Welcome to the online home of the Educational Association of South Orangetown

Congratulations Celebrating the professional accomplishments of SOCSD teachers

Teacher Milestones Celebrating the personal events and accomplishments of SOCSD teachers

[Corrections, additions, or another milestone to share? E-mail smcmane@socsd.org.]

A teacher who desires to transfer to another building shall file a written statement of such desire with the Superintendent of Schools no later than March 1 and deliver a copy of the statement to her/his current building principal. The statement shall include the grade and/or subject to which the teacher desires to be assigned, or the school or schools (in order of preference, if the teacher has preferences) to which she/he desires to be transferred.

Many teachers have been asking about moving on the salary schedule after they take courses.

It is the responsibility of all professional personnel to submit transcripts of all degrees and additional credits to receive credit for placement on the salary schedule. Transcripts must also accompany any request for adjustment on the scale placement beyond the degree.

Transcripts must be received by October 15th and March 15th of the year a salary change will take place in order to move retroactively on the schedule.

Transcripts received by October 15th will receive a retroactive salary change as of the first day of the school year. Transcripts received by March 15th will receive a prorated salary change as of February 1st.

At our last meeting, the District Liason Committee (DLC) discussed the procedure for making sure transcripts are received in a timely fashion. The best way to do this is by having your university send an official transcript to your home address. When it arrives, DO NOT OPEN IT. Hand deliver the sealed official transcript to Ruth in Human Resources. She will open the envelope and stamp the transcript. You can then ask for a copy for your records.

IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CHECK WITH HUMAN RESOURCES TO MAKE SURE YOUR OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS HAVE ARRIVED. It is also your responsibility to make sure that your certifications are current.

If you are planning on taking credits beyond your Masters, and are unsure of the process, please ask for help. Your Mentor, Building Reps and senior teachers are more than willing to help.

[Corrections, additions, or another milestone to share? E-mail smcmane@socsd.org.]

Seth Resnikoff (TZHS, Math) and his wife Elysa, who welcomed Zachary Scott Resnikoff on 12/12/07, weighing 9 lb, 15.8 oz.

Janesa Martinez (SOMS, Science, grade 7) and Robert Colone (SOMS, Social Studies and Science, Grade 6) who had a baby girl, Eliana Rose Colone, 7lbs. 6ox. 20 inches, on August 10th, 2007. [Pictured below at birth and at 24 months.]

With the advent and rapid growth of social-networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, an increasingly significant portion of school-age socializing takes place online. The result is that school leaders are being forced to deal with a host of unsettled and even unsavory issues—such as when to monitor students’ online activities, and how to deal with the very real results of online socialization that spills into school hallways.

While the nation’s poorest-performing students have made academic progress under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the brightest students appear to be languishing for lack of attention, according to a report released today by a Washington think tank.

There may be no greater challenge facing public schools today than the staggering increase in children diagnosed with autism.

Even though the law requires school districts to provide a free "appropriate" education to every student, school budgets are not growing nearly as rapidly as the number of children classified as having special needs. Parents are increasingly demanding more than basics; they want intensive, expensive services that offer the best chance to rescue their child from a lifetime of disability.

Critics who say unions block education reforms and make it virtually impossible to fire bad teachers will offer 10 instructors it deems the nation's worst $10,000 to quit their careers. See the Associated Press article.

Many schools in New York City are experimenting with monetary incentives to promote learning. See the NY Times article.

President George W. Bush’s proposed budget for 2009 eliminates $25.5 million for the Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) Inexpensive Book Distribution Program, which allows children at libraries and schools throughout the nation to select and take home paperback books for free. --Newsandsentinel.com, February 2008

"President Bush’s proposed budget calling for the elimination of Reading Is Fundamental’s (RIF) Inexpensive Book Distribution program would be devastating to the 4.6 million children and their families who receive free books and reading encouragement from RIF programs at nearly 20,000 locations throughout the U.S.

“Unless Congress reinstates $26 million in funding for this program, RIF will not be able to distribute 16 million books annually to the nation’s youngest and most at-risk children. RIF programs in schools, childcare centers, migrant programs, military bases, and other locations serve children from low-income families, children with disabilities, foster and homeless children, and children without access to libraries. The Inexpensive Book Distribution program...has been funded by Congress and six Administrations without interruption since 1975.

“Since its founding in 1966, RIF’s programs have played an important role in improving literacy in this country. The U.S. Department of Education has shown that the number of books in a child’s home is a significant predictor of academic achievement. In addition, RIF programs also support academic achievement by involving hundreds of thousands of volunteers and other caring adults in encouraging children to read for fun. We urge all Americans to contact their Congressional representatives and ask them to reinstate funding for this important program.” --February 2008

Economist William Hussar of the National Center for Education Statistics predicts that the United States will need to recruit 2.8 million more teachers (3.2 million people teach in U.S. public schools) over the next eight years because of baby-boomer retirement, growing student enrollment, and staff turnover. The key is finding and keeping quality teachers. --NCTE.org, Time & CNN, February 13, 2008

Recent numbers from the U.S. Department of Education don’t bode well for the financial health of teachers, according to the MiamiHerald.com. Sixteen percent of this country’s K-12 educators, the DOE reports, work at least one other job outside their school. And the presumption is that the percentage is even higher in urban school districts, like Miami-Dade where the cost of living exceeds a teacher’s salary now averaging $43,095 in Florida. Second jobs at restaurants, supermarkets, department stores, and insurance companies are helping teachers meet their shortfall, but are also prompting feelings of shame. Several teachers declined to be interviewed for the Herald’s story.

Rudy Crew, Miami’s superintendent, has made increasing teacher salaries a priority. However, Philip Robins, a professor of economics at the University of Miami, says it needn’t be. “Many of the benefits of teacher are non-monetary,” says Robins. “Their work in terms of number of weeks is lower than the standard job. They get summers and holidays off. Their benefits are typically better than the benefits of private sector jobs.”
--edweek.org

News From NYSUT

The devastating rainstorms this past April have caused major problems for many of our fellow NYSUT members.

NYSUT is collecting donations through it's disaster relief fund. If you are interested in donating please send a check made out to the "NYSUT Disaster Relief Fund" to NYSUT Headquarters, Attn: Jeff Lockwood, Accounting Department, 800 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham, New York 12110.

EASO Scholarships

Each year EASO raises money to give five $500.00 scholarships to seniors graduating from Tappan Zee High School who will be majoring in education, labor, or a helping profession such as nursing. We raise the money by raffling off goods and services from local merchants in the Rockland County area. The following merchants donated in the spring of 2008:


	News and Issues
	Congratulations Celebrating the professional accomplishments of SOCSD teachers Contract Corner A look at important contract information Teacher Spotlight Acknowledging the accomplishments of colleagues Teacher Milestones Celebrating the personal events and accomplishments of SOCSD teachers Education News Educational sound bites from around the world News from NYSUT What's going on statewide EASO Scholarships Sponsors and winners EASO Socials Getting together outside the classroom Congratulations to... Celebrating the professional accomplishments of SOCSD teachers [Corrections, additions, or another milestone to share? E-mail smcmane@socsd.org.] The 2008 Retirees: Joseph Buchanan Pat Caverzasi Michelle Cohan Wilfred Emile Tanya Marrett Nick Megdanis Elizabeth Morana Jeremiah Moran Rita Schaffer Marian Sullivan The 2008 Retirement Dinner Honorees: 25 Years of Service Mark Bergling Sue Foster Kathy Kearney Robert Cavanagh 20 Years of Service Bob Hudson Pat Caverzasi John Kolman-Mandle Karen Garguilo Marie Cassetta Bill Lynch Patricia Fiore Carol Demeola Patricia Ruggiero Wilfred Emile Florence Zuvich Michael Roche Elaine Heck Donna Grasso for another successful end-of-the-year retirement party! Liz Fearen and her intermediate ESL students. Their play, "My American Life," about their experiences as newcomers to the U.S. and TZ won a competition in Nyack. The grand prize of $500 will be shared among the playwrights. Contract Corner Teacher Transfer A teacher who desires to transfer to another building shall file a written statement of such desire with the Superintendent of Schools no later than March 1 and deliver a copy of the statement to her/his current building principal. The statement shall include the grade and/or subject to which the teacher desires to be assigned, or the school or schools (in order of preference, if the teacher has preferences) to which she/he desires to be transferred. Salary Schedule Change Many teachers have been asking about moving on the salary schedule after they take courses. It is the responsibility of all professional personnel to submit transcripts of all degrees and additional credits to receive credit for placement on the salary schedule. Transcripts must also accompany any request for adjustment on the scale placement beyond the degree. Transcripts must be received by October 15th and March 15th of the year a salary change will take place in order to move retroactively on the schedule. Transcripts received by October 15th will receive a retroactive salary change as of the first day of the school year. Transcripts received by March 15th will receive a prorated salary change as of February 1st. At our last meeting, the District Liason Committee (DLC) discussed the procedure for making sure transcripts are received in a timely fashion. The best way to do this is by having your university send an official transcript to your home address. When it arrives, DO NOT OPEN IT. Hand deliver the sealed official transcript to Ruth in Human Resources. She will open the envelope and stamp the transcript. You can then ask for a copy for your records. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CHECK WITH HUMAN RESOURCES TO MAKE SURE YOUR OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS HAVE ARRIVED. It is also your responsibility to make sure that your certifications are current. If you are planning on taking credits beyond your Masters, and are unsure of the process, please ask for help. Your Mentor, Building Reps and senior teachers are more than willing to help. In solidarity, Jamie Fodor Grievance Chair Teacher Spotlight Remembering Jean Brock See the Journal News obituary of this former SOCSD teacher Archive See past Spotlight features Teacher Milestones Celebrating the personal events and accomplishments of SOSCD teachers [Corrections, additions, or another milestone to share? E-mail smcmane@socsd.org.] Congratulations to: Sarah McMane (TZHS, English) and her husband who welcomed their son, Adam Henry (8lbs, 20 inches) on March 30th. Debra Guertin (SOMS, English) who will marry Lawrence DiTuri on August 8, 2008. Lynda Herskovits (TZHS, Special Education), whose photographic talent will be honored at the 2008 Coastal Arts League Juried Show and Competition in Half Moon Bay, California. The theme of this year's show is Patterns, either natural or man-made. There were over 1200 entries from 18 countries; 90 photos were chosen to be part of the show. Her photo is pictured below: Elizabeth Morana for receiving an honorable mention in the "Soul-Making Literary Competition." Elizabeth submitted a 12-page memoir to the national competition, sponsored by the National League of American Pen Women. This organization has been around since the 1890's and supports women in the arts. The winners of this yearly competition are invited to an event at the main Library/Civic Center in San Francisco to read excerpts from their works and to participate in a reception. It will be filmed for local cable TV. The story that was honored is an excerpt of the book that Elizabeth is working on. Nicole Lai (TZHS, Science) and her husband on the birth of their daughter, Natalie Emma on March 4. Scott Silver (TZHS, Social Studies) and his wife on the birth of their daughter, Jenna Elizabeth on Feburary 20. Laura Sorrese Lefkow (TZHS, English) and her husband Steve Lefkow, who welcomed a baby boy, Harrison Joseph, 5lbs, 9oz. at 10:13pm on February 3, 2008. [Pictured below at birth] Lisa Kahn, on the birth of her baby girl, Baila Menucha, on January 5, 2008. Seth Resnikoff (TZHS, Math) and his wife Elysa, who welcomed Zachary Scott Resnikoff on 12/12/07, weighing 9 lb, 15.8 oz. Janesa Martinez (SOMS, Science, grade 7) and Robert Colone (SOMS, Social Studies and Science, Grade 6) who had a baby girl, Eliana Rose Colone, 7lbs. 6ox. 20 inches, on August 10th, 2007. [Pictured below at birth and at 24 months.] Eileen Griffith (TZE, grade 2) and her husband George recently celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary with a dinner hosted by their three sons, Colin (28), Brendan (26) and Sean (23). The photo shows Colin, Eileen, Brendan, Sean and George. Lauren (Mencher) Calcaterra (TZHS, English) who married Justin Calcaterra on July 14, 2007. Debra Sussman who married Bob Rosenblum on June 24, 2007. Christine O'Brien (TZHS, Math) and family, on the bird of Emily Julia. Emily was born on Father's Day, 6/17 at 12:24 am weighing 7 lbs, 14 oz, and measuring 20 in long. Russell Wagoner who was just accepted in the Doctoral Program in Music Education at Boston University. In addition, PaperMill Playhouse in New Jersey will be reviewing and considering production for his musical "ONE FOREVER KISS." Educational News School Leaders Deal with Social-Networking Sites With the advent and rapid growth of social-networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, an increasingly significant portion of school-age socializing takes place online. The result is that school leaders are being forced to deal with a host of unsettled and even unsavory issues—such as when to monitor students’ online activities, and how to deal with the very real results of online socialization that spills into school hallways. See the full article from Education Week, 6/9/08 Top Students Said to Stagnate Under NCLB While the nation’s poorest-performing students have made academic progress under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the brightest students appear to be languishing for lack of attention, according to a report released today by a Washington think tank. See the full article from Education Week, 6/18/08 Overcoming Autism: Public Schools Deal With a Growing Problem There may be no greater challenge facing public schools today than the staggering increase in children diagnosed with autism. Even though the law requires school districts to provide a free "appropriate" education to every student, school budgets are not growing nearly as rapidly as the number of children classified as having special needs. Parents are increasingly demanding more than basics; they want intensive, expensive services that offer the best chance to rescue their child from a lifetime of disability. See the full article from Edutopia Magazine, 3/19/2008 Anti-Union Group Pays Teachers to Quit Critics who say unions block education reforms and make it virtually impossible to fire bad teachers will offer 10 instructors it deems the nation's worst $10,000 to quit their careers. See the Associated Press article. Can Students Be Paid to Excel? Many schools in New York City are experimenting with monetary incentives to promote learning. See the NY Times article. President Bush Says Reading is Not Fundamental? President George W. Bush’s proposed budget for 2009 eliminates $25.5 million for the Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) Inexpensive Book Distribution Program, which allows children at libraries and schools throughout the nation to select and take home paperback books for free. --Newsandsentinel.com, February 2008 Statement from Carol H. Rasco, president and CEO, of Reading Is Fundamental: "President Bush’s proposed budget calling for the elimination of Reading Is Fundamental’s (RIF) Inexpensive Book Distribution program would be devastating to the 4.6 million children and their families who receive free books and reading encouragement from RIF programs at nearly 20,000 locations throughout the U.S. “Unless Congress reinstates $26 million in funding for this program, RIF will not be able to distribute 16 million books annually to the nation’s youngest and most at-risk children. RIF programs in schools, childcare centers, migrant programs, military bases, and other locations serve children from low-income families, children with disabilities, foster and homeless children, and children without access to libraries. The Inexpensive Book Distribution program...has been funded by Congress and six Administrations without interruption since 1975. “Since its founding in 1966, RIF’s programs have played an important role in improving literacy in this country. The U.S. Department of Education has shown that the number of books in a child’s home is a significant predictor of academic achievement. In addition, RIF programs also support academic achievement by involving hundreds of thousands of volunteers and other caring adults in encouraging children to read for fun. We urge all Americans to contact their Congressional representatives and ask them to reinstate funding for this important program.” --February 2008 Teacher Recruitment Economist William Hussar of the National Center for Education Statistics predicts that the United States will need to recruit 2.8 million more teachers (3.2 million people teach in U.S. public schools) over the next eight years because of baby-boomer retirement, growing student enrollment, and staff turnover. The key is finding and keeping quality teachers. --NCTE.org, Time & CNN, February 13, 2008 Teachers Working Second Jobs Recent numbers from the U.S. Department of Education don’t bode well for the financial health of teachers, according to the MiamiHerald.com. Sixteen percent of this country’s K-12 educators, the DOE reports, work at least one other job outside their school. And the presumption is that the percentage is even higher in urban school districts, like Miami-Dade where the cost of living exceeds a teacher’s salary now averaging $43,095 in Florida. Second jobs at restaurants, supermarkets, department stores, and insurance companies are helping teachers meet their shortfall, but are also prompting feelings of shame. Several teachers declined to be interviewed for the Herald’s story. Rudy Crew, Miami’s superintendent, has made increasing teacher salaries a priority. However, Philip Robins, a professor of economics at the University of Miami, says it needn’t be. “Many of the benefits of teacher are non-monetary,” says Robins. “Their work in terms of number of weeks is lower than the standard job. They get summers and holidays off. Their benefits are typically better than the benefits of private sector jobs.” --edweek.org Why Teachers Quit A survey reveals why former teachers quit the profession: "The survey, based on interviews with more than 7,000 current and former teachers, also found widespread problems with workloads and general working conditions, and it notes that the percentage of teachers abandoning the classroom continues to grow. Among public school teachers, that proportion reached 8 percent in the 2004-05 school year—up from 6 percent in 1988-89. The problem, experts say, is that teaching has gotten harder." [For the full article, go to: Why Teachers Quit] New York Measuring Teachers by Test Scores New York City has embarked on an ambitious experiment, yet to be announced, in which some 2,500 teachers are being measured on how much their students improve on annual standardized tests. The move is so contentious that principals in some of the 140 schools participating have not told their teachers that they are being scrutinized based on student performance and improvement. While officials say it is too early to determine how they will use the data, which is already being collected, they say it could eventually be used to help make decisions on teacher tenure or as a significant element in performance evaluations and bonuses. And they hold out the possibility that the ratings for individual teachers could be made public. [For the full article, go to: New York Measuring Teachers by Test Scores ] --NY Times, January 2008 One Laptop Per Child The organization One Laptop Per Child (laptop.org) has developed "a very low-cost, high-potential, extremely rugged computer for the two billion educationally under-served children in poor countries". This laptop, called the XO is the focus of a program by OLPC called "Get 1, Give 1", in which you would pay $400 (www.xogiving.org) to get one XO laptop for your young child, with a second one going to a student in a poor country. (You would get it before January.) For more complete info, read David Pogue's State of the Art column, "Laptop With a Mission Widens Its Audience," in The New York Times. PS: For a video tour of the features of the XO laptop, just go to www.nytimes.com/pogue --Jeanne Palumbo, TZHS Building Rep News From NYSUT The devastating rainstorms this past April have caused major problems for many of our fellow NYSUT members. NYSUT is collecting donations through it's disaster relief fund. If you are interested in donating please send a check made out to the "NYSUT Disaster Relief Fund" to NYSUT Headquarters, Attn: Jeff Lockwood, Accounting Department, 800 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham, New York 12110. If you were impacted by the rainstorms/flooding last month it may be possible to apply for some of the disaster relief funds. Download the application at NYSUT.org and follow the instructions as indicated. In solidarity, Bill EASO Scholarships Each year EASO raises money to give five $500.00 scholarships to seniors graduating from Tappan Zee High School who will be majoring in education, labor, or a helping profession such as nursing. We raise the money by raffling off goods and services from local merchants in the Rockland County area. The following merchants donated in the spring of 2008: Lighthouse on the Hudson 701 Piermont Ave. Piermont, NY 10968 Torino's Italian Deli 135 E Erie St Blvt, NY 10913 Melange Spa 135 E. Erie St. blvt, NY 10913 Mia Cucina 135 E. Erie St. Blvt, NY 10913 Tuscany Bistro 67 Old Tappan Rd. Tappan, NY 10983 www.dominatelife.org Bodyquest Gym 582 Route 303 Blvt, NY 10913 Yogi's Café 60 Dutch hill Rd. Orangeburg, NY 10962 Please say thank you when you patronize their establishment! Congratulations to the 2008 EASO Scholarship Winners: Danielle Contino Sara Graney Jenna Maresco Frank Rosenthal EASO Socials Upcoming Socials Retirement Party '08 - Pictures courtesy of Irene Mullins TZHS camraderie - September '07 This year's socials: September 28, 2007 October 25, 2007 November 20, 2007 December 6- Holiday party January 25, 2008 February 28, 2008 March 18, 2008 April 11, 2008 May 21, 2008 June 19, Retirement dinner Contact Donna Grasso with questions

News From NYSUT

EASO Scholarships

EASO Socials