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Colleagues, I hope you all had a restful and relaxing spring break. I wanted to share that the Long Island Presidents Council is launching a campaign focused on charter school accountability. We recognize that charter schools, unfortunately, seem to be here to stay. However, we firmly believe they should be held to the same rigorous standards, regulations, and transparency requirements as traditional public schools when it comes to spending taxpayer money. For the 22-23 and 23-24 school years alone, Nassau County charter schools drained over $262,000,000 from public school coffers. The situation in Hempstead is particularly alarming - they paid out more money to charter schools than they brought in through tax revenue, forcing them to rely heavily on state and federal aid just to operate Our campaign aims to educate our members and the public about the lack of oversight in charter school operations – from unelected governing boards and financial management to teacher certification requirements and selective enrollment practices that disadvantage our most vulnerable students. Amanda Myles-McAnally, our second vice-president, will be leading the charter school accountability campaign for BMUST. In the coming weeks, she will be sharing a "Why in 5" card that breaks down key concerns about charter schools (see below). This isn't about eliminating charter schools, as much as we might like for it to be; it's about ensuring equal accountability and transparency in how public money is spent. As always, please don't hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns as we move forward with this important initiative. In Solidarity, Rob
Dear Colleagues, Join BMUST next Tuesday, May 6, at the Freeport train station to advocate for changes to the NYS pension system. NYSUT President Melinda Person and local labor leaders from Long Island will lead a rally demanding fixes to Tier 6 to help recruit and retain the next generation of public employees. Visit fixtier6.org and see the attached flyer for more information. Bring your family, friends, and colleagues. Sign up using the following link: https://secure.everyaction.com/RK319kxNMUCpZuUC3g9g0Q2 The event starts at 3:30. We'll see you there! Best, Dennis -- Dennis Urban Treasurer and Political Action Co-Chair Bellmore-Merrick United Secondary Teachers 
 Mark your calendars for Friday, May 16th at 3:00 PM. The BMUST New Teacher/100 Hour Committee proudly presents the BMUST Spring Happy Hour at the Irish Poet in Wantagh.
Please join us as we acknowledge our colleagues who have achieved tenure! This event is sponsored by Mutual Inc., a BMCHSD and NYSUT-approved financial service group, who will be providing complimentary food and drink. Representatives will be available at the event to answer questions our members may have and to offer sign-ups for free financial consultations. We look forward to seeing you there! Our Best, The New Teacher/100 Hour Committee Anthony Brandofino - Mepham Catherine Arresto - Calhoun Lauren Beinert - MAMS Meg Billia - GAMS Catrina Christensen - MAP Carla Petroro - Kennedy Please join us on Tuesday, June 17 to celebrate our honorees! Congratulations to this year's award winners! RSVP HERE or print the attached invitation.
Dear Colleagues,
Before we leave for our much-deserved spring break, I'd like to share a few political action updates. NYSUT Accomplishments I'm sure you noticed that VOTE-COPE payroll deductions began last month, and it's important to recognize all that NYSUT has achieved through our contributions and lobbying efforts. Please take a look at the attached flyer highlighting NYSUT's victories over the past year. If you'd like to contribute to VOTE-COPE, please contact Heather Castellano at Mepham. Remember, 40% of our contributions come back to BMUST every year to support local actions. Tier 6 Rally NYSUT is hosting a series of Fix Tier 6 rallies across the state this spring, on the 6th of each month. The Long Island rally will take place at the Freeport train station after school on Tuesday, May 6. Visit this link to sign up, and stay updated on Tier 6 developments at https://fixtier6.org/. AFT Action As members of BMUST and NYSUT, we're also part of the AFT (American Federation of Teachers), our national union. Ryan Clark, a social studies teacher at Calhoun and president of the New York State Lifeguard Corps (NYSLC), is actively involved with the AFT. Just as NYSUT has the MAC (Member Action Center) app to help amplify our voices at the state level, the AFT's Action Network tackles national issues that impact our profession and public education. Ryan asked that we share this opportunity with you (italicized below). If you want to stay informed and get involved, you can sign up for the AFT Action Network here. As a member of the AFT Public Employees Program and Policy Council, I have been learning how the cuts at the federal level are beginning to trickle down to the states and to Native Americans who are covered by treaties. My fellow policy council member is Sue Parton, the 80-year-old president of the Federation of Indian Service Employees (FISE). She has been a teacher in the Bureau of Indian Education for over 40 years and saw over 3,000 of her members laid off despite historical treaty obligations. I would ask you to consider supporting our fellow AFT members all over the United States working on reservations and in land-grant universities as they face an uphill battle to restore the services protected under the treaties they engaged in while giving up their ancestral lands. Thank you for any support you can give Sue and her members. Honor our Tribal Treaties Looking ahead The annual budget vote and school board elections take place on May 20. BMUST will support the passage of the school budget and the election of candidates who support public education. We'll pass along more information in May. Have a relaxing break, and please let me know if you have any questions. Best, Dennis -- Dennis Urban Treasurer and Political Action Co-Chair Bellmore-Merrick United Secondary Teachers BIOGRAPHIES
Announcement of Candidates for Election of Board of Trustees, Officers & Head Building Representatives on May 15, 2025 Officers: President: Rob Walsh – Wellington C. Mepham High School 1st Vice President: Bill Morris – Wellington C. Mepham High School 2nd Vice President: Amanda Myles-McAnally – Merrick Avenue Middle School Treasurer: Dennis Urban – John F. Kennedy High School Head Building Representatives: Sanford H. Calhoun High School: Sean Formato Grand Avenue Middle School: Lisa Gaeta John F. Kennedy High School: Brad Seidman Wellington C. Mepham High School: Jaclyn Rothschild Merrick Avenue Middle School: Lisa Shapiro The BMUST Women's Committee is proud to further their fundraising efforts for Bethany House by running Women's NCAA March Madness boxes!
Boxes are $10 each and can be paid via Venmo (preferred) or cash (see below for the contact person in each building). Venmo payments must include the box number requested. Please check that the number you're requesting is available. Boxes will be filled on a first come serve basis - if your number is taken you will get the next closest. Women's Committee NCAA Boxes The Women's NCAA championship game is April 6! Brookside: Catrina Christensen Grand: Regina Schilling MAMS: Amanda Myles-McAnally Calhoun: Sue Litwin Kennedy: Sara Gant Mepham: Lisa Kalish Stop the Bleed Training Program – March 19, 2025
WHO: Bellmore-Merrick Community Coalition, Nassau University Medical Center, Community Parent Center, Bellmore-Merrick CHSD, Bellmore, N. Bellmore, Merrick, N. Merrick Elementary Schools, Senator Steve Rhoads, Assemblyman David McDonough, Legislator Michael Giangregorio, Legislator Seth Koslow, Councilman Chris Schneider WHAT: Stop the Bleed - Save a Life Training for parents, families, teens, faculty/staff, community members presented by Nassau University Medical Center Executive Director of Community Outreach – Sloan Yoselowitz. WHEN: Wednesday, March 19th, 2025 – 7:00pm WHERE: Brookside School – Board Room # 13 1260 Meadowbrook Road, North Merrick 11566 WHY: Would YOU know what to do if someone has life-threatening bleeding? Approximately 40% of trauma-related deaths worldwide are due to bleeding or its consequences. The average time to bleed out—3 to 5 minutes The average time for 1st responders to arrive—7 to 10 minutes. Learn how to stop traumatic bleeding so you can be prepared to save a life! PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED – Space Limited Please fill out the on-line google docs registration form. Click on the link below or cut and paste into your browser https://forms.gle/bxRHMKnb5quoW8tM8 For questions or more information call Community Parent Center at 516-771-9346 or 516-992-1086 or email [email protected]. Regards, Wendy Wendy Tepfer Director Community Parent Center 1260 Meadowbrook Road No. Merrick, NY 11566 516-992-1086 - 516-771-9346 [email protected] [email protected] Dear Colleagues,
I hope your second semester is off to a good start. Here are a few political action updates to help you stay involved in the fight to protect and improve public education. 1. NYSUT released its list of legislative priorities for 2025, which include school funding improvements, distraction-free classrooms, and more fixes to Tier 6. Next month, we'll lobby state legislators at the Committee of 100 event in Albany. 2. Governor Hochul released her executive budget. Every district's proposed funding for the 2025-26 state budget is here. 3. Pre-college Instructors at the Manhattan School of Music, who have been working under an expired contract for almost 5 months, are currently on strike. 4. BMUST will continue to engage in campaigns to pass the school budget and elect board candidates who support public education. Stay tuned for ways you can get involved in the coming months. 5. Stay updated with NYSUT's political action alerts by signing up for Member Action Center (MAC) texts here. Please let me know if you have any questions. Best, Dennis |
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