News | Herricks Teachers' Association

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED NOW!

TAKE ACTION NOW and MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Want to send a message to the governor and/or your legislators? Here are some issues you may want to emphasize...

● Supporting a $2.2 billion increase in education funding (out of the court ordered $5 billion New York State owes public schools)

● Eliminating the Gap Elimination Adjustment which has cost Herricks over $6 million

● Supporting full day pre-k and kindergarten

● Decreasing the reliance on and frequency of testing

● Rejecting governor's proposal to increase weight of testing in teacher evaluations

● Rejecting governor's proposal to weaken due

Important Message to attendees of Standing Together to Save Public Education: A Call to Action

Exciting News!

You can still attend this popular previously sold-out event on Mon., March 9th. The venue has been changed and added tickets are now available by clicking the "Contact the Host" link below. I urge you to attend this event and bring friends, family and colleagues. Speak out for public education by becoming active and uniting with others who care about our students, schools and profession.

Together we can make a difference!

Standing Together to Save Public Education: A Call to Action


	VENUE CHANGE for the "Standing Together to Save Public Education" event featuring Diane

Thunderclap Power! Sending a Message to Cuomo

We have set up a Thunderclap for use across Long Island to send the following message to the Governor:
Gov. Cuomo - Listen to NYSUT, visit our public schools NOW & learn what #AllKidsNeed to attain a quality education!

To get to the Thunderclap, head to https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/23012-allkidsneed-long-island

For those of you unfamiliar with Thunderclap, here's their wording on its usage - "Social media is an easy way to say something, but it’s a difficult way to be heard. Thunderclap is the first-ever crowdspeaking platform that helps people be heard by saying something together. It

Opt Out Concerns

Many members' have voiced concerns about whether to have their own children Opt Out of State Tests. This is a topic that many parents, educators and community leaders are now discussing and considering. The movement is growing and very active in an increasing number of communities on Long Island. At Herricks, Opting Out was minimal last year. We have worked hard to educate our members and as a result are now getting many questions from them about what to do with their own children. This is great news as it indicates that our members are becoming more enlightened on these matters, active and

Defensive Driving Course

The Herricks Teacher Center is pleased to offer the Empire Safety Council’s Defensive Driving course. Course content includes defensive methods for safe driving and avoiding collisions. The course will also teach what to do in various types of driving emergencies.

Please click this link to see the flyer for more details.

We Are At War!

We Are At War!

The Issues:

Proposed Reforms in Cuomo's Budget:

$1.1 BIllion for education IF...

50% of teacher evaluation is based on test scores
State given control over APPR, not union negotiated (50-35-15)
Classroom observations done by outside state employees
A 5-year probationary period for tenure (Must score within effective range all 5 years or no tenure)
Changes to due process
Any teacher ineffective 2 years consecutively - automatic dismissal
Eliminate teacher center funds
Merit pay (Incentivize high scoring teachers with $20,000 bonuses)
Education Tax Credit allows corporation and

The Harlem Wizards are coming to Herricks!

Come to Herricks on Saturday, February 28 at 1 pm to see the Harlem Wizards vs. the Herricks Staff! Raffles, prizes and more! Tickets are $15 each, available through the www.HarlemWizards.com website. See you

Click Here for the Amazing Harlem Wizards at Herricks Promo Video!

The Governor Has Declared War on Public Schools

Please read the email below from Andy Pallotta, NYSUT Executive Vice President. You can easily take action by clicking on the red circle and sending a message to lawmakers and educational leaders.

Governor Cuomo has declared war on public schools. Join us in fighting back.

New York State Allies for Public Education (NYSAPE), a coalition of 50 groups statewide, has sent a letter to the governor responding to the offensive, outrageous education questions he circulated in December.

Now we need to support NYSAPE and let lawmakers and education leaders know that the governor's education agenda

Jan. 8, 2015 BOE Meeting

At the BOE meeting on Thurs., Jan 8th:

It was announced that the Language Immersion program will begin in kindergarten in Sept. 2015. Meetings will be held for parents interested in enrolling children into the program.
Gina Horton, M.S. Guidance Chair, gave a presentation on the new SAT Exam. These exams will be effective in the Spring of 2016. The new scale score will be 1600. The three sections include: Evidence Based Reading & Writing, Math and an optional Essay. The focus will be on deep thinking and problem solving. The Math portion will focus heavily on Algebra.
The BOE approved a contract

Take Action- Advocate For Public Education - Part 2

ACTION ALERT - Part 2!

Dear Colleagues,

In December, we invited you to join Take Action, Long Island (TALI) and other supporters of education in a campaign to support funding for public education.

Thanks to your support, thousands of letters have been sent to our state legislators, congratulating them on their election and asking for their support on issues surrounding public education. We have timed those letters to appear in Albany over the next couple of days, welcoming our legislators to the important work of supporting public education.

Tonight, we are asking you to join TALI once