A Gift for aBronx EarlyChildhoodCenter 11

PresidentialCandidate:Hillary onEducation 5

Travel Desk:Far and Away,By Land or Sea 13

Queens School,Police Precinctin United Effort 12

Dec. 2015Volume 49, Number 4American Federationof School Administrators,AFL-CIO Local 1

NEWSCOUNCIL OF SCHOOL SUPERVISORS AND ADMINISTRATORS

RACHEL ELKINDn More than 900 people attended the 48th CSA Leadership Conference at the Midtown Manhattan New York Hilton. Lawmakers, education officials,CSA executives, members and retirees were treated to a lively day of speeches,exhibits, workshops and networking opportunities at the Nov. 14 gala luncheon.

BY CHUCK WILBANKS

Negotiations between CSAand the NYC Day Care Councilover salaries and benefits forEarly Childhood Educationmembers reached a new inten-sity in Nov. “These are activenegotiations and we are pushinghard for a long overdue con-tract,” said CSA General CounselDavid Grandwetter. “The Mayorneeds to make good on his cam-paign promise to this section ofthe workforce. It’s our number-one priority.” The discussionshave been at high levels, includ-ing with Deputy Mayor RichardBuery, and the heads of thelabor relations commission andthe Day Care Council.In addition to a long overdue

salary boost – ECE membershaven’t had a raise in ten years –CSA is also seeking better pen-sion and health care benefits.CSA President Ernest Loganmade a plea for ECE membersto assembled politicians, educa-tion leaders and members atCSA’s Conference Nov. 14. Helaid the issue directly at the feetof Mayor Bill de Blasio. “So, nowhe becomes Mayor and youknow what?” Mr. Logan toldmembers. “He forgets the blackand Latina females who werethere in the beginning. We needto make him wake up andunderstand these women needa contract.”ECE got major attention on

the steps of City Hall, as well. Inmid-Nov., NY Public AdvocateLetitia James held a press con-ference proposing a host of poli-cies, including expanding Citychild care tax credits to familiesmaking up to $65,000, creatinga mayor’s office for early child-hood development, negotiatinglong-term leases for ECE centers,and pay equity between ECEmembers and DOE employees.“No family should be forced

to decide between sending theirchild to daycare or putting foodon the table,” Ms. James said.

Talks andAttentionFor ECEMembers

Looking Back FondlyAnd Moving ForwardNearly 1,000 CSA Members Turn Out for 2015 Conference

COVERAGE BEGINS ON P. 7

CSA NEWS 2 Dec. 2015

Council of SchoolSupervisors & Administrators

American Federation of SchoolAdministrators, AFL-CIO, Local 1

40 Rector St., NY, NY 10006Phone: (212) 823-2020Fax: (212) 962-6130www.csa-nyc.org

PresidentErnest A. Logan

Executive Vice President Mark Cannizzaro

First Vice President Randi Herman, Ed.D

TreasurerHenry Rubio

SecretarySandy DiTrapani

Vice PresidentsDebra Handler

Lois LeeChris Ogno

Ronald WilliamsNancy Russo, Retiree Chapter

Executive Director OperationsErminia Claudio

General Counsel David Grandwetter

Comptroller Phil Fodera

Executive Director Field ServicesSana Q. Nasser

Field Directors Juanita Bass, Stephen Bennett,Mildred Boyce, James Harrigan, Christine Martin, Daisy O’Gorman,

Mercedes Qualls

Assistant Field DirectorsEleanor Andrew, Mauro Bressi, LaverneBurrowes (Special Projects), Rosalie David,Charles Dluzniewski, Nancy Esposito,Martin Fiasconaro, Aura Gangemi, Ellie Greenberg, Ray Gregory, Robert Jeanette, Kate Leonard,

Monica McDonald, Dorothy Morris, Ralph Santiago, Shelli Sklar, Fran Walters

Grievance DirectorRobert J. Reich

Assistant DirectorsCarol Atkins, Robert Colon,

Jermaine Garden, Marlene Lazar, Ph.D,Steve Rosen

Director of CommunicationsClem Richardson

Assistant Director of CommunicationsCorey Bachman

Director of Political AffairsHerman Merritt

Assistant Director of Political AffairsGabe Gallucci

Assistant DirectorJohn Khani

Director of ITEgal Sanchez

Special Assistant to PresidentGary Goldstein

CSA Conference ChairPierre Lehmuller

CSA HistorianManfred Korman

CSA Retiree ChapterGayle Lockett, ChairMark Brodsky, Director

CSA NEWSEditor Chuck Wilbanks

Associate Editor Maria Smith

Design Consultant Michele Pacheco

Production Assistant Christine Altman

CSA News (004-532) is publishedmonthly except July and August for$35 per year per member by CSA, 40Rector St., NY, NY 10006. Periodicalpostage paid at Manhattan, NY, andadditional mailing offices. POSTMAS-TER: Send address changes to CSANews, 40 Rector St., NY, NY 10006.

The speech has been edited due tospace constraints.

Good afternoon,brothers and sisters.Last year, I stood onthis stage and, boy, itwas a real hallelujah

moment, wasn’t it? Those of youwho were here remember I camedown the steps with the Mayorand the Chancellor. We had justsigned a contract. People got totheir feet. They shouted. Theystomped. We all took a good sighof relief, a good breath of fresh airand said, thank you. Well, today it’s almost a year

since we signed that and I also cel-ebrate the opportunity to serveyou for another three years. Ithank you for allowing me to con-tinue as your president. I'm hum-bled by your confidence in meand in my team.

Nobody was really expectingit, but we won lump sum payoutsfor all of you including new mem-bers from the teacher ranks andthose who were promoted intomanagement ranks. We got salaryincreases and bonuses 18 percentcompounding over the life of thiscontract. You also received a thou-sand dollars just for signing thecontract.

We won the workplace reme-dies that you told us you wanted.And there were other gains. Forthe first time ever, we securedsteps for E.A.’s. career ladders forPrincipals and Assistant Principals.We won modifications in theAPPR that require superintendents to give you written feedbackif they rate you “ineffective” or “developing.” We won pro rata payment for extended learning time in

renewal schools. Prior adminstrations used to say that if you’rea supervisor, you work until the job is done. But at least now wecan get compensated for working till the job is done. We gotchanges in that allow you to work during the holidays andvacations. And we worked on getting you more support forfamily leave so you can take a day to do things for your family. I found a negotiator bar none: Mark Cannizzaro. He put

together a real team of fighters that includes DavidGrandwetter. Come on, David, stand up – our general counsel,who may be the smartest guy I know. Randi Herman and herferocity. Barry Peak, who’s our outside consultant. And youknow we never get rid of anybody so when you retire, youthink you’re gone, but you’re never gone. That goes for BruceBryant, our former general counsel.

Before the contract was signed, we won other victories. Wegot incentive pay for E.A.s and supervisors. We reducedteacher observations. We won a landmark decision in

State Supreme Court that said a tenured pedagogue could notbe required to testify against himself in an investigation. Wehad another court decision that we won jointly with the UFT,that stopped the former administration from carrying out shamschool closings, because they just want to replace staff.

We halted the monthly rotation of Assistant Principals.How do you help a school if you’re moving people all the time?We also brokered a return to geographically-based supervisors.In the old administration, you would have a supervisor ofspeech or a supervisor of colleges going all over, from school toschool. It was a waste of time and effort.

We’ve achieved a lot by standing shoulder to shoulder. Wehad our founders to learn from over the years. And we weresupported by our brothers and sisters from the AFL-CIO, andAFSA, and NYSFSA. We joined the Central Labor Council. Wejoined the Municipal Labor Coalition. And we’re strong in thiscity because we’re part of a strong body of unions.When unions lose power, the rich become wealthier. And

you know what else? The poor become poorer. Fifty-one percentof working Americans now make $30,000 or less a year, whilethe top one percent of this country controls nearly 40 percentof our nation’s wealth. But our union remains healthy andstrong and vibrant. And we not only have an influential mem-bership of in-service educators, we have some of the most pow-erful active retirees in America.Our collective struggle continues. There are elected officials

in Albany – listen to me very carefully – in Albany – nice littleDemocratic state – who would love to take away your healthcare and pensions as soon as they get a chance. They want youto believe that we should have a constitutional convention andopen up the State Constitution, because there are some thingsin the State Constitution we need to look at. Yeah, they want tolook at your pensions, folks.As union members, we keep banging the drum. Our princi-

pals went out there and marched in the streets against over-reliance on testing. You know it takes a long time for people tolisten, but wasn’t it nice to hear the president realize, “Oops,we’re doing too much testing,” The President of the UnitedStates finally said, “We’re doing too much testing,” but he neverwould have said it without you. We’re not afraid of being held accountable. We’re not afraid

of assessments, but we want to have assessments that makesense; we want to stop our schools from becoming kill and drill

• • •

‘Public Educators Hold theFuture in Their Hands’

PRESIDENT’S PAGE

Ernest A. Logan’s Address at the 2015 Leadership Conference

Continued on next page

CSA NEWS 3Dec. 2015

)COMINGEVENTSEvents are at CSA’s ManhattanHeadquarters, 40 Rector Street

unless otherwise noted. (DEC 8, 8 AM: ELI’s SBISI

SERIES 1, Day 3

DEC 10, 9 AM: RetireeChapter ExecutiveBoard Meeting

DEC 14, 9:30 AM: CSARetiree Welfare FundBenefit Refresher

DEC 28, 8 AM: SSPWorkshop on CreatingProfessional LearningCommunity

DEC 29, 8 AM: SSPWorkshop onStrategy for StudentImprovement

JAN 5, 4 PM: Pre-Retirement Workshopon Health Benefits

JAN 7, 7:30 AM: ELIMentor Meeting

JAN 11, 11:30 AM: RetireeChapter EducationalCultural CommitteeMeeting

JAN 12, 8 AM: SBISISERIES 1, DAY 4

Confirm the above meetingtimes and dates with the eventcoordinator before attending.

Teachers’ Retirement

SystemNovember 2015 Unit Values

Diversified Equity Fund: 79.632

Bond Fund: 17.474International Equity

Fund: 9.743Inflation Protection Fund: 10.287

Socially Responsive Equity Fund: 14.632

www.trsnyc.org

factories where students spend most of their time preparingfor flawed tests. We ask for balanced and reasonable assess-ments that tell us how to improve our students’ achievement,not punish our students, and how to improve our teachers’practice, not how to punish our teachers. We demand that we be included in any decisions that

affect how our members do their work. I’ll give you one per-fect example: Breakfast in the classroom. You know, localelected officials always think they know what’s best, so 51people in the City Council decide that we should do breakfastin the classroom. God, I believe that children should get anopportunity to eat, and when I was a Principal and a kid camein late, he ate anyway, in the cafeteria. But there’s somethingwrong with mandating across the board that every child havebreakfast inside the classroom. Nobody thought about garbagedisposal, food delivery, the roaches that will come into theclassroom. We will have to revisit this.

So often we’ve seen the same thing happen from a pro-posal to a conclusion. We always talk about the steps thatneed to happen. You’re supposed to count from 1 to 100;

you’re not supposed to count by saying 1, 2, 99, 100. Forinstance, we believe strongly that we should stop suspendingour children because we know the data says that when yoususpend children, it’s a pipeline to the criminal justice system.But before they remove the discipline system you have, DOEhas to put the guidance counselors in place, the social work-ers, and train the teachers and the staff. The person best todecide on the discipline in the school is the Principal. There are a lot of people who would like to see the partner-

ship I have with the Chancellor disappear. There are people inthe DOE who believe that chaos is the only thing that works,who don’t want to give up power. So, the Chancellor and Ihave a conversation and we agree we’re going to do some-thing and before you know it, there are people pulling thatapart. And sometimes it’s about politics. I need the Mayor to back up and let the Chancellor do her

job. Because everything in education cannot be seen through apolitical lens. You know, I stood here many times and said toyou that we needed to have a Chancellor who was an educator.Well, I’m going to tell you: We have our Chancellor. Obviously,he hired the Chancellor because she has the background andknows education, so he should let her do education.

Back to the DOE bureaucracy: In the past whenever youtried to make major changes in this system, there werealways people who were trying to take it apart from the

inside. It was the Kremlin effect: no matter what you did, theywere right there. They had that power to disrupt what’s posi-tive. They realized that all Chancellors are eventually going togo and they will still be here. Well, it’s time now to dig deep,get rid of that garbage and make this school system work.You know there’s a group of CSA members who have been

in the forefront of early childhood education for over 20years. Our directors and assistant directors of city-funded daycare programs talked about the need to have universal pre-K.Over 20 years they fought the battle for that. When our pres-

ent Mayor was running for various offices, he rememberedhow they lobbied him. So, now he becomes Mayor and youknow what? He forgets the black and Latina females whowere there in the beginning, lobbying him, and we need tomake him wake up and understand these women need a con-tract and they need a contract now. So, that’s my Tale of TwoCities, Mr. Mayor.

We also worked out with the Chancellor’s office how toget the best people in the best places to do the work inRenewal Schools. We knew how urgent it was to get it right.But I’m very disappointed to find out that, in the RenewalSchools, they are grilling people instead of supporting them,calling them out in front of everyone and telling them whatthey’re doing wrong. We need to clean that up.

We have to increase the incentives to recruit and retainthe most highly qualified leaders to work in these schools. It’sno longer realistic to say it takes three years to turn it aroundor five years to turn it around. The research is showing that it’staking 8 to 10 years to turn these schools around and so you

need to figure out how we keep the political people off ourbacks so we can turn them around. It’s not about what thepoliticians think. It’s about what’s best for kids. After years of advocacy, we’re achieving part of what we’ve

been pushing for with the ESEA: professional developmentdollars for schools supervisors. We have professionally devel-oped more teachers than you can imagine. But it’s about timethat we do some professional development for school leaders.And it should not be only ELI getting the little dollars thatthey get from the City Council and the Assembly. Thereshould be a major commitment on the federal level to provideprofessional development dollars for you.

There are only two ways to sustain the economy, sustainthe middle class, and sustain democracy. One of thoseways is by raising wages. The other is by educating our

citizens. Public education was always the great equalizer forus. If we remain quiet, we will lose that. It will be privatized, itwill be charter-ized, and it will be everything but what it istoday.Don’t be silent. Understand something: Without a good

strong universal pre-K, good strong public education, goodstrong college readiness, we can’t do anything. Without astrong system of public education, we can kiss this democracygoodbye. So, it’s up to you, our educators, who hold the futurein your hands, you in the audience and you up here on thepodium: America can’t do anything without you. So, join me,stand by, speak up, be counted, because you are the best, bestthing for public education.

‘Our Collective Struggle Continues’PRESIDENT’S PAGE

Public education was always a greatequalizer. If we remain quiet we will lose that. It will be privatized. It will be charter-ized.

CorrectionIn the Nov. CSA News, a story

entitled, “Fighting for ECE Parity, aNew Contract, the caption incorrectlyidentified the ECE Center where CSAmember Mary Sikarevich works. Sheworks at the Chung Pak Day CareCenter, which is in Manhattan, notBrooklyn. Her center was correctlyidentified in the body of the story.We regret the error.

Continued from previous page

BY CSA STAFF

CSA and the Retiree Chapter are pleasedto announce the start of a CSA SpeakerSeries to bring informative and sometimesprovocative experts to educate and enlightenmembers. The first guest will be BrooklynCollege Distinguished Professor JeanneTheoharis, author of the award-winningbook, The Rebellious Life of Rosa Parks.Theoharis is the author of numerous booksand articles on the civil rights and BlackPower movements, and the politics of raceand education in post-9/11 America. Now in its second printing, The Rebellious

Life of Rosa Parks has won several awards,including the NAACP Image Award, TheChoice Top 25 Academic Titles, and the

Letitia Woods Brown Awardfrom the Association of BlackWomen Historians. Theoharishas presented at Columbia,UCLA, Brooklyn Museum,University of Michigan, CUNYGraduate Center, YeshivaUniversity, Case Western,Jackson State, Sarah Lawrenceas well as in La Paz, Vancouverand Havana, Cuba. Her workhas garnered rave reviews, likethis one from the SundayTimes book review: “Richly informative,calmly passionate and much needed, TheRebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks completesthe portrait of a working class activist wholooked poverty and discrimination squarely

in the face and never stoppedrebelling against them.” Now,there is buzz that The RebelliousLife of Mrs. Rosa Parks may bemade into a movie. Dec. 1 wasthe 60th anniversary of Ms.Parks’ arrest.This exclusive event will be

held 5 pm Jan. 11 in CSA’sFounder’s Hall and will includea reading, Q&A session, andbook signing. Admission is $25.The book will be for sale at a

20% discount, with all proceeds given tothe CSA Scholarship Fund.

For more information, contact the CSARetiree Chapter at (212) 823-2020.

Rosa Parks Scholar to Kick Off New Program

• • •

• • •

• • •

CSA NEWS4 Dec. 2015

To stay ontrack, anymodelneedsoversight,and to beassessed.

From Rector Street Mark Cannizzaro

CSA Executive Vice President Mark Cannizzarotestified in Nov. before the NY City Council aboutthe DOE’s policies regarding Renewal Schools. Hereis an excerpt of his testimony:

Icommend Education Committee ChairDaniel Dromm and distinguished membersof the City Council for scheduling thisimportant hearing. CSA would also like toacknowledge Mayor De Blasio and

Chancellor Fariña for their visionary initiativethat does not close struggling schools but aimsto transform them into vibrant learning com-munities, a welcome change in philosophyfrom past administrations. By identifying Renewal Schools as commu-

nity schools, the Mayor and Chancellor arehelping inspire deeper support among all con-stituents and encourage genuine partnershipsbetween families, educators and the greatercommunity. High quality, community-basedorganizations (CBOs) can help provide an edu-cational experience tailored for each student,along with comprehensive services that pro-mote physical health, mental well-being andaddress the after school needs of their families. However, in order to stay on track, any new

school model requires consistent, reliable over-sight and assessment. Plausible data must begathered and analyzed. Rubrics must be estab-lished to determine if community-based organ-izations are meeting student achievement,attendance and other goals.No one is better equipped than school

Principals and their leadership teams to guideand evaluate organizational partners. Currently,it is unclear what, if any, role Principals willplay in evaluating and, when necessary, replac-ing CBOs in community schools. If the DOEdoes not make clear that CBOs are not freeagents but are accountable to school leadersand leadership teams, the School RenewalProgram is likely to falter.

In terms of both academic and supervisorysupport, the Renewal School Program has roomfor improvement. Each school is required toprovide rigorous instruction, or face clear con-sequences. To support this effort, the RenewalSchool Principal has the option to assign aLeadership Coach or Ambassador AssistantPrincipal to the school community. But delaysin the placement process are hindering princi-pals. Many of these assignments are still miredin paperwork, compliance checks and othermindless minutiae, which only serve to keepthese much-needed professionals from the crit-ical academic tasks at hand. I cannot stressenough that these schools need support now.Let me hone in first on Leadership Coaches,

who are expected to be experienced educatorswho can support Principals as colleagues andthought partners. Sadly, bureaucratic red tapeis often delaying the placement of theLeadership Coaches. As for those who havebeen placed, there is a lack of clarity surround-ing the roles they are to play. They are supposedto be confidential, critical supporters of thePrincipal, not policemen watching their everymove. Principals are already subjected to a greatdeal of oversight and supervision.

This is creating mistrust in some schools.DOE needs to make sure that everyRenewal School Principal knows that lead-

ership coaches are available, that every Principalwho has requested a leadership coach is assignedone, and that these coaches understand the sup-portive role he or she is expected to play. The DOE is also coming up short in placing

Ambassador Assistant Principals in RenewalSchools. Last summer, CSA and the DOE agreedon the need for these educators who wouldintroduce and implement best practices fromtheir own schools. To date, not a singleAmbassador AP has been placed in a Renewal

School. Regrettably, CSA has been forced to filea contract grievance over this. All of these additional support systems should

have been in place at the beginning of the schoolyear. There should have been structured facili-tation to ensure effective collaboration betweenall parties. We cannot afford further delays.We must also force ourselves to refocus

accountability checks on the specific goals iden-tified in each school’s Comprehensive EducationPlan (CEP). Last spring, teams were put in placeto carefully analyze school needs and developambitious yet realistic goals for each. Allaccountability checks should be almost exclu-sively focused on progress toward these identi-fied goals.

Unfortunately, time-consuming paperworkand Quality Reviews with a far broaderfocus have been tacked onto well-

thought-out and previously identified account-ability measures. This has been counter-pro-ductive, unnecessarily pulling school leadersaway from the task of improving teaching andlearning. It is not too late for a course correction. In

fact, any program of this magnitude should beexpected to hit bumps in the road. The key isidentifying areas in need of improvement andmoving to make timely adjustments. We haveno doubt that our Mayor and Chancellor andall members of our school communities arecommitted to working collaboratively to makethis a successful initiative. We believe that CSAhas exactly the same goals as the DOE -- strongschools for all of our children -- and that ourinput is both valued and respected.We look forward to working together more

effectively with all constituents to establishguidelines for facilitation, collaboration, andimplementation of this most important pro-gram.

City Council Hearing: Renewal Schools, One Year Later

• • •

• • •

A Crucial Piece of Advice

To the Editor: I commend the Nov. 2015CSA News on Bob Reich’s column. His advice,i.e., “…you will enjoy no benefits of attorneyclient privilege,” is most valuable to your mem-bers. I have on occasion mentioned to my wife,an intermediate school Principal, that her rela-tion with a DOE attorney is far different thanmy clients have with me. Your whole columnshould have been captioned, “Read this Twiceand Understand It.”

–VINSON J. FRIEDMAN, ESQ.Berkman, Henoch, Peterson, Peddy & Fenchel,

P.C.

Helping Members Connect

To the Editor: The CSA News is not only awonderful way for members, both active andretired, to stay abreast of what’s going on inthe world of education, but also in the lives ofeducators. My husband’s obituary (CedricFuentes, 67,) published in the Oct. issue gen-erated an outpouring of condolences frommembers. I wish to extend my heartfelt thanksto Ernest Logan and the entire CSA staff andmembership. Your calls, cards and acts of kind-ness during this difficult time have meant moreto me than words can express. CSA is truly afamily and I am blessed to be part of it.

–AUDREY FUENTESFormer Executive Director, Field Services

Letters

BY BETH PELLER

The Executive Leadership Institute(ELI) is pleased to have become a NewYork State Department of Educationapproved vendor for the delivery ofDASA (Dignity for All Students Act)training. In this way, ELI continues tomeet the needs of our CSA memberswho require the 6 hour DASA trainingfor permanent NYS Certification. ELI Executive Director Eloise Messineo

opened the first session held Nov. 7 atCSA headquarters. More than 50 partic-ipants spent 6 enlightening hours in theworkshop that addressed the patterns ofharassment, bullying, and discriminationas well as effective strategies for schoolleaders.Topics as diverse as recognizing the

marginalization of students, overcoming bias andaggression, and related school legal questions were alsoexplored. Large group discussions, hands-on small groupactivities and individualized readings were led by ELIConsultants Matt Bromme, Maria Bromme and CathyPapparelli. Participants shared and read real-life scenar-ios, composed solutions and made practical suggestionsfor the challenges that take place daily in a school set-

ting. Each participant also received a book, Bullying andCyberbullying, K-12 Parent Guide, to utilize at their school. The next DASA training session will be offered on

Feb. 17. Registration details are available at the CSAwebsite.

Beth Peller is Director of Curriculum at the ExecutiveLeadership Institute (ELI).

CSA To Host DASA Training Sessions

DUANE DAWSONn A Nov. 7 workshop was the first of several DASA training sessions.

Headquarters

CSA NEWS 5Dec. 2015

Dr. Nancy Westerband,Supervisory Support Program (SSP)Coordinator, retired in June 2015 aftermore than 40 years in education. Acelebration of her career will be heldDec. 10 at Terrace on the Park from5:30–10:30 pm. To register online, goto https://nancysparty.eventbrite.com.For info contact Arcania Jaquez at(646) 872-0218.

BY CLEM RICHARDSON

Fifteen CSA members recentlybroke notable ground for their union,becoming the first to earn Doctoratedegrees through a newly created, col-laborative degree program. The fif-teen, each a Principal, AssistantPrincipal or Education Administrator,spent 27 months – classes started in2012 – working on their doctoral the-ses with Sage College professors undera joint program run by the Albanyschool, CSA and the Center forIntegrated Teacher Education (CITE.)“This is very exciting,” Marlene

Zakierski, director of the NYCDoctoral program at Sage, said beforethe Nov. 19 graduation ceremonies.“These are our pioneers.”CITE Assistant Director Tim

Werner said the group’s accomplish-ment is all the more admirablebecause each student continued towork full time as they studied. Classeswere held twice a month in CSA’sFounders Hall – once on Friday nightand once all day Saturday. The groupalso had two week long “boot camps”on Sage’s Albany campus.Two of the graduates, Alexis

Marrero, Principal at IS 254 in theBelmont section of the Bronx, andInna Nurik, an Advanced Specialistat the Queens South Borough FieldSupport Center, said the workloadwas daunting but worth it.“I was that young boy who we

still see in our schools,” Marrero said.“After going over obstacle after obsta-cle, I sensed this was something Iwanted to do for me and my com-munity, to say we can do it. We canbe those professors we had atFordham, at NYU, at Teachers Collegeor Columbia who had that ‘doctor’prefix in front of their names.”Nurik agreed. “No matter how

much time it takes, if you are deter-mined, persistent and have a goal,you create structures and you accom-plish your goal, whether the goal isfor today, a semester, or for twentyseven months,” she said. Other firstcohort graduates were MichelleBodden-White, Andolyn Brown,Cynthia Carmona-Davis, MichaelCollins, Cynthia Harris-Frederick,Kateri Kennedy, Margaret Lacey-Berman, Carla Ling, Subhas Mohan,Mia Theresa Pate, Tammy Pate, RobertQuinlan and Erika Tobias.

The program now boasts twoadditional cohorts totaling some 50students, Werner said.

Retirement

BY CHUCK WILBANKS

Hillary Clinton’s campaign websitesays she favors higher spendingon education and pledges hersupport for educators. But tomake a thoughtful judgement on

what a Clinton presidency may mean foreducators, one should look not only at hercampaign promises, but also her record,her relationships, and where she gets hercampaign money.As first lady of Arkansas, Mrs. Clinton

championed (for public schools) higheracademic standards, higher spending, and

teacher testing. Thestruggle earned herthe enmity ofteacher unions at thetime, but that wasmany years ago. Thissummer theAmerican Federationof Teachers endorsedher. “The peoplewho want to sell offour public schools,squeeze profits fromour hospitals, priva-tize services and

slash higher education are already hard atwork to elect their champions,” the AFTwrote. “We need to shape the debate nowso we're not left chasing it later.”

As of this writing, AFSA, the parentunion of CSA, has not endorsed a candi-date, nor has the AFL-CIO.As a Senator representing New York,

Mrs. Clinton voted for the Bush adminis-tration’s “No Child Left Behind” act, andher campaign web page describes her as a“key member” on the Senate committeethat helped craft the final legislation. Hercampaign site says she “believes that testingprovides communities with full informa-tion about how our low-income students,students of color, and students with dis-abilities are doing in comparison to othergroups so that we can continue to improveour educational system for all students.” Itgoes on to say the policy has not fulfilledits promise. Indeed, as opposition to testinghas intensified and the Obama administra-tion’s DOE has backtracked on its own sup-port for testing, Mrs. Clinton has alsocooled significantly, saying in late Oct. that,“We can and must do better… We shouldbe ruthless in looking at tests and eliminat-ing them if they do not actually help usmove our kids forward.”

Mrs. Clinton has strongly stated heropposition to voucher systems,which she says siphon taxpayer

money away from the public schools. Yetshe has also been a vocal supporter of pub-licly funded charter schools, as was her hus-band during his presidency. “I stand behindthe charter school/public school movement,because parents do deserve greater choicewithin the public school system to meet theunique needs of their children,” she hassaid.

Nevertheless, Mrs. Clinton has tried toposition herself as someone not blindlywedded to charters. She told the AmericanFederation of Teachers that, “Chartersshould be held to the same standards, andto the same level of accountability andtransparency to which traditional publicschools are held.” Most recently, she saidin an interview that:

‘Most charter schools – I don’t wantto say every one – but most charterschools, they don’t take the hardest-to-teach kids, or, if they do, they don’t keepthem. And so the public schools areoften in a no-win situation, because theydo, thankfully, take everybody, and thenthey don’t get the resources or the helpand support that they need to be able totake care of every child’s education.

So I want parents to be able to exer-cise choice within the public school sys-tem – not outside of it – but within itbecause I am still a firm believer thatthe public school system is one of thereal pillars of our democracy and it is apath for opportunity.’

A s for higher education, Mrs. Clintonhas proposed a massive infusion ofmoney to make college more afford-

able, including tuition without debt at pub-lic universities, a program that would cost$350 billion. On the other hand, she hasbeen criticized, by Sen. Elizabeth Warrenand others, for voting for the 2005 bank-ruptcy “reform” legislation that made it allbut impossible to discharge student loans

in bankruptcy. Such a provision is hatedby the public, but large financial institu-tions headquartered in New York supportedit with big-money lobbying.Indeed, since 1989, Mrs. Clinton’s top

donors include banking titans includingGoldman Sachs, Citigroup, JP Morgan,Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse Group andnow-defunct Lehman Brothers, as well astop Wall Street law firms such as SkaddenArps and Sullivan & Cromwell, institutionsnot known for their warm embrace of laborunions or public education. Among herindividual donors is hedge fund chieftanPaul Tudor Jones, a billionaire banker whohas started his own charter schools, andhas claimed that what is ailing publicschools is the labor unions that representeducators.After leaving office, Mrs. Clinton has

made millions of dollars in speaking fees,sometimes as much as $450,000 for a singleappearance. Her primary employers forthese brief bursts of money gathering arefinancial, pharmaceutical and technologycompanies and associations, all of whomhave business before the government.Many of the regulatory outcomes thesecompanies favor are contrary to the inter-ests of public sector employees and theirunions, from so-called free trade deals suchas the Trans Pacific Partnership or TPP, topredatory pharmaceutical pricing practicesthat jeopardize the health of retirees andthe poor, to the terms under which studentloans are structured and enforced. As of Oct., Mrs. Clinton’s campaign had

$33 million.

Campaign Trail, EducationAn occasional look at presidential aspirants on issues ofeducation. This month: Hillary Clinton, former first lady,Secretary of State, and Senator representing New York.

Hillary Clinton

AnalysisAnalysis

Top Contributors

• • •

• • •

This table lists top donors to Hillary Clinton in 1999-2016. The organizationsthemselves did not donate, rather the money came from the organizations’ PACs, theirindividual members or employees or owners, and those individuals' immediate families.Organization totals include subsidiaries and affiliates.

Contributor Total Individuals PACs

Citigroup Inc $824,402 $816,402 $8,000

Goldman Sachs $760,740 $750,740 $10,000

DLA Piper $700,530 $673,530 $27,000

JPMorgan Chase & Co $696,456 $693,456 $3,000

Morgan Stanley $636,564 $631,564 $5,000

EMILY's List $609,684 $605,764 $3,920

Time Warner $501,831 $476,831 $25,000

Skadden, Arps et al $469,290 $464,790 $4,500

University of California $417,327 $417,327 $0

Sullivan & Cromwell $369,150 $369,150 $0

Akin, Gump et al $364,478 $360,978 $3,500

Lehman Brothers $362,853 $359,853 $3,000

21st Century Fox $340,936 $340,936 $0

Cablevision Systems $336,613 $307,225 $29,388

Kirkland & Ellis $329,141 $312,141 $17,000

CENTER FOR RESPONSIVE POLITICS/OPENSECRETS.ORG

Pioneers:Group ofMembersGet PhDs

CSA NEWS6 Dec. 2015

Opencasesremaindespitethe factthat wehave triedto helpfind asolution

Grievance Corner Bob Reich

Many members have expressed concerns to usthat the Department of Education has not followedthrough on its commitments to conclude openinvestigations. I wrote this letter to Chancellor’sCounsel Courtenaye Jackson-Chase in the hopethat, at last, the DOE will honor their contractwith this union.

Dec. 3, 2015

Dear Ms. Jackson-Chase,

Iam writing to you about an issue of cru-cial importance to our members:Investigations that drag on without a res-olution for long periods. I am writing toyou because you helped craft the lan-

guage of our collective bargaining agreementand because you have oversight over theChancellor’s Offices of Special Investigationsand Equality and Diversity Management.Before we began negotiating our contract, I

told you in person and in writing about CSA’sconcern over how long it was taking to com-plete investigations, and the negative impactthis has on our members’ career advancement,including securing an appointment or beinggranted tenure. You indicated at the time thatthere was a significant backlog of these casesand the Department was busy adding staff todeal with the issue. The backlog continues tothis day.It isn’t as if we haven’t tried to help find a

solution. On April 29, 2015, in light of thenew agreement, I contacted you to ask if Icould forward our database to the offices youoversee so that they could advise us aboutwhich cases were closed and which remainedactive. You agreed, and I forwarded the datathat day. By May 19, I hadn’t yet received anyinformation in return, so I asked for anupdate. We received a vague response. “I willreach out when this comprehensive list hasbeen completed,” wrote Jaclyn Vargo, direc-tor of OSI. She was essentially saying, “Don’tcall us; We’ll call you.”We found this response disturbing so I

wrote to you immediately. Your response:

“We have agreed to provide you with updatesas a result of the last round of collective bar-gaining, but I was extraordinarily clear witheveryone that our system for tracking thosecases will not be fully functioning until theend of the year.”We are now in the fourth month of the

new school year and the final review has notbeen completed. This is unfair to our mem-bers who should be appointed or be grantedtenure, but instead remain in limbo. Andrather than fostering confidence, it raisesconcerns over why the DOE is unresponsive.Most importantly, it is in violation of ourcontract. Article VII Investigations in thememorandum of Agreement signed by theChancellor, the City Commissioner of LaborRelations and the CSA President contains spe-cific language with which the Departmenthas not complied.

The absurdity of the delay becomes moreapparent when you look at DOE policy.If the investigative office feels the case

should be investigated at the school level, thePrincipal must complete the probe within tendays. Imagine that: A Principal, with noinvestigative staff, with a school to run, andstudents and their parents with whom theymust work, has ten days to complete aninvestigation. Yet your investigative offices,with professional staff members whose soleresponsibility is investigations, lets thoseinquiries drag on for a minimum of sixmonths and sometimes as long as three years.The DOE policy is ludicrous. It disregards theresponsibilities school administrators have toinsure the growth of their students.As you know, CSA filed a lawsuit to

address this. That we had to file suit at all isshameful. In addition to the litigation, CSAhas raised this issue at Chancellor’sConsultation meetings and with you directlyyet the Department continues to violate thecollective bargaining agreement. As a result,members who should be appointed or begranted tenure remain in limbo.Meanwhile, DOE continues to violate

another key part of our contract. Allow me toquote from our agreement:

“Employees who are subject of an investi-gation by the Office of Special Investigationsor the Office of Equal Opportunity andDiversity Management shall be notified ofthe result of the investigation 30 days afterthe investigation is completed. For employ-ees who have been represented by CSA at aninvestigative conference, the DOE shall alsonotify CSA when the investigation is com-pleted.” The DOE has just now proposed a solu-

tion, which we are studying. Can you tell uswhy this took so long?

Perhaps one of the factors delaying com-pletion of investigations is the checklistthat investigators must complete should

they wish to dismiss unsubstantiated cases.Were an investigator to quickly conclude thata case against a school leader has no merit, asimple one sentence dismissal isn’t enough.They must check any items that apply, anddescribe their findings. This just creates morework and confusion.This matter is unacceptable. It reflects a

disrespect for the leaders of our schools. Iurge you to treat administrators with dignity,to protect our children and to honor the con-tract you know has specific requirements.

Sincerely,Robert J. Reich, Grievance Director

If you have any questions or concerns, emailme at bob@csa-nyc.org.

Crucial Issue: Backlog of Unresolved Investigations

• • •

• • •

You’ve Got to Substantiate the Unsubstantiation

• Lack of investigative informationcontained within the allegation

• Lack of corroboration for victim/com-plainant's allegation(s)

• Lack of injury/medical attention

• Inconsistent/incredible victim/com-plainant testimony

• Conflicting witness testimony

• Witness refused to be interviewed

• Conflicting documentary evidence

• Victim/complainant has recanted theallegation

• Victim/complainant cannot recall theincident at issue

• Victim/complainant states that thealleged incident never occurred

• Victim/complainant is non-respon-sive, or unwilling/unable to answerquestions

• Parent refused to allow student vic-tim/complainant to be interviewed

• Complainant is anonymous andcould not be interviewed

• Student was acting in a manner thatwas harmful to him/herself and badto be reasonably restrained

• Student was causing property dam-age and had to be reasonablyrestrained

• Student was physically aggressivetoward students/staff and had to bereasonably restrained

• Subject did not violate a Chancellor'sRegulation

• Subject appeared to have had nointent to commit misconduct

• Subject engaged in no misconduct

• Lack of jurisdiction

• NYPD declined to investigate thecomplaint

• NYPD investigated and closed out thecomplaint without police actionand/or arrest

• Lack of evidence obtained duringforensic examination

• Unable to connect the violation/mis-conduct to the subject/any one par-ticular person

• Computer tampered with by a thirdparty prior to the start of the investi-gation

• Content found on computer does notviolate the Chancellor's InternetAcceptable Use Policy

• One or more of the allegations havebeen previously investigated byOSI/SCI/OEO.

• Subject is deceased

It’s not enough that a case against one of our members may have no merit. Investigators have to find an appropriate box on the DOE list belowto classify just why it is being thrown out, and write a description of why that’s so. Pardon the investigators if they don’t stay late to finish.

It’s unfair to members whoshould be granted tenurebut remain in limbo

CSA NEWSDec. 2015 7

By Chuck Wilbanks

A midst a celebratory atmosphere mixedwith pointed words to city leaders,CSA held its 48th EducationalLeadership Conference on Nov. 14 atthe New York Hilton in MidtownManhattan. President Ernest Logan

was elected to another three-year term. Executive VicePresident Mark Cannizzaro and First Vice PresidentRandi Herman completed the slate, which faced noopposition. More than 900 people, including mem-

bers, lawmakers and education and labor officialsattended the conference, along with 87 exhibitorsand 11 workshop presenters. NY State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia,gave a wide-ranging keynote address to a packed ball-room, covering everything from standardized testingto assessments of educators and their schools, notingthat one of her first major decisions was to endPearson Plc’s $44 million testing contract with NewYork State. “It was one of those questions that didn’ttake a lot of time to decide,” she said. Members happily availed themselves of a question

With a Fond Look Back, a Strident Step Forward

Continued on Page 8

RACHEL ELKIND

n Assistant Principals enjoying the conference. From left: Joe Simone, PS 328, Brooklyn; Joe Napolitano, PS 30, Staten Island; Scott Schneider, PS 377, Brooklyn;Katerina Sidbury, PS 282, Brooklyn.

CSA NEWS8 Dec. 2015

n Officials and lawmakers who came out to support educatorsincluded, from left, top, Sen. Charles Schumer, Schools ChancellorCarmen Fariña, from left, middle, NYS Assembly Member CathyNolan, NYC Council Member Daniel Dromm, and from left, bot-tom, outgoing Chancellor of the NYS Board of Regents MerrylTisch, and Rep. Charles Rangel.

and answer session with Ms. Elia, posing hard ques-tions about testing, the genesis of the CommonCore, and the wisdom and justice of the ever-shiftingregime of educator evaluations. Luis Torres, Principalof PS 55 in the Bronx, asked how he could simulta-neously receive a national educator award asPrincipal for his thoughtful, caring work turningaround what had been a troubled communityschool, while simultaneously seeing his schoollabeled “failing” because of arbitrary, numericalmeasurements. “In some of our communities education is a

fourth priority,” he told Ms. Elia. “Safety, food andshelter come before education. It impacts attendance;it impacts performance. Is there anything that’s goingto be done to stop the labeling of schools as failingwhen they are doing the most challenging work?”

W hen Ms. Elia offered a less than specificanswer, Torres offered to arrange for herto visit his school. “Maybe we can worktogether to come up with a plan.”

Throughout his questioning, the room eruptedin applause. Other educational luminaries on hand included

Regents Judy Chin, Lester Young, Betty A. Rosa andoutgoing Chancellor Merryl Tisch, who was pre-sented with a gift by Mr. Logan. Chancellor Carmen Fariña received a warm wel-

come in what turned out to be a difficult visit forher. In her address to the crowd, she noted that shehad been a member of both the teachers’ union aswell as CSA, and said she welcomed dialogue witheducators. “The one thing that you all bring to thetable is what’s on your mind,” she said. “And beingable to voice that in a place where we can then dis-cuss it is really different than people mumblingbehind my back or behind everybody else’s back,and then nothing gets resolved.”Soon it was time for President Logan’s address,

and there was no mumbling. (See President’s Page,p. 2.) Thanking members for electing him to anotherterm, he recounted recent successes, including nego-tiating the contract he announced at last year’s con-

ference – “a real hallelujah moment,” – and rolledthrough a litany of achievements, from the creationof career ladder positions, to stopping the constantrotation of Assistant Principals. “We’ve come a longway,” he said. Mr. Logan also offered a bold tally of problems

and challenges facing educators, many of theminflicted by NYC government policies. For example,on the issue of testing, he said, “We want to haveassessments that make sense, to stop our schoolsfrom becoming kill and drill factories where studentsspend most of their time preparing for flawed tests.”On school discipline, Mr. Logan applauded the goalof reducing suspensions, but rebuked policymakerswho high-handedly changed the policy withoutoffering more teacher training and putting in placemore guidance counselors and social workers tomake the plan work. Mr. Logan was careful not to blame Chancellor

Fariña personally, choosing instead to tell MayorBill deBlasio, “I need the Mayor to back up and letthe Chancellor do her job.” He also pointed to a‘Kremlin effect’ at the DOE in which bureaucrats inplace from previous years continue to gum up thesystem. “They realized that all Chancellors are even-tually going to go and they will still be here,” hesaid. “Well, it’s time now to dig deep, get rid of thatgarbage and make this school system work.” TheChancellor sat stone-faced during its delivery, fre-quently checking her smartphone. She left quicklyupon its conclusion.

F rom political and labor circles, NYCComptroller Scott Stringer stopped in andspoke with retirees at a ceremony honoringAssemblyman Peter Abbate Jr. and member

Eathelle Clay. (See story on p. 14). AssemblywomanCathy Nolan, Rep. Charlie Rangel, and NYC PublicAdvocate Letitia James attended. There was CityCouncilman Alan Maisel and AssemblywomanLatrice Walker, once a student of Mr. Logan, whosaid he always knew she was destined for an impres-sive future. The Central Labor Council’s VinnyAlvarez was on the dais. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY, stopped in and spoke to the crowd, wearing a

Questions and Ideas In An AtmosphereThat Was Celebratory, But SeriousContinued from Page 7

Words and Deeds

PHOTOS/RACHEL ELKIND

n CSA Executive Vice President Mark Cannizzaro, left, was part of a spirited discussion at the plenary, where approving members, right, enjoyed many speaker comments.

CSA’s 2015 Leadership Co

CSA NEWSDec. 2015 9

NATION

Education

n Opportunities to network abounded. Above top: from left, members MaryHallinan, Peter Caldeira, and Ramón González. Above, Sandy diTrapani, CSA Treasurerwith NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer.

n Ernest Logan, NYC Public Advocate Tish James, andRegent Lester Young visited the Retiree breakfast.

n Retirees Mamie Johnson and Nancy Funke enjoyed theearly Retiree Chapter general meeting and breakfast.

n Pierre Lehmuller, CSA Conference Chairman and longtimeorganizer of the event, accepting the Peter O’Brien award.

A transgender student has the USEducation Department on her side.Palentine H.S. District 211 report-edly denied her full access to a gen-der-appropriate locker room andher own changing room. TheDepartment’s Office of Civil Rightsstated the District violated Title IX ofthe Education Amendment that pro-hibits discrimination. The Districtargued that it had not denied thestudent’s rights, saying a transgen-der student may use his/her gender-identified locker room by usingmeasures of privacy when changingor showering. (progressillinois.com)

ILLINOIS:

Transgender Policy

Pell Grants have been extended toqualifying students who wish to takecollege courses in high school. Thishelps students who want to impressrecruiters, save money and reducefuture college courseloads. Some10,000 students will receive grantsfor the 2016-17 school year. Thelpilot program is expected to cost thegovernment $20 million. (qz.com)

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA:

Money For College

Only 24% of eighth graders areproficient in Geography, as meas-ured by the National Assessment ofEducational Progress. The percent-age hasn’t changed much in thepast 20 years. Robert Pondiscio,senior fellow at the Thomas B.Fordham Institute points out that,“Preoccupation with reading andmath scores is self-defeating whenthose skills are divorced from thecontent that gives them form andpurpose .” (deseretnews)

— COMPILED BYCHRISTINE ALTMAN

Eight federally recognized tribes willreceive $2.5 million to improve edu-cation programs, with the largestamount ($500,000) going to TheChickasaw Nation in Oklahoma. Thegrants are through the EducationDepartment’s State-Tribal EducationPartnership (STEP). In addition,Tribal Education Dept. programgrants, totaling $1,350,000, will bedistributed amongst six tribes.(Education Week)

OKLAHOMA:

Tribal Education

UTAH:

Lacking Geography

Three conservative school boardmembers were ousted in a recallvote in Jefferson County and twoothers were elected, resulting in acompletely new Board. The formerBoard received national attentionwhen one of its members voiced aplan to “review” the US AP HistoryCurriculum to downplay aspects ofUS History such as civil disobedi-ence. The proposal resulted in stu-dent walkouts and teacher sick-outsand was the last straw for thosewho were already displeased.(Education Week)

COLORADO:

Board Ousted

sweatshirt and bicycle helmet. (He explained that hewas out for his regular Saturday morning ride.)Sen. Schumer told attendees that the Elementary

and Secondary Education Act was being passed this yearwith more robust funding and without the threat ofsequestration – automatic cuts made across the board.Noting that he and his children went to NYC public

schools, Schumer offered a full throated defense of edu-cators. “This idea in NY and America that we shoulddegrade teachers and administrators is just plain dumb,”he said. “This should be seen as an exalted profession.Degrading you hurts the country.”

T he conference featured a plethora of work-shops, from SSP’s “How to Effectively Preparefor Tenure” to ELI’s “Moving Your InstructionalFocus Forward” to “Starting STEM Early” hosted

by faculty from the Liberty Science Center. The union honored one of its own at the conference

as well – Mr. Logan presented Pierre Lehmuller, longtimeorganizer of the conference, with the Peter O’BrienAward. Mr. O’Brien was a CSA founder and the awardis “to acknowledge someone in our union who reallywas transformational, who did something that made itall stand out,” said Mr. Logan.

“Ernest said to me, ‘Listen, buddy, you’re gettingan award, but it’s not a day off,’” Mr. Lehmuller said togreat laughter. “‘You’ve got to run this conference. Andif anything goes wrong, the award comes back.’” “We’ve got another hour and fifteen minutes,” he

continued. “Let’s pray that I get to keep the vase.”

n NYS Education Commissioner Mary Ellen Elia fielded tough questions from members.

onference Draws a Crowd

CSA NEWS10 Dec. 2015

N oisy, busy and colorful, the Exhibitors Hall at the CSA con-ference was the place to be to learn about new educationalproducts, get fun giveaways, grab a coffee, and to networkwith colleagues.

Nearly 90 vendors exhibited their wares including McGraw-HillEducation, National Geographic Learning and Class ActPhotographers. Amid many high tech offerings, one vendor had adifferent product to sell: History.The New York Historical Society was on hand to promote its

unique and affordable programs for students from Pre-K throughhigh school. Pre-K students, for example, can participate in the “Toysand Games Long Ago,” class, where they engage with toys from thepast and learn how children their age used to play. Lecturers visitschools and classes visit the Society’s museum on Central Park West,all at a nominal fee.Significant events like the American Revolution are presented to

eighth graders through the “History on Broadway” series. Using songsand clips from famous musicals, students study The Declaration ofIndependence with the soundtrack from 1776. Post WWII New Yorkis explored through the play West Side Story. “I love this program and so do my kids,” said May W. Lee, Principal

of PS 42 on the Lower East Side. “It exposes them to experts, whocome into the classrooms, bringing in another dimension and voice.” For more information about courses, costs, and schedules visit

www.nyhistory.org/education.— MS

Exhibitors Hall: The Place To Be for NewProducts, Fun Giveaways and Networking

RACHEL ELKIND

BY MARIA SMITH

The “Moving Early Childhood Forward” workshop at thisyear’s conference was a solid primer about the past, presentand precarious future of early childhood education in NewYork City. Attendees included not only ECE directors, butDOE Principals and Assistant Principals. Facilitator Pedro Cordero, the former Director of Child

Development Services at Goddard-Riverside CommunityCenter in Manhattan, emphasized the need for early child-hood education, noting that studies show youngsters havemore successful academic careers with a solid early education.But he said local and federal funding disparities, however,threaten the financial health and continued presence of manyof these centers that have long operated in lower-incomeareas. “Where else can these parents take their two and three-

year olds?” he said. “There is no place else.” Even though everyone in the room was a licensed edu-

cator, many weren’t aware of the shocking disparity in paybetween DOE employees and ECE directors. Mr. Cordero saidECE professionals deserve a contract and a raise: “The fundingstream is not equitable,” he said. “The DOE and EarlyChildhood practitioners are one and the same. The profes-sional requirements are the same and so are the skillsets. Yet,one is seen as an educator and the other as a babysitter.” If a solution isn’t found, he predicts a less than rosy future

for the centers and the people who rely on them. “Staff will either find other professions or join the DOE,”

he said. “We’ve seen that movement already and it will onlycontinue if salaries stay flat.”On a more hopeful note, he said there is political momen-

tum in support of change. NY Senator Kirsten Gillibrand isexploring legislation that would provide tax relief to centersand parents, according to Mr. Cordero. And New York CityPublic Advocate Letitia James is a strong proponent of neigh-borhood ECEs. He urged CSA members to fight and make their voices

heard. “CSA is well-known throughout the political world,”he said. “Use your clout to push the ECE agenda forward. “ RACHEL ELKIND

CHUCK WILBANKSn The NY Historical Society’s tablehad hands-on examples of earlytechnology.

CHUCK WILBANKS

n From left: the NY Historical Society’s SusanZatt, Naqiya Hussain, and Principal May W. Leediscussing the Society’s programs.

ECE WorkshopShows ChallengesEducators Face

RACHEL ELKIND

n Exhibitor’s Hall was bustling with

activity as educators and vendors

shared ideas and information.

CSA NEWSDec. 2015 11

BY CHUCK WILBANKS

When Deborah Jewell-Sherman was alittle girl she attended the BronxdaleNursery and Kindergarten. Now, she’s aHarvard University professor, and throughher work with a major foundation, she iswriting her pre-school alma mater acheck. A good-sized one at that.The money, $16,000 in total, includes

a $10,000 grant from the Nellie MaeEducation Foundation, was presented inOct. to Bronxdale Nursery Director andCSA member Chloe Pashman. Dr. JewellSherman sits on the board of the founda-tion. The money comes at a welcome

moment, when many Early Childhoodeducators are discouraged by confusingcity policies and rising rents from a spi-raling real estate market. Center Directors,meanwhile, have been working withouta contract or a raise for 10 years. Some oftheir workers earn less than fast foodemployees.

“My mother, Jeanne Jewell-Bryan,entrusted the early education of her threechildren, Curtis, Donna, and me, to thefaculty of your school, beginning in themid-fifties,” she wrote. “The educationwe received was life-altering, as was theguidance and support the director, Mrs.Pryor, provided for my mom. It is with a

full heart that I honor mymother and the legacy of TheBronxdale Nursery andKindergarten by providing andsecuring these funds for the cur-rent children and faculty.”Dr. Jewell-Sherman stipulated

the funds must be used forteacher development, especiallyin literacy education, furnitureand other supplies. She addedthat, barring any problems, theBronxdale center will receive a$10,000 check from the NellieMae foundation in future yearsas well. The Nellie Mae Education

Foundation is New England’slargest public charity focusedsolely on education. It receivedits endowment from the SallieMae Corp., the student lendingorganization.“The intent of this grant is to

provide resources and supple-mental learning opportunities for the stu-dents and staff to insure that the demo-graphic data points of the children in thisSouth Bronx housing project, where I grewup, don’t determine a limited future forthe wonderful children who are attendingyour marvelous school,” Dr. Jewell-Sherman wrote.

Dr. Jewell-Sherman is a former super-intendent of Virginia’s Richmond PublicSchools who received national recognitionfor leading a turnaround in the troubledsystem. While the money isn’t enough to

address the bigger issues at work in ECE,it is nevertheless a godsend for theBronxdale center. “We call her our donat-ing angel,” said Ms. Pashman. “She justwalked in with her brother one day at3:30 in the afternoon. This gift will giveus opportunities to provide classes for thekids and teacher development that oth-erwise we just can’t provide. If your chil-dren are at a private school on the UpperEast Side, they have plenty of dedicatedclasses, from music to yoga to art. Wedon’t have any of that. These will beclasses that kids in the South Bronx aren’texposed to.” The center has three teachers in each

of three classrooms, and another teacherwho divides her time between them. Eachclassroom will get money for renovationsand improvements and teachers will getprofessional development to help keepthem abreast of best teaching methods forreading, writing and other literacy subjects. “I’m hoping this gift inspires other

people to help other Early Childhood cen-ters,” said Ms. Pashman.

CHUCK WILBANKS

n Chloe Pashman, Bronxdale Nursery Director, abovewith a student, says the grant will provide classes forthe kids and professional development for teachers.

COREY BACHMAN

n Students and staff of Staten Island’s PS 5 bask in the symbol of their achievement.

Dr. Jewell-Sherman,Nellie Mae Foundationteam up to donate $16K

Harvard Prof. Remembers Bronx Preschool

BY COREY BACHMAN

Nov. 16 was a day of jubilation at PS5, The Huguenot School, on StatenIsland. The school, one of several fromNew York City to win the National BlueRibbon award, hosted a ceremony com-memorating the honor. Elected officials,parents and students attended the event. The prestigious award is given to

schools that have shown overall aca-demic excellence or have made progressin closing the achievement gap.“Our entire school community has

shown an incredible amount of hardwork and perseverance over the past fiveyears,” said Principal Lisa Arcuri. Not longafter the announcement was made,Arcuri and a few other educators traveledto D.C to meet with other Blue Ribbon

School leaders from across the nation andreceive their plaque. The November cer-emony gave the entire school a chanceto take pride in their accomplishments.“This award doesn’t happen just in

the confines of the school, it is built bythe entire community,” saidCongressman Dan Donovan, R-NY, whorepresents Staten Island.Also in attendance were CSA

Executive Director Erminia Claudio, whowas superintendent of the school andwhom Ms. Arcuri credited with crucialsupport when she began her work there,and CSA Executive Vice President MarkCannizzaro.“When you see a leader like Lisa

Arcuri come around, you know goodthings are going to happen,” Mr.Cannizzaro said.

A Banner Celebration fora Blue Ribbon School

First Meeting of High SchoolPrincipals (HSPA), a ReceptionHeld at CSA’s Founders Hall

Together with the newly elected board, the High School Principals’Association (HSPA) held its first monthly meeting with a Welcome

Back Reception for all New York City High School Principals on Oct. 27. HSPA President Henry Rubio held the event at CSA, because, "HSPAwas a founding association for the Council of School Administratorsand we thought it appropriate to revitalize our organization with akickoff event in Founders Hall,” said Rubio. Upon entering Founders Hall, several newly assigned High SchoolPrincipals were presented with a boutonniere or a corsage as a wel-come to the group. Over great food and drinks, old and new membersmingled and exchanged business cards. The association will meet monthly on the last Tuesday of eachmonth and rotate meetings throughout each borough. For more infor-mation, please visit www.hspanyc.org.

From the Association of AssistantPrincipals to the Latino Caucus, thereare a host of professional organizationsaffiliated with the union that do solidwork for their members and play avital role in the life of CSA. To helpprovide recognition and keep every-one up to date, send us your profes-sional association's latest information,including your officers, their contactinformation, a description of your mis-sion, membership eligibility, and

whether membership dues are col-lected by CSA or paid directly by themember. We are hoping to put together a

comprehensive directory in the Jan.issue of CSA News.

Send an email to Chuck Wilbanks,chuck@csa-nyc.org and Lynn Melfi,lynn@csa-nyc.org. And don’t forget to sendChuck any announcements you need tomake in the CSA News.

A Call to Leaders: Send UsYour Current Information

CSA NEWS12 Dec. 2015

The Trustees of the CSA WelfareFund, CSA Retiree Welfare Fund,and DCC/CSA Welfare Fundapproved changes to the opticalbenefit offered participants in

each fund.Effective Jan. 1, 2016, there will no

longer be a participating provider panelfor the optical benefit. Participants ineach fund are now free to visit any opti-cal provider they desire. Reimbursementis increased to $100. The limit of onevoucher per 12-month period remains.To use the new optical benefit, please

continue to call the Welfare Fund at(212) 962-6061 to request a voucheror request one online through ourwebsite, www.csawf.org. When youreceive the voucher, please sign andreturn with a copy of the itemizedreceipt for your purchase. You will bereimbursed $100 and any RetireeChapter or union reimbursementwill be sent directly to you.Administrative costs associated

with the participating provider pro-gram outweighed the benefits tomembers. All too often it would takeseveral months for a participatingstore to submit a voucher, leading tomany calls to the fund looking forthe supplemental reimbursement. Those using the second pairvoucher often were reimbursed for out of pocket costs only tohave the voucher appear months later from the store ratherthan included with the Welfare Fund voucher.Participating vouchers will continue to be printed through

the end of Dec. 2015. All vouchers must be used by Feb. 29,2016 to allow the participating providers time to submit forreimbursement.

Please call the fund at (212) 962-6061 if you have any questions.

Vouchersfor opticalprovidersmust beused byFeb. 29

The WelfareFundChanges to YourOptical Benefits

DouglasV. Hathaway

BY MARIA SMITH

PS 88 in Ridgewood, Queens, joined withlocal police to host a “pink” parade to support“Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” whichcoincided with the NYPD’s “Blue Goes Pink”campaign. Mayor De Blasio and Commissioner

Bratton challenged local commanders to seewhich precinct could be the city’s “pinkest.”That’s when PS 88 Principal Robert Quintanaand 104 Precinct Captain Mark Wachterjoined forces.“We always do fundraisers for cancer in

October. But when the Captain explained thepolice competition, the game was on,” saidPrincipal Quintana. “We came up with theidea of a parade and decorating the precinctand the momentum kept growing.”More than 600 people – educators, stu-

dents, area residents and police – marchedfrom the school along Catalpa Ave. to theprecinct. Streets were shut down for safety.

Upon reaching the stationhouse, marcherswere welcomed by Captain Wachter andrefreshments were served. PS 88 staff decoratedthe stationhouse with an enormous pink bow

and students received pink carnations.“It’s not only about the police department;

it’s about the community,” Captain Wachtersaid. “It’s about you the students, helping usout, bringing awareness. You’re the future.You’re the ones who, 15 or 20 years from now,will be leading this city. We have to invest inyou, look after you and care for you.”Principal Quintana, who has been at PS 88

just two years, credits a good relationship withthe local community and police with helpingturn around his 1,100 student school. “We went from a not-so-great school to an

amazing school,” he said. “It’s a team effortwith excellent staff, great parents and students

and the solid support of the community.”Mr. Quintana said that fighting cancer hits

close to home: “I lost my aunt to it two yearsago,” he said. “P.S. 88 lost one of our own wholeft behind a husband and two children. It’sa disease that does not discriminate.”

‘Pink’ Parade For a Good Cause in Queens

For two more stories about educatorsand children working together to fightbreast cancer, see p. 16.

n The 104 Precinct goes pink with students and staff from PS 88 to support the fight against breast cancer.

Raising Funds

Dinner at the Princeton Club

n Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, left, and CSA Executive Board memberLouis Pavone, resident of the NY Academy of Public Education, at thegroup’s Oct. dinner at the Princeton Club in Manhattan. Mayor Baraka,a former teacher and Principal, spoke about public schools as essentialcomponents of strong communities. The Academy encourages theexchange of ideas among educators to promote the highest standardsin public education in the Greater NY Metropolitan area. Membersinclude Principals, Assistant Principals, Superintendents, universityofficials and other leaders in education.

BY CHUCK WILBANKS

A new training program offers New York pub-lic educators help in understanding autism andhelping autistic students achieve their full poten-tial. Quality Services for the Autism Community’s

program incorporates Behavioral Skills Trainingto teach public school professionals new strate-gies to provide autistic children the most effec-

tive educations possible. The training equals 20hours of professional development. The cost is$25 per participant. It covers everything fromskills assessment to classroom techniques to waysto help struggling students increase their socialskills.

For more information contact Nevena Savic (718)728-8476, ext. 1204, NSavic@qsac.com or LisaVeglia, (212) 244-5560 x2017 LVeglia@qsac.com.

New Autisim TrainingOffered To Educators

GOOD THINGS FOR YOUR SCHOOL

NATION

Labor

CSA NEWSDec. 2015 13

n SEYMOUR LITMAN, 88, of East Norwich, NYdied October 6, 2015. A Navy veteran of WWII,Mr. Litman obtained a bachelors and master’sdegree from Brooklyn College using the GIBill. He also obtained his doctorate from NYU.He retired in 1984 as Principal of PS 66,

Queens. After his retirement, Mr. Litmanworked at Newsday newspaper as a consult-ant overseeing a stock market contest inwhich young readers made simulated tradesin stocks. He also enjoyed baseball and play-ing golf. He is survived by his wife, Adele, twosons, two daughters and seven grandchildren.

n FRANCES MANN, 70, spouse of retired CSAmember and former AP Melvyn Weisel,passed away Oct. 5. Ms. Mann was a vice pres-ident at a computer consulting corporation.The couple resided in Longboat Key, Fl.

n JOSEPH NASS, 90, of Manalpan, NJ, diedJuly 16. He retired in 1988 as AP of PS 346,Brooklyn.

n ROBERT RICHARDSON, 76, of Queens, diedon August 17. He retired in 1996 as Principalof PS 309, Brooklyn. He is survived by his wife,Marjorie.

n MICHELE WASHINGTON, 44, AssistantPrincipal at the Queens Alternate LearningCenter, died after a short illness on October 8.

She lived in Rosedale, NY. Ms. Washingtonearned her BA in Education fromSUNY/Albany and her MS in Education andSpecial Education from Touro College. Shebegan her career with the DOE as a teacher atthe Campus Magnet High School before mov-ing to August Martin High School, her almamater. She became an Assistant Principal in2007. “Ms. Washington was passionate abouther work,” said Mery Leon Garcia, thePrincipal of Queens Alternate LearningCenter. “She cared deeply about the wellbeingof all students under her care. She led withconviction and was true to her belief that allcan achieve under the right circumstances.”Ms. Washington was an active member of theAugust Martin Alumni Association and PhiDelta Kappa Sorority, Inc. – Beta OmicronChapter. She was an involved and dedicatedcongregant at Second Baptist Church,Baldwin, NY. Ms. Washington is survived byher son, Brandon Woo; her parents, Florenceand Gilbert, and brothers, Brian and Ronald.

Send obituary notices to CSA News AssociateEditor Maria Smith at maria@csa.nyc.org.

In Memoriam

Caribbean SailFeb. 13-20, 2016 Sail from San Juan to St. Croix, St.

Kitts, St. Martin, Martinique andBarbados. Enjoy the luxury of theAdventure of the Sea, Royal Caribbean’spopular cruise ship. RATES: Call for rates. Very limited

space.

2016 Spring BreakApril 23-May 1, 2016We’ll fly to elegant San Juan and

board the fabulous Celebrity Summit.We’ll sail back to the states stopping inSt. Martin, St. Thomas and Bermudabefore we arrive home in Bayonne, NJ.RATES: Rates begin at an astounding

$628.09 for inside cabins (plus one wayairfare to San Juan.) Rates won’t last.

Japan, Korea, Russia!July 3-17, 2016Sail the beautiful Diamond Princess

departing Tokyo July 3 to Busan (Korea),

Nagasaki, Tokyo, Kushiro, ShiretokoPeninsula, Korsakov (Russia), Otaru,Hakodate, Aomori, and return to Tokyoon July 16. Tokyo pre-stay is available.Rates begin at $2573.00 incl. taxes.

Optional insurance and air is notincluded. At this point flights are deeplydiscounted and is a great opportunity touse AA miles. Is 15 days too long? Jointhe Diamond Princess on July 8-17 for ashorter version with rates beginning at$1499! Call for details.

China by Land, RiverAug. 13-25, 2016This will be a magical trip as we cruise

the Viking River Cruises Emerald for sixdays and explore parts of Xian andShanghai by land. In Xian, we’ll see thefamous Terracotta Army, including 8,000soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and150 cavalry horses. We’ll spend two nightsin Beijing, fly to Xian for 2 nights, thenboard the Emerald for the 5-night cruiseon the Yangtze, disembark the boat inShanghai and spend 2 nights. A 4 night

extension to Hong Kong is also available. RATES: $2,767 to $3,067, although

Loyalty Passengers may receive additionalsavings. Rate includes most meals, sight-seeing, deluxe lodging, intra-China air-fare. Airfare to China and insurance notincluded, but please note that Vikingoffers deep discounts on airfare.

Sirena-Oceania Sept. 20 - Oct. 4, 2016Includes FREE airfare (capacity con-

trolled)! Depart U.S. Sept. 19, and arrivein Barcelona Sept. 20. Sail the brand newSirena to: Cartagena, Malaga, Cadiz,Lisbon, Madeira, Tenerife, Arecife, Agadir-Morocco, Casablanca, Gibraltar (UnitedKingdom), Palma de Mallorca.RATES: begin at $5799 per person

double interior. Porthole $6299 per per-son; Window $6799 per person;Verandah $7799 per person. Gov’t. fees,taxes are included. Optional insuranceavailable.

Return to CubaDec. 13-21, 2016Depart Dec. 13 - overnight at the

Tampa Marriott. Dec. 14 fly to Santa Clarain preparation for our inclusive tour toCayo Santa Maria, Remedios, Caibarien,Cienfuegos, and Havana. Return fromHavana to NY via Miami.RATES: All inclusive with air, touring,

lodging, and 17 meals $4599pp-dbl (addtl.discounts may apply). Singles add $450.We have 38 seats and they will go quickly!

Panama Canal CruiseJan. 4 - Jan. 19 2017Depart Los Angeles Jan. 4, 2017 and

arrive Fort Lauderdale Jan. 19, 2017. VisitPuerto Vallarta, Huatulco, San Juan DelSur, Puntarenas, full canal transit,Cartagena, and Aruba.Secure deepest discount rates now

with deposit. Rates begin at $1899 pp.Add taxes and insurance.

For more info, contact Gary Goldstein atggoldstein@csa-nyc.org with any questions.

Michele Washington

ELEANOR GOLDSTEIN

n Kangaroos and koala bears were among the sights taken in by CSA members whovisited Australia in October.

NORTH CAROLINA:

Salaries Up & DownA teacher salary scale imple-mented in Aug. of 2014 providedthe biggest incentive to newteachers. Though intended toimprove teacher retention, theplan actually put in place a payscale lower than years prior. Bygrouping teachers with less thanfive years of experience together,the state removed one step fromthe salary schedule each year.Though there’s an initial increasein earnings, lifetime salaries arestill at a low. (Education Week)

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA:

Teacher Reviews

Though 450 workers from SherwinAlumina – a metal fabricator - haverepeatedly offered to return towork during ongoing negotiations,their offers have been refused andthey have been locked out of theirjobs for a year. About 150 membersand supporters held a rally to endthe lock-out. Workers collectedunemployment for six months butare now cut off. (Caller Times)

— COMPILED BYCHRISTINE ALTMAN

Members of the “Raise the Wage PA”coalition, made up of 70 organiza-tions, took to the streets to demon-strate near the offices of State Sen.Lisa Baker. Sixty-six percent of PAresidents support a $10.10 mini-mum wage but the issue has notbeen brought to a vote. One out offour PA workers is earning minimumwage, most of them are over the ageof 20 and more than half arewomen. (citizensvoice.com)

Forty-two states now link teacherevaluations to student test scores,up from 15 in 2009. According to aThe National Council on TeacherQuality report, “ineffective ratingsare eligible for dismissal” in 28states. A Gallup Poll found, how-ever, 55% of those polled opposelinking evaluations to test scores.Among those with children inpublic schools, 62% were againstit. Principals are also graded onstudent performance in 18 statesand Washington, D.C. (AssociatedPress)

PENNSYLVANIA:

Minimum Wage

TEXAS:

Lockout Rally

East St. Louis students went back toschool, following a long teachers’strike this past year. Students willhave to make up lost instructionaldays. A new, four-year agreementallows for all but first-year teachersto receive a $3,000 bonus. Allteachers (including new) willreceive two more bonus paymentstotalling $3,000 toward the end ofthe year, in place of a raise.Teachers will be able to reach thetop of the salary scale in 8 years,rather than the originally proposedten years. (Education Week)

ILLINOIS:

Strike Ends

Head Far South or Sail Away!

GARY GOLDSTEIN

TravelDesk

Can you believe 2015 is almostover? What a fantastic year wehave had! CSA membersenjoyed the new contract,including retro pay for those

who retired after March 2010. Last May,we celebrated the RC’s 10th anniversaryat the United Nations and in July wewere at the AFSA Conference in NewOrleans. We have grown to more than10,470 retiree members. We added our16th retiree unit, with the new PA unit,and look forward to adding a 17th unitin Northern NJ. At the RC general meet-ing at the Hilton during the 48thAnnual CSA Leadership Conference,Assemblyman Peter Abbate and CSAretiree Eathelle Clay were honored (seestory, right).Previously, Retiree CSA Welfare Fund

benefits were increased for hearing aidsand eyeglasses reimbursement. EffectiveJan. 1, we have improved the CSARetiree Welfare Fund benefits for certi-fied home health aide care with physi-cian certification, and provided physi-cal, speech, occupational therapy andcounseling based on a dollar amount

instead of the number of visits. This addressed the possibility thatmembers need different therapies at the same time.On the political front, we presented our concerns in

Washington, D.C. and in Albany, and visited our local representa-tives. In 2016, we will continue to be just as active and to addressour concerns on all levels – locally, statewide and nationally.This was a banner year for the Retiree Chapter’s Educational

and Cultural Program, too, which provided new adventures andevents, in addition to offering its regular classes and tours. Watchfor the Spring brochure in the Jan. 2016 CSA News! We have high expectations for the coming year. I wish you all

a joyous holiday, Happy Chanukah and a Merry Christmas!

Besides monitoring proposals and bills on Social Security andMedicare, unions are closely watching the Supreme Courtcase in California, Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association,

which concerns union members paying a shop agency fee. (SeeHerman Merritt’s Nov. CSA News column). Also, we need to mon-itor the James Zadroga Health and Compensation Act for the9/11 Ground Zero responders, many of whom sacrificed theirhealth on that day and should not have to worry about payingfor medical expenses. These brave individuals deserve to betreated fairly and with dignity. If you feel the same way, pleasecontact members of Congress to prevent decreases in medicalservice and to make Zadroga coverage permanent.

CHAIR’S MESSAGE

Gayle Lockett

Reviewing the Yearand Looking Ahead

Ch a p t e r

Retireeslobbyedlawmakersat thenational,state andlocal levels.

• • •

Colon, NancyCopeland, SherryMagier, Rita

Merced, JoseMitchell, RobertRohloff, Jolanta

Rolla, LawrenceToro, AnaWagman, Etary

Welcome New Chapter Members

CSA NEWS14 Dec. 2015

Abbate, Clay Honoredat Retiree Breakfast

BY DEE DEE GOIDEL

Part of the morning session of the CSAAnnual Conference is always dedicated to aRetiree Chapter general meeting and breakfast.Breaking bread with colleagues and friends isalways a delightful custom. Close to two hun-dred retirees took part this year. Retirees were encouraged to sit within the

regional unit where they live or once worked,to gain the opportunity to learn about unitactivities designed for them. As you may beaware, the goals of establishing units were tohold meetings and activities where memberslive; to find friends new and old in retirement,and to become politically active so that locallegislators would be aware of their constituents.Remember, votes in the City Council, Albanyand Washington can impact our hard won ben-efits.Both CSA President Ernest Logan and

Executive Vice President Mark Cannizzarobrought greetings and appreciation for Retirees'continued commitment to CSA. Mark Brodsky,RC Director, introduced Gayle Lockett,Chairperson, who gave a brief report concern-ing RC status and some future endeavors.As has been the tradition, the RC has always

invited a legislator to give a keynote address.Assemblyman Peter J. Abbate, Jr. was our firstspeaker ten years ago, and was highlighted onceagain this year. He has been in office since1986 and for many of them he has chaired theGovernmental Employee Committee. He alsosits on the committees on aging, banks, con-sumer affairs and labor. Ten years ago, he told us he had promised

his grandmother that he would always takecare of the retirees. Over the years, his legisla-tion has definitely supported that promise,including protecting our retirement benefits.

“I get so mad when I pick up a newspaperand they make unions and public schools lookbad,” he told the crowd at the NY Hilton. “Wehave this great city – from the offices of mid-town, to the theater district, to Wall Street.Where do they think these people are edu-cated?”He added that he feels proud to be known

as a defender of organized labor. “They call me

‘The Unions’ Poodle,’” he said. “I’d rather beknown as ‘The Unions’ Bulldog.’” For that sup-port, integrity and dedication to labor andretirees, we were proud to present him with aspecial award.Eathelle Clay, a longtime retiree Executive

Board member, was presented with a specialaward to acknowledge her behind the scenes

service on numerous committees, Albany lob-bying visits and labor rallies. In her acceptancespeech, she graciously remarked that she appre-ciated being singled out for her services, butgave credit to teamwork.“An achievement is never realized by only

one person’s actions,” she said. “It demandsreciprocity and camaraderie.”

RETIREE

Assemblyman Abbate hasbeen called ‘The Union’sPoodle,’ but says: “I’drather be known as TheUnion’s Bulldog!”

n Eathelle Clay(left) accepts heraward at theRetiree Chaptergeneral meetingand breakfast, asErnest Logan, CSAPresident lookson. Immediatelybeforehand,AssemblymanPeter Abbate, Jr.(below) spokeafter receiving hisaward.

RACHEL ELKIND

CSA NEWS / Retiree ChapterDec. 2015 15

On Nov. 4, the Unit enjoyed a deliciouslunch at Mimi's in Lake Forest, CA, and had alively meeting full of reminiscences and infor-mation. Mark Brodsky, CSA Retiree Director, flewin from NY to bring us up to date on happeningsthere and nationally. It was a great reunion. Wehope even more people participate at the nextmeeting in the spring. Watch for the date, to beannounced soon. In the meantime, you can con-tact me at Lamesagramsey@gmail.com.

— CAROL RAINEY

PACIFIC COAST

2015 was a very exciting year for the Unit.Members participated in many activities andevents throughout the year and held four well-attended membership meetings, including therecent one in Oct., at which members and theirspouses heard valuable information aboutlegacy planning. Minutes from this meetingwill be included in the next newsletter. TheWinter newsletter will be sent to all membersat the end of Jan. and will include the 2016membership application and renewal info. Ifyou’d like it to be sent to a winter address, con-tact us at LohudCSA@aol.com or write 26 FirstStreet, P.O. 8545, Pelham, NY 10803.

— JANICE IMUNDI

LOWER HUDSON VALLEY

Our Unit held its fall general membershipmeeting Oct. 27 at the Riverdale Y. In additionto an excellent lunch, we received updatesabout CSA activities and our retirement benefitsfrom Mark Brodsky, Retiree Chapter Director,Gayle Lockett, Chairperson, and Nancy Russo,who represents the Chapter on CSA’s ExecutiveBoard. Our featured speakers were a team fromthe office of NY Attorney General EricSchneiderman. They gave a comprehensiveslide presentation about identity theft and howto avoid scams. Mr. Brodsky and Ms. Lockettemphasized the need for all of us to join CSA’spolitical action committee: A mere $8 a monthallows CSA to lobby on important labor andeducation issues in Albany. Miriam Diaz andAna Maldonado informed attendees about ourUnit’s upcoming events, including the book,dining, social and cultural clubs, as well as ourwinter party on Dec. 15 in Little Italy’s Mario’sRestaurant. All are invited to attend.

—MARVIN GOODMAN

BRONX

The Unit is giving a workshop for its mem-bers who retired in the last two years. The work-shop’s focus will be on helping recent retireesunderstand and obtain health and welfare ben-efits. Our guest speaker will be Christie Pastor,Executive Assistant, CSA Welfare Fund. LeonaZeplin, Meredith Singer, Terry Goldstein, GailGreen, Juanita Johnson and Stanley Wilsonfrom the Unit will also be there. The meetingwill be on Dec. 11 from 3 to 5 pm at theManhattan Comprehensive Night and Day HighSchool, 240 2nd Ave., on the corner of E. 15 St.To confirm your attendance, email shw29@ver-izon.net or leave a message at (212) 241-2949.

— STANLEY WILSON

MANHATTAN

You should receive the first edition of thisseason’s newsletter, with registration forms forupcoming activities. Please complete them andsend to the designated chairperson coordinatingthe event. We hope you can participate.Dec. 8, 2015, 5 pm - 7:30 pm: Dine Around

Event: Henry’s Restaurant 16850 Jog Road,Delray Beach, FL 33446; Jan. 25, 2016, 1:30 pmHealth and Welfare Meeting: South CountyCivic Center 6700 Jog Road, Delray Beach; Feb.5, 2016 Meeting at 10 am and luncheon at 12noon: Benvenutos Catering, 1730 N FederalHighway, Boynton Beach; March 4, 2016Health Fair: The South County Civic Center6700 Jog Road, Delray Beach; March 23, 2016CSA Trip to Vizcaya: details to follow. For further information contact me at

Gcleflt@gmail.com—DR. LOIS TURETZKY

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA

Our next luncheon will be in a few months.So far, we’ve enjoyed Greek, Portuguese,Japanese, and Russian food through ourInternational Luncheon Club. What will wesample next? Don't miss out. Look for a flyerin the upcoming months which will announcethe ethnic cuisine we will select. Plan to joinus for great food and fun. The Executive Boardand I wish all our members Happy Holidaysand a New Year filled with peace, prosperityand good health.

—LUCILLE VECCHIARELLI

NEW JERSEY

On Oct. 30, the unit held its fall meeting.Our featured speaker was a noted cardiologistin our area, Dr. Amala Chirumamilla, who pre-sented an interesting talk about the various car-diac tests we undergo (which seem to increaseeach year), what they mean, and how they areused. She discussed heart health and answeredquestions. Special thanks to Sandy Jeanette (BobJeanette's wife) for bringing Dr. Chirumamilla.Our next regular meeting will be in the spring.

— BART BOOKMAN

ROCKLAND, ORANGE, BERGEN

The first of our two 2016 meetings will beTues., Jan. 26 at noon at the Oriental Buffet inSarasota. Mark Cannizzaro and Doug Hathawaywill be there along with Norm Sherman and I.Details will be mailed to members on Dec. 28,2015. Questions? Call me at (941) 383-0408.

—MIKE NEMOYTIN

SUNCOAST

Presentations Concerning Benefits: March 16Representatives from Medicare, Social Security, Veteran’sAdministration and The Office of Labor Relations Health BenefitsUnit will present on: Medicare and The Affordable Health Care Actand Patient Protection Rights; Social Security Updates; City HealthCoverage and Plans; Part B Premium Reimbursement Procedures;Veteran’s Benefits and Prescription Drugs

Cybercrime: April 13 A presenter from The ICAC Task ForceCybercrime Unit will discuss how to keep yourself and your chil-dren safe from cybercrime.

Medicare and Explanation of Benefits: May 11MichaelFisher, CSA Retiree, will help you understand information providedon your Medicare Summary Notices and how to avoid becoming avictim of Medicare Fraud. Felice Hannah will explain differences inOriginal Medicare and Medicare Advantage Plans (MA) andExplanation of Benefits (EOB) for MA and Medicare Part D.

Getting Your Papers In Order: Sept. 7 A Long Term CareAttorney and Felice Hannah will present a workshop on AdvanceCare Planning and Estate Planning

2016 Workshops Registration is $5. Fill out and mail the form below or register onlineat: www.csa-nyc.org. Coordinated by Felice Hannah, CSA RetireeMember. All workshops will be 9am–1pm at CSA Headquarters, 40Rector St., 12th floor, NY, NY 10006

Pacific Coast Unit. L to R, Front: Hannah Brown,Roz Gotfried, Ruth Silver, Carol Rainey, Terri Rich. Back: Gil Gotfried,Clara Baker, Sandy Levy, Morris Brown, Saundra Tuckman, Mark Brodsky, Cynthia Lloyd, Marvin Silver, Barry Rich.

RC Regional Units

OUTREACH WORKSHOPSn Wed., March 16, 2016 n Wed., May 11, 2016n Wed., April 13, 2016 n Wed., Sept. 7, 2015

Name

Address

Home Number:

Cell Number:

E-mail Address:

Mail to: CSA Retiree Chapter, 40 Rector St., 12th Fl., NY, NY 10006.You will only receive a reminder prior to the event if you give usan active email address. Checks payable to CSA Retiree Chapter:$5. A SEPARATE CHECK MUST BE SUBMITTED FOR EACHWORKSHOP. For more information call (212) 823-2020, ext. 2075

AARP Driver Safety ProgramFeb 2 at 9:30 am | 6 Hours of Instruction

Name

Address

Home Number:

Cell Number:

E-mail Address:

Mail by Jan. 25, to CSA Retiree Chapter, 40 Rector St., 12th Fl., NY,NY 10006. Or email Lucie@csa- nyc.org. Include a copy of your validdriver’s license and if applicable your current AARP membershipcard. Checks payable to AARP. $20 for AARP members, $25 for non -members. For more information, call (212) 823 -2020, ext. 2075.

All retirees are welcome. Online registration is not available, andis limited so sign up now. Class will be at CSA headquarters: 40Rector St., 12th Floor. Register by mailing coupon below. 1) Send check with the

coupon: AARP members $20; non- �members $25. 2) Send copy ofvalid driver’s license and copy of current AARP membership, if appli-cable. We will send you a letter of confirmation. Participants mustbring to class a valid driver’s license and a current AARP membershipcard. Light refreshments will be provided and you are welcome tobring a bag lunch.

Defensive Driving Class

NOVEMBER 2015 Periodicals

US POSTAGE PAID ATBrooklyn, NY 11201and Additional Mailing Office

Council of School Supervisors & Administrators, NYCNew York State Federation of School AdministratorsLocal 1 AFSA, AFL-CIO40 Rector St., NY, NY 10006

Printed on FSC certified paper

Borough Briefs / In The Schools Compiled by Corey Bachman

Bronx Parks Commissioner IrisRodriguez-Rosa, Councilman FernandoCabrera, local residents, communitymembers and P.S. 246 united to cut theribbon at St. James Park where a newmultipurpose synthetic turf field wasinstalled. This new field will be used yearround for softball, youth baseball, soccerand many other athletic activities. Theproject was completed with $735,000 infunding secured by Councilman Cabrerawith an additional $45,000 in mayoralfunding. After a ribbon-cutting was held,P.S. 246 students played a friendly gameof soccer.

Send Borough Briefs to Corey Bachmanat corey@csa-nyc.org.

A Park’s New Turf

A representative of Empire Blue CrossBlue Shield Health Plus facilitated Forest

Park School’s Breast Cancer AwarenessParent and Guardian Workshop on Oct.15. Members of the school communitywore pink and donated $1 in support ofBreast Cancer Awareness, with proceedsgoing to the American Cancer Society.“We have been doing this for several yearsand will continue to do so in the future,”said Amelia Joseph, Principal. “One of ourcolleagues and dear friends Bonnie Bualost her battle with Breast Cancer and wewill never forget.”

Cancer Awareness

Let’s Move! Active Schools, a sub-ini-tiative of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’sMove! Initiative honored P.S./I.S.226with the 2015 Let’s Move! Active SchoolsNational Award for its outstanding effortsin creating an Active School environ-ment. The award celebrates a school’scommitment to integrating at least 60minutes of physical activity before, dur-ing and after the school day. Only 525schools across the country achieved thisprestigious honor. “We are so proud ofour students and our teachers for beingrecognized for all their efforts in becom-ing more active and healthy,” saidPrincipal Sherry Tannenbaum. “All of ourstudents from Pre-Kindergarten to grade8 participate in 2-3 periods of physicaleducation a week.”

The Coney Island School’s StudentCouncil Coordinators created the ideathat students could buy a pink ribbon forone dollar and it would be "pinned" onthe Principal. The Principal, KathyMoloney, welcomed the idea, and spentsome time collecting donations for theAmerican Cancer Society and adding rib-bons to her outfit. She visited with par-ents outside before the school day began,chatted with students during line up andthe lunch periods, and met with parentsoutside at dismissal.

Let’s move! Awardfor Physical Activity

Brooklyn (DIST. 13-23,32)

Brooklyn (DIST. 13-23,32)

Queens (DIST. 24 - 30)

The DOE has named the PetridesSchool’s soccer field in honor of ArmyStaff Sgt. Michael Ollis. City SchoolsChancellor Carmen Fariña signed off on

the move in a letter to Principal JoanneBuckheit. Former Petrides Student Ollis,24, was killed while serving inAfghanistan in Aug. 2013 while shieldinga Polish soldier from a blast. He was cap-tain of the Petrides varsity soccer teamand the Junior ROTC. A small commu-nity movement is also underway, whichMayor Bill DeBlasio has called a “pow-erful idea.”Almost 200 students and staff mem-

bers from I.S. 34 turned out to volunteerfor an afternoon of beach cleaning andtree planting in Tottenville on Nov. 3.Principal John Boyle opened up the eventto any staff member or student willing toroll up their sleeves and help. Participantsshared pictures during the day on Twitterwith #JustAnotherGreatDayAtIS34. “Thesupport of students who came out tohelp was overwhelming,” said AssistantPrincipal Gary Tames. The I.S. 34 GreenTeam partnered with John Kilcullen fromthe NYC Parks Department to plantmore than 30 bayberry trees and pruneinvasive plants. Shovels, rakes, gloves,bags, bagels and water were donated sothat student volunteers had everythingthey needed to get the job done.

Field Named For A Fallen Hero

Staten Island (D-31)

Bronx (DIST. 7-12)

Band of BrothersP rincipal Anthony Cusumano (in grey suit, above) of Roy H. Mann IS 78,

along with members of his staff, organized a tribute to veterans on Nov. 5.Mr. Cusumano invited the IS 78 Student Organization members and the

local Boy Scout troop to participate in the ceremony and plant 200 flags in honorof our veterans. Students of the school’s Schoolwide Enrichment Model carpentryclass created plaques to present to the Boy Scouts, and to Mr. Philip Maravolo, aVietnam veteran, in recognition of his service to our country. Mr. Cusumanothen presented his own copy of a photograph signed by members of EasyCompany 506th PIR (aka “The Band of Brothers”), an elite unit of the 101stAirborne Division during WWII, to the Boy Scout leaders

n Army Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis was killed in 2013 in Afghanistan while protecting a fellowsoldier. A Staten Island soccer field where he used to play has been named in his honor.