As NYSUT's new local leaders around the state take on fresh responsibilities, they face a very different world from the one they knew last September.

This time last year, school districts and public universities expected to ride out a difficult but not overwhelming state budget deficit.

Then in the late fall, the national economic crisis hit hard, and "difficult" became almost impossible.

At the start of this new school year, districts and campuses face the threat of midyear budget cuts and layoffs.

Gov. David Patterson is warning that New York may face an even higher budget deficit, and the possibility looms that positions may be eliminated at all levels in public education.

For this group of new leaders, the challenges are many.

"I'm very excited, but I am nervous," says Elena Van Lare, incoming president of the Brockport Teachers Association. "It's a big responsibility."

Van Lare's comments reflect the tone set by new leaders throughout the state: excited, determined and always aware of how much rests on their running start.

Yet new local leaders also say they knew what they faced going in, and they also knew they would not be going it alone.

"Last year was a tough fiscal year, and this year is going to be just as tough, or more so," says Kelly Fletcher, the incoming president of the Fayetteville-Manlius TA in Onondaga County. "I think we are losing our comfort level, and this is a really good time for us to be activists."

Call to action

Mary Maitland, the incoming president of the Madison-Oneida BOCES TA, sees the new school year as a call to action for education unionists.

"In my mind, union means unity," she says. "I want members to become more involved."

New local presidents have spent the summer in preparation. Nearly 150 of them gathered for four days of solidarity, training and discussions at a NYSUT conference in mid-July.

They received an overview of NYSUT programs, services and member benefits, and a primer on the state legislative process.

"I was very impressed with the level of energy and enthusiasm that the new local presidents demonstrated," said NYSUT Vice President Kathleen Donahue, whose office oversees the conference. "Even after four days of hard work, they remained engaged and ready to address the tasks at hand."

If there is one message these new leaders should carry with them as the school year unfolds, it is that they are not alone, said NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi.

"The local presidents truly are the front lines of the union," Iannuzzi said. "This could be the most challenging year any of us have seen. But our new presidents, and the members who have entrusted them with this tremendous responsibility, should also remember that they have a powerful support system in NYSUT.

The local presidents' success, he said, "will also be our success, and we stand ready to help them."

So do their colleagues who will start their second year as local presidents.

This group demonstrates confidence combined with a vivid memory of how it felt to be just starting out this time last year.

And, they are willing to share their insights.

"Listen, stay calm, become very friendly with your Labor Relations Specialist, and develop a good relationship with your central office," advises Jim Duca, who starts his second year as president of the Westhampton Beach TA. "The LRS is key."