When NYSUT Vice President Maria Neira asked how many local union leaders were involved in this year's spending decisions at Contract for Excellence districts, only a few hands went up.

"That will change in the coming year," Neira said. "NYSUT strongly believes we must be at the table. The first year we didn't have a formal role."

Local union leaders and labor relations specialists representing nearly all of the state's 56 Contract for Excellence districts gathered in Albany Nov. 7 to hear the latest about the new program, which was still awaiting State Education Department approval as New York Teacher went to press.

The new accountability program, which goes along with the state's historic investment in education, requires eligible districts to sign contracts with SED detailing how $440 million in new foundation aid will be spent to improve achievement, broken down by five strict spending categories. The 56 districts identified had at least one school designated as "in need of improvement" and received increases of at least 10 percent or $15 million.

Allowable programs include: class size reduction; increasing student time on task; teacher and principal quality initiatives; middle-level and high school restructuring; and full-day kindergarten or pre-K programs.

NYSUT brought in the SED's point man on the issue, Charles Szuberla, who told local leaders he was hopeful the contracts would be finalized and posted on the SED Web site by mid-November. Szuberla, who works for Senior Deputy Commissioner Johanna Duncan-Poitier, also promised leaders the review process would be different for 2008-09.

"Clearly, there was not enough consultation with teachers or public review," Szuberla said. "We're hoping next year, with a wider time frame, we'll have a lot more involvement and thoughtful input on the best way to allocate the money."

With Gov. Spitzer and the Legislature approving the new program as part of the state budget in April, the timetable was short, Szuberla said. He noted that the law requires more extensive input from teachers and includes a complaint process for parents, for 2008-09.

"We had no input," said Joe Sweeny of the Dunkirk Teachers Association in western New York. "The district really did this in secret. When we asked repeatedly for a copy of the plan, they told us they didn't have a copy because they sent it out electronically to SED."

"We do intend to go out and monitor," Szuberla said. The law says funding cannot be used to supplant existing programs or applied directly to lower taxes.

Pat Puleo, president of Yonkers Federation of Teachers, suggested union representatives should be included in monitoring visits. "In my district, that makes things 'more honest,'" Puleo said.

When asked what would happen to districts that misappropriate the money, Szuberla said districts would be told to fix it and possibly put on watch. "We could start taking money away, but I think that will be a last resort," he said.

Several local presidents shared examples of positive programs and sound investments coming out of the Contract for Excellence program. North Rockland TA President Robin Brennan said her local negotiated a new mentoring program for all new teachers. The district also bought 90 laptop computers and hired a technology teacher to support a new remedial reading program. "We were very involved with the process," Brennan said.

Binghamton TA President Candy Stroud told how her district created an off-site transition program for at-risk ninth-graders. "It has a small student-staff ratio for up to 40 kids," she said. "The jury's out, but our thinking is that this is just the 'bridge' they need to bring them up to speed and succeed in high school."

Buffalo Teachers Federation President Phil Rumore suggested the regulations should require districts to survey staff to find out what programs are working best. "The ones who know best are the people in the classroom," Rumore said.

Neira urged local leaders to keep NYSUT informed on how the Contract for Excellence program is working in their district and be proactive about involvement in planning for next year. To get feedback from members, Neira said NYSUT would help locals conduct surveys in coming months. "We'll know a lot more once the approved plans are posted on the SED Web site," Neira said.

- Sylvia Saunders