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May 2012

On the Cover

• Vote May 15 - Students counting on you
  

  When voters go to the polls May 15, most of them will vote on school budgets that stay within the state-imposed tax cap and barely maintain quality programs for students.

  
  
• NYSUT: No to publicizing evals
  

  NYSUT remains unbending in its opposition to the "name/shame/blame game" of publishing teacher ratings in newspapers and on the Internet — and is pressing the Legislature to stop it.

  
  
• Iannuzzi: Shameful tabloids sully evaluation process
  

  When I read some of the tabloids around the state — to me, no more credible or tasteful than the "trash talk" some junior high students text each other — I see red.

  
  

Capitol Briefing

• Vote May 15 - Students counting on you
  

  When voters go to the polls May 15, most of them will vote on school budgets that stay within the state-imposed tax cap and barely maintain quality programs for students.

  
  
• Without enough aid, schools forced to strip enrichment from education
  

  After four years of state aid decreases, trimming materials and supply surpluses, stipends and non-instructional jobs no longer works.

  
  
• Community colleges envision better future
  

  With the community colleges poised to receive the second-largest amount of funding ever in their 40-year history, NYSUT's community college leaders and members can now look beyond mere survival and think, "What next?

  
  
• Advocates win funding for SUNY hospitals
  

  The State University of New York's three teaching hospitals will share an additional $27.8 million in state funding next year.

  
  

Union News and Views

• Despite anti-union push, NYSUT gains new members
  

  Nearly 300 education-related workers across the state — from teaching assistants to cafeteria and clerical staff — have voted to unionize and affiliate with NYSUT.

  
  
• NYSUT raises most money to fight cancer
  

  NYSUT ranked first in the nation for the 2011 American Cancer Society's National Team Partner Program, raising $1,022,015 and topping the likes of General Motors and Walmart.

  
  
• Locals in action
  
  
• Freebies: Help squash underage drinking
  
  
• Check it out: With the Might of Angels
  
  
• Short takes - Labor-endorsed candidates win
  
  
• Kudos!
  
  
• Passings: Jeffrey Rozran
  
  

Up Close

Education

• What you need to know about SLOs
  

  Starting this fall, Student Learning Objectives, or SLOs, will be used to measure the 20 percent state growth component in teacher evaluation when there is no state assessment available.

  
  
• A case for world-class teaching
  

  More than 10,000 educators attended the seventh annual Celebration of Teaching and Learning this March in New York City. NYSUT made it possible for nearly 200 teachers to participate.

  
  
• New Test Security Unit to protect whistleblowers
  

  As the State Education Department's new Test Security Unit begins its work, NYSUT made it clear that there are protections for members who report possible security breaches.

  
  
• Galway local initiates after-school tech program for middle schoolers
  

  In the last five years, NYSUT's Semi High Tech U program, which is co-sponsored by industry partners and higher education institutions, has trained hundreds of teachers from around the state during week-long summer sessions.

  
  
• PSC leads protest against Pathways
  

  The Professional Staff Congress is leading an opposition thousands strong against a new general education curriculum at the City University of New York that critics say will diminish the value of a CUNY education.

  
  
• Are you ready to improve your practice?
  

  NYSUT is sponsoring a series of panel discussions and showing excerpts of Mitchell 20, a moving documentary about a group of Arizona teachers who commit to the National Board Certification process to improve their practice through reflection and collaboration.

  
  
• Connecting resources to families
  

  The Family Resource Center at Kakiat Elementary School in Rockland County's Spring Valley is addressing suburban poverty stemming from both the Great Recession and growing immigrant populations outside major cities.

  
  
• Short takes - Vote today for your hero!
  

  NYSUT is well represented in this year's Everyday Hero contest, sponsored by the American Federation of Teachers, one of NYSUT's national affiliates.

  
  

Health and Safety

• Forum informs members about trends, techniques in health, patient care
  

  The NYSUT Health Care Professionals Council Forum is a one-day conference that has benefited school and hospital nurses, school psychologists, school counselors and occupational, respiratory and physical therapists, among others.

  
  
• Your stories can help shape legislation
  If you have been impacted by high building/room temperatures, we want to hear from you.
  

Cool Tools

Greenways

• BOCES students stitch green fashion
  
  

We Are NYSUT

Retirees and Retirement

• TRS: How does Tier 6 affect current employees?
  
  
• ERS: How much do I contribute to my pension?
  
  

Opinion

• Iannuzzi: Shameful tabloids sully evaluation process
  

  When I read some of the tabloids around the state — to me, no more credible or tasteful than the "trash talk" some junior high students text each other — I see red.

  
  
• Letters: Surcharge a good idea, if ....