East Meadow Teachers Association

Have a wonderful and successful 2022-2023 school year!

A perfect day for showing pride in East Meadow!

Congratulations to W.T. Clarke High School’s Class of 2022!

For the first time since 2019…

What a fantastic evening we had celebrating our retired and retiring EMTA colleagues and their successful careers!

Congratulations to East Meadow High School’s Class of 2022!

Ask NY Legislators to Protect Retiree Health Insurance!

Ask NY legislators to protect retiree health insurance! A recent court decision upends years of collective bargaining agreement precedent and puts retirees' access to health insurance in peril. Take action at the NYSUT MAC to urge your state legislators to protect retiree health insurance by maintaining a level playing field between unions and employers....

Yesterday’s school board races proved one thing: public schools unite us. New Yorkers came out in support of pro-student and pro-education candidates and passed school budgets that invest in our children's futures. Thank you to everyone who came out and voted in support of our public schools.

“Under the banner Public Schools Unite Us, we saw a wave of pro-public education school board members elected Tuesday who we know will put students first at every board meeting,” NYSUT President Andy Pallotta said. “We’re proud to see how many educators stepped up this year to support candidates or run for office themselves. They know that their teaching conditions are their students’ learning conditions, and having strong boards of education is essential to creating an environment in which students, educators and families can successfully collaborate to put public schools at the center of their communities.”

Thank you very much for your continued support of great public schools!

On Tuesday, May 17th vote “Yes” for great schools.

Vote Jodi Luce, Matthew Melnick, and Sharan Sokhey for Board of Education Trustees.

Vote “Yes” for the school budget.

Thank you!

On Tuesday, May 17th vote “Yes” for East Meadow’s public schools.

Voting takes place in all elementary schools from 7 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Take action at to urge NYS Assemblymembers to support our educators by suspending the Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) process for another year!

MAC Action: Urge the New York State Assembly to support our educators! Educators in New York are turning their attention to the hard work of helping our students and communities recover from the effects of the COVID pandemic. Take action at the NYSUT MAC to let the NYS Assembly know we support our educators and urge them to do the same by passing legislation to suspend...

School is a place where childhood happens and where our futures are formed. Our public schools belong to all of us. Pledge to vote on May 17th.

https://publicschoolsuniteus.org

NYSUT Applauds Regents For Eliminating edTPA Requirements

New York State United Teachers today applauded the state Board of Regents for taking action to eliminate edTPA requirements for teacher certification:

“If we want New Yorkers to take a look a teaching and reverse our teacher shortage, it’s critical we remove unnecessary barriers like the edTPA that stand in the way of high-quality future educators joining the profession,” NYSUT Executive Vice President Jolene T. DiBrango said. “These requirements have done nothing to improve the quality of teaching or support aspiring educators. Instead, they’ve piled costly exams on prospective educators’ plates and diminished the essential student-teaching experiences that prepare you to manage your own classroom. Thanks to the leadership of Commissioner Rosa, Chancellor Young, Regents Cashin, Collins and their colleagues on the board, this state is taking a decisive step in the right direction.”

NYSUT and its SUNY and CUNY higher education affiliates, the United University Professions and the Professional Staff Congress, have been leading voices in pushing back against the edTPA requirements and working to reform the certification process, going back to when the requirements first were considered in New York nearly a decade ago.

Through the union-led Take a Look at Teaching initiative, NYSUT is working to address barriers to becoming a teacher and expand the educator pipeline. For more information on Take a Look at Teaching, visit takealookatteaching.org.

NYSUT Statement On 2022-2023 State Budget

New York State United Teachers President Andy Pallotta issued the following statement on the approved 2022-23 state budget:

“This budget delivers historic resources for education and continues the promise to fully fund Foundation Aid, a critical step years in the making. It provides funding to hire mental health staff to support students at every level and to bolster professional learning for educators through teacher centers and implicit bias training. But redefining public education as a system that truly supports every child is unceasing work, which is why we’ll continue fighting for dedicated funding for community schools that would deliver transformative supports for families in every community.

“We also need to tackle the ongoing teacher shortage, which this budget takes important action on. That includes the first steps toward critical retirement system reforms that will ensure public servants in Tier 6 have access to a high-quality, fair pension. This gives us yet another tool for attracting the next generation of teachers, School-Related Professionals and public employees into state and local service.

“Significant resources for SUNY and CUNY two- and four-year colleges mark a step toward transformational change for our public higher education system. And the promise to cover debt service for SUNY hospitals, the backbone of the state’s pandemic response, is essential for continued quality public health care for New Yorkers.

“The legislative session is not done yet, so neither is our work. We will continue to advocate on behalf of our members and those they serve as we strive to move our state and our future forward.”

Wondering what your union is fighting for?

NYSUT can offer you some insight. From better contracts and working conditions to ensuring the world is better for future generations, we're working – day in and day out – to help our members and their families thrive.

For more information, visit: nextgen.nysut.org/about-our-union

2022 NYSUT Representative Assembly Highlights

Representative Assembly Members make their voices heard by electing local delegates who represent them at NYSUT's annual convention, the Representative Assembly.

How to Become a Teacher - Take a Look at Teaching Take a Look at Teaching is a union-led initiative to expand and improve the teacher pipeline in New York State.

Opt-Out: Know Your Rights

Parents and teachers continue to raise questions about students opting out of NYS standardized tests. To help answer these questions, review NYSUT’s fact sheets for parents and teachers on test refusals.
https://www.nysut.org/resources/all-listing/filtered-resources/topic/opt-out?topic=Opt+Out

Certification Help - Next Generation NYSUT NYSUT provides assistance on New York State teacher certification questions.

Happy Month!

In celebration, NYSUT created a new poster highlighting Malala, a Pakistani activist and hero of female education across the globe.

The free poster is available for NYSUT members and leaders to download here: nysut.org/publications

NYSUT Statement On End Of Statewide Mask Requirement For Schools

ALBANY, N.Y. Feb. 27, 2022 — New York State United Teachers President Andy Pallotta issued the following statement today regarding the governor’s announcement that the statewide mask requirement for schools is ending:

“We welcome this step toward normalcy. The governor is striking the right balance by empowering local officials to use data to determine if and when the mitigation strategies need to change in their areas. As the guidance changes, one thing must remain constant: It’s essential that districts work closely with educators to ensure there is confidence in their health and safety plans.”

is a nationwide effort promoting the benefits schools offer to students. NYSUT members know firsthand how impactful a public school education is.

NYSUT Statement On Masking In Schools...

NYSUT statement on masking in schools “Public health experts have been clear that masks are an important part of the strategies designed to keep students, educators and our communities safe. Their current guidance is that masking up is the right thing to do, particularly given the still-elevated infection rates.'

NYSUT statement on Gov. Hochul’s executive budget 'With the state on solid financial footing, the ongoing needs of our pandemic-battered public schools, colleges and hospitals must be met this year. Gov. Hochul’s spending plan makes some important commitments toward meeting those needs, including a significant increase in aid for K-12 schools and...

NYSUT Statement On Nassau County School Mask Executive Order

ALBANY, N.Y. Jan. 6, 2022 — New York State United Teachers President Andy Pallotta issued the following statement today regarding Nassau County’s executive order on masks in schools:

“It’s unbelievable that nearly two years into the pandemic we have to debate the critical importance of mask wearing as part of a layered COVID-19 mitigation strategy in schools. Particularly given the current spike in cases, now is not the time to do away with mask wearing in schools. Public health experts have been unequivocally clear that masks are an important part of the strategies designed to keep students, educators and our communities safe. And the governor was clear this afternoon that state law prevails in this matter. We continue to support the state’s mask guidance for schools and call on all districts to continue following these guidelines.”

NYSUT statement on Gov. Hochul’s State of the State address 'Gov. Hochul has brought a breath of fresh air to Albany. Her agenda sets ambitious goals for addressing the issues our state faces,' said NYSUT President Andy Pallotta.

In another school year disrupted by the pandemic, NYSUT strongly supports the State Education Department's request for a federal waiver from state accountability requirements for 2021-22.

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Union-Made In America Holiday Gift Ideas...
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