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Selection Committee Training Sessions - UPDATED

10/31/2014

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If you've never been trained to serve on a Selection Committee and you'd like to play a role in the district's hiring process, then you need to attend one of our upcoming training sessions. Click the link below for full details.

Fall 2014 Selection Committee Training Information

UPDATE: A third session has been added 

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Mentor Training - November 2014

10/24/2014

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The Great Neck Teacher Center is offering a Mentor Training Course for all tenured teachers interested in becoming a mentor. Please register on MyLearningPlan if you are interested.



Becoming A Great Neck Mentor
November 10 & November 13
4:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Great Neck Teacher Center
North Middle School
Rm. 163

Please contact Eileen Kurinskas if you have any questions.

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The President's Report - Do One Thing!

10/22/2014

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PicturePres. Sheila Scimone
There was a time when I believed that the strength of teachers’ unions was so great that we could withstand every attack. Then along came Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin, who stripped the teachers’ unions in his state of their collective bargaining rights. And along came Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Rolf Treu, who ruled that tenure protections for California teachers are unconstitutional, because they deprive disadvantaged, mostly minority students of an education equal to that afforded schools with higher-income students.

While I would love to believe that these things couldn’t happen in New York, we’re seeing alarming evidence that they can. Two cases in point:

  • The Attack on the Triborough Amendment: As you’re well aware, the Taylor Law prohibits New York public employees’ unions from striking during a protracted series of contract negotiations. To keep the playing field level, the Triborough Amendment protects us by ensuring that all the terms of an expired contract remain in effect (including raises built in to existing salary schedules) until a successor agreement is ratified. Many voices are calling upon the governor and the state legislators to abolish the Triborough Amendment, reasoning that it reduces the motivation of unions to bargain in good faith. There is currently a bill in the Assembly to this effect: at present, it has only one sponsor and two co-sponsors. However, the clamor continues.
  • The Attack on Teacher Tenure: Two lawsuits have been filed in New York State seeking to abolish teacher tenure on the grounds that they deny students the right to a sound basic education. The first, brought by the New York City Parents Union on July 3 and the second, Wright v. New York (supported by former CNN anchor Campbell Brown) on July 28, are being combined in the courts.

What is NYSUT doing about these assaults? Your VOTE-COPE money is used by NYSUT for political action: to identify and support candidates for state office who agree with NYSUT positions on these two issues (among others) as well as to support lobbying efforts by NYSUT, particularly in the legislature.  As for the lawsuits, State Supreme Court Justice Philip Minardo recently granted a motion by NYSUT to intervene in the defense of current teacher tenure rules. Many people feel that the suits will not be successful here in New York...but should they fail, the next step will surely be to seek legislation to weaken or abolish teacher tenure protection, which brings us back to lobbying.

What is GNTA doing? For many years, we’ve actively participated in lobbying: Vice President Jennifer Snyder has been our representative to Albany on the “Committee of 100." Political Action Chairs Michelle Sorise and Patti Crisafulli have organized a number of initiatives for GNTA members in the last couple of years; they also work to create partnerships with other locals as well as community members. Finally, as your President, I’ve met several times with our local legislators to discuss matters of concern to us as educators.

But NYSUT and GNTA are nothing without our members. Our strength is in direct proportion to your visibility when it comes to issues affecting teachers. And so, this year, we ask you to do at least one thing to make your voice heard politically. Details about our Do One Thing campaign can be found on gnteachers.net. The stakes for our profession—in fact, for public education—have never been higher, and we are all responsible for our future.

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GNTA New Members Reception

10/22/2014

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On October 15, we welcomed our newest members to the Great Neck Teachers Association with food, drink, and important information regarding member benefits. Our new members are as follows:
Districtwide Teachers

Two new teachers will serve districtwide, K–12. They are Kelly Bedford (speech therapist) and Jennifer Hallissy (occupational therapist).

Elementary Teachers

New elementary teachers, in alphabetical order (with their subject areas and schools): David Cheng (psychologist, E.M. Baker), Elizabeth Gebert (nurse, Parkville), Kaitlin Grubb (speech therapist, Parkville), Connor Heaney (special education, J.F. Kennedy), Julie Insinga (kindergarten, Parkville), Christina Kalamotousakis (nurse, Baker), Kathleen Koster (grade 3, Lakeville), Heather Little (music, Baker), Gillian Mann (special education, Baker), Courtney Masone-Kyriakou (reading, Baker), Melissa Mulvey (special education, Kennedy), Lisa Nightingale (art, Baker), Angela Osa (reading, Baker), and Kristen Pappas (special education, Baker).

Secondary Teachers

New secondary teachers, in alphabetical order (with their subject areas and schools): Zachary Boyt (mathematics department head, North Middle), Lindsay Burcyk (special education, South Middle), Aeneas Carravetta (mathematics, North Middle), Lisa DiLorenzo (special education, North Middle), Joshua Dugan (special education, South Middle), Margaret Dunne (English, South High), Lea Lisa Farazmand (nurse, North Middle), Lauren Ferguson (science, North Middle), Lauren Fiore (study skills, South High), Meghan Flynn (special education, North Middle), Gennaro Fontano (social studies, South High), Alissa Gomoka (mathematics, North High), Regina Gruner (family/consumer science, South Middle), Linda Haase (art, South High), Gala Handler (foreign language department head, South High), Nicole Jacoberger (social studies, North High), Erin Keys (special education, South Middle), Christine Pallante (science, South  Middle), Victoria Paparatto (speech therapist, North & South High), Savannah Puca (special education, North Middle), Marlene Ramos-Velita (foreign language department head, South Middle), Erin Schneiderman (special education, South High), Nicholas Sepe (special education, South High), Kristen Serio (special education, South High), Kristen Sidik (special education, South Middle), Alison Silk (Spanish, North High), Ian Western (special education, South Middle), and Hao Wu (Mandarin Chinese, North High). - List courtesy of Jessica Vega, GNPS Public Relations
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Great Neck Teachers Association
NYSUT, AFT-NEA, AFL-CIO #2686 | The Cottage • 343 Lakeville Road • Great Neck, NY 11020 
gnteachers@gmail.com | @GNTeachers
(516) 829-9070