I apologize for any errors from smartphone.
Mulgrew Report
Federal
Texas doing public school proud well. Feds challenging PTA'S not red or blue issue. People like their public schools. Hard to comment on much else in DC.
State
Charter school tuition frozen. Charters wanted three year lag in past. Not now. Charter cap they wanted lifted. We beat them. Lag is gone. Charters baselines at what they got last year which is $14,000 per student. Public schools get $21,000 per student. We educate most challenging students who have more needs. We bombarded Republican Senators with our lobbying.
State budget gives over a $1 billion increase in state aid for NYC. Teacher Center increased by 40%. Increase in community schools. Tax deduction in NYS for union dues.
Next challenge is constitutional convention. We must vote no. Bad people with outside money coming in. We need the package on how to do a vote no on a constitutional convention out to all chapter leaders. AFL-CIO has a campaign manager on this issue.
Regents
DeVos threw out ESSA regulations. Team going up to Board of Regents. In May should see changes in career and tech ed regs we have been pushing for for 15 years.
City Budget
City in decent shape but worried about cuts from DC. Schools cannot set up for Sept and then cut later. NYS anti Trump state.
Governor protecting public schools now. City priorities are Teacher's Choice, community schools and others.
City has changed protocols on lead in water.
Texas is doing well with public school proud Want grassroots events so Texas won't outdo NY in public school proud. Must make a big, big loud noise in September when school starts.
We will load up the public school proud van and do events in each borough.
May 1 is 4.5% pay raise. It will be reflected in May 15 paycheck.
Staff Director's Report
Howie Schoor filled in for Leroy Barr and made announcements including immigration rights forum at UFT.
Question Period
Question about lead in water
Mulgrew Answer: Teachers should go to doctor. If parent asks, send him/her to principal.
Question: ELA and math state tests. People with no preps.Is it an emergency as Principal says?
Answer: We have a right to go to bathroom. Tests are not an emergency.
Q:Student led parent teacher conferences. What are regs?
A: Must have SBO. Superintendent should have set up a plan. It should not be a mandate.
Q: People since election feeling more union pride?
A: Elected officials don't want to fight parents. Use AFL-CIO. Do something at school.
Q: Mayoral control coming up in June. What is our position?
A: We would like mayor to not have a majority of PEP. Different forms of mayoral control. Problem with school boards. Don't want to go back to community boards. Don't know what will happen. We won't support this form of mayoral control.
Q: NYSUT catastrophic insurance back with short window.
A: Not open for enrollment for 6 years. Gives you additional coverage over medical plans. Great benefit. May 1-June 15 open enrollment. Mulgrew recommends getting it.
Q: Must have lunch but not preps on testing day. Clarify please.
A: Correct but must be able to use bathroom.
New Motions
Endorse Eric Gonzales for Brooklyn DA and Cy Vance for Manhattan DA. Added to agenda.
Lengthy resolution to support CPE1 for next month's agenda. They want teachers back and principal gone.
Delegate removed last March. Delegate said all veteran teachers under investigation. Chancellor not responsive. Principal abusive. Resolution is for 800 pound gorilla (UFT) coming down on DOE at school.
Howie Schoor from Unity says we tabled this at Executive Board. If we pass resolution, it will shut down communication with DOE. UFT very supportive. Many including Leroy Barr at school. Board of Ed must resolve this.
Voted down.
Mulgrew said we are doing everything to support CPE1.
I made a pariliamentary inquiry about the president alternating between speakers for and against on all debatable motions and us having the right to make amendment's when it is our turn to speak. Mulgrew tried to stop me but I made my point. (I will print it later.)
Special Orders of Business
Support for Andrew Hevesi's home stability program passed unanimously.
Resolution for Healthcare for all. Single payer.
Amendment: Mike Schirtzer: UFT will not support candidates for office who are against single payer or affordable care act.
Dave Pecararo argued that these were two separate issues and moved to split amendment into two separate issues.
Mel Aaronson said these amendments should be defeated. We would be a one issue organization. That ended the debate. Amendments failed. Original resolution passed.
Final resolution was on a voter registration drive among eligible high school students. It passed unanimously.
11 comments:
Nothing about ATRs. What a surprise.
Nothing about making an attempt to change our number of observations or for that matter no discussion of trying to make any improvements in our day to day working conditions. How sad.
And, the big news is we get 4.5% next month...oh, half is from 8 years ago...
You go James!
Mulgrew is one arrogant self serving egotist. I'm not reading these blogs anymore, it upsets me too much. Mulgrew thinks the 4.5% (we already worked for) cancels all the shit we have to wallow in because of his inaction and accomadations at our expense. James, I seriously don't know how you can stand being in the same room with him. The worm will turn Mulgrew.
It would be nice to know what is happening with atrs
What a response.
Thanks Quinn.
8:26 pm- You are the kind of people we need. Please don't go away.
7:47 pm-Nothing on parking permits or observations. Everything is hunky dory in the schools according to our President.
8:14 pm-Oh so true.
8:44 pm- Nothing on the ATRs.
Anyone else?
ICEUFT Blog is best teacher blog in NYC. (It is literally the first blog I read every day) Keep up the great work! -Parking Permit Guy
How about a resolution to have students stop assaulting staff?
A Brooklyn elementary school principal is facing charges, accused of assaulting a 7-year-old student.
Police say Machael Spencer-Edwards, 42, principal of P.S. 202 in East New York, was caught on video taking the child from the school cafeteria last month for breaking the dress code.
Seven-year-old Hasheem Welch walked out of school Wednesday afternoon with his mom smiling for the cameras. It was a stark contrast from how frightened he says he was when his own principal allegedly attacked him.
The boy’s mother, Shema McKenzie, said her son admitted to her that he was wearing a hoodie, which is against school policy, and tried to run from the principal, WCBS 880’s Alex Silverman reported.
“He said Mr. Edwards came and took me out the lunch room and brought me to the staircase,” McKenzie said. “He said ‘he kicked me’ and ‘he smacked me’ and he told me that ‘he knocked kids out.'”
“He hit me hard and I was crying,” Hasheem told CBS2’s Andrea Grymes.
Hasheem says it all started in the lunchroom on the afternoon of March 13. He says Edwards asked him to remove his hoodie but he “forgot.” He says the principal then brought him to another teacher. The second grader admits to hitting her — then says the principal took him into the stairwell.
“I hit her, then he grabbed me, and swung me and brung me into the staircase and kicked me and then he smacked me,” Hasheem said.
“He lifted up his shirt, his stomach was green and blue,” McKenzie said.
McKenzie says her son told her what happened when he got home from school. She says she called the police, met with the principal, and her sister later filed a complaint on her behalf with the Department of Education.
“I was very furious,” she said, “very, very upset.”
Police say they subpoenaed the surveillance video from the school stairwell and just received it Monday. It has not yet been publically released, but investigators say it confirms the attack took place.
Edwards was arrested around noon Tuesday for the assault that allegedly took place last month.
The DOE said Edwards has been removed from the school and reassigned away from students.
“This alleged behavior is deeply disturbing, and has no place in our schools,” the department said in a statement. “We are providing additional guidance and ongoing support to the school community.”
At dismissal Wednesday, several parents and students said they were surprised by the allegations.
“I thought he was a good principal,” one student told CBS2.
“He’s a good man, really, a very good principal,” school mother Esther Yeribo said. “I’m shocked to hear this. I’m actually shaking.”
McKenzie says Hasheem has ADHD and has had some behavioral issues such as not following directions. He just came back to school today following a suspension, claiming someone planted a box cutter in his bookbag during the investigation into the principal.
One mother claims Hasheem attacked her son Wednesday.
“He’s been an issue bothering my son on an almost daily basis and I’m tired of it,” Isha Hollman told CBS2. “The principal is amazing.”
McKenzie said her son is afraid to go back to P.S. 202, and wants to transfer him to a different school.
“He don’t feel safe going to school,” she said.
Edwards is charged with assault and acting in a manner injurious to a child.
He has been released without bail.
I would like to know why the union administration took out the 62 million dollar loan with 52 Broadway as collateral. This, to me, is a serious matter.
The safety parts of the contract and law are ignored in too many cases.
The loan was reported at the Executive Board. Not sure what it is for but it could be a refinance at a lower interest rate than the early 2000s when the building was purchased.
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