The first Delegate Assembly of the 2016-17 school year is today. Once again these reports from the DA are from a smartphone so I apologize in advance for any errors.
President's Report
President Michael Mulgrew was talking about fighting charter schools when I arrived a bit late.
State and National
Working on standards to replace Common Core. We want ELL and special ed standards.
People angry in DC about John King putting out regulations that are against the law. We are waiting to see changes coming next year after election
State accountability from federal law is important. We want growth to be part of anything on evalutions.
Chicago and Buffalo teachers have tentative contracts. Must see it in context of municipal situation in each city.
In Chicago the pension is underfunded.
Buffalo in austerity as school system has shrunk.
Hard to negotiate when all agree city does not have money.
Mulgrew thanked Mindy Rosier for walking to Albany for education funding.
UFT legislative priorities in Albany for 2017 are to get more funding, stop a constitutional convention (it could be used to steal our pensions), not lift the charter cap and fixing the teacher evaluation system.
Andrew Cuomo has finally visited some NYC public schools to recognize some good teachers.
Local
First UFT English Language Learner conference is booked solid.
NYC school system doing better than ever. We have caught up to state. Graduation rate higher than ever. We have classrooms in NYC with students who speak multiple languages. Conference to deal with this.
We have a book event in the Bronx. Organizer for breast cancer walk is Service Silva who addressed the Delegates.
DOE
CTLE hours. Many questions on PD hours and no answers from DOE.
Register with state during birth month.
DOE has nothing out.
UFT Teacher Center training can go toward hours. Teacher center is approved PD provider.
We need more from DOE.
Teacher Evaluation (APPR)
No agreement. UFT wants multiple measures of student Learning that is not standardized tests for growth.
650 and then 697 rated ineffective first two years of evaluation. Hoping it is lower this year.
We think we are close to an agreement on evaluations with DOE. NYC will lose $500 million in state aid if no agreement.
Matrix says if student learning is good and principal says you are bad you are good.
If principal says you are good and student learning is bad you are good.
It is a fair system.
Out of state many vacancies. Asking parents to sub.
Paperwork
Resolving issues. Bring them to district committees after you try to work it out at school. Chapter leader can file on behalf of school. Goes to central after district. Use process.
UB
Classroom supplies company giving 25% off for supplies. Great vendor.
Staff Director
Leroy Barr reported chapter leaders and delegates who had 100% attendance are being recognized after the meeting.
Parent conferences and Teacher Union Day coming up. Thanksgiving winter clothing drive ongoing. Next DA is Nov 9, the day after the national election.
Question period
Dan Lupkin: 2014 UFT resolution to boycott Staples. How did we spend $170,000 at Staples last year?
Mulgrew Answer: We are getting out of contracts we can and he contacted CFO to make sure we are not spending at Staples. He will get back when there is more information.
Q What do we tell insurance salesman who want to talk at chapter meeting?
A NO.
Q Paras not getting lunch. Must follow IEP kid. Is it proper?
A No
Q No SAVE rooms
A This is not proper. Call UFT safety department. It is a program to help struggling kids.
Q Functional chapters: How do we make them feel like more of a part of the chapter?
A Talk to them, get a functional rep on chapter committee.
Q Question on election. Trump and and Clinton bad. Is there a way to have discussion and debate on having a worker's party in the US?
A Diverse political views go from ultra left to ultra right within UFT. Put up a resolution on this. It is not up to president.
Q Too many emails?
A Paperwork covers electronic stuff too.
Q Principal has gone psychotic. She is not being collaborative. How do we get principals back on track?
A Use consultation committee. Talk to District Rep.
Q Update on maternity leave? Post new resolutions rather than hand them out?
A Moving in electronic direction.
Maternity: Sub costs less than teacher. Costing is moving in right direction. City calling it child acquisition. No mechanism yet. Trying to get it done.
Motion Period
Motion not to support Trump or Clinton and have a worker's party. It did not pass.
Motion for this month. New teacher induction. It is on back of Unity leaflet. It passed.
Special Orders of Business
Janella Hinds motivated a resolution to make it easier to start Career and Technical schools. It passed easily.
Resolution on integrating arts education into curriculum in every school. It passed.
Resolution to mark the anniversary of the 1960 strike. It passed. Leaders from 1960 received a standing ovation.
Resolution on UFT supporting NAACP call for moratorium on new charter schools.
Dave Pecararo from Unity called the question right after someone motivated it. Mulgrew did ask for a speaker against. I tried to amend the resolution but he called on someone else. Resolution passed. I will have more on this in a later posting.
27 comments:
ALERT: On Friday October 14, 2016, at about 9:00AM, MS 226 AP of Special Education James Randall asked a teacher in his office, Room 213, if she felt unusually warm. He walked to the office window to open it, and fell to the floor, unconscious. The teacher called 911 and the main office.
AT NO TIME did MS 226 Principal Rushell White call a "CODE BLUE" for AP Randall, who is currently in the hospital. See AED/CPR Program
October 18, 2016: 45-year old James Randall remains at Jamaica Hospital, unresponsive.
Rushell White's actions in this matter are reprehensible and will be reported to the proper authorities.
Our prayers and get well wishes go to Mr. Randall and his family.
Betsy Combier
betsy.combier@gmail.com
Rushell White is also a liability for the Principals' Union CSA, which inexplicably appointed her to their Executive Board in March-April 2015, while being sued and investigated. You will see below that CSA reps never assisted AP David Possner (pictured below) in getting his rights honored by MS 226 Principal Rushell White.
Rushell White does not support her staff, she targets people for no reason, changes grades of students to make her school look good to the public, accepts money without being held accountable for where it is being spent, and ignores the safety rules to bully her staff into doing what she says no matter what the consequences for the students and employees. For example, Ms. White ordered her AP to do an observation of a teacher, and during this observation, with a full class of students in the classroom, the fire alarm went off. As the AP was afraid of Ms. White and what White would do if the observation was not finished, the AP would not allow anyone, the teacher or the students, to leave the room, saying it was simply a drill. The teacher frantically sent emails out begging someone to come and help her, all in vain. In fact, it was a real fire alarm and there was a real fire.
Mulgrew said things are going well? As someone is asking about psychotic principals? Rushell White, known legal issues and other, almost had a staff member die, and things going well?
Going well huh Mulgrew? When is this antisemite and piece of garbage gonna be removed?
EVALUATION QUESTION: From my understanding, the UFT/DOE has to come up with a new evaluation system by Jan 1st of this year. The big question we have at our school is in regard to observations. NYS law says that a minimum of 2 observations must be done. (We currently have a choice of 4-6 observations here in NYC.) Is the UFT fighting for the bare minimum of 2 observations or are they going to sell us out and we will still have 4-6 observations? What if it becomes 2 observations? Will the teachers who already had 2 observations by Jan 1st count? Any info is much appreciated!
How many observations are in in the Buffalo tentative contract?
Mulgrew thinks everything is always going well since Bloomberg left. No mention of the ATR debacle. Time is ticking. The DOE and UFT are going to be exposed.
I agree with above, that Rushell White needs to be fired immediately and a lawsuit must be set up if the DOE doesnt take action. Ya know the funny part, her son goes to Canarsie HS. What if the teachers called him what she calls her teachers?
UFT tweeting about keeping guns away from certain people as 15 year olds are walking into school buildings with guns...
Is anyone going to Teacher Union Day?
I am disgusted that the UFT opposes charter school expansion. Choice is power for families. Shame on our union.
http://www.publiccharters.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/NAACPResponse_FINAL_9212016.pdf
I am thrilled that our union does not support the expansion of charter schools.
How about supporting teacher abuse by students and supervisors?
Thats what you get for $56.65 per check.
A Queens principal is under fire for allegedly failing to call for immediate aid for an assistant principal who went into cardiac arrest Friday in his office, teachers at the school said.
Staffers at JHS 226 in South Ozone Park claimed Monday that Rushell White was more concerned about finding who blocked her parking space than having CPR-trained teachers help stricken James Randall.
“There was no Code Blue announcement from Ms. White,” said a teacher. “It’s utter incompetence.”
Under state law, each public school must have a defibrillator and one employee trained in CPR. When Randall collapsed, a CPR-trained teacher was across the hall and allegedly not notified.
Friends of Randall issued a statement saying, “We are shocked and heartbroken . . . Please keep James in your thoughts and prayers for a full recovery.”
A DOE spokesperson said the department would look into it. White could not be reached for comment.
What a fucking piece of garbage. Ive seen dozens of complaints about her, and nothing happens.
Get rid of this terd already!!! What kind of organization is the DOE?? When will the DOE start treating its people with care and respect!!1 When will the DOE LISTEN to its employees in the trenches!!!! This is absurd to have to read and this shit is really getting out of hand. One of these days a sick ass principal like White is going to get the wrong person and the shit will hit the fan and her mug.
Is Mulgrew the turd you want to get rid of or just that principal? Mulgrew is living on another planet.
Hi - if anyone wants to see the entire article on Rushell White, here it is:
http://nycrubberroomreporter.blogspot.com/2016/10/ms-226-rushell-white-is-worst-principal.html
So is no one going to Teacher Union Day?
Ask Raving Lunatic, our Unity friend.
And what do we do when schools post fake vacancies so they get a boatload of ATRs sent for free?
I'm in one now. What a scam.
The whole system is a scam. The UFT is just a part of it.
Why is ICE avoiding the question Bout TRachel Union Day?
Why is ICE avoiding the question about Teacher Union Day
I didn't think the question was serious about Teacher Union Day. I won't be going. I don't consider spending a day saying how wonderful the Union is a good expenditure of union member dues. I was honored twice by the UFT. I went once in 2001. To win a Trachtenberg Award for a top Chapter, one has to have a certain number of people giving to COPE (political action). NYSUT in 2016 gave $109,000 to John Flanagan's Republican Committee. A chapter these days not giving to COPE might be more in line to be honored under those circumstances. I have nothing against anyone who wants to go to Teacher Union Day. Congratulations to people who win awards. There are some really deserving winners.
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