January 2009 CSA News Final.qxd_2008 CSA News

Transcription

SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION
Retiree Chapter Spring Brochure
See Pages 7-10 for
Cultural/Educational/Outreach Events
January 2009
Volume 42, Number 5
Local 1, American
Federation of School
Administrators, AFL-CIO
CSANEWS
COUNCIL OF SCHOOL SUPERVISORS AND ADMINISTRATORS
PRINCIPAL POOL
The Future of Public Education
New System
Seen as More
Equitable
ANNE SILVERSTEIN
In response to member complaints about the Principal Pool
selection process, CSA has recommended changes in the procedure with the Department of Education that should resolve a
number of issues.
Members had complained that after being
rejected from the Principal
Pool, they had no feedback
from the DOE as to why
they failed in their applications, and they had no
process to appeal the decision. Successful applicants did not receive a copy of their candidate evaluation form indicating how they performed in the five
competencies and written communication. Members also complained that the one-year waiting period to reapply for selection
into the Pool was too long.
After discussions with the DOE, all applicants will now receive
a copy of the candidate evaluation form, said CSA General Counsel
Bruce K. Bryant. This candidate information is also given to hiring managers when the applicant applies for a position.
Those who fail to gain entry into the Principal Pool will be
given the results of the evaluation as well as an opportunity to
appeal, Mr. Bryant said. That appeal will be handled by staff members not involved in the initial screening, he added.
A fairer, more
transparent process
for CSA members.
YURIDIA PEÑA
■ More than 200 students (and perhaps future educators) attended a panel on “The Future of Public
Schools” at City College of New York on Dec. 2. Among the topics discussed were mayoral control, drop-out
rates and charter schools. The panelists included CSA President Ernest Logan; NYS Regents Drs. Lester Young
and Betty Rosa; Dr. Richard Organisciak, New Rochelle Superintendent; Dr. Alfred S. Posamentier, Dean of
CCNY’s School of Education; Althea Serrant, a former CSD Superintendent and now an educational consultant; and UFT Vice President Michael Mulgrew. CSA’s Logan received kind words from Patricia Black,
President, CCNY Education Alumni: “Any panel discussing the future of education has to include President
Logan. He has the background and insight to project as to where we are heading as we face a future that
holds many challenges for us as Americans.”
Continued on Page 12
What You Need to
Know About
Leadership
Competencies
Budget Concerns
Seniority Rights
Protect Members
3
Day Care Centers:
Fighting Back
BY CSA STAFF
5
YURIDIA PEÑA
■ Assistant Principals Blanca Torres Mutt, left, and Judy Diaz, right, flank
Principal Betty Gonzalez-Soto.
Plaudits for a Mentor
BY YURIDIA PEÑA
Cahn Fellowship
Awards
12
When Aspiring Principals visit Betty Gonzalez-Soto’s school in
the Bronx, they say, “Wow. This is what I want my future school
to look like.”
With reason. CS 211 in the Morrisania neighborhood proves
the notion that schools in poor neighborhoods can achieve, and
breathes life into the idealism that brings
so many people into the education field.
Continued
Ms. Gonzalez-Soto, with her quiet
on Page
manner, provides students with a clean,
11
A
s the state and city’s budget crisis continues to
grow, CSA is continuously in contact with the
Department of Education to determine what
budget cuts will be made and how the DOE will implement them. The DOE is trying to limit the impact on personnel, said Executive Director Field Operations Audrey
Fuentes. Although, the DOE will try to avoid layoffs, she
said, “We took the initiative to ask them to compile and
send to us a seniority list for Education Administrators.”
That list was sent to CSA’s Education Administrators
with the request that EAs contact the union if any of the
information was incorrect. In turn, CSA has been working
with the DOE to correct mistakes. (Questions? Contact an
Assistant District Chair for Non-School Based Supervisors.)
All DOE CSA members should review their work histories, salary screens and license status.( Principals and APs
can do this online.) For more information on what you
need to do, see Bob Reich’s column on Page 4.
2
CSA NEWS
January 2009
PRESIDENT’S PAGE
Surround Yourself
With the Best
Council of School
Supervisors & Administrators
Representing Principals, Assistant
Principals, Supervisors, Administrators
and Day Care Directors in NYC
American Federation of School
Administrators, AFL-CIO, Local 1
16 Court Street, Brooklyn, NY 11241-1003
Phone: (718) 852-3000
Fax: (718) 403-0278
Web site: www.csa-nyc.org
President
Ernest A. Logan
Executive Vice President
Peter J. McNally
First Vice President
Randi Herman, Ed.D
Secretary
Mark Cannizzaro
Treasurer
Laverne Burrowes
Vice Presidents
Alexander Castillo,
Robert Kazanowitz,
Richard Oppenheimer,
Nilda J. Rivera, Nancy Russ,
Irwin Shanes, Retiree Chapter
Advisory Committee
Members At Large
William Pinkett, Retiree Chapter,
Myrna Walters, Ronald Williams
Executive Director Operations
Anita Gomez-Palacio
General Counsel
Bruce K. Bryant
Counsels
Barbara Jaccoma, David Grandwetter
Controller
Bernard Feinstein
Executive Director Field Services
Audrey Fuentes
Field Directors
Juanita Bass, Stephen Bennett,
Phyliss Bullion, Bernard Lopez,
Lena Medley, Kathleen Murphy,
Daisy O’Gorman, Steven M. Rosen,
Margaret Williams
Assistant Field Directors
Mary Aloisio, Mildred Boyce,
Mark Brodsky, Charles Dluzniewski,
Joanne Frank, Aura Gangemi,
Ray Gregory, Robert Jeanette,
Kate Leonard, Christine Martin,
Bill Meehan, Thelma Peeples,
Cynthia Sanders, Shelli Sklar
Grievance Director
Robert J. Reich
Assistant Directors
Carol Atkins, Robert Colon,
Evelyn Phair Finn,
Marlene Lazar, Ph.D,
Phyllis Casolaro Williams
Director of Communications
Chiara Coletti
Obama’s Cabinet Choices A Model for Educators By Ernest A. Logan
• • •
P
resident Obama has selected a highly educated, respected
and diverse team of cabinet members who differ widely in
ideas, personal style, methodology and past preparation, for
the work they’re being called upon to do. The man who
chose them seems to thrive on their differences and, even, in
some instances, on their superior knowledge. He is strength-
Katz Visits Exec. Board
M
any of our Principals already choose their leadership
teams with the same level of self-confidence and insight
as President Obama. Many do it very well, but not as well as
As a Principal, you should select
your advisors as carefully as Obama
has selected his Cabinet members.
Director of Development
Marjorie Churgin
Director of IT
Egal Sanchez
Retiree Chapter
Neil Lefkowitz, Chair
Gary Goldstein, Director
CSA Historian
Jack Zuckerman
Conference Chairman
Pierre Lehmuller
CSA NEWS
CSA News (004-532) is published 10 times
a year for $35 per year per member by CSA,
16 Court St., Brooklyn, NY, 11241. Second
Class Postage paid at Brooklyn, NY and
additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to CSA NEWS, 16
Court St., Brooklyn, NY, 11241.
matters more.
Based on what we’ve begun to learn from Barack Obama,
I’d like to suggest a best-case scenario here: We should strive
to invest the kind of time, thoughtfulness, energy, fairness
and fearlessness in selecting and vetting members of our leadership teams that President Obama apparently invested in
selecting his Cabinet. Rather than looking for individuals
who are similar to us and make us comfortable, more often
we should look for those who bring a different perspective to
the work we do. Instead of seeking out candidates just
because they might take on the tasks we’d rather avoid – perhaps parent involvement or staff supervision or even overall
instructional supervision – we should try harder to look for
those who will do such tasks well, yes, but who will also help
us learn how to do those tasks better than we currently do
and even enjoy it.
Let’s not select members of our leadership teams based on
past friendships and encounters but on genuine talents and
courage to challenge us when necessary, and, above all, their
dedication to the success of all children. And, by all means,
let’s support and encourage them, accept their shortcomings
when possible and show great faith in their talents.
• • •
Assistant Directors
Antoinette Isable
John Khani
Alex Voetsch
Editor Anne Silverstein
Editorial Assistant Yuridia Peña
Production Consultant Michele Pacheco
Production Assistant Christine Altman
Design Consultant Louis Silverstein
ened, not intimidated, by their expertise.
When asked how such a team – which
includes Clintonians and even Republicans
– can work effectively towards constructive
change, the President says that he is personally responsible for the vision and direction,
and his team for carrying out the mission.
He communicates deep faith in their ability.
In observing the President’s confident
way of assembling high-quality individuals,
Principals have an opportunity to learn
from his leadership style and use it to
strengthen their own practice. As educators,
we know the stakes are very high for us,
too: the wellbeing and education of children. Our children represent the future of
our nation and our world, and nothing
H
appy New Year and best
wishes for health, prosperity,
and peace in the year to
come. When you read this
column, I will have had the
opportunity to attend the inauguration of
Barack Obama, the 44th President of the
United States. I have no doubt the experience will have been enormously inspiring.
Most of us have been impressed, even
exalted, by this extraordinary man’s rapid
rise from relative obscurity to become
leader of the free world. Deep personal
convictions, values and faith have clearly
propelled him forward, against the odds,
and transformed him into a symbol of
hope. He has also emerged as an international example of a born leader. In years to come, as historians dissect President Obama’s talent for leadership, they will
ponder the motivation behind his Cabinet choices. They will
be as intrigued and fascinated tomorrow, as we are today, by
the leadership team he so thoughtfully assembled. As leaders
of schools, we are probably more interested in this than
many others. Not only are we educators interested in his
selection of Arne Duncan, the Chicago Schools
Superintendent, as Secretary of Education, we are interested
in the entire tapestry of the new Cabinet. Assembling an
effective leadership team is important to the success of a
school in much the way the selection of a Cabinet is to a
nation.
YURIDIA PEÑA
■ City Councilwoman Melinda Katz spoke to the CSA Executive
Board on Dec. 16 to discuss the city’s increasingly fragile financial
health and educational issues, such as the C-30 process, which she
believes should be more transparent. Ms. Katz, a two-term Queens
councilwoman, is running for City Comptroller in 2009.
they could. Many have a long way to go. And no matter what,
all school leaders make mistakes in the selection process.
Beyond a doubt, even the 44th President of the United States
will make such mistakes. Nevertheless, the message he is sending to us is clear: Move beyond your comfort level to get a
hard job done. In our case, that job is to aim, without wavering, for the success of every student we encounter. We cannot
do this alone. We can do it only with an effective team of
strong individuals, particularly Assistant Principals. The role of
Assistant Principal has evolved into that of leader of a learning
community, master teacher, director of professional development and evaluator of staff. On a microcosmic level, we are
talking about the equivalent of cabinet secretaries, who can
help guarantee the success of a Principal, a faculty, a student
January 2009
CSA NEWS
3
MFA: Focus on Math
Teaching and
PD top List of
Topics at MFA
Focus Group
YURIDIA PEÑA
■ Above, MFA’s Focus Group facilitators led the discussion. From right, Interim
Executive Director Lee Umphrey, Program Associate Jenny Harmon, and
Program Director Jonathan Schweig. Inset: Lisa Gioe-Cordi, Principal of MS 477,
D-15, Brooklyn.
Math For America held a
focus group on Dec. 9 for about a
dozen Principals at CSA’s headquarters. MFA, a non-profit
organization, recruits and trains
math teachers for secondary
schools nationwide. As part of
MFA’s sponsorship of CSA’s 44th
Conference, MFA asked to meet
with CSA Principals to get feedback on math instruction, professional development for math
teachers (especially for the math
fellows from MFA) and how to
keep math teachers from leaving
for other careers.
–YP
A DEVELOPMENTAL CONTINUUM
Requirements for Leadership
Competencies Are Spelled Out
TRACY BRESLIN
Director, DOE School Leadership Development
S
chool leaders who can produce outstanding results for NYC’s students are essential to
successful schools. That’s why one of the
Department of Education’s top priorities is to
support and empower school leaders. To address
this priority, the DOE created new professional
development tools and resources to support
school leaders in their effort to improve student
achievement.
Aspiring and current school leaders sometimes ask what specific knowledge and skills
are required to effectively lead schools and
increase student achievement. The DOE’s
School Leadership Competencies address
these questions.
Recently, the DOE updated the
Competencies based on additional research
about Principal effectiveness and feedback
from Principals, network leaders, coaches,
CSA leaders, and other DOE representatives.
The Competencies are designed to:
• Provide a common language and understanding about effective leadership practices,
• Identify key skills school leaders need
to increase student achievement, and,
• Serve as a foundation for a comprehensive school leadership development system that aligns recruitment, selection, training, and ongoing support of school leaders.
describes what each competency looks like
in practice at five different stages of leadership development – emerging, developing,
proficient, mastery, and exemplary.
Informed by current and retired principals,
coaches, and trainers, the continuum provides concrete examples of each competency
in action.
Recognizing that all aspiring and current
school leaders have strengths and areas of
growth, the developmental continuum provides a tool for reflection and self-assessment
to support a school leader’s ongoing development. The continuum is not prescriptive
and allows for a variety of proven school
leadership styles, philosophies, and models.
The continuum is designed to be a developmental support tool. While school leaders
or superintendents may choose to refer to
the continuum to set specific goals for development, the continuum itself is not designed
to be a supervisory or evaluative tool.
(Both the updated competencies and the
developmental continuum can be found on the
Principals’ Portal under the new “Leadership
Development” tab.)
Using the Tools
There are many ways in which school
leaders can use the competencies and continuum. They include:
1. Identify individual strengths as a
school leader as well as areas for growth and
development. Recognizing that everyone has
different areas of strength and development,
it is natural for current or aspiring school
leaders to be "proficient" in some areas,
"exemplary" in others, and “emerging” or
"developing" in yet others.
2. Leaders can reflect personally as they
develop goals for the Principal Performance
Review. Create measurable goals around specific areas of competency development.
3. Model continual learning in a school
by creating a concrete professional development plan tailored to a Principal’s strengths
and growth areas.
4. Focus discussions when seeking feedback from colleagues.
5. Attend competency-development workshops (see sidebar) to further develop skills.
6. Help the network team differentiate
the support it provides to the school leader
and the school.
7. Identify and nurture future leaders
within a school and leadership team.
Most school leaders already invest heavily in the development of students and staff.
The DOE hopes they will recognize an equal
need to invest in themselves and use these
new tools. The DOE, CSA and others will
continue to create additional resources and
opportunities to help Principals enhance
leadership and management skills so they
can continue to have a positive impact on
the lives of the city’s students.
The Five Competencies
There are five School Leadership
Competencies:
• Personal Leadership – Foster a culture
of excellence through personal leadership.
• Data – Use data to set high learning
goals and increase student achievement.
• Curriculum and Instruction – Leverage
deep knowledge of curriculum, instruction
and assessment to improve student learning.
• Staff and Community – Develop staff,
appropriately share leadership, and build
strong school communities.
• Resources and Operations – Manage
resources and operations to improve student
learning.
The DOE expanded the Competencies
into a full developmental continuum that
COMING
EVENTS
Events are at CSA’s Brooklyn
Headquarters, 16 Court Street
unless otherwise noted.
)
(
JAN. 8, 4 PM:
NYCESPA Executive
Board
JAN. 12, 4 PM:
Association of
Assistant Principals
JAN. 13, 9:30 AM: CSA
Retiree Chapter
Outreach Program
JAN. 13, 5 PM and 6
PM (respectively):
ABENY Executive
Committee and
Executive Board
JAN. 14, 8:30 AM: Day
Care Professional
Development
JAN. 15, 4 PM:
Defensive Driving
Class
JAN. 20, 5 PM: CSA
Executive Board
JAN. 21, 4:30 PM:
Education
Administrators
Association
JAN. 22, 9 AM:
Retiree Chapter
Executive Board
JAN. 22, 4:30 PM: Irish
American Heritage
and Culture
Committee
FEB. 3, 4:30 PM: CSA
District Chairs
FEB. 5, 10 AM: Retiree
Chapter Advisory
Committee
FEB. 5, 5:30 PM: CSA
Latino Caucus
FEB. 10, 5 PM: ABENY
Executive
Committee meeting
and Executive
Board meeting
FEB. 12, 8:30 AM: Day
Care Professional
Development
Please check with the
event organizer to confirm
these times and dates.
‘Children First’ Workshop
T
he DOE has announced the launch
of the Children First Leadership
Workshop Series to help school leaders
further develop leadership skills.
This series, a collaboration of the
NYC DOE Talent Office, the NYC
Leadership Academy, and CSA’s
Executive Leadership Institute, recognizes the significant impact school leaders have on student achievement. These
workshops are designed specifically to
support school leaders’ development in
the five DOE School Leadership
Competency areas.
Already, ELI and the Leadership
Academy have facilitated 14 workshops
on a number of relevant topics. Please
visit the CSA’s website, www.csa-nyc.org,
or the Leadership Academy’s website,
www.nycleadershipacademy.org/current
_principals/workshops_trainings, to
learn about and register for upcoming
Teachers’
Retirement System
December 2008
Unit Values
Diversified Equity: 41.509
Stable-Value: 19.495
International Equity: 6.678
Inflation Protection: 8.042
Socially Responsive
Equity: 7.529
4
CSA NEWS
Human Resources
January 2009
Bob Reich
Taking Care of Business, Your Personal Business That Is
dministrators are working long
hours to insure that NYC public
schools succeed. Unfortunately, we
frequently forget to do what is necessary to ensure our own success in taking
care of ourselves. This column will provide
you with a list of things you should do,
whether you are newly appointed or planning to retire.
Principals, Assistant Principals and
Supervisors of… should know their DOE
seniority. As you read this, do you know
your seniority? All members should visit
https://wiki.nycenet.edu/display/
DHRSO/CSA+Excessing+Seniority+Report
After logging in, if you believe your information is incorrect, contact me at [email protected]. Make sure you explain specifically
what is incorrect and I will work to ensure
that you have your appropriate service
reported.
The accuracy of this information
becomes increasingly important should
CSA members find themselves in an excessing situation. When we retire, accurate
information is also crucial for a correct calculation of our final entitlements.
Education Administrators should check
their seniority as well. CSA recently mailed
seniority information, provided by the DOE,
to you. If you don’t have it, you can contact
your Assistant District Chair who has a hard
copy. If you find a mistake in your data,
again, contact me. Some of you have
already done this and we have contacted the
DOE and taken care of those problems. After
Jan. 1, CSA will provide Assistant Chairs
with an updated seniority list for EAs.
A
Do not
wait until
the
day
you’re
ready to
retire to
get your
house in
order.
Eight Points of Light
OK. Now that you’ve taken care of your
seniority records, you have other personnel
matters to settle.
1) If you’re an interim acting or
appointed supervisor: For various reasons,
you decide to revert to your prior license.
But can you? If your prior license has
expired or you fail to meet the certification
requirements, you do not have the right to
revert to your prior license. Check your
licenses, both current and prior, and make
sure you have met all requirements. If you
fail to do so, review what must be done to
meet them now. CSA wants to be sure that
if you have to (or want to) revert, you’ll
have the option. Questions? Contact me.
2) Principals and 12-month Assistant
Principals: Your vacation – “use it or lose
it”! Principals may use vacation from
September to August. Assistant Principals
may use vacation from July to June. Keep
track of vacation days and take them. In
District 75, both the Principal’s and
Assistant Principal’s work year is September
to June. For the 2008-09 school year, the
If you have performed per
session work and have not
received payment within
one month, call me.
remaining mandated vacation days are Feb.
16 – Feb. 20 (3 days mandated vacation) and
April 9 – April 17 (5 days mandated vacation). Submit vacation requests in advance.
Vacations must be mutually agreed to. If
you have difficulty getting vacation
approved, contact me.
Non-school based employees: Your
offices are closed Dec. 25-26, Jan. 1-2, Feb.
16, and April 9-10. In addition, due to your
collective bargaining agreement, Feb. 20 is
not a work day, although DOE offices are
open. These days are not deducted from
your vacation allowance.
3) Are you paid the correct salary? Go
to the CSA website (www.csa-nyc.org), click
on NYC School Members, click on
Contract, and finally click on Salary
Schedule. Still not sure? E-mail me your file
number and your question. Because they’re
checked, many members now receive their
correct longevities and salaries.
4) If you have performed per session
work and are not paid within one month,
e-mail me.
5) Review your official file at least
once a year. You are entitled to have a representative present. Make a list of all documents in the file and maintain copies of letters, observations, etc. Oddly enough, this
type of material can be the basis for disciplinary action, but it can also be used in your
defense as well.
6) If you are reassigned or removed
from a school pending an investigation
or allegation, your DOE internet access
may be denied. Keep hard copies of personnel materials and correspondence at home.
7) If you are, or were, an EA, check
annually to ensure that you have a copy of
your monthly approved time sheet. This
information is essential when you retire in
determining your final entitlement. If you
have changed sites, be certain your files follow. If files are missing, contact me.
Remember: As part of your final entitlement, EAs, or former EAs, are entitled to
compensation for unused vacation in addition to unused “CAR”. You may accumulate up to two years with no prior approval
required, and an additional third year of
unused vacation if you have a yearly waiver
signed by your immediate supervisor.
Check to ensure that you have this or the
third year will be denied.
8) The paperwork for retirement can
be overwhelming. Make it easier by visiting the TRS website, www.trs.nyc.ny.us.
Click on the “pension calculator” and click
on the information. If information is missing, contact me. Don’t wait until you plan
to retire to address problems. You should
also consult a financial planner or pension
consultant for advice.
Many of you are so focused on performing your jobs that you have forgotten to take
care of yourselves. Well, no one else can.
(Questions? E-mail me at [email protected].)
Clip this and insert in the Member’s
Handbook. Cut on dotted line, punch holes
where indicated, fold to fit, and file under
LEGAL. You can also download a formatted
copy from www.csa-nyc.org.
▲ Cut on dotted line for insertion in Members’ Handbook ▲
Letters
Let’s Make the High
School Selection Process
Fair for All HS Students
To the Editor: In response to the article
Even an Expert’s Resolve Is Tested by the
City’s High School Admissions Process that
ran in The New York
Times (Dec. 8, 2008),
schools of education
are constantly searching for more creative
ways to infuse technology meaningfully
into the classroom.
It would be nice
to see the NYC
Dr. Posamentier
schools use technology to facilitate the school selection
process for parents and children with virtual tours and online interviews. Not all
parents have the fortitude, cleverness,
experience and, above all, time to do
what Clara Hemphill has been doing for
her daughter.
Let’s give all students a fair crack at
the school selection process.
—Dr. Alfred Posamentier
Dean, School of Education,
City College of New York
(Editor’s Note: This letter appeared
in the Dec. 9 online version of The
New York Times. Clara Hemphill is an
expert on the NYC public school system. The article revealed that even she
was overwhelmed by the NYC public
high school application process.)
A Lesson in ‘What Not to
Do’ From Corporate Titans
To the Editor: We have been told for the
past 12 years (beginning with former
Schools Chancellor Harold O. Levy and
continuing through the last eight of
Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Klein)
that the private sector and competition
would lead the way for us old-school,
backward public school educators. They
would teach us efficiency, how to use
data and how to get results. Well, I never
went for the MBA (though I am told
George W. Bush did in fact get one from
Harvard.) Isn't it amazing how these
overpaid captains of industry have run
their respective ships aground and are
shipwrecked?
Now that these corporate titans from
across all sectors of the corporate world –
auto industry, banks, mortgage corporations and others – have shown that they
cannot manage at the end of the day
without public assistance and bailouts, is
it possible that we can now put the public back in public education?
—Brian DeVale,
Principal, PS 257, D-14
Brooklyn
Commendable Work on
the Part of School Safety
Agents Is Appreciated
To the Editor: I am writing to commend
two of my School Safety Agents on their
exemplary work handling a difficult student in November.
SSA Bates and Perez, with diplomacy
and sensitivity, calmed an angry and
antagonistic student and escorted him to a
safe place thus allowing our dean and
counselor to handle the situation. The student was removed from the school in the
custody of his parents.
The handling of the situation was
greatly appreciated. I have sent a letter of
commendation to the appropriate officers
in charge of school safety.
—Mark Federman
Principal, East Side Community HS
Manhattan
January 2009
CSA NEWS
DCC Leaders Fighting Back
has not been resolved,
Mr. McNally said.
“We’re trying to be an
CSA’s officers and
advocate for children as
negotiating team are
well as Day Care memhanging tough in the
bers,” he told the
Day Care contract talks,
Executive Board.
refusing to bow to presCSA President Ernest
sure to reduce health
Logan and his predecescare benefits for Day
sor, Jill Levy, have
Care Directors in exrepeatedly called for the
change for a contract.
DOE to take responsiBut while this battle
bility for early childcontinues to play out –
NEIL TEPEL
it’s been 2 ½ years since ■ Randi Herman spoke at a Dec. 9 press conference hood education, but Mr.
Logan espouses a carethe contract expired – on Day Care cuts at City Hall.
fully developed transiseveral other fronts recently opened in the city’s ongo- figures because of poor com- tion with community input and
public discussion to accommoing assault on community-pro- munication.
Since CSA has become in- date everyone’s concerns so that
vided Day Care.
The Administration of Child- volved in this discussion, the the outcome satisfies parents
ren’s Services announced that number of centers on the class- and works out well for the chil22 city-subsidized Day Care room chopping block has dren.
This proposal, Mr. Logan
Centers would each lose fund- dropped to 14 because ACS has
ing for one classroom to help been provided accurate infor- said, was abrupt and presented
close a $68 million hole in its mation. “We’re still working on in a half-baked manner. CSA has
it,” said Mr. McNally.
issued several proposals to recACS has also announced a oncile the opposing positions
plan to transfer 3,500 five-year- and implement a shared responolds from ACS Day Care Centers sibility of costs for Day Care.
to Department of Education
■ DOE should run classes for
kindergarten classrooms next five-year-olds at ACS Day Care
September. In fact, Mr. McNally Centers.
said, ACS Commissioner John
■ DOE should pay for teachMattingly told CSA of this pro- ers and instructional supports.
posal prior to notifying DOE. ACS would have no additional
Indeed, the DOE, expecting to financial burden since the cost
see its own budget slashed in of the facility would already be
the coming year, cannot con- covered by ACS funding.
■ After the teacher leaves at 3
budget, said CSA Executive Vice firm that it has sufficient seats
President Peter McNally at the for the influx of 3,500 children. p.m., ACS becomes the care
Lost in the discussion is any provider. That means after
Dec. 16 CSA Executive Board
thought as to the inconvenience school, the children remain
meeting.
ACS claims that some Day to parents, after-school care, cared for by trained professionCare Centers have chronic transportation of the children, als rather than by teenagers or
vacancies, which wastes money; and location of schools in rela- undertrained assistants who
CSA says that the city lacks accu- tion to parents’ homes or jobs. often staff traditional afterrate data about true enrollment The issue of these 3,500 children school programs.
BY ANNE SILVERSTEIN
‘We’re trying to
be an advocate
for children as
well as Day Care
members.’
‘Somos’ Holds Winter Conference
■ From left, City
Councilwomen Inez Dickens,
Maria Baez, Maria del Carmen
Arroyo and Council Speaker
Christine Quinn;
Assemblywoman Carmen E.
Arroyo; CSA Executive Director
Operations Anita GomezPalacio; Councilwoman Helen
Sears,;Assemblywoman Naomi
Rivera; and Councilman Joel
Rivera.
BY ANNE SILVERSTEIN
Somos (formerly known as Somos El
Futuro) held its Winter Conference from
Nov. 6-11 at the Intercontinental San Juan
Resort and Casino.
Gov. David Paterson was among the guests
at the Conference, which featured workshops,
receptions and power walking on the beach.
Anita Gomez-Palacio, CSA Executive Director
Operations, represented CSA.
Established in 1987, the NYC Assembly
Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force holds a legislative conference each spring, which is the
largest gathering of Puerto Rican/Hispanic
civic and political leaders in NYS. The Task
Force is chaired by Assemblywoman Carmen
E. Arroyo. The NYS Senate Minority has also
established a task force that sponsors the
Legislative Conference. It is chaired by Sen.
Efrain Gonzalez.
Somos’ mission is to create opportunities
that increase the participation of Puerto
Ricans and Hispanics in the public policymaking process as well as to build the capacity of the state’s Hispanic communities to
work towards the development of policies,
laws, state rules and regulations that address
the needs and issues of Hispanics across the
state.
5
Legislative
Agenda
Alex Voetsch
Tough Job Lies Ahead
to Fight Education Cuts
s we begin the new year, CSA is
ready to fight for the union’s
top legislative priorities that
include mitigating the impact
of budget cuts on our schools,
leading the way on school governance
reform, and protecting our Day Care
Centers from cuts and closures.
A
Addressing the Budget
Draconian
cuts spell
out
disaster
for our
schools
and kids.
Gov. Paterson’s recently-released
budget proposal calls for draconian cuts
in state aid to the city by $280 million,
and the mayor’s proposal at this writing
calls for a $500 million cut. The city’s
worst-case scenario, therefore, calls for
an $780 million reduction in education
spending. We knew that cuts were
inevitable, but it is imperative to avoid
those that have a direct impact on classrooms and inhibit the ability of our children to receive a sound education. This
month, CSA plans to submit budget testimony to the NYC Council that offered
feasible recommendations for budget
reductions that would not directly affect
schools. We will continue to work with
state and city lawmakers to ensure that
cuts are made in a responsible way and
with input from school leaders.
School Governance
In June 2009, the legislation that grants the mayor control of
the NYC school system will have to, by law, be renewed. This
presents an opportunity to amend the legislation to increase
transparency, participation, and checks and balances throughout our educational system. CSA has published a report entitled
“Rethinking Mayoral Control of the NYC Schools” which can be
viewed on the CSA website. In the coming months, we will use
this report as a foundation to lead the discussion on school governance and work to implement positive reform.
Protecting City-Funded Day Care Centers
On Dec. 9, CSA First Vice President Randi Herman spoke at a
City Hall rally to protect city-funded Day Care Centers from
being cut or closed. (See related story on this page.) CSA will stand
up for the city-funded Day Care Centers that serve as the cornerstones of our communities and enable thousands of middleclass and lower middle-class families to obtain affordable, quality day care for their children.
Advancing on Albany
On Feb. 2, CSA’s officers and legislative team will join school
leaders from across the state for a legislative reception, sponsored by NYSFSA and SAANYS, and lobbying day in Albany.
This is an excellent opportunity for CSA to unite with other
school leaders to bring attention to important legislative issues
such as professional development for school leaders, the protection of active and retiree health benefits, and funding for our
schools. If you are interested in becoming politically involved, please
contact Alex Voetsch at [email protected].
Stevenson HS Says
Goodbye with a Party
A
dlai E. Stevenson High
School in the Bronx will
officially phase out this June.
The school opened its doors
in 1970 and graduated its
first class in 1973.
Join the school community in celebrating the
school’s accomplishments
and sharing warm memories
on April 26 at the Marina del
Rey, 11:30 am – 4:30 pm.
Reservations are $135 per
person (money orders only)
and will be accepted through
Feb. 2. Call Anne Keegan at
(718) 918-2700, ext. 113, for
additional information.
6
CSA NEWS
The Welfare
Fund
Douglas V. Hathaway, Ph.D.
Time to Submit Paperwork
for Reimbursement
A
s we begin 2009, we are gearing up to
reimburse prescription drug co-payments for retirees and provide the reimbursement for the prescription drug rider
for Medicare-eligible retirees in the GHI Senior
Care health plan.
To improve our ability to provide timely
reimbursement, please send all four quarterly
reports from Express Scripts in the same envelope, and only send them once. We obtain data
from GHI and Express Scripts electronically in
February to help process these reimbursements,
and are totally at the mercy of GHI for the
data. Once we receive the data, it has to be
verified against our database, and then
processed in the order in which we receive
requests for reimbursement. As a result, please
do not call the Welfare Fund inquiring about a
drug co-payment reimbursement until the
beginning of April.
If you are submitting co-payment receipts,
please sort by individual and organize by date.
Tape the receipts to a standard piece of paper,
and send a copy of these sheets. Do not use
staples, please. They raise havoc with the
scanner in our document imaging system. We
will process these in the order received.
Again: We expect to have the checks for
the GHI Rider reimbursement in the mail by
mid- February, so please allow at least two weeks for the US Postal
Service to deliver your check, and wait to call about your check until
after March 1. Have a healthy New Year.
Your
check will
be in the
mail
before
April so
hold off
calls
CSA, Day Care Funds Join
‘Personalized Medicine’
BY DR. DOUGLAS V. HATHAWAY
A new benefit is available for CSA
members who are active Department of
Education members or members of the
DCC/CSA Welfare Fund. They are now
part of MEDCO’s Personalized Medicine
and will have access to the latest in medical diagnostic testing to help their doctors prescribe optimal doses on two critical
medications.
Research into mapping the human
genome allows, for the first time, simple
genetic tests to determine how an individual metabolizes medications. If one
metabolizes a medication more quickly
than average, a higher dose may be
needed to achieve the desired outcome. If
one metabolizes a medication slower than
normal, a lower dose of a medication may
be required, since a normal dose could
prove toxic and lethal.
Coumadin, and its generic Warfarin,
and Tamoxifen are commonly prescribed
medications. Each is used for life-threatening conditions and can now be prescribed more accurately if a physician
knows how an individual metabolizes the
medication.
In the case of Coumadin, patients often
take the medicine for up to six months
before determining the optimal dosage,
during which time the patient is susceptible to strokes (if the dose is too low) or
excessive bleeding (if the dose is too high).
Dosing problems with Coumadin/Warfarin
are the second-leading cause of emergency
room admissions. (Insulin-related problems are the leading cause).
For those on Tamoxifen, which is
administered to prevent a recurrence of
QUESTION: I am an active Assistant Principal on Staten Island and
I plan to retire at the end of the semester. I have had my final pension
consultation. Now what should I do?
ANSWER: Congratulations on your impending retirement. We have
scheduled three workshops this month that address this very issue. We
discuss what happens to your basic health plan, what happens to your
Welfare Fund benefits, what other coverage you may wish to consider
(such as long-term care insurance), and how your coverage will change
when you become Medicare-eligible. I encourage you to attend our
workshop on Jan. 28 at the Michael J. Petrides Education Center, Staten
Island.
For those planning to retire in June, workshops will be scheduled
this spring to accommodate you. The content will be the same as those
scheduled Jan. 7 in Brooklyn, Jan. 22 in the Bronx and Jan. 28.
UESTION: I am a retired Principal, have the GHI-CBP health plan,
and take several diabetic medications. I just turned 65 (yes, I sent a
copy of my Medicare card to the Office of Labor Relations for reimbursement), and when I reordered my diabetic medications they had
tripled in price! Did I do something wrong?
ANSWER: You did nothing wrong. You just got caught up in the
difference between state and federal regulations. Under NYS law, diabetic medications and supplies (including test strips, meters, and
lancets), must be provided by your basic medical insurance for no copayment or a low co-payment. Because of this, you probably paid less
for your diabetic medications than other medications. When you
became Medicare-eligible, federal regulations take precedence, so the
medications are included at whatever level of co-payment you are at in
your Enhanced Medicare Part-D drug plan. (Testing supplies are paid
for by Medicare, and often have no co-payment involved.)
Q
Dr. Douglas V. Hathaway is the Administrator of the CSA Welfare Funds.
You may e-mail him at [email protected].
Cut on dotted line for insertion in Member’s Handbook
breast cancer, up to 40 percent of those
who take the medication receive no benefit at all. They literally might as well be taking a sugar pill. The new test lets doctors
know this before they prescribe the drug.
With the Personalized Medicine
Program, MEDCO contacts the member
and his or her provider when the member is first prescribed Coumadin, Warfarin
or Tamoxifen. If the provider agrees, the
member is sent a test kit with instructions
on how to provide the sample. Testing is
Genetic tests determine
how an individual
metabolizes medicine.
simply a matter of rubbing two swabs
against the inside of your cheek, letting it
sit for five minutes, and sending the tips
to MEDCO’s lab. The test results are sent
to the member and the provider, who can
use the results to determine the correct
dosage.
During the transition, those participants already taking these medications
will be contacted and given the opportunity to participate.
N.B. For active DOE members using
Tamoxifen: Tamoxifen is a PICA medication. You must contact the fund for alternate means of obtaining a test to determine if Tamoxifen is right for you.
This program is currently available only
for Day Care and Active CSA Welfare Fund
participants. CSA is working to find a way to
include retirees.
•••
CLIP THIS ARTICLE
This column is designed to be cut out and inserted in the Member’s
Handbook. Cut on dotted line, punch holes where indicated, fold to fit,
and file under BENEFITS.
January 2009
BENEFITS
Health Plan Deductibles
Will Reset in January
BY DR. DOUGLAS V. HATHAWAY
The CSA Welfare Funds remind members that various health plan deductibles
reset on Jan. 1, 2009.
For active Department of Education
and Day Care members, the deductibles
reset for both SIDS dental ($25) and
MEDCO prescription drug: $50 per person and $150 per family reset. (The
deductibles are taken from the first applicable dental visits or first prescriptions
purchased at a local pharmacy.)
For retirees who are Medicare-eligible,
the Part-B deductible will remain $135,
the same as in 2008.
Even better news is that the base Social
Security deduction for Medicare Part-B
remains $96.40 per person per month,
while the income level at which IRMAA
(Income-Related Medicare Adjustment
Amount) surcharges increases to $85,000
from $80,000 in 2008.
For those also enrolled in the GHI
Enhanced Medicare Part-D prescription
drug plan, the out-of-pocket limit in 2009
will increase to $4,350 before catastrophic
coverage kicks in. The pension deduction
for this plan is expected to increase to $97
per person per month from $90 in 2008.
Welfare Fund Enhances Systems
to Prevent Identity Theft
E
ffective Jan. 1, 2009, the Welfare Funds will implement the use of a new
identification number for member identification that will be used on all
documents leaving the Fund. This number will be unique for each member
(and his or her dependents) and will function the way a Social Security number has in the past. Since the number has meaning only to the CSA Welfare
Fund staff, it is unusable in any other setting thus protecting you.
Please contact the Welfare Fund if you have any questions regarding
implementation of this new procedure.
RETIREE CHAPTER
SPRING PROGRAM
SPECIAL
PULLOUT
SECTION
Four Pages: Complete Listing of Cultural, Educational and Outreach Events
SAVE THESE PAGES FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
Dear Retiree Members:
The Educational Cultural Program Brochure is now the CSA Retiree Chapter Events
Program Brochure. Outreach Coordinator Felice Hannah’s workshops have been an overwhelming success, and we’re now including all Outreach and Educational/Cultural activities
in one brochure.
One of the Retiree Chapter’s goals is to offer events at the lowest possible cost. As you
read through this brochure, note that a number of events are free. This makes it more
imperative that you notify us if you cannot attend an event. We can then offer your spot to
someone on the waiting list.
Before registering, take time to read through the entire brochure, and please read the
rules and procedures on the back of the registration forms. The registration forms for cultural and educational events are inserted in the centerfold. The Outreach registration form
is on this page. All events fill up quickly. If you see an event you like, we advise you to
respond quickly.
On behalf of the entire Retiree Chapter staff and Educational Cultural Committee, we
thank you for your continued support.
OUTREACH PROGRAM
SP09OR1 Caregivers Workshop –
Brooklyn
Presenters: Martin Petroff, elder law
attorney, Dianne S. Glickman, R.N.,
B.A., PRI/Screen Assessments, Felice
Hannah, Outreach Coordinator
Location: 16 Court Street, 4th Floor
Day: Tuesday, Jan. 13
Time: 9:30 am – 1pm
Fee: No fee
Limited to: 50 participants
Are you caring for a loved one who
needs advanced care? If your answer is
yes, consider coming to this workshop
to find out how to get Home Health
Care through Medicare, how to access
Respite Care and so much more.
SP09OR2 Defensive Driving Class –
Brooklyn
Presenter: Felice Hannah, AARP Driver
Safety Program
Location: 16 Court Street, 4th floor
Day: Tuesday, March 10
SP09OR3 Surviving Spouses and
Registered Domestic Partners –
Brooklyn
Presenter: Dr. Douglas Hathaway,
Administrator, CSA Welfare Fund
Day: Tuesday, April 28
Time: 9:30 am to 1pm
Fee: No fee
Dr. Douglas Hathaway will cover CSA’s
Retiree Welfare Fund benefits, COBRA,
coordination of health benefits, and the
CSA Retiree Chapter’s supplemental
benefits. You’ll also learn how and when
to apply for reimbursements.
SP090R4 Pre-Medicare, Medicare,
Social Security – Brooklyn
Presenters: Representatives from
Medicare, NYC Department for the
Aging and the Social Security
Administration
Day: Tuesday, May 12
Time: 9:30 am – 1 pm
Fee: No fee
Has it really been 15 years since AARP
notified you that you would soon be
OUTREACH REGISTRATION FORM — 2009
SP090R5 Empire Blue Cross/ GHI/
HIP – Brooklyn
Presenters: Representatives from
Empire Blue Cross, HIP and GHI
Day: Tuesday, June 2
Time: 9:30 am to 1 pm
Fee: No fee
This workshop is aimed at both nonMedicare and Medicare members. Learn
about the services provided by these
health insurance companies. You will
also have an opportunity to ask about
doctor and hospital billing.
F09OR1 CSA Retiree Chapter
Welfare Fund Benefits – Brooklyn
Presenter: Dr. Douglas Hathaway,
Administrator, CSA Welfare Fund
Day: Tuesday, Sept. 15
Time: 9:30 am to 1 pm
Fee: No fee
This workshop is primarily to help
members understand the health benefits
offered by the Welfare Fund and Retiree
Chapter. Dr. Douglas Hathaway will discuss supplemental health benefits, stoploss coverage, how and when you can
make changes to your health insurance
coverage, how to file claims for reimbursement and much more.
Continued on page 8
Please use this form to register
for Outreach Programs only
Name of Member/Spouse/Registered Domestic Partner:
N.B. You must submit a SEPARATE CHECK FOR EACH EVENT for which you register. Each registrant must complete a separate registration form.
Address:
City:
State:
Phone:
E-mail address (Print Carefully):
Event Code
Zip:
Event Title
Make checks payable to: CSA Retiree Chapter
Mail to: CSA Retiree Chapter, Attn: Felice Hannah, Outreach Coordinator,
16 Court Street, Suite 711, Brooklyn, New York 11241-1003
Fee
Total: __________
SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION
Sincerely yours,
50? Well, you are now eligible for
Medicare and possibly Social Security.
Come hear from the experts about
becoming eligible for Medicare and
about your Social Security benefits.
Time: 9 am to 4:30 pm
Fee: Members, Spouses and Registered
Domestic Partners, $20 each
Learn defensive driving techniques,
how to adjust your driving to agerelated changes and possibly get an
insurance discount (consult your insurance agent). Bring a valid driver’s
license. Pre-registration is mandatory.
No one will be admitted if they have
not pre-registered!
RC SPRING PROGRAM BROCH
Continued from Previous Page
F09OR2 Visiting Nurse Services/
Spousal Medicaid/Access-A-Ride –
Brooklyn
Presenters: Representatives from VNS
and Access-A-Ride; and Martin Petroff,
elder law attorney
Day: Monday, Oct. 5
Time: 9:30 am to 1pm
Fee: No fee
What should be included in a hospital
discharge plan if you or your spouse will
need care at home? What are your
rights, as a spouse, if your loved one
requires placement in a nursing home?
Find out who is eligible for special transportation services and how to apply.
F09OR3 Defensive Driving Class –
Brooklyn
Presenter: Felice Hannah, AARP Driver
Safety Program
Day: Tuesday, Nov. 17
Fee: Members, Spouses and Registered
Domestic Partners, $20 each
Learn Defensive Driving techniques,
how to adjust your driving to agerelated changes and possibly get an
insurance discount (consult your insurance agent). Bring a valid driver’s
license. Pre-registration is mandatory.
No one will be admitted if they have
not pre-registered!
KEY TO SYMBOLS:
T— TRAVEL INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE MAILED
P— PARKING TRANSPORTATION IS AVAILABLE
S— THIS EVENT IS SOMEWHAT STRENUOUS
EDUCATIONAL/
CULTURAL PROGRAM
CLASSES
SP09C1 Digital Camera – Brooklyn
Instructor: Leonard Fagen
Location: 16 Court Street, 4th floor,
Dates: Mondays – 3/9, 3/16, 3/23, 3/30,
4/6
Time: 9:30 am to 11:30 am
Fee: Members $40, non-member $45
Learn how a digital camera works, how
to take better photographs, and how to
use a simple computer digital photo
program. We’ll spend one week on digital cameras, one week on photographic
composition, and three weeks on using
a computer photo program. We will also
discuss various computer programs,
photographic papers and computer
accessories available, as well as how to
upload photos to online services. You
should have a good working knowledge
of computers to take this class. Mr.
Fagen’s experience with computers and
digital cameras is extensive.
SP09C2 Knitting/Crotcheting –
Brooklyn
Instructor: Vera Julia Gordon
Location: 16 Court Street, 7th Floor,
Room 711
Dates: Mondays – 3/9, 3/23, 3/30, 4/20
Time: 10 am to noon
Fee: Members $25, non-members $30
This class is for everyone! New knitters
or crocheters, more experienced folk,
and those who have that special project
they want to make but need some help
will benefit from this class. Bring to the
first class: knitting needles – size 7 or 8,
a crochet hook “F” or “G”, and worsted
yarn. An instruction book is available at
an additional charge.
SP09C3 Book Club – Brooklyn
Instructor: Denise Cummings
Location: 16 Court Street, 7th Floor,
Room 711
Dates: Mondays – 3/9, 3/23, 4/6, 4/27
Time: 1 pm to 3 pm
The Brooklyn Book Club will meet four
times. This semester, the Club will focus
on non-fiction. The first selection:
Barack Obama’s Dreams of My Father.
Read the book for the first meeting. The
group will decide future choices.
SP09C4 Opera Class: An Operatic
Retrospective – Queens
Instructor: Ron Attivissimo
Location: PS 193, 152-20 11th Ave.,
Whitestone, NY
Dates: Mondays – 3/9, 3/16, 3/23,
3/30, 4/6
Time: 10 am to noon
An operatic retrospective featuring arias,
duets and trios from past and current
singers. We will listen to and compare
singers performing the same arias and
duets. Libretti and translations will be
provided. Join Ron for two hours of
delightful music and conversation featuring the world's greatest singers.
SP09C5 Advanced Beginner’s Bridge
– Brooklyn
Instructor: Bob Cantara
Dates: Fridays – 3/13, 3/20, 3/27, 4/3,
4/24, 5/1, 5/8, 5/15, 5/22, 5/29
Time: 10:15 am to 12:45 pm
Limited: 16 participants
This class is for the experienced beginner who needs additional training to
move to the intermediate level of the
game. After each lesson, we’ll have time
for supervised play.
SP09C6 Intro to Sailing: The Basics
– Brooklyn
Instructors: Robert Schiffer/Associates
Location: Miramar Yacht Club, 3050
Emmons Ave., Sheepshead Bay
Dates: Fridays – 3/27, 4/3, 4/17
Time: 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm
Fee: Individual member $60, family $100
We have arranged with the Mirimar
Yacht Club to reserve slots in the spring
2009 sailing class. There will be three
two-hour evening classroom sessions on
the basics of sailing. Once instruction is
completed, the Yacht Club will provide
you with an opportunity to use your
newly-acquired knowledge on a member’s sailboat, either on a Saturday or
Sunday.
SP09C7 Golf – Queens T, P
Instructor: Bob Guido, Brian Gerowitz
Location: North Shore Towers Golf
Club, Grand Central Pkwy, Floral Park
Dates: Wednesdays– 4/1, 4/8, 4/22, 4/29
Time: Section 1: 10 am to 11:30 am
Section 2: 11:30 am to 1 pm
Limited to: 8 participants per section
PGA pros Robert Guido and Brian
Gerowitz work at the North Shore
Towers. The theme: “Course Play”.
Because of the group’s small size, our
pros can personalize instruction for participants even though students may be
at different levels of play. (If we have
sufficient numbers, we will run two sections. NOTE: The first section will be
filled first.)
SP09C8 Ballroom Dance Class –
Queens
Instructor: Michele J. Bowles
Location: 45-08 48th Ave., between
45th/46th Streets, Woodside, Queens.
Access to this site: 7 train or Queens
buses. Some street parking is available.
Dates: Mondays – 4/27, 5/4, 5/11,
5/18, 6/1, 6/8
■ Regional Units organize their own trips too! Here, retirees visit the
Zelma Basha Salmeri Gallery of Western American and Native
American Art Museum outside of Phoenix.
EMERSON SPRY
■ Above, Last spring, the Retiree
Chapter visited the Kehila Kedosha
Janina on Broome Street in
Manhattan, the only Romaniote synagogue in the Western hemisphere.
Right, Michael Ebenstein leads a digital camera class at CSA’s headquarters this fall.
JULIUS WEXLER
ANNE SILVERSTEIN
■ Retirees on the road at the Retiree Chapter’s annual Fall Get-Away.
HURE: Outreach, Cultural, Educational
Time: 10:30 am to noon
We’ll focus on instruction in two dance
steps. The first half of each session will
be devoted to the Fox Trot, the second,
to Swing. Ms. Bowles is a licensed dance
instructor working out of two dance studios. She also is involved in dance
instruction in numerous NYC schools.
THEATER CLUB
PLEASE NOTE: FOR THE FOLLOWING TWO
THEATER CLUBS, YOU MAY REGISTER FOR
EITHER SESSION 1 OR SESSION 2, NOT BOTH.
SESSION 1: SP09C9 Theater Club
Instructor: Stanley Wilson
Location: 400 East 56th Street, Apt.
8M, Manhattan
Day/Dates: First session – Wednesday,
4/ 22, 2 to 4 p.m. Future dates: 4/28 or
4/29, 5/5 or 5/6, 5/12 or 5/13
Times for shows vary.
Fee: Members $35 plus the price of
show tickets; non-members $40, plus
the price of the tickets.
SESSION 2: SP09C10 Theater Club
Instructor: Stanley Wilson
Location: 400 East 56st Street, Apt. 8M,
Manhattan
Day/Dates: First session, Wednesday,
5/20, 2 to 4 p.m. Future dates will be:
5/26 or 5/27, 6/2 or 6/3, 6/9 or 6/10
Times for shows will vary.
Fee: Members $35 plus the price of
show tickets; non-members $40, plus
the price of the tickets.
LECTURES
PLEASE NOTE: EMERSON SPRY IS THE
CSA LEADER FOR ALL THE LECTURES.
SP09L1 Avoiding Required
Minimum Distribution Mistakes
and Income Strategies for Retirees –
Brooklyn T
Presenters: Jennifer Lee, CPA, MBA.
Location: 16 Court Street, 4th floor,
Day: Monday, March 2
Fee: Free, members and spousal members only
Ms. Lee will discuss the following items
on required minimum distributions:
• Understanding current laws on
required minimum distributions at age
70 for your TDA and IRAs.
• Determining the best systematic withdrawal rate so you don’t run out of
money.
• Planning ahead – how should you
invest to meet required minimum distributions?
• Tax strategies for required minimum
SP09L2 NYCE IRA: An Investment
Benefit For Retired and Active NYC
Employees – Manhattan
Presenters: Ralph Messinger, CFP, and
Devindra Paul, both of NYCDCP
Location: 40 Rector Street, Manhattan
Time: First session, 10 am to 11:30 am
Second session, 11:30 am to 1 pm
(Please indicate your choice of session.)
Limited to: 20 to 25 participants per
session
The NYC Deferred Compensation Plan
(DCP) includes an investment benefit
for retired CSA members and their
spouses. The NYC Employee Individual
Retirement Account (NYCE IRA) enables
you or your spouse to transfer funds
from existing IRAs and previous
employer retirement plans to the NYCE
IRA. Since the investment funds offered
by the NYCE IRA are the same as the
DCP, the program benefits from the
pricing power of all of NYC’s investments so the fees charged are lower
than those normally associated with
most retail IRAs. The NYCE IRA program
includes a Traditional and a Roth IRA.
The Roth IRA is one approach to estate
planning for retirees who want to pass
on assets to children through a taxadvantaged IRA. You may also establish
a new Traditional or Roth IRA through
this program if you or your spouse has
earned income, or you can establish a
NYCE IRA to consolidate your retirement assets. This investment program
affords a choice of stock and bond
options as well as 12 pre-arranged target-date portfolios, vetted and monitored by NYC staff and consultants.
SP09L3 Brooklyn Bird Talk and
Walk – Brooklyn
Instructor: Ricardo Amorocho, Urban
Park Ranger
Location: Marine Park Salt Marsh,
Avenue U and 33rd Street, Brooklyn
Day: Wednesday, April 29
Time: 9:30 am to 11:30 am
Join us for our first bird and nature outing. Discover Brooklyn’s pure salt
marsh area in the heart of the Gerritsen
Beach neighborhood. We’ll have a lecture followed by a short stroll through
the salt marsh. Ample parking is available at the Marine Park Salt Marsh
Center or across the street. The Avenue
U bus stops in front of the center. We’ll
eat lunch – Dutch treat – at the Kings
Plaza Diner after the program.
N.B. The fee does not include lunch.
SP09L4 The Metropolitan Museum
of Art, Lecture/Tour – Manhattan
Location: 1000 5th Ave. at 82nd Street
Join the Chapter for its first ever dual art
event. We start with a 45-minute lecture
on the Museum’s collection of Islamic
art, which ranges in date from the 7th
to the 19th century and consists of
objects from Morocco in the West to
Central Asia and India in the East. The
collection reflects the diversity and
range of Islamic culture and offers, perhaps, the most comprehensive permanent installation of Islamic art on view
in the world. This will be followed by a
docent-led tour. Everyone attending
will be allowed to continue touring the
museum afterwards. Then, join us for a
Dutch treat lunch.
SP09L5 Museum of Modern Art/
Lecture and Tour
NOTE: The lecture is in Brooklyn on April
27. The visit to the museum is on May 28.
LECTURE: Monday, April 27
Time: 1 p.m. to 3 pm
VISIT: Thursday, May 28
Location: 11 West 53rd St., Manhattan
Time: 11 am to noon
We have arranged to have MOMA present a lecture for our members on its
exhibit, Into the Sunset: Photography’s
Image of the American West. This will
be followed by a docent-led tour the following month. The fee for this event
covers the lecture and the tour.
Everyone attending the docent-led tour
may tour the museum on their own
afterwards.
SP09L6 United Nations Lecture –
Manhattan T
Speaker: Representative from the
Office of the Assistant Secretary General
for Peace Building Support
Location: First Ave. at 46th Street,
Manhattan
Day: Wednesday, March 4
Time: 11 am to 12:30 p.m.
The world today is a most challenging
place with many dangerous flash points.
We have arranged with the UN to have a
representative discuss one or more of the
trouble spots in the world. Join us for
this special lecture followed by lunch –
Dutch treat – in the neighborhood.
Because of security, please make sure
you arrive for check-in at 9:45 am and
bring an appropriate government
photo ID (i.e. driver’s license).
SP09L7 Asset Allocation in a
Global Economy: Lecture and
Library Tour – Manhattan
Instructor: TBA
Location: Science, Industry and
Business Library Center,188 Madison
Ave. at 34th Street, Manhattan
Time: 4 to 4:45 pm, library tour;
5 to 6 pm, lecture presentation
We will begin with a tour of the NY
Public Library Branch at the Science,
Industry and Business Library Center.
After the tour, we reconvene for a lecture on asset allocation in today’s global
marketplace. A Q&A session will follow
the lecture.
TRIPS
We want to start these events promptly, so
please arrive 15 minutes earlier than the
posted start time.
SP09T1 Behind the Scenes at
Carnegie Hall – Manhattan T, P
Location: 57th Street and 7th Ave.,
Manhattan
CSA Leader: Rochelle Watnick
Day: Friday, March 6
Time: 11 am to noon
Fee: Members $11.50, non-members
$16.50
Carnegie Hall is one of the premier
music venues in NYC. Join us for a
behind-the-scenes view of this iconic
institution. Learn the story of Andrew
and Louise Carnegie; hear how the Hall
was saved from demolition in 1960, and
about the century-long performance tradition that has showcased the world’s
finest artists from Tchaikovsky to
Mahler, Horowitz to Callas, Bernstein to
Bob Dylan. Afterwards, we’ll have lunch
– Dutch treat – in a neighborhood
restaurant. N.B. The fee does not
include lunch.
SP09T2 Waldorf Astoria, Lunch
and Tour – Manhattan T, P
Location: Oscar’s, 50th Street and
Lexington Avenue, Manhattan
CSA Leader: Barbetta Krinsky
Day: Wednesday, March 11
Time: 12:30 pm to about 3 pm
Begin with a sumptuous buffet lunch at
the Oscar’s American Brasserie. Then
we’ll have a docent-led tour limited to
those areas that are not being actively
used by the hotel. NOTE: This has
become our most heralded event. Sign
up early to ensure your place.
SP09T3 Behind the Scenes at the
Metropolitan Opera – Manhattan
CSA Leader: Stanley Wilson
Location: Lincoln Center, Manhattan
Day: Sunday, March 22
Join us for a docent-led tour, sponsored
by the Metropolitan Opera Guild, with a
behind-the-scenes look at the
Metropolitan Opera. This tour requires a
good deal of walking, negotiating narrow passageways and stairs. Join us for
lunch – Dutch treat – nearby.
SP09T4 Asia Society—Manhattan T
Location: 725 Park Ave. at 70th Street,
Manhattan
Time: 11 am to noon
The Asia Society is the leading global
and Pan-Asian organization working to
strengthen relationships and promote
understanding among the people, leaders, and institutions of the US and Asia.
We’ll tour the museum and then have
lunch – Dutch treat – at the Society’s
Garden Court Café.
SP09T5 Queens Jazz Trail – Queens
Location: Flushing Town Hall, 137-35
Northern Blvd. Flushing
CSA Leader: Martin Smith
Day: Thursday, April 23
Time: 1pm to 4 pm
Hop aboard the Flushing Town Hall Jazz
Trail Trolley for a fascinating journey
through neighborhoods where Louis
Armstrong, Count Basie, Billie Holiday,
Ella Fitzgerald and John Coltrane lived.
We’ll begin at Flushing Town Hall and
Continued on page10
These clubs will function much the way
book clubs do. After attending theater
performances, we will examine what
makes a show enjoyable. We’ll explore
character development, plot, playwright
style, set design, lighting, staging and
music. The first session will be at Stanley
Wilson’s home. The following three sessions will meet at a theater, and afterwards we will adjourn to a local coffee
shop. Shows will be either Wednesday
matinees or Tuesdays at 7 pm. (See dates
below.) Once you are registered for this
event you are responsible for purchasing
the three sets of theater tickets. (Bring a
blank check to the first meeting!)
distributions, including Roth IRAs.
• Distribution issues for inherited retirement assets.
Ms. Lee is the principal of 4D Tax and
Financial Planning LLC, a fee-only practice providing tax and financial planning services . She has 15 years of experience in the field, and presents to a
variety of audiences on this subject.
SPECIAL
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SECTION
RC SPRING PROGRAM BROCHURE
Listing of Cultural and Educational Events
Continued from Previous Page
view the permanent Jazz Exhibit before
moving on to Corona and the Louis
Armstrong House. From Corona, we
head to St. Albans which has the greatest concentration of Jazz greats’ homes.
Join us before the tour for lunch –
Dutch treat – at a local restaurant. N.B.
The fee does not include lunch.
SP09T6 New York City Hall and
Tweed Building – Manhattan
Location: Park Row/Beekman Street, NY
Time: 10 am to 11:30 am
Fee: Members free, non-members $5
Join us for a 1 1/2-hour docent-led tour
of City Hall and the Tweed Building.
We’ll visit City Hall’s Rotunda, the
Council Room and the Governor’s
Room. In the Tweed Building, we’ll visit
the Conference Room and see the
Lichtenstein sculpture. We’ll meet at the
City Hall security gate on Park Row. Be
prompt: We are required to enter as a
group with our reservation confirmation. Afterwards, join us for lunch –
Dutch treat – at a local restaurant. N.B.
The fee does not include lunch.
SP09T7 United Nations Tour and
Buffet Lunch in the Delegates
Dining Room – Manhattan
CSA Leader: Lois Honig
Location: First Ave. at 46th St.,
Manhattan
Day: Tuesday, May 5
Time: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
The United Nations, formed some 63
years ago, is still one of the best hopes
for the development of world peace.
Join us as we tour this storied institution. Afterwards, join us for a memorable buffet lunch in the Delegates
Dining Room. The fee includes lunch.
N.B. You must present photo ID at the
entrance of the facility and gentlemen need to wear jackets in the dining room.
Because of security, please make sure
you arrive for check–in at 9:45am and
bring an appropriate government
photo ID (i.e. driver’s license).
Time: 11:00 to about 3 pm
(When the trip ends depends upon the
length of the lunch discussion.)
Fee: Members, $50, Non-members $55
After our successful tours of the 57th
Street Art Galleries, the Art Gallery Tour
returns to Chelsea. Discover what is new
and cutting edge in this very different
New York art gallery scene. After touring
numerous galleries, discuss the experience with your tour guide over lunch,
which is included in the fee.
SP09T9 Art Gallery Session 2—
Manhattan S
Tour Guide: Tina Weintraub
CSA Leader: John Oricchio
Location: Directions to follow
Day: Thursday, May 21
Time: 11 am to about 3 pm
(When the trip ends depends upon the
length of the lunch discussion.)
Fee: Members, $50, Non-members $55
After last year’s successful tour of the
57th Street Art Galleries, the Art Gallery
Tour returns to Chelsea. Discover what is
new and cutting edge in this very different New York art gallery scene. After touring numerous galleries, discuss the experience with your tour guide over lunch,
which is included in the fee, at an area
restaurant.
SP09T10 Brooklyn Academy of
Music: Tour and Movie
CSA Leader: Michael Ebenstein
Location: 30 Lafayette Ave., Brooklyn
Day: Wednesday, May 20
Time: 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm
We tour BAM and then attend a film in
one of BAM’s cinemas. The film will
either be part of the BAMcinématek
repertory film program or a new release.
We hope this event will set the stage for
a special relationship with BAM. We will
establish an ongoing retiree film club at
BAM starting next fall.
SP09T11 Evening Visit - Museum of
Arts and Design – Manhattan T
CSA Leader: Harriet Cohen
Location: 2 Columbus Circle
Day: Thursday, May 14
Time: 6:30 pm to 9 pm
SP09T8 Art Gallery Session 1—
Limited to: 25-50 participants
Manhattan S
Join us for a private, docent-led tour of
Tour Guide: Tina Weintraub
the new Museum of Arts and Design
building. On Thursday evenings, the
Location: Directions to follow
Museum has an open house at which
Day: Tuesday, May 19
guests can watch
and speak with
artists working in
studio spaces. Our
tour includes these
studio spaces and
more. You may
continue your
tour until the
museum closes at
9 pm. Join us prior
to the visit for dinner – Dutch treat –
at a local restaurant near the
museum. Because
this is an evening
trip, members and
one guest will be
registered at the
same time. N.B.
MARTY SMITH The fee does not
■ The Retiree Chapter explored the old and the new in Williamsburg. include dinner.
SP09T12 Behind the Scenes at
Madison Square Garden
CSA Leader: Emerson Spry
Location: 4 Pennsylvania Plaza, and
33rd St., Manhattan
Day: Thursday, June 4
Time: We will set-up either an 11 am or
noon tour. Details TBA.
Limited to: 20 – 25 participants
A one-hour, behind-the-scenes, guided
walking tour of the world's most famous
arena. We’ll visit team locker rooms,
learn how a basketball court becomes a
sheet of ice and tour the WaMu Theater.
Explore the 125-year history of the
Garden where legends have been made –
from athletes to artists to politicians.
Because we must purchase tickets in
advance, we cannot provide refunds for
cancellations unless we can replace you
with someone on the waiting list. Video
cameras and mobile phone cameras
are not permitted. We may only guarantee registration if you file before Feb. 9.
SP09T13 Mohonk Mountain House
– Westchester
CSA Leader: Michael Ebenstein
Location: New Paltz, NY; directions to
follow
Day: Tuesday, June 9
Time: 9 am to 5 pm
Fee: Members $54.50, non-members $59.50
Limited to: 25 to 50 participants
Mohonk Mountain House is an enormous Victorian Hotel established in
1869. It is located on the Shawangunk
Ridge outside New Paltz. Both the
House and grounds have been designated as a National Historic Landmark.
Arrive as early as 9 a.m. At 11 a.m., we
will tour the hotel’s kitchen. Our buffet
lunch in the hotel dining room begins
at noon. Afterwards, for those interested, we will tour the greenhouse with
a guide, or you may walk the grounds
on your own. (Trail maps are available
at the hotel.) For an additional fee, you
may rent a canoe, row boat or paddle
boat. You will also get a 15 percent discount coupon for the gift shop.
SP09T14 New York History Cruise
and Lunch – Manhattan
CSA Leader: Harriett Fortson
Location: South Street Seaport
Day: Thursday, June 11
Time: We will set up either an 11 am or
noon tour. Details TBA.
Fee: Members, $25, Non-members, $30
Limited to: 15 – 25 participants
The NY Water Taxi service runs numerous cruises around NYC. Join us for a
one-hour Harbor History cruise of lower
Manhattan. Afterwards, join us for
lunch, Dutch treat. We must purchase
tickets in advance, so we cannot refund
cancellations unless we can replace you
with someone on the waiting list. We
may only guarantee registration if you
file before Feb. 9.
WALKING TOURS
SP09WT1 Historic Ft. Greene/
Clinton Hill – Brooklyn
Tour Guide: Anne Reid, Urban Park
Ranger
Location: Washington Park and DeKalb
Ave. at the Fort Greene Visitor Center
Day: Wednesday, May 27
Fee: Member $10, non-member, $15
Join us for a special docent-led tour of
SPECIAL
PULLOUT
SECTION
Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. During
the tour, we will cover the following
areas and topics: Fort Greene Park and
the Prison Ship Martyr’s Monument, the
Underground Railroad, an historic
school site, the Old Raymond St. Jail,
Brooklyn’s first hospital, the Masonic
Temple, and the site of what was to be
the city’s largest church. Then join us
for lunch – Dutch treat – at a nearby
restaurant. N.B. The fee does not
include lunch.
SP09WT2 Williamsburg T, S
Tour Guide: Justin Ferate
CSA Leader: John Oricchio
Location: Bedford Avenue and North
7th St., Brooklyn
Day: Wednesday, June 3
Time: 10 am to around 12:30 pm
Join noted tour guide Justin Ferate and
discover some of remarkable facets of
Williamsburg, from the Williamsburg of
Francie Nolan in A Tree Grows in
Brooklyn to the Billburg of today’s young
and hip. Williamsburg has been rated as
one of the most trendy neighborhoods
in the country with a variety of studios,
galleries, shops and restaurants. Then
join us for lunch – Dutch treat – at a
nearby restaurant.
SP09TWT3 Chelsea and Art Studio
Tour – Manhattan T
Tour Guide: Justin Ferate
CSA Leader: Emerson Spry
Location: Northeast Corner of 23rd St.
and 7th Avenue
Day: Wednesday, June 10
Time: 9:30 am to 12:30 pm
Join our tour guide Justin Ferate as we
examine the complexities of the Chelsea
neighborhood. Discover an intricate web
of 19th century rowhouses, luxury apartments, warehouses, stables, religious
complexes and former department stores.
As a special treat, we will visit the private
studio of the noted artist Lorie Goulet, a
prominent figure in American sculpture.
Afterwards, we will have lunch – Dutch
treat – in a local restaurant.
ONE-DAY BUS TOUR
SP09BT1 West Point – Tour, Lunch,
and Cruise T
CSA Leader: Martin Smith
Location: West Point, NY
Day: Tuesday, June 23. Pick-up times will
vary. See notes below.
Fee: Members $98, non-members $103.
Fee includes gratuities.
When we arrive at West Point, a guide
will board the bus and give us a tour of
the Academy. (We won’t be doing much
walking.) The bus will make various stops
where you will have an opportunity to
stretch your legs and look around.
Lunch is included in this outing at the
historic Thayer Hotel. After lunch, we’ll
take a relaxing two-hour cruise on the
Hudson River.
Note: We will have two bus pick-up
stops for this trip: 1) New Hyde Park at
shopping plaza on Hillside Avenue, 2
blocks west of Lakeville Road, 2) the
Brooklyn Marriott on Adams Street.
If there are sufficient interested members further out on Long Island, we may
add a third stop in Hicksville.
January 2009
CSA NEWS
11
AP Mentor Program Wins Plaudits
PHOTOS/YURIDIA PEÑA
■ ABOVE: Elizabeth Felix presents a case study during a workshop on Special Education.
■ RIGHT: Seventh-grade students work in science class.
Gonzalez–Soto Stars In
ALPAP Since Inception
Continued from Page 1
safe environment and sets clear, high
standards for staff and children. The
school’s mission is apparent in every
hallway and every classroom, a mission
that is not lost on the Assistant
Principals who visit CS 211 as part of
their training in the Advanced
Leadership Program for Assistant
Principals, one of the Executive
Leadership Institute’s most visible programs.
Since 2004, ALPAP has mentored severl hundred Assistant Principals, and Ms.
Gonzalez–Soto has participated since its
inception. “The caliber of Assistant
Principals increases every year,” said Ms.
Gonzalez-Soto, who describes the program as a shared learning experience, “I
learn so much from them; for me it’s an
opportunity to visit schools,” she added.
Ms. Gonzalez-Soto allows her school
to do much of the “talking” for her, an
unusual way to mentor but one that per-
‘This is a very calm
place, almost like
instruction is sacred.’
mits the aspiring Principals to see and
hear for themselves what works at the
school and why. Dialogues with CS 211’s
serious sixth- through eighth-graders and
friendly, professional staff allow visitors
to explore administrative strategies without Ms. Gonzalez-Soto lecturing them.
Ms. Gonzalez-Soto provides a
jammed-packed agenda including interactive and informative workshops. Twice
a year, she meets at CS 211 with her “students” as a group; more often, she meets
with them individually at their schools.
“She exhibits such care that it’s followed. It’s this quiet demeanor that
makes her an effective leader,” said Janet
Aravena, ALPAP Coordinator. “This is a
very calm place, almost like instruction
is sacred,” said Juan Flores, an ALPAP
participant and AP from PS/MS 20, D-10.
On the day this reporter visited last
fall, savvy staff members conducted
most of the day’s presentations including a workshop that covered best practices and ISLLC standards (conducted by
Assistant Principal Blanca Torres Mutt,) a
special education case study analysis,
and a project-based learning activity
with two administrators from a nearby
charter school.
During the tour, Ms. Gonzalez-Soto
showed aspiring Principals how to utilize
space efficiently when it’s a challenge.
For example, the research/library room
was divided into several areas to serve
two special education classes. Despite
space struggles and limited resources, the
school earned an A in the 2007-2008
Progress Reports. She gives most credit (as
do most Principals) to her staff and an
inquiring School Leadership Team that
specifically targeted the lowest one-third
of students for attention. “Our veteran
teachers are very dedicated to the success
of our students,” said Ms. Gonzalez-Soto.
During a visit to a sixth-grade classroom, the ALPAP participants spoke with
seasoned teacher Margarita Rodriguez
about the challenges of middle school,
and how her teaching strategies train
students to think independently and
prepare for high school. “They are really
children still. They are thinking, ‘I can
act older.’ You have to develop a lot of
things to be an effective learner,” Ms.
Rodriguez said.
When the sixth graders arrived from
their gym class, the ALPAP participants
asked questions and listened to what the
■ Librarian Richard Feldman shows Lisette
Febus, ALPAP mentee, anti-bullying materials.
■ Janet Aravena, ALPAP coordinator.
students like, and dislike, about their
school. “What I love about this school is
that instead of making us feel like we are
students, they make us feel like we are in
their house,” said Matthew Mendez.
“They are always there for us when we
have problems,” said another student. A
third student, however, expressed some
criticism: “I want to change the size of
the classroom because it’s crowded,” said
Naomi Colon.
Engaging parents is also part of Ms.
Gonzalez-Soto strategy for improving student achievement. As with most parents
at a Title 1 school – many students are
eligible for reduced price or free lunch –
they are often overwhelmed with meeting their families’ needs. Many of them
are also single heads of families or are
grandparents taking care of grandchildren. Ms. Gonzalez-Soto has implemented a learning-leaders program, a
parent volunteer group led by the
school’s parent coordinator who works
closely with parents. The program offers
workshops on nutrition, homework and
gang awareness.
Ms. Torres Mutt, who is also an ALPAP
participant, (her mentor is K-8 Principal
John Quattrocchi,) expressed how lucky
she feels to have Ms. Gonzalez-Soto as
her Principal. “It’s like having a 24/7
mentor in-house. She keeps me on track,
and makes sure we are providing the staff
and children (with) what they need,” she
said.
“She uses the (School Leadership)
Competencies to target anything that
she plans in regard to professional development,” said Lisette Febus, a Leadership
LSO Network Achievement Manager and
ALPAP participant.
The Bronx is not only where Ms.
Gonzalez-Soto works, it’s her home and
has been since she was 12 when her family moved to Throgs Neck. “I am very
attached to the borough,” Ms. GonzalezSoto said, adding that as a Principal, she
feels it’s important to be close to the
school in case of an emergency.
12
New
System
Seen as
More
Equitable
Continued From Page 1
Applicants who appeal a decision can reapply in eight months
of their initial application, allowing 60 days for the appeal to be
process. If so many CSA members
file an appeal that the appeals
processed is delayed, no appeal
may be delayed for more than one
year.
Those applicants who fail to be
selected (and do not appeal) will
be permitted to apply again in six
months rather than wait the originally-announced one-year period.
CSA President Ernest Logan
announced the changes to his
members early last month. In his
letter, he explained that DOE hiring managers will be provided
with the candidate’s job application, Principal Pool application
and written essay, the candidate
evaluation and any forms filled out
by the candidate. No other information will be given to hiring
managers. In addition, candidates
will complete preference surveys,
which will be given to hiring managers, so a candidate’s preferences
can be matched with a hiring
manager’s needs.
Retirement
■ SALLY MCKAY, the Director of
the Central Based Support Team,
will be honored at a party on the
occasion of her
retirement on
March 26 from
6 p.m. to 10
p.m. at Temple
Sholom, 2075
E.
68
St.,
Brooklyn. The
price is $80 per person. Make
checks payable to Rajinder Kaur
or Elena Castro and send to:
Elena Castro, DOE–-CBST, 4th
Floor, 1780 Ocean Ave., Brooklyn,
New York, 11230. Direct all
inquiries to Ms. Castro at (718)
758-7718.
New York
Schools Make
the Grade
US News and World Report
announced its pick of the nation’s
top 100 schools and nine are NYC
public schools. Stuyvesant High was
ranked 23. In the Bronx, the HS for
American Studies at Lehman
College ranked 29, and the Bronx
HS of Science, 33. From Queens,
the Baccalaureate School for Global
Education, the Queens HS of
Science, and Townsend Harris HS
made the list as did Staten Island
Technical HS, Brooklyn Technical
HS and the HS for Dual Language
and Asian Studies.
CSA NEWS
January 2009
Cahn Fellowship Awards Are Announced
BY CSA STAFF
The Cahn Fellows Program
has announced the names of
those who will comprise the
2009 class.
These school leaders from
the five boroughs represent all
school levels and are characterized by their commitment to
school improvement, intellectual curiosity, ability to collaborate, dedication to professional
development and their desire to
positively contribute to the NYC
school system.
They were selected after a
rigorous screening pro-cess that
in-cluded an ana-lysis of three
years of performance data, a
review of recommendations and
personal statements, interviews
with the candidates and visits
to their schools.
Since 2003, the Cahn
Fellows Program has sought to
strengthen the NYC school system by honoring and investing
in its most effective school leaders. The following 25 people
join 127 of their colleagues, former Cahn fellows, a professional development program
that CSA sponsors. The Fellows
also mentor aspiring Principals
from within their buildings to
sustain and support the school
■ Sue Boardman, left, a licensed battlefield tour guide, speaks to Cahn
Fellows during a three-day leadership retreat at Gettysburg, part of the
professional development program in which Cahn Fellows engage.
leadership pipeline. For more
information about the program,
visit www.cahnfellows.org.
Below are the names of the
2009 Cahn Fellows:
Ysidro Abreu,Maria Teresa
Mirabel MS 319
Kenneth Baum, The Urban
Assembly School for Applied
Math and Science
Yvette Beasley, Twin Parks
Upper School IS 129
Brenda Bravo, University
Heights High School
Mark Cannizzaro, Frank D.
Paulo IS 75. (Mr. Cannizzaro is
the Secretary of CSA.)
Margaret Choy-Shan,
Caesar Rodney School PS 164
Theresa Dovi, The Bayview
School PS 102K
Rhonda Farkas, Science and
Technology PS 152
Paulette Glenn, Thurgood
Marshall Magnet PS 80
Alice Hom, Yung Wing
Elementary PS 124
Dale Kelly, Gateway IS 364K
Jacqueline Mammolito,
William G. Wilcox PS 48
Harris Marmor, High School
for Health Careers and
Sciences
Darlene Miller, New York
City Museum School
Katherine Moloney, The
Coney Island School PS 100
Carol Moore, Mark Twain for
the Gifted & Talented IS 239
Miriam Nightengale, HS for
Law, Advocacy and
Community Justice
Joseph Nobile, The Early
Childhood Lab School PS 304
Elsa Nunez, Wright Brothers
School PS 28
Maria Nunziata, The
Parkside School PS 130
Brian O’Connell, The
Scholars Academy
Mitchell Pinsky, Daniel
Mucatel School PS 115
Barbara Sanders, Phillippa
Schuyler School for the Gifted
& Talented IS 383
Camille Wallin, Claremont
Community School PS 42
Lawrence Woodbridge,
Secondary School for Law
HS OF AMERICAN STUDIES
The Mood at Cobble Hill Is Positive
After administrative
turmoil, the school is
on the rise
BY YURIDIA PEÑA
As hundreds of students at Cobble Hill
High School of American Studies patiently
waited in the cafeteria for the first bell one
October morning, Principal Kenneth
Cuthbert seemed proud that visitors could
see what a difference he’s made at a school
that once was on the verge of being phased
out.
Discipline, attendance and achievement
were all lacking when Mr. Cuthbert took
over the school three years ago. (Editor’s Note:
The school had also been mired in an alleged
cheating scandal. Though forced to leave the
school, the Principal and Assistant Principal
were later exonerated.) So accountability was
the first thing Mr. Cuthbert needed to reinstate. “If the students fail, we fail. If the students succeed, we succeed,” he said, repeating one of his favorite mantras. He offered
his staff professional development workshops on their role and responsibilities. He
then focused on changing the culture of the
school.
Since Mr. Cuthbert took over, said Tina
Callender, School Leadership Team chairperson and librarian, school partnerships
have formed, the school has developed relationships with community-based organizations and enrollment has stabilized. “We are
moving, grooving and improving,” she said.
Cobble Hill now offers pre-law and preteaching programs for students, and Mr.
Cuthbert hopes to implement a graphics
design curriculum in the near future.
YURIDIA PEÑA
■ Principal Kenneth Cuthbert greets every student each morning as he or she enters the building.
Numerous collaborations with corporations
and non-profits help run these programs
and give students outside opportunities.
For example, a partnership with Long
Island University (LIU) allows honor students to take freshmen college courses. LIU
also sponsors an eight-week mentoring program with the National Association of Black
Journalists, which pairs students with working journalists. These professionals meet students at LIU on weekends and serve as mentors.
The pre-teaching program was revived
last fall – the program was closed for several
years – and LIU’s education department also
works with students.
The pre-law program has drawn many
of the new students, partially because of the
school’s partnership with New York Law
School. These programs “give our students
exposure to many opportunities so they can
reach their maximium potential and create
lives that are meaningful to them,” said Mr.
Cuthbert.
An exciting new program that was implemented this fall is the Advancement Via
Individual Determination (AVID) program,
which targets the forgotten middle achievers
- those who behave and just pass their
classes with 65s or 70s. The program offers
these students instruction in academic survival skills as well as college level entry skills.
Students learn how to study, read for content, take notes, and manage time. They also
participate in collaborative study groups and
receive help about the college application
process, SAT prep and visiting colleges.
Mr. Cuthbert has big plans ahead. His
goal? He hopes Cobble Hill HS will become
a first choice school among incoming freshmen and perhaps one of the premier schools
in the city.
January 2009
CSA NEWS
//
NYSFSA
New York State Federation of School Administrators
13
//
N AT I O N
Labor
Difficult Decisions To Be Made
In Upcoming Year
BY PETER MCNALLY
President of NYSFSA
2
008 has been a memorable year in
our state’s and nation’s history. We
started the year with one governor
and ended with another. On the
national scene, we endured a long,
heated presidential
campaign which
resulted in a truly
historic outcome:
Barack Obama’s election as President. The
year will go down in
the history books not
only for the political
events of 2008, but
Peter McNally
for the financial
upheaval as well. Our nation, our
state, our municipalities, our school
districts and our schools are all reeling
from the effects of the economy’s
downturn. Watching the stock market
on a daily basis has become a roller
coaster ride. Unfortunately, it has
been more of a downhill sensation
than uphill.
Tough decisions this school year
must be made, at all levels, on how to
contain spending. As I write this, the
day before NY state legislators meet to
discuss Gov. Paterson’s proposed
budget cuts, I would say that this
year’s budget cuts looks mild compared to what’s on the horizon for
next year. Educators must unite and
advocate for our schools to protect our
budgets. Our students depend on our
advocacy to ensure they receive a
comprehensive, effective education.
Tough decisions will
have to be made at all
levels on how to
contain spending.
Despite the bad financial news,
this year has been an exciting time for
educational reform in New York state.
The NY State Education Department
received a Wallace Grant, entitled
Developing a Cohesive Leadership System
in New York State. This multiyear grant
has a number of goals. Two are: to
examine and enhance leadership
preparation and certification pro-
grams, and to develop a statewide network of leadership professional development programs. Those involved
hope to create 10 Leadership
Academies around the state. The first
one in Rochester is already in the
planning stages.
The NYC Leadership Academy will
assist the Rochester Superintendent
Jean-Claude Brizard and his staff in
creating a professional development
support system for school leaders. The
next leadership academy is set for the
Lower Hudson Valley. Planning for
that begins in the spring.
A third goal is to develop a
statewide instrument for school leader
evaluation. I am pleased to report that
NYSFSA is working with the NY State
Education Department, the Wallace
Foundation and the School
Administration Association of NYS on
the Advisory Committee of this initiative. NYSFSA representatives for NYC,
Buffalo and Yonkers also serve on key
committees. As the program progresses, I will provide updates, and
your local representatives will keep
you informed as well.
D
NEWYORKCHARTERS.ORG
■ Duffy Palmer replaces Manny Rivera as
Deputy Secretary of Education.
uffy Palmer has now been
appointed Deputy Secretary of
Education, replacing Manny Rivera, in
the Governor’s Office. We wish Mr.
Rivera well.
SED Commissioner Richard Mills
has also announced that he will resign
as of the end of the year. The Regents
have begun the search for his replacement. So stay tuned; this roller coaster
ride isn’t over yet.
TEACHING & LEARNING CELEBRATION
CSA Sponsors 4th Teaching & Learning Gala
BY ANNE SILVERSTEIN
Registration is now available for the
annual Celebration of Teaching &
Learning, hosted by Thirteen/WNET
and WLIW21.
CSA is, once again, a major sponsor
of the two-day event, which kicks off
on March 6 at the Hilton New York on
6th Avenue at 54th Street. The
Executive Leadership Institute will
present workshops and CSA President
Ernest Logan will participate in a panel
discussion.
“We encourage all CSA members to
attend this educational event,” said
Mr. Logan. “It’s a great opportunity to
learn about new breakthroughs in the
education field, hot topics, new technology and what the leaders in the
field are talking about,” he said.
The annual Chase Multimedia in
the Classroom Awards are presented
during the Celebration. The competition honors the achievements of
teachers and students who collaboratively transform learning environments through technology. All tri-state
area K-12 teachers and students are
invited to compete for cash prizes as
well as free admission to the 4th
Annual Celebration of Teaching &
Learning. The 10 winning schools will
receive a cash prize of $1,000 and be
given a trophy during the award cere-
mony on March 6. All entries must be
postmarked no later than Jan 12. For
information on the contest or registration, visit the website,
www.thirteencelebration.org.
Information will also be posted on the
CSA website, www.csa-nyc.org.
IOWA:
Rising Lunch Tab
An increasing number of Des
Moines students are coming to
school without lunch money, resulting in a $56,700 tab for unpaid
lunches – up 50 percent from last
year. Reportedly, more households
are in a budget crunch, but earn too
much for free or reduced-price
lunches. The district won’t deny children lunch, but is looking for ways to
recoup including payment plans,
better communication with families
and creation of an emergency lunch
fund. (The Des Moines Register)
FLORIDA:
Calling For Bailout
Miami Dade Schools Chief Alberto
Carvalho told the federal government it shouldn’t forget public
schools when deciding where to
offer bailouts. Florida has a $1.4
billion tax shortfall that could
translate into an additional $65
million in cuts. The district already
cut $289 million from a $5.5 billion
budget with plans to reduce costs
by another $36 million shortly.
Though concerned about schools’
financial woes, legislators reportedly are not likely to support a
public school bailout as the ramifications differ from bailouts to private industry. (Miami Herald)
VIRGINIA:
School Census Off
A University of Virginia study shows
that inaccuracies in the school census have resulted in misallocations
of tax money – as much as $17 million – to localities over-reporting
school-age children. In 2005, 67
school divisions underreported the
number of children; 27 divisions
over-reported. The total triennial
census in 2005 may have undercounted 41,000 students. The census
is conducted by school divisions. A
state-level triennial census with
standardized questionnaire is being
considered. (Daily Press)
TENNESSEE:
Web Site Ban
Tennessee State University has
become the first state-funded university to ban a website from its
servers – JuicyCampus.com – a gossip site. The site is still accessible via
third party companies. The ban came
after a complaint from a parent.
(Student Press Law Center)
— COMPILED BY
CHRISTINE ALTMAN
CCNY Seeks
Nominees
ANNE SILVERSTEIN
■ ELI’s Tony Iannuzzi and Ann Irrera led a workshop at the 2008 T&L Celebration.
The City College of New York is
currently looking for nominees for
“Outstanding
Administrator.”
Nominees must have graduated
from CCNY. Honorees will receive
an award and will be recognized at
the school’s annual luncheon on
May 2nd at the National Arts Club.
For further information and nominee forms, contact via e-mail:
[email protected]
14
January 2009
CSA NEWS
Travel Desk
GARY GOLDSTEIN
Fjords, Pyramids and More…
deposited by Feb.
14. Optional insurance available.
Singles and triples
available upon
request. Princess
reserves the right to
charge a fuel surcharge. Add $249
for port and government charges.
T
he major cruise lines offer their best
rates as early as 15 months prior to
sail date. Those who book early reap substantial savings. Once our allotment of
“seats” are gone at a certain rate, we must
re-contract which means higher rates. So
come aboard early! (I’m always interested
in hearing where you’d like to go. E-mail
me at [email protected] or call me at
(732) 786-0314.)
Winter Sailaway – 2009
Feb. 15–22, 2009
Book a Celebrity cruise on the yet-tobe launched Solstice, a whole new concept in cruising. On Feb. 15, fly from
NYC to Florida, then sail from Ft. Lauderdale to Labadee, St. Martin, Tortola and
San Juan and return on Feb. 22nd. Rates
are: Inside, $1,498; window, $1,749; balcony, $1,879; concierge balcony, $2,079;
balcony with aqua class, $2,279. Add
taxes and government fees and optional
insurance of $229 per person.
Spring Break - 2009,
Egyptian-Style
April 8 - April 19, 2009
Depart JFK on April 8, 2009 and return April 19. Join Collette Tours* and
co-host Smithsonian Journeys as we
step back in time to explore thousands
of years of history, legend and lore in
Egypt. We’ll visit the Giza Pyramid, the
sites of Memphis and Sakkara, Luxor
and Karnak Temples and the tombs of
the West Bank of ancient Thebes. Combine the above with a five-day cruise on
the Nile to the Temple of Karnak, Esna,
Australia,
New Zealand
Edfu (Temple of Horus), Kitchener Island, Aswan Dam and the temple of
Isis. Price includes round-trip airfare, an
Egyptologist guide, 10 breakfasts, four
lunches and eight dinners. Cost: $3,497
per person for a double; $4,119 single
rate, $3,439 triple room.
*Limited to 44 passengers.
Norwegian Fjords, and
the Arctic Circle
July 6 - 20, 2009
We depart NYC for London where
we board the magnificent Crown
Princess (Princess Cruises). We sail
north to visit Stavanger, Hellesylt,
Geiranger, Trondheim, Honningsvag,
Tromso, Flaam and Bergen, each
unique in its beauty and culture.
Rates are: Inside, $3349; window,
$4089; balcony, $4499; mini-suite,
$4997. Save $100 per person on balcony and minis if booked and
The Irish American
Heritage and Culture
Committee will hold its
annual Oratory Contest on
Feb. 7 at the American
Irish Historical Society at
991 Fifth Ave., New York,
from 9:30 to 1 pm. Each
high school may be represented by one student.
Applications must be
received no later than Jan.
27. Call Eileen Hudson,
co-chair of the event, at
(212) 691-6398 for details
and applications. First
prize is $600,
second
prize is $400 and third
prize is $250.
AFSA
Scholarship
Program ‘08-09
The American Federation of School Administrators is accepting applications for its 2008-2009
scholarship program. The
program is for children of
AFSA members who will be
entering college, for the first
time, in the fall 2009. Five
winners will be chosen and
awarded $2,500 each. (All
CSA members are members
of AFSA as well, and their
children are eligible to
apply.) The deadline for
submitting an application
is Feb. 28. For more information and to download
an application, visit the
AFSA
website
at
www.admin.org.
Last Call:
Tickets to
NYCESPA
Convention
Tickets are still available
at the NYCESPA 76th
Convention on Jan. 31 at
the Brooklyn Marriott.
In addition to a
keynote presentation on
urban education, the
Convention will feature 16
workshops that address
supervisory, curriculum
and technology issues.
Oct. 24 - Nov. 2, 2009
Sail the Caribbean Princess from the
Port of Brooklyn to San Juan, Puerto
Rico, with stops including Bermuda,
St. Kitts, Antigua and St. Thomas.
Prices include cruise, one-way return
air and transfers in San Juan.
Inside,$899 per person; balcony,
$1,099 per person; mini-Suite (best
value), $1,398 per person. Save $100
on your cabin if you deposit on or
before Feb. 6. Add $198 per person for
taxes and government fees. Fuel surcharge included. Optional insurance
available.
Exciting South America
March 13 - 28, 2010
Fly NYC to Santiago, Chile on
March 13. Sail March 14 from
Valparaiso on the elegant Infinity
(Celebrity) to La Serena, Chile, Arica
Chile, Manta, Ecuador, transit the
Panama Canal, Cristobal, Panama,
Cartagena, Colombia and disembark in
Ft. Lauderdale. Fly to New York. Rates
include cruise and airfare. (Air credit
available for those wishing to depart
early or remain in Florida.)
Rates are: Inside, $2,574 per person; window, $2, 749; balcony,
$3,279; balcony with concierge,
$3,649. Suites, triple, singles available
upon request. Optional insurance
available. Add $298 port and government charges. These rates won’t last!
Deposits are fully refundable until 100
days prior to sailing.
In Memoriam
Notebook
Irish Committee
Oratory Contest
Aug. 14 -28, 2009
Fly from NYC to Cairns, Australia.
View the Great Barrier Reef, the
Aboriginal Cultural Center, and the
Hartley Croc Farm. Fly to Sydney and
Paddington, then to New Zealand and
Queenstown, the gateway to the
South Island including Milford Sound,
the Lord of the Rings Turf, Mt. Cook,
and Queenstown.
Spend one night enjoying dinner
and a sheep-shearing demonstration
with a typical New Zealand family on
their ranch. Return to NYC on Aug. 28
or take an extension to Fiji from Aug.
28-30. The program includes airfare,
12 breakfasts, two lunches and six dinners, touring as specified, all accommodations in four-star hotels,
taxes/service. Airport departure taxes
not included. Rates: Double, $4,999
per person; single, $6,199; triple
$4,949 (existing bedding). For the Fiji
extension, add $549 per person based
on double occupancy.
Outstanding Cruise Value
More information about
the Convention, registration and the use of FAMIS
online ordering can be
found at NYCESPA’s website, www.nycespa.org. For
more information, contact
NYCESPA Convention Vice
President Liza Caraballo at
[email protected].
ABENY
Meeting, Essay
Contest
The Association of Black
Educators of New York
(ABENY) will hold its general membership meeting
on Jan. 25 from 3 to 6 p.m,
location to be announced.
The deadline for ABENY's
annual Black History essay
contest is Jan. 9. The winners will be honored at the
“Bridge From Africa” ceremony which is on Feb. 7
from 1 to 3 p.m. at the
Cadman Plaza Library in
Brooklyn Heights.
For more information
about the essay contest,
contact Dr. Sheilah Bobo at
(917) 412-9099.
■ EDITH BROMBERG, 81,
died on Nov. 7. Her husband,
Murray, was the Principal of
Andrew Jackson High
School, Queens, and was the
Founding Director of CSA's
first staff development program, the “Supercenter.”
Condolences may be sent to
him at 2486 Williams Ct.,
Bellmore, NY 11710.
■ BETTY CURIALE died on
Oct. 9, 2008. Ms. Curiale was
a teacher and Principal for
40 years with the NYC
schools. She was a CSA Chair
for District 8 for 15 years.
Donations in her name may
be made to St. Frances of
Rome Church, 4307 Barnes
Ave., Bronx, NY 10466, or the
Hospice and Palliative Care
of Westchester, 95 S. Broadway, 4th Floor, White Plains,
NY 10601-4403. Send condolences to her sister, Anita
R. Bonomo, PO Box 442,
Kent, CT 06757.
■ NORMAN DIDAKOW, 74,
died on Oct. 10, 2008. Mr.
Didakow retired from the
NYC schools in 1995 as
Assistant Principal of Brooklyn Technical HS. Condo-
lences may be sent to his
wife, Joyce, at 15 Strathmore
Dr., New City, NY 10956.
■ LEONARD KANTROWITZ
84, passed away after an
accident at his home on Nov.
26, 2008. Mr. Kantrowitz
retired in 1991 as the
Director of the NYC Reading
Program for the NYC Board
of Education. After graduating from Brooklyn College,
he began his career as an
English teacher at Midwood
High School in Brooklyn,
then became Chairman of
English and an Assistant
Principal at Prospect Heights
High School. After he retired,
Mr. Kantrowitz moved to
Florida where he continued
to be involved in educational activities for Florida International University, the
Brandeis Committee and the
Bass Museum. Condolences
may be sent to his wife,
Barbaralee, at bkantro1@
bellsouth.net, or to his
daughters, Susan Field and
Amy Roszak, at jar2@
embarqmail.com.
■ JERRY KRIEGER, 75, died
on Aug. 24, 2008. Mr. Krieger
retired as Principal of JHS
218, D 19 in 1991. Mr.
Krieger served in NYC
schools for 34 years. He is
survived by his wife Karen,
condolences maybe sent
her at 8 Falcon Drive,
Manalapalan, NJ 07726.
■ JOHN J. MCCARTHY, 68,
died on Oct. 6, 2008. Mr. McCarthy was an educator for
more than
30 years,
and retired
in 1999 as
an Assistant Principal of IS
10, D-30,
L o n g
John McCarthy Island City.
He is survived by his wife of
43 years Claudette. Condolences may be sent to her at
20 Leigh Dr., Florham Park,
NJ 07932.
■ LEWIS TRAGER, 64, died
on July 7, 2008. Mr. Trager
retired in 1998 as Principal
of IS 109, D 29, Queens. Mr.
Trager is survived by his
wife Lynne. Condolences
may be sent to her at 7
Cobb Ct., Huntington, NY
11743.
January 2009
15
CSA NEWS / RETIREES
RETIREE
CHAIR’S MESSAGE
Neil Lefkowitz
An Official Thank You to Queens
■ The Queens
Regional Unit
thanked Queens
Borough President
Helen Marshall for
her contributions to
education with a
plaque on Dec. 9.
Queens Borough
Hall also provides
the Queens Unit with
its meeting space.
Left: Joseph
Rosenberg, Queens
Regional Leader, and
Ms. Marshall.
‘Teaching & Learning’
Reaches out to Retirees
B
y the time you receive
this issue of the CSA
News, a new year will
have begun, bringing with it
our hope that the serious economic problems our nation
faces will begin to improve
under the new leadership in
Washington, DC.
Many of you have
expressed concerns about the
health of the state’s pension
system. As I stated in the previous issue of the CSA News,
our pensions are secure and
protected by state law. This is
just one way in which the
union has protected your
interests during its long history of fighting for member
rights and protections.
In related news, there is no
update about the ongoing per
session law case. We expected
last month or this month that
TRS would mail information
to all retirees about this settlement, but at this time, we
cannot say for sure if this is happening. I suggest you
visit the CSA website (www.csa-nyc.org) to keep abreast
of any breaking news on this subject, as well as other
important updates about union activities.
Each year, public broadcasting stations Channel 13
and Channel 21 sponsor a conference entitled, "Teaching
and Learning". This year, CSA will, again, be one of its
major sponsors and the CSA leadership is asking Retiree
Chapter members to volunteer to work at this event. The
conference will be held at the Hilton New York on March
6–7; we will send you information later this month.
(Editor’s Note: For details about the conference, see story, Page
13.) I hope to see many of you as volunteers at this
important event.
Our
pensions
are secure,
protected
by state
law.
•••
A
aron Stern, Special Events Committee Chair,
completed a member survey of those who
attended the Fall Get-Away at the Villa Roma in
mid-October. Members overwhelmingly agreed that the
Get-Away was excellent and praised the food, accommodations and meeting topics. Our next general membership meeting is at the North Shore Towers in Queens
in May. More information will be sent at a later date.
Bill Pinkett, Membership Committee Chair, reported
at our last Executive Board meeting that the Retiree
Chapter continues to grow. Last year, more than 84 percent of new retirees joined our Chapter. Our local
Regional Unit leaders are part of the Chapter’s effort to
involve all retirees in our programs as well as in our legislative efforts.
Once again, I want to wish you and your families a
healthy and happy New Year.
Don’t forget to take a look at the
Retiree Chapter Spring Program
Brochure on Pages 7-10.
Chapter
DOMINICK TOTINO
PHOTOGRAPHY
Regional Units A Provocative Title
LONG ISLAND
At our November Executive Board meeting,
we said good bye to our snowbirds. We reviewed
reports from the central Advisory Committee and
Benefits Committee. Jim Mehlman provided us
with details for our June luncheon, and he was
authorized to plan trips to Oheka Castle and the
Nassau County Museum. Ron Berkenblit is working on programs for the February and April membership meetings. We are considering a discussion of health benefits, our legislative program
and investment strategies in light of the current
economic downturn. For more information, contact me at (516) 747-6291, or e-mail me at [email protected].
—NORMAN WATNICK
BROOKLYN
Our spring meeting is at St. Francis College on
March 31. Please note: memberships dues of $15
are due. Make checks payable to: CSARC Brooklyn
Regional Unit and mail to 16 Court Street, Room
711, Brooklyn, NY, 11241, attn: Ron Jones. We
are also getting ready to publish our first newsletter which you will receive before March. Happy
New Year to all our members and their families!
—RON JONES
STATEN ISLAND
A general membership meeting will be held
March 16 at 9:30 am at the JCC. More information will be sent to members.
—CHERYL OBEY
New Regions Forming
The Retiree Chapter is considering forming
two new Regional Units. If you live in either
Georgia or North Carolina, and are interested,
contact Ella Ivy (North Carolina) at (917) 5892566 or Georgia Harrison (Georgia) at (770) 6932399.
In addition, we are exploring forming a region
in San Francisco and the surrounding region.
John Kabot, a RC member, has volunteered to
lead a group there. If you’re interested, please
contact Dee-Dee Goidel, RC Legislative
Coordinator, at (718) 625-3434 or e-mail her at
[email protected].
for Principal’s Book
BY CSA STAFF
Murray Bromberg, the founding Director of CSA’s
first staff development program for Assistant Principals
(the ‘Supercenter’), has written a lively tell-all memoir
of his experience as a high school Principal. It includes
rites of passage, satiric essays,
and humorous pieces that he
calls an “eclectic mishmash.”
Mr. Bromberg was the
Principal of Andrew Jackson
HS for 12 years, and the chairman of the English
Department at Thomas
Jefferson for 10.
He will be reading from
the book on Jan. 22 at the
Bellmore Library in Bellmore,
LI at 7 p.m. The provocative
title of his book is I Slept With
Marlene Dietrich.
(Order copies of the book
on Amazon.com or from the publisher (wholesale)
Author House at 1-888-519-5121.)
Outreach Workshops
The CSA Retiree Chapter continues with its popular Outreach workshops for members. The workshops run from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Space is limited and registration is required. Call Felice
Hannah, RC Outreach Coordinator, at (718) 6253434 and leave your name and telephone number.
Jan. 13, 2009: Workshop for Caregivers
Topics: Elder law, long-term care, respite care;
and Medicaid.
Limited to 40 people
March 10, 2009: Defensive Driving
If interested, call Felice Hannah,
Outreach Coordinator
at (718) 625-3434 for registration information.
Limited to 34 people.
(For additional Outreach Programs, see Page 7.)
16
January 2009
CSA NEWS
Borough Briefs / In The Schools
N AT I O N
Education
Manhattan (DIST. 1-6)
Controversy: Learning to Fight for Your Cause
ILLINOIS:
Teamster Drive
The Teamsters hit the road with a
national “Drive Up Standards” campaign, aimed at improving service,
safety and standards in the private
school bus business. In Charleston,
IL, 64 bus drivers and monitors
signed up for union representation,
following 417 drivers in Naperville
who signed on earlier in the month.
Since 2006, over 13,500 have been
brought into the union via this campaign. (Workers Independent News)
OHIO:
Retaliation Possible
The National Council of Field Labor
Locals, that represents the U.S. Labor
Department’s field office employees, warned that the Bush administration may retaliate against 59
whistleblowers in the Mine Safety
and Health Administration (MSHA).
The 59 protested MSHA’s inaction in
a mine explosion at Crandall Canyon
a year ago. Bush Labor Secretary
Elaine Chao reportedly sent the 59
names and their investigative interviews, which were said to be confidential, to the MSHA Administrator.
At the time of the incident, MSHA
was criticized for allowing the mine
operator to engage in unsafe
“retreat mining” that led to the fatal
explosion. (Labor News)
UTAH:
Seeking Fed Help
Utah and other states are asking
the federal government to help
prevent benefit cuts to people
enrolled in Medicaid and State
Children’s Health Insurance
Programs (SCHIP). With the economic downturn, enrollment in
these programs is up and states
have been forced to cut services
including physical therapy, vision
and hearing services. Nevada has
capped enrollment in SCHIP and
California is considering an enrollment freeze. (www.stateline.org)
S
tudents from the Julia Richman
Educational Complex and
Hunter High School were learning
to fight City Hall on Dec. 9, or at
least how to protest there.
Julia Richman students spoke
out against the planned land swap
of their campus with Hunter
College for a building downtown.
Hunter students were demonstrating in support of the deal saying
they need new facilities. Reporters
interviewed numerous students
who made intelligent arguments
supporting their views.
■ AGAINST THE DEAL: Julia Richman students are interviewed by a reporter.
YURIDIA PEÑA
■ IN FAVOR OF: Hunter High School students.
Brooklyn (DIST. 13-23,32)
New Facilities,
Lots of Progress
IS 228, D-21, celebrated a new parent
center on Nov. 17 with NYS Sen. Martin
J. Golden; Brooklyn Borough President
Marty Markowitz; Sandi DiTripani, CSA
Executive Board member and D-21 Chair;
and Lee Boody, great-grandson of David
A. Boody, the school’s namesake. “When
children see that school is important to
(the parents,) they see it as important to
them,” said Mr. DiTripani. Principal
Dominick D’Angelo pushed the school to
do well. “We moved the school from a “D”
to a “B” in one year and (we’re) moving
towards an “A” pretty soon,” he said.
PS 216, D 21, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate its new Robin Hood-
YURIDIA PENA
■ City Councilman Al Vann and Assistant
Principal Ursula Koffer of Paul Robeson HS.
funded library on Dec. 11. The center has
more than 7,000 new books and features
an ultra-modern alcove with upholstered
sofas and custom-designed carpeting. The
principal is Celia Kaplinsky.
Paul Robeson HS for Business and
Technology recently celebrated its new
computer lab. “It’s going to benefit us a
lot,” said Krystina Robinson, student body
State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli
reports that as many as 225,000
New Yorkers could be out of work
during the next two years in
response to the Wall Street crisis.
DiNapoli blamed part of the problem on overpayment of employees
in the first half of 2008, with 97 percent of net revenues being spent
on compensation. It is projected
that 38,000 jobs will be cut from
the securities sector next year.
(Workers Independent News)
— COMPILED BY
CHRISTINE ALTMAN
YURIDIA PEÑA
■ IS 228 Principal Dominick D’Angelo
and Brooklyn Borough President Marty
Markowitz.
JANUARY 2009
Wall Street Job Loss
Queens (DIST. 24-30)
PS 54 Donates to
Make-a-Wish
PS 54, D-28, raised $600 for the Makea-Wish Foundation at its annual
Halloween Carnival. Fifth-grade students
created the games, staff and parents
donated refreshments, and students
played the various games. Diane Jones,
Principal, is also the CSA D-28 Chair.
Modern Media
Food Stamp Use Up
NEW YORK:
president. City Councilman Al Vann’s
office provided the funding. “He is a great
supporter of Robeson,” said AP Ursula
Koffer, who wrote the construction grant.
(The labs will also serve the community
through a Microsoft certification program
offered on Saturdays.)
Leon M. Goldstein HS celebrated its
“A” during a recent faculty conference.
Principal Joseph Zaza said developing a
FileMaker database system helped staff
track and analyze student progress, and
using the data helped improve student
achievement.
Bronx (DIST. 7–12)
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA:
Food stamp use may exceed 30 million this month due to an increase in
unemployment and the rising cost
of food. Government data recently
indicated that 11.9 million people
went hungry during some point in
the last year, including almost
700,000 children–an increase of
over 50 percent from the prior year.
(Washington Post)
Compiled
by Yuridia Peña
■ PS 216’s ultra-modern library. (The letters
above are “e”, “a”, and “d”. The “r” is not pictured.)
Council of School Supervisors
& Administrators, NYC
New York State Federation of School
Administrators
Local 1 AFSA, AFL-CIO
16 Court Street, Brooklyn, NY 11241-1003
IS 181, D-11, was the recipient of a
$750,000 grant from the office of City
Councilman Larry Seabrook. The money
will be used to refurbish the library into a
state-of-the-art media center. Mr. Seabrook
presented a check to Principal Christopher
Warnock during a ceremony at the school
on Dec.5.
Periodicals
US POSTAGE PAID AT
Brooklyn, NY 11201
and Additional Mailing Office

January 2009 CSA News Final.qxd_2008 CSA News

Transcription

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