“Sometimes our flame goes out,” observed Dr. Albert Schweitzer, “but is blown again into instant flame by encounter with another human being.”

Dear Members,

I am saddened by colleagues who, in one way or another, indicate that their flames have gone out or are quickly going out. In this district, it is extremely difficult to stoke one’s internal furnace when the dampers of adversity seem to be everywhere.

W all know the major concerns: too much testing, classroom disruptions, poor communication, excessive amounts of training, 3-4 minute classroom “walkthroughs” done incorrectly, non-compliance with contractul language regarding observations and Teacher Improvement Plans (TIPS), and Central Administration’s continual top down, dictatorial appraoch that has systematically stripped individuals of autonomy.

The MTA has been, and will continue to be, involved in resolving these difficulties with the intent of restoring us to higher levels of professional regard throughout the district. We will combat the adversity and we will work diligently to see that those who make the decisions that so negatively affect the students and staff of this school district listen and work collaboratively with us.

There are many different avenues used to solve problems and although we may not all be in agreement as to the approach, it should never be said that “The MTA is doing nothing.” That is an extremely dangerous and irresponsible statement to make and it expresses a level of disregard and disrespect for our own members who have chosen to come forth and work on the behalf of others. I recognize the frustration of wanting to see immediate results, but because change isn;t coming quickly enough, or because a chosen approsch does not match someone else’s personal opinion, this does not mean that the union is not working tirelessly for the benefit of all.

The good news is that I have seen over and over again the willingness of colleagues who demonstrate what it means to be true union members and accept what is best for the good of the order. I am grateful that we have union members who understand, that despite strong personal opinions, it is necessary to support the union in its efforts to obtain the end results so desired by our members. The importance of a mission will be revealed in its accomplishments not by the chosen launch site.

At this time of year, I am very grateful for those of you who continue to work on behalf of your colleagues, and who, just by your very presence, help to re-kindle someone else’s flame.

by Sheila Esposito

Recently, Linda Barratta (President of MECA) and I met to share joint concerns regarding the extremely serious situation that exists in this district regarding the lack of substitute teachers. No building has been left untouched by the routine occurance of numerous unfilled positions. The ramifications from continually unfilled positions is quite obvious: students suffer, teachers are constantly being asked to cover classes, and clerical staff members are consistently burdened with the untenable task of trying to fill positions — often with last minute notification. Clearly, the negative effects on school climate and school safety are more than obvious.

Linda and I have agreed on a multi-pronged approach to addressing joint MTA and MECA concerns imbedded in the sub shortage crisis.  The District must be held responsible for the decisions it makes and the subsequent fall-out on students and staff. We need to know accurate data regarding the number of daily unfilled positions, we need to know the total number of available substitutes (with a breakdown of the number available to work at each level), and we need to know that Sub Finder will not only work correctly, but be updated to reflect an accurate substitute roster. Additionally, we need to know that the District will initiate a serious review of the outrageous number of professional development sessions (and the corresponding hours) that teachers are pulled out of their classrooms.

On behalf of her clerical colleagues, Linda asked if I would remind our members about a few things that are helpful when we are going to be out:

• Leave Sub Plans and Class Rosters in a location that is easy to find (please make sure someone else knows where you leave these items).
• Provide a class description with pertinent information that is helpful to subs but without revealing confidential information.
• Consider having a back-up plan for your plans (leave a set of generic lessons and inform someone of where they may always be found, or arrange to e-mail plans to one or two others in case you’re going to be out unexpectedly).

The MTA recognizes that in our respective building it is the clerical staff continually pressed into action to fill the gaps when subs are not available. It is a deplorable situation and it creates undue pressure on everyone. However, no MTA member should feel obligated to cover a class and give up personal planning time. Ultimately, the ownership for this mess rests with the District and it is the responsibility of the District to fix it.

Here’s another point to ponder — how much do parents know?  Are they aware of how much time their children spend with substitute teachers or how many times they are in classes where stop-gap measures need to be employed to provide coverage for classes?

By Gary Day

I signed an athorization to have a VOTE/COPE contribution deducted from the first check in October. Why is it that the deduction has been taken from every check since then? The deduction was taken only once, On October 10th. What you are seeing on your pay stub is the calendar and fiscal year total for that one-time deduction.

What has recently happened to my personal illness and personal day time on my pay stub? Back in May when the district switched to a new computer system for payroll, sick and personal days started to appear as hours. This required members to divide by 7.25 to determine if the number of days was correctly reported in hours. As a result of a grievance filed by the MTA, the time has been switched back and is now being reported in days.

What is the number I need to call to get a vision voucher? On July 1, 2005 we changed to a voucherless system. Just make your appointment at the provider and they will contact Davis Vision to determine your eligibility.

I will be traveling during one of our vacation times and will need to rent a car. Does the union offer any discounts? Yes, you can get a discount on car rentals from many of the major rental companies. The discount codes are no longer in your NYSUT pocket calendar, but you can get those discount codes by visiting the NYSUT Member Benefits website. You can get there by clicking on the link at the bottom of the left side of the NYSUT.org homepage.

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

by Lois Samsel-Cronk

The Grievance Committee has been very active this year with many grievances.

• There are two grievances that are gong to arbitration, a coach’s late evaluation and a member has been unable to collect what is due her under Workers Compensation.
• We have been able to get our sick hours changed back to sick days, after filing a stage 2 grievance.
• The district is being asked through a stage 2 grievance to continue with payroll deductions on the last Wednesday of the pay cycle and not the last day of school.
• After salary verifications members have found they are not receiving appropriate credit for courses and are not being compensated properly, one member has a pending stage 2.

by Connie Duczeminski

Now that the first marking period of our 2007-2008 school year is finished, it is extremely important to acknowledge the efforts of the members of the MTA who, in spite of the conditions at the opening of school, are responsible for continuing to offer the premium education that our students receive.

Thank you — to all of the veteran teachers who have the necessary background and experience to teach effectively without many of the necessary supplies. You have helped the students begin their year on the right track. You have exemplified for new teachers the art of teaching at Middletown High School; endurance, perseverance, creativity and dedication to education.

Good luck — to all of the new teachers who have worked so hard to prepare for and welcome our students into your classroom. You have put countless hours into organizing, planning, searching, and team work in order to ensure not only a productive start for our students, but also for your career. We all acknowledge the difficulties during the first year of teaching in a new district. Don’t lose heart or give up. It’s like childbirth, excruciating in the beginning, with magnificent results at the end.

Infinite respect — to the members of the Freshman Academy. You have all gone above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that this new program meets the requirements of the governor’s Excellence grant. You are worth far more than your paychecks. You are worth millions of dollars to our district. You have decorated the white walls with incentives and educational materials that will undoubtedly start our entire freshman class on the road to a productive high school career.

Feathers in the cap — for the members of the guidance department. Harry Houdini could take lessons from you. And to all teaching assistants who also perform magic, thank you for dedicating your efforts to support the entire educational process.

Many things in our building change –  numbers, classrooms, desks, wall paint — but one thing remains unchanged, and that is the members of the MTA who continue to serve our students with consistency, continuity and an exemplary quality of education. congratulations and THANK YOU.

Respectfully submitted to the members of the MTA.

by Cathy Byrne

On October 30th. Ms. Yegidis’ and Mrs. Byrne’s first grade classes, and parent volunteers, walked to Southwinds Retirement Home to visit the residents. We sang songs, recited poetry and each student formally introduced themselves to 5 residents. We brought along baked good donated by our families and shared the snacks with them. Southwinds contributed the drinks and paper goods. We really enjoyed visiting them and are looking forward to seeing them again sometime next spring! THANK YOU to Mid-City Bus Company for donating a bus (on standby) for us in case of inclement weather, which we didn’t need because of the beautiful fall weather we encountered.

by Lynann Day

Chorley held its annual Fall Festival on October 30th. The Fall Festival is a product of the SIT Teams’ initiative to help promote literacy and parent involvement.

Each classroom selected a theme that was then developed using the many content areas taught in school. Some topics are apples, pumpkins, scarecrows, autumn colors, fall sports, seasons, trees, spiders to name just a few. The creative displays were set up on tables in one of the gymnasiums while the lower hallway was also decorated with scarecrows that reflected each class’ theme. The parents were invited to view the displays on the evening of October 30th and the classrooms made visits the following day. The students were thrilled and excited to see their hard work on display and enjoyed checking out the other classrooms’ hard work as well. The culmination of the event was highlighted at the school’s monthly assembly wherre classrooms learned poems and songs that they performed in front of the whole school.

Special thanks go to SIT Team members (Karen Ciernak, Donna Levien, Lorraine Pagliocca, Catherine Bonnell, Paula Ey, Rosa Goetz and Cherie Gluckman) and the rest of the classroom teachers for their many hours of hard work. What a memorable and special event for the Chorley Family!

 by Lynann Day

Once again, members of the MTA came forward to help serve the community. On Sunday morning, October 21st, over 100 MTA members and their family members and friends participated in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk at Woodbury Commons Premium Outlets. Many thanks go out to all of our walkers and the building chairpersons (Lois Cronk, Kris Hanington, Jean Parella, Wendy Bartocci, Monica Alderman, Adele Kibrick, Carol Kivell, Pam House) who were part of the over 10,500 participants at Central Valley who raised in excess of $840,000.

Next year’s walk is scheduled for October 19, 2008. Mark your calendars now so that you can be part of this most worthwhile event.