t took 10 long years, but on June 5 NYSUT finally won its court case defending classroom tenure when the New York State Supreme Court dismissed the suit. The Davids and Wright cases, informally known as “the tenure case,” began in 2014 when deep-pocketed privateers, fronted by political talking head Campbell Brown, filed a lawsuit against the state and New York City as the Partnership for Educational Justice. It was an attempt to strip educators of due process rights like tenure that, for more than a century, have shielded good teachers against unwarranted dismissal when they protect students or speak out against injustice.

“This decision has been a decade in the making and proves what we already know: that New York’s tenure protections are legal and enforceable,” said NYSUT President Melinda Person, noting that the only “guarantee” inherent in tenure is that educators who earn it aren’t subject to arbitrary firing over issues like discrimination, favoritism or differing political views. “NYSUT will continue to protect the rights of our members from all legal challenges, no matter how powerful or monied those challenges may be. Unions fight for middle class families, uplift communities and strengthen our country. We will continue to carry on these proud traditions into the future.”

I Am Educator Inspired

nionizing hasn’t been easy for the Albany Leadership Charter School Union. The group faced an uphill battle from the start when management initially ignored their request for recognition and later dragged its feet over a start date for contract negotiations.

Despite the challenges, the 50-member local still voted overwhelmingly in November to affiliate with NYSUT, due to high staff turnover and having no voice in the workplace.

But there finally may be light at the end of the tunnel. The group held a productive June 5 negotiating session and the local is optimistic that relations with the administration are improving.

“The school’s attorney opened the meeting by apologizing for getting off to a rocky start,” said NYSUT labor relations specialist Jennifer Romer, noting that the school received the local’s first proposal and set future negotiating dates to work toward a first contract. “It’s safe to say that the union has the board’s attention; they’re signaling that they’re willing to engage for the better of all parties.”

Although the local still faces a long road ahead, the meeting gives them hope that their hard-fought efforts are finally paying off. Nearly a dozen leaders and members attended a public school board meeting in May to deliver a petition signed by hundreds of supporters asking the administration to bargain with them in good faith. Instead, after an hour-long wait, the board concluded its agenda and shuttered its doors in a private “executive session” leaving ALCSU leaders unheard.

YSUT’s annual policymaking convention made a triumphant return to New York City with plenty of changes. The focus on completing the union’s work was enhanced this year with lots of interactive exhibits and F-U-N — including an opening number that got delegates to their feet.

In her opening address, NYSUT President Melinda Person thanked members for all they do and encouraged them to advocate and stay engaged.

“You’re the architects, the engineers and the builders of greatness … shaping minds and our future,” Person said.

With all the interactive elements and greetings from guests and lawmakers, delegates were laser focused on bringing resolutions to the floor that address issues vital to our progress as a union — and directing the union’s course for the next year.

his summer, NYSUT launches the “Know Your Rights” series, a collection of videos and print resources to educate our members about their rights.

Educators around the country and statewide are facing well-financed coordinated attacks on their efforts to teach historically accurate curricula and to provide safe and inclusive environments for all students. In the workplace, educators are governed by both federal and state laws and afforded many freedoms and protections under those laws.

NYSUT offers this series of videos and explainer documents to tackle some of the most in-demand topics for educators right now, including academic freedom, book bans, free speech and women’s rights. Each video covers the specific laws that relate to each topic and their limits. The videos also explain what to do if you think your employer has violated your rights under these laws.

cross the state, from Niagara Falls to Montauk, Elmira to Ogdensburg, voters turned out to say, “We support public schools!”

On May 21, 97 percent of budgets were passed by voters statewide and pro-public school candidates won big in school board elections as well.

“Once again, voters have shown they know strong public schools mean strong communities, and we thank them for turning out to support students and educators,” said NYSUT President Melinda Person. “Today, our public schools are doing more than ever; not only do they provide world-class education with innovative programs and experiences, they are also supporting the physical, mental, social and emotional needs of our students and their families. Investments in our school budgets and dedication in our school boards are vital to the future of our state.”

Adding to budget victories, 84 percent of local union-endorsed candidates were elected to school boards, along with 73 NYSUT members.

Of the 19 budgets that originally failed,18 districts chose to put the same or a modified version up for a revote one month later on June 18. Voters approved 17 budget revotes.

ne of NYSUT’s newest locals has been around nearly as long as the statewide union has. Dutchess United Educators, representing 170 full-time and 110 part-time educators and professionals at Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, is 50 years old. But for the last 17 years, it’s been unaffiliated. That changed in April when the group voted to join NYSUT.

“There was a feeling among some of us in leadership that we were missing out by not being a part of a larger labor cause,” said Dutchess UE President Laura Murphy. “We wanted to get involved in the many important issues facing public higher and K–12 education today.”

Since 2006, DUE has not been affiliated with any state or national union. It became independent in 2006 after its former affiliate, National Education Association — New York, merged with NYSUT. A small group of members formed an advocacy chapter of the American Association of University Professors in 2016 to gain insight into broader higher education issues. When the AAUP merged with the American Federation of Teachers in 2022, forming the nation’s largest higher education alliance with more than 300,000 members, interest in affiliation grew.

his May marked the 70th anniversary of the landmark ruling Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. The 1954 Supreme Court case unanimously ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. The ruling is one of the cornerstones of the Civil Rights Movement and helped establish that “separate-but-equal” in education and other services was not in fact equal.

Lorena Smith, Retiree Council 13, remembers when the Supreme Court issued the decision. She was 14 and attending high school in Selma, Ala. On television shortly after the ruling was rendered, she watched then Gov. George Wallace block a young girl from entering a school to prevent integration.

“The case passed but things didn’t really integrate in Selma until Dr. King came to town,” she said of his famous 1965 march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Although the verdict didn’t change her daily school experience, it gave her hope that change was coming. “It took a long time but — thank God — it did come.”

Tell me about your job and why you love what you do.

As a teaching assistant I run a guided study hall for grades 7–12. I am also a bus monitor for the high school morning pick-up.

I love what I do because of the students and my work family. It is very humbling to know that I play a part in making a difference and providing opportunities in the lives of my students.

I earned my associate degree in business in 2008 from North Country Community College. I am so passionate about my job that I am looking into going back to school to receive my teaching degree in special education.

Are you involved in the union?

I served as union secretary and vice president from 2017–22. I also served as chair for several committees for my local: Goodwill, Scholarship, Committee of Teaching Assistants, Sick Pool and Negotiations to name a few.

I am also an active member in road side clean up through our Brushton-Moira Support Staff Association Adopt-a-Highway project.

How do you make a difference?

I can always be seen with a smile on my face, the first to greet someone and make others feel special. I am continually taking courses to further my learning and mindset through NYSUT, the Adirondack Teachers Association and NYSUT’s Education and Learning Trust.

What about your community engagement, any hobbies?

I spend all of my time with family, including my stepsons, Tyler and Austin, and friends. I am an avid outdoor enthusiast. I enjoy camping, bird watching, crafting and growing giant pumpkins for Giant Pumpkin Commonwealth Competitions with my husband, Chad.

s civility in politics vanishes and trust in our nation’s long-standing institutions wanes, students across the state are demonstrating that civics education may be the antidote to what ails us.

Often “when I look at government, when I look at television, I see government as very discouraging, as something that stops change,” said social studies teacher Justin Hubbard. In fact, Hubbard teaches his students the exact opposite — that advocacy and activism can enact substantial changes on issues they care about, even when it comes to something as seemingly inaccessible as the federal government.

A member of the Salamanca Teachers Association, Hubbard was one of the first teachers to pilot the new Seal of Civic Readiness program. His efforts earned him an American Civics Education Teacher Award in 2022. Hubbard uses his civics education class as a tool for empowering students and elevating their voices.

In 2021, Hubbard’s students helped get the small, rural district in Cattaraugus County to raise the Progress Pride Flag outside the high school. Hubbard said it was an effort that took countless meetings with school administration and classmates, all solidly led by students. The issue included some difficult interactions with the community, but as advisor to the Salamanca Student Activists Club, Hubbard is fond of reminding his young changemakers that sometimes their job is to “disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed.”

YSUT capped off one of its most successful legislative seasons in years thanks to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s approval of many long-sought reforms. Thanks to the tireless advocacy and efforts of our members, along with the support of our allies in the Legislature, issues important to students, educators, families and communities across the state won support.

While the inner workings of the state Legislature might seem far removed, NYSUT constantly pushes for new state policies that have real, tangible benefits for our members in their classrooms and their personal lives.

This year, our legislative wins included getting the Final Average Salary calculation dropped from five to three years for Tier 6 members, saving SUNY Downstate Hospital from closure and increasing Foundation Aid by $430 million more than the executive proposal.

But of all the pro-educator, pro-student policies that NYSUT ushered through the legislative process, none carries quite as much weight with educators as the major reforms to the Annual Professional Performance Review, or APPR, system.

he day that Riley died, we did not go to school because he was getting braces on his teeth,” said Mary Rodee, a member of the Canton Central Teachers Association. After the orthodontist appointment, Rodee dropped her 15-year-old son at his dad’s house with a milkshake and ibuprofen, took a quick photo of his new silver smile, and headed to work.

“I said goodbye to him at 10 a.m. The next time I saw him, he was in a body bag,” she said.

Riley died from suicide after being sexually extorted on Facebook. “I think he knew how much we loved him, but he just couldn’t access that part of his brain in that moment,” Rodee said.

To protect our country’s most vulnerable citizens, Rodee and other educators are calling for the passage of the Kids Online Safety Act.

The bipartisan federal bill would limit the ability of adults who don’t know them to contact children or access their private information. The bill would also hold platform manufacturers accountable for user safety through a duty of care provision, just like automobile manufacturers or toy companies have, she said.

I attended City College of New York. My plans were to be a psychologist; however, I found that my classes in biology were more stimulating to me. I decided to change my major. Since I didn’t know what I would do with a degree in biology, my guidance counselor advised me to follow a pre-med course of study. This would prepare me to do research or to become a doctor. I didn’t want to do research because I am a gregarious person who enjoys socializing, so I followed a pre-med program. My senior year I had to begin my applications for medical school. My friends were anguished over the possibility of being rejected by their schools of choice. I just didn’t care.

It was obvious that I had to find a new direction. Once again, I decided to think about psychology as an occupation. Research in the CCNY library led me to the field of industrial psychology — it was a high-salaried occupation.

I went to the University of Massachusetts, received a master’s degree and joined Grumman Aerospace as an industrial psychologist working on the interior design of the Lunar Excursion Module. Sounds exciting, right? I was bored.

ast summer, when the news was flooded with stories about displaced migrants and the quandary of where to settle them, union members were on the frontlines, ready to greet them and help them get settled in towns across the state.

“It was a whirlwind last summer,” said Liesha Sherman, president of the Mohonasen Teachers Association. After learning there were 71 school-age children in the group of migrants who had been brought to Rotterdam’s Super 8 motel in July, Sherman and other members of the Mohonasen TA went to work. They organized clothing drives for the families, got students registered for school, and administered NYSITELL, the state-mandated language proficiency assessment for initial identification of ELLs. Sherman also served as a liaison between the group of migrants and the district.

Three experienced ENL teachers had built a robust English language learner program at Mohonasen, but the addition of 71 students effectively doubled the size of the program. To keep pace, district administration hired two additional Spanish-speaking TAs and two additional ENL teachers, but it soon became apparent that students needed more than academic support, said Sherman.

“It is important to remember that these students are beginner ELL students, but they also have interrupted learning and some of them have never been to formal school,” said Sherman.

Sweet Home Central School District also received an influx of 47 English language learners at the beginning of the school year. The district has a sizable number of transfer students each year due in part to its proximity to the University at Buffalo, but this was different, said Paul Szymendera, president of the Sweet Home Educators Association.

igh school is a time when most kids just want to fit in. But for students with disabilities, fitting in can be a challenge. At Massapequa High School in Nassau County Long Island, the Best Buddies club, co-advised by NYSUT Board member Tomia Smith, helps smooth the way by giving general and special education students a path to forge real friendships.

“Students with disabilities have so many people trying to educate them … but they also need friends,” said Smith, Massapequa Federation of Teachers, explaining that the goal is to match general education “peer buddies” with students with disabilities “buddies.”

ducators will head back to the classroom with new tools for tackling the biggest classroom trends, thanks to online courses from NYSUT’s Education & Learning Trust. The union’s professional development arm, ELT offers highly rated online and site-based seminars on in-demand topics like classroom management, digital literacy and burnout. Looking for the latest in research-based strategies for tackling these tricky issues? Here are some of our top picks for fall:

In “Digital literacy,” ELT instructor Franca Fiorentino, Bellmore Merrick United Secondary Teachers, covers how to be a good digital citizen and use digital tools safely, in accordance with NYS standards. The course also helps educators incorporate digital safety into their lessons, regardless of their subject area. Of course, training students to be digitally savvy is not without its challenges.

“Kids’ brains are not mature enough to discern between what’s real and what’s not real,” said Fiorentino. “Kids believe what they’re told.” Since misuse of digital media is taking a toll on everything from students’ mental health to their academic performance, the stakes couldn’t be higher, and all adults in children’s lives should be helping them navigate this ever-changing landscape, including parents.

rom the North Country to Buffalo to Florida and many points in between, NYSUT retirees traveled to the Big Apple in May for the 2024 NYSUT Representative Assembly to help the statewide union chart its course for the year ahead. Thanks to a NYSUT resolution adopted at this year’s RA, on Oct. 21 the statewide union will celebrate retirees’ many contributions with the inaugural launch of Retiree Recognition Day.

5 Questions for Enis Jevric

You participated in Committee of 100 in Albany in early March where you spoke with lawmakers and rallied with hundreds of other union activists at the state Capitol. What inspired you to make the trip?

I wanted to express my concerns about fixing Tier 6, that was the primary reason, but I’d also never been to something like that before. My local, which represents teachers and SRPs, usually only sends one representative from our executive board. I really wanted to go. I used two personal days and traveled up with my local’s vice president. I’m an executive board member representing aides at four schools in my district. This is my third year with the district and my first year really getting involved with the union so I’m new to everything.

What did you think of Committee of 100?

I really enjoyed it. I learned a lot; I loved the energy and I read a letter to Sen. Shelley Mayer about why it’s important to fix Tier 6. When we rallied on the Million Dollar Staircase, it made me proud to represent my school district and to see everyone come together from all around the state united for the common cause of fixing Tier 6.

nother academic year has concluded and summer has finally arrived, but NYSUT members don’t have the luxury of spending the next few months at an exotic beach. Instead, you likely find yourself working on continuing education opportunities, catching up on various projects, and trying to carve out some time for yourself and loved ones.

As you look to balance your professional and personal obligations this summer, remember that NYSUT Member Benefits can help you along the way. Read on for five ways to maximize your summer and beyond.

#1: Calm App

All NYSUT in-service and retiree members receive unlimited free access to the full Calm library of sleep, meditation, and relaxation content. This popular app offers meditations and specialized music playlists to help with stress and focus, mindful movement video and audio, nature scenes and sounds, specific content tailored for children, and more. Members can add up to five dependents (age 16 or older) to receive their own premium Calm subscription.

mportant update for New York State and Local Retirement System Tier 6 members! The recently approved 2024–25 state budget includes two new laws that improve your benefits.

Tier 6 final average earnings based on highest three years

Your pension benefit amount is determined by several factors, including your tier, service credit and Final Average Salary.

For Employees’ Retirement System Tier 6 members, your FAS will now be based on the average of your three highest consecutive years of earnings, the same as members in other tiers. Previously, your FAS was the average of your highest five consecutive years of earnings.

These improvements apply to ERS members who retired on or after April 20, 2024. If you recently retired and the change applies to you, we will automatically update your pension calculation.

For more information, visit our final average earnings webpage at www.bit.ly/final-average-earnings.

I’m eligible to buy back prior state service credit I earned earlier in my career. Is it better to buy it now or wait until I’m closer to retirement?

The earlier in your career you purchase prior New York state service credit the better. The cost of prior service includes interest, which means the total cost increases over time. The cost is also dependent on tier. To get prior service credit questions answered, send a secure message through your MyNYSTRS account or call NYSTRS at 800-348-7298.