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                             Governor Eliot Spitzer proclaims May 2007 as
                                        Better Hearing and Speech Month
                                               in the State of New York
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Dear UFT Speech Chapter Members,

It is with great pride and pleasure that I welcome you to the updated UFT Speech Chapter website.  For many years, I have discussed changing this website and making it more user-friendly.  Here you will find the memos that our chapter fought hard to get from the Department of Education. They include:  space, paperwork reduction, attending IEP meetings, class coverages, special education complaints and annual reviews.  Please let me know if there is something that you would like me to include in this site in the future.

As your chapter leader, I am here to support your needs and the entire UFT is ready to help you.  Every borough office is open until at least 6 PM, and at least one night until 7 PM. Our speech chapter hotline is available Monday - Friday from 4-6 PM at (212) 598-7774.  Sandy Robinson, Kathy Lewis and I are here to answer your questions and help you make informed choices about your rights and decisions that you may need to make.

I write a speech chapter newsletter several times a year which is posted on our webpage and includes past and present articles.  You may want to view these to keep you abreast of what has been accomplished by our chapter.  Listed in the first newsletter of the year are your elected executive board, and their home phone numbers. You may call them early in the evening to discuss any issues or questions that you may have.  We also have a list of volunteer liaisons posted in the spring newsletter.  You can talk to these members, who work locally, about things that may be happening in your districts.
 
One of the proudest accomplishments of this chapter is our distance learning master's degree program in Speech Language Pathology through Western Kentucky University.  Although it took many years to formulate, we now have two cohorts that have graduated this program and two more that are working towards this degree!  All of these UFT members are able to work for the DOE while obtaining this degree.  They get support through our wonderful UFT Teachers Center Speech coaches; Virginia Hill, Ed Sweeney, Angel Tapia and Juanita Dunbar. We would never have obtained this program without the generous support of Randi Weingarten our UFT President, Vice Presidents Carmen Alvarez, who is also our liaison to the speech chapter, and the Director of Teachers Center Aminda Gentile.  Geri Hershowitz, also from Teachers Center; Liz Truly, former NYSUT council; and Ann Rosen, Special Representative Licensing and Certification were also instrumental in formulating this program.  It is also co-sponsored by the Department of Education and State Education Department.  Approximately 70 members have already graduated this program and another 75 are currently enrolled in the WKU program which has ASHA accreditation.  All graduates complete clinical hours both on the job under the supervision of our speech coaches, in our own UFT resource center and other clinical externships throughout the city.

Currently there are approximately 1900 speech improvement teachers and speech language pathologists working for the New York City Department of Education in New York City.  Although we work in different areas of the city and with very different populations, all of us do a very important job.  Whether we work in a regional school district, a citywide program or high school, every child deserves appropriate speech and language services that are recommended on their individual education plans (IEPs).  As part of the IEP team we help to determine the best speech services for our students.

There are great shortages of speech personnel across the country.  In the city I know that there is mounting pressure to change speech mandates and give less services.  We as professionals must balance best practices, meeting the needs of the children, while moving along the continuum of services.  We also need to be mindful of whether the student's speech language skills are commensurate with his or her peers and how they are doing educationally.  If you are getting pressured to change mandates and you do not agree with the administration, then you need to call our hotline number and let us know that this is happening to you.  As a professional, you must decide what is the best for each and every student.  It should not be decided on shortages of personnel.  This is a very difficult job and it takes skill, dedication and the right balance to make sure that the child is receiving what they really need to do their best.  We at the speech chapter are here to support you.
 
Lastly, staff development workshops and all meeting notices for the chapter will be posted on this website; check it frequently.  Please consider becoming a volunteer liaison and getting involved in our great chapter.  We could use more representatives in several districts.  I may be available to attend a speech meeting in your district or region if you contact me, and we speak to your speech supervisor in advance.  I hope to be able to meet many of you at a meeting soon.  In unity we stand together; there is power in information.

Fraternally,
Mindy Karten Bornemann