Two members of the NYSUT Board of Directors passed away earlier this year. Both were from Long Island and NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi shared with RA delegates personal recollections of Jeff Rozran and Judith Rudman. “Anyone who ever walked along the boardwalk at Sunken Meadow is certain to have met Jeff and his wife, Luanne, [...]

Thanks to our Southern Tier readers – especially Corning Teachers Association President Richard Gallant – for alerting us to the sad news that the Corning-Painted Post schools school board had to cut many electives and non-mandated courses to stay within their tax levy cap. This link does not have many details, but here’s the district’s [...]

Next week a number of Long Island locals, most of them in Nassau county, are coordinating a number of events to draw attention to the great work of students and teachers in their schools. From April 29 through May 5, members will hand out information bulletins, make phone calls, and sponsor sports nights as well [...]

“Do me a favor” is actually the phrase a number of locals use when they send postcards to their members asking for help on campaigns. We are now three weeks away from when most voters across the state vote on local school budgets. (Remember the largest cities do not submit school budgets to residents.) And [...]

Above are photos from El-Wise and video I grabbed from Friday’s event in Rotterdam (New York, not the Netherlands). Here’s a link to the Daily Gazette coverage, although you must be a subscriber to read the entire article. Here’s a link to an MSNBC report about the rally, which they should cite their source is [...]

It’s fitting that snow is falling in Buffalo today and tomorrow as I still mourn the lack of snow this winter in the Capital Region. Unfortunately, it will probably have all melted by the time the bus of staff get there tomorrow to start setting up for the local and retiree council pre-conference Wednesday and [...]

Across the state all year long, NYSUT members have been fighting for more funds for programs. Here’s some specifics on what locals are working on now. Today starting at 3:30 the members of the Mohonasen Teachers Association take their fight to the streets. They will be joined by a number of NYSUT locals and other [...]

The Utica small city schools have been up against a lot of budgetary concerns for years now. Two of the strikes against them are a declining tax base, and increasing needs to deal with an increasing immigrant population. Here’s an excerpt from that Feb. 2 Utica Observer-Dispatch article: Utica does qualify for two programs that [...]

School budget votes are exactly one month away. This is another installment about what districts and their NYSUT locals are doing across the state to get budgets passed. Faced with having to eliminate programs for students, the Tully school board could only cut up to a certain point. On May 15 they will submit a [...]

Did you know that the annual income for a New York state full-time minimum wage worker has not exceeded the federal poverty threshold since 1979? Did you know that the minimum wage is still $7.25 an hour in New York. That is sad. Sadder still are the number of school support staffers who are among [...]