NYSUT United November/December 2024

American flag graphic
NYSUT United masthead
various images of NYSUT educators supporting the Common Ground Over Chaos campaign
a commercial bus wrapped with NYSUT's Common Ground Over Chaos campaign graphics

Civil Discourse Takes Center Stage on NYSUT Bus Tour:

NYSUT Members Challenge Candidates to Follow the Example Set in Classrooms

various images of NYSUT educators supporting the Common Ground Over Chaos campaign

November/December 2024

NYSUT UNITED [November/December 2024, Vol. 15, No. 2]
Director of Communications: James Morrison
Deputy Director of Communications: Anna Gronewold
Lead Editor/Copy Desk Chief: Clarisse Butler Banks
Assistant Editors/Writers: Riley Ackley, Emily Allen, Ben Amey, Molly Belmont, Kara E. Smith
Photography: J. El-Wise Noisette, Kimberly Pennant, Chris Sutorius
Lead Designer: Nicole Clayton
Art and Production: Dana Fournier
Online Communications Coordinators: Katie Bartlett, Jiayi Kong
Editorial Support: Julie Malec
NYSUT United is a member publication of the International Labor Communications Association, Metro New York Labor Communications Council, State Education Association Communicators.
Editorial and Production Department: 518-213-6000 and 800-342-9810 (toll-free)
Annual subscription: $15. NYSUT members receive a copy of NYSUT United as part of their dues benefit. Households with multiple members will receive only one copy. If you do wish to receive more than one copy, please call 518-213-6000.
Address changes: POSTMASTER: Member Records Department, 800 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham, NY 12110
UFT member address changes:
POSTMASTER:
New York Teacher, 52 Broadway,
12th floor, New York, NY 10004
PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT LATHAM, NY
ADDITIONAL ENTRY OFFICE
WILLIAMSPORT, PA 17701
NYSUT United (ISSN 21587914) and nysut.org are official publications of New York State United Teachers. NYSUT United publishes six issues from September to June.
Advertising: Email ads@nysut.org or call 518-213-6000 or 800-448-4ADS.

NYSUT Affiliated with AFT square space NEA square space AFL-CIO

NEW YORK STATE UNITED TEACHERS
800 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham, NY 12110
518-213-6000 800-342-9810
OFFICERS:
President: Melinda Person
Executive Vice President: Jaime L. Ciffone
Second Vice President: Ron Gross
Secretary-Treasurer: J. Philippe Abraham

ELECTION DISTRICT DIRECTORS: Jeff Orlowski, Donna Walters, Darla Schultz-Bubar, Jennifer Austin, Adam Urbanski, Andrew Jordan, John Kuryla, David Chizzonite, Jeanette Stapley, Laura Franz, Joseph Herringshaw, Juliet Benaquisto, Melissa Tierney, Sparrow Tobin, Sean Kennedy, Anthony Nicodemo, Tomia Smith, Frederic Stark, Gregory Perles, John Mansfield, Kevin Coyne, Kevin Toolan, Laura Spencer, Karen Blackwell Alford, Mary Vaccaro, MaryJo Ginese, Mary Atkinson, Anthony Harmon, Michael Mulgrew, Elizabeth Perez, Victoria Lee, Richard Mantell, LeRoy Barr, Felicia Wharton (CUNY Higher Ed, PSC), Penelope Lewis (CUNY Higher Ed, PSC), Roberta Elins (Community Colleges), Alissa Karl (SUNY Higher Ed, UUP), Jeri O’Bryan-Losee (SUNY Higher Ed, UUP), Thomas Tucker (SUNY Higher Ed, UUP), Philip Rumore, Jaime Francey-Henry, Dora Leland, Loretta Donlon (Retiree), Joan Perrini (Retiree), Thomas Murphy (Retiree)

AT-LARGE DIRECTORS: Cheryl Hughes, Michelle Licht, Andrew Bogey, Brian Ebertz, Nicole Capsello, Michele Bushey, Natalie McKay, Matthew Haynes, Samantha Rosado-Ciriello, Cordelia Anthony, Ronald Verderber, Nancy Sanders, Vanecia Wilson, Michael Sill, Sean Rotkowitz, Thomas Brown, Janella Hinds, Leo Gordon, James Davis, Frederick Kowal, Florence McCue, Priscilla Castro (SRPs), Kim McEvoy (SRPs), Angie Rivera (SRPs), Deborah Paulin (SRPs), Karen Lee Arthmann (SRPs), Anne Goldman (Health Care), Stephen Rechner (Private Sector Higher Ed), Andrew Sako (Community Colleges), Pamela Malone (Higher Education) and Andrea Vasquez (Higher Education)
EX-OFFICIO BOARD MEMBER: Tyrone Hendrix, Executive Director
HONORARY BOARD MEMBERS: Thomas Y. Hobart Jr. (President Emeritus), Andrew Pallotta (President Emeritus), Antonia Cortese (Emerita), Alan B. Lubin (Executive Vice President Emeritus)
AFT VICE PRESIDENTS: J. Philippe Abraham, LeRoy Barr, Jaime L. Ciffone, James Davis, Ron Gross, Anthony M. Harmon, Frederick Kowal, Kara McCormick-Lyons, Michael Mulgrew, Melinda Person, Adam Urbanski
NEA DIRECTORS: Dora Leland, Dante Morelli
Alternate Directors: Sue Raichilson, Melissa Tierney
Executive Committee members are underlined.

To Our
Members

The idea for the Common Ground Over Chaos campaign came from our conversations with you, New York’s educators.
NYSUT President Melinda Person sits in front of a mic, with four Syracuse-area educators seated out of focus behind her, as she hosts a roundtable on the Common Ground Over Chaos bus
NYSUT President Melinda Person hosts a roundtable with Syracuse-area educators on board the Common Ground Over Chaos bus.
NYSUT President Melinda Person sits in front of a mic, with four Syracuse-area educators seated out of focus behind her, as she hosts a roundtable on the Common Ground Over Chaos bus
NYSUT President Melinda Person hosts a roundtable with Syracuse-area educators on board the Common Ground Over Chaos bus.

You told us that you’re deeply concerned and exhausted by the hyper-partisanship and polarization in our country. And you noted that our elected officials need to learn to disagree in a way that allows for governing — where we find solutions and solve problems instead of endless bickering.

Most notably, one civics and debate teacher told me: “The way some of our elected officials are behaving wouldn’t earn them a passing grade. In fact, I would never permit this behavior in my class!”

In these times, when civility has largely been drained from the public discourse, our members are calling on our elected officials to model the behavior our members teach.  

So, we painted our message on a bus, we hauled it on highways across the state, and we parked it in lots from Albany to Rochester to Carmel to Hauppauge.

Top ring spirals

COMING UP

Oct. 26– Nov. 3
General election early voting
Nov. 4–5
NYS Board of Regents meets
Nov. 5
General election
VOTE graphic
Nov. 8–10
45th Annual NYSUT Community College Leadership Conference, Bolton Landing
Nov. 19
New York State School-Related Professionals Recognition Day
Nov. 22–24
NYSUT Women’s Committee meets, Albany
NYSUT Women logo
Nov. 22–24
LGBTQ+ and NYSUT Civil and Human Righs Committee Conference, Albany
We are One rainbow graphic
Dec. 7–8
Members of Color Conference, Albany
illustrations of four diverse minimalist headshots
Dec. 9–10
NYS Board of Regents meets
Please note some or all of these events may be conducted as virtual meetings.

On the Cover

Cover design by Mark Sharer.

NYSUT on the Road

NYSUT on the Road typography

The Common Ground Over Chaos bus is about creating a space for dialogue between NYSUT members and the candidates we endorse.

During our roundtables on board, educators shared personal stories about their classrooms, students and communities. They’ve explained why we need funding for mental health supports, hands-on learning opportunities for kids, and professional development for staff. They’ve relayed the burden of high-stakes testing through students’ perspectives and their own experiences.

These conversations transform theissues that matter most to us from campaign rhetoric to real names and faces. Candidates have the opportunity to explain why they are the best person to champion our professions and our public schools in Albany and Washington.

Representative democracy means we have a choice, and we will choose those who care about our lives and livelihoods. This is how we make our voices heard.

Local Focus

map of New York State with red pushpins over Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, Vestal, Kingston, Carmel, Tarrytown, White Plains, Queens and Hauppauge

Albany: On the Common Ground Over Chaos campaign

image of Melinda Peterson “Our educators are leading the way by showing students how to engage in civil discussions. We are asking politicians to follow this example, rise above divisive rhetoric, and demonstrate the same civility, respect and collaboration we see in New York’s public schools every day.” Melinda Person, NYSUT President
image of Sen. Jim Tedisco
“I have always believed that when you are running for office, you should deal with facts, not attacks. When you don’t have the facts to debate, you pound on the table and name call and make personal attacks. I can’t thank NYSUT enough for being willing to stand up for real, honest and civil discourse.” Sen. Jim Tedisco

NYSUT on the Road

The Common Ground Over Chaos bus is about creating a space for dialogue between NYSUT members and the candidates we endorse.

During our roundtables on board, educators shared personal stories about their classrooms, students and communities. They’ve explained why we need funding for mental health supports, hands-on learning opportunities for kids, and professional development for staff. They’ve relayed the burden of high-stakes testing through students’ perspectives and their own experiences.

These conversations transform theissues that matter most to us from campaign rhetoric to real names and faces. Candidates have the opportunity to explain why they are the best person to champion our professions and our public schools in Albany and Washington.

Representative democracy means we have a choice, and we will choose those who care about our lives and livelihoods. This is how we make our voices heard.

map of New York State with red pushpins over Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, Vestal, Kingston, Carmel, Tarrytown, White Plains, Queens and Hauppauge

Local Focus

Albany: On the Common Ground Over Chaos campaign

image of Melinda Peterson “Our educators are leading the way by showing students how to engage in civil discussions. We are asking politicians to follow this example, rise above divisive rhetoric, and demonstrate the same civility, respect and collaboration we see in New York’s public schools every day.” Melinda Person, NYSUT President
image of Sen. Jim Tedisco
“I have always believed that when you are running for office, you should deal with facts, not attacks. When you don’t have the facts to debate, you pound on the table and name call and make personal attacks. I can’t thank NYSUT enough for being willing to stand up for real, honest and civil discourse.” Sen. Jim Tedisco

[ Fighting for you ]

Pro-public education candidates earn union support in Nov. 5 elections

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he 2024 election is just weeks away, and several pro-public education, pro-labor candidates have earned NYSUT’s support. The endorsed and recommended candidates range from federal offices to New York state Senate and Assembly seats.

“NYSUT members, across all political views, agree on one thing: we need lawmakers who are committed to finding common ground and delivering real results for working families,” said NYSUT President Melinda Person. “That principle guided our rigorous endorsement process for this election.”

NYSUT’s national affiliates, AFT and NEA, have endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz for President and Vice President. To view the complete NYSUT 2024 Voter Guide and search for endorsed or recommended candidates in your area, visit commongroundoverchaos.org.

NYSUT Legacy Fund seal

Todd Hathaway,
a unionist lost too soon

headshot of Todd Hathaway in a class room
A family man, activist and unionist. Three words that best describe Todd Hathaway, a former East Aurora Faculty Association president, executive board member, high school building representative and NYSUT labor relations specialist before his untimely death in 2023.

An East Aurora social studies teacher for over two decades, Hathaway was a member of the Governor’s Common Core Panel, testified before the Senate Standing Committee on Education and was the 2012 EAFA NYSUT Leadership Award winner. In between union calls and emails, Hathaway loved reading with his children, cracking dad jokes and cheering for the Bills, Mets and Arsenal F.C.

For his years of dedicated service and advocacy on behalf of East Aurora educators, the EAFA nominated Hathaway for a NYSUT Legacy Award. “Todd was a tireless advocate for student and teacher education rights,” said Elizabeth McCarthy EAFA treasurer. “He will be missed by educators throughout Western New York and by his family here in East Aurora.”

To honor an in-service or retiree activist from your area, visit nysut.org/LegacyFund.

[ Fighting for you ]

Brookhaven members highlight workplace concerns for lawmakers

“SUPPORT THE HANDS THAT HEAL UNION STRONG” typography in black followed by “BMFNHP” typography in red beside a  red vector illustration of two hands holding each other and forming a heart
A

lack of safe staffing ratios and accountability are big problems for New York state healthcare professionals. That’s why Long Island Community Hospital staffers Linda Raymer, Daniel Molloy, Desiree Moore, Joann Fowler and Kristin Thoden met with state lawmakers recently to discuss their concerns.

All are members of Brookhaven Memorial Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, a NYSUT local representing nearly 700 nurses and healthcare professionals at the Patchogue, Long Island hospital. They met in early October with Assemblymember Doug Smith, Sen. Dean Murray, Sen. Monica Martinez and reps for Sen. Anthony Palumbo and Assemblymember Keith Brown. The local is in a tough contract fight and establishing staffing ratios and a lack of accountability at the facility are key issues.

I Am Educator Inspired

I Am Educator Inspired typography
A recent gathering was the perfect opportunity for the newest Albany Public School Teachers Association members to shout out the educators who inspired them to enter the classroom.
Autumn Brunell
headshot of Autumn Brunell standing in front of an “I am Educator Inspired” branded step and repeat

“My high school English teacher, Mr. Desorbo, inspired me because he was always there for the students who needed him. He was willing to be a little silly, and he always made sure that you felt safe and cared for in his classroom. He taught us compassion.”

Autumn Brunell teaches at Arbor Hill Elementary School.

Michelle Chiappone
Michelle Chiappone holds a microphone while standing in front of an “I am Educator Inspired” branded step and repeat

“Mrs. (Christine) Dooley at Forest Park Elementary … made a difference because she took the time to understand that I was an English language learner. She always took me in and provided the time I needed to learn and to feel loved.”

Michelle Chiappone teaches at Pine Hills Elementary School.

Isabel Rutkey
Isabel Rutkey holds a microphone while standing in front of an “I am Educator Inspired” branded step and repeat

“It’s been 14 years since I’ve been in the fifth grade and I still text (Sarah Burr) and have lunch with her regularly. She really encouraged my love for learning and my desire to build that love for learning in my future students. Honestly, I owe my entire teaching career to Mrs. Burr.”

Isabel Rutkey teaches at Myers Middle School.

[ Fighting For You ]

Canajoharie conserves energy with help from NYSUT member

W

hen the Canajoharie Central School District decided it wanted to be more proactive about green initiatives, the first step it took was to hire full-time energy manager Francis D’Ambrosio. The new position was funded through a grant award via the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s Clean Green Schools initiative.

The initiative is partially funded by the Environmental Bond Act, a spending package funded through state bonds and includes $4.2 billion for climate-change mitigation projects. The bond act was approved by voters in November 2022 with NYSUT’s backing because it promised to drive significant energy upgrades and improve indoor air quality, ventilation and drinking water at schools across the state. A portion of the funds are administered by NYSERDA and the authority has been designated $100 million to distribute to schools for green building initiatives and an additional $500 million to help schools transition to electric school buses through the state School Bus Incentive Program. Projects like these are expected to save districts a lot of money in the long run — and that means more money to spend on students.

“Savings can mean better books and supplies or even hiring more staff. We wanted to do everything we can to reduce energy so we can take those savings and ensure students are getting the most out of their educational experiences and keep annual increases to taxpayers to a minimum,” said D’Ambrosio, a member of the Canajoharie United School Employees Support Association, led by Melissa Skandera.

[ Fighting for you ]
illustration of a smartphone with a red circle and slash symbol

Overwhelming evidence leads union to call for school cellphone ban

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early 500 educators, parents and students came together Sept. 20 at the “Disconnected” conference to find solutions to the ongoing problem of cellphones and social media in schools.

After the summit, based on mountains of data as well as real stories of harm, NYSUT took action and passed a resolution calling for a statewide policy restricting personal devices for the length of the school day.

“Those of us who are in schools everyday see that the constant use of personal electronics — not just phones, but earbuds, watches and other distractions — are impacting our students’ ability to focus, to connect with their fellow students, to be present in reality and to engage in authentic learning,” said NYSUT President Melinda Person.

[ Social Justice ]

NYSUT to host inaugural Members of Color conference

Clarisse Butler Banks

clarisse.banks@nysut.org

A

fter a successful virtual launch of the NYSUT Members of Color Affinity and Action initiative last fall, the statewide union is ready to launch its first in-person conference dedicated to “celebrating, empowering and connecting educators of color.”

The Members of Color conference: Community, Organizing, Advocacy and Belonging, takes place Dec. 7–8 in Albany. The event will feature inspiring sessions, valuable networking opportunities and meaningful discussions, said NYSUT Secretary-Treasurer J. Philippe Abraham, whose office coordinates the union’s social justice initiatives.

“Our members of color bring unique perspectives, experiences and talents not only to the work they do, but also to the community and our union,” Abraham said.

[ Social Justice ]

Pathways to Leadership program embraces all union voices

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s Pomp and Circumstance played in the background, NYSUT’s first class of BIPOC Pathways to Leadership graduates capped a year of growth and achievement with a September graduation ceremony. The air rang with claps, cheers and calls of encouragement as the 12-member group bid each other farewell after months of learning about themselves, each other and their leadership styles.

BIPOC leadership participants posing with the Common Ground Over Chaos campaign bus
el-wise noisette
BIPOC leadership participants pose with the Common Ground Over Chaos campaign bus during a graduation ceremony break.
“Congratulations for all you’ve done and continue to do,” said NYSUT President Melinda Person. “You are out here being a voice for our members and students and I’m excited to see what you’ll do next.”

The BIPOC Pathways to Leadership program addresses a problem within the labor movement, explained NYSUT Secretary-Treasurer J. Philippe Abraham, who leads the initiative. “Our leadership doesn’t fully represent the make-up of our membership,” said Abraham. “We’ve created programs like this one to invest in our next generation of leaders, and that future is multiracial and diverse.”

Brandon Mendoza’s involvement started with an email advertisement. After reading the pathways mission statement, the Albany Public School Teachers Association member knew it was for him.

[ OUR SRPs ]

Getting to know … Sharon Anderson

Sharon Anderson holding up appreciation posters

Sharon Anderson, a member of the United Federation of Teachers, is a paraprofessional at P.S. 111 – Seton Falls Elementary. She was interviewed by Renee Freeman, paraprofessional representative for the UFT and a NYSUT SRP Advisory Committee member.

Tell me about your job. Why do you love what you do?

My passion for education and community engagement benefits my students and shows how one person can make a significant impact. My journey as a paraprofessional is marked by enthusiasm for teaching and a genuine love for the children I work with. Seeing my students’ faces when they master a lesson for the first time and yell, “I got it!” brings joy to my heart. This moment of triumph, when a student overcomes a challenge and achieves understanding, fuels my passion for my work.

How did you get involved in the union?

My union involvement started with a need to know, so I began attending rallies, phone banking, leafleting, door knocking, and other volunteer opportunities with the union. As I learned more and more about being a unionist, the benefits and how to fight for the rights of myself and others, I wanted to do more. I ran to become the borough coordinator in the Bronx, and a delegate for NYSUT and AFT. In these positions I learned and was able to apply the knowledge I had received to help others.

[ TEACHING & LEARNING ]

Longest in-service NYSUT member celebrates 64 years

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ath teacher Martha Strever has seen educational trends come and go at Linden Avenue Middle School in Red Hook, Dutchess County. From the metric system in the 1970’s, to modern math and common core, over the years the only constant in the classroom has been Strever herself. That consistency hit a milestone this fall when Strever celebrated 64 years as an in-service educator — all spent in the Red Hook Central School District where she started as a student teacher in 1960. And as long as her health allows, the Red Hook Faculty Association member has no plans to retire.

“I really love all the kids, even the troublemakers,” said Strever of what keeps her coming back. “I want to turn them around. The reward is seeing students accomplish when they’re struggling, or when they don’t like math.”

Strever is NYSUT’s longest serving in-service member, the longest serving teacher in New York state and might be the longest serving teacher in the world. The Guinness Book of World Records is checking that out, said April Montgomery, Red Hook FA president, explaining that building principal Stacie Fenn Smith, a former student, nominated her for the publication in the categories of longest teaching tenure in a single school and longest-tenured female math teacher.

[ A closer look ]

Čwé·?n ahskę̀·nę hę?

Indigenous schools help preserve native culture for future generations

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erched along the Western border near Niagara Falls, Tuscarora Nation School looks much like every other mid-century rural school in New York state. Red brick. Rolling lawns. Flagpole out front. But the flag it flies is for a different nation. And the name out front isn’t written in English.

Tuscarora Nation School, Skarù·ręʔ Yerihętyáʔthaʔ, is one of three New York state primary schools within the Haudenosaunee or Iroquois Confederacy, which is composed of six Indigenous nations — the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora.

“We give our students a grounding in who they are as Tuscarora,” said Tuscarora culture teacher Alexandra Printup, Niagara Wheatfield Teachers Association, of the pre-K through sixth grade school.

[ Teaching & Learning ]

Why I teach

Lauren B. Lev teaches marketing and is a member of the United College Employees–Fashion Institute of Technology
Lauren B. Lev headshot
I really wanted to write for a living — studying advertising and communications at SUNY/Fashion Institute of Technology. When I graduated with my bachelor’s degree, I was not out of school long when the chairman of the department Arthur Winters, Ed.D., encouraged me to talk with business seniors about the experiences of getting and keeping a first-time job in a competitive industry.

At the end of the discussion, I remember two things. Newton Godnick, chairman of the Fashion Buying and Merchandising department congratulating me for the session (following up with a heartfelt thank you note I treasure) and Winters asking me if I ever considered teaching.

That subsequent Labor Day weekend I spent reading the assigned student textbook for AC 111/Advertising and Promotion, a course in the Fall 1985 semester. Hurricane Elena battered the west coast of Florida that weekend, ruining my short vacation, but I returned to New York City and never looked back.

[ TEACHING & LEARNING ]

Love is the most important lesson for Schenectady educator

W

hen students enter Colleen Keough’s second grade classroom at Hamilton Elementary School in Schenectady, they know they are coming into a space where they are loved. In fact, it hangs on the classroom wall.

Colleen Keough headshot with a New York State 2025 Teacher of the Year badge
DANA FOURNIER
“Before they leave this class, we always say, ‘I love you. You matter. You can do anything. And I believe in you,’” said Keough. “I just think it’s important for them to feel self-worth.”

Within the walls of the school, Keough is known as an anchor point: a person around whom the entire building orbits. Nowhere is that seen more than in her efforts to revive the school identity and mascot — the Husky.

“Everybody knows Ms. Keough,” said Patty Wood, an instructional coach at Hamilton Elementary. “The kids know Ms. Keough. And I think across the district, people know, not only who Colleen Keough is, but that Colleen Keough is a Hamilton Husky. And will probably be for the rest of her career.”

[ health & safety ]

NYSUT members join in battle against breast cancer

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his October, thousands of NYSUT members are joining in the battle against breast cancer — and celebrating victories against it.

Third-grade teacher Sarah Wise, a member of the Hewlett-Woodmere Faculty Association, put off her first mammogram until she was 48.

“My father died of lung cancer,” Wise said. “For years after he passed, I chose not to get a mammo out of fear. As my doctor’s retirement wish, I finally went, thankfully. It gave me a baseline so that when I went back a year later, they were able to spot something new — breast cancer.”

Wise caught the cancer early enough that she was able to do a lumpectomy and radiation.

Notice of Special Election Meeting • Notice of Special Election Meeting

NYSUT Board of Directors Vacancy Election • Election District 25

A vacancy exists on the NYSUT Board of Directors for ED 25. The vacancy was created by the resignation of Carl Cambria, effective Oct. 1, 2024.

In accordance with the NYSUT Constitution, Article IX, §§4(a) and 4(b): “Directors representing Election Districts shall be elected on a roll call vote by a majority of ballots cast by the representatives from their respective constituencies …[and in]… the event of a vacancy in the position of Election District Director, the President shall call a special election to elect a successor who shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term.”

Pursuant to NYSUT Constitution, Article IX, §4(b) and the approved NYSUT Campaign and Election Procedures, NYSUT members who were reported as elected delegates to the 2024 Representative Assembly representing the members of Election District 24–35 will be eligible to vote in this Special Election.

[ retirees in action ]

Retiree activists in high gear for election season

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he union is hard at work supporting endorsed candidates and retiree activism is leading the way. Political action topped the agenda at the October NYSUT Retiree Contiguous ED 51–53 At-Large meeting in Albany — including a visit from the union’s Common Ground Over Chaos campaign bus.

There’s a lot of work to be done in New York because we are a battleground state for the control of Congress, said Florence McCue, ED 51–53 at-large director. She thanked participants for local phone banking and door knocking efforts. “Legislators know that retirees are out there, and they appreciate it … we influence a lot of legislation by doing that.”

Ron Gross, NYSUT second vice president, also thanked attendees for their activism and discussed the inaugural celebration of Retiree Recognition Day on Oct. 21.

Quotes - Left
Quotes - Right

Quotable

Quotable typography
Samantha Rosado-Ciriello
Spent the day with fellow @nysut presidents engaging with candidates who have committed to #CommonGroundOverChaos and listening to the issues that matter most to our schools. @MondaireJones @slater4ny @yft860 @nysut @AFTunion @MelindaJPerson (@RosadoCiriello)

IAM Union District 751
Thank you to the members of congress standing with the 33,000 @IAM751 and W24 members holding the line for fair wages, retirement, job security, and a better future. Your support strengthens our fight for what’s right. #OurFuture2024 #OneDayLonger #UnionStrong (@IAM751)

Brian Gibbons
Feeling inspired: @UFT members joined union President Michael Mulgrew outside @CBS studios before Tuesday night’s debate to voice the union’s support of @Tim_Walz! A teacher in the White House — Think of the possibilities! #UnionProud @AFTunion @nysut @rweingarten @KamalaHarris (@BrianUFT)

Jennifer Stein
Thank you @nysut for today’s powerful Disconnected conference. The information and anecdotes the presenters shared about how cell phones and social media are impacting learning and mental health in our school communities left us with so much to think about. @WPTApresidents (@missjstein)

[ voices ]

5 Questions for Esther Hernandez-Kramer

5 Questions for... typography
5 Questions for... typography
Esther Hernandez-Kramer
Farmingdale Federation of Teachers
1.

You’re Farmingdale Federation of Teacher’s third vice president, but you’re also its political action chair and NYSUT’s Nassau County Political Action Chair for Senate District 8. With a presidential election on the horizon, how are you getting out the vote and spreading the word about union endorsements?
We do phone banks, canvassing and we send out texts on behalf of endorsed candidates and about important issues. Here on Long Island, we’re very focused on winning Congressional races. We’ve also been going on lots of labor walks with other area unions, through the Long Island Federation of Labor, and speaking with members.

2.

What do labor walks entail?
We go out into local neighborhoods, knock on doors and talk to members about issues and candidates. Meeting people face-to-face and having friendly conversations with them is the best way to find common ground and get people to think about who and what they support. Conversations like that have a chance of changing someone’s mind as opposed to just posting something online.

[ classifieds ]

  • Real Estate Sales
    Florida — buy sell rent. Specializing in country clubs, active adult communities and beach areas from Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, Fort Lauderdale and surrounding areas. Proudly serving NYSUT members for over 20 years. Call Ed and Elly, REMAX Select Group, Boca Raton, FL 561-302-9374.
    San Juan, Puerto Rico 00921 — Two-family house for sale. Four bedrooms, one large bathroom on each floor. Two-car garage. Asking $400,000. Call 787-438-7717.
    Exit Realty Premier Elite — Your Southeast Florida connection for buying or selling. Sheryl Volk 561-389-8670 or sherylvolk@gmail.com.
  • Vacation Rental
    St. Augustine Beach — Three bedrooms, two baths, remodeled.Weekly rental. 716-830-4635. Jobers150@gmail.com.
    Services
    Free Tax Returns Ad graphic
    Help Wanted
    ALL teachers/school employees: Tutor near home/work. All subjects/grades/licenses. facultytutoring@aol.com. 718-886-2424.
  • Education
    Are Classroom Discipline problems ruining your teaching career? Make student misbehavior a thing of the past. FREE book for NYSUT-UFT members. Don’t wait! Act now! Email: teacherservices044@gmail.com. (Please include your name and address). Or write: Free Discipline Book, 1941 Edward Lane, Merrick, NY 11566.
    Travel
    JOSARO TOURS LLC — Travel with us in 2025. Winter Break – Egypt and Kenya. Spring Break – Dubai and Egypt. July – Mexico. August – Thailand & Vietnam. $350 to reserve. More info at Josarotours.com. josarotours@gmail.com. Tel – 845-467-8277.

[ passings ]

Don Faltisco | July 28, 2024
Buffalo Teachers Federation

Edward Garrone | Oct. 2, 2024
South Huntington Teachers Association

Esther Korin | June 3, 2024
Retiree Council –Teachers Retired in Florida

Molly Phinney Larson | Sept. 18, 2024
Albany Public School Teachers Association

Gilbert E. Link | Aug. 30, 2024
Copiague Teachers Association

Tandrea Lockhart | Sept. 14, 2024
Greenburgh-North Castle United Teachers

Mary Catherine Maule | Sept. 22, 2024
East Syracuse Minoa Teaching Assistants Association

Carolyn S. Mooney | Nov. 11, 2023
Hamburg Teachers Association

Arlene Newman | March 28, 2024
West Hempstead Education Association

James Tonjes | May 1, 2024
South Huntington Teachers Association

Obituary submissions must include decedent’s full name, union affiliation, date of death, and contact info for the person submitting the notice. Send notices to Julie Malec, NYSUT United, 800 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham, NY 12110-2455; or email julie.malec@nysut.org.

[ resources for you ]

Free NYSUT poster celebrates Native American Heritage Month, Nov. 1-30

NYSUT Native American Heritage Month celebration poster honoring Jim Thorpe

NYSUT celebrates Native American Heritage Month with a new poster honoring Jim Thorpe (1887–1953), the first Native American to win U.S. Olympic gold, placing first in 1912 in the classic pentathlon and the decathlon. Considered one of modern sports’ most versatile athletes, Thorpe played collegiate and professional football and professional baseball and basketball, in addition to track and field.

Thorpe grew up in the Sac and Fox Nation in what is now the state of Oklahoma. He attended the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Penn. and was a two-time All-American football player under famed coach Pop Warner.

In 1913, Thorpe signed with the New York Giants and played six major league baseball seasons. He later played for the National Football League and was part of a Native American basketball team. Thorpe appeared in several films and was portrayed by Burt Lancaster in the 1951 film “Jim Thorpe — All American.”

Ranked as the “greatest athlete” of the first 50 years of the 20th century by the Associated Press, Thorpe was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s inaugural class in 1963.

The NYSUT poster is available for download at nysut.org/publications. Limited print copies are available.

Little joins NYSTRS Board

headshot of Donald Little

Meet Donald Little the newest teacher-member on the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System Board of Trustees. Little, Syracuse Teachers Association’s second vice president, was appointed last month by State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa to fill the remainder of Beth Chetney’s three-year term ending Jan. 31, 2027. Little will formally run for the slot on Nov. 4 at the delegates’ annual meeting.

“I think that our pension system is the greatest reward of a teaching career,” said Little. “I hope to help members better understand the system and the issues they may have, like how to buy back service credit or enhance their retirement years — and you can’t do that if you don’t have all the facts.”

A history teacher at Nottingham High since 1999, Little is a longtime NYSTRS delegate, served as vice chair for NYSUT’s pension and retirement committee and is an adjunct professor at SUNY Oswego where he received his bachelor and master’s degree.

[ member benefits ]

The holidays are here: Save on gift giving with Member Benefits

The holidays are here typography
Save on gift giving with Member Benefits
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s it just us or does it feel like the years are starting to go quicker and quicker? We’re already a couple months into a new academic year and approaching that most magical time — the holidays. We hope that means spending quality time with loved ones and friends while sharing laughter, joy … and gifts!

Before purchasing any items on your list, we encourage you to explore memberbenefits.nysut.org for all that NYSUT Member Benefits has to offer. Whether you’re looking to save on gift baskets, flowers or chocolates, Bose products, clothing or shoes, movie tickets, sporting events and concerts, theme parks and attractions, restaurants, or thousands of other deals, you’re going to want to check out MB Discounts & Deals.

This popular program utilizes the nation’s largest private discount network to offer NYSUT members exclusive access to savings of up to 50 percent at more than 1 million locations. Note: Your seven-digit NYSUT ID number is required to create an MB Discounts & Deals account. This can be found on your NYSUT Membership Card or by visiting nysut.org/memberid.

[ Your ERS Pension ]

Working after retirement

Y

ou can work after retirement and still receive your New York State and Local System pension, but there may be a limit on how much you can earn.

Returning to work for a public employer in NYS

In order to retire, a member must have a bonafide termination of employment and be removed from the payroll of their employer before their date of retirement. Whether a termination has occurred is based on whether facts indicate that the employer and employee reasonably anticipated that no further services would be performed after the retirement date.

When earnings are limited

If you return to work for a public employer in New York state, an earnings limit of $35,000 generally applies to retirees who are under age 65.* The limit applies to all earnings for the calendar year, including money earned in the calendar year, but paid in a different calendar year.

[ Your TRS Pension ]

Resigning vs. retiring — what’s the difference?

woman sitting at teacher's desk in front of chalk board with mathematical equations
Q:
Is it true that I must resign from my district before retiring? Doesn’t retiring imply that I’ve resigned?
A:

No, it doesn’t. Resignation is between you and your employer; retirement is between you and the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System. Since you can’t be on payroll and be retired, you must resign before retiring.

Additionally, for NYSTRS purposes, your resignation date must be at least one day after your effective retirement date. For example, if your last working day is June 30, your earliest retirement day would be July 1.

Schedule a consultation with your human resource or business office, or with your local union representative, to determine your district’s retirement policy.

[ Local Unions in Action ]

Clarkstown Teachers Association teams up to Make Strides

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ockland County educators and union members are flexing their muscles to raise funds for breast cancer research.

CTA Solidarity Plane Pull team in front of airplane
team pulling a United GoJet 50-passenger plane
Provided
The 10-member CTA Solidarity Plane Pull team work together to pull a United GoJet 50-passenger plane. The team includes members from the Clarkstown TA, the president of the Pearl River TA, two NYSUT LRSs from the Professional Staff Association and two children.
The Clarkstown Teachers Association fielded a team of eight adults and two children for the Real Men Wear PINK 2024 Hudson Valley Plane Pull. The group, dubbed the Solidarity Plane Pull team, has raised more than $1,450 so far.

“The CTA was very fortunate to have two members of the NYSUT Tarrytown Regional Office Professional Staff Association and the president of the Pearl River TA help us pull the plane across the finish line,” said President Jonathan Wedvik. “The event was extremely challenging, exciting, and rewarding.”

The plane pull challenges teams of 10 people to commit to raise at least $1,000 for the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer campaign. The team raises funds for the chance to pull a plane 100 feet.

“The motto for the event was ‘live, love, laugh, and laugh some more.’ Our team pulled for all the people who are currently fighting breast cancer, all the people who have survived breast cancer, and also for all the people who have lost their battle with breast cancer,” Wedvik said. “Everyone should check themselves for lumps regularly and get mammogram screened annually if you are over 45.”

White Plains Teachers Association

White Plains TA members posing for a large group photo with Fix Tier 6 t-shirts
two White Plains TA members smiling for photo

On the sixth, we wear blue!

White Plains TA members have found a clever way to keep the fight to Fix Tier 6 in the forefront. On the sixth of every month members wear their WPTA “Fix Tier 6” T-shirts.

The WPTA is led by Kara McCormick-Lyons.

Byron Bergen Faculty Association

Members of the Byron Bergen FA smiling for group photo while holding umbrellas and wearing parkas in the rain
Members of the Byron Bergen FA braved the rainy weather and had fun coming together to raise funds at the Rochester Making Strides walk. The local, led by President Kenneth Gropp, raised more than $2,100.

We want to hear from you! Share news about your local’s union or community events, fundraisers and member solidarity events at united@nysut.org. Be sure to include LIA in the subject line.

Kudos

Kudos typography

It’s an honor

Wendy Boyer, Marcus Whitman Teaching Assistants, Aides and Clerical Association, received the New York State Senate Liberty Medal. Boyer performed the Heimlich maneuver to save a student who was choking.

Samantha Rosado-Ciriello, Yonkers Federation of Teachers, was included in the City and State 2024 Hudson Valley Power 100 list.

In print

Bruce Altschuler, United University Professions–SUNY Oswego retiree, has published Filming the First: Cinematic Portrayals of Freedom of the Press with co-authors Helen Knowles-Gardner and Brandon T. Metroka. For information about the book, visit rowman.com.

A poet in residence at Art Crawl Harlem on Governor’s Island, Carol Chapman, United Federation of Teachers retiree, has published Outbursts from the Seventh Decade, a collection of 75 poems. The book is available at barnesandnoble.com.

Anthony Pantaleno, Ph.D., Elwood Teacher Alliance retiree, has published Best Therapy for Teens to Twentysomethings: A Parent’s Guide to Finding Mental Health Support. For more information, visit findingbesttherapyt2t.com.

Basilio Serrano, UUP-Old Westbury retiree, has published Tres Sanjuaneras en La Época Del Jazz: Historias de Blanca de Castejon, Mapy Cortés, y Olga San Juan. His work is a collection of three biographies of the first Puerto Rican women Hollywood stars who emerged starting in 1931. To purchase, visit mcnallyjackson.com.

Vivian Sheperis, Bellmore-Merrick United Secondary Teachers retiree, has published The Light in Hades, a book of short fiction and poetry.

Kudos recognizes the accomplishments of NYSUT members. Have good news you’d like to share? Email united@nysut.org; include Kudos in the subject line.

NYSUT United | November/December 2024

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NYSUT represents teachers, school-related professionals, higher education faculty, professionals in education, human services and healthcare, and retirees.

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