GNTA
  • GNTA
    • Mission Statement
    • Executive Board
    • Delegate Assembly
    • BRC, BCG, & SDM
    • Staff
    • Benefit Trust Fund
    • Affiliates
    • Constitution & Bylaws
  • Information
    • GNTA Calendar 2022-23
    • District Calendar 2022-23
    • APPR
    • Pregnancy FAQs
    • Contact Form
    • Elections
    • Forms
    • Retirement
    • TAC Guidelines
    • Summer Scholarship
    • Teacher Center
    • Inservice
    • Tutoring Directory
    • Links
    • History >
      • 75 Years Strong
      • Video: A History of GNTA
  • New Members
  • Get Involved!
    • LAP
    • Political Action >
      • Talk Back-Fight Back
    • Social Justice
    • Social Outreach
  • News Blog
  • New Page

Delegate's Report: Jennifer Snyder

5/24/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Seven GNTA members, selected as delegates by our membership in 2014, attended the NYSUT 44th Annual Representative Assembly in Rochester from April 8-9. This yearly convention of almost 2,000 members is NYSUT’s highest policy-making body. Here's what our delegates have to say:

JENNIFER SNYDER
VP, Professional Rights & Responsibilities
​

There has been a lot of talk about democracy lately. In GNTA, we have worked really hard examining, discussing, and communicating our decision making process. We have read, re-read, distributed, and discussed the GNTA constitution and bylaws and looked closely to assure that we were following the intent of the language. In the areas where the language was vague or inconsistent with practice, we brought the discussion to the Delegate Assembly and made the necessary changes.

At this year’s NYSUT Representative Assembly meeting thousands of elected delegates, like myself, put our private lives aside for two days to travel to Rochester to meet and discuss, debate, and vote on proposals for NYSUT’s legislative program. This is work that delegates take seriously and are proud to do. It has been said that decisions are made by those who are in the room.

This democratic process is followed by political organizations large and small. NYSUT, New York State United Teachers, is a political organization that represents members from all over the state. It is important to recognize that this organization represents members from Great Neck and other Nassau County locals, but also members from northern and western New York, and the large rural areas of the state. NYSUT also includes New York City, the United Federation of Teachers, which represents the members from all five boroughs. It is important to know that the membership from the cities in NY, including Syracuse and Buffalo, have more delegates than the rest of the state combined.

Our Executive Board has been asked to be more transparent with process and to communicate more frequently with the membership. This is happening within NYSUT as well. We are living in unsettling times where each of us feels the need to protect everything that is ours and to fight for all we deserve. When these issues are brought to our elected delegates for discussion, decisions are made. This is what democracy looks like. This is the procedures we follow at our monthly Delegate Assembly, and this is the process that is followed at the NYSUT Representative Assembly.

The democratic process does not guarantee that we always get our way, but the process assures that every vote counts. We take this responsibility very seriously. We are there in the room for each discussion and we are present when the question is called. When a voice vote is too close to call we yell louder. When a hand vote is taken, our hands are held high. When that is too close to call, and we need to stand to be counted, we stand proudly. It doesn’t always feel like we are getting our due, but we have to be in the room to be counted.

As we go to the polls on May 17th and again on November 8th, we should remember that “This is what democracy looks like!” 

0 Comments

Delegate's Report: Luci Legotti

5/19/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Seven GNTA members, selected as delegates by our membership in 2014, attended the NYSUT 44th Annual Representative Assembly in Rochester from April 8-9. This yearly convention of almost 2,000 members is NYSUT’s highest policy-making body. Here's what our delegates have to say:

LUCI LEGOTTI
Elementary Director, 3-5

Thomas DiNapoli’s support of public education and teachers continues to be unwavering and extremely inspirational. 

As educators we should be honored that New York State’s chief fiscal officer, whose job is to ensure that State and local governments use taxpayer money effectively and efficiently to promote the common good, stated, “I am proud as your Comptroller to say that investing in quality public schools and teachers is still the best investment taxpayers can make, and it gives us the highest rate of return for our state and for our nation.”
 
He credited NYSUT’s very focused activism in Albany as instrumental in advocating for the increase of 1.5 billion dollars in State aid as well as the return of 434 million dollars in the gap elimination adjustment. He acknowledged that school districts, faced with the 2% tax cap, still have budget challenges ahead and are expecting teachers to do more with less resources and added responsibilities.  He described the school audits his office conducts and their effort to make schools more efficient and accountable. He pointed out that charter schools are also included in the audits.  He explained that the audits are done to protect taxpayer dollars.  

He lauded the contributions that both inservice and retired public employees make to the New York State economy and stressed the importance of continuing our commitment to our retirees, as “80% of our NYS public retirees continue to live in the state and that means they are spending their benefit dollars in our state.” He reported that the NYS’s Public Pension Fund is one of the best-funded large state pension plans in America. He credited our well-funded pensions as a contributing factor cited by Moody’s, Fitch & Standard & Poor’s in an upgraded NYS bond rating.  DiNapoli assured the audience that on his watch, he would stand up to any challenges to our defined benefit pension plan and not allow them to be replaced by 401(k)-style defined contribution plans.

He emphasized, “Teachers need to remain vigilant, as attempts to undermine teacher unions and public sector unions are underway in the national debate.” He offered himself as an advocate, to be called upon, “…when battles arise, to speak out on the essential role that unions play in making a better and stronger state and nation.” He encouraged teachers to continue to make their voices heard on behalf of students and public schools, and stated that he looks forward to standing shoulder to shoulder with us.

0 Comments

Delegate's Report: Joan Greenberg

5/17/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Seven GNTA members, selected as delegates by our membership in 2014, attended the NYSUT 44th Annual Representative Assembly in Rochester from April 8-9. This yearly convention of almost 2,000 members is NYSUT’s highest policy-making body. Here's what our delegates have to say:

JOAN GREENBERG
GNTA Political Action Co-Coordinator

It was my privilege and honor to represent the Great Neck faculty at the NYSUT Representative Assembly, held in Rochester this April. It was inspirational and refreshing to be in the company of unionists committed to quality public education as well as broad social justice issues. It served as a reminder that we GNTA are members of a vibrant, diverse, interdisciplinary force that diligently protects the rights of others. This was witnessed in the passing of various resolutions that addressed the protection of children from the institutionalized child abuse of standardized tests as well as challenging the commissioner’s untimed testing agenda. In addition resolutions addressing legislative issues included the defense of collective bargaining and redoubling efforts to prevent a 2017 Constitutional Convention. On a national level, NYSUT urged all members to stand in unity against discrimination by asking all affiliates to avoid travel in North Carolina and Mississippi. 
 
As a first-time delegate, political action co coordinator, and social worker, the convention further reinforced the importance of participation by members in the process of change. The shift in Cuomo’s message concerning public education is a direct response to the dedication and hard fought battle by union members. Our contributions to VOTE/COPE, which supplied revenue for advertisements and other lobbying efforts and our sending faxes from our NYSUT Action Center APP from our phones made a difference. This movement supporting public education demonstrates the need for all of us to be active participants in the political process. The convention motivated and kindled ideas for us to pursue. One of the easiest and most effective means to give Cuomo and our state legislatures a four letter word message is to register and VOTE. More to follow….


0 Comments

Delegate's Report: Jeff Bernstein

5/10/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Seven GNTA members, selected as delegates by our membership in 2014, attended the NYSUT 44th Annual Representative Assembly in Rochester from April 8-9. This yearly convention of almost 2,000 members is NYSUT’s highest policy-making body. Here's what our delegates have to say:

JEFF BERNSTEIN
GNTA High School Director

I was privileged to attend my third NYSUT Representative Assembly in Rochester representing the GNTA. It is always inspiring to hear the many speakers and meet and get to interact with other passionate unionists from around the state. It reinforces the importance of the time we commit and the work we do for our members and our communities.

One of the most important things that happens at the RA each year is voting on any resolutions or proposed amendments to the bylaws and constitution. As our statewide union, NYSUT is our voice in Albany, and the decisions it makes and the actions it takes directly affect every one of us. Just one example is APPR and the changes NYSUT has fought both for and against. The process at the RA consists of two steps. The first is a committee meeting, which discusses the resolution or amendment, and votes on a recommendation to the full RA of concurrence, non-concurrence, or to send it to the Board of Directors for further discussion. This recommendation is then presented to the full RA, where it is discussed and voted on.

This year, there were three proposed amendments to the NYSUT Constitution. I participated in the committee meeting on the amendments. The amendments addressed (1) who elects at-large directors, (2) where/how elections are held, and (3) how vacancies in at-large director positions are filled. They were each designed to allow for greater local participation in the voting process. While greater participation seems on its face a good thing, these amendments proved to be very controversial.

There are two main caucuses within NYSUT. The Unity Caucus is dominated by the UFT and other big city locals. The UFT is dominated by its own Unity Caucus, which requires its members to always vote as a block. The result is that UFT leadership is able to just about control the results of all voting in NYSUT. Stronger Together arose during the last contested election for officers and is led by members from many smaller locals from around the state who would like to bring greater democracy to NYSUT.

The three amendments were all supported by Stronger Together, as they would each provide greater local involvement in voting and selection of officers and at-large directors. Under the Constitution as it stands, only locals who can afford to send members to the triennial RA in New York City where elections are conducted can vote. Additionally, at-large directors for each Election District within NYSUT are elected by the RA as a whole, not by the delegates with each particular ED. This current system allows the Unity Caucus, and therefore the UFT, to have significant say over the election of officers and at-large directors, and therefore the Board of Directors of NYSUT.

The discussion in committee about the three amendments to the NYSUT Constitution proved to be very contentious. Those in favor argued that they would bring more representative democracy to NYSUT by (1) providing more locals the opportunity to vote in elections, and (2) allow at-large directors to be chosen by the locals they represent. Those opposed argued that (1) locals needed to be present at the RA to really understand the issues, and (2) that at-large directors were really representing all of NYSUT, even though they were chosen to represent a particular area. Those who spoke in favor of the changes were from many locals around the state, while those who spoke against were primarily from the UFT. Given the current domination by Unity and the UFT, the committee voted non-concurrence on each of the amendments.

When brought to the body of the RA, discussion of the non-concurrence recommendation of the committee led to a passionate debate between those in favor of the changes and those opposed. Reflecting the growing strength of Stronger Together, the voting took three steps. Usually votes at the RA don't go beyond a simple voice vote, but in this case the voting was close enough that President Karen McGee asked for a standing vote to get a visual. When that didn't resolve the issue, a person by person count of the delegates standing for each side was taken. The committee recommendation of non-concurrence was upheld by a vote of 900-617, and therefore there were no changes made to the NYSUT Constitution.

At next year's Representative Assembly there will be elections for NYSUT officers. There is little doubt it will be a contested election, with the expectation that both the Unity Caucus and Stronger Together will run slates. The debates over the amendments to the NYSUT Constitution portend what to expect next year. The good news is that Stronger Together continues to grow from year to year, and the debates within NYSUT will continue.


0 Comments

Delegate's Report: Bill Toto

5/9/2016

1 Comment

 
Picture
Seven GNTA members, selected as delegates by our membership in 2014, attended the NYSUT 44th Annual Representative Assembly in Rochester from April 8-9. This yearly convention of almost 2,000 members is NYSUT’s highest policy-making body. Here's what our delegates have to say:

BILL TOTO
President, Retired Educators Chapter

NYSUT’s 44th annual Representative Assembly was held at the Genesee Riverside Convention Center in the flower city of Rochester, sans flowers. Temperatures ranged from the high twenties to the lower thirties. The theme of New York State United celebrated the unity and solidarity of our statewide union. Also, it has been 10 years since NYSUT and the former NEA/New York joined to become one union. About 2,000 delegates, elected by local unions, attended a jam-packed, fast-paced two-day convention. Hopefully, in the future, NYSUT will revert to a three day convention.

Although delegates listened to inspiring speeches including one by Hillary Clinton and honored the work of various members and local unions across the state, they were mainly present to debate 35 resolutions and three constitutional amendments proposed by local unions and Retiree Councils. The resolutions included more articulation between K-12 and higher education unions, advocating against inappropriate testing, repealing the state’s severe receivership law, opposing the 2017 call for a New York State Constitutional Convention, and proposing a simple majority rather than a super majority vote regarding school budgets and the tax cap. An interesting resolution submitted by retiree councils throughout the state dealt with preserving Social Security by fixing the way the COLA is determined. It calls for eliminating the present CPI with an elderly Consumer Price Index (CPI-e), reflecting senior spending.

In these unsettling times with daunting issues, this convention pointed out to me the importance of Great Neck’s connection with its affiliates, namely NYSUT and AFT.


1 Comment

Delegate's Report: Sheila Henchy

5/5/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Seven GNTA members, selected as delegates by our membership in 2014, attended the NYSUT 44th Annual Representative Assembly in Rochester from April 8-9. This yearly convention of almost 2,000 members is NYSUT’s highest policy-making body. Here's what our delegates have to say:

SHEILA HENCHY
GNTA President

Every NYSUT Representative Assembly closes with the hundreds of delegates joining hands and singing the old union song “Solidarity Forever.” I unabashedly love that moment, and this year’s rendition was especially poignant for me, since it was my sixteenth and final RA.
 
NYSUT President Karen Magee gave her “state of the union” address on Friday night; her theme was “What a Difference a Year Makes.” She highlighted the many positive changes we’ve seen in the past year: a new Commissioner of Education; the SED firing of the test-maker Pearson; a moratorium on using test scores to evaluate teachers; a major change in the make-up of the Board of Regents; a new, far more teacher-friendly Chancellor of the Regents...to name just a few. Many of those changes are a result of lobbying efforts on the part of NYSUT, but those efforts would not have borne fruit if not for the grassroots activism of teachers on the local level in partnership with parents. Think of all the rallies we’ve attended...the letters we’ve written...the faxes we’ve sent...our children whom we’ve opted out. Thank you for everything you’ve done to heed NYSUT’s call to action for the last few years. Your activism is making a difference. We still have much work ahead of us, but we’ve certainly learned this: NYSUT is US.
 
Some of our members fear that our strength locally is compromised when we are politically active in state or national affairs. I would argue that there’s little distinction. Everything is political. Our Annual Professional Performance Reviews are dictated in large part by state laws and State Education Department regulations. Our budget-and thus our ability to negotiate fair contracts-is affected by the state tax cap. Our curriculum is influenced by the national Common Core. We can’t afford to sit back and leave it to others to fight against laws, regulations, and policies that harm our profession. NYSUT has 600,000+ members, but we’re only 600,000 STRONG if we raise our voices as one.
 
We have many challenges ahead. We will need to work hard to defeat the call in 2017 for a Constitutional Convention in New York that could compromise our pension rights...to fight the next Supreme Court challenge to our collective bargaining rights...to push our legislature to make changes to the tax cap law that will make it more viable for school districts. NYSUT will lead those fights, but make no mistake: NYSUT only succeeds when GNTA, together with all the other locals, uses our collective strength for action.
 
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for the many times you’ve elected me to represent you as a NYSUT delegate. I’ve been incredibly proud to identify myself as a GNTA member. I have one wish for all of you: that you’ll keep in mind-and put into action-the words of the song: “Solidarity forever, for the union makes us strong!”

0 Comments

Delegate's Report: Jim Daszenski

5/17/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Seven GNTA members, selected as delegates by our membership last year, attended the NYSUT 43rd Annual Representative Assembly in Buffalo from May 1-2. This yearly convention of almost 2,000 members is NYSUT’s highest policy-making body. Here's what our delegates have to say:

JIM DASZENSKI
GNTA VP, Administration
South High School

This was my fourth Representative Assembly and a far less contentious one than last year when an overwhelming anti-incumbent sentiment swept in a new NYSUT Executive Board led by Karen Magee. It's been a year and now President Magee was the first to address the almost 2000 NYSUT delegates in the Buffalo-Niagara Convention Center at the start of the RA. Her message was emphatic and unequivocal: “A year ago you made it clear you wanted a fighting union--well, you've got it. We are organizing, energizing, and mobilizing….We are truly a union driven by the rank and file.” To support this, Magee noted a statewide barrage of newly energized members attending rallies and fighting back against Cuomo’s toxic agenda through social media. She also paused briefly to thank Cuomo for unwittingly being “the greatest union organizer in modern New York State history.” The irony was not lost on the convention delegates who first chuckled, then booed.

Although less than successful in fighting back against Cuomo’s latest state budget that includes an unfair, test-heavy evaluation system for teachers, Magee declared that “We are not standing down!” She said, "NYSUT is 100 percent committed to fixing what the governor has broken--and we will do more.” She promised renewed efforts to protect tenure and due process while fighting the undemocratic property tax cap. Cuomo’s approval rating has continued to slide as his stance towards public education becomes more draconian. Magee urged members to keep the faith and keep up the pressure: “As we continue to fight for public education in the state of New York: BE the union,” Magee said. “When we speak up as the collective voice that cannot be ignored, BE the union!”


You can view her speech on YouTube. Below is a small gallery of images from the Representative Assembly. You can read the RA Reports from our other Delegates in our News Blog.

0 Comments

Delegate's Report: Michael Norberto

5/16/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Seven GNTA members, selected as delegates by our membership last year, attended the NYSUT 43rd Annual Representative Assembly in Buffalo from May 1-2. This yearly convention of almost 2,000 members is NYSUT’s highest policy-making body. Here's what our delegates have to say:

MICHAEL NORBERTO
GNTA VOTE-COPE Coordinator
John F. Kennedy School

I had the privilege of representing GNTA at the 43rd NYSUT Representative Assembly in Buffalo, NY.  This was my second RA and the weekend again proved memorable and, for me, there were several highlights. First, I was proud to see that the LGBTQ Task Force made its debut at the RA’s NYSUT Benefits and Services on Display. The LGBTQ booth had a great deal of traffic, which reflected NYSUT’s long-term support of the LGBTQ community. Another highlight was the speech by New York State AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento, who pledged to stand side by side with NYSUT in the fight against Governor Cuomo’s toxic agenda. He also shared a poignant story of a dinner table conversation in which his daughters grasped the importance of opting out of the state tests in support of their teachers. Lastly, it was uplifting to join other labor groups at the International Workers’ Day rally in Niagara Square in the name of solidarity.

NYSUT members across the state contributed $9,021,490.44 to VOTE-COPE, the most money ever raised during an annual drive. This sounds great until you realize that each billionaire hedge fund donor can contribute that much or more individually. Locally, NYSUT members of Nassau County contributed over $1,000,000. And, drumroll please, GNTA was awarded the June Smith Award, which recognizes locals that contribute an average of $50 or more per member.  We did have a successful campaign but I think we could do even better. As discussed at the RA, it remains vitally important that we continue and strive to increase our contributions. This money is used to support pro-education and pro-union legislation. Without our continued contributions locally and across the state, our ability to fight back against politicians seeking to break unions and push anti-teacher agenda is weakened. Worse, we could find ourselves in the same situation as our fellow teachers and other public employees in states such as Wisconsin who have seen their unions defeated and stripped of collective bargaining rights, which would have the same dire effects in our state: an even greater test and punish agenda, the elimination of tenure and the Triborough Amendment, and the continuation of the tax cap.

Picture
Michael Norberto (on the right) at NYSUT's LGBTQ information table
0 Comments

Delegate's Report: Bill Toto

5/16/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Seven GNTA members, selected as delegates by our membership last year, attended the NYSUT 43rd Annual Representative Assembly in Buffalo from May 1-2. This yearly convention of almost 2,000 members is NYSUT’s highest policy-making body. Here's what our delegates have to say:

BILL TOTO
President, GNTA Retired Educators Chapter

As warmer temperatures prevailed and icy Lake Erie became liquefied, again, about 2,000 delegates from all over New York State descended on the Buffalo-Niagara Convention Center for the 43rd Annual New York State United Teachers Representative Assembly. They were elected by their local unions to discuss and to debate 46 resolutions which would be the legislative program and agenda for NYSUT’s lobbyists. The delegates were also present to network and to learn. This was the first convention for the new slate of officers who were elected in last year’s contentious election. Karen Magee, NYSUT’s new president, began her first state of the union address with “ A year ago you made it clear you wanted a fighting union--well you’ve got it!…We are truly a union driven by the rank and file.” She said that NYSUT will continue to work closely with its allies: parents, community groups and other groups in the AFL-CIO. The fight must continue on many fronts to expose and to fix the test-and-punish agenda of Governor Andrew Cuomo. She attributes the governor with being the greatest union organizer in modern New York State history due to his senseless, vindictive anti-teacher and anti-public education stands. Magee's new positive vision for public education in New York State respects students, parents and teachers. It is a vision that rejects privatization and profits, focusing on what students need to learn-from preschool through college. Finally, she exhorted those present to BE the union.

Speakers are always an important part of the Representative Assembly. Randi Weingarten, AFT president, applauded NYSUT’s staunch activism against Gov. Cuomo’s attacks on public education. She rejected the notion that linking student test scores to teacher evaluation will foster improvements in teaching and learning. Regarding the battle for sanity in education with the governor and his test-obsessed allies, President Weingarten stated, “You didn’t pick this fight, but it’s not a fight you intend to lose--and we [the AFT] are with you 1,000 percent.”

When New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli was introduced, the delegates gave him a prolonged standing ovation. His office now examines how charter schools spend taxpayers’ money. “To me, it’s always been common sense to demand the same level of transparency and accountability from charter schools as we do from every other school receiving public dollars,” DiNapoli announced. He then went on to discuss the state’s pension plans and how they have recovered since the economic recession. He concluded, “You are part of well-run and well-funded pension plans. That’s the reality…There is simply no reason to replace the defined-benefit pension system with defined contribution.”

Before a final decision is determined concerning resolutions submitted by local unions and retiree councils, a specific process is followed. They are placed in seven categories prior to the convention which become seven committees at the convention. Delegates choose to attend one committee where the resolutions in that category are debated and resolved for the first time. All resolutions with each committee’s recommendations are then presented to the entire delegate body in plenary sessions for final decision-making. Supporting legislation for pension credit for veterans, school safety, overturning Citizens United and Hobby Lobby decisions, opposition to more charter schools, calling for Chancellor Merryl Tisch’s resignation from the Board of Regents, supporting the "I Refuse" movement to oppose high stakes testing, greater focus on students’ social and emotional needs, boycotting Pearson publishing and NYSUT’s Continued Engagement Plan to Fight for Public Education are just a few of the varied resolutions which were presented for deliberation.

This year’s convention can be summed up as one in which NYSUT members were praised for their efforts fighting the governor’s toxic plans and fighting for students, public education, and staying the course. “We are one,” and “Solidarity Forever” were consistent themes pervading the two-day meetings.


0 Comments

Delegate's Report: Maura Carroll

5/13/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Seven GNTA members, selected as delegates by our membership last year, attended the NYSUT 43rd Annual Representative Assembly in Buffalo from May 1-2. This yearly convention of almost 2,000 members is NYSUT’s highest policy-making body. Here's what our delegates have to say:

MAURA CARROLL
GNTA Treasurer
North Middle School

One of the most dynamic speakers at this year’s RA was New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.  He is and has always been a true friend to NYSUT. Tom began by thanking the NYSUT leadership, local presidents, and all of us who make a difference. He reminded and encouraged us that we must continue to inspire and educate.  DiNapoli has made many enemies in Albany and among Gov. Cuomo’s friends because he has examined how charter schools spend taxpayer’s money. “To me, it’s always been common sense to demand the same level of transparency and accountability from charter schools as we do from every other school receiving public dollars,” DiNapoli told RA delegates Saturday. This was meet with much applause.


He promised to continue to invest in higher education.  Through both the CUNY and SUNY programs. 

Another important topic to the delegates was that of our pension. He explained and elaborated on the strong health of the NYSUT members’ state pension plans. The funds earnings have bounced back so much since the economic downturn that the state has been able to reduce its contribution significantly. “You are part of well-run and well-funded pension plans,” he said. “That’s the reality... there is simply no reason to replace the defined-benefit pension system with defined contributions through 401K programs. I will continue to fight!”

At the conclusion to his speech he exited the hall with shouts of “Tom for Governor!”  I have heard him speak before. He has always been dynamic and has always advocated for teachers and education in New York State.


Picture
New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli
0 Comments

Delegate's Report: Jennifer Snyder

5/12/2015

 
Picture
Seven GNTA members, selected as delegates by our membership last year, attended the NYSUT 43rd Annual Representative Assembly in Buffalo from May 1-2. This yearly convention of almost 2,000 members is NYSUT’s highest policy-making body. Here's what our delegates have to say:

JENNIFER SNYDER

GNTA VP for Professional Rights & Responsibilities
E. M. Baker 

Andy Pallotta once again energized the delegation with his summary of political action this past year. Referring to the best of times, the worst of times, Andy reminded the delegates that NYSUT is a powerful, united, and strong union that is in this fight for the long haul.  He stated that NYSUT had sent the largest delegation in history to this year’s AFL/CIO endorsement conference, and further explained that our voices were heard and that the Governor received “no endorsement” from the AFL/CIO.  He spoke of the 300,000 faxes that legislators received in the first quarter alone and of the over 79,000 MAC E-Activists ready to respond within a moment’s notice. Pallotta referred to the Governor as one of the best organizers NYSUT could ever have. Never before has there been such mobilization of the membership. Never before has there been stronger community ties with parents, teachers, administrators, school board members, and friends standing together to support public education. “Coalitions have been formed within communities that will last long past this current crisis,” Pallotta explained.

As for the worst of times, Pallotta explained that it is clear that the Governor owed his friends in the Charter Schools and the Hedge Fund leaders for their campaign contributions and that he is intent on paying this debt. Cuomo's attack on tenure, probation, and APPR is real. With Citizens United, the rules of the game have been seriously altered. “Public educators are disrespected and demoralized by scripted curricula and the overemphasis in testing,” Pallotta said. “What we have here is a fundamental difference in the purpose of public education. There is the misapplication of business models and industrial efficiency models, the results of which lead to creativity, autonomy, and innovation being stifled by the misguided notion that we need to fix what is not even broken.”  

Pallotta summed up his speech with a call out to the delegation saying, “We are not deterred, and we will continue to fight. We have to remember that people are trying to divide us, and that we need to keep our eye on the real enemy.” He ended by leading the delegation in a chant stating, “The union, united, will never be defeated. The union, united, will never be defeated!” 


Picture
NYSUT Executive Vice President Andy Pallotta

Delegate's Report: Jeff Bernstein

5/11/2015

 
Picture
Seven GNTA members, selected as delegates by our membership last year, attended the NYSUT 43rd Annual Representative Assembly in Buffalo from May 1-2. This yearly convention of almost 2,000 members is NYSUT’s highest policy-making body. Here's what our delegates have to say:

JEFF BERNSTEIN
GNTA High School Director
Village School

One of the most exciting developments at this year’s NYSUT RA was the emergence of the Stronger Together Caucus (STCaucus), which is committed to a more member-driven and democratic style of unionism. The initial meeting of the STCaucus was attended by more than 500 delegates, including 145 local presidents. NYSUT has been dominated for many years by the New York State Unity Caucus, which is led by the UFT Unity Caucus and other big city locals. Keep in mind that the issues that concern the cities, and therefore Unity, are often different than those facing suburban and rural districts. One important example is the tax cap, to which the city school districts are not bound because of the way they are funded. Membership in the UFT Unity Caucus is by invitation only, and their members are required to vote as instructed by their leadership. In contrast, the STCaucus is open to all members of NYSUT, and is committed to a more democratic union as evidenced by the two Constitutional Amendments that were brought to the floor at the RA. 

The first amendment called for regional voting for the election of NYSUT officers. Elections are typically held when the RA meets in New York City. Last year only 30% of NYSUT’s locals participated in the first contested election in many years. Many small locals (several across the state are below 100 total members) simply do not have the money to pay for their delegates to travel to New York City and stay at the Hilton for a weekend, while the UFT is always able to send their 800 delegates (all of whom have taken an oath to vote as they are told by their leadership) to the RA. The STCaucus believes that this undermines democracy within our union and contributes to thousands of members feeling as though they do not have a voice. STCaucus’ amendment would have allowed the delegates of every local across the state to vote at their own regional office, minimizing travel and expenses, and making it more feasible for all locals to participate in elections.

The second amendment concerned the election of at-large directors.  Currently delegates from the entire state are allowed to vote for all the at-large directors, most of whom work in different regions. This allows the New York State Unity Caucus to use the weight of their 800 UFT delegates to determine at-large directors who represent parts of the state outside of New York City. Last year, for example, at-large directors in a number of areas received less than 10% of the votes in that area but were elected because they had the support of Unity. STCaucus’ amendment would have made voting for at-large directors regional, with only members within a region eligible to vote for the at-large director for that region.

These amendments both represented a threat to the ability of the Unity Caucus and the UFT to dominate NYSUT elections. The New York State Unity Caucus instructed their members to vote against both amendments, and both were defeated despite getting strong vocal support from the floor, primarily because two-thirds were required to ratify. The actual vote appeared to be much closer to 50/50.

Following the defeat of the amendments, resolutions that address the flawed nature of the standardized tests in New York State were proposed by the STCaucus and passed by the delegates after an agreement between the leaders of Unity and STCaucus, who spoke side by side at the microphone in support. This was a sure sign that Unity has recognized that the STCaucus is not to be ignored.

Having attended the Unity Caucus meeting at the 2014 RA, which was anything but open and democratic, the STCaucus was a sure sign that the movement for bottom-up, member-driven, democratic unionism is alive and well within NYSUT.

You can find out more about the STCaucus at http://stcaucus.weebly.com/.

Picture

Delegate's Report: Sandi Cooper

5/11/2015

 
Picture
Seven GNTA members, selected as delegates by our membership last year, attended the NYSUT 43rd Annual Representative Assembly in Buffalo from May 1-2. This yearly convention of almost 2,000 members is NYSUT’s highest policy-making body. Here's what our delegates have to say:

SANDI COOPER
South Middle School

It was a great privilege to represent the Great Neck faculty at this year's NYSUT Representative Assembly.  New to the process, it was a bit daunting at times. Thankfully, my esteemed colleagues made sure that I was brought up to speed on all the necessary protocol and helped ensure that I understood the practices put in place, helping to make this an eye-opening experience into the democratic process that is our union.  
 
The weekend was filled with powerful speeches, serious discussions, passionate arguments, and lots of great camaraderie.  It was impressive to be around so may members of our union from all over the state, sharing their personal views about education and the impact of testing on their local districts. It is not often that we get an opportunity to step outside our own world and see these changes through the eyes of our colleagues. We, teachers of New York State, are quite an impressive bunch!
 
When President Randi Weingarten took the stage, the energy was palpable. She began by thanking NYSUT for the activism against Governor Cuomo’s attack on public education. “These are trying times in New York State, but its’ been great to witness NYSUT standing up,” AFT President Weingarten said. “I’ve seen it in New York City at the governor’s office, on Long Island, in Syracuse, in the North Country and in thousands of posts on Twitter and Facebook.”  Weingarten said that it was our activism that has turned the tide in our favor, and has brought the court of public opinion on our side. The public now understands that Gov. Cuomo and his test-obsessed friends has ‘stacked the deck’ against public education and that’s just not okay.  She spoke powerfully against testing, stating that tests should be used for informing and not for undermining the work teachers do or worse, as a tool of intimidation.  
 
She went on to say share her views regarding of the current situation in Baltimore and in many of our cities across the country, stating the importance for us, as a union to through our weight to the side of justice – the future of our kids.  
 
Finally, she made a request for union members to run for political offices, and to continue to support our unions through activism.  And in closing, pledged her support to us as well.  “You didn’t pick this fight, but it’s not a fight you intend to lose – and we are with you 1,000 percent.”


Picture
AFT President Randi Weingarten

REC's President Reports on the AFT Convention

9/5/2014

 
PictureREC Pres. Bill Toto
With Reclaiming the Promise as the main theme permeating all the activities at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the American Federation of Teachers held its 83rd national convention in July.

All the speakers proved creative in weaving the main theme into their presentations. From California

Governor Jerry Brown, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, the dynamic Rev. Dr. William Barber II, President, North Carolina NAACP, Cynthia Nixon, Actor-Activist, newly elected NEA President Eskelsen Garcia to a host of others, the audience was inspired by the variations on Reclaiming the Promise. AFT President Randi Weingarten roused the 3,000 delegates and guests with her State of the Union address.

Her bold call to Reclaim the Promise of America included creating economic and educational opportunity for all. The unprecedented, unwarranted attacks on teachers, public schools and other public institutions, backed by big money and aided by ALEC, are starving public schools, hurting students and widening the gap among the wealthy, the middle class and the poor. Her response to the challenges is for the union, in solidarity, to: connect with the community; be solution-driven; engage, empower and elevate the professionals. She related that it is time to “fight back; fight forward; move forward.”

An important responsibility of the delegates was to debate 91 resolutions from AFT locals across the nation, first in committees, then in plenary sessions on the convention floor. The resolutions were divided into the following committees: Educational Issues, Health Care, Higher Education, Human Rights, International Relations, Labor and the Economy, Union Organizing  and Collective Bargaining, Political Action/Legislation, Public Services, Retirement, Registered Nurses, Women’s Rights and School and College Support Staffs.

All seven retirement resolutions were adopted. One important issue had to do with ensuring the continuance of traditional Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Another resolution called for the adoption of a new consumer price index formula called CPI-E to determine cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) to Social Security each year. The CPI-E more realistically tracks inflation for senior Americans. The longest debate on the convention floor dealt with The Role of Standards in Public Education. This resolution, submitted by the AFT Executive Council, affirms the importance of educational standards and the promise and potential of Common Core State Standards, but severely criticizes the way in which they were developed, implemented, evaluated and the excessive testing program. The resolution decries the lack of educational practitioner involvement in the entire process. It especially attacks the rush by profiteers and corporate interests to “cash in” at the expense of children. Further, it includes many specific sensible solutions to fix what is broken and to shift the present corporate model to one that is student centered. Finally, policymakers and administrators are held accountable for the proper implementation of Common Core State Standards.

A special resolution called for the resignation of United States Secretary Arne Duncan due to his anti-teacher, anti-public school and anti-union policies. His views represent corporate America’s attempt to instill the corporate/factory model of education into the classroom. When asked to approve this resolution, the entire body stood up, cheering and chanting “yes!” While the resolution is symbolic, it sends a message to the Obama administration that its educational policies have been destructive to teachers, parents and especially students.

This convention was one of the best that I ever attended. The intelligence, articulation, passion, thought-provoking ideas and respect for opposing ideas displayed in all sessions were evidence of the high level of excellence exhibited by the delegates representing their locals from all parts of the country. The 2014 AFT Convention was both encouraging and motivating.


GNTA's President Reports on the AFT Convention

9/3/2014

 
PictureSheila Scimone
HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION: ON POLITICAL ENDORSEMENTS!

Or at least a chunk of it!

In July I was honored to attend the AFT Convention in Los Angeles, which is held every other year, as one of three elected representatives from GNTA. This year’s convention, which lasted for five days, left little time for recreation but was often inspirational, sometimes contentious--never boring.

One of the main tasks of the convention is to determine the educational, political, and social justice goals and priorities for the AFT. A number of resolutions were debated, with the hottest topic by far being the Common Core Standards. There is consensus among teachers across the country that the standards are flawed in many respects, that the rollout has been atrocious, and that the coupling of the standards with testing has been harmful to education. However, there was significant disagreement over how to address those concerns, from those who believe the standards should be jettisoned completely to those who believe they should be revised and the peripheral issues of rollout should be addressed separately. Debate was prolonged, impassioned, and sometimes downright ridiculous as the rhetoric soared. In the end, the body passed a resolution calling for the AFT to


  • support for the “promise” of the Common Core Standards;
  • reject low-level standardized testing and support the development of assessments aligned with rich curricula;
  • advocate for a shift away from excessive testing and test preparation toward a “support-and-improve” accountability system;
  • support affiliates in efforts to hold policymakers/administrators accountable for proper implementation of CCSS;
  • advocate that each state create an independent board composed of a majority representation of teachers and other education professionals to monitor, evaluate, and improve the CCSS; 

assist state and local affiliates to ensure that:


  • educators are involved in creating a cohesive plan for communicating with and engaging all stakeholders;
  • educators have a significant role in the continuing development, implementation evaluation, and, as necessary, revision of the CCSS process;
  • there are adequate funds provided by all levels of government to ensure the successful implementation of the CCSS;
  • call for a national conversation about how best to measure student learning and support teacher involvement in all aspects of Common Core-related assessments; 
  • work to ensure that the moratorium on high-states consequences of assessments for students, teachers and schools is extended until all the essential elements of a comprehensive, equitable standards-based system are in place.

The convention also passed a lengthy resolution calling for “the development of ‘support-and-improve’ accountability models to replace the current, failed ‘test-and punish’ systems;” another to support age-appropriate assessment for young learners; and another to overhaul high-stakes testing. A resolution against standardized assessments for students receiving special education services was referred to the Executive Council for further study.

For me, one of the most fascinating things about the convention was witnessing the interplay among the largest locals (particularly the Chicago Teachers Union and New York’s United Federation of Teachers, which tend to be antagonists) as well as the state affiliates, particularly NYSUT. It’s obvious that both the UFT and NYSUT have tremendous influence on the way the AFT leans. In watching Twitter and blog reporting on the convention (often by people who weren’t in attendance), it is evident that there’s a great deal of lingering bitterness in the wake of the recent NYSUT elections as well as concern that the UFT may have undue influence on NYSUT’s leadership. This certainly bears watching.

In August, I attended the NYSUT Presidents’ Endorsement Conference in Albany to consider political races pertinent to our state. Despite the title, the process of determining NYSUT endorsements is multi-layered and sometimes unclear. Four groups weigh in with recommendations: NYSUT Legislative Staff, the Political Action Chairs from each region of the state, the NYSUT Board of Directors, and the local Presidents of NYSUT, myself included. Some decisions had already been made prior to our arrival: for example, it had already been determined that NYSUT would not make an endorsement in the governor’s race for either the Democratic primary in September or the general election in November. It’s not clear who ultimately made that decision, although it had been obvious at the Representative Assembly in May that an endorsement of Andrew Cuomo would have faced widespread opposition from the NYSUT locals, nor would there have been strong support for Republican Rob Astorino. There was a great deal of grumbling that NYSUT should have considered a primary endorsement of Zephyr Teachout and, if she loses the primary, of Green Party Candidate Howie Hawkins. When the Long Island Presidents’ grumbles turned to loud calls for further discussion of this possibility, certain political considerations were explained to us, which most of us were able to accept, but many of us remained disturbed by the top-down, less than transparent nature of the decision-making in this case.

In terms of strategy, the other recommending groups wanted to endorse Democrats wherever possible, particularly in the state Senate, where it’s possible that a Democratic majority can be achieved this year. Among the local Presidents here on Long Island, however, there are many cases where we feel that Republican incumbents have been better for us than their Democratic challengers would be. For one thing, Democrats have traditionally appeared to favor the big five cities in terms of finances, whereas our Republican representatives have fought to return more state aid to Long Island districts. Many of us have built relationships with our Republican Senators and feel that we’ve made progress in helping them understand our issues. While we weren’t always successful in achieving endorsements for these incumbents, we were at least able to prevent alternative endorsements for candidates solely on the grounds of their being Democrats.

Two weeks after the NYSUT conference, Michael Norberto (JFK), Sandi Cooper (SMS), and I attended the New York AFL-CIO COPE Convention to consider that body’s endorsements. For the first time, NYSUT asked for a large showing of delegates in order to have a significant voice in the decision-making. There had been a great deal of speculation that the AFL-CIO would endorse Cuomo for Governor; however, discussions prior to the convention among the leadership of the various affiliates must have made it clear that such an endorsement would not be supported by the public service unions such as NYSUT and AFSCME, and the possibility was not even raised. For AFL-CIO endorsements, several groups make recommendations, but the final decision is made by the convention delegates. This resulted in lengthy debate as alternatives to the recommendations were frequently explored.

I was honored to represent GNTA at all three of these meetings and will distribute a list of NYSUT and AFL-CIO endorsements for all races pertinent to our members within the next month.


<<Previous

    Archives

    March 2023
    October 2022
    September 2022
    March 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    June 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    November 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012

    Categories

    All
    Accolades
    Affiliates
    AFT
    Board Of Education
    Bylaws & Constitution
    Community
    Contract News
    Curriculum
    Defensive Driving
    Education News
    Elections
    Financial Aid Fund
    GNPS Budget
    Healthcare
    Inservice
    Legal Services
    Member Benefits
    Mentoring
    New Members
    Newsletter
    NYSUT
    Organizing
    Political Action
    President's Report
    Required Reading
    Resources
    Retirement
    Scholarships
    Selection Committees
    Social
    Summer Scholarships

    RSS Feed

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