New York TeacherDecember 4, 2014
Volume LVI, Number 4
Cover Stories
Mastering English through project-based learning
How many Americans say they took umpteen years of Spanish or French and cannot speak a word of it?
Teachers in New York City’s International High Schools, a dozen schools serving English language learners, would tell you that’s because for most Americans, their education did not hinge on mastering that second language. But non-English speakers entering city high schools don’t have a choice. They must rapidly acquire English to keep up with their subjects.
The way to do that, the teachers say, is for students to talk.
In a class of 25 students, in a 50-minute period, each student would speak for two minutes at most if the teacher never opened his or her mouth, notes Claire Sylvan, the executive director of the Internationals Network that oversees the schools. Over seven periods, that would add up to 14 minutes of talking a day.
“We don’t think that’s going to cut it,”…
Leading from the classroom
Four new teacher leadership positions were made possible by a federal Teacher Incentive Fund grant that supports a career-ladder initiative now operating in 77 high-needs middle schools across the city.
Equity and Fairness for All
Charter schools educate fewer high-needs students, yet those that are housed in public school buildings get more capita government school aid. Plus, many charters benefit from hefty amounts of private money.
Latest News
Arbitrator to help resolve retiree retro issue
"An arbitrator has now said that our members should receive all the money they are entitled to," said Michael Mulgrew. "We accept his offer to quickly work out the details."
Power, promise of community schools showcased
The power and promise of community schools were on display on Nov. 20 as invited educators, politicians and community leaders got an in-depth tour of the Community Health Academy of the Heights (CHAH), one of the UFT’s 23 Community Learning Schools.
UFT hails mayor’s plan to fix struggling schools
Rejecting his predecessor’s practice of closing struggling schools and replacing them with smaller ones, Mayor Bill de Blasio on Nov. 3 unveiled a new blueprint for turning around 94 of the city's most troubled schools.
Cogen winner Romain: Members must stay vigilant
In a fiery speech accepting the Charles Cogen Award, the union’s highest honor and the highlight of Teacher Union Day, Mona Romain told cheering colleagues, “The union is deep inside me.”
UFT strong!
The UFT is stronger than ever. That point was repeated often during the 54th annual Teacher Union Day ceremony, a day that honors those who participated in the first UFT strike on Nov. 7, 1960, and the union stalwarts of today.
More in News Stories
Feature Stories
A change for the better at Kingsborough
Teachers at Kingsborough Early College Secondary School in Brooklyn always prided themselves on their school’s commitment to professional development. At this grade 6–12 school with a unique model in which most students graduate with an associate’s degree, the staff had concentrated on the Common Core, the Danielson Framework for Teaching and other aspects of curriculum that would help their students become college-ready.
But professional development at Kingsborough had always been done in a traditional way — with an agenda determined by the school’s administration and conducted in a single session for the entire staff.
“We’ve had really successful PD,” said Thomas
4 Brooklyn high schools combine forces
Four Brooklyn large high schools decided to do something different this year for Election Day professional development: they pooled their resources so that teachers and paraprofessionals got training in their specific subject areas while meeting colleagues from neighboring schools.
Success spoken here
Emma Lazarus HS on the Lower East Side has drawn national attention for its stunning success in teaching English language learners from low-income families. Teachers give students the scaffolding they need to master English at the same time that they tackle difficult high school subjects.
Member Spotlight
What I Do
What I Do: Lindsay Orcutt, teacher of the blind and visually impaired
For 10 years, Orcutt has taught students from around the city who are blind or visually impaired strategies for learning and independence. "I tell them my job is to put myself out of a job," she says.
Around the UFT
NYCATA/UFT Artworks ’14 conference
Art educators caught up with her colleagues and gleaned ideas to take back to their schools at Artworks 2014, the 34th annual NYCATA conference on Oct. 25.
Welfare Fund’s annual breast cancer workshop
Annual mammograms and early detection can lead to the best outcomes for breast cancer treatment, the deputy physician-in-chief and director of breast cancer programs at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan told the nearly 100 who attended the annual breast cancer workshop at UFT headquarters.
UFT Veterans Committee marches in Veterans Day Parade
For the 15th straight year, members of the UFT Veterans Committee took part in the Veterans Day Parade in Manhattan on Nov. 11. “The crowds love the vets,” UFT Veterans Committee Chair John Garvey said. The only downer, he added, was “that the governor vetoed a pension legislation bill.”
Sushi chef, author does a cooking demo for families at PS 25, the Bronx
Myrna Connolly’s kindergarten students at PS 25 in the South Bronx gingerly sampled the seaweed but decided they liked the carrot wrap sushi that chef Tracy Griffith had prepared for them much better during her visit on Nov. 18.
Halloween fundraiser for teacher from PS 96, Manhattan
For one glorious night, Shirley Nieves pushed aside her pain and reveled in a circle of friends, family and former colleagues from PS 96 in East Harlem, who threw the beloved teacher a Halloween fundraiser for a lifesaving double lung transplant.
Your Rights and Benefits
Know Your Rights
Protecting yourself from bloodborne diseases, Part 1
Accidents, playground scrapes, bloody noses, fights, athletic injuries and violent episodes all have the potential for exposing you to a
Opinions
President's Perspective
Time to show what we can do
Our goal is to continue to work with the mayor and chancellor to show the public — in New York and beyond — what a great school system looks like and the role that empowered teachers have in building it
VPerspective
Never giving up on their students
"As long as there are students at this school, we are here to teach them." This is the sentiment echoed by educators at the 15 high schools citywide that are phasing out.
Opinion
Renewal of possibility
To fully appreciate Mayor Bill de Blasio’s new strategy to help struggling schools, it helps to remember former Mayor Bloomberg’s approach.
Opinion
An election without voters
Nearly three out of four registered voters in New York State stayed home on Election Day. Turnout — or the lack of turnout — has consequences. We are now left with a state Senate obligated to financiers who support unfettered expansion of charter schools.
Editorial Cartoons
Teaching Resources
Research shows
Chronic absenteeism and performance
New research confirms the link between chronic absenteeism — defined as a student not showing up on 18 or more days — and a school’s average test scores.
Teacher to Teacher
Connected educators know collaboration
Much like our 21st-century students, teachers today need be connected. As we become less isolated within the walls of our classrooms, opportunities to tune in and take learning into our own hands present themselves regularly — if we know where to look.
Building Your Career
Building Your Career
New Teacher Diaries
Wait for the joy
Every new teacher will go through myriad emotions as they set out on their journeys. But it is joy that new teachers should wait for with bated breath.
Retired Teachers News
SHIP 2015 premium notices
The Supplemental Health Insurance Program’s 2015 premium notices will be sent in early January to retirees who have not elected to pay premiums via automatic pension deduction.
AFT working to protect pensions
The American Federation of Teachers is working “to reclaim the promise of a secure retirement and … to ensure that all Americans, after careers of hard work and service, are able to live independent, dignified lives.”