Monday, May 23, 2022

EXECUTIVE BOARD REPORT FROM NICK BACON: APPR UPDATE & WHERE'S THE 2022-23 CALENDAR?

The newly elected Executive Board won't take their seats until July1 but Executive Board member-elect Nick Bacon is there taking notes for New Action. There was an election complaint from Christina Gavin and a response. There were all kinds of Unity people giving reports where they pat themselves on the back but Unity's independent Mike Schirtzer actually asked some important questions after Michael Mulgrew's President's Report.

From Nick's Minutes on Mulgrew's report:

Calendar: the sacred calendar that never comes out. Was just on the phone, DOE has finally sent up the calendar for approval to the state education department. Hope to be finished shortly. Once out, we’ll send it out, and SBOs will kick right in. Ridiculous that bureaucracy gets in the way of calendars getting out.

June 9th guidance, it will be treated the same way as election day. In consultation, DOE agreed that it would be a virtual day unless it’s actually necessary to bring people in.

32,400 people filled out contract survey, those results will go negotiating committee. Gonna bring people in again for that June 15th.

The questions:

Mike Schirtzer: 3 questions, and please also address at DA.

(1) Can we move forward SBOs on scheduling.

(2) Are we included on the new state guidance on appealing regents scores.

(3) APPR, is our district included.

Michael Mulgrew: Chapter leaders like to do SBOs all at one time. Debra P. says we’re ready to go once the pilot workday is out. As for questions 2 and 3, we haven’t heard from DOE yet, but hopefully will hear on Wednesday. I did sign for the waiver for APPR, and we just need to see where they are. We both have to agree; we both have veto power. It’s up to the school districts, not the teachers union.

Translation: We are one of the weakest unions around and we have no leverage on the city-DOE.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

WHat is this about a Pilot workday? Is there a change to our schedules?

Debra P. says we’re ready to go once the pilot workday is out.

Anonymous said...

In my opinion, Mulgrew is saying,”since I won re-election bc the young teachers don’t vote, to hell with the rest of you!”

We are a weak union bc of weingarten(never forget that) and bc mulgrew learned from weingarten.

Anonymous said...

Good morning. Can you please detail how contract negotiations are going to work going forward? Mulgrew stated that the next Negotiation Committee meeting is not till June 15th. Is it possible that the UFT will hash a tentative contract out over the summer and hold a special DA meeting to ratify it and send it to members before school starts in September? Some folks are concerned that negotiating over the summer might result in a lack of transparacy for DA members as well as the regular rank and file. Furthermore, if a tentative contract is not ready by the first day of school and a new one is set for a vote later in September, it could cause massive planning/scheduling problems for schools. (Especially is there is any added time in the school day) Hopefully that will NOT happen. Any thoughts are appeciated!

Anonymous said...

Rumor has it that Adams is holding the school calendar hostage in order to use it for negotiations for the next contract. Just a rumor though, but I wouldn't put it past any politician.

Anonymous said...

The UFT sent out a survey, only 32 thousand something filled it out. One of the questions mentioned if "a push" for "Higher Salary" pay increases in negotiations in exchange for a longer school day would be of interest to members.

I do not know ANY TEACHER who wants a longer school day!!!

If people don't bother to respond to these things then it can be understood as, the issue makes no difference one way or the other.
Those who don't bother to to pay attention make things worse for all.

I was under the impression that our union always has the responsibility to push for higher wages for members at the negotiating table. At the very least, raises that surpass today's inflation. Anything less is not a raise at all.

Maybe Mulgrew will not even bother to get us salary decent increases but rather bargain for a few crumbs equal to a Cost of Living Adjustment similar to what social security/welfare recipients receive.

Anonymous said...

So with 5 week’s remaining in the current school year—has the 2022 summer scheduled been announced?
Something has to give with 22-23 calendar by no later than Memorial Day—if not -then you have to believe that there are secret negotiations going on between Mulgrew and the city in relation to connecting pay raises, maintaining healthcare in exchange for a longer school day (which is inevitable—probably at least 20 minutes) and a longer school year ( which is more complicated since it involves the okay from state government). Whatever happens-it would nice if teachers got back their 8.25% on TDA and all teachers were placed in Tier IV and max salary kicks in at 20 years. Just dreaming.

Anonymous said...

Even a 20 minute longer school day is not acceptable!!! The school day was made 10 minutes longer not all that long ago.

Teachers in District75 work a 6 hour and 50 minute day every day. That is nearly 7 hours and is even more considering most teachers get to work and begin their set up and paper work 30 mins. to 1 hour early each day! (FREE LABOR)

That is 1 hour short of a 9-5 job. (8 hrs a day)

Is there a disregard to the fact teachers have hours of take home work each week? There is individualized daily lesson planning, differentiations, grading, data entry/SESIS and the list goes on and on.

A teachers work day is never over when they walk out of the building like the 9-5 er's! When they leave their job there ain't no stressful worries.

A longer school day even by 20 mins. is a NO GO unless individualized differentiated LP's and and all the other "HOMEWORK" becomes a thing of the past!

Anonymous said...

The NYC DOE is a corrupt, dysfunctional and incompetently managed school system. What do you not get?

Anonymous said...

WHat is this about a Pilot workday? Is there a change to our schedules?


20 minutes longer in exchange for pay is NOT A RAISE.

We should have ACTUAL RAISES. SAME WORK FOR MORE MONEY IS A RAISE. TO BE A REAL RAISE WE NEED TO FIRST GET COST OF LIVING INCREASE AND THEN AN ACTUAL RAISE ON TOP OF IT.

NO MORE TIME! WE ARE COMMUTTING WHEN SO MANY OTHERS ARE NOT! We are spending a fortune on gas, risking our lives taking public transportation, entering poorly ventilated buildings.

ONLY COLA AND THEN AN ACTUAL RAISE WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL TIME SHOULD BE ACCEPTED.

Anonymous said...

The only cola you will get is if you buy a Pepsi or a coke.

Anonymous said...

We had approximately a 6.0% pay cut last year and expect an 8.0% per cent pay cut this year due to Biden's inflation project.

So we need an immediate 14.0% pay increase to break even, without any givebacks on medical or extra time. With Mulgrew working against us
and helping NY city and his Democrat political overlords screw us, don't expect anything. BUT YOU ASSHOLES VOTED FOR MULGREW OR JUST CHOSE NOT TO VOTE AT ALL. YOU DESERVE A BIG 14% PAY CUT BECAUSE YOU ARE (AS A GROUP) YOU ARE LAZY COWARDS. Not all teachers are, but most UFT teachers are lazy cowards.

Anonymous said...

It is called the BIG LIE.

The UFT leadership is an example of the BIG LIE.

Anonymous said...

And trust me if you work in a small high school and you are given coverages and extra work upon work and you refuse to do it, you are labeled as not a team player. We have to all be flexible and team players. This is the problem with small schools.

Anonymous said...

VOTE AGAINST ANY CONTRACT THAT DOES NOT GIVE AN IMMEDIATE 14.0% PAY INCREASE. You lost 14.0 % purchasing power as result of the Biden Democrat Inflation project.

Inflation is avoidable and it did not have to happen. How do I know that inflation is avoidable? It was avoided for the last 40 years (1982-2022). Inflation is a consequence of the economic mismanagement of Joe Biden.

In other words, we are experiencing inflation as direct consequence of the
six trillion dollar stimulus that Joe Biden put out at the beginning of his presidential term. Larry Summers (economist)
warned about the inflationary implications of the oversized Joe Biden stimulus package.

Vote against any super shitty UFT negotiated contract. Rest assured, it will be super shitty. The UFT has never missed an opportunity to negotiate a crappy contract.

Anonymous said...

The sad part is that the UFT teachers union is indeed a weak link. Its disgusting and shameful as well as degrading to be a member of this bullshit union we have in NYC. GUESS THATS WHY WE HAVE A TEACHERS SHORTAGE HERE IN NYC?

Anonymous said...

I agree with an above comment.

No more extra time for extra money. That’s a pay increase and not a raise. Sadly, having been an ATR I can say this from experience, and that is that a good amount(not all) of elementary teachers do not understand this point.

I recall the extra parent teacher conferences and elementary people said,’so what! We already do a back to school night so we may as well add a fourth.’ What the UFT heard was let’s add more hours.

Elementary people were notably doing ‘lunch and learn’ sessions off the books.

We need to really go fully in on educating the elementary people bc they can really pass a bad contract.

Anonymous said...

Staten Island wants to break away from NYC and become its own entity without the NYC corruption and mismanagement. They want their own bail laws also

Anonymous said...

Recent estimates suggest 50% of UFT staff are still working from home btw.

Anonymous said...

Mulgrew has been working behind the backs of retirees for years, while always denying it. Do you really think he will treat in-service members any better? Especially since most members clearly care about nothing...?

Anonymous said...

Say NO to a longer school day!!!

Anonymous said...

All of the ‘no longer day’ stuff needs to be posted in elementary schools in every hallway. Those young teachers, if they vote, will pass any crap contract.

Anonymous said...

Only the reactionaries in the antebellum South Shore. That small but loud subgroup has been an ongoing problem since the 80s/90s.

Anonymous said...

Hi, the NY state canceled the June 1st regents exam for US history. What are we doing on June 1st? A regular school day? Or a virtual day? Thanks.

Anonymous said...

June 1st is now a full instructional day and attendance must be taken. Schools need to communicate with families of this change asap

Anonymous said...

Did anyone mention anything about student. enrollment which has declined since the pandemic. According to some reports, apparently close to 100,000 students can’t be accounted for—and state aid -money is connected to attendance. Doesn’t this usually mean cutbacks, potential layoffs come September? And how will the weakened financial status of NYC be tied into any possibility of a robust pay increase to meet the needs of the current absurd inflation rate?

Anonymous said...

Hysterical. June 9th PD at my school is in person. DOE agreed virtual unless absolutely necessary to come in? LOL who comes up with this? The UFT has ZERO power. Overruled!!!! Principal's discretion, that's it! End of story!