Chris Sutorius

Roberta Elins, president of the United College Employees – Fashion Institute of Technology, stands in support of the Board resolution. “This attack on higher education is going to effect every student you have spent a lifetime nurturing.”

YSUT’s Board of Directors introduced two resolutions at the 2025 Representative Assembly to protect our students, public schools and public higher education institutions from federal attacks and funding cuts.

The Protect Our Colleges and Universities from Federal Attacks resolution stressed the dire impacts of the freeze on federal grant funding for lifesaving research, attacks on academic freedom, and slashing of student aid that will further suppress college access and enrollment.

“Higher education as we know it won’t be around if we don’t fight for it,” implored James Davis, president of the Professional Staff Congress, representing academic faculty and staff at the City University of New York, in introducing the resolution.

United University Professions President Fred Kowal, representing members at the State University system, urged delegates to stand up for students and fight back. “Whether it’s in research, whether it’s in teaching, the work we do is about bringing the truth to the forefront so our students, as they become citizens of the world, can carry on our work in a fully democratic and just society,” said Kowal.

s our public schools and libraries bear the brunt of culture wars, NYSUT is fighting to protect the freedom to read and learn.

“Eighty percent of New Yorkers are opposed to book banning so we are with the people on this issue,” said NYSUT President Melinda Person.

In partnership with the New York Library Association, NYSUT hosted “Open Books, Open Minds” at the Legislative Office Building in Albany for legislators to meet with librarians from New York’s schools and community libraries.

“I support the freedom to read because it is an essential component of us having a strong and functional democracy,” said Nicole Scherer, Nassau Library System assistant director. “When we challenge books, when we remove them from collections, we limit our own ability to think.”

chool districts across New York are preparing to roll out bell-to-bell cellphone policies this fall. Over the summer, local leaders are making sure educators’ perspectives are considered in that process. To assist local advocacy, NYSUT hosted a webinar on the new legislation in early June.

“As NYSUT leaders, we know that student learning thrives when classrooms are focused environments free of unnecessary distractions, and we believe that this is what this law is going to provide,” said NYSUT President Melinda Person, noting that she is proud of the union’s role in getting the law across the finish line, and in making sure that local bargaining units have a formal role in the policy development process. “We know that no policy works unless it’s rooted in the realities of a classroom and your leadership, collaboration and expertise are going to be critical in terms of making sure these policies are implemented well,” she said.

In May 2025, after a year-long push by NYSUT, New York became the largest state to enact a comprehensive bell-to-bell cellphone policy for K-12 schools. The law prohibits students from using non-school issued internet-enabled devices on school grounds during the entire instructional day and applies to all school districts, charter schools and BOCES across the state.

hanks to the expansion of New York’s universal school meals program, students can now focus on learning rather than where their next meal is coming from.

The program requires that, beginning in the 2025–26 school year, all districts, charter schools and nonpublic schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program provide free breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of their family income.

“In the richest state, in the richest country in the world, we shouldn’t have children wondering where their next meal is coming from. It’s just that simple,” Person said.

The $340 million initiative covers school meals for all of New York’s 2.7 million students and finishes the work that was started two years prior, when the USDA expanded the Community Eligibility Provision and gave 2.37 million New York children access to free school meals but left 300,000 children without. The latest state investment closes the gap for those remaining students.

ood-minded people have to work together to achieve good. That was one of the many takeaways from a wide-ranging conversation on the legacy of Jewish American activism at the intersection of civil rights, labor and education.

The conversation, moderated by NYSUT Board member and history teacher Greg Perles, president of the North Shore Schools Federated Employees, was part of a recent installment of the statewide union’s “Truth Talks” series.

“From the sweatshops of the Lower East Side to the frontlines of our classrooms, Jewish Americans have helped shape the very core of public education and organized labor,” NYSUT Secretary-Treasurer J. Philippe Abraham said in his opening remarks. “Their fight for dignity, equity and justice has never been limited to their own communities. It’s been about lifting all working people.”

Being an administrative secretary in our main office, I am often the first person our students see as they arrive at school. Knowing that there are students getting themselves to school on their own, others may be having a rough morning, and some may need to see a warm welcoming face, I strive to be a positive uplifting influence in their day and set them off on the best footing possible. This takes my role as a secretary to a whole other level. I value my interaction with every child and member of our school community.

My role encompasses so much more than just answering the phones. Some of my everyday duties are taking student attendance, filing, scheduling appointments for the school community calendar, and being willing to take on any responsibilities that might be outside my job description but are in the best interest of our students, my colleagues and our community.

When our local treasurer and former vice president introduced themselves, I didn’t hesitate — I looked them in the eye and said, “I want to be involved.” As I learned more about the significance of union values, I felt compelled to take on more responsibility. I began as a building representative, moved on to serve on the executive committee, and eventually became first vice president and now president.

rom ballpoint pen and paper to ceramic pottery, student works of art in various mediums were on display at NYSUT’s Tarrytown Regional Office for the second annual juried student art exhibition as part of the statewide union’s Social Justice initiative.

Using NYSUT’s “Many Threads, One Fabric” theme, students from elementary to high school submitted original pieces.

The works were reviewed by a panel of judges including NYSUT Secretary-Treasurer J. Philippe Abraham, graphic designer Dana Fournier and retired art educator Cynthia Appold.

“It is truly inspiring to see the impact our art educators have on their students and how they foster creativity, promote diversity and empower students to develop self-expression,” Abraham said.

hen it comes to the Environmental Conservation program at Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery BOCES, students learn as much from their instructors out-of-doors as in.

Class time is divided between the classroom/lab and the garages, lumber mill and worksite out back, with instructors Adam Cancio, Craig Newkirk, and Ryan England favoring a practical, hands-on style of teaching. All are members of the Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery BOCES Teachers Association.

Internships and other work-based learning opportunities are a cornerstone of students’ Career and Technical Education at HFM BOCES.

During a recent classroom visit, England was walking students through a math lesson that focused on payroll taxes, while Cancio was reviewing the art of cleanly felling a tree, and Newkirk was taking a group of students through the paces of detaching the shovel from a backhoe.

tudent success takes a village, and Collective Care Teams — made up of school counselors, nurses, psychologists and social workers — are fighting to build that village in every school in the state.  

“There’s a huge student mental health crisis right now that COVID only exacerbated,” explained Kelly Caci, school psychologist, Newburgh Teachers Association. “People are surprised when I say I do suicide assessments at the elementary level at least once or twice a year. Kids are struggling with poverty and with traumas and all those things add difficulties in terms of just trying to function.” 

Caci was among a few dozen other NYSUT members and leaders in Albany for Collective Care Team Lobby Day. The New York State School Social Workers’ Association, New York State School Counselor Association, New York Association of School Psychologists, and New York State Association of School Nurses each sent four members to raise awareness of what each team member does and why each is vitally important to ensure that every student’s needs are met.

ealth and wellness was the theme for the Retiree Council 10 Spring Conference. The daylong event took place at Hudson Valley Community College on May 8.

“Retiree Councils are another incredible example of how NYSUT values all of our members even after they have moved on from their career,” said NYSUT Second Vice President Ron Gross, whose office coordinates NYSUT Retiree Services. “Regional conferences allow us to engage with retirees of all ages who wish to continue their activism and protect public education. We are indebted to the work our retirees have done to create NYSUT, and it is vital to our success that we remind everyone that we are ‘Union for Life.’”

RC 10 Vice President Cliff Brosnan began the day with information about retiree council participation and upcoming events. NYSUT’s Capital District Regional Office Director Mike Rowan followed with a presentation about locals’ health insurance coverage for retirees. Attendees also heard from Derek Clement, Member Benefits specialist, who explained NYSUT’s continuing benefits and programs for retirees.

5 Questions for Sam Washington Jr.

I had a lot of ideas. I knew I was going to do something in the sciences. I really thought I was going to be a doctor. But in everything I was involved with, it really involved educating.

In my senior year of college when it was time to graduate, I needed a job immediately. I still was toying with the idea of going into the medical field. I have a B.A. in sociology and a B.S. in biology.

At the time, Teach for America was recruiting people to teach in underrepresented cities and I was placed in Houston, TX.

In college, I was teaching undergraduates, but when I first started teaching middle school, that was a challenge.

It’s What We Do

s we get older, we come to understand that time is our most valuable commodity. Between professional responsibilities and personal commitments, the days can fill up fast. That’s why it’s important to make the most of the warm weather while we can. No matter your upcoming plans, check out all NYSUT Member Benefits has to offer to turn this summer into one you’ll never forget.

If it’s fun you crave, you’ll want to explore the MB Discounts & Deals program. NYSUT members can save up to 50 percent at more than 1 million locations, including flights, hotels and resorts, vehicle rentals, theme parks and attractions, sporting events and concerts, restaurant dine-in or take-out, and much more. Start saving today by creating your account at mbdeals.enjoymydeals.com with an email address, password, and your seven-digit NYSUT ID number (which can be found by visiting nysut.org/memberid).

Looking for some cool new electronics? NYSUT members can save on thousands of items online with ODP Business Solutions — including video game consoles and accessories, laptops and desktop computers, televisions, cameras, and more. Members can also shop for a variety of school and office products. Orders must be purchased online and can be shipped to your home/business or picked up at an Office Depot store.

s a member of the New York State and Local Retirement System, if you die before retiring your beneficiaries may be entitled to receive a death benefit (bit.ly/member-death-benefits). Beneficiaries of NYSLRS retirees may also be entitled to a post-retirement death benefit if you die after retiring directly from service or within one year of leaving public employment (bit.ly/retiree-death-benefits).

Whether you’re a member or retiree, it’s important to review your beneficiaries periodically. Life circumstances change, and a beneficiary you named before might not be one you would choose today. For instance, you may have a new partner, or you may have children now. And NYSLRS can only pay a death benefit to the beneficiaries you’ve named. You should also ensure NYSLRS always has their current contact information.

Retiring from your employer does NOT automatically trigger retirement benefit payments. You must also file an application for retirement with the state Teachers’ Retirement System to receive your monthly pension payment. You can file your retirement application as late as your date of retirement, but no sooner than 90 days before your retirement date.

Your date of retirement must be at least one day beyond the last date you earned salary under contract. If you want to receive your first payment in July, file by early June.

File online through MyNYSTRS, which streamlines the application process, reduces errors and eliminates the need to fill out and mail an eight-page paper application. To file a paper form, RET-54, visit nystrs.org, and select Application for Retirement under Forms/Retirement-Related Forms.