FYI

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Excessing

If you are a related service provider and you believe that you are being improperly excessed, contact your building chapter leader immediately or your local district representative. Article 11 of our contract covers excessing. Click on the following links for further clarification on excessing that can be used under Article 14 (Matters Not Covered).

School psychologists spend more time on paperwork than working with special needs students

A new survey released by Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum finds that, since the reorganizations of the special education system, school psychologists report that the significantly increased workload and the associated paperwork hinder their ability to complete quality student interventions and evaluations. At the same time, there are 86 school psychologists and social workers in the Department of Education's (DOE) Absent Teacher Reserve, earning a combined $7.1 million. Instead of being utilized in their respective fields of expertise, they are working as substitute or temporary teachers.

Randi Weingarten said, “It is important that precious education resources are used wisely, particularly given the difficult economic times we now face. We cannot afford to bury our school psychologists in paperwork when they could be helping students with emotional and behavioral issues succeed in their home-zoned schools and reducing the need for costly placements in specialized programs. School psychologists are spread very thin, but this problem could be mitigated by tapping the Absent Teacher Reserve pool, which has 28 psychologists and 58 social workers who lost their assignments through no fault of their own. Utilizing these specialists could benefit plenty of children.”

Read the Public Advocate's release.

Read the report: “Overworked, Underutilized: How the Department of Education’s Reorganizations of Special Education Turned School Psychologists from Mental Health Professionals into Paper Pushers”

Article 23 - SBST/CSE Psychologist and Social Worker Workload

Take the time to read this section. Many of you are being told to complete caseload management plans every week and you are also being told that you are required to complete either 3 assessment or 3 EPCs per week. None of this is accurate. It is our position that a monthly plan is sufficient and that it should be developed as a result of a sit down meeting with your supervisor. This would give you an opportunity to explore the needs of each child, which will vary from case to case. There is no quota on the number of cases to be completed each week.

Send your stories and recommendations for paperwork elimination to: paperwork@uft.org. Please give your name, discipline and school in these emails in the event is ti necessary to follow up. Members' confidentiality will be protected in any discussion with the DOE.

Standard Operating Procedures Manual

The DOE released on Oct. 28, 2008 an updated Standard Operating Procedures Manual for "The Referral, Evaluation, and Placement of School-Age Students with Disabilities." The nearly 300-page document, a comprehensive explanation of special education policies and procedures from referral through placement, is available as a PDF at the DOE's Special Education Educator Resources page. A companion "Practitioner's Guide with Primary Emphasis on Assessing Achievement as Part of an Evaluation for Special Education," is also available.

The big changes were summarized in this September New York Teacher column.

Download the Standard Operating Procedures Manual [PDF]
Download the Practitioner's Guide [PDF]

5 Year Longevity and 5% Contractual Raise

3,866 eligible pedagogues and 47 paraprofessionals WILL NOT be receiving the new 5 year longevity increase effective May 19, 2008 on their check dated May 30, 2008.

Per Session Rate Effective May 19, 2008 = $45.13

To File a Cluster Appeal

Follow the directions given by your Borough ISC.
If there are no directions given, write a letter to your ISC Deputy Executive Director of Special Education stating that you wish to appeal your cluster and why.
The ISC will notify you of the appointment date.

SBST Clustering

All members are urged to retain your clusters. This will not prevent you from applying on the Open Market if you wish to transfer. If you do not retain your cluster, you are, in effect, placing yourself in excess.

Proctoring

If you have been required to be a Test Proctor, Assistant Proctor or Hall Monitor, I need to hear from you either by e-mail aenglesbe@uft.org or phone (212) 598-7724.