1. We just got a 3.5% raise on September 14. Now would be a good time to raise your TDA contributions if that’s something you’ve been looking to do. Timing TDA bumps with pay raises is an easy way to increase our retirement without feeling it in our paychecks. Don’t hesitate!
2. Three weeks ago, the NYS Board of Regents shared info about the Class of 2028 expectations. They said Regents exams will no longer be mandated for graduation. They announced that Portrait of a Graduate will be enacted next school year. What do we know about Portrait of a Graduate? Practically nothing. We know that portfolios will likely be involved. That’s about it. Back in April, we were told that Portrait of a Graduate wouldn’t roll out until the 2028-2029 school year. They moved up the start date by a year and we still have zero information even though we’re less than a year away from implementation. Hopefully, the UFT fights to push back the start date until we know what we’re dealing with.
3. If you are interested in earning your +30 differential, the cheapest option is usually ASPDP (aka A+) credits. The link to the ASPDP site is here: https://pci.nycenet.edu/aspdp/ Fall Registration opened on September 28. Classes run between 10/5/26 and 1/8/27. You can take up to 12 credits per semester. Each three credit course costs about $300 in total, meaning you can get your +30 for $3,000. It’s a great deal if you have the time and money, considering the permanent $9,000 pay increase teachers receive.
Recommended providers: Teach & Kids Learn and Long Island Learning Institute for Educators (LILIE),
4. Governor Hochul has expressed her support for the federal tax-credit scholarship. This is a school voucher program that will rob tax money from public schools and public works in order to fund private schools. This is a blatant, anti-public school initiative that could have serious consequences. Sign the petition against school vouchers HERE. In January, Chalkbeat published an alarming piece about the school choice tax credit program. The author explains, “families can donate up to $1,700 to scholarship-granting organizations and receive an equivalent tax credit back.” Allowing families to receive tax credit to basically fund private schools reduces the amount of tax dollars that go into our communities. In fact, in 2022, Kentucky’s Supreme Court “ruled that Kentucky’s tax credit scholarship program is unconstitutional.” As Peter Greene explains, “In a tax credit scholarship program, corporations or individuals contribute money to a ‘scholarship’ fund that will pay part of some student’s tuition at a private school. The state then counts that contribution towards taxes.” In other words, tax dollars are reallocated to private schools instead of going to public schools, projects, and programs that would otherwise benefit our communities.
5. A few months ago, the Class Size mandate was extended by two years. As part of the deal, the City agreed to give teachers differential pay for oversized classes. Unfortunately, only a very small portion of teachers will receive the $8,500 differential this year. Only teachers from schools that filed for an exemption will be eligible to receive the differential.
Under the original agreement, 80% of all classes were supposed to meet the compliance threshold this school year, followed by 100% in 2027-2028. Instead, the expectation is that 70% of all classes will meet the Class Size mandate this school year, 80% next year, 90% for the 2028-2029 school year, and 100% for 2029-2030.
