ife-long education advocate and activist. Policy expert and union political director. Ironman triathlete. Mom to four young children.

Delegates to NYSUT’s Representative Assembly elected Person to a three-year term as president on April 29. She succeeds Andy Pallotta, who retired after two full terms.

Person hit the ground running with clear goals for the union, including continuing NYSUT’s fight against the misuse of standardized tests; championing more funding for public education at all levels; and extolling the value of educators — and the profession. A first victory was helping to secure a $2.6 billion increase in Foundation Aid.

“I have a lifelong passion and commitment to public education,” Person said. “I’m going to be using my voice to advocate for the policies, programs and dollars that our members need to meet the awesome responsibilities they face on the job. And you’re going to see me fighting to ensure that all our members are respected and that teaching remains an enticing and sustaining career choice.”

More immediately, Person said she would be visiting classrooms and marshalling the union’s members — and political power — to fix the state’s inequitable pension tiers, address the teacher shortage, and reform the state’s teacher evaluation system.

Celebrate (just some of) our legislative victories!

YSUT activists and staffers fought hard this year for legislation to improve members’ working conditions and students’ learning conditions. We were successful on several fronts. Attention now shifts to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office to encourage her to sign bills into law.

“The full funding of Foundation Aid represents a historic moment for New York and our public schools,” said NYSUT President Melinda Person. “The state is at last keeping a promise that has been broken for far too long.”

This investment means that students will finally get more of the tools and resources they need to thrive in the classroom. This was decades in the making and something we’ve been pushing hard for through our Fund Our Future campaign.

ast year, work-related injuries and illnesses went down in the private sector but increased 40.9 percent for employees in elementary and secondary schools. SRPs are directly impacted by this trend. Every day, they break up fights between students, de-escalate conflicts, and run interference for students who might be considered a danger to themselves or others.

“SRPs are being confronted by so many different demands, and it’s important to make sure our voices are heard,” said NYSUT Board member Kim McEvoy, Rondout Valley Federation of Teachers and School- Related Professionals. McEvoy and SRPs representing a host of different job titles met with lawmakers in May to put a face — and a personal story — to their concerns.

Cindy Goodsell, Saratoga Adirondack BOCES Employees Association, shared a story about a 12-year-old who began throwing desks and chairs when he was asked to quiet down. Following the incident, the student was parked in her office to wait for a parent. “I didn’t know what to do. I’m just sitting there, trapped behind my desk,” said Goodsell. “We need more training on how to handle these situations.”

Districts also need protocols for how to reintegrate students following violent incidents, said Violetta De Rosa, Albany Public School United Employees. “Our students are suffering because they’re witnesses to that violence and that trauma impacts learning.”

hen NYSUT members work together, we get big things done. Nowhere was that more evident on the local level this year than school board elections, where several locals worked, some for the first time, to elect pro-public school candidates to school boards and pass district budgets.

New York voters delivered a strong vote of confidence in their public schools, passing 99 percent of school district budgets in May. Local unions endorsed 360 candidates in board elections. Eighty-five percent of those candidates were elected, including 75 NYSUT members.

On Long Island, the Brentwood Teachers Association and Babylon TA both secured big wins. In Brentwood, the union endorsed and supported two pro-union candidates, one a retired teacher and the other a former student.

“These two candidates have unique perspectives … they both have the vision and mindset of doing what’s best for kids,” said Kevin Coyne, Brentwood TA president. More than 700 BTA members volunteered to make nearly 4,500 phone calls and knock on almost 2,000 doors to flip two seats away from anti-public education candidates.

elegates to the 2023 NYSUT Representative Assembly voted for candidates for NYSUT Officers, At-Large director positions, Election District director positions and AFT State Federation delegates and alternates. The NEA candidates were seated in accordance with the applicable campaign and election procedures.

Below are the total votes cast for each candidate. The winner in contested races is indicated by ⁺.

The American Arbitration Association assisted with tabulating ballots and certified the election results.

Complete election results, including roll call votes cast, are available at nysut.org/Election2023 (login required). Procedures for Notice of Nomination and Election and Campaign & Elections Procedures were published in the January/February issue of NYSUT United.

fter nine years of protracted negotiations, the newly formed Cayuga Community College Part Time Faculty Association has ratified its first contract.

“It’s been a long time coming, but we finally have a contract,” said Carolyn Stevenson, president of the Cayuga CCPTFA.

Stevenson said the union of adjunct faculty and non-teaching employees — 200 strong at the time — first requested voluntary recognition of their newly formed union from the Cayuga CC in 2014, which was denied by the administration. The college attempted to merge them in with the already-established Cayuga Community College Faculty Association. Stevenson said they took their case to the state Public Employment Relations Board, which agreed that the part-time staff had the right to form their own bargaining unit. Union cards were signed for a second time in 2016 and the local began to hammer out a contract deal in earnest, Stevenson said.

COVID–19 stalled discussions and created more upheaval, with adjuncts being among the first to lose their courseloads and, therefore, wages during shutdown.

YSUT School-Related Professionals took home three awards at the recent American Federation of Teachers Paraprofessionals and School-Related Personnel Conference, proving they really are the best in the nation.

The Buffalo Educational Support Team won the PSRP Organizing Award for staying strong through 10 years of contract negotiations. They continued to organize even after multiple school board changes and repeated attempts to break the union. Jo Ann Sweat, who heads up the 900-member local comprising teaching assistants, teacher aides and health care aides, won raises of 10.5 percent for members in the first year, followed by three years of 2.25 percent increases. The four-year contract also includes signing bonuses, longevity bonuses and professional development.

“We did what we thought was best for our members. I just could not see settling for 2 percent,” said Sweat.

fter a year of formal negotiations, United University Professions and New York state have reached a tentative agreement on a new four-year contract.

UUP represents more than 30,000 faculty and professional staff of the State University of New York across 29 campuses. If ratified, the contract would take effect immediately and run through July 1, 2026. It would be retroactive to July 1, 2022, which is when the union’s current contract expired.

“In reaching an agreement with the state, UUP again demonstrated the value of strong unions in the workplace. I congratulate UUP, its leadership team and the faculty and professionals who are the backbone of our SUNY system on this step forward,” said NYSUT President Melinda Person.

he Asian American and Pacific Islander community is incredibly diverse. Its members speak hundreds of languages, hail from nearly 50 countries and have vastly different traditions, cultures, foods and religions; a one-size-fits-all approach to the community is nearly impossible. But for all their differences, as minorities in American society, AAPI individuals face many shared challenges in the classroom.

As part of a Many Threads, One Fabric event celebrating Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month in May, a panel of NYSUT members discussed some of those issues and highlighted the importance of including AAPI voices in the classroom. “Individuals of Asian and Pacific descent are often overlooked in discussions of race,” said J. Philippe Abraham, NYSUT secretary-treasurer, whose office oversees social justice initiatives for the statewide union. “We want to start a dialogue about their contributions and learn more about the different perspectives they bring to the table.”

NYSUT President Melinda Person welcomed participants and underscored the value of the event. “This is important work, and we can’t do it without dedicated members like you,” she said.

mid ongoing battles to ban books in schools and libraries nationwide, NYSUT members are taking a stand against censorship and for academic and learning freedom. A recent report by the nonprofit free speech organization PEN America found that in the first half of the 2022–23 school year book bans increased 28 percent.

For school librarian Kristen Majkut, a member of Albany Public School Teachers Association, the push to create a welcoming and inclusive learning environment is a mission she feels passionate about. Beyond the school’s library, Majkut advises the Gender and Sexuality Alliance at Albany High School with fellow APSTA member Tom Vacanti.

“This is Our Rainbow is an anthology of stories featuring LGBTQ characters, for our kids, about our kids,” Majkut said. Family-friendly stories like those in the book are a poignant reminder of the importance of inclusivity, acceptance and self-discovery.

For more info about the NYSUT LGBTQ Committee and to see images from Pride events, visit nysut.org/LGBTQ.

Tell me about your job and why you love what you do?

Wendy Guardion: I handle the payroll for all paraprofessionals, school aides and family workers. I am responsible for the processing of all of our substitute teacher and substitute paraprofessionals nominations that come in, along with inputing information for workers compensation cases and daily attendance from all seven school sites.

Laura Familia: I handle the payroll for all of our teachers, OTs/PTs, nurses and the parent coordinator. I am also responsible for monitoring the attendance for all of the above mentioned titles. I often act as a translator for parents and staff.

Dana Gottsegen: I’m a team player and can be seen doing many things to help out around the school. However, at the end of the the day, I’m responsible for pupil accounting, procurement and the school budget.

Adrian N. Smalls, a member of the Monroe Community College Faculty Association, is an associate professor and chair of the Law/Criminal Justice Department at Monroe Community College.

A 16-year teaching veteran, Smalls retired from a career in law enforcement before entering the classroom.

During my junior high school years, I noticed how my teachers kept me engaged in class with their various teaching styles. This was the beginning of my curiosity about teaching.

I did well in high school and was offered several scholarships to be a student-athlete. I chose to attend the University of Rochester, where I had the wonderful experience of being around people my age with similar dreams and aspirations, something that I did not see much of from my friends in the Bronx. I graduated with a B.A. in History.

Help NYSUT fix tier six

What’s this about?

How did this happen?

ince 1958, there has been a Heck teaching music education at Indian River. Charles Heck followed in his late father’s footsteps, taking over for William Heck in 1980 after he suffered a fatal heart attack during the second week of that school year.

A member of the Indian River Education Association, Heck has been teaching at Indian River for the past 43 years. He not only leads the high school band, but also the music department faculty. Under his tutelage, students have advanced to local, state and regional competitions.

This spring, Heck was one of 24 honorees in the country to receive the Outstanding Music Educator Award from the National Federation of State High School Associations. Just one nominee per state is accepted for this prestigious award, which was presented as a surprise to Heck during this year’s spring concert.

“Being with these kids and sharing my love of music with them is one of the greatest joys of my life.”

After more than four decades enriching students’ lives and fostering their self-esteem through music, Heck will retire at the end of the next school year.

ew York state is home to an increasing number of English language learners. According to the State Education Department, in 2021–22, 10 percent of K–12 students in the state are ELLs, up from 8.8 percent in the 2015–16 school year. NYSUT’s Education & Learning Trust offers teachers new strategies for reaching these students, assessing them accurately, and celebrating their contributions to our classrooms. We’ve identified three courses to help bridge language gaps and ensure equity for all students. Courses are offered asynchronously online, and each is worth 5 CTLE hours.

Being a good teacher starts with knowing your students. Teachers may know ELL students attended school previously but have no idea what that experience was like for them. For instance, how frequently did they attend? Were the students in their class all the same age? Was their schooling interrupted? In “Culturally Responsive Classrooms” ELT instructor Carmen Vazqueztell, a member of United University Professions–Empire State Chapter, teaches educators how to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable, regardless of their proficiency in English. “Look at students as half-filled glasses. Identify their strengths, and start there,” said Vazqueztell.

etirees welcomed NYSUT President Emeritus Andy Pallotta to their ranks with a serenade at the Representative Assembly retiree breakfast in April. Set to the tune of “That’s Amore,” the lyrics of “Andy’s Song” detailed his many accomplishments as a union leader.

“That was so beautiful,” said Pallotta who thanked attendees for their many years of hard work as NYSUT’s daytime army. “I’m joining you and, like you, I am union for life.”

Retirees also gave outgoing NYSUT Executive Vice President Jolene DiBrango a compass charm to celebrate her six years of service. “Thank you for this … the union will remain strong because of your work,” she said.

“Retiree Council presidents, I see what you do and thank you for all of your efforts,” said Florence McCue, at-large ED 51-53 director, who led the meeting and welcomed attendees. Also on hand were NYSUT Board members and retiree directors Loretta Donlon, ED 51; Joan Perrini , ED 52; and Tom Murphy, ED 53.

5 Questions for Jennifer Gravelle

You’re a certified K-12 physical education teacher at Wallkill High School, but you also teach adaptive physical education. What’s the difference between the two types of teaching?

Adaptive physical education describes PE classes that are modified to meet students with special needs. I work with 15 adaptive PE students at the high school, and some are on the autism spectrum, some have learning and emotional needs and some have physical needs. You can either adapt instruction for one student within a larger class or teach an entire class of adaptive PE students.

How do you differentiate instruction to accommodate students with special needs?

My students like to do what their peers are doing, so we follow the regular PE units, with modifications. For instance, we play tennis with yarn balls, or play basketball with lowered hoops or use balloons instead of basketballs to shoot. We might also play volleyball but hit over a line on the floor instead of using a traditional net. I just did an all-abilities karate class and brought in an instructor from our local community to lead it.

It’s What We Do

or those individuals working in the education and health care industries, summer is certainly not a season filled with endless days of relaxation. Instead, many of us spend our time trying to catch up on projects not yet accomplished, working on bettering ourselves through training opportunities, and preparing for what lies ahead with the new academic school year.

While you’re doing any or all of these activities, we encourage you to remember to think about yourself. Your NYSUT membership allows you to participate in dozens of endorsed programs and services offered by NYSUT Member Benefits, including several new health and wellness resources.

The premium Calm subscription provides NYSUT in-service members with unlimited access to the full library of sleep, meditation, and relaxation content at calm.com and in the Calm app. In-service members can add up to five dependents (age 16 or older) to receive their own premium Calm subscription. Explore guided meditations and specialized music playlists to help with stress and focus, mindful movement video and audio, nature scenes and sounds, specific content tailored for children and more.

he New York State and Local Employees’ Retirement System has added new features to its Retirement Online system.

If you retired from ERS and you receive your pension payment through direct deposit, you can now use Retirement Online to update your bank account information or send your deposits to another bank. You can also sign up for direct deposit through your Retirement Online account, which will enable you to receive your pension payment more quickly.

Retirement Online is the quickest way to get information about your ERS benefits. Whether you have direct deposit or receive a pension check in the mail, you can now view your pension “pay stub” online. You can track year-to-date totals for your benefit amount and any deductions made for health insurance, union dues or tax withholding. ERS will also send you a notice whenever your net payment amount changes.

Beginning in January 2024, you’ll be able to view, download and print your 1099-R tax form (starting with the 1099-R for your 2023 pension earnings).

You can also use Retirement Online to update your contact information and death benefit beneficiaries (if eligible). It’s a convenient way to manage your ERS account instead of sending forms through the mail or calling ERS.