ooking ahead to the 2023 legislative session, NYSUT is focused with optimism and purpose. The union is hoping to expand on victories from the 2022 legislative session and continue the fight to improve working and learning environments for students and educators, said NYSUT President Andy Pallotta.

One of the union’s major pushes this year is fixing Tier 6.

“We scored our first victories toward achieving tier equity last year, when vesting for Tier 6 was cut from 10 years to five,” Pallotta said. “Now we have to continue our fight to stem the ongoing teacher shortage and get more young people to enter the profession.”

Union members in Tiers 5 and 6 have significantly diminished benefits and must work longer before they can retire. “As unionists, we know that something that affects one of our members affects all of our members,” Pallotta said.

The union’s legislative agenda also includes recommendations from the NYSUT Safe Schools for All Task Force. In addition to expanding the community schools model, (see Pages 17–20,) the union will seek:

s the nation continues to grapple with the ongoing educator shortage, NYSUT is looking to engage future teachers before they even step into the classroom — and partnering with student groups on SUNY campuses to do it.

The Teacher Education Student Association, or TESA, at SUNY Potsdam is something of an incubator for the NYSUT Student Membership program. The group and its president, Nicole Pelliccia, have utilized NYSUT resources and connections to provide a richer experience for college students studying to become future educators.

Pelliccia, the daughter of two NYSUT members, has been going to protests and rallies in Albany since she was in elementary school. Getting college students involved with the union prior to graduation is crucial, she said.

peaking one-on-one with lawmakers on pro-education, pro-union issues is a crucial part of advocating for our members. NYSUT is optimistic about the return to in-person lobbying this year. As we prepare for the legislative session, below are a few frequently asked questions:

Lobbying allows members to speak directly to those in the halls of power about what our students, colleagues and workplaces need. And it works. We have protected tenure rights, guaranteed automatic cost-of-living pension increases for public sector retirees and secured more state funding for schools and public colleges. We need members from different jobs representing all corners of the state to come together to fight for the resources that will support our schools as the center of our communities.

t a recent United University Professions visit to Brockport, student Daniel Dale outlined a pretty simple math problem. Some 600 students are registered to utilize the Brockport Student Accessibility Services Center, which helps students with anxiety, depression and ADHD by offering, among other programs, accommodation for extra test time for students working through mental health struggles. But how do you fit them into just 11 seats and eight desks with computers available on site?

“Most disturbing, (Dale) was talking about students who want to succeed,” UUP President Fred Kowal said. “And yet the resources aren’t there. Not even close.”

That story is just one of many that bring into focus the breadth of the ongoing mental health crisis in higher education, a crisis exacerbated by poverty, food and housing insecurity, and other social issues students and staff alike grapple with. It was the subject of a late-November state Assembly hearing at which representatives from UUP, Professional Staff Congress and NYSUT detailed proposals for how to tackle the needs that pre-date, but have only grown since, the pandemic.

olidarity, perseverance and patience paid off for the Nanuet Teachers Association this fall. After declaring a bargaining impasse shortly before their contract expired on June 30, the nearly 300 Rockland County teachers and teaching assistants banded together and got support from neighboring locals to fight for and win significant pay raises and benefits improvements.

When talks broke down, members began daily actions, wearing red garb, buttons emblazoned with “Fair Contract Now” and engaging in scheduled walk-ins. “We met at the flagpole outside the school building” and walked in as a group, said Lange. “Historically we haven’t had strong unity, but it was different this time, everyone was motivated to participate.”

A turning point came when local television station News 12 showed up unexpectedly during a walk-in and interviewed Lange. “The story played on a loop all day long,” she said. “It put pressure on the board, and made the community aware.”

The Nanuet community values its teachers and many residents were surprised by the educators’ pay in comparison to surrounding districts, Lange said. Nanuet teachers are the second lowest paid in the county, yet have the longest school year and day. “The community knows that retaining and attracting staff means we need to be competitive.”

ransportation staff in the Queensbury Central School District recently completed a different kind of drive — a union membership drive. The Queensbury School Transportation Employees Association is the latest local to join the NYSUT family, voting overwhelmingly in late October to affiliate with the statewide union. Nearly all eligible staff — 44 out of 46 — have signed their union cards.

“One of the main reasons we organized was to have union backing for job security and a more prosperous future,” new local President Maureen Doran said, listing off other benefits that new members are looking to access, including insurance through NYSUT Member Benefits-endorsed programs. Members want the backing of a statewide union “to protect our rights.”

QSTEA represents bus drivers, bus aides, mechanics, dispatchers and auto mechanic helpers in the district.

“Our transportation staff are essential. They’re the first ones many children see each morning and the last they see each afternoon,” NYSUT President Andy Pallotta said. “They deserve respect and support from their districts and their communities.”

n Ithaca, three locals are working together to make sure the teacher shortage doesn’t short teachers.

Over the summer, presidents of the Ithaca Teachers Association, Ithaca Substitutes Association and the Education Support Professionals/Ithaca joined forces to negotiate pay increases and new benefits for substitute teachers and School-Related Professionals who are serving in long-term teaching positions in Ithaca City School District.

The plan includes a base salary that is less than the salary of a certified teacher, “but with the concept that they are doing teachers’ work,” said Adam Piasecki, president of the Ithaca TA and lead on the initiative. “They’re doing the hours, and they needed to be compensated respectfully and fairly.”

According to the memorandum of agreement between the union and the district, educators hired under these terms would be paid based more squarely on the teaching work they were now doing and, in the case of substitutes, they would also be eligible for health insurance while in long-term teaching positions.

ince its founding, the NYSUT Women’s Committee has prioritized women’s health as a vital issue, and this November’s annual meeting turned the spotlight on key health areas for women, including Alzheimer’s Disease.

“Representation matters. We know this because we have seen it,” said NYSUT Executive Vice President Jolene DiBrango, who chairs the committee.

“We know that women must be their own best advocate when it comes to access to health care and the actual care they receive,” DiBrango added. “That’s just one example of why it is so important for women to hold positions of leadership and power in all sectors, so that the challenges that are unique to them are understood by those they go to for guidance and support.”

embers of NYSUT’s LGBTQ Committee are charting their path for the year ahead. Part of that work includes developing resolutions for the statewide union’s annual Representative Assembly that center on topics including transgender rights and improving the school climate for LGBTQ educators and students.

“I encourage members to develop LGBTQ committees in their home districts,” said J. Philippe Abraham, NYSUT secretary-treasurer and LGBTQ Committee chair. “Having local committees across the state will help us share best practices and get like-minded people working together.”

NYSUT Executive Director/Political Director Melinda Person detailed the statewide union’s efforts to defend the freedom of LGBTQ students and educators. It’s important to push back against efforts that target educators simply for teaching the truth, she explained.

My responsibilities range from recruiting graduate students and managing our online summer and winter intersession programs to addressing the various unforeseen situations that arise on any given day. My favorite part of my job is helping and interacting with students. I have an open-door policy in my office, and students know that they can come to me at any time for help, for guidance and to just say “hi” after a long day.

How did you get involved with your union?

My grandfather was a union organizer for the Erne River Hydroelectric Scheme back in Ireland, and my father, an Irish immigrant, is also a proud union member so I fully understand the benefits to a good quality of life that a union can provide. It was instilled in me at a very young age that joining together in unions enables workers to negotiate for higher wages and benefits and improve conditions.

I have been involved with UUP for as long as I have been working at Binghamton University. I became a delegate, was elected to the executive board, and appointed membership development officer and political coordinator. I now serve as the vice president for professionals.

After numerous appointments with eye doctors across Long Island and a visit with a New York City specialist, my parents learned that I had Stargardt’s Disease, a juvenile form of macular degeneration. The diagnosis was difficult to understand as the doctors explained that little was known about the incurable condition.

Ultimately, my blinding eye condition inspired my “why” for teaching.

As a student, I faced many obstacles that I needed to overcome. These challenges changed in nature as I progressed from middle school to high school and then undergraduate to graduate programs — but they all, in conjunction with the support of my family, helped me grow into the independent, educated, empathetic teacher I am today. As a student with a disability, I saw firsthand how imperative it is for teachers to understand learners with diverse needs.

hen Cristina Mata was working as a special education teacher aide in Williamsville, she knew she wanted to become a teacher — but wasn’t sure how to make it happen.

A bilingual Mexican-American who grew up in a small border town in Texas, Mata had moved to Western New York with her husband, who grew up in Buffalo. While working as a teacher aide and taking undergraduate Spanish courses at the University at Buffalo, one of Mata’s professors, Erin Kearney, told her there was a huge shortage of world language teachers and suggested she look into UB’s teacher residency program.

“It was a perfect fit for me,” said Mata, who noted the program’s fast-paced schedule, hands-on learning and support system set her up for success — and an immediate job offer to be a Spanish teacher in Buffalo City Schools.

lose your eyes and think back to a memorable early learning experience. Who was that special person who taught you something?

That was the simple — but powerful — warm-up at a recent Take a Look at Teaching Club kickoff at Oceanside High School.

One student talked about how her grandmother taught her how to make meatballs, sharing a deep family secret. Another recalled how he learned how to throw a baseball from his dad.

“Miss Eckers!’’ said another — and the room went abuzz at the mere mention of beloved kindergarten teacher Elaine Eckers. “She taught me ‘left’ and ‘right.’”

“I thought about Miss Eckers, too!” another student shouted out. “She taught me how to make an ‘M.’”

hen major events make waves in other parts of the world, Trisha Rosokoff feels the ripples in her first-grade classroom.

The Buffalo teacher has spent 22 years in the city’s International School #45. This year, 12 languages are spoken among her 24 students, ranging from East Africa’s Mai-Mai to Bengali to Spanish. Some have had access to pre-K and kindergarten; others have not. Some have come with families looking for new opportunities in America; others are refugees forced from war-torn areas.

Rosokoff, a Buffalo Teachers Federation member, is one of thousands of educators in any given year who find themselves part of the frontline care team for migrant students. It’s a job she relishes.

“It’s hard, I’m not going to lie,” Rosokoff said of teaching students who speak languages that in some cases even Google Translate can’t help with. “But it’s very rewarding.”

he look on her face said it all. A Clyde-Savannah special education teacher received the surprise of her life when a November school assembly suddenly turned into a presentation for a $25,000 national award.

“I was flooded with emotion,” said Caitlin Garvey, who is just the 11th New York teacher to receive the award from the national Milken Family Foundation. Part of the fun and magic of the award is the way it’s presented — sort of like how the Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol suddenly shows up at your door with balloons and roses.

o ensure that all schools are secure and welcoming environments for teaching and learning, NYSUT’s Safe Schools for All Task Force is calling for districts to provide regular and ongoing safety training for staff, and more social-emotional supports to address student behaviors.

As we push districts to take action, the union’s Education & Learning Trust offers three seminars that cover effective behavior intervention strategies. Seminars are offered virtually or in person; each is worth 3–7 Continuing Teacher and Leader Education hours. All ELT seminars are discounted for NYSUT members.

id you know that under the current provisions of Tier 6, a 55-year-old member with 30 years of service would take home a pension less than half of what members in Tiers 1–4 receive?

After attending a retirement workshop at the Plattsburgh Regional Office, Rod Sherman, RC 9, found that hard to believe. “The numbers didn’t make sense to me,” said Sherman, a retired Plattsburgh High School math teacher and former Plattsburgh Teachers Association president for 39 years. He questioned whether the discrepancy could be that great and decided to run the numbers.

Using a fictitious 55-year-old retiree with 30 years of service and a Final Average Salary of $88,687 at the end of the 2021–2022 school year, Sherman calculated the pension benefit for each tier. As a Tier 1–5 member they qualified for 60 percent of their FAS; 55 percent as a Tier 6 member. As a Tier 1–4 member, Sherman’s retiree received an annual unreduced pension of $53,212.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT AN ELECTION FOR THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS WILL BE CONDUCTED, ON FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2023 AT 4:30 PM, DURING THE 2023 NYSUT REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY AT THE NELSON A. ROCKEFELLER EMPIRE STATE PLAZA, ALBANY, NY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCEDURES SPECIFIED BELOW.

NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN THAT NOMINATING PETITIONS FOR EACH OF THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH 5 PM, FRIDAY, FEB. 10, 2023 IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CRITERIA AND PROCESSES OUTLINED BELOW.

5 Questions for Laurie D’Amico

What inspired you to become a music teacher?

I was in the Salute to Music program as a kid, and that made me realize I wanted to become a music teacher. The program is open to public school students from all five boroughs in New York City. The teachers in that program and the experiences that I had as a student were really important to me. Now every Saturday from 9 am–12 pm, I teach a group of students from fourth through eighth grade. We put on one to two concerts a year.

What do you find most rewarding about teaching?

Besides the organized chaos of teaching 12 different lessons at once, the biggest joy for me as a teacher is seeing how students can grow through music and watching them progress.

At Tottenville High School, we teach all levels of band, from beginners to the top musicians in the state. Beginning band is 75 students who are so excited to pick up instruments for the first time and learn to play. Intermediate band is made up of kids who come from 10 different middle schools throughout the city. They don’t know each other, but they come together and they make music. In symphonic band, there are about 100 students, and to see them play music and express emotion without saying a single word is unbelievable.

It’s What We Do

new year is upon us and with it comes the opportunity to take inventory of your life, including your financial, physical and mental well-being. Your NYSUT membership offers you exclusive access to dozens of endorsed programs and services that can help with creating a solid plan for you and your loved ones.

Get started by visiting (and bookmarking) the NYSUT Member Benefits website at memberbenefits.nysut.org. There you will find numerous resources and offerings available to you as a NYSUT member, including substantial savings available with our Member Benefits Discounts & Deals program.

f you worked for a public employer or served in the U.S. armed forces before you were a member of the New York State and Local Employees’ Retirement System, you may be eligible to request additional credit for that past service. It’s likely that you will have to pay for past service credit. However, because service credit is a major factor in calculating an ERS pension, in most cases, buying service credit will increase your pension.

To request additional service credit, sign in to your Retirement Online account (web.osc.state.ny.us/retire/sign-in.php), scroll down to the “My Account Summary” area of your account homepage and click the “Manage My Service Credit Purchases” button. You can also apply by mail by submitting a Request to Purchase Service Credit form (including any military service) (RS5042), available on our website at osc.state.ny.us/files/retirement/forms/pdf/rs5042.pdf. If you are applying for military service credit, upload your Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD-214) in Retirement Online, or enclose a copy with your paper application.

Since it’s the start of the New Year, I’m reviewing my retirement portfolio. What information should I check?

To start, make sure your beneficiary information is correct. Check names for misspellings or changes, update any new addresses and ensure your beneficiaries are listed in the proper order. And check your own name and address as well. Incorrect listings can cause unnecessary benefit delays.

If you haven’t already, the new year is also a good time to set up a MyNYSTRS account at nystrs.org, so you can quickly and easily access your retirement information. Lastly, if you have any prior service credit, the start of the new year is a good time to claim it. Call 800-348-7298, ext. 6030 for information.