[ Fighting for you ]

NYSUT takes critical steps to help districts implement new workplace protections

W

hen NYSUT lobbied to have the Workplace Violence Prevention Act expanded to include public schools in 2023, the goal was to make classrooms safer for students and educators alike and to ensure that the profession remained an attractive and sustainable career choice.

To help locals implement the new Workplace Violence prevention legislation, NYSUT staff are now conducting WVPA training across the state. Led by Tricia Geisel, health and safety specialist for the union, and Kelly Fahrenkopf, assistant in research and educational services, the two-hour “Creating Safer Schools” presentation covers best practices for integrating the legislation into educational environments and focuses on how IDEA and other educational laws intersect with the new labor law.

a red delicious apple with a bandaid

“NYSUT pressed for this legislation because we’re committed to doing everything possible to support schools that are safe for educators and students. Now, we’re working alongside our members at schools across New York to make sure this legislation is implemented effectively,” said Ron Gross, NYSUT second vice president. Gross supervises program services at NYSUT.

In November, the Malone Federation of Teachers hosted the training for the district’s entire 500-member faculty and staff. Previously, incidents weren’t being reported, and when they were reported, administrators were questioning their validity, said Nate Hathaway, Malone FT president and a high school history teacher. “They were saying things like, ‘That didn’t really hurt you,’” said Hathaway.

During the training, Geisel and Fahrenkopf explained that IDEA and WVPA are two separate tracks, and while IDEA maintains that students can’t — and shouldn’t — be punished for behaviors that are a manifestation of their disability, WVPA still requires that those behaviors be recorded and that the data be used by the district to develop effective violence prevention strategies for employees.

“It’s about getting accurate data so that we can create the best mitigation strategies,” Hathaway said. Mitigation strategies can include additional staffing, targeted trainings, or even PPE equipment.

In communities across New York, teachers are consistently finding themselves on the receiving end of student outbursts which are sometimes physical.

“There has been an increase in difficult student behaviors, especially leading up to the Workplace Violence Prevention Act, and it was really straining the system,” said Michael Modleski, president of the Victor TA and a high school English teacher.

Prior to WVPA, there was a lot of confusion about when to report incidents, Modleski said. “I think the biggest thing that the act has done is that it’s forced us to have those conversations about how we manage difficult behaviors on a day-to-day basis,” he said. “That’s what we do as union leaders. We create conversations.”

In December, a representative from each of the Saratoga Springs City School District’s eight school buildings met to take the NYSUT training. The building reps will become the local’s workplace violence prevention liaisons, helping ensure that each building’s employees know how to report incidents and advocate for violence prevention solutions. They’ll also be part of the team that analyzes the reports at the end of the year and recommends mitigation measures.

“We need to empower our members,” said third-grade teacher Rana Hughes, co-president of the Saratoga Springs TA. “As one of the leaders of a local, I want our members to feel safe and comfortable speaking up when there’s an issue. Speaking up about something that happens in the classroom will ensure students are being better assisted, too.”

Workplace Violence Prevention Act and Schools

Who is Covered?

As of Jan. 4, 2024, covered public employers include all public school districts, New York City public schools, BOCES, and county vocational education and extension boards.

What is a Workplace?

A workplace includes any location where a public employee performs work-related duties in the course of their employment outside of their home. This can include physical office spaces as well as locations outside the main worksite including conference locations, school buses,field trip locations and team sport venues.

What is Workplace Violence?

Workplace violence is any physical assault or act of aggressive behavior occurring in the workplace.

Source: New York State Department of Labor