It is almost the end of May! The countdown to June 23rd has begun for many I am sure. Generally this is the time of year that many of us begin to ask where the time has flown and how will we accomplish all that needs to be done before the end of the year.

I am going to ask that members please consider making time for at least one MTA activity before we close out this school year. Recently we have had members come into the office to prepare for the May elections, serve on the Mailing Committee for the school budget and BOE elections, and attend the MTA sponsored Meet the Candidates Night. It has been wonderful to welcome so many supportive MTA members.

We continue to need your help and your involve-ment! There is no doubt that many issues of importance and concern will continue. It is imperative that we continue to show a strong presence and it is equally as important that we continue to support each other.

The following are ways to show your MTA involvement:

• Contribute to the Vote/Cope Campaign (40 % of the money comes back to our union!)
• Sign up to work on the MTA water stop at the June 11th Classic 10K. We are always greeted appreciatively by the community members who run by and everyone who works always has a good time. We guarantee a morning filled with camaraderie and a lot of laughs!
  Interested? Ask your Sr. Rep to submit your name or call the MTA office
  @ 343-1517.
• Attend the June 1st BOE meeting when tenure will be awarded to our colleagues. See your Sr. Rep for details. This is an important evening and a strong MTA presence is necessary!
• Come celebrate with us on June 8th as we honor our retirees and recognize our new teachers and their MTA Buddies. This is another good time in the making!

Please make a decision to be part of at least one of the above. We can only continue to move forward when we have the involvement of others. To say that this year has been stressful is an enormous understatement, and often the negatives have seemed to outweigh the positives. However, progress will not be gained if we do not continue to present a strong and united front.

The work can not and should not be accomplished by a few, and the celebration of a job well done is much more enjoyable when shared by many. I urge you to come forward and be a part of your union.

I look forward to seeing you at one of the June events!

I am currently taking an in-service course. Will I receive compensation for the course in my last check in June? No, you will not receive any compensation this school year for the spring course. Credit for courses (grad and in-service) completed in the spring and summer will start in September provided that you had submitted a prior approval form and a transcript is sent to personnel by September 1.

I am thinking about retiring next month. What dental insurance will I have in retirement? The district provided dental insurance does not continue into retirement. You can COBRA the district dental for a period up to 18 months. You will be responsible for 100% of the premiums. There is also the option of signing up for NYSUT dental coverage. You get the best benefit of the NYSUT plan if you start coverage immediately upon retirement or at the conclusion of any COBRA coverage. Visit the MTA office to secure NYSUT dental brochures.

I have been in the district for 4 years but don’t recall contributing to the Sick Bank. Is the Sick bank in existence? Yes, the Sick Bank is operational, but the reason you don’t recall contributing is that contract language negotiated in 2001 ceased all contributions as long as the balance in the Sick Bank was at least 4,000 days. Since you have been in the district there has been no contribution. Should the balance fall below 4,000 days then all teachers would contribute 1 day at the start of the next school year.

I am expecting my first child and am wondering how to apply for a Child Care Leave. Teachers who are considering a CCLV should first contact the MTA office and speak with Sheila Esposito. Each member has unique situations concerning personal health, date of delivery, time for return and the need for carrying health coverage for their family.

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

The MTA held its annual Meet the Candidates Night at the MTA Office on the evening of May 8th. Each of the 3 declared candidates attended the forum in addition to over 50 observers who included members of the MTA, MECA and the Board of Ed. The candidates responded to over a dozen questions that were asked of them by moderator Sheila Esposito. The questions addressed district finances, teacher preparedness, safety concerns, tenure and other areas that are important to MTA members.

Based upon the evening, the Executive Board recommended that the Rep Council endorse John Perrino for one of the 2 seats that were open this year. The Rep Council approved the endorsement at its May 10th meeting. Mr. Perrino won re-election to the board on May 16th.

Where?
Doubletree Hotel and Executive Meeting Center, Somerset, New Jersey.

When?
Wednesday, August 16th (begins at 10:45 a.m.) to Friday, August 18th (ends at noon).

Cost?
The MTA pays for your registration and reimburses you for travel expenses.

Activities?
You sign up for one major course and two mini sessions. A wide variety of courses are offered that appeal to varied interests.

Why?
The MTA needs your involvement! You get 2 days of expert NYSUT training at no cost. You have an opportunity to meet members from other locals and compare notes. You have the chance to socialize and work with members from your own union.

What to do?
Contact Sheila at the MTA office (343-1517) immediately! Course materials will be sent to you for your personal selection.

Registrations must be submitted to NYSUTs through the MTA president by June2nd! Don’t delay! Get your name in today to be a part of a great summer event!

This event is limited so it’s first come first served!!!

Gloria D’Agostino has received the Science Teacher of the Year Award in Chemistry from the Southeast Section of the Science Teachers Association of New York State. The award will be given at the Association’s Awards dinner on May 26, 2006. Gloria has been teaching chemistry at MHS for 24 years. She will do anything from standing on her head to working after school with individual students to help her students be successful in chemistry. One of most important goals in her teaching is for the students to leave her classroom with an appreciation of science. She is also an important part of the Middletown High School community. She has served on various curriculum committees, has been a union representative, and is currently on the Executive Board of the Middletown Teacher Center. When asked about the award, she said “I am not sure if I deserve it, but it was a nice surprise at the end of a hard year.” All of her colleagues and her past and current students know she truly deserves the award! Congratulations, Ms. D’Ag!

By squeezing them for impossibly low prices, Wal-Mart forces its suppliers to move operations and jobs to low-wage countries such as China. In 2004 alone, Wal-Mart purchased $18 billion worth of Chinese goods.

There was a lot to be learned at this year’s RA held in Rochester, NY from May 3rd-6th. It was a jam packed schedule for four days and contained a wealth of information too numerous to cover in this article so please read the latest issue of NY Teacher for all the details. Some highlights that I carried back with me:

• Witnessing history with the unification of NYSUT and NEA/NY and having the membership (and strength) of NYSUT grow to 560,000 members
• Having the MTA recognized as an award winning local for Vote/Cope contributions (the Abel Blatman Award)
• Listening to Brenda Mitchell, President of the New Orleans Teachers, detail the devastation of her teachers’ union through the firing of thousands of teachers in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Only four schools in Ms. Mitchell’s union remain open yet charter schools have been allowed to develop.
• Hearing the thunderous applause for Jason McElwain, the young man from upstate New York who, as an autistic student, showed incredible devotion to the varsity boys’ basketball team as the team manager. Jason, featured on nationwide television, was told to “suit up” for the final game of his senior year. Entering the game in the last four minutes, Jason scored six three-point shots and made a total of 20 points. It was heartwarming and a tribute to the human spirit that Jason, along with his teammates, and his coach (a proud NYSUT member) was honored at the convention. There weren’t too many dry eyes!
• A quote from Josephine Sano, one of the winners of the “Not for Ourselves Alone” award given in memory of Sandy Feldman (UFT president, AFT president, NYSUT board member)–“Things like maternity leave and tenure are not birthrights, but hard-fought gains.” Many members have no idea that certain things we now enjoy were not always givens and were won after long and hard bargaining.
• NYSUT is now partnered in the Fair Trade Program with the state Labor-Religion Coalition. Fair trade ensures products are not made using child labor and that workers are paid a fair wage. Dean’s Beans, a Massachusetts coffee company, will donate a percentage of each sale to the coalition. Internet buyers simply enter the code word “NYSUT” at checkout. On May 6th, Esperanza Castillo, general manager of a coffee co-op in Peru spoke to the delegates. Her moving words described how Dean Cycon, president of Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee Company, helped bring fair trade coffee to the U.S. market. Ms. Castillo told how people in her village see a future for their children. Now, because of fair trade practices, the villagers can afford to send children to school instead of having them pick coffee beans. For more information go to: www.deansbeans.org or www.labor-religion.org.

(Submitted by Lynann Day, Political Action Division Director)
The annual “Meet the Candidates Night” will be held on Monday, May 8th from 7:00 pm through 8:30 pm at the MTA office. The forum is open to all MTA members and the general public.

All members are encouraged to attend to hear from the declared candidates for the Board of Education. The candidates for two open seats are Roy Paul, John Perrino, and Patricia Simmons.

If you have any questions or topics that you think the MTA should ask the candidates, just forward that information to your senior building rep by the close of school on Thursday, May 4th.