New York TeacherSeptember 6, 2018
Cover Stories
UFT to new hires: We want you!
The UFT extended a welcoming hand to new hires in August as it launched an enrollment drive in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the Janus v. AFSCME case.
The union organized a book giveaway for new teachers on Aug. 11, [see Starting off by the book] had a strong presence at DOE New Teacher Week in mid-August and held open houses at UFT headquarters and borough offices at the end of the month.
More than 1,000 new teachers crowded Shanker Hall at union headquarters on Aug. 20 at the kickoff to New Teacher Week, which is designed to provide new educators with the practical tips and support needed to hit the ground running on Day One…
From the classroom to the campaign trail
After a spring awakening of walkouts and strikes, educators around the country are running for office in unprecedented numbers to have a say in the decisions that affect their lives and the lives of their students.
RX for success
The intent young scientists in sterile lab coats, masks and gloves laboring at busy lab stations like professional researchers are actually 11th-graders at Union Square Academy for Health Sciences, the only high school in New York City with a pharmaceutical program.
Latest News
Paid parental leave a godsend for new parents
UFT members planning to have children were excited about the new paid parental leave policy and reassured about what it would mean for their families.
Starting off by the book
Hundreds of new teachers will start their school year with up to 50 free books apiece for their classroom, courtesy of the UFT’s book giveaway on Aug. 11.
Judge blocks Trump’s anti-worker orders
In a victory for unions, a federal judge on Aug. 25 invalidated three executive orders from the Trump administration intended to make it easier to fire federal workers and weaken their union representation.
Betsy DeVos rolls back another student protection
U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced on Aug. 10 that the U.S. Department of Education will eliminate an Obama-era rule protecting students from for-profit post-secondary schools that load their students with debt without equipping them with the skills to find jobs where they can earn enough to pay it off.
Anti-labor email barrage targets union members
Teachers and other government workers in New York and neighboring states were deluged with deceptive emails about opting out of their unions immediately after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Janus ruling.
Feature Stories
Sailing through history
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[[nid:108111; float: right; styleName:article_x_medium_auto]]An enormous anchor fills the entryway and, with its giant chain, spans all three floors of Building 92 in the Brooklyn Navy Yard — a 300-acre waterfront site that was home to a thriving shipbuilding industry from the early 1800s until it was decommissioned and closed in 1966.
As Yokasta Evans-Lora’s class from the Brooklyn Arbor School in nearby Williamsburg arrives on June 13, teacher and students are met by high-energy museum educator Rebecca Saltzman. “How many pounds does this anchor weigh?” she asks the 3rd-graders, who can’t resist touching it and attempting to push it.
Guesses come fast and furious. “One hundred million pounds!” says one student. “Hint: it’s written on it,” Saltzman says. The correct answer is 22,500…
The power of words
Students from Manhattan's Maxine Greene HS for Imagination and Inquiry brought history to life through the words of minorities, the working poor, immigrants, rebels and dissenters, at a Lincoln Center performance that capped their two-year AP government project called Voice's of a People's History of the United States.
Noteworthy graduate: Lawrence Mohr, physician to two presidents
Lawrence Mohr is a doctor, an educator and a much-decorated Vietnam veteran, who served as the White House physician for two presidents. He is also a graduate of New York City public schools.
Member Spotlight
Chapter Leader Shoutout
Kudos to Patrick Bernal, Marble Hill HS for International Studies, the Bronx
Revitalizing the UFT chapter at Marble Hill HS for International Studies in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx, says Chapter Leader Patrick Bernal, has been an important learning process for everyone.
Your Rights and Benefits
Know Your Rights
Teacher ratings
Teachers covered by the DOE’s “Advance” system should have received their final rating for the 2017–18 school year by the start of the school year. Find out how the rating was calculated and what your options are if you received an Ineffective or Developing rating.
Your Well-being
Managing your time
It’s the beginning of a new school year and a perfect opportunity to organize for maximum effectiveness. Time is your greatest resource and, as a school professional, it is essential for achieving your goals. Check out these tips for making the most effective use of your time this year.
You Should Know
Grants, Awards & Freebies
Grants, Awards & Freebies
See our list of current opportunities for educators to receive funds and recognition for their hard work and dedication.
You Should Know
Parent-teacher conference date switch
Since the primary elections for political office in New York State are scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 13, the evening parent-teacher conferences for elementary schools for the 2018-19 school year have been moved to Monday, Sept. 17.
You Should Know
Teacher's Choice for 2018-19 school year
Following a strong lobbying effort by the UFT, the City Council maintained the previous year’s big increase in funding for Teacher’s Choice in the city budget. As a result, eligible UFT-represented educators will be reimbursed the same amounts as last school year for materials and supplies for the 2018–19 school year.
Secure Your Future
UFT members enjoy gold-standard pensions
The majority of UFT members participate in a defined-benefit pension, the gold standard of retirement plans. A defined-benefit pension guarantees a lifetime annuity — regular payments based on a formula. This formula takes into account your years of service, your salary and your age. With a defined-benefit pension, you don’t have to worry about the vagaries of the stock market. The amount of the pension benefit remains the same each month throughout your retirement.
Opinions
VPerspective
Rolling out the welcome mat
As in all the Septembers before, thousands of new educators have accepted the challenge to make a difference in the lives of New York City’s public school children.
President's Perspective
The state of the union
We have a lot of work ahead of us to ensure the UFT remains a formidable force, but we have reason to be optimistic.
Editorials
Ill wind in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico’s governor is using the damage inflicted by Hurricane Maria as justification to push school privatization. Eleven months after the hurricane, the first charter school opened on the island this August.
Editorials
A new Discovery
New York City has long grappled with the de facto segregation in its schools, especially its eight sought-after specialized high schools, whose students are predominantly white or Asian.
Editorial Cartoons
Teaching Resources
Linking to Learning
Finding primary sources online
When locating materials to use in the classroom, high-quality resources are a must. Many well-known and respected organizations have fully digitized their collections of primary sources and made them available free of charge, so they’re a great place to start.
Teacher to Teacher
Managing your classroom
As we think about gearing up for a new school year, here are a few tips to help us navigate the busy, sometimes overwhelming job of managing a classroom.
Building Your Career
Building Your Career
Inspired by 'I Have a Dream'
Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, my classroom door is decorated with my students' dreams of what and who they want to be someday.
New Teacher Articles
Prepare to succeed this school year
As the school year begins, you’ll want to make sure you’re prepared to care for yourself as much as you care for your new students.
Retired Teachers News
Janus decision and retired members
Does the recent Supreme Court decision in the Janus case affect retirees? No and yes.
No: The decision does not directly or immediately affect retirees because the UFT Retired Teachers Chapter is not part of the collective bargaining unit. The court decision concerned itself with those active members known as agency fee payers, saying that such members no longer can be charged for expenses involved in negotiating a contract or for administering the union.
Retirees freely and voluntarily join the RTC and pay .004 percent of their pension to maintain that membership. The RTC boasts 92 percent of its members are UFT retirees. We voluntarily join for a variety of reasons, including the desire to continue to be part of a great labor organization that secured our professional and economic security. Some of us also join to participate in programs such as the Supplemental Health Insurance Plan (SHIP), which is offered only to union…