School buildings will not open with the huge cuts. No federal stimulus, school will not open unless there is a miracle. Getting half a school in to do live instruction is not possible. We do not open without federal stimulus. City budget will pass. Window is between July 4 and summer break for Congress. That is the window where it will get done or not in DC. All agree that schools must open for economy to resume. This isn't rhetoric. Republicans and Democrats know that without federal package, we can't open up schools. If the stimulus passes, we still have to worry about the virus. States still having problems. We in NY will open in a social distancing way. We have to be prepared for this in September.
Amazing stories of UFT members helping each other. Principals received communication from Chancellor to have people to do a walkthrough of the school. Generic square footage for buildings was sent out. It is inaccurate. We need to look at number of classrooms (800 x 1000 square feet for a regular classroom) and then find non-traditional classroom space (auditoriums). It is set for walkthroughs. Then we must find estimated enrollment for September. Then find the number of staff in the building and expected number of students. No school will probably do every other day. It will be an A-B-C scenario or possibly A-B-C-D scenario. Safety and protecting our livelihood.
CDC and our medical professionals need to know what the approved medical accommodations can be. I can't go into the school but need an accommodation to work from home. Trying to come up with a list of medical conditions that will be acceptable for accommodation. You don't have to answer questions from principals on this. It should be a citywide standard and then people should have time to make decisions. We are assuming 15-25% will need an accommodation. Many parents won't send their children in. Schools that have already been programmed will not work. In terms of childcare, we would like to set up ways so our members have access to childcare. We are essential workers. Support centers have been opened since school buildings shut down. We learned a lot in those centers. We learned that PPE is king. Centers were being wiped down, there was hand sanitizer. Difficult to get 4-5-year-olds to adhere to social distancing guidelines but we never had a case in centers. Rigid procedures, protocols and cleaning have to be in place. We learned that from the support centers. We have to get Heroes Act (federal stimulus) passed.
Municipal Labor Committee put early retirement incentive on the table. Every year bill introduced in Albany on early retirement incentive. NYC and MLC must agree to do an early retirement incentive. Financial note would have to go to the State Legislature. Assembly and State Senate would need to pass it and Governor would have to sign it. Last retirement incentive was in 1995. All the unions together put this on the table. We will keep people updated on this.
Layoffs won't be on the table if we get the Heroes Act. If we don't get that, then everything is on the table.
APPR is frozen. You can still be granted tenure if you are up for it this year. DOE has agreed in principle saying that no harm should come to anyone because they did not get a rating this year. Certification, licensing issues: we have waivers. Something was extended for guidance counselors.
Union telling DOE to stop rolling out new things currrently. We have to get school set for September. Much information in the data system doesn't work. The guidance does not say everyone has to do it. No new initiatives. We need a plan to open schools safely. DOE seems to speak to the same parents all the time. Closing out school year: can go back to school and clean out things. Adhere to social distancing and PPEs.
Reorganization schedules aren't real when we don't know what schools will look like and how they will be scheduled.
Thank you for protests. Everyone has to be treated fairly. Optimistic that this might actually be the time. I've been optimistic before. We are a large union with many different affiliations but the evidence is overwhelming. Many resolutions dealing with that today.
School safety is a little tricky. NYPD doesn't want school safety and they would be happy to give it up. UFT agreed with and worked with Rudy Giulliani to bring safety from DOE to NYPD. There was a problem and schools were not safe. It was bad. Imagine DOE central is in charge of school safety. It got bad when Bloomberg did zero tolerance. What happened was principals heard that as a dog whistle which meant no incidents=good school. Teachers were getting arrested then for intervening in altercations. We got that fixed. School Safety Agents are peace officers. If they are being moved, we have to be ensured that there is safety. NYPD doesn't want school safety. Taking school safety out of NYPD and moving budget to DOE is not defunding NYPD. Need to be thoughtful. We don't want to deal with DOE trying to figure out safety in the fall. For someone to be arrested, police officer must ask for permission to come in a school unless it's a really serious act. Stop playing politics with safety of children.
Elections matter. Looking at three years of pain unless we get federal package or win the White House and US Senate. You have to vote and tell everyone else to vote.
Staff Director's Report: Leroy Barr reported on early voting from June 13-June 21. June 23 is the primary election day. November 3 election day. June 19th commemorating the end of slavery will be a state holiday starting next year. This is pride month with LGBT community. Puerto Rican Day, won't have a parade. Happy Father's Day and have a safe summer.
Mulgrew again stated we pulled it off having the system do what had never been done with remote learning. It is a phenomenal union. Hold your head up high. Nobody can believe what UFT members did in NYC.
Question: Peter Lamphere from MORE said he was a little concerned about individual principals being asked to make decisions on how many kids can learn.
Mulgrew Answer: There are strict guidelines and if they are not adhered to it isn't going to be approved. Principals are being asked to estimate what they think they can handle. Asked about what is appropriate. When we say occupants it includes students, teachers and paras in a room. It is not the final decision of the principal.
Q: High School teacher in Manhattan, teacher told they can't do a walk-through until principal does walk-through. When will walk-through happen? What if principal says no?
A: Principal was sent a direct order from Chancellor to call CL and someone else on SLT to invite them to do a walk-through. Get in touch with us if there is no walk-through.
Q: CL asked question about building that has four different schools. School is on first floor. Shared buildings, do we do it alone?
A: It depends on the relationship between the schools. Use space that belongs to your school and then get to shared areas and we will deal with them if they don't get along. A principal actually placed a school flag down in a field and said it was his. Scheduling is interesting on whether to scatter schedules or make them the same. This is complicated and never been done. Can students with IEPs get more in person time? That is being discussed. City Hall is holding things up. If you have a good relatioship between schools, go ahead and talk about shared space.
Q: Reorganization grievance form by today?
A: Looking at it and will have it out by tomorrow's town hall.
Q: Need plan by second week on how our health will be protected?
A: We will need a plan following CDC guidelines. Should have it by second or third week of August. Temperature, PPE, etc.
Q: What is being done to sanitize materials?
A: In terms of COVID-19, it should be good. DOE says buildings have been cleaned. It's not just cleaning at night; it's cleaning during the school day. Need wipes during the school day. AT UFT elevator button is very shiny. CL's must check certain things before we get to the school year. It is a burden but we will get someone in on their behalf.
Q: SBO's, is it okay to draft SBO's until the end of the school year?
A: Be as flexible as possible on SBO's. Might want to change SBO's in August when people know what they will be facing in September.
Q: After school day, meals go to community. How will that be impacted if schools open in September?
A: If buildings are open, city will have to prove to us how that is not interupting with school operations.
For school community distribution, we can continue with it.
Q: What if people in your household have preexisting conditions? Can you get accommodation?
A: CDC guidelines don't cover this. We can try on a citywide level. Expecting 15-25% of our members to need accommodation so this won't be easy.
Q: Shared building including a charter school in building.
A: Public, charter and private schools all must follow the same guidelines. CDC guidelines are forsocial distancing. Charter chains tend not to be friendly neighbors. If it is a safety issue, DOE has authority to change things.
Q: Teacher's Choice can't be used for cleaning supplies. Will that change?
A: Working with the City Council right now. Trying to figure out how to get that regulation changed. Clearly, teachers are going to be buying cleaning supplies and cleaning their own classrooms.
Q: If heroes act is or isn't passed, is exclusive remote teaching possible in September?
A: If we look like Texas or Arizona, we will be exclusively remote.
Q: When will UFT issue a statement on buyout? When will they know when this will be decided upon?
A: My guess is that this will happen in August. We will do what we have to do with pension fund which has revamped how it has done business and can handle much more. It comes down to city and state governments not knowing what funding they have.
Q: What about transfers?
A: Might need to extend open market. Schools expecting 3% cut now. Open market will probably be extended until right before school starts. Goal is for new teachers and others to continue in profession and not lose livelihood. Excessing is our friend. If there isn't a financial problem, people should be able to move.
New Motion Period:
Delegate moves that contingency political endorsements move up because of time limitations.
91% voted yes
9% voted no
Motion for this month to express UFT solidarity with Black Lives Matter:
82% voted yes
18% voted no
Motion for LGBTQ rights to stop discrimination against transgender men and women for next month.
UFT to stand with transcommunity against Trump's policy and partnering with certain groups.
Nobody spoke against.
89% voted yes
11% voted no
Resolutions:
Resolution for the UFT to make contingency endorsements over the summer.
92% voted yes
8% voted no
Resolution for solidarity with US Postal Service employees.
98% voted yes
2% voted no
Meeting adjourned after Mulgrew thanked everyone in UFT and thanked leaders who are in DA and made another push for the Heroes Act to not allow our schools to be completely decimated in the middle of a pandemic.
42 comments:
Ask about spring break compensation and grade fraud.
"Elections matter. Looking at three years of pain unless we get federal package or win the White House and US Senate." Mulgrew
I'm confused about this statement. There was a dem president for the 8 years consecutively. Dems held everything from 2008-2010. We have had a dem mayor for 7 years. What has improved?
Did someone ask which uft boro rep, district rep, vp is gonna come to the school for days at a time, with masks not being worn, with people spitting and cursing?
Ask about the open market?
1 teaching job in the whole city.
SS elem in brooklyn.
what are PE teachers doing?
As asked, which mulgrew refuses to answer, what if we live with elderly parents? People who have had cancer?
PSA: Tell Mulgrew that defending violent criminals who do drugs & beat their wives doesn’t prove you’re black, it proves you’re dumb.
Mulgrew-"Excessing is our friend. If there isn't a financial problem, people should be able to move."
This isnt true...Been waiting for 20 years...
I prefer Covid-19 to listening to Michael Mulgrew. After reading his non-sense one thing is clear, as always, teachers are fucked.
This is unfair, many don't agree...
Motion for this month to express UFT solidarity with Black Lives Matter:
82% voted yes
18% voted no
Extending open market until the first day of school is going to screw ATRs out of jobs as usual. Also what if kids refuse to follow the school rules on social distancing and wearing masks? Nothing said about that. Do we send them home God forbid?
No uft resolution on this?
MORE ANTISEMITISM IN BROOKLYN - a Jewish owned female clothing store in Brooklyn has been vandalized with antisemitic graffiti that reads “JEW!”
Keep fanning those flames
@NYCMayor
!
Ok, so after all that info, will I be made to travel from Staten Island to Manhattan on public transportation?
Just got this email from an Atlanta police officer:
"Atlanta police officers are refusing to answer the radio and walking off of the job. The county can go screw themselves. If you want a society without police we’ll give you one. Let it burn!"
This is, I believe, what the uft and mayor want for ny.
Why are we being told that report card comments are being used to determine "how much" summer school a student needs, but then we are being told we must give 7-12 comments for every failing grade?
Also, when are we going to be told about spring break compensation that the uft repeatedly said they would negotiate?
In America...we have a court system. As we can see from this blog, we have educators who should not be anywhere near a school. We also have cops who should never carry a gun. Facts.
Why would anyone not agree? 'splain please
This, as usual, just words. Gym? PE equipment? Cafeteria? Travel on trains? Unruly students? Shared teacher equipment? Copier? Refrigerator? Lounge? Mask issues? Students simply not listening, we know the discipline code is ignored?
WE NEED TO GET A BILL For
20-Year Benefit (Section 384-d)
Eligibility
You will be eligible to retire with 20 or more years of creditable service, regardless of age.
Cops have it, FDNY has it...
Write DiNapoli, write you NYS elected official, write Mulgrew, write Randi
20 year retirement @ 40% FAS
This is the only conversation I want to hear about about retirement...
The STATE AND THE CITY COULD SAVE BIG TIME
Why is the uft not enforcing the excessive paperwork clause with regards to the 7-12 report card comments? It is excessive.
From Arthur Goldstein’s blog on DA , notice the part on freezing payments. It’s still June and Mulgrew better be very careful with his words or many will be opting out. That retro isn’t anyone’s to freeze.
Could be additional cuts. Will be very ugly. City will come to municipal unions if there are more cuts. Then we'll discuss significant issues like wage freezes or furloughs, never done for UFT members. Could be layoffs. Could talk about freezing money. A lot of pain, no good decisions.
“Could be additional cuts. Will be very ugly. City will come to municipal unions if there are more cuts. Then we'll discuss significant issues like wage freezes or furloughs, never done for UFT members. Could be layoffs. Could talk about freezing money. A lot of pain, no good decisions.”
The atlanta police walked out/called out. Will uft members?
And we have people being lauded by the uft who have criminal records a mile long, violent felons, see floyd and Brooks and garner and gray.
Not fair, buyout needs to be fair to all and for all. I have 18 years. I want one too.
What is that court system, the guy in ny arrested 103 times let out to knock a 92 year old woman to the ground?
If the uft is so wonderful, make that 20 years of work with 40% pension with no penalty at any age of retirement...Make that permanent.
People think mulgrew will actually try for spring break compensation? I spit water out of my nose reading that.
My principal told us today he doesn’t expect anything out of us the rest of the year. Works for me.
Waiting for support: I would vote against any UFT political action that did not affect salary, benefits, working conditions or pension. I want my union focused on those issues and nothing else
We got an email from the AP of Guidance that said the 7-12 comments are what students need to do to resolve their NXs. So basically, students can make up the work for an indefinite period of time and the administration can change our grades.
I agree 100% that black lives matter.
Black Lives Matter, the organization, is a radical Marxist organization bent on overthrowing the country.
My guess is some of the 18% aren't comfortable supporting a quasi-terrorist organization and the rest think the resolution didn't go far enough, and want to endorse an insurrection (i.e. the MORE caucus platform).
I also think some of the 82% believe like I do that black lives matter, but they are ignorant about what BLM is and who's running and funding it.
I agree. I still don't even believe this is what the Union agreed to (3-8 and 7-12 are grade bands) but admin are asking for this.
Silver lining: STARS can only accept 3 codes. Skedula also has this limit as it outputs to STARS. And the "narrative" dosen't fit the comments.
Tell your admin your comments don't fit in the box and let them deal with it. (BTW, CSA is not a fan of this NX, central summer school and the comments either.)
Why the either or? Either we get the Heroes Act or we get the painful cuts, slashes, lay-offs, furloughs, freezes. We may get the Heroes Act if Biden is elected. But we can't wait for that. So MM is telling us to prepare for the pain. So the budgets need be balanced and DC, the only place the money can come from is not going to send a check to NY state, or to NYC. But maybe we can get the money without all the pain. Without cuts. Without slashes and freezes and furloughs. Some are excited by a buy out, by an early retirement option. But MM didn't sound like this would get done, not quick enough to matter anyway. So where do we get the money? This is the conversation we need to have. Where be our lawyers, our accountants, our financial experts? This is not the first time we've faced a crisis that brought on a larger financial crisis. This is NYC, still the center of financial capital. We can raise the money. We can get a bridge loan to keep everyone employed, pay those Retros, even keep those raises we were promised. But we can't keep pleading with DC, with Mitch McConnel and Trump. Is that our plan? MM says he's working the Senate. Sure he is. Says elections matter. Sure they do but ain't no election before the budget be due. So get real and find a solution. We can fund it until the Heroes Act passes. Again, the governor has emergency powers to borrow the money and make us whole and keep us working. The city can also borrow money, a bridge loan to get us through this. Hell, all the big and little businesses are doing it. And we, the state and the city have a better credit ratings than any of this businesses out there getting loans. And interest rates are at historic lows and inflation is picking up so it's an excellent time to take a loan. Moreover, there are billions, no trillions of dollars out there just looking to be lent out. The governor and the mayor keep saying we are going to recover from this and be stronger. If this is only cheer leading and pat you on the head so you keep working, like the nurses, who were called soldiers and combat troops going into battle against the virus, and who died and got sick while the leaders pointed fingers and panicked, then stood by as they were fired, furloughed, cut and slashed and frozen, well I am the fool. But if the governor's more than a confidence man, and if he believes in us, he can issue the debt, get a good deal for us by convincing the lenders that we are good credit and we will rise from these ashes if we can only get a set of temporary wings to lift us through the worst and get us to the heroes act.
The problem is the people who do all the back room talking about this are all business as usual people, including the people in our union. No will, no imagination, nothing but how do we perfect a head fake.
Can't fool me, MM. I can read the writing on the wall. There will be cuts, slashes, freezes and furloughs. And you say just keep your nose to the grindstone. There's a revolution knocking those little jockeys off the rich people lawns and I hear they taking the dogs and fire hoses away from the police. I'm getting out my old marching boots. Wildcats are howling.
@TJL
skedula did an update last week. Your school should have update dthe egg file that was uploaded into pads. There is now a narrative box in pads. Instead of putting the code in the narrative box, you have to copy and paste the entire comment and then put a semi colon and copy and paste next one, and so on. The easiest way is to open a word document and the pdf of the comment codes. Copy and paste the 4 comments you want to use, separated by a semi colon onto the word document. Then copy entire paragraph, and paste it into the narrative box. You will not see the entire paragraph as the box will not allow you to scroll over. But it does in fact work, as when it is uploaded into stars, all 4 comments will show on the narrative report card.
hope that helps.
p.s if you dont want to use pads, log into stars classroom, download your own egg file, complete grades the old way, and in last column, copy and paste your paragraph of comments in the narrative column, then save file, upload egg file back into stars classroom....after pads closes of course.
TJL: I see. I,too, need more info about the organization/members/platform before I stand alongside. I do appreciate their tenacity in bringing this problem to the table. However Let's start with what we are not about and can do something about it. I'm referring to how educators in NYC doe are part of the problem. Why? fear. Apathetic. No investment. This behavior is a cause why the pendulum swings so widely. This is quasi terrorism too. We have one job: TEACH. Someone gets in your way, fight. By some of the posts on this blog, that will not happen. Don't be upset because folks are doing what we all should be doing: fighting to be treated with respect. It's not about a man, it's about a system that needs to be changed.
@Shelley: My boots are on
Get up and out folks. Haven't you heard? You are expendable. In March they sent the telegram: Your life doesn't matter. Wake up. They teach us to fight one another but Covid pulled the curtain back: You are me and I am you.
Thanks 9:59. We shouldn't have to jump through these hoops but at least you made it easier, thank you.
Waiting, I'm with you. Too many come for the check only and then wonder why their students have contempt for them. Not that I'm so great but I try to do my job correctly. The kids know and can see through the admin fads and BS. Kids are handed worthless diplomas, they don't learn anything, and then at 25 they have debt and no (or a low paying) job and want to burn down the system. I don't blame them for having that feeling but they don't see how they're being manipulated into supporting socialism or communism.
We also don't teach civics or the Constitution. I had to teach US out of license for 2 terms. The history AP wanted me to spend less than a week on the Constitution. I spent a marking period on it. The kids learned something about their rights, the Constitution and they still did great on the Regents. I was lucky I had a veteran teacher who helped me out with that. Then we wonder why people are blabbering about Floyd's or Brooks' rap sheet. As Steve Bannon said I don't care if they were arrested 50 times! Even a criminal has a 6th amendment right to be arrested, charged and brought before a judge where he gets a trial, not a street execution! You have people on the left and right, old and young, white and black, Christian and Jew, so on and so forth, who only want to see the laws enforced and rights guaranteed that they like, the whole point of the Bill of Rights was to avoid this "rule by the mob".
I think we have some different politics but so what. You're the type (veteran) I would seek out and talk shop with in the faculty room. I worry about the future as this is a dying breed. The younger ones stare at the echo chambers that are their phones.
I would go on but it is time for 7-12 comments!
@TJL... Right on brother. I love my country and it needs fixing. We know this because we work for the DOE. We must learn to listen and respect one another. I don't want the police defunded...whatever that means. There are some bad apples who need not have a gun. There's good and bad in every profession, ethnicity and political group. I don't want more than the next person but i sure as hell won't accept less. I hope both of our voices are heard. Stay safe. Did you say Steve Bannon? I don't believe it.
Students staff and parents are speaking out against Charter schools. This is what i mean when i say speak up and out. Why aren't doe staffers speaking up and out about their experiences of being bullied to change grades or pass all students? Why complain about passing the kids who "just don't want to learn" or "come to hang out" when you can actually do something. I guess it's easier to assume that these kids "just don't want to learn". Real US patriots. Instead of making the country really great, some folks just want to pretend it's great. Looky looky, the emperor has no clothe.
"The atlanta police walked out/called out. Will uft members?
When a teacher kills a student you can walk out in support.
It would be a stain on the country and this city if the heroes act is not passed at a time like this.
@5:16 I completely agree everywhere dems run states whether its new york, california or minnesota it is a disaster.
@8:39 I agree a 20 year buyout even at 40% is better than nothing, there need to be options on the table
@Shelley It is so easy to blame Trump when he has been in office for only 3 years. How about Schumer, Pelosi, Watters, Biden and Mcconnell 30 plus years have done nothing!
Where is the 800 million from diblasio crack head wife? gone. Where is the 1.2 billion Cuomo spent on solar? Dems waste all new york money like it's water.
Nothing got worse, unlike these last 3 1/2 years.
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