Newcomer Checklist: May 10, 2012

Rights and benefits

If you are a probationary teacher, ask for an assignment in your license area when you fill out your preference sheet for next year. Teaching out of license may result in an extension of probation, delaying your tenure.
If you want to temporarily suspend your participation in a transit benefit like TransitChek or Park-n-Ride for the summer, you must do so online by May 14. Go to the DOE’s payroll portal at https://payrollportal.nycboe.net and follow the instructions for entering the suspension and resumption dates so your payroll deductions end after the school year is over and automatically resume by the start of school in September.
Want to teach in summer school? Complete the online application, available on the DOE website at www.nycenet.edu/summerjobs as soon as possible before the May 17 deadline. A word of caution: You may edit your application after you have submitted it, but the application date will be reset. And don’t edit your application after May 17 or it will be considered late.
If your principal wants to extend your probation, keep in mind that you have the right to not sign the notice of extension immediately, giving you time to get legal advice. Call your UFT borough office right away and ask to speak to your district rep. The UFT will arrange to have a union lawyer review the notice of extension and advise you, in accordance with your rights. If your principal insists that you must sign the extension immediately, ask to speak to your chapter leader first.
Did you complete courses last fall that qualify you for any salary differential? Then be sure to file for the extra payment within six months or the salary increase will not be retroactive to your date of eligibility. You can download the application form from the DOE website at http://schools.nyc.gov. After completing the application, make a copy for your records together with the required documentation, and hand deliver the materials to 65 Court St., Brooklyn, Room 102, or send the original “Return Receipt Requested” to the address on the form.
The annual Open Market Transfer Plan period began on April 16. The plan offers all pedagogues access to job openings throughout the city through an online registration process. During this period, which ends Aug. 7, you do not need a release from your principal to change schools. The Open Market Q-and-A on the UFT website offers more information about the process.
Interested in switching from your current school to another school? Then check this year’s Open Market Transfer Plan, which began on April 16. The plan offers all pedagogues access to job openings in public schools throughout the city through an online registration process. The DOE will post all anticipated vacancies on its website soon at www.nycenet.edu/offices/dhr/transferplane. You may apply for a vacancy in any license you hold by completing an online application form. However, since schools may get hundreds of online applications, it’s advisable to follow up by sending the schools that interest you a hard copy of your application together with a cover letter and resume. Check the site regularly since new vacancies may appear. During the open market transfer period, which ends Aug. 7, you do not need a release from your principal to change schools. You may even apply to schools without current openings, and your application will be kept on file in case an opening occurs. For fuller information about the transfer plan, check the Q&A on page 30 in this issue.
If you are summoned for an interview by your principal, another DOE employee or any investigatory agency that may lead to disciplinary action, you are entitled to be accompanied by a union representative (or a representative employed by the school system). If you are not sure about the purpose of the interview, ask, “Could this interview lead to disciplinary action against me?” If the answer is yes, the UFT generally recommends that you not answer any questions without proper representation, regardless of who has summoned you to appear or whether the interview is inside the school or out. Immediately ask for your chapter leader, who can assist you and, if appropriate, will contact your district rep on your behalf.
If you are doing any per-session work, keep in mind that, even if you participate in direct deposit for your regular Q-bank paycheck, you must enroll separately for your per-session payment to be made electronically. Just go to the DOE’s Payroll Portal at https://payrollportal.nycboe.net, scroll down and click on Enroll in EFT/Direct Deposit for each Payroll that you are Actively Employed on, then click on the new payroll you want to change to direct deposit. See your school payroll secretary if you have further questions.
The UFT offers after-school maternity workshops for pregnant women in all borough offices. For upcoming workshop dates, rules and registration instructions, call your UFT borough office.
Did you recently get married, have a baby, add or drop an eligible dependent? To cover new dependents, update your personal information:
- To notify the UFT Welfare Fund, go to www.uftwf.org, click on “Update My Information,” and file a Change of Status Form electronically within 30 days of the event. (A hard copy of the form is available from your chapter leader or by calling the Welfare Fund’s forms hotline at 1-212-539-0539.)
- Update your New York City health plan by contacting HR Connect at 718-935-4000. • To notify the DOE, use its Personal and Tax Data Change Form at http://schools.nyc.gov on the DOE website. Print the form and follow the instructions on it. Send one copy to the DOE and give one to your school secretary.
- With family changes, review and, if appropriate, update your beneficiary forms with the Teachers’ Retirement System or the Board of Education Retirement System and any private insurance you hold.
See also Know Your Rights and Know Your Benefits.

Certification and licensing

If you plan to apply for your professional certificate this summer, complete the section of the application that asks you to list your teaching experience before the end of June, when you can easily find your principal. The New York State Education Department does not check with the DOE to find out how much teaching experience you have. You’ll need to show that you had three years of teaching experience and have it verified by your principal as part of your application process. You can view and complete the application at www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert.
You may be able to eliminate course credit deficiencies for your state certification requirements by getting passing grades on exams given by the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) or Excelsior College Examinations. Contact each testing company for information about which exams it offers, costs and registration procedures: for CLEP, go to http://clep.collegeboard.org; check DANTES at www.getcollegecredit.com or by calling 1-877-471-9860; and for Excelsior exams go to www.excelsior.edu, or call 1-888-72EXAMS. If you have further questions, call TeacherLine at 1-212-253-8800, an educational liaison in your UFT borough office, or the union’s Department of Certification Services at 1-212-420-1830.
If you have fulfilled all your state certification requirements or are close to doing so, remember to apply for your professional certificate online at www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert. No certificate is issued automatically! Check your TEACH online account for the documents you need to submit together with your $100 application fee (reduced to $50 if you have a college recommendation). Make copies of everything before you send it in. Mail your packet “Return Receipt Requested” to the New York State Education Department and file the receipt with the copies of your paperwork. Since it takes time to process your application, it’s a good idea to complete all your requirements early and apply at least six months before your time-limited certificate expires. Also, notify the state, the DOE and the UFT if you move. Otherwise you may not receive mailed notices or certificates and other important information.
The DOE sent out a second warning letter to about 2,000 teachers with unresolved certification issues to resolve them immediately. These teachers are working with certificates that expired on Aug. 31, 2011, or Jan. 31, 2012. A separate group of almost 780 teachers are working with a time extension for their certification granted by the state that will expire on Aug. 31. They, too, were warned in writing by the DOE that if they do not complete their requirements or receive another extension by the expiration date, they will be fired. These warnings should not be ignored. If you received either letter, follow the instructions as soon as possible. UFT President Michael Mulgrew sent a second reminder letter to the same teachers offering assistance through the UFT borough offices. Ask to speak to an education liaison who will answer your questions about your certification problems and help you find ways to resolve them.
Teachers who received a time extension to complete their requirements for permanent or professional state certification must complete all remaining requirements and apply for their certificate before that extension expires. You will not receive another extension and are in danger of termination if you do not. If you have questions or problems, call the UFT Certification Services Department at 1-212-420-1830 for a telephone consultation or to make an appointment.
If you are in your fifth year of teaching and still have not achieved you permanent or professional state certification, you must meet your “maximum requirements” within the five-year time limit the state allows. Log in at the New York State Education Department website — www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert — for the requirements and take the necessary steps to complete all your requirements before your five years are up. If you have questions or problems, call the UFT Certification Services Department at 1-212-420-1830 for a telephone consultation or to make an appointment.

Professional development

The UFT is offering a low-cost professional development workshop on Differentiating in Mathematics for elementary school teachers from 4 to 6 p.m. on May 22 at UFT headquarters; and on May 24 in the UFT Queens Office. This workshop will: 1. explain the six principles of differentiated instruction; 2. discuss strategies for tiering content to meet the needs of all learners; and 3. explore the role of assessment in differentiation. For fees and to register, use the coupon in the Spring 2012 UFT Courses educational supplement or go to www.uft.org/courses (you’ll need to be logged in for online registration).
UFT vice presidents sponsor low-cost professional development workshops for members who teach in each division:
- “Creating Engaging and Alternative Lessons” is recommended for high school teachers who want to create high-quality lessons that actively engage all students; 4:15-6:15 p.m. on May 8 and 10.
- “Differentiated Instruction – Part II” will show middle school teachers how to support differentiated instruction in their classrooms using hands-on activities that serve as models for planning; 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on May 12.
- “Using Podcasting to Enrich Learning” helps elementary school teachers enhance instruction of the Common Core Learning Standards with visual and auditory learning components accessed with the 21st-century technology of podcasting; 4-6 p.m. on May 8 at UFT headquarters and on May 10 at the UFT Queens office.
- “Differentiated Instruction — Part I: Assessment” shows middle school teachers how to use informal, everyday assessments and good data recording as first steps toward providing students with differentiated instruction based on their individual learning styles and intelligences; May 5, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Part II follows on May 12, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
All workshops are at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, unless otherwise noted. For fees and to register, use the coupon in the Spring 2012 UFT Courses educational supplement or go to www.uft.org/courses (you’ll need to be logged in for online registration).
A few sessions are left in May and June for the UFT’s low-cost mandated workshops in Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting, Violence Prevention and the Needs of Children with Autism. To register, complete the coupon in the spring 2012 UFT educational supplement or register online at www.uft.org/courses.
Take an education vacation by participating in the New York Public Library’s free Teaching & Learning Summer Seminar, “100 years of NYPL: America Then and Now,” July 9 to 14. While the last 100 years have brought many changes to New York City and the country, many of the cultural and political issues remain the same. The seminar will delve deeply into the library's collections to illustrate how primary resources narrate the story of the early 20th century in order for teachers to be able to lead their students to draw conclusions and comparisons to today. Teachers will learn how to engage their students in studies of history through multiple entry points into the subject area, utilizing primary resources, writing from evidence and the arts. For more information, call 1-212-576-0037.
This year’s UFT Spring Education Conference will take place on Saturday, May 12 at the New York Hilton. The day will include breakfast, panels/workshops, exhibits, a gala luncheon, and presentation of the John Dewey Award. See page 30 for further details and a registration coupon.
Middle school and high school teachers of English, history and fine arts are invited to participate in a free professional development conference on “Echoes and Reflections: A Multimedia Curriculum on the Holocaust.” This curriculum, which fulfills a state instructional mandate, uses materials prepared jointly by the USC Shoah Foundation Institute, Yad Vashem, and the Anti-Defamation League. The conference will be held in New York City from July 16 to 20. Participants will: 1. learn from experts and Holocaust survivors; 2. receive and practice using interactive lessons and resources; and 3. discover strategies for providing accurate and authentic Holocaust education in the classroom. For details and an application, contact Nicola Straker at nstraker@adl.org. Application deadline: June 11.
See the UFT Calendar for new teacher opportunities.
The Web has many useful resources for teachers. Check "Linking to Learning" for some good Internet sites.

Miscellaneous

As part of the union’s continuing “Be BRAVE Against Bullying” campaign, the UFT and co-sponsors AFT and NEA are encouraging schools to sign up for the May 4 Stand4Change. At noon on that day, students and teachers across North America will stop and stand to oppose bullying. Participating schools will be given a short video to be played during the event. Stand4Change was developed by the creator and organizer of "We Are the World." Ask your chapter leader if your school has signed up for this action.
Want to help students in your school be healthier and more fit? Then check out the UFT website’s Health and Wellness section at www.uft.org/our-rights/health-wellness. You’ll find information about various union-supported health and fitness initiatives for schools, including: 1. the Move-To-Improve program, which provides training, stipends and equipment so elementary school teachers can implement fitness activities in the classroom; 2. the Cookshop program, which provides training, stipends and equipment so teachers can introduce cooking and other hands-on activities to encourage healthy eating for students and their families; and 3. Breakfast in the Classroom, which offers students in participating schools a free — and healthy — daily breakfast. Ask your chapter leader if your school already participates or may want to participate in the next school year.
The UFT, in partnership with the Mutual Housing Association of NY, is sponsoring a program to offer affordable housing opportunities in the city to UFT members. Go to www.mutualhousingny.org/events for events in your borough, and click on the event for more information, including how to register. When you call, identify yourself as a UFT member. Families at risk of mortgage default should call and schedule a Foreclosure Prevention Seminar at 1-347-410-5894. Both the seminars and the counseling sessions are free and open to all UFT members.
An easy way to stay on track with your teaching career, professionally and financially, is by checking the Career Timeline on the UFT website at www.uft.org/teaching/career-timeline. Just slide the pointer along the ruler and you’ll find reminders and information about what to do and what you need to know at each stage of your career — starting with your first year in the classroom and taking you through to what should be a fulfilling professional life.
Be sure to secure your personal and school property. The UFT recommends these safety measures: 1. leave all valuables at home; 2. don’t leave your keys or property unattended; 3. don’t flash your cash; and 4. have a strong lock to secure your purse or wallet and don’t share or give out the combination or key. For additional safety measures or to voice your specific concerns, consult your chapter leader and members of your School Safety Committee.
Remind your students and their caretakers that Dial-A-Teacher, the UFT’s homework helpline, is available Monday to Thursday, 4 to 7 p.m. By dialing 212-777-3380, callers can get a teacher’s personal help, in many different languages, with homework assignments in most subjects. Elementary school teachers should have received a Dial-A-Teacher welcome box containing posters and stickers for kids with the helpline’s phone number. If not, ask your chapter leader or call Dial-A-Teacher’s office at 212-598-9205.
It’s easy to stay on top of the latest UFT happenings. First sign up at www.uft.org/user/register This will enable you to receive urgent Action Alerts, subscribe to news updates in your areas of interest, enroll online for UFT courses and workshops, view searchable contracts online and update your contact information. Also, connect with the union on Facebook by going to www.facebook.com/uftny and click Like. You’ll get links to timely news stories and blog posts, action alerts, union events and details about President Mulgrew’s TV and radio appearances right in your News Feed. Plus, you can interact with other users by commenting on our posts. Prefer Twitter? Click on Follow at http:// twitter.com/uft.
Remember to think twice before posting messages, photos or videos on social networking sites. School staff members are held to a high standard, and, like it or not, it is wise to consider how such postings may be interpreted by the public. Before you post a photo or describe a fun summer activity, ask yourself: Would I be OK if my mother, grandmother, clergy member or kid sister saw the posting?
Need a form or application? The UFT website has a wealth of useful forms — UFT, DOE and even New York State forms and applications. Go to UFT Forms to access or print forms pertaining to leaves, salary, Workers’ Comp, special education and much more.

Especially for rookies

Are you a UFT member or an agency fee payer? You might think you are a union member and not be one. To be sure, check with your chapter leader. If you’re not a member yet, fill out a UFT enrollment card or simply register online: just go to www.uft.org/ueinfo on the UFT website. Remember that only union members can vote on proposed contracts, run for union office and participate in NYSUT and AFT member benefits programs.
If you join the Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) after being a member of another public retirement system in the State or City of New York, you may be eligible to transfer your credited service and funds to the TRS from your previous pension system. Once you have a TRS membership number, you can request such a transfer. Speak to a pension consultant in your UFT borough office before deciding or to ask any questions you may have about transferring.
If you have not already done so, be sure to register for your TEACH online account. This will enable you to track the state certification requirements you have already met and those you still need to meet. Go to the State Education Department website at www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert and click the box on the right. Remember, you must fulfill all your requirements within five years of receiving your Initial Certification.
Newly appointed teachers can reduce their probationary period if they qualify for Jarema credit. Normally, in addition to achieving permanent state certification, teachers must complete three years of satisfactory service during probation before being eligible for tenure. However, you can apply for up to two years of credit toward your probation period if you taught for two or more years with a satisfactory rating as a regular substitute teacher in the same license and at the same school level as your appointment. To apply for Jarema credit, complete an Application for Reduction of Probationary Period, available on the DOE website. Return your completed form to the Division of Human Resources at 65 Court St. in Brooklyn, Room 811, as soon as possible after your appointment.
All first-year teachers: Be sure to carefully review and save the email you received from the DOE’s Department of Human Resources, which records all your current information concerning your New York City license/appointment and New York State certification. Most importantly, check that it is accurate. If not, be sure to follow the DOE’s instructions right away to correct any errors in the record.