STAFF DEVELOPMENT
DOE has notified us they will not be able to get out a menu for this school year. However, you still have same the 4 days available to you. Select a conference(s) that you want to attend and get supervisory approval. If the conference is professionally related to your work but supervisory approval is denied, please contact me or your boro leader at once. The DOE has agreed they will make sure there is a school year menu for 2004-5. DOE has also agreed to work with us to plan First Year SBST staff development for next fall.
SABBATICALS
The UFT won the arbitration that was brought about DOE’s wholesale denial of sabbaticals last June. There will be a great deal of information about this in the N.Y. Teacher. The DOE issued applications for sabbaticals for 2004-5. See application and schedule of UFT workshops here.
QUOTAS
Several regions (4, 6 and 10) have issued memos stating that each psychologist must do 3 psycho-eds and 3 IEP conferences each week. In addition, letters for the file have been written in regions 1, 7, and 5 on the same topic. It seems clear that this policy comes from central DOE. In the last contract negotiation DOE asked to remove productivity numbers from the contract which we agreed to do. Now they have instituted a new quota without consultation or negotiation. Based on feedback from our members, it is clear that DOE is also using school improvement team members to push productivity quotas and disciplinary action without due process. We filed a union initiated grievance against this policy and are looking at other courses of action that may also be available. Any individual psychologist who receives a letter on productivity should also file an individual grievance.
Many psychologists have also asked how to respond to the various demands they are receiving from principals, CSE chairs, psychology supervisors, RASE’s LIS’s and others. My suggestion is to work very hard during your defined work day (8-3:10 with a 30 minute lunch period) and be as productive as possible. You cannot be required to come in early, stay late or take work home. I know a great majority of you have done this and we can now see how DOE shows its gratitude. You should accomplish as many evaluations and IEP conferences as possible. I don’t believe there can be any weekly number that makes sense, each week may have its own anomalies. More importantly, each student is unique. You must use your professional judgment to decide how extensive an assessment each student needs. Do not be taken in by supervisors who yell "Flex don’t assess the students". Both the Flexible Assessment regulations and triennial procedures (which were negotiated by us) clearly state it is your professional judgment that rules.
RUMORS
There continue to be almost daily rumors about what will happen to social workers and psychologists in the future. One of the more recent rumors/threats is that if there aren’t 3 IEP conferences per week the entire assessment process will be contracted out. We believe that the rumor mill is working overtime this year. There is no foundation to any rumor we have heard this year. Obviously, job security is our most basic task as a union. We will alert you immediately if there is reason to believe any clinical job is at risk.
PSYCHOLOGISTS ACTION COMMITTEE
The first meeting of the Psychologists Action Committee will take place at the end of April. Those members who have been nominated to this committee will be notified. This committee was formed at the request of President Weingarten to explore any and all actions that can be taken to alleviate the current burden that psychologists are now experiencing.
WORK WITH NASW
We have been working with NASW since the fall. They will feature school social work in the May issue of their newsletter. Many school social workers participated in this project. In addition to featuring the many different roles social workers play at the DOE, NASW conducted a focus group of school social workers. This group highlighted the complexity and often life saving work of social workers while taking into account the obstacles we all face.
We are working with the NASW on a conference on school social work for next election day. More on this as it develops.
TRANSFER PLAN
We will be working with the DOE on the seniority transfer plan during the week of April 19. Hopefully, it can be disseminated in May. See info here.
ALLOCATION AND CLUSTERING
We are hoping to meet with the DOE shortly to work on the allocation of social workers and psychologists to districts. Once this is done, we should be able to get out a calendar for the clustering process. We hope clustering will begin in May of this year.
COMPLIANCE
As a result of the push for compliance, many social workers are being asked to volunteer to do social updates on triennials and re-evaluations or to work on turning 5 cases. If you want to volunteer, we have no problem with this. However, you shouldn’t be pressured into doing this. If you have any questions or need clarification, please call me or your boro leader.
MEETINGS WITH THE DEPUTY CHANCELLOR FARINA
DOE has notified us that the Deputy Chancellor would like to meet with psychologists. See meeting schedule here.
| BORO LEADERS: |
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| MANHATTAN |
Ruth Levine |
212-862-6890 |
| BRONX |
Ann McKie |
718-542-2650 X 5510 |
| BROOKYLN WEST |
Tony Negron |
(Dist. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 20) 718-492-0087 |
| BROOKLYN EAST |
Valerie Negron |
(Dist. 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, and 32) 718-443-7340 |
| QUEENS |
Lester Lehon |
718-793-3060 |
| STATEN ISLAND |
Ann Englesbe |
718-984-7702 |
REMINDERS- THE NEXT MEMBERSHIP MEETING OF OUR CHAPTER IS ON TUESDAY, MAY 25 AT 4:30 AT 52 Broadway, 2nd floor, Room A.
