a bigger turn out this year, since it is our school’s 10th anniversary and that Ms. Vaughan is our new superintendent.

I need your help selling ads for the journal to raise money for the scholarship fund.  If you frequent businesses in the neighborhood of our school, have a friend with a small or at home business, or have a favorite restaurant near your home, please stop by my room (303) and pick up the forms.

Also, every school in District 11 needs to create a raffle basket worth $100 or more.  Please make a donation for our school’s basket.  This year’s theme for the raffle basket is wine and chocolate.  Thank you to Susan McCarthy for being the first member to donate to our basket.

As soon as I find out the winners, hopefully someone from our school, I will let everyone know.

If you have any individual questions or concerns, please speak with me.  If you have any school wide issues or concerns, please speak with me or any member of the consultation committee:  Mrs. McCarthy, Ms. Kellett, Ms. Grant, Ms. Hyppolite, and Ms. Joseph.

Reminder:  Today begins Daylight Savings, so move your clocks one hour ahead.  This means that Spring is right around the corner and summer is on its way…

Enjoy this rainy Sunday.

Fraternally Yours,

Janina