The GNTA Report, our quarterly newsletter, is now being distributed to all of our members electronically. (If you’d still like a hardcopy, we’re placing a few in each building’s main office.) We estimate this change will save over 11,000 sheets of paper each year, and we hope you enjoy the full color and live web links of our new format.
The GNTA Benefit Trust Fund would like you to know that November 2013 will be an open enrollment period for those wishing to purchase long term disability insurance. Click the link below for more information. Long Term Disability Insurance The privacy practices of GNTA's Benefit Trust Fund have been revised under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Click the link below to learn how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. New HIPAA Privacy Practices In a massive show of solidarity, hundreds of Long Island educators and community members came out on September 26 to support the Carle Place Teachers Association in their fight for a fair contract and against a proposed two-tiered salary schedule that would severely curtail what teachers earn in the future. GNTA was there, along with AFT President Randi Weingarten and NYSUT President Dick Ianuzzi who both spoke out against this assault on public education. Last week I wrote to you about a rally taking place in Carle Place on Thursday, September 26, at 7 p.m. The big issue is a proposed salary schedule that would result in the loss of thousands of dollars in lifetime earnings for new hires. This would create a two-tier salary system, which is inherently unequal and therefore unfair. The rally is gaining momentum! Two guest speakers will be AFT President Randi Weingarten and NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi. But the voice of each and every one of us counts, and we must each use that voice, because not to do so would not only abandon our colleagues in Carle Place but would also make us complicit in setting a precedent that could harm us personally. I URGE YOU TO ATTEND THE RALLY!!! I'll be sending out parking and meeting point information soon, and beautiful blue GNTA t-shirts will be given on a first-come, first-served basis to anyone who commits to going. To get your t-shirt, call Rosemary Cook at the Cottage (516-829-9070); we have Larges and Extra Larges left over from the Albany rally. You can pick up your t-shirt at the Cottage any time OR at the DA meeting on September 26 at South High School (no fair taking a t-shirt unless you plan to show up!). BE THERE! IT'S THE FUTURE OF ALL OF US! Among the many retirement planning tools offered by NYSTRS are personal benefit consultations and group seminars focused on retirement planning. Please visit NYSTRS.org to review the 2013-14 Benefits Consultation and fall 2013 Pension & Retirement Education Program (PREP) schedules, and book your appointment today. The schedules are accessible through the Retirement Planning page.
Dick Ianuzzi addresses the crowd
In Albany on June 8, GNTA joined thousands of educators, administrators, parents, and students from across New York State to rally for public education. As NYSUT President Dick Ianuzzi said, the day is not "against anyone - today is FOR children. It is a day for re-examining how we look at testing and the achievement gap; poverty and the wealth gap; and equity and fairness." The One Voice United rally included music and rousing speeches from AFT President Randi Weingarten, education analyst John Nichols, and many others who denounced the state's obsession with standardized testing and APPR. As Ianuzzi said, "We don't have any concerns about accountability if you do it right and it's fair!" Visit NYSUT.org for more news from the rally. Diane Ravitch, a noted author and professor, has publicly applauded the Great Neck Board of Education for unanimously passing a resolution denouncing the state's over reliance on standardized testing. Visit Diane Ravitch's Blog for the whole story! By an overwhelming majority, GNTA's membership has approved a revision to ARTICLE III, Section 5 of the GNTA Constitution. The amended language, now formally adopted, is italicized and in bold below. “The Association shall not deny membership nor shall it discriminate against its members on the basis of sex, creed, color, race, age, national origin, sexual orientation, or political belief, nor shall any organization which so denies membership be affiliated with the Association.”
Jennifer Snyder & retiree Esther Weiner
On May 22, GNTA and friends gathered at the Westbury Manor to salute our retirees and celebrate GNTA's 75th anniversary. Congratulations to John Liotta (SMS), Diana Murad (SMS) and Esther Weiner (EMB) on their retirement, and we thank them for their years of professionalism and dedication to the children of Great Neck. GNTA was founded in 1938, coinciding with the implementation of the New York State tenure laws. For 75 years, GNTA has fought to protect teachers, improve working conditions, and obtain a fair contract--all conditions necessary to maintain the best educational environment for all. Click on the slideshow below for many more pictures from our gala! Sheila Scimone Recently many of us attended the NYSUT convention and came home feeling slightly more heartened than we have in the last few years. More and more parents are seeing the negative effects of high stakes testing on their children. More and more respected journalists and social critics are writing about the flaws in current approaches to teacher evaluation and to public education in general that are either politically or commercially motivated-or both. We in the field of education, who have been ducking for cover for the past several years, are beginning to find more supporters in the world outside our schools. As a result, NYSUT is sponsoring what we hope will be a massive rally in Albany on June 8 in support of public education. The logistics are as follows: The rally is planned for noon, ending at around 2 pm. GNTA, in cooperation with NYSUT, has chartered a coach bus for the day, which will leave at 7:30 am from the South High School parking lot, returning some time around 6 pm. Attendees should bring lunch, snacks, etc. All GNTA members who attend will receive our first-ever GNTA t-shirt! Spouses and children are welcome. I've been in all of your buildings, and I've heard your concerns regarding budget cuts, APPR, and testing. It's not enough to tell me; you have to tell the governor...your legislators...the Regents. They're the ones who have control over these issues. While I'm not always a fan of rallies, in some cases the time is right for gathering to raise one united voice. Think March on Washington...Million Mom March...the recent gatherings in Hartford that helped push the Connecticut legislature into passing ground-breaking gun control measures. The time for this is RIGHT. To reserve your seat on the bus, please call Rosemary Cook at the Cottage, 829-9070. I hope to see you there! Keynote speaker Diane Ravitch On May 1st Take Action Long Island (TALI) hosted a forum, “Public Education at the Crossroads.” TALI is composed of a group of Nassau and Suffolk teacher union locals who want to address educational challenges facing educators on Long Island today. In attendance from our district were teachers, Board of Education members, administrators and parents. The event was both informative and empowering. The keynote speaker, Diane Ravitch, spoke in depth about the interconnectedness between politics, private corporations and charter schools. She highlighted the dangers of the privatization of public schools and how there has been a rampant increase in this practice across the United States. Ms. Ravitich also provided specific evidence citing the fallacies of a system like APPR that uses testing in a high stakes and non-diagnostic way. In her words, “Testing does not close achievement gaps, it measures them.” She was articulate and extensive in pointing out the many ways in which educational reforms are really “educational deforms.” Following the keynote speaker was a panel of four individuals who play different roles in a variety of school districts from Long Island. Each panel member spoke about the economic dangers of the tax cap for Long Island public school districts. In fact, if the tax cap was put in place 10 years ago, Massapequa School District would have to be functioning with approximately one-third less of their budget this year. By the end of this forum it was clear that the current reform movement in education is fraught with problems and needs to be stopped. The most effective way we can do this is to unite together: teachers, parents, administrators, and community members. There is an upcoming Rally for Public Education in Albany on June 8th to use one voice to fight for the future of our public schools. - MICHELLE SORISE Here are the results of the April 29, 2013 GNTA elections. Thanks to Linda Gitman and Mona Haber of the Elections Committee for all of their hard work. The 2013-15 Executive Board: President Sheila Scimone Vice President for Professional Rights & Responsibilities Jennifer Snyder Vice President for Administration Jim Daszenski Vice President for Contract Improvement Kim Semder Vice President for Professional Development Elaine Brendel Treasurer Maura Carroll Elementary Director, K-2 Donna Peirez Elementary Director, 3-5 Luci Legotti Middle School Director Frank Bua High School Director Jeff Bernstein The 2013 AFT and 2014 NYSUT Delegates/Alternates: GNTA Jeff Bernstein / Michelle Sorise Frank Bua / Donna Peirez Maura Carroll / Elaine Brendel Patricia Crisafulli / Patricia Carnevale Jim Daszenski / Fran Tria Sheila Scimone / Kathleen Andrews Jennifer Snyder / Luci Legotti Retired Educators Chapter Bill Toto / Ruth Ann Bertman GNTA will be toasting its retirees and celebrating its 75th anniversary at the Westbury Manor on Wednesday, May 22 from 4-7 p.m. We hope you can join us! Click the link below for more details and the official invitation.
GNTA's Retirement Reception and Diamond Jubilee Share My Lesson is a place where educators can come together to create and share their very best teaching resources. Brought to you by the AFT, and developed by teachers for teachers, this free platform gives access to high-quality teaching resources and provides an online community where teachers can collaborate with, encourage and inspire each other. Share My Lesson has a significant resource bank for Common Core State Standards, covering all aspects of the standards, from advice and guides to help with dedicated resources that support the standards. Visit www.sharemylesson.com today! |
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