Dear parents, grandparents and education activists,

Last week we enjoyed very informative presentations about the state and city budget processes and Title I from the Independent Budget Office and parent leaders. Many of us were unaware that Title I schools are required to have a Parent Advisory Council and that the best practice is to separate it from the Parent-Teacher Association. We also learned that schools can designate a minimum of 1 percent, and up to 5 percent, of their Title I funds for parent engagement activities. Read a tip sheet about Title I » or download a copy of the presentation »

I want to congratulate the parents who traveled to Chicago during the McDonald's shareholder meeting with the Fight for $15 campaign. They had a great time and, during the trip, heard the news that the New Jersey State Assembly passed a resolution to raise the minimum raise to $15. Inspiring organizing by activists like you has made this a national movement.

We kicked off our student art contest for the next UFT Manhattan parent conference, which will take place on Oct. 15. The winner will receive $50, which will be presented at the conference luncheon, and have his or her art featured on our conference program and brochure. This contest is open to children of all ages. The picture should illustrate our theme of "parents, students, teachers...stronger together." Please have your child submit a drawing before the deadline of June 24! See the flier »

And on that note, the UFT Manhattan parent conference planning committee is hard at work booking speakers, designing materials and making sure every detail of the Oct. 15 conference is perfect. If you want to get involved, come to our next meeting on Monday, June 13 at 6 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway on the 10th floor.

You may have heard about Eva Moscowitz, CEO of the Success Academy Charter Network, complaining that district schools with which her charters are co-located have empty classrooms and the charter schools need space. If your child's school is co-located with a Success Academy school and has lost space for services while the Success Academy school has a classroom for karate, art or other non-academic activities, let me know.

The UFT is working to strengthen communication and support between transitional housing shelters and the schools that students who live in those shelters attend. For example, on June 13, the UFT Dial-A-Teacher initiative will hold a workshop for parents living in shelters. If your child's school has many children living in transitional housing shelters and you want to get involved in this important work, contact me.

We've been busy lobbying the City Council to fund the UFT Community Learning Schools Initiative, a wonderful program that turns schools into community hubs by offering needed medical services, after-school programs and more. This is a different program than the Mayor's Community Schools.

Remember to sign up for UFT text messaging by texting the word "parent" to the number 30644 and answering the questions that follow. We'll alert you about political campaigns, breaking news and school cancellations due to weather. After just two more parents sign up, we'll start sending a text message that links to a copy of your newsletter you can easily read on your mobile phone.

Check out the events, news and resources below.

Sincerely,

Francine Streich
UFT Parent-Community Liaison

Upcoming events

• Wednesday, June 15: The DOE will host a parent conference in Spanish in order to improve access for families who speak little or no English. The conference will be from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Brooklyn Public Library. See the event listing »

• Thursday, June 16–Saturday, June 18: Manhattan residents are invited to "Demystifying Housing," a conference about affordable housing and tenant issues at the Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building, 163 W. 125th St. For more information and to register, see the website »

• Thursday, June 16: Sinergia, Inc. invites parents of children with disabilities to a workshop about teaching children tools for self-management called Empowered Parents, Empowered Children. The workshop will run from 10 a.m. to noon at 2082 Lexington Ave., 4th floor, in Manhattan. For more information and to register, see the event listing »

• Thursday, June 16: Middle school students and their families are invited to an information session about a free New York Public Library summer learning program called Middle School Innovation Labs. The information session will run from 6 to 6:45 p.m. at George Bruce Library, 518 W. 125th St. Drop in to ask questions and register for the program. See the flier »

• Friday, June 17: Support public school students' art by coming to Thrive: An Experiential Art Exhibition displaying the art of NYC public school students at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, in Manhattan. The evening will include a cocktail reception and art show. This event is sponsored by the UFT and the Thrive Collective. Admission is $50 (plus a $3.49 handling fee). Get tickets online now »

• Wednesday, June 22: There will be a meeting of the Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) at 6 p.m. at MS 131, 100 Hester St. in Manhattan. All are welcome to attend and give testimony. For more information, see the meeting agenda »

• Friday, June 24: Tell your school's parent coordinator about the UFT and the DOE's professional development conference for parent coordinators on how to support parents of children with disabilities on Friday, June 24 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway on the 19th floor. Please note that this event is for parent coordinators only. See the registration form »

• Sunday, June 26: The Museum of Modern Art invites people with disabilities and their families to a free educational session for people with developmental disabilities about architecture and modern art at the museum, which is located at 11 W. 53rd St. The session from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. is open to children below the age of 18, and the session from 2 to 4 p.m. is open to adults. For more information, see the website »

Summer camps and programs

• 8 free museums to take your child to this summer: Check out this list of free NYC museums to visit with your famly »

• Essay contest for a free week of sleepaway camp: The YMCA invites children between the ages of 7 and 15 to enter a contest for a free week of sleepaway camp in Huguenot, NY. Students can enter the contest by writing an essay, filling out the application form and returning both to Manhattan North Management on 126th St. The application deadline is June 20 For more information, download the application form »

• Basketball camp — Discounted price until June 15: Safe Haven's Home Court Basketball Camp is offering discounted registration prices of $220 or $275 per week until June 15. This camp is held on weekdays at PS 6, 45 E. 81st St. For more information, see the website »

• Paid summer internships for young adults: New Yorkers between the ages of 17 and 24 who are not working and not in school are eligible to apply for a paid internship program with the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation. To apply, call 212-453-5381. See the flier »

• Summer camps for kids with special needs: Check out this list from Mommy Poppins of summer camps for children with disabilities »

• Sports classes for kids in NYC parks this summer: The City Parks Foundation offers free sports classes in soccer, track and field, golf, tennis and more. Register online now »

• Dual-enrollment and college-readiness programs: High school students are invited to enroll in College Now summer programs. These are dual-enrollment (both college and high school credit) classes and college-readiness classes offered by CUNY. They span many disciplines and are offered in all boroughs. For more information, visit the website »

News

• New social justice workspace in Chelsea: The Center for Social Innovation is a new workspace and community center for activists and fledgling nonprofits. It could be a great location for those of you starting new organizing efforts to get work done and make connections. See the website »

• Gates Foundation laments Common Core implementation: A report from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation admits that in implementing the Common Core standards, they underestimated the resources of local school districts and failed to engage with parents and educators. Find out more »

• Interactive online tool to look at education spending: The New York Federal Reserve has created an interactive infographic that allows users to look at data on education spending in New York City by geographic area, by student and more. Check it out »

• Anti-bullying resources for parents: Bully Bust, an organization that works to prevent bullying and create safe school climates for all children, has resources for parents. See the website »

Opportunities

• Sinergia is hiring: Sinergia, a community service organization based in New York City, is seeking a program director to work with parents with developmental disabilities. For more information, see the job listing »

• Fresh fruits and vegetables for seniors: Manhattan seniors are eligible to receive $8 bags of fruits and vegetables every week through a program from Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer. For more information, see the website »

• Leadership workshop series in Manhattan: This summer, Manhattan Borough President Gail Brewer will host a series of workshops about community leadership in local government. To find out more, see the registration form »