OO-CSA News Mar 2013_CSA News 2013 2/27/13 2:17 PM Page 1
Candidates Air
Views on
Education at
Mayoral Forum
Digging Deep at
Long Island City
HS to Bring Out
the Best in Teens
8-9
7
March 2013
26 Schools Honored
YURIDIA PEÑA
n These fifth-graders may be future teachers! They’re participants in a
program at PS 380, Brooklyn, in which they tutor younger children.
City
Council
Speaker
Christine Quinn said, “We’ve
come up with a brave campaign
and so many other efforts to
make sure we are going to keep
our schools safe.” The schools
were recognized during a press
conference at PS 380, D-14,
Continued on page 4
State Threatens to Impose Evaluation System
Nearly three years have passed
since Gov. David Patterson signed
a law mandating a new teacher
and Principal evaluation system,
but it may take another law to
put such a system into place.
As of this writing, Gov.
Cuomo was set to introduce as
part of his budget a proposal that
would give state education officials the power to implement an
evaluation system for the city.
Under this plan, the unions –
UFT and CSA – and the city will
submit their idealized versions of
an evaluation system to the state.
Education Commissioner John
King will review them and then
massage them into a system that
will be imposed by June 1 if the
city and the unions fail to act.
Cuomo’s sledgehammer was
forged after Mayor Bloomberg
DOCTORAL BOUND
Enthusiastic Member Response
to Newly Launched Ed.D Program
A
YURIDIA PEÑA
16
Cuomo’s Deadline
BY ANNE SILVERSTEIN
n Dr. Eloise Messineo, the Executive
Director of the Executive Leadership
Institute, spoke at the open house.
10-11
COUNCIL OF SCHOOL SUPERVISORS AND ADMINISTRATORS
Respect for All
CSA First Vice President
Randi Herman joined city and
union officials on Feb. 12 to congratulate 25 schools each recognized as a “Respect For All
School” for exemplary work in
promoting diversity.
Tommy Hilfiger
Critiques Students’
Work at HS of
Fashion Industries
CSANEWS
Volume 46, Number 6
Local 1, American Federation
of School Administrators,
AFL-CIO
BY YURIDIA PEÑA
Principal Brian
De Vale to Staff:
You’re Doing an
Amazing Job
bout 60 CSA members attended
an open house in Brooklyn on
Jan. 29 to learn about an Ed.D. program designed with CSA members in
mind.
CSA has arranged, through the
Center for Integrated teacher
Education (CITE) and the Sage
Colleges of Albany, for its members to
enroll in an off-campus doctoral
degree program at a discounted price.
The cohort, which will begin later
this summer, will attend classes on
weekends, through summer residencies in Albany and online. (Classes
downstate will be held at CSA’s headquarters.)
The application deadline is April
15. Admissions decisions will be
made by June 8.
The cost per credit for CSA members is $850, a savings of $150 per
credit (for an off-campus degree.)
For more information, contact
Jennifer Tully or Chris Avery at (877)
922-CITE or visit the Sage Colleges
website at www.sage.edu.
–AS
stopped negotiations. Officials
from the DOE and CSA were prepared to shake hands on an
agreement in the early hours of
Jan. 17, when a phone call halted
talks. (According to various
sources, a similar scene took place
at the UFT.) The issue? The
Gov. Cuomo runs
out of patience
for a negotiated
settlement.
mayor did not want an expiration date on the evaluation system. The so-called sunset provision would have allowed both
sides an opportunity to fine-tune
the evaluations, since, undoubtedly some problems in such a
complicated
system will
arise that simply cannot be
predicted.
“The issue
of the sunset
provision – a
one-year term
– had been
Cannizzaro: We
resolved earwere ready to
lier in negotishake hands.
ations,” said
Executive Vice President Mark
Cannizzaro, although after the
mayor’s decision, DOE officials
quickly rewrote the story line and
said that the sunset provision had
not been settled. “It’s just not
true,” Mr. Cannizzaro responded.
“We were ready to write the language for the agreement.”
The Jan. 17 deadline was set
by Gov. Cuomo in 2012 when he
Continued on page 12
Union Scores Big Wins
in Retirees’ Pay Disputes
BY ANNE SILVERSTEIN
CSA went to bat for two
retirees recently and won
substantial
settlements,
worth thousands of dollars,
for each of them.
The first case involved an
Education Administrator
(Special Education) who
reverted to an Assistant
Principal’s position during
the reorganization of special
education some years ago.
During that reorganization,
CSA fought for a number of
Education Administrators who were
excessed. A lawsuit was settled with the
stipulation that these EAs would continue
to receive their current salaries even if they
moved to lower-paying EA jobs.
In this case, however, the CSA member
reverted to a 10-month Assistant Principal’s
job from a 12-month Education
Administrator’s position. She continued
working for several years, taking school
vacations and summer vacations earned
by any 10-month AP.
But when this member retired, her final
entitlement was $45,000 short. The
Department of Education had
taken back all her vacation
time earned in her last years
because it deemed her a 12month employee, in effect
pro-rating her Assistant
Principal’s vacation time.
CSA filed a grievance but
on the eve of the arbitration,
the DOE agreed to return the
money to the CSA member.
The second case involved
a retiree member who was
working “F” status. (F status
means part-time work.) After
several years, he discovered
that the DOE was underpaying him to the
tune of about $100 a day. He filed a grievance, which went to arbitration.
The DOE tried to block his arbitration,
saying that he had filed well after the time
limit for this grievance. But the arbitrator
ruled that the CSA member filed in a
timely manner once he knew about the
condition of his under-payment; he could
not have filed when the problem began
because he didn’t know about it.
He was awarded $40,000 in back pay.
Assistant Director (Grievance) Marlene
Lazar represented the member.
OO-CSA News Mar 2013_CSA News 2013 2/27/13 2:17 PM Page 2
2
CSA NEWS
March 2013
PRESIDENT’S PAGE
Council of School
Supervisors & Administrators
American Federation of School
Administrators, AFL-CIO, Local 1
40 Rector St., NY, NY 10006
Phone: (212) 823-2020
Fax: (212) 962-6130
www.csa-nyc.org
President
Ernest A. Logan
Executive Vice President
Mark Cannizzaro
First Vice President
Randi Herman, Ed.D
Secretary
Sandy DiTrapani
Treasurer
Laverne Burrowes
Vice Presidents
Jermaine J. Garden
Rajinder Kaur
Henry Rubio
Nancy Russo
Ronald Williams
Irwin Shanes, Retiree Chapter
Executive Director Operations
Anita Gomez-Palacio
General Counsel
Bruce K. Bryant
Counsel
David Grandwetter
Charity Guerra
Comptroller
Phil Fodera
Special Assistant to President
Gary Goldstein
Field Directors
Juanita Bass, Stephen Bennett,
Phyliss Bullion, Kathleen Murphy,
Daisy O’Gorman, Mercedes Qualls,
Steven M. Rosen
Assistant Field Directors
Mary Aloisio, Mildred Boyce,
Joseph Costa, Rosalie David,
Charles Dluzniewski, Martin Fiasconaro,
Aura Gangemi, Pat Glassman,
Ellie Greenberg, Ray Gregory,
James Harrigan, Robert Jeanette,
Kate Leonard, Christine Martin,
Monica McDonald, Cynthia Sanders,
Shelli Sklar, Margaret Williams
Grievance Director
Robert J. Reich
Assistant Directors
Carol Atkins, Robert Colon,
Marlene Lazar, Ph.D,
Phyllis Casolaro Williams
Director of Communications
Chiara Coletti
Assistant Director
Antoinette Isable-Jones
Director of Political Affairs
Herman Merritt
Assistant Director
John Khani
State Director, Governmental Affairs
Alithia Rodriguez-Rolon
Director of Development
Dawn Wills
Director of IT
Egal Sanchez
CSA Conference Chair
Pierre Lehmuller
CSA Historian
Manfred Korman
CSA Retiree Chapter
Gayle Lockett, Chair
Mark Brodsky, Director
CSA NEWS
Editor Anne Silverstein
Assistant Editor Yuridia Peña
Production Consultant Michele Pacheco
Production Assistant Christine Altman
CSA News (004-532) is published
monthly except July and August for
$35 per year per member by CSA, 40
Rector St., NY, NY 10006. Periodical
postage paid at Manhattan, NY, and
additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CSA
News, 40 Rector St., NY, NY 10006.
Wanted: A Humanistic
Mayor for This Town
The Right Candidate Will Trust Educators in Schools By Ernest A. Logan
he names of big city mayors
sometimes enter the annals of
urban legend for reasons we don’t
quite understand. Names that
include Richard Daley and Rahm
Emanuel of Chicago, Fiorello La Guardia and
Mike Bloomberg of New York, Tom Bradley
of Los Angeles, and Cory Booker of Newark.
They often have big personalities and make
their marks in peculiar ways, from reading
the funnies on the radio to rescuing senior
citizens from burning buildings. These
thoughts were playing in my head as I sat in
Mason Hall, Baruch College, on Jan. 30, listening to five of the candidates in CSA’s
forum “The State of Education: A
Conversation with New York’s Next Mayor.”
(For story and picture of forum, see Page 7.)
So were thoughts about what makes the
kind of mayor we need right now. This is the moment to ask
that question. For me, the answer revolves around an education vision, which also includes a vision of public health, housing, policing and, to some extent, infrastructure. Frankly, if the
tides rise any higher and the pavement crumbles any more, our
kids will be dealing with the other kind of urban legend like
alligators jumping out of sewers and rats the size of dogs
cavorting through the streets.
The list of mayoral priorities is endless, but I’m concentrating on a few that matter to our students. We should be way
past mayoral control of the schools by now. A solid education
mayor will want to keep the reins of the school system confidently in his or her hands, but confidence means the willingness to delegate responsibilities to the chancellor.
The next mayor would finally move early
childhood education out of the Agency for
Children’s Services (ACS) and under the
Department of Education where it belongs.
And let’s just take for granted that any mayor
we elect “got it” when the President recently
called for “high-quality preschool” for all
four-year olds. If thinkers as liberal as Gail
Collins and conservative as David Brooks can
agree that all our four-year-olds require a
genuine educational experience, then I
believe that we will finally get a mayor who
sees the light.
Once I go down this path, I find it hard to
stop. It’s also important to point out that the
new mayor would insist that DOE contracts
be transparent and that the best qualified
deputies be hired rather than the best connected ones. But I have to stop myself or I’ll
sidestep all the related issues. If the mayor has the guts to find
a chancellor who knows education better than he or she does –
• • •
maybe even finds that person among our own principals and
superintendents – then the mayor will have more time to focus
on reducing poverty and keeping the middle class in NYC.
T
N
o question, the right mayor would choose an educator
to run the system and find a business person to manage the bricks and mortar. The chancellor would be
someone who’s used to walking through schools and would
continue to do that. He or she would recognize true instruction
and wouldn’t rate teachers and principals mainly on measures
that end up punishing them for working with ELL, special ed
and low-performing students. With the mayor’s encouragement, the chancellor would run a more localized system that
restores community school districts, with neighborhood superintendents, marrying the best of the current governance system with the best of the past one.
“The new mayor would insist
that DOE contracts be transparent
and that the best qualified deputies
be hired rather than
the best connected ones.”
• • •
I
mproving housing and health care is a big part of this. For
one thing, the city’s housing policy has to be radically
revamped so that it uses federal funds faster and more effectively to shelter citizens of limited means and reduce the
health and therefore learning problems that flow from homelessness. And there are also the challenges of creating more
mixed income housing and restoring what was lost in
Hurricane Sandy and, in general, increasing affordable rental
housing for those teetering on the middle class.
The physical and mental health of our youngest
citizens mirrors the future of our great city. This is
one reason why many educators and mayoral candidates have explored the Cincinnati community
schools model that concentrates health service
within local schools, and why we continue to
explore the possibility of bringing this model to scale
in New York. But the Cincinnati model goes beyond
health care and will take years to replicate. The next
mayor would combine a visionary and an immediate
public health agenda that addresses exploding issues
such as diabetes, childhood obesity, and childhood
asthma, which has reached epidemic proportions.
I’m looking for a humanistic mayor who also
understands that supporting the work force is essential to prosperity and quality of life. Those who educate our children, ferry them on buses to and from
school, and build the bridges and roads over which
those buses travel should get regular raises, health
care, and benefits that allow them to grow old with
dignity. So should our police officers who risk their
PETER PARELLA
lives protecting the rest of us, but who should also be
n CSA President Logan stopped by the CSA Black Caucus table at
discouraged from capriciously stopping and frisking
NYCESPA’s Convention on Feb. 9. Despite the snow storm that dumped
us. Finally, this urban work force reports to commisabout eight inches on the city earlier that day, nearly 400 attended. See
sioners who should be led by a diplomatic mayor
story, photos, Page 3.
who inspires the commissioners to work with their
employees, not against them.
Weathering the Storm
OO-CSA News Mar 2013_CSA News 2013 2/27/13 2:17 PM Page 3
CSA NEWS
March 2013
3
CSA Leadership
Scholarship for
Academic Promise
Labor Leader
BY ANITA GOMEZ-PALACIO
CSA has established a
$1,500 scholarship for collegebound students. This scholarship is open to all students
graduating from a NYC public school who will be attending any college, including
community college, in the fall
of 2013. Five scholarships will
be awarded later this spring.
The
scholarship
is
intended for a student who
shows leadership in school or
outside school, and who
might have overcome hardships to reach graduation. The
award is not based on a student’s GPA or SAT scores; CSA
would like to choose a student
who shows academic promise.
“We are delighted to offer
AISHA THURMAN COSBY
n Robert Flores, the CSA Latino Caucus president and a CSA
District Chair, was given the 2012 Labor Leader Award by the
NYC Labor Council for Latin American Advancement during a
Jan. 11 awards ceremony at DC 1707’s headquarters in downtown Manhattan. Mr. Flores is the Principal of PS 106, Brooklyn.
Above, Sonia Ivany, President of NYC LCLAA, and Ed Rosario, NYS
Teamsters Hispanic Caucus, stand to the left and right of Mr.
Flores respectively.
these scholarships to five of
the children we help raise and
educate,” said CSA President
Ernest Logan. “These children
are the reason school leaders
go to work.” Each school may
submit up to three applications.
One scholarship per borough will be awarded; the formal presentation will be at a
dinner at Marina del Rey,
Bronx, on June 12. Applications are due at CSA no later
than May 3. You may download an application form and
instructions from the CSA
website, www.csa-nyc.org.
Then tab to press/memberheadlines.
Email any questions to:
[email protected].
2013 AFSA Scholarship Open to Candidates
Each year, the American Federation of School Administrators,
CSA’s national union, offers college scholarships to high school
seniors who plan to attend college in the fall.
The application for the 2013 AFSA Scholarship, which provides $2,500 toward college tuition, is now available. Applicants
must meet the following requirements:
also AFSA members in good standing.)
· Scholarship Award check will be issued upon college enrollment verification.
· Scholarship Award funds may only be used for tuition, books,
fees, supplies and equipment.
· Application must be completely filled out and received at the
AFSA National Office no later than March 29, 2013.
Eligibility Requirements
· Applicant must be a graduating high school senior who is
attending college for the first time in the award year.
· Applicant’s parent or legal guardian must be an AFSA member in good standing. (CSA members in good standing are
The deadline has been extended to March 29. Applications
must be received by AFSA no later than that date. Visit the AFSA
website: www.afsaadmin.org/scholarship2013 for more information and to download an application.
400 Brave Blizzard to Attend
NYCESPA’s Annual Convention
BY PIERRE LEHMULLER
T
hey came slowly at first, almost exclusively by subway, but as the sun
warmed the city and the city cleared the
roads, more than 400 hardy Principals,
Assistant Principals, teachers and parents
made their way to the Brooklyn Marriott
for NYCESPA’s 80th Annual Convention
on Feb. 9. Improvisation was the spirit of
the day as presenters, such as ELI Director
of Curriculum Beth Peller volunteered to
repeat a session due to presenter
absences. And when keynote speaker
Mary Ellen McGraw couldn’t fly into
NYC, Grace Hannon, a representative of
Renaissance Learning, sprung into action.
She found another education consultant,
Dr. Judy Park, who was stuck in New York
because of the storm and she agreed
(with about six hours notice) to deliver
the address. A true pinch-hitter.
The luncheon that ended the day featured presentations to NYCESPA members who had served five, 10 and 15 years
as elementary school Principals.
NYCESPA President Susan Barnes and
CSA President Ernest Logan presented
them with certificates.
COMING
EVENTS
)
(
Events are at CSA’s Manhattan
Headquarters, 40 Rector Street
unless otherwise noted.
MARCH 11, NOON:
Retiree Chapter
Educational/Cultural
Committee
MARCH 19, 4:30pm:
NYCESPA Executive
Board
MARCH 20, 5 PM: CSA
Executive Board
Meeting
MARCH 21, 9 AM: CSA
Retiree Chapter
Executive Board
MARCH 26, 8 AM:
Supervisory Support
Services workshop
MARCH 27 8 AM and 8:30
AM: Two Supervisory
Support Services
workshops
APRIL 1, 4:30 PM: CSA
District Chair Meeting
APRIL 2, 10 AM: CSA
Retiree Chapter
Confirm the above meeting
times and dates with the event
coordinator before attending.
Executive Board
Tie Resolved
CSA held elections for the
Executive Board, Membership
Classification seats. The results were
printed last month. There was one
tie. After a new vote, Lisa Pollari will
represent Assistant Principals – High
School Supervision with Jeff Engel,
as previously announced. Edward
Alvarez will be the alternate.
Correction
Denise Schira’s name was misspelled in the February 2013 issue
of the CSA News. She is an Executive
Board member representing Education Administrators and CSA Chairs.
Teachers’
Retirement
System
n Above: Dr. Judy Parker was the
ace-in-the-hole Plenary speaker,
who, with six hours notice, gave a
presentation. Bottom: A number of
Principals brought their children to
the Convention. Children and the
parents all around the vendor
exhibit area could be seen looking
through books, filling out information forms and trying out educational toys and objects.
PETER PARELLA
February 2013 Unit Values
Diversified Equity Fund: 65.154
Stable-Value Fund: 19.956
International Equity
Fund: 9.658
Inflation Protection
Fund: 11.719
Socially Responsive
Equity Fund: 11.332
www.trsnyc.org
OO-CSA News Mar 2013_CSA News 2013 2/27/13 2:17 PM Page 4
4
CSA NEWS
March 2013
The Grievance Corner
Bob Reich
A Sign of Spring: Summer Positions Must Be Filled
W
As usual,
the DOE
is behind
in meeting
our
contract’s
deadlines.
Grievance Department. (Email me at
[email protected].) A few years ago, one of
our members contacted the union after he
was not selected for summer service and CSA
prevailed in an arbitration; he was paid the
money he should have earned had he
worked!
ith the beginning of March, we
begin to look for small shoots of
green coming up through the
earth, buds on trees and birds
building nests. In the world of NYC schools,
late winter is the time when the annual summer school selection process begins.
This process only affects those mandated
to work summers (12-month Assistant
Principals) and those who would like to work.
The Department of Education had until
Feb. 15 to notify administrators of all mandated summer school positions. As usual, the
DOE is behind in this process, and CSA will
once again file a grievance unless the situation can be worked out amicably.
Mandated Positions
• One Assistant Principal-Administration
in each high school. Note: If two Assistant
Principals-Administration are employed at
the same school, only one is mandated.
• All Assistant Principals, Special
Education, high school.
• All Assistant Principals assigned to citywide special education schools.
• One Assistant Principal position for
each summer middle, intermediate or junior
high school.
Timetable for Selection
• By Feb. 15, superintendents were to
have filed a form with the DOE indicating
mandated and non-mandated proposed
positions for summer school.
• The non-mandated positions were to be
posted by Feb. 15 to notify all Assistant
Principals and School-Based Intermediate
Supervisors (SBISs) in each district.
YURIDIA PEÑA
n Summer School at PS 63, Bronx.
• By March 1, those Assistant Principals
and SBISs not mandated to work should have
notified their superintendent of their desire
to work during the summer. This should be
in writing and you should keep a copy.
• By close of business March 30, superintendents must notify those supervisors who
will work the non-mandated summer school
jobs. If an insufficient number of APs/SBISs
volunteer to serve in the 12-month increased
work year positions, the superintendent can
assign an AP/SBIS to serve. Those
selected/assigned as AP/SBIS must work the
increased work year schedule unless there is
a city fiscal emergency.
• After March 30, the DOE cannot
require a CSA member to work during the
summer unless there is mutual agreement.
If you have any concerns, speak with
your CSA Field Director or contact the CSA
Letters
Four Months After
Superstorm Sandy
To the Editor: My name is Robert
Kazanowitz and I was an in-service
CSA member for more than 25 years.
When I retired as a CSA VicePresident back in 2011, I thought I
was set for life. A good pension, great
friends, a wonderful wife, a beautiful
son, daughter, and, most recently, a
baby grandson.
On Oct. 29, 2012, Hurricane
Sandy sent a four-foot tidal surge of
water through
my house in the
Rockwood Park
section of
Howard Beach.
Today, my house
is still in disarray.
Insurance won’t
even cover onethird of the cost
of repairs. My
Robert Kazanowitz
mother-in-law,
whose apartment was destroyed,
now lives in an assisted living residence and pays almost $6,000 a
month.
The company that holds my
mortgage controls $40,000 in repair
funds, and three contractors (so far)
have had issues surrounding licenses,
paperwork and the ability to get the
job done.
Annual Leave
CSA members are entitled to 27 days of
annual leave a year that comprises all vacation, personal and religious days. Annual
leave is accrued at the rate of 2 ¼ days per
month. Days may be scheduled during the
winter break, the midwinter recess, the
spring recess and any other periods that can
be arranged with your superintendent.
Annual leave cannot be carried over from
one year to another. This means that you
must use your vacation within the year or
lose it.
If you are a Principal or a 12-month
Assistant Principal, your work year is Sept. 1
through Aug. 31. You may request to opt out
of July and August under certain circumstances. You must base your request upon
extreme hardship or a unique or unusual
personal circumstance. The Chancellor or a
designee decides such requests on a case by
case basis.
Note: If you are permitted to opt out, that
period will be deemed a leave of absence. If
approved, the appropriate salary and leave
prorations will be made.
Bob Reich is the Grievance Director at CSA.
He writes this monthly column for the CSA
News. Past columns can be found at www.csanyc.org under the PRESS tab.
‘Respect For All’ Awards
I use to feel that I was in control
of my life, but today I am consistently upset and frustrated with the
“system” and how people have
reacted to my family’s situation.
I know that I am not alone
although I feel very alone in trying
to navigate a system that is so, so
hard to navigate. I am grateful that
CSA has put together a way to help
current and retired members get
back on their feet. As a recently
retired member with over 32 years of
active service, it is nice to know that
people still care.
Thank you to all those who have
contributed to the fund and please
remember those that have come before
you for we were the ones who carved
the tunnels for many of your gains in
the labor movement.
– ROBERT KAZANOWITZ,
Director for Special Services,
CFN 2.02, retired
Editor’s Note: CSA established a disaster relief fund after Hurricane
Sandy. CSA is currently refining
guidelines and policies for disseminating the money, and will be notifying applicants in the near future.
Send Letters to the Editor to
Anne Silverstein, CSA News,
40 Rector St., NY, NY 10006
or e-mail [email protected].
YURIDIA PEÑA
n CSA’s Randi Herman was among the speakers at the “Respect For All” school awards.
Continued from page 1
Brooklyn, which kicked off the program.
Respect For All is a major initiative in the
Department of Education’s efforts to combat bullying and harassment based on ethnicity, religion, gender identity, or sexual
orientation, among other characteristics.
“[This] school has a history of respect
for all,” said Dr. Herman of PS 380.
“Disrespect is not welcomed here because
the culture of the school will squash it.”
The school participates in Respect For
All week, but its zero tolerance for bullying
is a deeply rooted policy in the school culture.
Many students at PS 380 are leaders in
training. The school’s popular “future
teachers” program has allowed fifth
graders to tutor younger students. “They
read to them, they help them and they
get a big trophy at graduation,” said Diane
Vitolo, PS 380 Principal. Ms. Vitolo said
that the school has not had a suspension
in 8 years. “Any little problem we try to
attack it right away,” she added.
During RFA Week, students participate
in programs and activities that teach them
to appreciate diversity and respect one
another. Students also received information on where to go for help if they or
someone they know has been a victim of
bullying or harassment.
“This really has been something that
we have worked on as a mission and a
passion, because we do believe that every
child should have a better chance in having a better life,” said Michael Mulgrew,
UFT President.
OO-CSA News Mar 2013_CSA News 2013 2/27/13 2:17 PM Page 5
CSA NEWS
March 2013
SUPERVISORY SUPPORT PROGRAM
SPRING BREAK 2013
5
Legislative
Agenda
Herman
Merritt
A Fair and
Complex Process
he US Constitution mandates that every 10 years
the government must take
a census to decide how to
allocate congressional seats.
The NYC Charter established a
Districting Commission to redraw
the district lines for the NYC City
Council using the results of the
census.
Thanks to the transparency of
the NYC Districting Commission,
the criteria for how the districts are
redrawn and the data on the
changing demographics of the
city have been made public and
easily available. This bi-partisan
commission, using the Charter
as a guide, redraws the lines
based on three criteria: population size, fair and effective representation of racial and voting
minority groups and keeping
neighborhoods and communities of interest intact.
All districts must have equal
size. The difference in size
between the most populous
and least populous district can
be no more than 10 percent.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965
ensures that there will be no
discrimination on the basis of
race or membership in a language minority group. In regard
to redistricting, council districts
must protect the ability of
minority citizens to elect their preferred candidates of
choice. The US Justice Department must approve any
change to district lines.
With regard to communities, the Charter states, “Keep
intact neighborhoods and communities with established
ties of common interest and association, whether historical, racial, economic, ethnic, religious or other.” Districts
must be connected by land, bridge or tunnel.
The results of the 2010 Census showed major shifts. In
NYC overall, the non-Hispanic white population decreased by 3 percent and the black population decreased
by 5 percent. The Hispanic population increased by 8 percent while the Asian population increased by 32 percent.
Whites increased in Brooklyn and Manhattan while
blacks decreased in both boroughs. The number of Asians
grew by over 40 percent in Brooklyn and Staten Island.
These shifts caused major problems for the Districting
Commission. Trying to follow the mandates of the
Charter, respect the changes in neighborhoods and stand
up to the pressure of politics, the Commission has made
many groups angry. I commend their work, understanding that when you follow a process established for fairness, you may not please everyone but the bottom line is
that it was fair.
T
ANTOINETTE ISABLE-JONES
n SSP Intervenor Sonia Nieves will facilitate several workshops in March along with SSP Coordinator Nancy
Westerband Brown. Above, Ms. Nieves was among the presenters at the CSA 2010 Conference.
Need-to-Know Information Includes
Accountability and Tenure Process
BY ANNE SILVERSTEIN
The Supervisory Support Program will
present four workshops during the spring
break. The Supervisory Support Program is a
program funded through the union’s contract with the city and provides confidential
mentoring as well as professional development for members. Originally geared toward
the member who was struggling, SSP also provides professional development workshops
and personal help for members who wish to
enhance their skills.
SSP Coordinator Nancy Westerband and
SSP Intervenor Sonia Nieves will lead the
workshops unless otherwise indicated below.
To register for these workshops, visit the CSA
website under the Executive Leadership
Institute tab, and go to the Upcoming
Workshops page.
THE TENURE PROCESS
March 27, 8:30-11:30 am
What every new member of CSA should
know about tenure and the rigorous process
of receiving tenure. Participants will learn key
terms, how tenure decisions are made, tenure
outcomes, which documents can be used as
evidence, and the four-point effectiveness
framework. This workshop is for non-tenured
Assistant Principals and Principals only.
UNDERSTANDING THE
PRINCIPAL CANDIDATES’ POOL
March 27 12:30-3:30 pm
For school leaders who want to apply to
the Principals’ Candidate Pool: This workshop will provide participants with a simu-
lation of the new principals’ candidate pool
process. Participants will learn the different
components of the interview process and will
participate in a discussion of the elements of
the process.
USING ELL DATA TO IMPROVE
STUDENTS' LANGUAGE AND
CONTENT OUTCOMES
March 28, 8:30-11:30 am
Presenter: Roser Salavert, Ed.D., NYC Regional
Bilingual Education Resource Network at
Fordham University
How English Language Learners perform is
critical in closing the achievement gap and
achieving school-wide success. We’ll examine language proficiency data and the results
of other state tests in seeing whether we’re
effectively addressing ELL student expectations and the challenges of the Common
Core Learning Standards.
You’ll leave fully informed about current
accountability measures and be prepared to
support students and their teachers.
NETWORKING MEETING FOR
SSP PARTICIPANTS
March 28 12:30-3:30 pm
For former and current SSP participants
to exchange best practices strategies, and discuss professional development concerns.
This is a perfect opportunity to meet your
fellow school leaders and to informally discuss common issues of concern in a relaxed
environment.
To attend this session, register directly with
SSP at [email protected].
Attention All Assistant Principals
The application deadline for the Association of Assistant Principals’ Martin Safran Citizenship
Award is April 1. Fifteen students from elementary, intermediate or junior high schools who have
demonstrated exemplary service to their school and/or community will be chosen. The students
must be nominated by his/her Assistant Principal who is a member in good standing of AAP, and
must write an essay about his/her service. Winning students receive a $100 savings bond, and
plaque to commemorate the achievement. Winners, a parent, and the nominating Assistant
Principal will be invited to an awards dinner in June. For more information, visit the AAP website at
www.aapny.org or contact Steffani Fanizzi at [email protected].
Balancing
political
interest
groups
while
drawing
new
district
lines is a
tough act.
• • •
N
ow that the district lines for the new City Council
have been drawn, the political season has begun.
We will have a new city government on Jan. 1,
2014. All of the citywide elected officials will be new –
mayor, comptroller and public advocate. All of the
Borough Presidents (except the Bronx) will be new and 60
percent of the Council will be new, thanks to term limits.
We have to seize this opportunity to elect people who
understand our issues and will stand up for us. I encourage you to become involved in the CSA Legislative
District Coordinator Program to help us select people who
support us. The primary is scheduled for September and
how this city is governed for the next eight years will be
decided on that day.
Make sure that you support the voter registration initiative that will be coming to your school.
OO-CSA News Mar 2013_CSA News 2013 2/27/13 2:17 PM Page 6
6
CSA NEWS
N AT I O N
Labor
Safeguarding Schools
he New York City Police Department’s
School Safety Division, in partnership
with the NYC Department of Education
Office of Safety and Youth Developments,
has begun a public awareness campaign
to draw attention to a new wave of drug abuse
among teenagers.
Today, the abuse of prescription drugs is more
widespread than the abuse of traditional street
drugs with the exception of marijuana. We
believe that parents have not recognized the seriousness of this problem.
T
Policing Schools
MICHIGAN:
Right-to-Work Suit
A lawsuit was filed by a number of
labor unions and the Michigan
ACLU pertaining to the state’s
right-to-work law. Rather than the
content of the law itself, the suit
addresses the way in which the law
was passed, stating that the closure
of the Capitol to the public during
the passage of the right-to-work
law was a violation of the First
Amendment and the Michigan
Constitution. (michiganradio.org)
Ray Garcia
Teenage ‘Pharm Parties’ Are New Rage
OHIO:
Law enforcement officers who fulfill the appropriate requirements
are being encouraged to substitute teach during their time off as
a means to add another layer of
security to schools. Adding incentive is a bill that would offer these
officers exemption from federal
income taxes for any pay they
receive as substitute teachers. The
concept has been compared to
that of the federal air marshals.
(The Columbus Dispatch)
March 2013
Americans
consume
80 percent
of opiate
drugs
globally.
Facts About Drug Use
• The US comprises 4.6 percent of the world’s
population yet consumes 80 percent of the
world’s supply of opiate pain relievers.
• 70 percent of people, 12 and older who abused
pain relievers in 2007-2008, say they got them
from a friend or relative.
• 20 percent of US high school students report
abusing a prescription drug at least once in
their lives.
• Nearly 40 Americans die every day from an
overdose of prescription painkillers.
• Studies find that nearly 25 percent of students
who use drugs drop out of high school.
TEXAS:
Students are having "pharm parties." They all
bring prescription drugs – taken from their parents’ medicine cabinets, their bedside tables or
wherever they’re stored unsecured – to someone’s
house. Then all the pills are dumped into a bowl
and the teens randomly take pills. Oxytocin,
Xanadu, Percocet – all the brands of uppers,
downers, pain medication and anti-anxiety pills.
The results can be catastrophic.
The initiative between the Department of
Education and the School Safety Initiative
(NYPD) focuses on outreach and education at the
high school level. Student lessons are 30 minutes,
and encourage participation between teachers
and students.
A letter sent to parents asked them to talk to
their children about this problem, and to secure
all medications in the home. A letter to Principals
asks that schools partner with School Safety’s
Community Outreach Unit in scheduling classroom sessions. Call (718) 730-8550 to speak to
that Unit.
Parents and school leaders are also urged to
visit www.nypdcommunityaffairs.org for more
information.
The NYPD’s primary objective is to preserve
and protect people. In this particular campaign,
we need your help!
Ray Garcia is the Director of Patrol Operations,
School Safety Division, N.Y.P.D. He writes occasionally for the CSA News.
Construction Work
Numerous illegal, hazardous and
unfair practices are ongoing in
Texas’ construction industry,
according to a recently released
report. Among findings are that
workers are often not paid and
over half are living in poverty; that
one in five has had a work-related
injury (Texas is ranked the most
deadly state for construction
workers); and payroll fraud is common practice. A new study, “Build
a Better Texas: Construction
Working Conditions in the Lone
Star State” brings these issues to
light and provides concrete solutions. (southernstudies.org)
KANSAS:
Teachers’ Bill
Legislators were slated to hear
details of a bill that would change
collective bargaining rights for
teachers; Kansas has right-to-work
laws. The bill would allow teachers
to negotiate with local school districts individually. Some issues,
including classroom time, size and
evaluations would not be negotiable. The Kansas NEA is attempting to block the bill which it says
would cause chaos in school districts. (huffingtonpost.com)
NEW YORK:
Wage Increase
A move is underway to increase
the state minimum wage from
$7.25 to $8.75. A rally including
workers and clergy members
delivered petitions with over
30,000 signatures to Albany.
According to the Fiscal Policy
Institute, an increase to $8.75
would raise the pay of 1.5 million
people and would create 7,300
new full-time jobs across the state.
(statepolitics.lohudblogs.com)
— COMPILED BY
CHRISTINE ALTMAN
In Memoriam
n MILTON MAYEFSKY, 83, passed away July
16, 2012. Mr. Mayefsky grew up on the Lower
East Side of Manhattan, attended Seward Park
High School and received his bachelor’s and
master’s degrees from Queens College. Always
a New Yorker, he lived in
Queens, Long Island,
Orange County, and
recently moved back to
NYC’s Upper East Side.
Mr. Mayefsky worked for
the NYC school system
his entire career. He
started as a teacher and
retired in 1991 as
n Milton Mayefsky
Director of Reimbursable
Programs for the Board of Education. He also
taught Jewish studies at Kew Gardens Jewish
Center and Jericho Jewish Center. Condolences
may be sent to his wife, Sylvia, and the family at
345 E. 93rd St., 18B, NY, NY 10128.
n DR. MARY SHEEHY, 78, of Scarsdale, died
on Dec. 18 at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer
Center. A teacher, evaluator, administrator and
Chair of District 11’s Committee on Special
Education, Dr. Sheehy received her bachelor‘s
and doctoral degrees from Fordham University
and her master’s degree
from Columbia University. She spent 30 years
in the NYC school system, retiring in 2003. In
1990, the
Emerald
Society of the Board of
Education named her
the Irish Woman of the
Year. Condolences may
n Dr. Mary Sheehy
be sent to her cousin,
Joan Brocker, at 51 Hollyberry Drive, Hopewell
Jct., NY 12533. Donations in her memory can be
made to Saint Cabrini Nursing Home, 115
Broadway, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522.
n ALLEN D. SKLAR of Paramus, NJ, died on
Jan. 30. He retired in 1990 as the Principal of
PS 104, Bronx. Mr. Sklar taught at JHS 152,
Manhattan, was an Assistant Principal at PS
173, Manhattan, spent nine years at the Board
of Education’s Office of Testing and went to PS
104 as an Assistant Principal before taking the
position of interim acting Principal. Mr. Sklar
was a graduate of Brandeis University, class of
1956, and received his master’s degree in history from Columbia Teachers’ College. He
received a professional diploma from Yeshiva
University. In addition to his education career,
Mr. Sklar served as a councilman for three
terms in Paramus, and also served on the
Bergen County Board of Freeholders. His wife,
Ellen was a high school teacher in New Jersey
for 30 years, and retired when her husband
became ill. Condolences may be sent to her
and the family at 453 Farview Ave., Paramus,
NJ 07652. You may also email them at
[email protected].
n STEVEN CHARLES TRIBUS, 69, of
Henderson, NV, passed away on Jan. 28. Born in
Rockaway Park, Mr. Tribus graduated from Far
Rockaway High School in 1961. Mr. Tribus was
an English teacher at Canarsie High School,
Brooklyn, where he met his wife, Marilyn. Mr.
Tribus soon became a department head at
Grover Cleveland High School, Queens, and
soon again became Assistant Director and then
Director of English for the NYC school system.
He served as the Assistant Superintendent of
the Huntington (Long Island) School District
and retired after a short stint as
Superintendent in 2000. A talented high school
baseball pitcher, he tried out with the Yankees
and the Phillies. Condolences may be sent to his
wife of 45 years, Marilyn, at 2305 W. Horizon
Ridge Parkway, #2412, Henderson, NV 890525794. A scholarship fund in Mr. Tribus' memory
is being established. Please contact the family
for details.
NOTEBOOK
ADASA Conference on March 9
The Association of Dominican-American Supervisors and
Administrators (ADASA) will hold its second education conference on March 9 at 9 a.m. at Bank Street College, 610 W. 112
St., Manhattan. The theme is Leading the way to College
Readiness and Careers, One Student at a Time. For more information, email [email protected].
Women’s History Month
ABENY’s membership meeting will take place on March 17
from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Bedford-Stuyvesant YMCA, 1121
Bedford Ave, Brooklyn. The topic: A Celebration of Women’s
History Month. ABENY – the Association of Black Educators in
New York – will honor outstanding African-American female
educators.
All NYC public school Principals are invited to nominate a
student who has performed outstanding service for their
schools for a Human Service Award. The deadline is March
22. Moreover, all NYC public high school seniors are eligible
to apply for an ABENY scholarship. The deadline is April 30.
The winners of the ABENY scholarships, along with exceptional educators, will be honored at the June 15 ABENY
luncheon to take place at Antun’s in Queens Village.
If you have any questions, contact Dr. Sheilah Bobo at
[email protected] or (917) 412-9099.
OO-CSA News Mar 2013_CSA News 2013 2/27/13 2:17 PM Page 7
7
CSA NEWS
March 2013
Packed House at Mayoral Forum
Five Candidates Field Questions and Explain Positions on Education
PHOTOS BY YURIDIA PEÑA
n Left: CSA members were among those who filled Mason Hall at Baruch College. Right: Bill de Blasio answers a question while Bill Thompson listens to a response.
525 Attend CSA-Hosted Event
BY ANNE SILVERSTEIN
F
ive mayoral candidates gathered for a lively debate about
the future of the NYC schools
during a forum hosted by CSA on
Jan. 30.
Newspaper publisher Tom
Allon, Public Advocate Bill de
Blasio, City Comptroller John
Liu, City Council Speaker
Christine Quinn and former City
Comptroller Bill Thompson
expanded their views on evaluations, teacher training, school
funding, testing, school closures
and a host of other topics during
the 1 1/2-hour discussion.
The forum was moderated by
urban sociologist and NYU
Professor Pedro Noguera and
Executive Director of the
Hechinger Institute Liz Willen, a
former education reporter.
At times, it was difficult to distinguish large differences between
the candidates’ positions on a
number of subjects. All agreed
that closing schools as a standard
the Bloomberg years.
One of the last questions of
the evening required a one-word
answer from the candidates:
Q: Mayor Bloomberg has been in
office a long time. Did he improve
the schools?
Allon: Yes.
de Blasio: Yes but only during his
first term.
Liu: No.
Thompson: No.
Quinn: Yes. (She also said that
mayoral control has not been
fully explored.)
CSA’s forum was organized by
Communications Assistant
Director Antoinette Isable-Jones,
who was assisted by Counsel
David Grandwetter and State
Director Governmental Affairs
Alithia Rodriguez-Rolon. It was
held at Mason Hall at Baruch
College on 23rd Street,
Manhattan.
of the
ra and Director
r Pedro Nogue
bmitted
so
su
es
of
en
Pr
be
d
YU
N
ha
y of which
an
e candidates,
m
th
,
ns
by
d
tio
ke
es
an
n Fl
asked qu
itute Liz Willen
Hechinger Inst
rs.
by CSA membe
An opportunity for
CSA members to
meet candidates.
policy reflected the failure of the
school system to intervene in a
better fashion. All agreed that the
schools chancellor should have
educational experience, (and Mr.
Liu pointed out that, in fact, it’s
the law). And all agreed that evaluations should be a tool used to
help teachers improve, rather
than as a device for axing teachers and supervisors. And all
agreed that co-location should
not create an environment in
which one school is the poor relation as is so often the case during
n Left: Tom Allon, at the microphone, with Christine Quinn at the ready. Right: John Liu–“It is state law that the chancellor of New York City
has to be an educator.”
OO-CSA News Mar 2013_CSA News 2013 2/27/13 2:18 PM Page 8
8
CSA NEWS
March 2013
LONG ISLAND CITY HIGH SCHOOL
Digging Deep to Bring
Out the Best for Students
V
PHOTOS BY YURIDIA PEÑA
n An afterschool boys’ gymnastics club is one of dozens of varsity-level
sports programs in the school.
of-the-art,
r the school’s stateEngel shows a visito
dance studio.
ff
a
Je
d
l
an
ipa
om
inc
ro
Pr
t
t
n Assistan
two gyms, a weigh
s
ha
o
als
HS
LIC
Olympic-size pool.
BY YURIDIA PEÑA
ivian Selenikas assumed the
leadership role at Long Island
City High School in July 2012
with the goal of turning
around one of the city’s lowest
performing schools, and eight months
later, the changes are already evident.
What is, perhaps, most obvious is the
school’s reorganization into small learning
communities. Through the use of this
model, Ms. Selenikas and her cabinet of 12
Assistant Principals created a professional
bond among the staff that never existed
before, they say.
“We are making some strategic decisions,” said Ms. Selenikas. One of the first
was to eliminate the Honors Academy and
integrate students of all academic levels
across the small learning communities
(SLC). She also doubled the number of
Advanced Placement (AP) courses to provide more students with the opportunity to
earn college credits. Typically, AP courses
are only offered to students with a 90 average or above, but at LICHS, Ms. Selenikas
says, any student with the ability to complete the workload can take the class. “It’s
about interest and commitment,” she said.
In this new school order, incoming
freshmen are placed in the New Explorers
Academy program and in March they select
one of the four following academies:
Languages; Wellness and Education;
Culinary; and Humanities and Urban
Culture. Each academy is then, in turn,
divided into two strands. For example, the
Culinary Academy consists of Culinary Arts,
and Restaurant and Hotel Management.
The culinary program prepares students for
the competitive food services industry and
alumni of the program work in restaurants
throughout the city. The program is CTE
(career and technical education) certified,
and classes are taught by top-notch chefs
and culinary artists.
LICHS Assistant Principals agree that the
SLC model has changed the tone of the
school. Most of the APs now manage about
350 students and a bevy of teachers, guidance counselors, and paraprofessionals.
Therefore, meetings among teachers and
staff have increased significantly; teachers
in a SLC meet every day during a period of
common planning time with a teacher
coordinator. Departmental meetings are
held every week for professional development led by an Assistant Principal. “Already
I’ve had more department meetings than I
did last year,” said Dilenia Moya, Assistant
Principal English. “The teachers have been
empowered more to become a part of the
community,” she added.
“Now that we have this greater ability to
bond as a faculty, I think that our school
has gotten a lot stronger,” said Matthew
Malench, Assistant Principal Technology
and Director of the Culinary Arts Academy.
S
n
n
n
LCs are being used across the United
States as a way to restructure struggling urban comprehensive high
schools. According to the NYC
Department of Education, 19 high schools
currently have SLCs, but all vary. “There is
no cookie cutter way to do SLCs and this
school does SLC in a very smart, methodical fashion,” said Mr. Jeff Engel, Assistant
Principal Physical Education, and the
Wellness Academy Director.
Housed amid three of the largest public
housing developments in the US –
n Principal Vivian Selenikas (in blue, center) is flanked by 11 of her 12 Assistant Principals.
OO-CSA News Mar 2013_CSA News 2013 2/27/13 2:18 PM Page 9
9
CSA NEWS
March 2013
N AT I O N
Education
VIRGINIA:
Grooving To Math
Some 5th graders are getting in
step with math, literally – learning
number patterns through dance.
Students choreographed their own
dances, identified patterns in each
other’s dances, calculated the number of repetitions in a song, and
graphed results. The teachers who
collaborated on this program are
part of Sweet Briar College’s STEM
teacher education program.
(blogs.kqed.org)
NEW JERSEY:
Reading Together
In a joint effort between Teaneck
Public Schools and Fairleigh
Dickinson University, students are
receiving one-on-one instructional
time with teachers who are completing a graduate program on how
to help students who are struggling
with reading, spelling and writing.
It’s an ideal situation where everyone benefits; the University provides the coursework and the public
schools house the program which
directly benefits students in the district. (www.northjersey.com)
ARKANSAS:
Engineering Future
Ravenswood, Queensbridge and Astoria –
LICHS is a melting pot of people from all
over the world. “We welcome the fact
that students speak a lot of languages.
We accept the fact that there are more
than 90 languages spoken,” said Mr.
Engel.
LICHS has had a tumultuous couple
of years since the Department of
Education labeled it one of 24 turnaround schools slated for closure in
2010. The school had several C-rated
Progress Reports since 2009 and at
least three changes in its leadership in
four years. The DOE’s plan to impose
the “turnaround model” on LICHS
was halted last spring after CSA and
the UFT won an arbitration against
the city for illegally excessing its
members. That model called for the
removal of up to 50 percent of the
teachers as well as the Principal.
“The turnaround initiative was a distraction and a hindrance,” said Mr. Engel.
Students were worried about the future of
programs, clubs and classes. Teachers were
uneasy because they were worried about
their jobs. Perhaps, as a result or the turmoil, the graduation rate last June dropped
to about 50 percent. Already, however, the
school seems to have turned that around.
At a recent cabinet meeting, the Principal
and her Assistant Principals said the
school’s graduation rate for June may hit 70
percent.
M
n
n
n
s. Selenikas has a lot of plans
for the school and her staff,
plans that will call for collaboration, cooperation and hard
work. But despite the impressive goals she
has set for the school, Ms. Selenikas takes a
little time for herself every day to clear her
head. How does she do that? She teaches
AP Spanish. “Its my 45 minutes of sanity,”
she said with a smile.
Eighth- and ninth-grade students in
an engineering class at Russellville
JHS enjoyed a culminating celebration/fundraiser highlighting interactive projects they completed last
semester. Engineering courses,
which are already offered at the
high school, were funded by a startup grant. The students not only
showcased projects but sold items
they created, including a 3-D puzzle.
(couriernews.com)
NEW YORK:
Bus Plan
n Above Top: LICHS
was built in 1995, and
has an enrollment of
about 4,000.
n Above : Assistant
Principal of Music and
Art Natalya Duncan
talks with a senior,
Joisnel Tejada, in the
hallway.
n Left: The school’s
wood shop is well
equipped with several
workstations, power
tools, and plenty of
space.
The city is considering placing disabled students with general education students on school buses next
Fall; a move that has some parents
upset. The measure would be cost
saving and would give bus companies more flexibility in scheduling.
Parents feel that students may be at
increased risk for bullying and neglect. A spokesperson from the DOE
stated that students requiring specialized transportation will still
receive it. (nydailynews.com)
CALIFORNIA:
Schools & Bonds
Legislation was recently introduced
to modify Capital Appreciation
Bonds (CABs), frequently used by
school districts to pay for construction. CABs can cost as much as 20
times the principal. Two state lawmakers have proposed to lower the
maximum maturity from 40 to 25
years and cap the repayment ratio
to no more than $4 in interest and
principal for every $1 borrowed.
Reportedly as many as 200 schools
and community colleges have borrowed billions of dollars using CABs
since 2007. (latimes.com)
— COMPILED BY
CHRISTINE ALTMAN
OO-CSA News Mar 2013_CSA News 2013 2/27/13 2:18 PM Page 10
10
CSA NEWS
March 2013
AN OPEN LETTER FROM PRINCIPAL BRIAN De VALE (PS 257, BROOKLYN)
DEAR STAFF:
You’re Doing
(Too bad the union-busting mayor
and all his acolytes don’t get it…)
s the city remains deadlocked with the
UFT and CSA over the new evaluations,
arguing about a sunset clause that 99 percent of school districts around the state
approved, I continue to do my daily walk-throughs
and classroom observations. Real education continues at the school level, despite the lack of any agreement. Yet everyone seems to have an opinion. The
captains of industry, education, [the] “reform” lobby,
their supporters in the media and the ivory tower
elites spend no time teaching anyone anything but
A
continue to spew countless opinions in op-ed pieces and televised interviews,
and speaking to elected officials in Albany and Washington D.C. about education
and how you should be judged.
Well my professional opinion is that they can all jump in a lake! It is within
this leadership vacuum, created by the city’s latest failure to reach a deal with the
unions, that I continue the work of running our school. And so begins my latest
observation…
his morning after meeting with our parent coordinator, I began my unannounced classroom visits. Humberto Soto, a graduate of P.S 257, [was] performing a phonics lesson with his second-grade class. The children were
gathered on the rug while he guided them effortlessly through the lesson. The
children took turns raising their hands, and were actively engaged in the lesson
on “r – controlled syllables.”
My next stop was with Jose Martinez. His students were writing journal
entries. The students’ explained to me why they kept journals. I enjoyed discussing with them the root of the word “journal” from the French word “jour”
and singing the “Bonjour” song from Beauty and the Beast with them.
I popped into Katrina Ruggiero’s room. She was asking students to explain
how they solved some math problems. The first student correctly answered a
problem to “subtract a two-digit number from a three-digit number.” The child
explained the entire process step-by-step.
My next visit was with Maria Carrigan. Her kindergarten class was engaged in
T
n Darryl Jennings, a first-grader, is focused on
his work in Ivonne Cedeño’s class.
writing. The handwriting of several students I observed was excellent! The room
was neat, clean and well decorated.
I passed through the gym where Steve Martinez was engaged in aerobic exercise. Music pulsated in the background as he led Keara Browne’s early grade special needs class through the exercises. Paraprofessionals Sal Iacontino, Mercedes
Alvarez, and Joan Revy participated in the activity.
nother P.S. 257 graduate, Allen Kinard, was engaged in a discussion with
his students about tomorrow night’s Honor Roll Ceremony. He congratulated those who would be honored, but also explained, “It is not only
about grades but about how we behave and how we help others.” His room was
immaculate and he was dressed impeccably.
As always, it was a pleasure to visit our music room. I noted that our custodian
did a wonderful job in installing the new floor and the room is beautiful! I asked
Robert Siegel what he was working on as each child had headphones plugged
into individual keyboards and I could not hear what they were playing. He
explained that he was testing individual students on “Twinkle, Twinkle Little
Star.” I am sure we will all enjoy their performances on Family Music Night, later
this month!
I headed up to the third floor. I visited Annette Libassi’s early grade science lab
where she was working with Angela Patruno’s bilingual special needs class. They
were learning about “hygiene and hand washing.” I asked the children why this
was important. “So we don’t get germs,” was the first answer. I delved deeper. “So
when should we wash our hands?” “After we use the bathroom,” was the
response.
Antoinette Perciaccante was equally hard at work in the upper grade science
lab. She had Thalia Rauf’s class and they were engaged in a hands-on lesson about
circuits. The students had battery packs and metal objects so they could perform
experiments and learn about open and closed circuits. Kimron Benjamin and his
lab partner explained the work to me while paraprofessionals helped individual
students perform their tasks
Darcy Whittemore’s class is always a pleasure to visit. She was engaged in a
multi-disciplinary read-a-loud using a text about Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. She
tied the book to a previous text about a woman from Kenya who worked to fight
the negative effects of deforestation in her homeland. I spoke with the class for
five minutes about Black History Month and how we should make it about
learning and not simply about celebrating famous entertainers.
A
y visit to Angel Brea’s room was both exciting and educational. He projected a copy of the Bill of Rights on the White Board as part of a social
studies lesson with his bilingual fifth-grade students. I joined in the discussion on the right to bear arms. We discussed how the Constitution is a living
document and how the Supreme Court is charged with interpreting the laws of
the land. We related the current evolution of gun laws at both the state and
federal levels to the Bill of Rights. The class was completely engaged and interested in the topic. Some students thought the “right to bear arms” was inserted
due to “the need to prepare for any future British aggression.” Others thought
it was more about “self-defense.” Regardless, it was a productive and educational conversation. I noted that most of this deep conversation was conducted in English.¡Muy bien hecho, Profe!
Doris Rosenblatt, our health coordinator stopped me to show me paperwork
that she was finalizing with the school-based support team and a parent to
address IEP modifications for a student and asked for my approval. School
M
le.
incipal Brian De Va
n at PS 257 with Pr
ga
Lo
t
es
Ern
nt
ide
n CSA Pres
n Robert Siegel asks about the whole note
he’s pointing to on the staff of music.
OO-CSA News Mar 2013_CSA News 2013 2/27/13 2:18 PM Page 11
11
CSA NEWS
March 2013
An Amazing Job!
PHOTOS BY YURIDIA PEÑA
n Assistant Principal Melvin Martinez reviews the art work of kindergartners.
Psychologist Nathalia Lopez stopped me to discuss our screening tomorrow night
of Including Samuel a documentary about how to make schools more inclusive
for students with health and learning challenges. Paraprofessionals Elzbieta
Maczka and Linda Tinsley lovingly took a special needs student [to the bathroom] to have his diaper changed. I wonder how the “reformers” would measure
No evaluation system that any
data-driven technocrat could ever
develop can measure the love
you bring to teaching.
this act of these hard working, caring people who perform on a daily basis what
my aunt, a deceased nun, used to refer to as one of “the beatitudes”?
osaura Mendez was engaged in a read-a-loud using the book Crash. Her
students were gathered on the rug, all eyes focused on her. Monica Tejada’s
students were all on their feet, using “movement” to address individual
learning styles. And Melanie Holder’s students were solving math problems. They
were so engaged that they did not even notice me watching them for over two
minutes.
Finally, I visited with Mark Klemer in the art room. I asked the students what
they were doing and they said in unison: “Making Valentine’s Day cards.” Mr.
Klemer was working with one group and Carmen Arocho, the paraprofessional,
was working with another group. I feigned ignorance. “Valentine’s Day?!” I asked
in mock disbelief, “What is that all about?!” Willian Martinez, an ELL Dominican
immigrant, whom I have nicknamed “el alcalde” – the mayor – was passing by in
the hallway. He said, in almost perfect, accented English, “It is all about the love,”
and he was dead-on!
I returned to my office. Dr. Peter Leibman of St. Francis College had just completed a school tour with Assistant Principal Melvin Martinez. The professor was
here to launch our new partnership, which will provide us with student interns.
Dr. Leibman said to me, “You know, after so many years in this field and having
worked for many years at Bishop Loughlin High School, as well as having taught
for many years at the college, you know a good school as soon as you walk in the
door. Your Safety Agent was professional, courteous and happy. You can see the
smiles on the children’s faces. This just seems like such a happy place, full of positive energy.”
These kind words, coming from a man of such distinction and one who has
nothing to profit from them, mean more to me than a thousand meaningless
points on a QR rubric designed by folks who probably majored in business at
some Ivy League institution and have little or no experience in the classroom.
So, as I reflected and began writing this latest, stream-of-consciousness obser-
R
Continued on page 12
n Above, second
grade teachers work
together during a
prep period.
n Left, Melissa
Castricone works
with two of her firstgraders.
OO-CSA News Mar 2013_CSA News 2013 2/27/13 2:18 PM Page 12
CSA NEWS
12
March 2013
EVALUATIONS
Clock Is
Ticking
Toward
Deadline
Dear Staff: Keep Up the
Amazing Work That You Do
Continued from page 11
vation, I decided that I would not use any prescribed format because the powers that be are
constantly changing what they expect of us. As
of this moment nobody knows exactly how
evaluations will be done.
Continued from page 1
announced that he’d withhold $250 million from the city’s school in federal funds
unless the unions and the city settled by
that date. (In response to a lawsuit by a
group of parents, a state judge has issued a
preliminary injunction, blocking Mr.
Cuomo from withholding the funds. Stay
tuned!)
As far as Principal evaluations are concerned, the union remains optimistic that the
agreement almost reached in January will
remain a viable one. Since Jan. 17, the city has
made no effort to schedule more bargaining
sessions despite several inquiries from CSA.
Impact bargaining
In the meantime, the DOE gave CSA an
implementation/training plan on the
teacher evaluations to hear the union’s
comments. Mr. Cannizzaro said, “The
biggest issue is they expect a heck of a lot
of training to go on between now and
June,” he said. “The training will take up
a significant amount of time and simply
won’t permit Principals to go through with
their CEP-approved professional development plans, the ones they submitted prior
to the beginning of the school year.
“As long as the city doesn’t hold the
Principals accountable for what they were
planning to do but won’t have time for
with the new evaluation training, then we
won’t have a problem,” said Mr.
Cannizzaro. “As long as the change won’t
be held against my members, then I’m
good,” he said.
Of course, he added, discussing a system that has yet to be announced does
have its limitations. “We don’t know what
the UFT and the city have been discussing,
and while we’re assuming that the teachers will be using the Danielson rubric, we
won’t know exactly how much this will
affect CSA members until the agreement
is signed,” he said. “But we will be keeping a close eye on the impact and you can
be sure we will discuss it in our current
round of collective bargaining,” he said.
he inability of the city to close a deal on
evaluations has left things in limbo. These
folks have invented and introduced
“rubrics” and “Danielson” “realms, elements,
domains and indicators”, “standards” and
“strands”, Quality Reviews”, “inquiry work” and
every other meaningless new bit of terminology
that comes out of the business world or the
oh–so-hallowed halls of academia. It is an endless stream of income-producing terminology
and the resulting madness it creates comes from
folks long-removed from the work of teaching
YURIDIA PEÑA
children and caring for them on a daily basis.
n First-grader Amaury Estevez carefully works on a writing assignment.
They forget that it is teachers teaching kids in
Finally, P.S. 257 – It’s all about the love because that
classrooms who matter most! Everything else is far less
is what takes place here every single day. There is no
important, including the constant meddling in that
evaluation system that any data-driven technocrat
process. These outside “experts” and “consultants”
could ever develop that could measure the love you
arrive voicing how they expect to “lead study groups”,
bring to teaching.
“observe teachers” or “perform PD” and pull teachers
So let the barons of Wall Street, the hedge fund bilout of their classrooms and away from the kids!
lionaires and the media tycoons work to dismantle
They make it quite clear, without ever saying so
unions in order to deny hard-working people their welldirectly, that they have no interest in actually teaching
deserved pensions. Let their conspirators – the uncertianybody’s children. Thus, I take a pass on most of this
fied education “leaders” from Arne Duncan to Joel
type of “help” and suggest that our teachers remain in
Klein, Cathie Black, the present cadre and their bosses
the classroom focused on their students.
get up every morning focused on ways to fire you so
they can privatize and profit from public education.
o having cast off the manacles of the QR rubric,
Their days are numbered.
the framework for effective teaching and learnYou, however, will continue to stand tall, because
ing, the NYS standards and every other guide, I
you teach and love our kids! Thank you, and rememhave relied on my 27 years as a teacher, dean, superviber: Its all about the love.
sor and Principal to conduct this formal observation of
Happy Valentine’s Day,
the teaching and learning here at our school. It is, if
Brian Leavy De Vale, Principal
you will, my own “Quality Review,” free of any outlandish foreign consultant’s fee. To distinguish highquality instruction from anything less, I used my many
Editor’s Note: The original letter sent by Mr. De
years in education as my guide along with a confidence
Vale to his staff was longer. It has been edited here,
bolstered by the brilliant words of Justice Potter Stewart.
with Mr. De Vale’s permission. The choice of names to
It was he, who when asked to identify something as
include and to exclude were the Editor’s only, and
pornography rather than art, replied “I know it when I
were made because of space constraints. In his origisee it.” Well after so many years in this business, I, too,
nal letter to the staff, Mr. De Vale also commended:
know a good school when I see it.[Today] I saw teachers
George Algarin, custodial engineer; James Cassidy,
teaching kids. I saw children behaving nicely and having
teacher; Marie Chery, paraprofessional; Dora Cohen,
fun in a clean, nurturing environment. I saw none of the
school aide; Delia Fox, teacher; Alexandra Hernandez,
laziness, unprofessional behavior or silliness the media
teacher; Roland Holder, teacher; Brenda Jusino, parfolks would have us believe defines public education. (If I
ent coordinator; Angel Leon, teacher; Tyesha Nixon,
did see such conduct, I would know how to remove the
School Safety Agent; Elizabeth Santiago, teacher; and
teacher immediately.)
Karina Tirado, student intern.
T
S
2013 NEW YORK ISLANDERS/CSA MEMBER OFFER
Experience the fast-paced excitement of
the New York Islanders at discounted prices.
Tickets are going fast, so purchase today!
TICKETS ARE
AVAILABLE FOR
$42
$52-$41 tickets for 300 level end mezz, $25
$109-$78 tickets for lower level end zone,
March 19, 7PM vs Senators
(A portion of the proceeds benefits the CSA Scholarship Fund.)
March 24, 5PM vs Panthers
April 5, 7PM vs Lightning
To purchase tickets online,
visit www.newyorkislanders.com/csa
April 9, 7PM vs Flyers
Need help? Contact Sean Cassin at (516) 501-6879
or email him at [email protected]
OO-CSA News Mar 2013_CSA News 2013 2/27/13 2:18 PM Page 13
March 2013
CSA NEWS
Travel Desk
GARY GOLDSTEIN
Cruise the French Countryside
13
The Welfare
Fund
Douglas
Hathaway, Ph.D
Life Changes
Mean Contact Us!
T
n The Papal Palace in Avignon, France, among the most important Medieval buildings in Europe.
Far East Asia Sailaway
April 11-25, 2013
Cruise from Hong Kong to Taipei (Taiwan),
Busan and Jeju island in South Korea, Nagasaki,
Tianjin (the entry to Beijing) and Shanghai.
Pre-trips in Hong Kong and post-trips in
Shanghai are available. (For rates, email [email protected].)
Dover to Barcelona
Aug. 10-21, 2013
We’re sailing from Dover (England) to
Belgium, Portugal and return from Barcelona
on the Ryndam, one of Holland America’s midsize ships. New features include a café/library, a
culinary arts center and an “oasis” for teens.
RATES: Call for reduced rates. Suites and
verandahs are selling at a deeply discounted
rate. Rates include government charges and
taxes. Optional insurance available.
11 for an additional charge. Highlights include
Johannesburg, Soweto, the Panoramic Route,
Kruger National Park, a safari game drive, the
Garden Route, Knysna, Featherbed National
Reserve, an ostrich farm visit, Cape Town and
Table Mountain. Rates include 11 breakfasts,
four lunches, and six dinners.
RATES: $4,799 per person, double occupancy; $5,599 single occupancy. Rates include
air fare.
Gems of Southeast Asia
Jan 5-19, 2014
Sail the Celebrity Millennium to exotic
Indonesia, Malaysia and Phuket, Thailand.
RATES: inside, $3,320.06 per person, double occupancy; window, $3,610.06; balcony,
$4,140.06; suite, $5,540.06. Rates include airfare and are introductory for a new Celebrity
market and won’t last long!
Caribbean
Presidents’ Week Sailaway ‘14
July 13-20, 2013
Feb 15-22, 2014
Fly to San Juan on July 13 and sail on Royal
Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas from July 13-20.
We’ll visit St. Thomas, St. Kitts, Aruba and
Curaçao while experiencing regal service, activities and cuisine.
RATES: start at $990.32 including taxes.
Airfare from JFK is $656.40 including taxes
and transfers.
Sail Celebrity’s newest ship, The Reflection,
from Fort Lauderdale to San Juan, St. Thomas
and St. Martin. These new introductory rates
include airfare to Florida.
RATES: insides, $1,343.60 per person, double occupancy; outside, $1,473.60; balcony,
$1,598.60. Aqua class, concierge and sky suites
available.
Cruise the Mekong
Portraits of Southern France
Aug 11-25, 2013
May 14-25, 2014 including three days in Paris!
Sept. 26–Oct. 8, 2013
We’ll sail on the Saone and the Rhone
aboard Viking River Cruises’ state-of-the-art
Hermod from May 18-25. Explore Burgundy,
Provence, Vienne, Arle and Avignon. The program includes three nights in Paris. We’ll leave
NYC on May 14, arrive in Paris on May 15 and
board our ship on May 18. We return home
on May 25.
Rates: Standard, $3,759.50 per person, double occupancy; French balcony, $4,359.50;
verandah, $4,859.50 to $5159.50. Rates include
meals, wine and tours while onboard the
Hermod. Singles, suites and insurance upon
request. Roundtrip airfare not included in these
rates.Can’t stay away that long? Eliminate Paris
and save $749 per person.
Earlybird discount: Save $100 per person
if you book and send a deposit by July 1.
We’re returning to a nation that captures
culture and nature in harmony. Extend your
stay in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe through Oct.
For more information about these trips, or for
brochures, email [email protected].
Sail the Mekong River with land tours of
Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Siem Reap, and Phnom
Penh. Enjoy stunning scenery and outstanding
cuisine. Tour includes 34 meals, escorts, superior hotels and a seven-day cruise aboard Viking
River Cruise’s Viking Indochina. Rates on request.
Vamos a Cuba
Dec. 8-16, 2013
We fly to Miami on Dec. 8 for a briefing
and an overnight stay and then fly to Havana
on Dec. 9. Enjoy an escorted bus tour with
eight breakfasts, five lunches and six dinners.
RATES: Double, $4,069 per person, single,
$4,469 per person. Sorry, no triples available.
Spectacular South Africa
his column highlights something I mention at every membership meeting, both for inservice members and retirees.
Whenever you have a change in life
status, such as having a child, dropping a spouse after a divorce, adding
a new spouse or domestic partner,
you must inform the city and CSA,
both of which maintain your personnel records. You must file paperwork
with your payroll secretary or human
resources department for the cityprovided health plan and contact the
Welfare Fund, which provides you
with supplemental benefits.
The Welfare Fund and city-provided health plans do not routinely
pass personal information back and
forth due to privacy regulations so it
falls on you to ensure all parties are
notified. Fortunately, we have developed a good, working relationship
with staff at all the health plans and
city agencies so that we can expedite
things when necessary, but it is still
your responsibility to initiate the status updates.
Q
Had a
baby? Got
married?
Let us
know so
we can
update
your
records.
UESTION: I am a retired Assistant
Principal who is not yet eligible
for Medicare and I am enrolled in the
GHI-CBP health plan. A friend told
me I could get my prescription drug co-payments reimbursed.
How do I do this?
ANSWER: Your friend is correct. Simply make a copy of
each of the four quarterly reports you received from Express
Scripts/GHI showing your co-payments for 2012 and send
them to the CSA Retiree Welfare Fund. We have an arrangement with NYC and GHI that allows us to receive prescription history electronically. Once we receive it, and verify that
it is complete, we process the reimbursements in the order
they were received. We are scheduled to receive the file by
mid-February, so our reimbursement checks should be out by
the end of March.
Q
UESTION: I was just appointed as an interim-acting
Assistant Principal, and finally received my proper pay last
paycheck. The UFT billed me for dental work and prescriptions I received just before I was appointed. Why did they do
this? Do I have to pay this?
ANSWER: First, congratulations and welcome to the CSA.
As you learned, it can take the Department of Education several weeks and pay periods to update their records with your
new position. We have a long-standing agreement with the
UFT Welfare Fund that they will continue to provide benefits
to members who may be in a CSA position until the
Department of Education updates its records. The charges you
mentioned were incurred the month you were finally paid as
a supervisor.
Please send us the statements from the UFT Welfare Fund
and the rejection from your dentist. We will reimburse the
UFT Welfare Fund what they paid for your medications and
have the dental claim paid through our dental plan.
Q
UESTION: I am a Principal. I had a new baby 18 months
ago, and have tried four times through my payroll secretary to add her to my health plan. I am completely frustrated
and don’t know what else to do. Can you help me get my
child covered?
ANSWER: Certainly. That is why we are here. If you fax us
the paperwork (enrollment form and birth certificate), one of
the Welfare Fund staff will take it over to the appropriate
Department of Education office and make sure your records
are updated.
Dr. Hathaway is the Administrator of the CSA Welfare Funds.
OO-CSA News Mar 2013_CSA News 2013 2/27/13 2:18 PM Page 14
14
March 2013
CSA NEWS
RETIREE
Chapter
CHAIR’S MESSAGE
Gayle Lockett
Beautiful
Baubles!
The Planning for
2013 Begins Anew!
F
or the last six years, I have been
privileged to serve as the
Executive Vice Chair in Neil
Lefkowitz’ administration and as
Second Vice Chair with Irwin Shanes.
Irwin’s strong sense of providing service and benefits to our members and
Neil’s strong commitment to further
extending services has created a legacy of
dedication for providing the very best
services for our members.
I pledge as your new Chair to continue to work hard to enhance services to
our membership through the
Educational/Cultural Committee and the
Outreach Program. I assure you that as a
trustee of the Retiree Welfare Fund, as
well as Chair of the Retiree Chapter, I
will, along with the Chapter’s officers,
the Executive Board and the Welfare
Fund, periodically review how we can
provide more supplemental health benefits. I also plan to keep abreast and
involved concerning political issues that
might affect our benefits. To carry out
this mission, the following officers will
assist me.
• Joseph Rosenberg, Executive Vice
Chair, whose main responsibility is to be
a liaison to our Regional Units.
• John Oricchio, our Second Vice
Chair, is the liaison to our Educational/Cultural Committee.
• Stanley Wilson, Secretary, takes the Executive Board minutes.
• Bill Pinkett is the Treasurer
Of course, Joe, John, Stanley and Bill have other responsibilities and sit on several committees as well. I look forward to
working with them on your behalf. We are now planning the
Retiree Chapter schedule for 2013, which includes our next general spring membership meeting. We’ll keep you posted.
In the
near
future,
we hope
to
establish
more
Regional
Units.
S
• • •
ince many of our members have enjoyed reconnecting
through our Regional Units, we want to create new units in
areas where there are enough retirees who are committed to
organizing and participating in one. These areas include the
Washington D.C area (Virginia and Maryland), Puerto Rico and
Massachusetts/Connecticut. Remember: You can belong to more
than one Regional Unit as well.
As always, our staff, led by Director Mark Brodsky, remains
committed to making your lives more productive. Don Juliano
is knowledgeable about TRS and pension matters, and is now
assisted by Stephen Porter, our assistant program developer.
Felice Hannah, our Outreach Coordinator, is an award-winning
Medicare volunteer, who provides individualized services as well
as workshops on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Michael Ebenstein, Lucie Elio and Emerson Spry spend countless hours researching the best activities to offer through our
Educational and Cultural program.
Ms. Goidel, our legislative liaison, helped establish many of
our Regional Units to promote constituent power to educate legislators about preserving our benefits and the importance of
continuing the role of the supervisors in education.( Mr. Porter
is also assisting her.) Last, but not least, our office staff of Alana
Segura, Miata Jones and Tonya Willis are always happy to
answer your questions.
I look forward to meeting you at Unit meetings and Retiree
Chapter functions. And I look forward to hearing your ideas. I
can be reached at [email protected].
In unity,
Jewelry Making Basics
The Retiree Chapter’s Educational and Cultural’s Fall
2012 Program wrapped up with the three-session
Jewelry Class - Basic Wire Wrapping Techniques.
Above, instructor Lydia Gonzalez, left, with participants on Jan. 28. Left, some of the equipment and
tools used in the class.
YURIDIA PEÑA
Workshops
Coordination of Benefits
On May 21, Michael Fisher will present a workshop on ‘Understanding Coordination of
Health Benefits’. Participants will learn how to read a Medicare Summary Notice and
Emblem/GHI Health Summary notices. He’ll review many topics including the difference
between an assigned provider and an unassigned provider, how the difference could
affect your out-of-pocket costs and how to identify when you have met your Medicare
Part B and GHI deductible for the year. He’ll also explain the phrase, “you may be billed.”
Michael Fisher is an Executive Board member of the Bronx Retiree Chapter Regional Unit.
Date: May 21 Time: 9:30 am-1 pm | Place: CSA Office, 40 Rector St., 12th Floor
Thinking About the Unthinkable:
Planning to Help Your Family
These topics are something you may not want to think about, but getting your house
in order is important for family members who may have to take over your finances in a
hurry if you are incapacitated or die. In truth, every adult should prepare for these eventualities, but the reality is many put off these discussions for "some time in the future."
In this workshop, we'll cover advance directives including a living will, health care proxies and "do not resuscitate" orders.
A specialist in Long Term Care will provide information on Medicaid and hospice coverage and answer questions regarding Long Term Care coverage. Felice Hannah, Outreach
Coordinator, will guide Retiree Chapter members, and their spouse or registered domestic
partner on filling out the Retiree Chapter's Survivor's Information Guide, a set of forms the
Retiree Chapter provides members. This provides family members with important information about your finances in the event of your death or incapacitation.
Date: June 18 | Time: 9:30 am-1 pm | Place: CSA Office, 40 Rector St., 12th Floor
You must register to attend either workshop.
Call or email Felice Hannah, Retiree Chapter Outreach Coordinator
at (212) 823-2020 or [email protected].
OO-CSA News Mar 2013_CSA News 2013 2/27/13 2:18 PM Page 15
Social Security’s
New Online Services
BY EVERETT M. LO
Social Security is expanding the services it provides in cyberspace, giving every
working and retired American a personalized online account.
Through “my Social Security,” the
online program, more than 60 million
Social Security beneficiaries and
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients can access benefit verification letters, payment histories and earnings
records. Social Security beneficiaries can
also change their addresses and start or
change direct deposit information.
“We are making it even easier for people to do their business with us from the
comfort of their home, office, or library,”
said Social Security Administration
Commissioner Michael J. Astrue. “I
encourage people of all ages to take advantage of our award-winning online services
and check out the new features available
through an online my Social Security
account.”
Social Security beneficiaries and SSI
recipients can go online and get a benefit verification letter instantly. This letter
serves as proof of income to secure loans,
mortgages and other housing, and state
or local benefits. People also use the let-
15
CSA NEWS / RETIREES
March 2013
RC Regional Units
n Henry Telfer, left, the
Legislative Coordinator
for the Arizona Unit,
shares a laugh with US
Sen. Al Franken, center.
Mr. Telfer attended a
political dinner wearing
his other hat – the Unit’s
representative for the
Arizona Alliance of
Retired Americans (ARA).
ARA held a dinner with
Mr. Franken as the guestof-honor on Jan. 25 in
Phoenix, AZ.
ter to prove they have Medicare health
insurance coverage, retirement or disability status, and their age.
Social Security processed nearly nine
million requests for benefit verification
Instant access to your
work records and your
Social Security benefits.
letters in the past year.
This service eliminates the need to visit
or call a Social Security office, or wait for a
letter to arrive in the mail. It also will
reduce the time spent by employees completing these requests and frees them to
focus on other work.
People ages 18 and older can register at
www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount. After
completing the verification process, people can create a “my Social Security”
account and get a personalized online
Social Security statement. This statement
provides eligible workers with secure access
to Social Security earnings and benefits,
and estimates of future benefits to use in
planning for retirement.
In addition, the portal
also includes links to
information about other
online services, such as
applications for retire1. The payroll tax cut ended. Workers who pay into
ment, disability and
Social Security will now resume contributing 6.2 perMedicare. “Given our sigcent on up to $113,700 of income.
nificantly reduced fund2. Paper checks end as of March 1. Recipients must
ing, we have to find innochoose either direct deposit or payments loaded
vative ways to continue
onto a prepaid Direct Express Debit MasterCard.
to meet the needs of the
American people without
4. Higher earnings limit. People between ages 62 and
compromising service,”
66 who work and collect Social Security may earn up
to $15,120 in 2013, after which $1 in benefits will be
said Mr. Astrue. “These
withheld for every $2 of income above the earnings
new enhancements will
limit. People who turn 66 this year can earn up to
allow us to provide faster
$40,080 and then $1 of benefits will be withheld for
service to more people in
every $3 earned above the limit. Once you turn age
more places.”
66, the earnings limit no longer applies.
5. The cost of living adjustment went up 1.7 percent
Everett M. Lo is the
effective in January. The average monthly benefit
Social Security Administraincreased from $1,240 to $1,261.
tion’s Project Manager for
the New York region.
New Social Security Rules
Additional Workshop on
Medicare Added for Fall
The Retiree Chapter is delighted
to announce that due to the overwhelming response to the March 5
workshop on Medicare, we have
scheduled a second one in the fall to
accommodate those who could not
be given seats. Our meeting room
accommodates 120 members, and
we were at capacity!
Outreach Coordinator Felice
Hannah has scheduled a second
workshop on Medicare for Sept. 5
from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. She has
arranged for speakers from the NYS
n Felice Hannah is an expert in Medicare, Social
Security and other federal programs and benefits. and US Medicare Fraud Prevention
Task Force to attend. They will provide information regarding changes in coverage and cost of original Medicare as well
as Medicare Advantage Plans. They’ll also bring an update on the Affordable Care Act
(2008) and the Patient Protection Rights Act (2008).
How to avoid being a victim of Medicare fraud and identity theft will also be discussed. To register, contact Ms. Hannah at (212) 823-2020. You may also email her at
[email protected].
STATEN ISLAND
MANHATTAN
STATEN ISLAND UNIT LEADER
Allen Nilsen | [email protected]
Our next membership meeting will
be held May 17 at the Manhattan
Comprehensive Night and Day School,
240 Second Ave. at East 15th St. The
main topics will be “investing in retirement’ and "tax abatement for coops and
condos.” Our annual luncheon is at
noon, June 26, at the National Arts Club.
More information will be sent to you
about these events. Please send in your
Unit membership dues of $15 (for May
1-April 30, 2014.) Make the check
payable to Manhattan Unit/CSARC. Mail
it to me, Stanley H. Wilson, 400 E. 56 St.,
Apt. 8M, NY, NY 10022.
— STANLEY WILSON
Retired in 2004 as Principal of Concord High
School, Alternative High Schools, Staten Island.
NEW JERSEY
(This information was incorrectly reported
in February. The Editor regrets the error.)
Our Unit will hold its next general
membership meeting at 10 am, March 19,
at the Hilton Garden Inn, 1100 South Ave.
An abundant brunch will be served. We’ll
hold elections for Unit officers and the
Executive Board. The main speaker will
be Welfare Fund Administrator Dr.
Douglas V. Hathaway, who will take questions from the audience after his address.
Assistant RC Treasurer Don Juliano will
also speak. His topic: Income Related
Medicare Adjustment Amounts (IRMAA).
In addition, Legislative Coordinator Pat
DeMeo will bring us up to speed on the
CSA’s political front and legislative agenda.
Save the Date: On May 6, we’ll hold our
annual end-of-year extravaganza at the
Hilton Garden Inn, 1100 South Ave., at
noon.
—AL NILSEN
QUEENS
We’ve rescheduled our tour of the Billie
Jean King National Tennis Center in
Flushing Meadows for April 26. (We were
forced to cancel the original date because
of Hurricane Sandy.) Following the tour
there will be a luncheon at Press 195, in
Bayside. We’ll be sending Unit members
a flier with the trip’s details as well as information about luncheons on March 15 and
April 19. Unfortunately, due to increased
production costs, we can no longer send
the Unit’s newsletter and fliers to all
retirees who live in Queens. Only members will receive our mailings in the future.
If you have not renewed your membership, please do so immediately. (An enrollment form was enclosed with last month’s
Unit newsletter.) Questions about membership or any other concerns? Contact
me at [email protected].
— LEN STERMAN
Our Unit will hold its Welcome Back
Bagel Meeting for our snowbirds (and
non-snowbirds!) on April 24 at 9:30 p.m.
at the Monmouth County Library headquarters, 125 Symmes Dr., Manalapan.
CSA Executive Vice President Mark
Cannizzaro and Welfare Fund Administrator Douglas Hathaway will speak. The
Unit’s spring newsletter will be arriving in
early April with further meeting details.
Interested in joining the Unit? Contact
me at [email protected].
— LUCILLE VECCHIARELLI
PALM BEACH
On Feb. 8, the Unit held its meeting
and annual luncheon at Benvenutos
Restaurant, Boynton Beach. Guest speakers were Dr. Ella Remenson, MD, representatives from the Palm Beach Area
Agency on Aging and CSA Executive Vice
President, Mark Cannizzaro. On March
1, we hold our annual Health Fair.
Welfare Fund Administrator Douglas
Hathaway will join us for the day’s
events. On March 20, the Unit is taking
an airboat trip in Everglades Holiday
Park, lunching at Bimini Boatyard and
touring Bonnet House in Fort Lauderdale.
— LOIS TURETZKY, ED.D
SUNCOAST
Fifty-eight members and spouses of
our Unit attended our Unit’s meeting on
Jan. 15 at the Oriental Buffet, Sarasota.
CSA President Ernest Logan, thenExecutive Vice Chair Gayle Lockett, (now
Chair,) and the Welfare Fund’s Douglas
Hathaway attended the meeting, as did
Norman Sherman, CSA’s RC Florida
Liaison. Special shout-out to guest Irving
Kamil! Our final meeting of 2013 is March
8 at the Oriental Buffet. Questions? Call
me at (941) 383-0408.
— MICHAEL NEMOYTIN
OO-CSA News Mar 2013_CSA News 2013 2/27/13 2:18 PM Page 16
16
MARCH 2013
Council of School Supervisors & Administrators, NYC
New York State Federation of School Administrators
Local 1 AFSA, AFL-CIO
40 Rector St., NY, NY 10006
Periodicals
US POSTAGE PAID AT
Brooklyn, NY 11201
and Additional Mailing Office
Printed on FSC certified paper
Borough Briefs / In The Schools
Compiled
by Yuridia Peña
Humble Start for
Superstar Designer
D
YURIDIA PEÑA
n Tommy Hilfiger looks overs students’ designs during a visit to the
High School of Fashion Industries.
Brooklyn
(DIST. 13-23,32)
Auditorium Gets
New Lease on Life
On Feb. 21 the community of IS 228
celebrated the renovation of its 83-year
old auditorium. The renovation cost
$975,000, funds that were provided
through the offices of Brooklyn Borough
President Marty Markowitz and City
Council member Domenic Recchia Jr.
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, a
Lunar New Year celebration was held in
the recreated space. Happy Year of the
Snake to all!
Bronx
esigner Tommy
Hilfiger shared his
experiences that led
him to the top of the fashion industry with students
from the High School of
Fashion Industries.
Mr. Hilfiger walked
around the classroom and
looked at the young designers’ work. He then allowed
students to ask questions.
“When I first wanted to
open a store, my parents
told me I was crazy,” he
said.
From a working class
family of eight children, Mr.
Hilfiger said he used $150
he earned from a part-time
job at a local gas station to
move to NYC. He used his
apartment as a store, which
Manchester and the choir rehearsed in
the music building at Lehman College.
They prepared songs including New York
State of Mind and 42nd Street. Grand
Central’s 100th birthday was celebrated
with a day of exhibits, special offers, performances, and speakers including the
West Point Brass and Percussion band.
he named “People’s Place”
and sold jeans he bought
from other stores. Without
any training, Mr. Hilfiger
decided to draw jeans with
unique pockets and belt
loops. He then hired local
seamstresses to create his
designs. “I put them in my
store [and] people loved
them, so I said I want to be
a designer, I want to create
and make my own collection,” he said.
Mr. Hilfiger personally
handed students invitations
to his men’s line fashion
show at the Armory for
Fashion Week. “There are
lots of opportunities in the
fashion industry always for
young people,” he added.
– YP
Manhattan (DIST. 1-7)
A Lot of Heart
Mosaic Preparatory Academy celebrated the American Heart Association's
Annual Wear Red Day on Feb. 1. In a sci-
ence class, students created a public service announcement for a television show
on living healthy. The physical education teacher facilitated various exercises.
More than $200 was collected and sent
to the AHA. In this fundraiser, Mosaic
Prep joined other national initiatives led
by organizations including Jump Rope
For Heart and Hoops For Heart.
Park East High School celebrated the
opening of its new library and media center Feb. 4. The $600,000 renovation was
funded by Manhattan Borough President
Scott Stringer’s office. Last fall, the school
also opened new science lab with $1.2
million from the office of Councilwoman
Melissa Viverito. In the past, the school
collaborated with Time Warner, which
donated books for the school’s library.
The Principal is Kevin McCarthy.
Citywide
A Website for the
College-Bound
(DIST. 7-12)
A Centennial Party
Grammy winner Melissa Manchester
worked with the Celia Cruz Bronx High
School Choir for Grand Central
Terminal’s centennial celebration. Ms.
n Music Preparatory Academy turns up
“the red” for Annual Wear Red Day! See
story (under Manhattan) for details.
YURIDIA PEÑA
n Park East High School celebrates the opening of its library. See story above for details.
CUNY and the NYC Department of
Education introduced NYC College Line,
a website for college-bound students. NYC
College Line directs students to admissions offices, reviews applications procedures, and provides information about
financial aid and testing. The website is
the first online resource for city-specific
information on the college process. The
website allows students to visit, join, or
open a forum to start a conversation. NYC
College Line was created by Graduate
NYC!, CUNY, the NYC DOE, and the
Options Center of Goddard Riverside. For
more information visit nyccollegeline.org.