Kudos to The Rochester Teacher

Union editors know that the job of headlines is to inform, inspire, enrage. And, sometimes, just to make someone chuckle.

To that end, we give praise to the monthly newsletter of the Rochester Teachers Association.

The Rochester Teacher reported on gains in elementary science scores tied to a systematic initiative in professional development, with this headline: "And now, let us pause for a moment of science."

It was science director Michael Chan's idea; Marcy Gamzon and Gina DiTullio edited the page.

And now, let us pause to applaud that headline.

There's no running or pushing on Respect Road, also known as the physical education hallway. Need to see the nurse or go to the music room? That's on Caring Court.

To enrich the character education curriculum at Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School in Oyster Bay-East Norwich, educators installed street signs throughout the school. With names like Fairness Boulevard and Responsibility Avenue, the signs help reinforce the main tenets of the character education program.

Carole Brown, a school social worker and member of the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Faculty Council, gives classroom lessons along with school psychologist Ana Landron to teach the students how to treat others with kindness and respect. Signs were provided by the PTA.

The local union is led by Nicholas Rotolo.

Thirty years before he was elected to the U.S. Senate from Minnesota in 2000, Mark Dayton was a ninth-grade science teacher at PS 65 in New York City — his first job after graduating from Yale.

"I have always said it was the toughest job I ever had," Dayton told the National Education Association before retiring from Congress.

Dayton, who spent three years in the classroom, was one of 79 members of the outgoing 109th Congress who identified themselves as former educators in an NEA survey conducted for American Education Week.

"The experience left me with profound respect for the tremendous work that dedicated teachers perform all across our country, for which they receive too little pay and too little appreciation," Dayton said. The NEA is one of NYSUT's national affiliates. The United Federation of Teachers is NYSUT's affiliate in New York City schools.

— Education Week

Colleges and universities aren't always the best neighbors — especially when it comes to student behavior and alcohol use. Thomas Gebhardt, a member of United University Professions SUNY Albany chapter, hopes to change that perception.

As director of personal safety and off-campus affairs, Gebhardt wants to make sure that the social norms the community associates with SUNY Albany students are responsible and positive. To that end, he's using a $175,000 U.S. Department of Education grant to reduce high-risk drinking among students, correct misperceptions about alcohol use among students and communicate the messages to the campus, students and the community.

The grant was awarded to the Committee on University and Community Relations, which Gebhardt chairs, and the University Counseling Center.

— The Voice (UUP)

The Paraprofessionals Unit of the Valley Central TA settled after more than seven months of intense negotiations and working without a collective bargaining agreement since June 2006.

The para unit leaders credit solidarity from the Valley Central family for moving the negotiations forward. In a letter to the TA members, Para President Kathy Lennon and Secretary Wenda Heaney said, "The night after our (VC) family showed up at the Board of Education meeting ... our talks progressed rapidly and we were able to settle with a fair and reasonable four-year contract."

The Orange County district's CSEA members also settled their contract and thanked the VCTA members for their support.

— VC Echoes

After a union-backed bond referendum failed to pass at the polls this winter, the Newburgh TA will redouble its voter turnout efforts.

"We cannot assure every ballot victory, but we will try and assure 100 percent voter attendance in the future," said Joe Lotito, who chairs the NTA Educational Issues Advocacy Committee.

President Phil Cordella reiterated the importance of voting, especially for the school budget in May.

— NTA Pendulum