Support Your UFT Brothers and Sisters at Jamaica and Beach Channel HS

Jamaica High School Rallies
12/16/09 - NEXT WEDNESDAY - Parent Meeting 6 PM Jamaica HS Auditorium
1/7/10 - Joint PEP CCHS 7 PM Jamaica HS
Beach Channel High School Rallies
12/15/09 - NEXT TUESDAY - Parent Meeting 6 PM at Beach Channel HS Auditorium
1/6/10 - Joint PEP CCHS 6 PM at Beach Channel High School

In Case Anyone is Still Wondering Why Impasse is Being Considered...

WWW.GOTHAMSCHOOLS.COM
RACE TO THE RACE TO THE TOP
Mulgrew challenges Bloomberg’s get-tough tactics on tenure
Posted By Maura Walz On November 25, 2009 @ 5:18 pm In Newsroom | 13 Comments
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United Federation of Teachers is indicating it will resist Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s effort [1] to judge city teachers based on their students’ test scores beginning this year.
“When we see an actual proposal in writing we will take appropriate action,” Mulgrew said in an emailed statement. “The new state Commissioner of Education says the state tests are a broken measurement. Are these the tests the Mayor wants to use as a tool to evaluate teachers?”
Mulgrew also specifically challenged Bloomberg’s effort to make changes that could also made through the teachers union contract, which the union and the city are currently negotiating [2].
“These issues could have been — and still could be — resolved with better management and hard work, not legislation,” Mulgrew said. “His other proposals deserve thoughtful review by the Legislature, which has demonstrated appropriate skepticism in the past about mayoral initiatives like the failed West Side stadium plan and congestion pricing.”
But Bloomberg’s speech today was a strong signal that the mayor could try to bypass talks with the union and go directly to the state legislature to achieve his goals. The mayor also offered another get-tough tactic: A threat to sue the state if the legislature does not provide public funding for charter school buildings.
In his speech today, the mayor also invoked the power of the president. Speaking alongside U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Bloomberg pitched the changes as a way to bring the state closer in line to Obama administration education goals and strengthen the state’s application for a share of a $4.3 billion federal stimulus fund.
In addition to his announcement about the tenure law, Bloomberg asked state lawmakers to change rules on hiring and firing teachers, which he said would help the state attract better teachers and more quickly remove ineffective teachers.
The tenure law, passed last year after heavy lobbying [3] from the city and state teachers unions, bars the use of student test scores as a factor in teacher tenure decisions.
But the mayor pointed out this morning that the rules [4] apply only to teachers who began work after July 2008. Teachers up for tenure this year were hired in 2007 and so are not subject to the provisions, Bloomberg argued. If legislators allow the law to expire on schedule this June, then it will never have applied to any teacher.
Right now, 1,200 teachers are receiving regular paychecks and benefits even though they don’t hold full-time positions in the city schools. Bloomberg is proposing to make it easier to move those teachers off the payroll.
Bloomberg also targeted the “rubber rooms,” which hold teachers accused of offenses ranging from incompetence to abuse. A backlog of accused teachers means the rubber room is clogged with people waiting for a verdict on whether they can go back into the classroom.
Bloomberg said that his proposals should not come as a surprise to the union.
“I didn’t consult with them, but they certainly know my views that we should use all means that we have to evaluate who the better teachers are, promote them, and pay them more if we can,” Bloomberg said.
Speaking to reporters after the panel, Bloomberg refused to elaborate on whether he was seeking legislative change as an alternative to pushing for these measures in contract negotiations, saying that the city does not negotiate union contracts in public. But Bloomberg acknowledged that some of today’s proposals would likely also come up in negotiations.
“To the extent that the contract will cover reforms we need in the school system overall, we will be discussing that,” he said.

UFT Response to Bloomberg's Declaration of War on Teachers

Mulgrew Blasts New “Reform” Ideas and Systemwide Mismanagement

Mayor Bloomberg on Nov. 25 announced a series of “reform” measures — many of which would require either state legislation or negotiated changes in the DOE/UFT contract — which he claims will help New York State better compete for federal Race to the Top education grants. “The Department of Education created many of the personnel issues like the ATR pool and the rubber rooms that the Mayor now cites as problems,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew. “The Mayor needs to take responsibility for what he and his Chancellor have created.”

The complete text is at UFT.ORG.

Rumors

Contract Rumors

Heard around the water cooler:

2 yrs, 4% and 4%
2 yrs, 5% and 5%, ATRs sold out
2 yrs, giveback 5 sick days

Reality:

No "Secret Deal"
No Contract
Delegate Assembly approves request to go to PERB to declare an impasse "if necessary"

No Soup for You!

The NY Post has recently run two editorials calling for Mayor Bloomberg to get tough on the Teacher's Contract. Eliminate tenure, wage freeze, more charter schools, teacher's children reduced to serfdom, etc. There is no money to pay the greedy teachers. Yet there are millions to spend on land speculation in Coney Island - over 90 million to be exact - in the middle of the worst fiscal crisis since the Great Depression. And our wonderful mayor also has millions to spend on the Yankee parade (building the stadium not enough). No millionaire left behind!

Buyer Remorse for Teachers Who Voted For Change?

The President has appointed as Ed. Secretary the Chicago Schools Czar, (you know, where the small schools - dismantle the union - create and fire ATRs movement began), is for merit pay, ending tenure, evaluating teachers on test scores, and now for extending the school year and day. Follow the link below, paste onto your browser.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090927/ap_on_re_us/us_more_school

Priorities for the Upcoming Year

The following items should be carefully monitored by staff at Cleveland:

- Did you get your program preferences?
- Did you get your C 6 preferences?
- Are you teaching more than 3 in a row?
- Are you required to do more than 3 activities in a row (ex: 3 classes, C6)
- Are your classes oversized (more than 34 regular ed, 15 special ed)
- Are you in several differerent classrooms as part of your program?
- Are you teaching more than 3 different preparations?
- Secretaries and Related Service Providers: Is your workload within contractual limits, or are you doing "extra" work?
- Secretaries, are you aware of any secretarial work is being performed by school aides?
- Are you a new teacher entitled to mentoring, yet have received no mentoring?

All of the above are common grievances at the beginning of each term throughout the NYC high schools. In order to make changes, in most of the cases above you must file (or the chapter leader files on your behalf, rather) a Reorganization Grievance.
Reorg Grievances must be filed within 48 hrs of an employee being aware of it or you are likely to be stuck with this for the rest of the term. This type of grievance must be heard within a short time (5 days) to avoid disruption for staff and students. Speak to your Chapter Leader if you feel that there is a violation.

Other items to keep in mind:

- Teacher's Choice has been retained at same (lower) level of funding as last year
•$150 for all teachers;
•$100 for social workers, school psychologists and guidance counselors;
•$50 for school secretaries; and
•$75 for lab specialists.
The purchasing period runs from Aug. 1, 2009 through March 15, 2010. Save your receipts!

- Our current Contract expires on Halloween (fitting) this year. To keep you posted, I am asking that you contact Chapter Leader Brian Gavin and give him a non-DOE email that you can receive contract news and chapter news for the upcoming year.

- The UFT has a new interim President, Michael Mulgrew, as Randi Weingarten stepped down to head the AFT. An election will be held next year for UFT President and Union officers in the Spring. It behooves you to make an informed choice, as these are the people charged with negotiating and enforcing provisions of the Contract and fighting for more protections and working conditions. Vote and participate in your Union.

- Make a contribution to COPE, the political arm of the UFT. You can have as little as $1 a check, this money goes to lobby State and Federal Govt. on your issues.

- Not a UFT member? Sign up, see your Chapter Leader for details. It cost NOTHING, unless you sign up, you become an agency fee payer, not entitled to vote in any election or serve in any office, you depend on the kindness and hard work of others to protect you.

- Take some time to get literature on health and insurance plans from your new Payroll Secretary. Read up and decide if your current coverage is adequate.

- If you see dust or construction debris in your classroom, don't assume its ok, report it to the Principal and Chapter Leader, if necessary we can get professionals in to assess the situation.

- Join your Sunshine Fund, by paying your $15 Chapter Dues. Make check payable to GCHS/UFT, and give to any Exec Bd member. Make sure you get a receipt.

Thanks and Best Wishes on a Successful Year!

UFT EX BD GCHS