The Glen Cove Teachers' Association is coming to the end of a full year working under an expired contract.  Our last few settlements over the years have been harsh,half steps and menial increases of 1% for a year, or .5%.  It hasn't even countered the rise in health insurance.  See below for details.  We are now in mediation and the District has only insulted us, offering menial % only if we take a step freeze, but demands we given extra help after school and wants changes to other items in our CBA.  Their offer does not equate to their demands and is an outright slap to all our hard working teachers.
We just had our second mediation meeting.  The Association has taken just about all proposals off the table, except for a % increase and the District still isn't coming back with a fair offer, demanding way too much for any % increase.
Our next mediation session is scheduled for June 18th.  
The next and only BOE meeting is this Wednesday, June 6th, at the High School!  We are planning an all out rally starting at 7PM at the entrance and into the lobby.  Our teachers will be wearing our "contract now" t-shirts and holding signs.  It would be great if Glen Cove community people came and spoke on our behalf.  Just asking for our teaching staff to be treated professionally and fairly.  Sorry for the last minute ask, but had trouble getting this message out due to computer issues.
It is sad that every time we negotiate the BOE and super drag us 2 years on an expired contract just to deny us retro. 
If you are a local president, please pass this on to your members. 
If you are a NYSUT member who lives in Glen Cove, please call our superintendent and BOE Trustees or email them NOW, before our June 18thmediation.
The superintendent's name is Dr. Rianna and her phone number is 516-801-7012. 
The email for the trustees and the superintendent are [email protected].  
Thanks in advance for any help you may offer!
In unity,
Karen Ferguson, President
Glen Cove Teachers' Assoc.
HISTORY of Past Negotiations
APPR done first – signed June 2012.  Two years later MOA for 2011-2016 contract signed April 2014.
2011-2012     0%
2012-2013     0%
2013-2014                    Effective May 1, 2014 - all unit members had to give up the increment increase on their step, having 2/10 of their increment deducted from their summer pay, but the cells on the pay scale all went up 1.5%.  It averaged a .3% increase for that year.  Some lost money and made a crumb.  We had settled the APPR in June of 2012 for nothing in exchange and got screwed.  Negotiations started in spring of 2012 and we didn't sign a monetary package of half step moves and crumbs until May of 2014. The 2 years before we got nothing.  Very bad times.
2014-2015     1% + 1/2 step increment
2015-2016     1% + 1/2 step increment
2016-2017     .5% (in exchange for APPR) signed September 2016 (we learned from last time to not do this for free)
Started Negotiating in Spring of 2017 and here we are again being insulted and not appreciated.

Please see the letter NYSUT sent to SED highlighting our concerns with the draft ESSA regulations which can be very harmful to districts with high opt-out rates like Bellmore-Merrick. Our ED 17 representative Tomia Smith from Massapequa sent out a sample letter we can send to SED expressing our shared concerns about the potential harm these ESSA regulations could have to our district. Please consider using it as a template or emailing your own letter to SED. 


In solidarity,
Mark

____________________________________________________________________________________



I strongly disagree with the June 2018 ESSA draft regulations and ask that they be modified to address the following concerns:

• Parents’ federal right to opt-out their children from taking state assessments must be respected
• Schools should not be punished for high opt-out rates
• All educational factors in a school should be used when assessing its effectiveness-not primarily focusing on one assessment
• The Commissioner should not be given the right to put any school under preliminary registration review (SURR), possibly leading to school closure, based on high opt-out rates while ignoring actual student performance levels and other educational factors
• The Commissioner should not be allowed to impose a financial penalty by requiring Title 1 funds to be set aside if participation rates do not improve by the third year
• The State Education Department should not be allowed to interfere with collective bargaining agreements by imposing limits on teacher transfer or placement abilities
• The State Education Department should not be allowed to determine what employees represent the bargaining unit in any committee

It is my understanding that the Regents were only given a summary of the draft regulations prior to being asked to vote to bring it for public opinion.  This goes against any good practice of thoroughly reviewing a document, one that has such an impact on our school systems, prior to accepting it.
​
I strongly encourage you to address these concerns.
MEMORANDUM
 TO:                 NYSUT Board of Directors
FROM:          Jolene DiBrango
DATE:           June 5, 2018
RE:                 ESSA Letter
We sent the attached letter to SED on last Tuesday highlighting our strong concerns with the ESSA regulations. The concerns we raise about the treatment of opt outs could have a significant impact on any locals in your area with high opt outs. Please share our letter with any of your locals with high opt out rates and urge them to send a comment letter to SED at [email protected]
Thank you for your help on this important issue. The Commissioner and the Board of Regents must hear from teachers in the field about the impact SED’s choices will have on their students and schools.
In solidarity,
Jolene