One quarter of the school year is over as I sit to write this. I’d like to ask if we are better off now than we were ten weeks ago but unfortunately I know the answer. There has been progress in some areas but certainly not enough to outweigh the other numerous areas of concern. Sadly, the saga of The Emperor’s New Clothes continues.

Isn’t it interesting that the president of the Board of Education can take some disgruntled, angry, vocal parents to breakfast within days of their speaking out at a Board of Education meeting, yet the MTA’s offer from last spring to meet has not been acted upon? AND…at the November 3rd BOE meeting, a discussion took place regarding how to arrange a meeting to discuss issues at the high school. Different constituencies to be included were mentioned — teachers were not!

However, our voices will not be silent and we will continue to speak out on issues of concern. Our members have been contacting building reps and Sr. Reps with contractual questions as well as questions surrounding general terms and conditions. In turn, these items are brought to Executive Board where they are thoroughly discussed. Please continue to keep the dialogue going in each building and utilize the building representatives who are there for you. It is vital that we keep up with what is occurring in each building and the only way to do so is through the active involvement of members at the building levels.

The following are some of the concerns we have documented and worked on (or continue to work on) since the beginning of the year:

•Attendance policies and procedures
•Lack of notice regarding training sessions and workshops
•Lack of notice regarding test administration
•Undue clerical demands
•Numerous health and safety issues
•Unprecedented number of times teachers are pulled out of classes for “professional development” combined with an incredible lack of subs
•Emergency evacuation plans (or lack thereof)
•Numerous heating breakdowns
•Resignations and retirements (and the numbers are growing)
•Duties being “swapped” for covering classes (a big “No!” on this one)
•Large class sizes
•Report cards—very late in arriving
•Summer pay problems
•Disciplinary issues—lack of timely responses to referrals and lack of adherence to established consequences
•Unfilled teaching positions
•Textbook shortage due to unannounced budget cuts
•CrossPointe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Quite a list and it’s still growing! Plus, many items from the “List of 31” that was presented to the BOE on May 5, 2005 were not included. Documentation is key, so please continue to stay vigilant and remain in contact with your MTA representatives!

At this time of year, despite all the negativity and adversity (or maybe because of all the negativity and adversity) it is important to reflect on what we have. It truly is a time of year to stop and be grateful for the good things in life. Let’s all hope that the positives in our lives outweigh the negatives. I am grateful for all of you who come in each day and persevere under stressful conditions. I appreciate your diligence and recognize the professional efforts that are evidenced on a daily basis. Thank you!

A Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! May the long weekend be one of enjoyment for you and yours.

Reported by Lynann Day

The November elections have just concluded but it is not too early to look ahead at the next round of elections. That would be the May 16, 2006 state-wide election day for school district budgets and Board of Education members.

In Middletown, in addition to the budget and any extra proposals that might appear on the ballot, there will be 2 Board of Education seats up for election. At this time, if any MTA members are aware of a member of the school community that might be a good addition to the Board of Education, please forward their name(s) to Sheila Esposito at the MTA office.

Many of our team members were able to arrive early and pose for our annual team photo. Three of our members, Jean Parrella, Michelle Giannino and Karen Sutton were captured by the NYSUT paparazzi and their photo made it to the cover of the November 3rd edition of “New York Teacher”.

Many thanks go out to our Making Strides Building Team Leaders: Carol Kivell, Adele Kibrick, Janet Myruski, Kristine Hanington, Angela Urbina, Lois Samsel-Cronk and Kathy Bellars.

Reported by Lynann Day

The November elections have just concluded but it is not too early to look ahead at the next round of elections. That would be the May 16, 2006 state-wide election day for school district budgets and Board of Education members.

In Middletown, in addition to the budget and any extra proposals that might appear on the ballot, there will be 2 Board of Education seats up for election. At this time, if any MTA members are aware of a member of the school community that might be a good addition to the Board of Education, please forward their name(s) to Sheila Esposito at the MTA office.

I am thinking about retiring during this school year rather than at the end of the school year. If the contract is settled after I retire how will I be affected? If a new contract is fully ratified after your date of retirement you will be affected by all new contract provisions that have an effective date prior to your retirement. Any new provisions that become effective either after full ratification or on some future July 1st should not have an impact upon you.

I am a long-time Tier 3 member of TRS and made 3% contributions for 21 years. Is there any news on what credit, if any, I will receive for making 3% contributions for more than 10 years? When the new legislation passed that stopped contributions after 10 years of membership there were many members of Tiers 3 & 4 who had made contributions for over 20 years. Each year the NYSUT legislative package includes an item to allow additional months of service credit for each year of contribution beyond 10 years. To date, the bill has not passed both houses of the legislature. With the help of your Vote-Cope funds, perhaps this proposed legislation will soon become law.

I understand that the vision plan coverage is for the employee only. Can I add my spouse and dependents to the plan? The MTA Benefit Fund trustees examined the issue of voluntary family coverage in the spring of 2004 by sending a survey to all teachers. The results showed that the level of interest did not meet the threshold that was established by Davis Vision.

Any questions regarding retirement, salary, or the Benefit Fund, may be e-mailed to: questions@middletownteachers.org. All questions will receive a reply and some may appear in future newsletters. Visit our archives at:middletownteachers.org for all the answers!

In March 2005 Wal-Mart agreed to pay $11 million to settle federal allegations that it used undocumented immigrants to clean its stores. Many of the janitors worked seven days or nights a week without overtime pay or injury compensation

If saving money interests you then you might want to take advantage of either or both of the opportunities listed below:

• FLEX 125 PLAN – This provision of the tax code allows you to participate in the Health Care Flexible Spending Account and/or the Dependent Care Spending Account. In either case, you can pay for unreimbursed medical expenses or eligible child-care or elder-care with pre-tax dollars. To take advantage of the Flex 125 Plan you must complete the election forms and return them to the personnel office by November 30th. Participants in the Flex 125 Plan should take extra care when determining the dollar amount that they wish to have placed in the plan because at the end of the plan year (12/31/06) any money placed in the plan that remains unused is forfeited.

• TAX-DEFERRED ANNUITY (403(b)) – TDA’s are voluntary pre-tax savings and investment programs that are available in more than 630 public school districts in New York State. Employees of public schools can use a 403(b) program to save money before taxes and to accumulate those savings on a tax-deferred basis. In many ways, 403(b) programs parallel 401(k) plans that are available to private employers. If you wish to start a TDA you must consult with one of the nearly 2 dozen investment groups that have entered into a contract with the school district. To see a complete list of participating investment groups you should contact your senior building rep. NYSUT Member Benefits has examined many groups that offer 403(b) programs and at this time they endorse the Opportunity Plus program offered through ING.

PLEASE MAKE ALL E-MAIL SUBMISSIONS FROM HOME AND THROUGH YOUR OWN INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER OR MAIL ACCOUNT TO: mtanews@middletownteachers.org

PLEASE DO NOT SEND MTANews SUBMISSIONS THROUGH MIDDLETOWN SCHOOL DISTRICT WEB MAIL!

REMEMBER:
E-MAIL IS NOT PRIVATE AND MAY BE ACCESSED BY THE ADMINISTRATOR OF ANY SERVER THROUGH WHICH IT PASSES.

THANK YOU FOR PROTECTING YOUR CONFIDENTIALITY!

The State Education Department has posted a survey on it Web site designed to determine the readiness of teachers and schools to offer the new Algebra Regents exam. Two questions regarding the exam are of particular concern: 1) the proposed year of the implementation of the Integrated Algebra exam, and 2) the plan for New York State teachers to review and revise questions purchased from a vendor.

All MTA math teachers are asked to take part in the survey by visiting the NYSUT Web site at www.nysut.org under “Top Stories.” The survey will be available until November 17.