Tuesday, October 03, 2017

PD THAT USED TO BE FREE ON SCHOOL TIME NOW COSTS $75 ON SATURDAY

The UFT is offering professional development this Saturday for the "low" cost of $75 (see below). Teachers certified since September 2004 must complete 100 hours of PD on their own time because of a 2015 law the UFT refused to oppose.

Before this law was passed, teachers could count in school PD on Modays during the school day to fulfill PD hours. Not anymore.

Another great UFT win to have you give up your Saturday and pay them some money to keep your job.

Dear James,
Please join us at "ELLevating," the Second Annual UFT Conference on Effective Instruction for English Language Learners. The UFT hosts this conference so ALL educators can learn strategies to help English language learners reach their full potential.
Date: Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017
Time: 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. (Registration and breakfast begins at 8 a.m.)
Location: UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, second floor. Directions »
The conference will honor Dr. Luis O. Reyes, New York State Regent, for his lifelong advocacy on behalf of English language learners. Conference speakers include UFT President Michael Mulgrew and Schools Chancellor Carmen FariƱa.
You may register for the conference to receive 4.5 Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) hours.
  • The registration fee for teachers to receive 4.5 CTLE hours is $75.
  • The fee for paraprofessionals to receive 4.5 CTLE hours is $50.
  • The fee for registrants not seeking CTLE hours, including teachers and paraprofessionals, is $40.
Your registration fee also includes a breakfast and lunch. This year, we've increased the number of workshops you may attend. When you register, select three workshops (one in the morning and two in the afternoon) in the areas of academic support and achievement, advocacy and technical assistance.
Registering early will give you the maximum chance of attending your top selections as we anticipate seats will quickly fill up.
Last year's conference was a huge success thanks to you. I look forward to seeing you at this exciting event.
In solidarity,

 Evelyn DeJesus
UFT Vice President for Education

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Got to keep feeding the fat cats. You know, the dozens and dozens of them collecting +100,000 for just showing up to their luxury office on Park ave.

Anonymous said...

Broadway. Park Avenue is before they bought the building at 50 Broadway.

Anonymous said...

New sources of revenue...crafty

Anonymous said...

So to waste a whole Saturday you only get 4.5 hours?

Anonymous said...

They're preparing for Janus.

Anonymous said...

I have decided to resign. Not worth it anymore.

Anonymous said...

654, so sorry, yeah, it sucks. Im in the same boat, not even up to 20 years, trying to hang on to get the retro, a few more years towards pension, TDA, really staggering, tough to wake up everyday, feels like torture.

Anonymous said...

This is one of the things we should really focus on fighting. It's really ridiculous.

Prehistoric pedagogue said...

Every profession in the state, Medicine, law, accounting, has mandatory continuing education that is required for your entire career. None of it is free. Stop whining !

Anonymous said...

They started doing this last year, without trying to explain the new system. No one knew about it at my school, I learned about it from PD's I attended and when I asked the CL for clarification they didn't help at all. Good news is that more and more free DOE PD's are offering hours and i'm going to be at 40 or so at the end of one year. Real clear example of UFT not supporting it's members.

Highly Effective King Clovis said...

I was looking at these offerings and while 30 dollars is cheaper than 75 or more, I swear these seem like the same PDs that were free a year ago. As if I don't pay enough already.

Anonymous said...

Point is it is another UFT concession we had no say in. Those other professionals can make a lot more money than teachers. When I am treated like a doctor or lawyer and not subjected to drive-by Danielson observations, then we can talk about paying for professional development.

Anonymous said...

Wait till you get paid on the 15th and see dues at $120.

Anonymous said...

Justice is on its way UFT.

Anonymous said...

@9:20AM - Those that need continuing education credits, as you mentioned, have licenses. Doctors, lawyers, therapists, clinical psychologists, etc. all receive licenses in NYS and must obtain continuing education credits. Teachers on the other hand receive a NYS certificate. It's a money making industry to require someone that has a certificate for acquire 100 CE in five years basically on their own time. The NYS certificate has even been up for debate to be watered down. Wake up prehistoric pedagogue. Btw, I as yet do not need CE and seek professional development because I am motivated and interested in my profession without having it be a requirement.

Anonymous said...

10:32:

"What do you mean that no one explained it"

Everyone has been explaining this for years. State Ed, NYC DOE, the UFT, NYSUT, the Teachers Center there are years to get ready. No suprises on this one.

The UFT has been on top of this issue in every way. Newspapers, websites, meetings. There couldn't be more communication on this.

If you don't think your Chapter Leader is doing a good job then run for Chapter Leader. This is an election year.

Anonymous said...

9:00pm

A state license for a Doctor / Therapist and a state certification for a teacher is distinction without a difference.

In both cases the state sovereign requires the holder of such license or certification to keep certain standards and those state authorities can take it away under certain conditions.

Prehistoric pedagogue said...

Accountants do not have licenses, they have certificates just as teachers do. They are still subject to continuing education requirements
If you do not think that you should be subject to these requirements because you are not treated professionally, change the way you are treated or just quit the job. Either way, stop whining

Anonymous said...

Well, in the name of "fairness" I have a permanent NYS teaching license. Therefore, I do not have do the continuing hours but teachers with provisional or professional teaching still licenses do. That does not seem like a fair deal. (Not that I am saying that I want to do those hours though!) I am thankful for the grandfather clause that prevents me from having to do the hours. In fact, I am literally the only teacher at my school with a permanent license.

Anonymous said...

There are licensed accountants. It's known as CPA.

Pogue said...

UFT - "Look, we know you're being forced to eat a crap sandwich on a daily basis with a bogus/gotcha evaluation system, poor/abusive admins, and extra, profit-driven PD to top it all off...Just be happy you're getting a sandwich, at all."

Pathetic.

Bennett Fischer said...

I don't think the UFT deserves criticism for providing CTLE certified PD for our members. If anything, they saw the writing on the wall, got their act together, and applied to NYSED to become a certified provider, which is more than you can say for the DOE. From what I can make out, most of the PD they're offering is stuff that they've always offered through the Teacher Center, but now it comes with CTLE certification, and they have actually lowered their prices for the courses.

But where the UFT should come in for criticism is their lackluster approach to making an issue out of this with the DOE. The DOE has been dragging their ass about this for over a year now. They finally applied for, and received approval to become a CTLE provider last February, but have to this day not offered one, in-house, CTLE PD.

When I bring this up at CL meetings, etc., the Unity line is that members have nothing to worry about because our members have plenty of time. I beg to differ. This is a huge issue, and our union, and the DOE, must be responsive to our concerns. Paraprofessionals in particular, with their limited number of PD opportunities, are at risk of not fulfilling their state requirements in a timely fashion. The clock keeps ticking and now some people are down to under four years remaining to get their one-hundred hours. These people are our colleagues who have after school jobs and child care concerns. They're struggling to live their lives and don't have the time, luxury or the cash for private staff development.

Yes, I understand that this is a DOE, not a UFT, screw-up, but this is a battle that the UFT has to wage at every level of the DOE - District to Central - to shame those corporate miscreants up to speed. It's not good enough for the UFT to say "We've done our part, but they're the ones who are screwing up" and leave it at that. The UFT has to ratchet up the pressure on the DOE. We need DOE provided, in-house PD that counts for CTLE credit!

Get on the DOE's ass, UFT! Make this the huge issue that it really is. (That is also one small way to build solidarity in the age of Janus.)

Anonymous said...

Ok, so today a 13 year old brought a gun to school in Bronx, and a 19 year old student was stabbed outside Erasmus. Any comments about discipline code now?

Anonymous said...

Yeah, one of us will get shot or stabbed next, then what?

Anonymous said...

The real blame should be on NYSED. They are the ones who are requiring the 100 hours.However, I am one happy camper to be an "old" guy who does not have to do the hours due to my permanent certification. Where are the rest of my dinosaurs at???

Anonymous said...

As a permanent veteran I seek knowledge on my own without anyone telling me I have to do it. It's called having a true interest in my profession and self-motivation. What a beautiful thing to be free to pursue knowledge because you want to.

Anonymous said...

LOL, "permanent veteran", I seek out knowledge too, especially to the question: "If I had to leave today, could I live the rest of my life without working?" I love teaching, love the kids, love to continually learn, but from month to month and year to year I don't know if I will have a job. We are constantly under immense pressure and on a daily basis threatened with 3020a's! I count my TDA on a daily basis and ignore the pension..7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56...then contributions, 24k yr. + 56k fixed interest on 800k, increasing by 80k year...this is what we've come to!

If I invest any more time, money, or soul into this job I will just disappear, there will be nothing left of me!