With a “hoppening” bunny costume, NYSUT Member Benefits staffer and CWA-1141 member Chrissy Phillips captivates a class of kindergarten students while reading an Easter story yesterday. Phillips and other NYSUT staff delivered Easter baskets, books and school supplies to six classrooms at the Arbor Hill Elementary School in Albany. The group is part of an [...]

Santa had some help this year, thanks to the Westchester/Putnam Central Labor Body and especially the Mount Vernon Federation of Teachers. Here’s a pic of, from left, Manuel Molina, 32BJ SEIU, Carene Domato of MVFT, Linda Lesnewski, UWUA 1-2  and Mike Carriere, IUPAT DC 9 getting ready to donate to the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center in [...]

That’s a picture of NYSUT’s lobby. And that’s after NYSUT has already sent tons of food, cleaning materials and much-needed supplies to hurricane-impacted communities on Long Island and in New York City. Yesterday, NYSUT delivered food to a soup kitchen on Coney Island and, today, the truck left with a collection of supplies to the Tarrytown [...]

That’s a video of a group of third-graders from Virginia from 2010. On Veteran’s Day 2011, we posted a message about how to really thank those who have served our country. Here’s a link to that post because it still resonates one year later. Working for NYSUT, I’m often reminded of the direct connection between teaching [...]

11 a.m. All funds raised from a bake sale at Seeley Place School, 51 Seeley Place in Edgemont starting at 3 p.m. Thursday Nov. 15 will benefit the NYSUT Disaster Relief Fund. The Edgemont Teachers Association is sponsoring this event. The upstate response to our union families and communities in need downstate is fantastic. The bus [...]

UPDATED at 4:40 p.m. The bus to Staten Island is full. A NYSUT truck will be picking up supplies at 8 a.m. at the Otesaga Hotel in Cooperstown. And you are available this Saturday, get on a bus. At least one bus leaves from the Schoharie High School at 6 a.m. So far about 40 [...]

This is a television commercial created by the Schoharie Teachers Association as part of a grassroots campaign to spread the good word about New York’s public schools. It will air in the Capital Region shortly after winter break. Why did they produce it? Because they were sick of hearing that New York schools are 38th [...]

Normally Felix Regalado drives his fifth-grade students at PS 65 in Queens to excel. On Sunday he was driving a U-Haul truck filled to the gills with TVs, VCRs, DVDs and carts all the way north on the Thruway to Albany and west to Schoharie. With him was Marilyn Manley, the UFT District Rep and [...]

Thanks for understanding that current events have kept us from updating the continued great reaction to the needs in flood-affected areas. Since our last update, and October 31 update, here’s the activity we’ve heard of: Led by Gina Valenze of the UFT, the Habitat For Humanity Club and UFT members at the Queens High School [...]

Over the weekend, sure as there will be football on television, hunters in woods and a few turkeys catching on fire, there will be some discussions around the dinner table. That’s the way it should be. I know I’ll be having a few and wanted to get some facts. Thought you might like some too, [...]