Local 2771
NYSUT AFT NEA AFL-CIO
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer-Buffalo
Sunday, October 5, 2008
For more info go to www.nysut.org/makingstrides
Paid leave for checkups grows
New York Teacher - September 5, 2008
A union-backed law that provides up to four hours of paid leave for annual breast cancer and prostate screenings has been expanded to include community colleges, BOCES, vocational schools, public benefit corporations and employees in the New York State and Local Employees' Retirement system.
The law, which amends legislation passed last year, also clarifies that the leave is a paid one.
The move comes after two recent court decisions confirmed it was wrong for employers to force workers to use their sick or personal leave to undergo screenings.
NYSUT won the restoration of a Wappingers teacher's sick leave, as well as a grievance settlement for three Fulton-Montgomery Community College members.
In his memo approving the amendments, Gov. David Paterson noted the preventive benefits of screenings would ultimately outweigh the costs. Proponents stressed the role that such leave can play in early detection of illness; permitting employees to take time off without financial consequences will undoubtedly encourage more employees to undergo appropriate tests.
The American Cancer Society recommends yearly mammograms for women starting at age 40. Women at higher-than-average risk should talk with their health providers about the need for earlier screenings.
ACS recommends prostate screening for men starting at age 50. Men at higher risk should begin screenings as early as 40 years of age, according to ACS.
For details, check NYSUT's Web site, www.nysut.org, under Legislative Issues, or contact your local union president.
October 7 th , 2008, parents and community members are invited to a free Rachel’s Challenge presentation from 6:00 to 7:00pm in the Lackawanna High School Auditorium on Martin Road . Rachel Scott, the first victim of the Columbine School shootings, through her writings, promotes a message of compassion and hope.
Funding for Rachel’s Legacy was provided through Title I Federal Funds. For more information contact Carolyn Sanchez, Middle School Social Worker, and program organizer at 827-6755.
Two Cooks in the Kitchen
These days, you might be sharing your classroom with another teacher. Can you effectively work together-without spoiling everything? http://www.nea.org/neatoday/0809/trythis.html .
Smile! You're on YouTube!
Millions are sharing videos online. Are you the star of one of them?
http://www.nea.org/neatoday/0810/youtube.html
The Preparation Gap for First Year Teachers-New teachers not prepared for diverse classrooms and special needs children
When it comes to the quality of their teacher training, first year teachers say their preparation was lacking in two main areas: dealing with an ethnically diverse classroom and teaching students with special needs. Aside from those two weak areas, new teachers are generally satisfied with how well prepared they were to the realities of classroom, according to a new report from Public Agenda and the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality. http://aft.org/pubs-reports/american_teacher/sept08/AT_SEPT08.pdf#page=9
What is This Thing Called RTI?
Response to Intervention (RTI) is a three step practice that is gaining currency in classrooms around the country. Teachers provide high quality instruction and interventions matched to a student's need, then they gather and monitor data about how the student is progressing, and finally they apply that data to important decisions about what instructional changes are needed, or what new goals should be set for the student. RTI has grown in part because the IDEA of 2004 puts a big premium on curbing the "over-referral" of students into special education...http://aft.org/pubs-reports/american_teacher/sept08/AT_SEPT08.pdf#page=9
Retirement Party
Friday, October 3
West End, Union Street in Hamburg
4-7pm Dinner and Drinks will be served!
Honoring
Ralph Carestio, Donna Manzo, Bill Pukalo, and Angie Szuflita (2006)
Pat Daleo, Jean Dulak, Joyceen Mazur (2007)
Karen Doster, Karen Kuwik, Robert McNiff, and Sue Murphy (2008)
$30 per person, Money due by September 19!
Congratulations to the following LTF Members who received tenure at the
June board meeting!
Steven Hebert Mariah Kramer Sean Muldoon
Molly Hodzynski Marissa Mauro Josh Gabel
The following students will be receiving $1000 scholarships from
the Lackawanna Teachers Federation:
Ashley Jurcevic Ahlim Omar Kristin Skrzynski
Abdulla Umar Brittany Wright
Thanks to all who donated time and money!
Your generosity is greatly appreciated!
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer-Buffalo
Sunday, October 5, 2008
For more info go to www.nysut.org/makingstrides
Are students tested too much? Are discipline policies consistently implemented? Is No Child Left Behind helping schools improve? These are key questions-and no one can provide more expert answers than teachers. So the SFT has been asking representative samples of its K-12th-grade teachers about these and other important issues for many years. Here are the highlights, showing that teachers are fed up with too much testing and the effects of NCLB...[pdf]
Top 20 Back-to-School Resources
Lesson Ideas, Welcoming Students, Setting Up Your Classroom, Meeting Parents, and More http://www.nea.org/lessons/backtoschool.html
UNION 101
You and Your Association: Knowing more about your union and being active
in it can pay big dividends. We've got the ABCs all laid out.
http://www.nea.org/neatoday/go/union101.html
AFT
Backs Peer Assistance and Review Programs
The AFT took bold steps to take charge of the teaching
profession—and to check mindless, test-driven "teacher quality"
schemes—when convention delegates in Chicago overwhelmingly approved a
resolution on July 13 urging all locals to consider creating peer
assistance and review programs for new members. The resolution explains
that peer assistance and review is a professional induction and
evaluation program for teachers that recognizes "experienced, expert
teachers are the people who are positioned to offer the best assistance
to probationary teachers and to make the most credible judgments about
their capabilities." [Read
more.]
Colorin' Colorado is a site with extensive tips and research for teachers and parents of English Language Learners. This site is beginning to offer materials in languages other than Spanish, which is it's primary focus. It does offer a parent reading tip sheet in arabic, as well as many useful resources for children of all cultures. www.colorincolorado.com
From A to Z, here is a list compiled by NYSUT,a Glossary of Commonly Used Terms and Acronyms in the field of education.
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