NYSUT AFT News

To View this month's NYSUT ad on Member Benefits Trust, click here

COBRA SUbsidy available for laid off workers

As part of the federal stimulus, workers laid off from September 1, 2008 through December 31, 2009, will be eliglible for a 65% federal subsidy of their COBRA premium. They are entitled to the subsidy for up to nine months, or until they are eligible for coverage under another employer's plan or Medicare. For more information from the Department of Labor, go to www.dol.gov/ebsa/COBRA.html .

Latest Salary Survey Shows Gains; Charter Pay Lags
The average salary for traditional public school teachers increased 4.5 percent in 2006-07 to $51,009, according to the AFT's latest teacher salary survey, marking the first time average teacher pay exceeded $50,000 and the first time since 2003 that teacher salaries surpassed the annual rate of inflation. The AFT report also includes never-before-released salary data for charter school teachers in 29 states—of the 40 that have charter schools—where the news was not as positive. The average charter school teacher salary was $41,106—nearly $10,000 less than that for traditional public school teachers. This is significant, the AFT report points out, because charter schools generally provide less generous benefits, making their entire compensation packages inferior to those of traditional public schools. Despite the gains, the AFT's Survey and Analysis of Teacher Salary Trends 2007 shows that, as in past years, teachers' earnings continued to fall short of those in other professions. Out of 23 occupations with similar training/education requirements, only three earned less than teachers. [Read more.]

Shanker Study Shows Value of Investing in Preschool
A new report from the AFT and the Albert Shanker Institute suggests that early, age-appropriate instruction in language, literacy, mathematics and science can have significant, long-lasting effects on preschool children's social and cognitive skills. Released on Dec. 11, "Preschool Curriculum: What's in It for Children and Teachers" synthesizes the best research on how young children learn in those academic domains and discusses the implications for improving preschool education. The report also says that aggressive, expanded instruction in these areas may yield economic benefits by reducing the learning disparities between rich and poor children that predate preschool and escalate through elementary and into middle school. It provides detailed, research-driven recommendations for what preschool-age children should be learning. [Read more.]

Updated Oct 2008

TO:           NYSUT Local Presidents
FROM:     Lee Cutler, Chairperson, NYSUT Member Benefits Trust
DATE:      September 16, 2008
RE:           Statement Regarding American International Group (AIG)

(received via NYSUT Email)
Needless to say, this is a trying time for the economy. Every day seems to bring more alarming news, and this economic anxiety seems to be impacting every aspect of our lives. Here at NYSUT Member Benefits Trust, we are monitoring developments and have been particularly engaged in the financial situation of AIG.

As you know, Member Benefits endorses various insurance and benefit programs from a variety of companies. Among those companies is AIG, which has been the provider for many years of the endorsed voluntary term life insurance program, as well as the endorsed voluntary and group catastrophe major medical insurance plans.

These past few days, AIG has been in the news due to issues surrounding the company’s financial status, including AIG’s ratings from financial-rating firms. On Monday, September 15, Governor Paterson announced that New York State is allowing AIG to use certain insurance assets as collateral as the company seeks to obtain funds to strengthen its financial position. AIG will likely be looking to other sources for capital, including the federal government and the selling of some of its businesses.

We understand that NYSUT members who have AIG policies are concerned about these developments. The trustees of NYSUT Member Benefits Trust share these concerns and will be closely monitoring this situation as it evolves over the next several weeks. Members with AIG coverage can rest assured that Member Benefits will continue to act as an advocate to make sure that all eligible benefits are paid.

As always, do not hesitate to contact Member Benefits if you have further questions or concerns.

Weingarten from DNC: Fulfill the Promise of Schools
Writing from the Democratic National Convention in Denver in the Huffington Post on Aug. 28, AFT president Randi Weingarten talks about the AFT's long-standing commitment to human and civil rights—including the idea that access to an excellent education should be seen as a basic civil right. She looks back at Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech and his call for the country to live up to its responsibilities to all children: "It's a speech delivered 45 years ago today that's been running through my head recently. ? Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of America's unfulfilled promise of equality, dignity and opportunity for all, and of his hopes for the kind of nation his 'four little children'—and all our children—would one day live in." [Read more.]

New Report Paints Bleak Picture of American Economy
Unless current trends take an unexpected new direction, this will be the first business cycle ever recorded in which America's middle-class families will end up with less real income—meaning income adjusted for inflation—than they had at the beginning. That's just one piece of the discouraging analysis outlined in The State of Working America 2008/2009, released by the Economic Policy Institute to coincide with Labor Day. The bottom line, according to the authors: Despite surging productivity, Americans suffer from dwindling income, rising inequality, eroding living standards and declining expectations. Now in its 11th edition, the new report provides a detailed picture of the 2000-2007 business cycle, its impact on America's working people and families, and its implications for the current downturn. [Read more.]

New Guide Helps Members Navigate National Board Certification
The latest version of a joint AFT-NEA publication on National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification is now available. The 2008-2009 edition of "A Guide to Understanding National Board Certification" demystifies the certification process by translating its rigorous requirements into manageable tasks that are clearly explained. As a complement to the materials provided by NBPTS, the AFT-NEA guide offers practical advice, strategies and suggestions for potential, current, advanced or renewal candidates. Materials from the guide can be adapted for professional development activities being conducted by locals or as a resource for candidates in union-developed NBPTS support programs. [Read more.]

Updated May 2008

Research links higher scores to certified librarians

New York Teacher - February 22, 2008

New York state schools with certified librarians have higher average scores on the fourth-grade English language arts test than those who don't, according to initial findings of researchers at the Syracuse University School of Information Studies.

Research by professor Ruth Small and graduate students in the Center for Digital Literacy showed a statistically significant increase — an almost 10-point difference — in the ELA test scores among fourth-grade students whose schools had certified librarians over students in schools without certified librarians.

"We believe these findings are important to consider, not only because of the higher ELA test scores," said Small, who directs the school library media program at the iSchool. "These certified librarians are having a larger impact on students' overall learning as well."

Preliminary results, she explained, show that certified librarians are also more likely to provide students with materials that present more diverse points of view and that better support the curriculum.

Certified school library media specialists are not mandated at the elementary level in New York state, but they are at the secondary level.

Nearly 569,000 students in K-12 schools do not have access to a certified school library media specialist, according to the New York Library Association.

"This preliminary report reaffirms what 19 other state studies have shown — that school libraries staffed by certified librarians and equipped with current books and technology can have a positive impact on student academic achievement," said NYLA Executive Director Michael Borges.

The research, which is being funded by the U.S. Institute for Museum and Library Studies, included survey responses from 1,612 schools proportionately representing urban, suburban and rural schools statewide.

Even when the need levels of schools were taken into consideration, there was still a 2.2 point difference in average test scores, Small noted.

"These initial findings support our efforts to require school library media specialists in grades K-6," said NYSUT Executive Vice President Alan Lubin, "especially in those school districts that are not meeting state and federal standards."

NYSUT supports bills sponsored by Sen. Hugh Farley, R-Schenectady, and Assembly- woman Sandra Galef, D-Westchester, that would require every school in the state to have a library and a school librarian.

Having an impact

"This reinforces the direct impact of certified school librarians on the educational success of our children," said NYSUT Vice President Maria Neira. "We know there are many fine examples of the depth and breadth of support library media specialists provide to teachers and students every day."

The researchers are now analyzing more in-depth information gathered from surveys and focus groups involving school library media specialists, students, principals and teachers from 48 elementary, middle-level and high schools across the state.

Librarians expressed frustration with a number of barriers that prevent them from providing the level and types of services they could offer, such as being part-time, being split among as many as five schools, dilapidated facilities, outdated collections and lack of technology.

For example, one survey participant said it's difficult to carry out the normal activities of a library media specialist when you serve approximately 1,600 to 1,700 students in three buildings.

"In too many districts, when budgets get tight, the first job cut is the elementary librarian because it's not required," said Ellen Rubin, a Wallkill TA member and secondary school librarian for 21 years.

The union and NYLA are supporting an increase in state Library Materials Aid from $6.25 per pupil to $10 per pupil as recommended by the state Board of Regents. Schools use the aid to buy books and other reading materials for their libraries.

"Think about what you can buy for $6.25," Rubin said. "That's not even enough for a small paperback." The governor proposed a $5 million cut in library aid.

As New York Teacher went to press, the library association was planning to release a study that found the average age of books in school collections is 20 years old.

— Sylvia Saunders

NYSUT: Put some muscle into enforcing phys ed requirements

New York Teacher - February 9, 2008

Armed with a NYSUT survey showing that too many schools are shortchanging students in physical education, unionists urged the Assembly Education Committee to put more muscle into enforcing the state's existing — but largely ignored — phys ed requirements for all K-12 students.

In schools across New York state, students are getting shorted due to the pressures of No Child Left Behind testing and budgetary concerns, according to NYSUT Vice President Maria Neira's testimony at a hearing conducted by Assembly Education Chairwoman Cathy Nolan, D-Queens.

The issue was also highlighted by Gov. Spitzer in his State of the State address last month. As part of his Healthy Schools initiative, Spitzer wants to get rid of junk food in schools and beef up enforcement of state-mandated physical education time.

NYSUT's survey of physical education teachers around the state found too many schools are not complying with the state's phys ed requirements. "Our physical education teachers described themselves, in the words of one, as 'totally disheartened' by how many of their schools have eliminated or reduced physical education instruction — all for the sake of raising test scores," Neira said.

This is misguided, Neira noted, because research clearly shows that physical education improves academic performance.

"Studies show that regular exercise improves students' concentration and cognitive functioning," Neira said. "In this day of mandated testing under the federal No Child Left Behind act, physical education should be viewed as a key to giving students the edge to succeed."

Also testifying at the Assembly hearing were: Joanne Hamilton from the Sayville Teachers Association, Steven Esposito from the Sachem Central Teachers Association, Leo Casey from the United Federation of Teachers and Linda Barley, a York College professor and member of the Professional Staff Congress.

"Healthy children learn better, and physical activity helps in knowledge retention," said Hamilton, a 36-year teaching veteran who serves on NYSUT's Subject Area Committee for Health, Physical Education and Family and Consumer Sciences. "Movement activates the brain ... participation has been correlated with increased attention span, improved focus, improved breathing and an increase in one's energy level and relaxation."

Hamilton noted not all children learn in the same way, and physical education gives students the chance to learn through three channels: auditory, visual and — most importantly — hands-on, kinesthetic tactile.

In her district, physical education offers an interdisciplinary approach, with instruction linked to language arts, math, science, social studies, foreign language and health. For example, last month students learned about the Chinese New Year and staged "dragon races."

Esposito talked of the importance of certified physical education teachers providing direct instruction.

Barley said the biggest problem is at the elementary level, where recess is improperly counted as physical education time, and classes are often doubled up to save personnel costs. "Some teachers do not know that their district is out of compliance," Barley said. She suggested better education of future teachers on the state requirements, plus stronger monitoring by the State Education Department.

The speakers' comments echoed the results of a recent NYSUT-sponsored survey to determine if school districts were complying with current state requirements. The survey found:

• Only about 10 percent of respondents indicated students in grades K-3 in their district receive physical education on a daily basis, as required by state regulations.

• Less than 30 percent of teachers said students in grades 4-6 receive at least 120 minutes weekly of physical education.

• Nearly 25 percent of the respondents indicated that in their districts, recess time is sometimes used as physical education time for grades K-6. (Recess time is not instruction time in the state's learning standards and may not be used as a substitute for physical education.)

• Only one-third of the teachers believe their district has adequate facilities for teaching physical education.

• About 30 percent said students in grades 7-12 were not receiving physical education at the state-recommended level — three times a week one semester, two times weekly in the next semester.

The unionists recommended the state: include information about physical education on school report cards so parents know if their district is complying with state regulations; strengthen monitoring by State Ed to ensure local school district compliance; create a K-12 core curriculum for physical education; and inform teachers of the state requirements and make the requirements an essential part of training for new phys ed teachers.

Neira noted the importance of physical activity cannot be understated, given recent studies on the rising number of overweight children in our nation. Spitzer said one out of four children in New York is obese

Updated January 2008

Experts confirm value of early education

New York Teacher - November 30, 2007

When it comes to closing the achievement gap, expanding access to pre-K is one of the smartest investments communities can make. Just ask Debra Ackerman.

Ackerman, an assistant research professor at the National Institute for Early Education Research, said communities that invest in pre-K programs see their investments returned several times over through various cost savings and tax revenue increases.

Research studies, she said, have found that low-income students who had access to pre-K:

were less likely to be in costly special ed programs in school;
eventually earned more money;
were more likely to own their own homes as adults;
were less apt to receive public assistance; and
were less likely to be arrested and jailed.

"Instead of building prisons, let's invest in preschool," Ackerman told a workshop on early childhood education at NYSUT's "Every Child Counts: A Symposium Dedicated to Ending the Gap."

She noted that a preschool program near Detroit that cost $17,599 per child led to savings and increased tax revenues amounting to $284,086 per student.

Ackerman said low-income students often enter kindergarten trailing their more wealthy counterparts academically and socially, which demonstrates their need for preschool. However, she pointed out, children from all income demographics seem to benefit significantly from early childhood education.

Despite the economic benefits, school districts across New York have faced challenges starting preschool programs, according to Karen Schimke, co-convener of Winning Beginning, an early education advocacy group.

All New York school districts this year qualified for funds for pre-K programs, but many have failed to launch programs.

Districts face a variety of obstacles when starting pre-K programs. Even with the new state funding, some districts are receiving less than $3,000 per child. Superintendents surveyed by Schimke's group said they need more time to prepare programs and are worried about eventually losing funding.

Schools also must deal with transportation issues, which are particularly troubling in rural areas, and the fact that working parents may have difficulty arranging care for students enrolled in half-day programs.

Still, Schimke said, there is cause for optimism. Out of 220,000 four-year-olds in New York state, 72,000 attended preschool in 2006-07, and that number could increase to 117,000 this year.

A broad coalition has begun forming to advocate for early childhood education, particularly for high-risk students. Law enforcement and doctors have even formed groups, understanding the links between pre-K and reduced crime and improved health.

"Closing the achievement gap needs to matter to everyone," Schimke said, "because it's all about our future."

- Kevin Hart

Tenure Changes

As you have seen in articles in the New York Teacher and the Leader, Chapter 57 of the laws of 2007 requires the Regents to adopt rules for the tenure determination process. The new law requires the process must include:
● Evaluation of the extent to which the teacher successfully utilized analysis of available student performance data and other relevant information when providing instruction;
● Peer review by other teachers, as far as practicable; and
● An assessment of the teacher’s performance by the teacher’s building principal or other building administrator in charge of the school or program.

At their December Meeting, the Regents discussed the conceptual framework for the Rule. The Regents’ approach will be to:
● Closely align the rule to the statute;
● Use the Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR);
● Allow for local standards; and
● Defer to PERB regarding collective bargaining requirements.

The Regents will be working with NYSUT to seek an amendment to the effective date of the law to clarify that the new process applies to candidates hired on or after July 1, 2008. NYSUT believes this change is needed to ensure the rules are not changed for candidates already in the process. The Regents item can be accessed on the NYSUT Leader site @ http://www.nysut.org/cps/rde/xchg/nysut/hs.xsl/educationleader_9149.htm

As a reminder, the process for evaluating teachers is a mandatory subject of collective bargaining. Once Rules are adopted, we will provide Information Bulletins and schedule regional information sessions as needed. Districts should not change their tenure determination process until the rules are adopted by the Regents which will occur in May or June 2008.

HUMAN RESOURCES KEY VARIABLE IN SCHOOL SUCCESS
Professionals work for dollars but teachers work for change. That grim assessment was hard to miss in the latest "Quality Counts" survey, which is produced by Education Week's Editorial Projects in Education. Released Jan. 9, "Quality Counts 2008" features human resources as a key variable to school success, and includes new indicators that examine how well states attract and keep people in the teaching profession. One special analysis included in the report finds that "on average, teachers earn 88 cents for every dollar earned in 16 comparable professions." And, for states at the bottom end of the scale, teachers earn less that 79 cents on the professional dollar (see also details from the AFT's most recent salary survey). Among the other indicators used in the report are preschool availability, gains on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), high school graduation rates and equitable distribution of school resources. State-by-state highlight reports and report cards are available in the "Quality Counts" section of Education Week online.

In the Winter 2008 edition of the NYSUT Health of Safety Newsletter, the issue of cyberbullying was addressed. In light of the hacking going on in surrounding districts, take a look at the article for some tips on how to take on this problem in our schools.

http://www.nysut.org/files/healthandsafety_080204_newsletter.pdf

Tips on Avoiding Home Foreclosure

The mortgage foreclosure crisis, fueled by years of unchecked predatory lending practices and a speculative bubble in real estate prices, has been a disaster for millions of America’s homeowners. While Congress, state governments and organizations such as the AFL-CIO work to find long-term answers to the crisis, many homeowners need help right now in avoiding foreclosure and keeping their homes. Here are some tips from experts you, your family and friends can use to keep from losing your home:

Open and respond to all mail from your lender. The first notices you receive will offer information about foreclosure-prevention options that can help you weather financial problems. Later mail may include important notices of pending legal action.

Know your rights. Review your loan documents for the specific language regarding actions the lender can and cannot take in case of nonpayment. Research the foreclosure laws and timeframes in your state by contacting your state government housing office.

Talk to a housing counselor. If you are a union member, you can call the Union Plus Save My Home Hotline, at 1/866/490-5361 or click here to find a HUD-approved housing counselor in your state.

Be on the lookout for scams. If any company or individual promises they can stop your foreclosure immediately if you sign a document appointing them to act on your behalf, you may well be signing over the title to your property and becoming a renter in your own home. Never sign a legal document without reading and understanding all the terms and getting professional advice from an attorney, a trusted real estate professional or a certified housing counselor.

Set some spending priorities. Review your budget to see where you can cut spending to find the extra cash you need for your mortgage payment.

Are your college-age dependents covered by your health insurance plan?

Most health insurance covers unmarried dependent children until their 19th birthday. An exception is made for those dependents who are physically or mentally handicapped and incapable of self-support. Dependents over age 19 may be dropped from their parents’ health insurance plan unless additional riders are purchased to extend the coverage period. These riders usually will cover students to age 23 or 25 if they can provide proof they are fulltime students. A few plans will cover unmarried dependents to higher age limits regardless of their student status.

According to a 2005 survey conducted by the Commonwealth Fund, a health advocacy group in New York, 31% of college-age students are uninsured, the largest population in the U.S. with no coverage. Check with your health plan to determine the age limits for dependent children and if necessary, investigate the following alternatives:

If college students are not covered by their parent’s plan, they may be able to obtain a limited accident or illness policy through the college they are attending.

In accordance with the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) over-age dependents may also be eligible to purchase group health insurance through their parent’s employer sponsored plan at their own cost plus a 2% administrative charge.

Over-age dependents who are working and have limited income may qualify for coverage under the New York State Healthy New York Program or through their employer.

Although expensive, non-group policies may be purchased from health insurance companies.

For questions concerning dependent age coverage limits, please contact your health insurance plan directly. If you need assistance in obtaining coverage, please contact your health insurance plan directly.

SRP Newslink Fall 2007

Updated April 2008

Feds have details on student loans, grants

GovBenefits.gov, the official Web site of the United States government, is a one-stop source for information on more than 1,000 benefits and financial assistance programs administered by federal and state agencies.

Students and their parents can find financial benefits and loan programs at GovLoans.gov, including Perkins Student Loans, the Student Career Experience Program, PLUS Parent Loans and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants.

Fight Back against Anti-Teacher Campaign
On March 11, the Center for Union Facts (CUF), a front group for anonymous ultra-conservative, anti-union clients, launched a $1 million advertising assault on teachers unions. The attack ads promote its campaign Web site. The organization is part of lobbyist Rick Berman's family of front groups including the Employment Policies Institute. Berman has lobbied on behalf of pesticide, alcohol and tobacco companies, and against the Americans with Disabilities Act, checkpoints to catch drunk drivers, minimum wage increases, card-check for union organizing campaigns and even Mothers Against Drunk Driving. If you’d like to know more about CUF and the groups behind it, go to SourceWatch

The campaign is targeting teacher unions in school districts across the country. Among those said to be included: Boston, Kansas City, Detroit, Houston, Corpus Christi, Caddo Parish, La., (Shreveport), Norfolk, Va., Wake County, N.C., Lubbock and Laredo, Tex., Fremont, Calif., Virginia Beach, Va., Jefferson County, Ky., Colorado Springs, Colo., Long Beach and Sacramento, Calif., and Tulsa, Okla.

AFT president Edward J. McElroy called the charges “vicious and outrageous.” He said that the campaign includes distortions about tenure, claims that unions oppose worthwhile school reforms, and outright lies about what we do. McElroy urged members to fight back by contacting the media outlets that have accepted Berman's advertising. To help counter the group's misleading and inaccurate attacks, the AFT sent an e-mail to registered e-Activists, encouraging them to fight back by contacting the media outlets that are running the CUF ads, including the New York Times, USA Today, CNN and Fox News. A number of AFT affiliates also spread the message, which reached more than 100,000 members.

In the last few days, hundreds of AFT members across the country have taken the time to write personal, and often very moving, letters to the media outlets that have run nasty ads attacking teachers unions. The teachers' messages vary, but one theme has emerged: When you attack teachers unions, you attack dedicated teachers who are devoting their careers to helping children succeed.

Where's it all go?

Educators earn much more money now than they did 30 years ago-thanks to the work of local Association leaders at the bargaining table. Hooray! So why do you feel like you still don't have enough? Because even though average salaries have grown,-they've more than tripled since 1979-they still haven't kept pace with skyrocketing prices on housing and energy, according to NEA research. The average home price, for example, has more than quadrupled. For more information, including state by state details from NEA's new salary report, go to www.nea.org/pay

The Whole World (Wide Web) is Watching

Cautionary tales from the 'what-were-you-thinking' department.

While I’m not comfortable posting this article on the website, if you are posting on MySpace, this is a MUST READ article!! http://www.nea.org/neatoday/0804/rightswatch.html

In a Gangster's Paradise

How they're banging in the 'burbs

By Mary Ellen Flannery

You may not think you have gang members in your school. You may think that your students aren't those kinds of kids. Maybe you think they're too rich, too suburban, too smart, or too White.

Think again.

"If you don't think you have a gang problem, you're in the wrong business," says Detective Javier Castellanos, a New Jersey gang specialist, in a recent training for school staff in northern New Jersey.

"You do," he adds firmly.

Updated March 2008

Get ready for spring testing

With spring comes standardized testing. The results of these tests are used at the student level to determine promotion or graduation, and at the school level to meet requirements under the No Child Left Behind Act. That's a lot of pressure on students and their teachers. Many teachers and parents report that the pressure is intense, resulting in excessive test preparation that takes away from learning and may even eliminate subjects like music, art and social studies.

These tests do provide useful information, but they shouldn't be the only source of information. What happens in the classroom is more important and shouldn’t be shoved on the back burner. Instead, standardized tests should reflect the rich instruction students receive every day.

Here are several strategies to help students perform their best on standardized tests while keeping the main focus on content and skills.

http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/american_teacher/feb08/tools.htm

What you need to know about certification

NYSUT updates information bulletins

New York Teacher - March 6, 2008

New York state teacher certification regulations have changed a number of times over the years, but did you know that you are held to the requirements in place at the time you were certified in a particular teaching title? As a result, you could be teaching next door to another teacher in the same title area but need to meet very different criteria to obtain your final credential.

While it's your personal responsibility to maintain your certification, NYSUT has posted a series of updated information bulletins on its Web site to help teachers and teaching assistants through the confusing maze of certification requirements. As always, NYSUT members are strongly urged to maintain a personal certification file, including paper copies of all transcripts, certificates and communications.

NYSUT's certification page is located at www.nysut.org under "pre-K-12 educators/credentials." The page includes updated certification bulletins produced by NYSUT Research and Educational Services, as well as links to the New York State Education Department's online certification application and database system referred to as TEACH.

MetLife has released a report that examines the value of homework for students and the link between homework and a quality education, titled "MetLife Survey of the American Teacher: The Homework Experience." You will be able to find a copy of the report at http://www.ced.org/

Did you Know?

Union workers earn 30% more than non-union workers, according to the US department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. The benefit is even greater for women in unions-they earn 31% more than women who are not in unions. American Teacher 2/08

NOT SO SMART

The next batch of students beating a path to college were born post-Google and grew up with the Internet as their sandbox. While facile with computers, they are not discriminating about the value of the information their Google and Yahoo searches turn up (see related story). A recent study, presciently titled "The Information Behavior of the Researcher of the Future," lays out what librarians and educators need to do to help students be information-literate today so they will be better academics and scholars tomorrow. The report is from the Joint Information Systems Committee, at www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/programmes/reppres/gg_final_keynote_11012008.pdf

TEACHERS FACE LARGE AND GROWING PROFESSIONAL PAY GAP
Compared with workers in occupations that have similar education and skill requirements, public school teachers face a large and growing pay gap, according to a new analysis from the Economic Policy Institute. Over the last decade, the report shows, the teacher pay gap increased from 10.8 percent to 15.1 percent. That translates into weekly earnings that are about $154 lower than comparable workers'. AFT executive vice president Antonia Cortese notes that this is just the latest study to confirm the same discouraging trend. "Teachers continue to be vastly underpaid compared with similar workers," she says. "This makes recruitment and retention of the best and brightest increasingly difficult, even as the nation recognizes the growing need for high-quality teaching." For female teachers, the gap is especially striking. In 1960, women teachers were better paid than other similarly educated workers—by about 14.7 percent. By 2000, the situation had reversed to the point where female teachers faced a 13.2 percent annual wage deficit. [Read more.]

Online newsletter by and for disabled students

New York Teacher - January 24, 2008

Saved from the brink of extinction last year, a student-run publication that focuses on living and going to school with disabilities has taken on a whole new life in cyberspace.

Connect-Ability, a newsletter put together by students from across the state, can now be found at www.nysut.org/connect.

Written from a student perspective, the current issue of Connect-Ability focuses on topics such as traumatic brain injury, autism, Attention Deficit Disorder, learning disabilities and depression. Past issues have dealt with eating disorders, hearing impairments and alcoholism.

Special ed certification changes are coming

New York Teacher - January 25, 2008

Responding to the growing shortage of special education teachers, the state Board of Regents is moving forward with plans to streamline the special education certification system - reducing the number of titles from 45 to just three.

The Regents endorsed the State Education Department's conceptual plan, which will now be drafted into regulatory changes that are expected to go into effect in the fall of 2009.

NYSUT has long been predicting the looming shortage, especially at the secondary level, since the adoption of the new certification structure in 1998 that changed a single special ed certificate to 45.

The SED will draft proposed regulatory changes to:

Retain the current Early Childhood special ed certificate (birth to grade 2), but extend its coverage to grade 3;
Retain the Childhood special ed certificate as currently structured, covering grade 1-6;
Establish a Childhood special education extension and extensions for both Early Childhood and Adolescence;
Eliminate middle childhood certificates (generalist and subject areas in grades 5-9);
Replace the current subject-specific, special ed adolescence certificates (grades 7-12) with a single, special ed adolescence generalist certificate that will include an enriched academic core.

While looking at the barriers posed by the current certification structure is a positive step, NYSUT will critically review and comment on SED's proposed regulations.

The union wants SED to clarify the scope of practice of the adolescent certificate holder when providing core academic instruction in a special class setting and to clarify the ability of this proposal to meet No Child Left Behind requirements for demonstrating subject matter competency.

NYSUT will also recommend expanding the grade 1-6 Childhood certificate to include teaching pre-K and kindergarten (ages 4-5).

Myths and Facts About Teacher Pay

MYTH: Teachers make just as much as other, comparable professions.

FACT: According to a recent study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the teaching profession has an average national starting salary of $30,377. Meanwhile, NACE finds that other college graduates who enter fields requiring similar training and responsibilities start at higher salaries:

Computer programmers start at an average of $43,635,
Public accounting professionals at $44,668, and
Registered nurses at $45,570.

Not only do teachers start lower than other professionals, but the more years they put into teaching, the wider the gap gets.

A report from NEA Research, which is based on US census data, finds that annual pay for teachers has fallen sharply over the past 60 years in relation to the annual pay of other workers with college degrees. Throughout the nation the average earnings of workers with at least four years of college are now over 50 percent higher than the average earnings of a teacher.
An analysis of weekly wage trends by researchers at the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) shows that teachers' wages have fallen behind those of other workers since 1996, with teachers' inflation-adjusted weekly wages rising just 0.8%, far less than the 12% weekly wage growth of other college graduates and of all workers. Further, a comparison of teachers' weekly wages to those of other workers with similar education and experience shows that, since 1993, female teacher wages have fallen behind 13% and male teacher wages 12.5% (11.5% among all teachers). Since 1979 teacher wages relative to those of other similar workers have dropped 18.5% among women, 9.3% among men, and 13.1% among both combined.
Teachers lost spending power for themselves and their families as inflation outpaced increases in teacher salaries last year, according to NEA Research. Inflation increased 3.1 percent over the past year, while teacher salaries increased by only 2.3 percent.

MYTH: Teachers are well-paid when their weekly or hourly wage is compared with other professions.

FACT: Teacher critics who make this claim use data collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in its annual National Compensation Survey (NCS). But NCS data are based on employer surveys, and the NCS measures scheduled hours -- not the work teachers do outside the school day. Because teachers do not work the familiar full year and roughly 9-5 schedules that most professionals have, the comparison is one of apples to oranges.

Economic Policy Institute President Lawrence Mishel explains that in the NCS data "Teachers are measured by days worked (say 190 official school days divided by five, resulting in 38 weeks), while others are measured as days paid (work days plus paid time off: breaks, vacations and holidays)."
The bottom line: NCS data vastly understate the weekly hours of teachers and the weeks teachers work each year, and thereby significantly overstate the hourly wage or weekly wage for a given annual wage.
If you believe the NCS hourly pay data, then you believe that English professors ($43.50) make more per hour than dentists ($33.34) or nuclear engineers ($36.16).

MYTH: The school day is only six or seven hours, so it's only fair that teachers make less than "full-time" professionals.

Still here? Click on http://www.nea.org/pay/teachermyths.html to finish the article and more!

Lolita in the Classroom-NEAToday March 2008

\Dolls in fishnets, hair extensions for kids, and pole-dancing Tween tv stars. Girlhood isn't what it used to be, and that means teaching girls isn't either.

Maybe it was when stores began stocking thongs embroidered with "wink, wink" in sizes for 7- to 10-year-olds, to be covered by sweatpants with "Juicy" stitched across the rear. That's about the time it became apparent that there is less sand in the hourglass for girlhood than there used to be…. http://www.nea.org/neatoday/0803/sexualization.html

Assessing the Threat

Are we doing enough to reduce the risk of violence against educators?

http://www.nea.org/neatoday/0802/coverstory1.html…be sure to read to the end regarding students with disabilities…

NEAToday February 2008

Generation Y teachers looking for change
Survey reveals the different attitudes younger teachers bring to the classroom

New, young teachers—members of Generation Y, as those under 30 have been dubbed—are committed to teaching as a long-term career, but they feel strongly about changes they want to see in the education system. That's according to a survey of first-year teachers conducted by Public Agenda for the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality (NCCTQ).

While pay is a concern for the new teachers, as it is across the board, a significant majority of the Gen Y group—79 percent—would choose supportive administrators over significant salary increases. Specifically, the new teachers are looking for more support for their efforts to be creative in the classroom, to deal with student discipline problems and to get adequate classroom resources such as textbooks. They rank low salary as a concern below such issues as lack of student motivation, too many students with discipline issues and excessive testing.

The survey also asked the Gen Y teachers for their opinions on a range of ideas for improving the profession. Two proposals topped the list: reducing class sizes and preparing teachers to adapt their instruction to meet the needs of a diverse classroom. The two issues are closely connected because the teachers said smaller classes would allow them to personalize instruction and give more help to struggling students. On the other hand, ideas such as eliminating teacher tenure or tying teacher pay to student performance received very little support.

The survey focused on first-year middle and high school teachers, and it points out some important differences between this group's attitudes compared with those of elementary school teachers as well as their more veteran colleagues. For example, the secondary teachers are more likely both to question the teacher preparation they received and to say that their training overemphasized theories of learning and shortchanged practical classroom issues. The respondents were about six months into their first teaching jobs, so their pre-service preparation was still fresh in their minds.

Teachers who came to the profession through the traditional route also felt much more prepared to deal with their jobs, especially in high-needs schools, compared with teachers who completed alternative certification programs. Only half of the alternative-route teachers felt prepared for their assignments in high-needs schools compared with 80 percent of the traditional-route teachers. The alternative-route teachers also are much less likely to see teaching as a lifelong career—only 16 percent share that view, compared with a majority of the traditional-route teachers.

"There seems to be a chronic inability or unwillingness for the education system to embrace new ideas, which is a tragic mismanagement of human capital, especially on the brink of the largest labor shortage in history," says NCCTQ director Sabrina Laine. "Programming these teachers to pledge allegiance to a broken and outdated system rather than harnessing their boundless potential will set education back another decade."

The authors of the report say it should serve as "genuine food for thought" about how the country attracts, trains, supports, rewards and manages teachers. "The findings suggest that there are significant challenges in teaching and motivating today's adolescents that are not being adequately addressed in the current system," they write. "The findings also suggest that the broad policy debate on how to respond to teacher turnover and retention may need to focus more of its attention on the special concerns of secondary school teachers."

The NCCTQ, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, is a partnership of the Education Commission of the States, the Educational Testing Service, Learning Point Associates and Vanderbilt University.

January 2008

UPDATE: Child Abuse Mandatory Reporting Requirements for School Employees

Information Bulletin No. 200713 - January 3, 2008

Download complete Information Bulletin (290k pdf)

NOTE: This bulletin updates and replaces NYSUT Information Bulletin #200703.

Abused and neglected children may be found in any classroom in any school in any community. School personnel are in a unique position to observe children daily over periods of time and may be aware that something is not right with a child long before anyone else notices. Local leaders and members are often faced with questions and problems regarding who must report suspected child abuse to whom and under what circumstances.

This Information Bulletin provides the legal requirements for school employees and includes changes to New York State Social Services Law as amended by Chapter 193 of the Laws of 2007, effective October 2007. Chapter 193 defines the term school official, requires mandated reporters to directly report instances of suspected child abuse to the Central Register and inform the person in charge of the school, prohibits a school from retaliation against an employee for making a referral and from imposing any conditions, including approval or prior notification, upon an employee specifically required by social services law to make direct reports.

There are two ways school employees may be involved in child abuse reporting.

They have a reasonable cause to suspect a child is the victim of abuse or maltreatment by someone in parental relation to the child. (Covered by Social Services Law)
They witness or receive allegations of child abuse by an employee or volunteer in an educational setting. (Covered by Education Law)

The contents of this Information Bulletin, available in full in the PDF format, include:

An Overview of the Social Services Law as Amended October 2007 (Page 2);
An Overview of the Education Law (Page 6);
Side-by-Side Comparison of Both Laws (Page 11);
Advice to Local Leaders (Page 12);
Available Resources (Page 13);
Social Services Law Article VI, Title VI (Page 14)
Education Law Article 23-B (Page 31);
Child Abuse in an Educational Setting Report Form (Page 35); and

Suspected Child Abuse or Maltreatment - Social Services Report Form) (Page 36)

Download complete Information Bulletin (290k pdf)

No Attendance, No Wheels

Students cutting class to head to the mall may want to consider how they're going to get there now that some states are linking attendance to driving privileges. The latest, Illinois, enacted a law that puts the brakes on any student who has more than 18 unexcused absences or has been expelled. Students under 18 who drop out are also automatically ineligible for a drivers license or provisional permit. The exceptions would be a medical excuse or if the student is getting an equivalency diploma. At least 17 other states have laws limiting students with spotty attendance records. In Iowa, dropouts' licenses are suspended until they re-enroll. Reducing the number of dropouts is crucial in Illinois where 24,000 students left school early last year. Nationwide, more than 2,000 students walk away from school every day. (neatoday Nov 2007)

SED posts 2008-09 elementary and intermediate testing dates

NYSUT State Ed Alerts - January 24, 2008

The State Education Department has posted the testing dates for the elementary and intermediates tests in mathematics, English language arts, social studies and science for the 2008-2009 school year.

You may download the schedule at:
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/schedules/ele08-09.pdf. The PDF file requires the free Adobe Acrobt Reader for viewing.

Tenure changes for new teachers are on the way

New York Teacher - December 3, 2007

This is one in a series of articles focusing on Chapter 57 of the Laws of 2007, which calls for an enhanced accountability system for schools, including the creation of statewide minimum standards for teacher tenure. These upcoming changes were approved last spring by the governor and Legislature as part of the 2007-08 state budget.

Tenure law changes are on their way in 2008-09, and NYSUT is carefully monitoring development of the new regulations to ensure that they make sense and respect collective bargaining rights.

The upcoming changes, which require the creation of statewide minimum standards for teacher tenure determinations, are part of Gov. Spitzer's education accountability system.

Under Chapter 57 of the Laws of 2007, the statewide process for tenure determinations made on or after July 1, 2008, includes:

an evaluation of the teacher's successful use of student performance data when providing instruction;
peer review by other teachers, as far as practicable; and
an assessment by the teacher's building administrator.

NYSUT Vice President Maria Neira discussed the upcoming changes at NYSUT's Policy Council meeting last month.

The law would affect teachers who are currently in their tenure track; however, NYSUT, working collaboratively with the State Education Department, is seeking to amend the law so it applies prospectively to teachers hired on or after July 1, 2008.

"NYSUT opposes making changes affecting teachers currently in a tenure track," Neira said. "It's a matter of fairness. You can't change the rules in the middle of the process."

NYSUT is also working to ensure that the regulations clearly indicate that any changes in the determination of tenure for new teachers are consistent with the local collective bargaining agreement.

While the executive budget initially proposed using student test scores to determine tenure, NYSUT's advocacy was instrumental in getting the state Legislature to reject that proposal.

Instead, the law will require using student performance to improve instruction.

"It means school districts must provide teachers with information, professional development and timely student data to assist improving instruction," Neira said. "It does not mean the evaluation of teachers is based on student test scores."

Neira noted the process for evaluating teachers is a mandatory subject of collective bargaining and part of the Annual Professional Performance Review.

Currently, the APPR requirement includes peer review as an optional method of teacher evaluation and proper training of administrators to conduct teacher evaluation.

"To us, peer review can be used 'as far as practicable,' as long as it is collectively bargained at the local level," Neira said.

Local union leaders may believe peer review is not 'practicable,' for example, in a small rural district where there are not enough other subject area teachers.

In response to local leaders' requests, NYSUT will develop a training session on the new regulations and the use of student data to inform instruction.

Leaders also asked that the statewide union share best practices for peer review programs and make sample contract language available.

Neira noted that the State Education Department has not yet released its proposed regulations.

The state Board of Regents is scheduled this month to discuss a concept proposal for tenure regulations.

Watch www.nysut.org and New York Teacher for the latest details.

Make a Digital Wish....

Teachers who register and submeit a lesson plan to Digital Wish will automatically qualify for 43 new grant opportunities. Log on to www.digitalwish.com to find a searchable library of lesson plans, loads of fundraising ideas, a technology "wish list". Loads of grants are listed here!! For more grant info, check out the Goodies page~

PTA leaders say parents have a role, too

NYSUT News Wire - October 26, 2007

"Education is everybody's business," Maria DeWald told participants to NYSUT's "Every Child Counts" symposium. "We want to bring more people into the school community."

DeWald, president of the New York State Congress of Parents and Teachers, hit a responsive chord with the two dozen educators and community members at the symposium's "Parent and Family Engagement" workshop.

"It's not enough to sign up parents on open-school night," she said. "They have to be called and invited. Parents know they should be involved; we have to help them feel capable and invited"

DeWald and her co-presenter, Penny Leask, immediate past state PTA president, stressed the benefits of parental involvement. Students have higher grades, better test scores, improved attendance and completed homework.

"As community leaders, we need to walk in parents' shoes, Leask said. "We have to continually educate ourselves on how we keep parents involved. If all the parents are at the laundromat Saturday or at church on Sunday, we need to have the meetings where they are."

One question that provoked helpful discussion was the topic of grandparents raising school children. Besides the obvious generational differences, many grandparents are unprepared for the work involved in active learning.

Carlos Garcia, an Albany-area community and union activist, offered suggestions that can work in many communities. "Go to your church and ask your pastor for assistance. College students and future teachers may be available. Perhaps an active group of local professionals can help in the process," Garcia said.

Participants also spoke about the importance of each school building providing a welcoming atmosphere for parents. While acknowledging the need for tighter security than in previous eras, the need for welcoming faces, voices and familiar languages was stressed.

DeWald offered other suggestions that could increase a greater parental presence, such as offering GED or parenting classes at night. All families need to embraced, no matter their nationality, heritage language or sexual orientation, she said.

For more PTA recommendations for parental involvement, go to http://www.pta.org/.

NYSUT calls for better tests for ELL students

New York Teacher - October 26, 2007

Double testing of English language learners is not only yielding results of limited value — it's robbing students and teachers of time that could be better used for teaching and learning.

"We recommend that more time be devoted to teaching and learning English and less time to testing," said NYSUT Vice President Maria Neira in testimony submitted last month to the Assembly Education Committee.

She was joined by Catalina Fortino, a teacher from the United Federation of Teachers, NYSUT's affiliate in New York City schools.

Neira thanked Committee Chairwoman Cathy Nolan, D-Queens, for her advocacy for ELLs and focused her remarks on: unfair testing of ELLs; the need for timely collection, management and dissemination of ELL data; the need for greater school district programmatic and fiscal accountability to ensure quality programs for ELLs; and the need for changes to the federal No Child Left Behind Act as it affects ELLs.

Due to changes this year in enforcement of NCLB rules, ELLs were tested twice in English language development: NYSESLAT, the New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test, measures their English language proficiency; and for ELLs in the country for at least a year, the grades 3-8 English language arts test measures their language and reading skills.

"Parents, teachers and schools continue to struggle with this unfair policy and practice," Neira said. She noted the grades 3-8 ELA assessments have been normed on native English speakers and therefore are not a reliable assessment for all ELLs.

The new testing requirement meant an additional 40,000 ELLs took the grade 3-8 ELA in January. Of the 72,082 ELL students tested this year, more than 83 percent failed to meet all state standards, scoring at Level 1 or 2.

"This was not a surprise to educators," Neira said. "If we really want to know how well newly arrived ELL youngsters read in English — and we should — we must test them with an appropriate and valid test."

She said NCLB forces states to needlessly label students and the schools they are enrolled in as "failing." Neira urged lawmakers to require the state to develop two test options for ELLs.

She recommended revising the NYSESLAT to meet federal NCLB requirements and developing a language and reading test in the top native languages spoken in the state.

"The present system does not provide ELLs with equal access to academic success," Neira said. "You need well-trained teachers, appropriate curriculum, sufficient resources and time for learning to occur." (Complete testimony is at http://www.nysut.org/).

HOUSE PASSES IMPORTANT SCHOOL FACILITIES LEGISLATION
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act of 2008, which marks another step toward addressing school conditions that compromise learning and teaching, by providing the safe and modern schools our children and educators deserve. The House vote on June 4 was 250 to 164. Despite the threat of a veto by President Bush, 27 members of his party voted for the bill. The AFT strongly supported the bill, and many AFT members contacted their representatives to urge a yes vote. The legislation, which authorizes spending $6.4 billion annually, would help improve school facilities; create more than 100,000 well-paying construction jobs; and support the AFT's efforts to promote green, sustainable schools. The legislation now moves on to the U.S. Senate. [Read more.]

NEW NYSUT JOURNAL KICKS OFF WITH FOCUS ON EARLY LITERACY
The inaugural issue of a new journal from New York State United Teachers on best practices in education is now available. Educator's Voice will provide "research-based strategies that have been used by experienced educators to help schools close achievement gaps and ensure all students have a solid academic foundation," says Maria Neira, who is both a NYSUT vice president and an AFT vice president, in the introduction to the first issue, which was released in April. The first issue's theme is early literacy, with articles on topics such as developmentally appropriate practices for preschool children, early literacy in school, vocabulary instruction for early language learners, and how drawing in conjunction with writing contributes to literacy. The journal also includes book reviews, literary concepts, and related resources and Web sites. [Read more.]

updated December 2007

Funding Education in 2008
On February 5, 2007, President Bush released his $2.9 trillion budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2008. Read the summary of the federal government’s spending plan for education.
Click Here for Summary of Education Budget

Broken promise: How the charter school experiment is falling short

NYSUT Media Release - December 8, 2006

ALBANY , N.Y. December 8, 2006 — Most charter schools are underperforming the traditional public schools in their districts, according to a report released today by New York State United Teachers. The report found that only 13 percent of charter schools had shown higher academic achievement than their public school counterparts.

· DOWNLOAD: Complete Report. PDF file is 8MB.

· UPDATE DEC. 14: Legislators decide against raising charter school cap

"The numbers don't lie," said NYSUT President Richard C. Iannuzzi. "It's clear that the performance of charter schools has been lackluster at best. Increasing the number of charter schools in New York state may serve some political agenda, but it won't serve the needs of our students."

The study, titled "Broken Promise: How the charter school experiment is falling short," compared the results of 2004-05 4 th and 8 th grade state assessments for students at charter schools with comparable public schools in the district. Fewer than 13 percent of the charter schools had better test results than the traditional public schools. NYSUT Executive Vice President Alan B. Lubin also noted that charter schools have drained tremendous resources from local public schools, particularly in Albany and Buffalo.

"Charter schools were created to be better than traditional public schools," Lubin said. "That's just not happening. And who knows how much better public schools in cities like Albany could be performing if they hadn't been devastated by cuts made to pay for charter schools."

Lubin said the charter school report has been sent to the governor and every legislator. He said the goal of the study was to ensure that the Legislature had a clear picture of the poor performance of most charter schools before they returned to Albany for this week's special legislative session.

" New York state hasn't received much bang for its charter school bucks," Lubin said. "There should have been a Hippocratic oath applied to the creation of charter schools: First, do no harm. Unfortunately, a lot of harm has already been done to public schools. But, hopefully, this report will help ensure that the Legislature doesn't do any more harm when it's in Albany."

"Charter schools were set up to encourage the use of new and innovative approaches to education that could be replicated in other schools," NYSUT Vice President Maria Neira said. "This report shows the educational programs offered by charter schools are already being used in public schools throughout the state."

The report also found that charter schools tend to serve students who are more advantaged than the general population of the district they're located in, and charters also have one-sixth the number of English language learners and far fewer special education students. The report examined test results for local public schools with the same or a higher percentage of students eligible for free lunch as the charter schools.

"We compared apples to apples, and that's the only comparison that matters," Neira said.

NYSUT represents 575,000 teachers, school-related professionals, academic and professional faculty in higher education, professionals in education and health care and retirees. NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association and the AFL-CIO.

HOUSSE will continue to be available

Decision will help teachers meet NCLB conditions to be 'highly qualified'

New York Teacher - December 7, 2006

The State Education Department has agreed to continue using HOUSSE, an alternative evaluation option that allows teachers to meet federal "highly qualified " requirements under the No Child Left Behind Act.

NYSUT Vice President Maria Neira urged SED to extend the June 2007 deadline, after U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings issued a directive leaving it up to states to decide whether to eliminate HOUSSE — the High Objective Uniform State Standard of Evaluation. The elimination would have meant that many educators could have been forced to take new certification tests to demonstrate content knowledge or obtain a major or concentration in a particular subject to be deemed "highly qualified " in core academic subjects.

New York Teacher - October 19, 2006

Approximately 50,000 NYSUT members will receive an average of $450 each under a settlement between the state Attorney General's Office and ING, the provider of a 403(b) retirement investment plan endorsed by the NYSUT Member Benefits Trust.

ING will reimburse the accounts of approximately 66,000 individuals who invested in ING's 403(b) Opportunity Plus programs between Jan. 1, 2001, and June 30, 2006, a group that includes NYSUT members and other school district employees.

The refunds to participants, which will come from ING's assets, result from the attorney general's review of the 403(b) industry and his determination that ING failed to fully communicate its fee structure to participants.

The average reimbursement will be approximately $450, although amounts will vary based on the size of the investment, with the minimum refund totaling $100.

The reimbursements must occur within 120 days of the Oct. 10 settlement.

The Trust, which reviews vendors and products that are offered to members, was criticized last spring by the attorney general's office for not disclosing its endorsement agreement with ING in promotional materials. (Beginning in February 2005, the Trust incorporated detailed fee disclosure information in all its material.)

In a settlement announced in June, the Trust agreed to go above and beyond the attorney general's recommendations to ensure that NYSUT members receive complete information about any fees associated with Trust-endorsed programs, including whether the union is reimbursed for expenses associated with making endorsements.

The Member Benefits Trust already has arranged for an independent consultant to conduct a thorough and unbiased review of the 403(b) programs offered to NYSUT members and will follow all recommendations, including whether the Trust should engage in the practice of making endorsements in the 403(b) arena.

"The ING settlement is a welcome development that should result in more transparent 403(b) offerings throughout the industry a move that will benefit all NYSUT members," said NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi.