Fighting for educators, building chapters, increasing democracy, with a progressive agenda
(from the New Action leaflet distributed at the September 2015 UFT Citywide Chapter Leaders Meeting).
For a printable version click: Leaflet 2015 September
Abusive Administrators – Identify them, retrain them, work to remove them
Teacher Evaluation – mitigate the effects, seek to repeal the State law tying ratings to test scores
Probationers and ATRs – protect vulnerable members from arbitrary and vindictive administrators
(from the New Action leaflet distributed at the June 2015 UFT Delegate Assembly).
For a printable version click: June June 2015 Leaflet Front
What a big responsibility! Chapter Leaders are the backbone of our union. Take a deep breath, recharge over the summer, and let’s work together to build a stronger union and a better school system next year!
This was Year 2 of the new evaluation system. In December Merryl Tisch recommended horrible changes – Cuomo took them, and tried to force them through the State budget. We tried to stop some, but he got his way on too much. We will see more changes to the evaluation system coming soon.
This year the opt-out movement became a union issue in New York State. NYSUT took a strong stance. The Delegate Assembly rejected a strong resolution, but eventually adopted an opt-out stance.
Year Two of the de Blasio and Fariña administration continued to produce friendliness at the top, but without positive change reaching the schools. We need to let them know we expect better for 2015 – 2016.
Yesterday, seven regents advocated for a more fair process for determining how teachers will be evaluated in New York State. Their statement can be found here<http://dianeravitch.net/2015/06/09/significant-number-of-new-york-regents-offer-alternative-vision-of-teacher-evaluation/>.
The regents listed below are all from Metropolitan New York and did not sign on to the statement which offers an alternative vision of teacher evaluation. Two more signers would constitute a majority of the Board of Regents.
All those concerned about the APPR should phone/write these 4 NYC-connected regents to strongly encourage them to sign on to the statement.
Lester W. Young, Jr
Member at Large
55 Hanson Place, Suite 400, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11217
(718) 722-2796<tel:%28718%29%20722-2796>
Regent.Young@nysed.gov (link sends e-mail)<mailto:Regent.Young@nysed.gov>
Charles R. Bendit
Member
1st Judicial District
111 Eighth Avenue, Suite 1500, New York, N.Y. 10011
Phone (212) 220-9945<tel:%28212%29%20220-9945>
Regent.Bendit@nysed.gov (link sends e-mail)<mailto:Regent.Bendit@nysed.gov>
James E. Cottrell
Member
Member at Large
SUNY Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue – Box 6, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11203-2098
(718) 270-2331<tel:%28718%29%20270-2331>
Regent.Cottrell@nysed.gov (link sends e-mail)<mailto:Regent.Cottrell@nysed.gov>
Christine D. Cea
Member
13th Judicial District
1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY 10314Regent.Cea@nysed.gov (link sends e-mail)<mailto:Regent.Cea@nysed.gov>
New Action - UFT 