Why is there so little time to get a new ballot if you didn’t get one in the mail? Executive Board Meeting Minutes 4/25/2022

Approval of the Minutes: All approved unanimously.

LeRoy Barr: Welcome back. Reminder of dates: 5k Walk on May 14th at MCU Park in Coney Island at 8:30 AM. Spring Conference is on May 21st at the NY Hilton at 8:00 AM. Nurse Award Dinner on May 17th. Reach out to Ann Goldman for questions. Better Speech and Hearing Celebration is on May 18th, virtually. Great event, please sign on. We can get you the link. On Monday, May 2nd we have the Eid holiday. The following Monday is the next Exec Board. May 25th is the next DA. Friday May 15th is the Provider Award event.

Report from Districts:

Mike Sill: Summer school postings are now up on the DOE. We are involved in speaking to members on the intent list, people on a LOA who have to declare their intent to be on a leave by May 15th. If they don’t declare their intent, they can be declared voluntarily resigned. This does not apply to people on leave for vaccines. There’s a similar but alternative process for them.

Certification: EdTPA, costly and burdensome, is now done away by the state.

Mike Schirtzer: Shoutout to people in ‘Listen Up,’ talking about class size and SEL. Shoutout to Emily James and everyone else involved.

Michael Mulgrew, President’s Report: Still working out calendar for next year. New crew at DOE.

DOE Vaccination card issue. Small number of teachers believed to have fraudulent vaccine cards. They are removed from payroll. We have to put on our unionist hats, not about the vaccine. Does the City and DOE have the right to just remove teachers from payroll? We think, no. There was no disciplinary hearing, they were just removed from payroll. We have begun to take legal action.

Listen Up was a great event. It worked out really well. We just sent out the video today. We’ll be doing more of that through this Spring. Class size was big, but so was curriculum. Wrong curriculum could mean kids won’t be able to read. Kids need to be happy.

Going to arbitration on 683 and vacation days. We said don’t ask, but someone asked. So now we need to see where that ends up.

This week, state assessments. We are still in appeal to federal government to stop schools being labeled as failures.

Marty Walsh was here. We’re talking about retirement security. Not just about us. A national conversation about retirement security helps our pensions. Everyone should have retirement security.

Mike Schirtzer: US History. Totally new regents. One prototype. June 1st, early. Are you aware? Anything you can do? Mulgrew says he’s working on it. Need prototype year to year.

On election: UFT election. Mulgrew refuses to answer, says any questions on election must be sent to Carl Cambria.

Carl comes up. Mike asks: why is it 2 weeks before deadline this year to get a ballot delivered if it wasn’t sent to your house this year? It was 1 week before the deadline last election. Not to mention there wasn’t the spring break issue last time. Members who just got back from vacation and were told they have to go in person to AAA to get ballots in person. Is there anything we can do to extend that deadline?

Carl Cambria: AAA can’t guarantee extending deadline will allow ballots to get back in time. What we have done is allow teachers to go to AAA in person this Thursday Friday between 9 and 5 and submit ballots in person. Post office isn’t working at the same pace as last year, which is why we landed where we landed.

Lamar Hughes: Anything you can shed light on for supporting people with vaccine issue? Many swear they are vaccinated. Mulgrew says we are reaching out to them. Get in touch with Michael Sill. Need answers to key questions, at individual level, as soon as possible.

Priscilla Castro: During Spring Break, had 43rd conference. Great conference, paras, autism, etc.

Name Missed: Great conference last week. Paras were happy. Manhattan event.

Joe (last name missed): behind on Shanker scholarship, but students will get acceptance emails tomorrow. Expecting up to 185 students accepting the award. That’s up from previous years. We’ll get information to the boroughs. June 7th is date of scholarship.

Motion to adjourn.