As we are sure you are well aware, our current contract expires at the end of this school year. The negotiations team has held its first meeting and has visited Merrick Avenue Middle School. As we continue the process of developing our package we would like, in fact we need, your input to help us develop our proposals. Please take some time to consider your responses and fill out the survey by Friday, December 11. We welcome your ideas and creativity as well as your attendance at our building meetings.
Thank you in advance for your time and your thoughtful responses. The survey can be found here. Remaining Building Meeting Dates with Negotiations Team: Kennedy High School - Tuesday, November 17 @ 3:15 PM Meadowbrook Alternative Program, Monday, November 23 @12:30 PM Mepham High School - Tuesday, December 1 @ 3:15 PMGrand Avenue Middle School - Wednesday, December 2 @ 3:15 PM Calhoun High School - Tuesday, December 8 @ 3:15 PM Mark Steinberg/Grand Avenue BMUST President Rob Walsh/Mepham HS Peter Brideson/Grand Avenue Jason Elias/Calhoun A Memorial Service for Doug Smestad (A Celebration of Life) will be held at Calhoun High School on December 22. Doug was a beloved friend, co-worker, Social Studies Teacher, and active BMUST member. Please share the information attached with your staff members and encourage their participation. Thank you! As you may be aware, Commissioner Elia is providing all superintendents with a toolkit to reduce the number of opt outs in their districts. This is a very high priority for Elia and she will undoubtedly exert great pressure on superintendents to comply. The toolkit includes same letters and other materials to persuade (intimidate?) educators and parents not to support opting out. Needless to say, all of these materials of riddled with misconceptions, deceptions and outright falsehoods. The full toolkit may be viewed at http://www.nysed.gov/assessments-toolkit. Attached to this email are two of the items from the toolkit – a sample superintendent letter to teachers and a discussion guide for educators to use in talking to parents about the assessments – with rebuttal points added to highlight some of the misinformation being promulgated. Please let your members know that the commissioner is promoting this anti-opt out effort with superintendents and inoculate them against the deceptive claims contained in the toolkit materials.
Please share and consider attending the community forum - A Conversation about Public Education.
Wednesday, November 18, 7:00 American Legion, Valley Stream - 51 Roosevelt Avenue, VS. Please see the attached. Hempstead TA association member and parent, Elias Mestizo will be one of the presenters, along with Dr. Joseph Rella, Superintendent, Comsewogue UFSD; Jeanette Duettermann, founder and administrator of Long Island Opt Out; Jamaal Bowman, Principal, Cornerstone Academy for Social Justice; and Maribel Padin-Canestro, Parent and founder of Opt Out En Espanol National. I hope to see you there. In Unity, Barbara Hafner Please see the messages below from Edward Kent, NYSUT Nassau Regional PAC Coordinator and Ken Ulric, former ED-17 Director. Invitation is attached.
Nassau PAC team and Presidents, At-Large Nassau PAC Coordinator Ken Ulric (former ED-17 director) will be hosting a viewing of Education Inc. at the Farmingdale Library on Election Day. Please share this information with your members and encourage them to attend. The more people that understand what is happening to their locally controlled public education, the stronger this movement will become. Edward Kent NYSUT Nassau Regional PAC Coordinator Ed, I saw “Education, Inc.” at both Huntington and Bellmore last week and found it positively frightening. I think we need to try to keep the ball rolling with the public, so I’ve scheduled a showing on election day to point out what happens when people don’t come out to vote. I’ve got 300 seats to fill. I’ve invited the Farmingdale administration and school board, Opt Out (they are helping me get the word out), and local elected officials. I need your help to spread the word as well. Please forward the attached flyer to locals and retiree groups in your area and encourage them to attend. I believe the more people who see the movie, the more angry people we will have. Ken I am very happy to announce that last night the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve the following members of our Negotiations Team:
Mark Steinberg, President Rob Walsh, 1st Vice-President Peter Brideson, 2nd Vice-President Jon Dell’Olio, Grievance Chairman Brian DeGaetano, Kennedy HS Jason Elias, Calhoun HS Lisa Gaeta, Grand Avenue MS Deanne Junior, Merrick MS Laura Sheridan, Meadowbrook Alternative Program Gregg Zogby, Mepham HS The team will be meeting Tuesday, October 20 to begin discussions and coordinate a plan for the negotiations process. School visitations with team members will be arranged so that BMUST members have an opportunity to share their ideas with us. Your building representative on the team should be utilized to discuss topics you would like to see addressed during negotiations. Everyone should have a blue contract book to refer to during your building discussions. Your representative can then bring your ideas to the entire team. Please know that the entire team will work diligently to achieve a fair and reasonable settlement. We welcome and encourage your ideas and suggestions, and we ask for your support and unity as we begin this endeavor. Thank you. In Solidarity, Mark Below is a letter from Hank Sessa, BMUST's Retirement Consultant.
Simple Thoughts on Retirement Planning There are so many questions and emotions associated with retirement. The secret to dealing with this situation is planning whether you are a first year, a tenth year or a last year employee. How will I save for retirement and all the other needs of my family? How do I invest? Will I have enough savings? Will I relocate? Should I volunteer or work for income. Can I travel? What can I do with my time? The concerns are personal and legitimate. Your retirement should be based on what you want to do. It is normal to be concerned. Spousal, family or financial issues always enter into the process, but yours is the opinion that counts. Use caution when it comes to letting others have too great an impact on your thoughts. For a prospective retiree this is a stressful time. The best way to approach retirement at any stage of your career is with a flexible plan. The plan can be an ever-changing series of thoughts that can be as simple as “I will wait for my decision until Social Security”, “I will accumulate a certain dollar amount” or “I will open a 403b or Tax Sheltered Annuity”. These all work. Planning can and will help your thinking about and expanding your thoughts on retirement. In my 16 years as a retirement counselor one thing stands out. People with a plan have an easier time with the emotion of retirement. Finances are important but the emotional side of retirement is important too! If you need or want help getting started with your plan or “wrapping up” your career, may I suggest that you visit the NYSTRS website or attend one of their seminars. Beware of insurance company invitations. You can also call me or set-up an appointment to discuss any and all retirement matters. I welcome your inquiries. Hank Sessa NYSRetirement Guide 631-335-8201 The big day is almost here! The Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk is just around the corner.
BMUST is preparing for another great event. Here are a few reminders:
Please read the note below from Gabrielle Harrington, Locust Valley.
Dear Presidents, Last night, the members of the Locust Valley School Employees ratified a one year CBA which ended our conflict over Triborough and gives us the right to incremental step every year (beyond Triborough). So, there is no precedent set here that anyone should be concerned about! Our event as listed above was a huge success and I thank each and every one of you for sending your members as requested. If any of you need our help in the future, we are ready to go! Thank you, again, and have a great weekend! Gabrielle Harrington, Locust Valley |
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