Friday, March 26, 2021

NYSUT ALBANY BUDGET PRIORITIES: REVENUE TO FUND EDUCATION AND WAIVING APPR

From the NYSUT Leader Briefing on the state budget due next week.

It’s go-time for the state budget

As state budget negotiations shift into high gear, we need new revenue streams to provide sustainable and recurring funding for public education, higher ed and health care. Both the state Senate and Assembly included common-sense revenue enhancers in their one-house budget proposals, asking the richest New Yorkers to finally start paying their fair share. Go to the Member Action Center to urge legislators to #FundOurFutureNY and ensure these proposals are in the final enacted budget! Check out this graphic blowing up the myth of the moving millionaires.


Don’t penalize teachers for COVID-19

To ensure that educators are not penalized for circumstances well beyond their control, take action now to ask lawmakers to suspend this year’s APPR teacher evaluation process. We need to make sure that those on track to become tenured are not derailed due to the ongoing pandemic.

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here's a thought: Maybe NYSUT should fight to get APPR repealed. Seeing as how they will not fight for that, the second best thing they can do is fight for allowing videotaping of lesson observations instead of admims coming into our classrooms. (For tenured teachers) This would be a both sane and safe way to get observations done next year.

Anonymous said...

i sent the email from this out to support the ERI.

Anonymous said...

The money coming from feds means there will be plenty of money for teachers. Forget the ERI unless NYSUT pulls off a miracle.

Anonymous said...

Here's a thought, pay me for last spring break and stop paying dues if you aren't a fool.

Anonymous said...

Same narrow focus on last year's spring break from this guy. There is more to life than pay for 2020 spring break which has nothing to do with NYSUT.

evan said...

What is the more to life? Bad admin, bad union, bad chancellor, horrible mayor, retro held for 12 years, 1% raises, bad observation system, disrespectful students, fraud grading system, fraud graduation rate, high taxes, high cost of living, crime in the streets. What would you like to add?

Anonymous said...

Six figure salary, good benefits, excellent pension if not in tier VI, only a few hundred teachers dismissed per year who have tenure so job security, decent working conditions if you have a good administration. 9h and a six hour work day and 3 months off per year.

Anonymous said...

"IF" you have a good admin...What percent is that? And if not, it's all wrecked, which is most...

Anonymous said...

Lol. Excellent pension. 45% of people who started 7 years ago already quit. Decent working conditions? Have you read this blog the last 15 years? How about the teacher facebook pages? Nothing but complaints. Did you forget about uft leadership?

Anonymous said...

what are some good teacher fb pages to look at?

Anonymous said...

Just the fact that everybody wants out so badly tells everyone what this job is. I said, job, and not career because that is what it is now. The UFT doesn’t even pretend anymore. Even at to their bullshit meetings, where they jerk each other off to the sound of Mulgrew’s voice, they wait to climax to supreme fantasy of an early retirement buyout. They all know what teachers want - out. There was a time when teachers would work until they had a foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel. Not because they needed the money, but because they were driven and loved, absolutely loved, what they were doing. It was an integral part of psyche. Part of their very soul. Now, it’s just a way to pay the bills and and there’s much more satisfaction in taking a shit than teaching in the DOE. Keep your head down, shut up, go along and give the UFT it’s shake down money. The DOE and the UFT are one and the same. There’s no difference between Mulgrew and deBlasio. Teachers are now soulless chattel. Shame on us. The term teacher isn’t even correct. We are just babysitters, and bad ones at that.

Anonymous said...

This whole idea that the pandemic cannot affect tenure is not true. My tenure is being extended without cause or justification. There is no defense or support from the UFT or NYSUT from totalitarian administration and the DOE.

Anonymous said...

I was reading somewhere that the ERI was only on the table when the city/state worried that Trump was going to get reelected. Trump would have tortured the city, no bail out ever. Layoffs were going to happen and the city would rather have people retire at a lower salary than have to pay unemployment costs. Now that the city got the money, ERI not happening.

Anonymous said...

9:37 you forgot we are also puppets with strings being pulled by admin, parents, Mulgrew etc.

Anonymous said...

Six figure salary? Six hour work day? 3 months off per year? Are you really a NYC public school teacher?

Anonymous said...

"Only a few hundred teachers who have tenure are dismissed each year". That means that YOU OR I HAVE CHANCE OF BEING TARGETED AND DISMISSED! (Usually for a bullshit reason) When I started in the 90's I NEVER knew a teacher who was dismissed. Since Bloomberg came to office, I have seen quite a few.

Anonymous said...

Well said 937 pm. Some of you idiots don't realize that a six figure job in a high tax, high cost city after 20 years in 2021 ain't that great. People in other fields laugh that we get to max at 23 years in and that is only 128k...in nyc.

Anonymous said...

Agree with 937. Accept that I’m an outstanding babysitter. As are most of my colleagues. . Children are kept safe in our care and returned safely back into theirfamilies’ care at the end of each day.

Anonymous said...

About the ERI:

Yes, well said, this probably looked more likely when folks were projecting a horrible budget for NYC and NYS. The federal money might make it seem unneeded.

On the other hand, it is in the legislative proposals and NYC supposedly agreed to it in principle. They could do themselves a favor, retire a lot of high salary veterans and hire cheaper newbies. This Fed money is probably a one-time deal, and the budget problems will continue into the next year, with no magic Fed bailout.

I am still hoping we get it, but not feeling confident. We should know more by April 1.

The way Mulgrew keeps saying "the less said the better, let's not jinx it" does not fill me with a sense that UFT will go to the mat on this one, even with:

A lame-duck mayor
An embattled Gov
piles of Fed money
strong Dem majorities in both state houses

What more do you need to lobby this thru? Divine intervention? Or, under the bus again, Mikey?

Anonymous said...

Lobby for an eri? What’s UFT motivation to do so? Democrat controlled NYS legislature pass an eri? What’s their motivation to do so? They don’t need teachers votes until 2022. Maybe they’ll bait you with it again then.

Anonymous said...

10:32: I don't know why people label us as babysitters. Teachers have been babysitters since Laura Ingalls Wilder was teaching. School is free childcare. This is not a new theory.

Anonymous said...

My brother went to an Ivy League school. He laughed when I told him about our pay scale. Best case scenario is that you start at 22 years old, you get max at 45 years old, which is only 128k. Pathetic.

Anonymous said...

1238, In which big city are teachers making more than NYC teachers? Yes I know cost of living is higher here than most but we aren't in poverty either and benefits and tier IV pension are not bad.

Anonymous said...

112, I didnt say others make more, I just said we are in a high tax and high cost city and it is not 1980. 100k after 18 years in nyc ain't that special, especially with a bachelors, masters and plus 30. Not something to be proud of.

But chicago gets to max salary after 14 years, and I believe james said cost of living there is 42% less, so, dollar for dollar, they make more than us.

nerd said...

No other city municipal union would put up/agree to what the UFT does. The FDNY, NYPD and DSNY laugh at us and are pissed at us because of all the givebacks we allow.

James Eterno said...

Chicago they pay healthcare premiums so factor that in. Still, they do ok compared to NYC. I agree that other NYC unions laugh at us but will you complainers organize or do anything to improve conditions here? How many of you are organizing your chapters to get a better Chapter Leader? Change isn't coming from Mulgrew or by magic.

Anonymous said...

I opted out. That was my voice.

Anonymous said...

Also in Chicago if your school closes or you are put into the ATR any other way you only have 6 months to get a new position. If after 6 months, you can either take a buyout or you can extend it one year. If you don't get anything in a year, you don't get the buyout and you can't retire even if you are eligible. They just let you go.