Q & A on the issues
What you need to know about Teacher's Choice
Sep 17, 2009 1:30 PM
Even as many City Council program priorities were cut in the final city budget due to the current economic climate, the UFT was successful in salvaging Teacher’s Choice funds, which had been threatened with elimination.
Teacher’s Choice allocations were maintained at the same level this year as they were last year, and vary by title. They are as follows: $150 for all classroom, school-based teachers in New York City public (district) schools; $100 for social workers, school psychologists and guidance counselors; $75 for lab specialists; and $50 for school secretaries and high school assistant principals who teach at least one class per day.
The Teacher’s Choice program, now in its 23rd year, is built on the premise that educators are in the best position to decide what supplies they need for their classrooms and assignments. The program remains an important supplement to meeting instructional supply needs.
If you’ve already begun making purchases, you may use receipts that date back to Aug. 1, 2009. The purchasing period ends on March 15, 2010.
Everyone eligible to participate in the Teacher’s Choice program will receive an allocation to cover purchases made anywhere — as long as the purchases are for appropriate educational materials for use in a classroom or other professional assignment. That allocation will be distributed by the Department of Education early in December.
Will I receive any instructions from the Department of Education before I receive the Teacher’s Choice allocation?
Detailed information on the program, along with instructions and key forms, is available online — or soon will be — on the Department of Education’s Division of Financial Operations Web site. Members who do not have access to a computer should request a printed copy from their school principal.
What’s the time frame for spending my allocation?
Appropriate purchases made starting Aug. 1, 2009 and continuing through March 15, 2010, that you can document with a receipt will be honored.
Will I be required to complete any paperwork prior to receiving my allocation?
Yes. In the “Teacher’s Choice Guidelines,” there’s a form entitled: “Statement of Purpose/Accountability Report.” You must sign a statement at the top of this form that certifies that you will comply with the program’s regulations and procedures (which are spelled out in the guidelines) and provide a general description of the instructional materials/basic school supplies that you have purchased since Aug. 1 or that you intend to purchase (e.g., science equipment and materials, art supplies, etc.).
After you have completed and signed this form, you submit it to your principal. The principal will give the form back to you at the time you receive your Teacher’s Choice allocation. Remember to fill out Section II of the Accountability Form if you are purchasing computer software and supplies for your personally owned computer to be used for student-related purposes. You must get your principal’s prior approval.
Can I make my purchases in any store that I choose?
Yes. You can also buy online.
What can I use my allocation for?
As always, the funds are to be used for the purchase of supplies and materials for use in classrooms and assignments and for computer supplies or software for use on personally owned computers with the principal’s prior approval. Items that are not permissible include:
- furniture;
- any equipment that requires special wiring or installation;
- fees for trips, seminars, courses, performances or any type of professional services; personal items including, but not limited to, clothing, briefcases/backpacks, business cards, cellular phones, personal desk accessories and other than basic writing materials;
- computer supplies and software for use on personally owned computers purchased without the proper completion of Section II of the Statement of Purpose Form;
- a GPS, PDA or iPOD;
- printers, scanners and other accessories for personally owned computers;
- refrigerators and other appliances unless they are specifically related to the subject area/assignment for which the teacher is responsible;
- air conditioners, fans;
- paper shredders;
- gifts for students including candy/snacks and food for parties;
- subscriptions to newspapers, magazines, journals, etc., unless they are for direct use by students; and
- repair of personally owned computers.
Will I have to pay sales tax on the items I purchase?
If you use a DOE contract vendor, you won’t have to pay sales tax. Other vendors may require a tax-exempt certificate before not charging sales tax. Since the DOE is not distributing tax-exempt certificates for use in the program, unless your school elects to provide you with a copy of its tax-exempt form, you may be unable to provide retailers with the documentation needed to establish the tax-exempt status of your Teacher’s Choice purchases. If you must pay a sales tax, you should charge that cost to your allocation.
What if I’m not sure about the appropriateness of an item I plan to purchase?
You may want to seek guidance from your chapter leader or principal before making the purchase.
What happens if the principal questions the appropriateness of something I have indicated I might purchase?
The program guidelines state:
“Principals should refer any questions regarding information listed on Accountability Forms, including general descriptions of intended purchases, to UFT chapter leaders for consultation with teachers.”
How will I document the purchases I make with the allocation?
On the back of the Accountability Form you’ll be required to list the dates of your purchases, the dates you brought your purchases to school and the name of the vendor (or store) you used. You’ll also have to list the items you purchased (unless your receipt is itemized) and the cost of each purchase. You must attach receipts/invoices to the Accountability Form.
When must I submit my completed Accountability Form?
You must submit it with original receipts to the principal by March 23, 2010. We strongly recommend that you retain copies of your Accountability Form and all of your receipts.
What happens if I don’t spend part of my allocation?
If the unspent allocation is less than $5, it can be deposited into the school’s student activity fund where it may be spent by the school, for student purposes, in accordance with standard procedures. If the principal does not authorize the deposit of an unspent balance into this fund, or the school does not have such an account, you should write a personal check made payable to the Department of Education and give it to your principal.
If the unspent allocation is more than $5, you must give a personal check made out to the Department of Education to your principal.
What will happen if I fail to submit my Accountability Form or fail to provide receipts for listed purchases?
deposited into the school’s student activity fund where it may be spent by the school, for student purposes, in accordance with standard procedures. If the principal does not authorize the deposit of an unspent balance into this fund, or the school does not have such an account, you should write a personal check made payable to the Department of Education and give it to your principal.
If the unspent allocation is more than $5, you must give a personal check made out to the Department of Education to your principal.
What will happen if I fail to submit my Accountability Form or fail to provide receipts for listed purchases?
You will be subject to a salary deduction in the amount of your full allocation.
Are the materials I purchase my personal property?
No. All supplies and materials purchased with your Teacher’s Choice allocation become the property of the Department of Education.
What happens to my Teacher’s Choice supplies if I leave my school?
Staff members who made purchases and are transferred prior to the issuance of checks may either take the materials purchased to their new assignments and pay for them with the check that they receive at the new assignment; or request authorization to turn over the materials involved to the school to which they were initially assigned together with a funding request to receive reimbursement for the cost of the items. The imprest fund request must be accompanied by valid receipts and the school will be directly responsible for all costs involved.
Is there a number I can call if, after having reviewed the “Teacher’s Choice Guidelines,” I need additional information?
Call the Division of Financial Operations, Special Projects Office at 1-718-935-3304.
What are this year’s Teacher’s Choice allocations?
In the districts, $150 for all teachers: general education teachers, special ed teachers, staff developers, instructional coaches and teacher trainers, speech teachers, and attendance teachers. Guidance counselors, social workers and school psychologists will receive $100. The allotment for lab specialists is $75. All school secretaries will receive $50.
What if I meet the eligibility requirements and don’t receive a check?
This would indicate that your Employee Information System record needs to be updated. Your principal is responsible for seeing that this is done. All eligible staff on payroll as of the middle of October should receive an allocation.
Can I pool my allocation, or part of my allocation, with colleagues toward a group purchase?
Yes. If you are pooling a portion of your allocation to make a purchase totaling less than $250, make multiple copies of the receipt/invoice listing the item, together with its cost, and indicate the names of the participants and the dollar amount each one contributed to the purchase. Attach a copy of the receipt/invoice to your Accountability Form and indicate the dollar amount you contributed toward the purchase on the form itself.
If the dollar amount of a pooled purchase is in excess of $250, the item(s) must be purchased from a vendor who has an existing DOE contract for the item(s) involved or the items must be purchased in accord with the appropriate bidding procedures, as outlined in the “Standard Operation Procedures” (SOP) available online on the Division of Contracts and Purchasing Web site at http://schools.nyc.gov/Offices/DCP (under the bulleted item on the left called Division of Contracts and Purchasing, click General Information, then Policy and Procedures). If bids are solicited, each participant must be certain to attach appropriate documentation to his or her Accountability Form for audit purposes.
Will I be able to contribute part of my allocation to a departmental or school fund?
All participants will receive a full Teacher’s Choice allocation. Those who wish to contribute to departmental or school funds may do so by writing a personal check to the school (attach a copy of the canceled check to your Accountability Form) or by cash (be sure to get a signed receipt and attach it to the Accountability Form). In addition, please complete a “Receipt for School Fund Contribution” form (available online).
What if I’m pressured to contribute to a department or school pool?
Bring this to the attention of your chapter leader or district representative.
May I use my allocation to lease equipment?
Yes. By contributing to a departmental or school pool, the combined funds may be used to lease copiers and other equipment.
Can Teacher’s Choice funds be used to pay for service contracts on such equipment?
Yes, as long as pooled funds are used. You may not use your individual allocation for this.
Who is eligible to participate in the Teacher’s Choice program?
District general education: All classroom teachers, including cluster/coverage teachers, teachers of library and all teachers in reimbursable programs — for example, Title I and PCEN. Lab specialists are eligible as are attendance teachers. Teachers assigned working in an instructional capacity are also eligible as are staff developers, teacher trainers and instructional coaches.
District special ed: All classroom (self-contained and resource room), crisis intervention, industrial arts and speech teachers, staff developers, teacher trainers, instructional coaches, language coordinators and health coordinators.
Collaborative sites: Teachers in grades 8 and under, following the above teacher criteria.
Citywide special ed: All self-contained and resource room classroom teachers, coverage, crisis intervention, job developers and industrial arts teachers, home hospital instruction teachers, speech teachers (tax levy and EHA funded), hearing and vision teachers, attendance teachers and staff developers, instructional coaches and teacher trainers.
District general education guidance counselors: Guidance counselors (regardless of funding source, for example, Title I) working in elementary, intermediate and junior high schools.
District special ed guidance counselors: All special education-related service counseling providers (including guidance counselors and social workers).
School-Based Support Teams: All members of School-Based Support Teams located in elementary, intermediate and junior high schools as well as all members of Regional Committees on Special Education.
High schools: All instructional staff assigned to classroom duties who teach at least one class per day are eligible to receive allocations. Included in this category are all classroom teachers (both general ed and special ed), teachers of speech improvement and all supervisory personnel (assistant principals) who teach at least one class per day, as well as staff developers, instructional coaches and teacher trainers.
Also in the high schools, teachers of library, guidance counselors (including Related Service Counseling Providers), school secretaries, laboratory specialists, all members of School-Based Support Teams and attendance teachers are eligible.
ATRs(Absent Teacher Reserve) in all titles will receive a Teacher’s Choice allocation.
Are there other ways to offset my out-of-pocket costs for supplemental school supplies?
Remember that unreimbursed spending on school supplies (that is, any spending above and beyond your Teacher’s Choice allocation) is tax-deductible. Another great resource is DonorsChoose.org, a Web site that connects classrooms in need of materials with individuals who can help.
