Across the state, NYSUT locals are taking action against high-stakes tests. In rural Sherburne-Earlville, teachers wore their maroon local union shirts on Tuesday that had the message: “I care more about the people my students become than the scores on the tests they take.” Others quoted Margaret Meade: “Children must be taught how to think, [...]

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 [...]

… you should sign this petition. If you care about workers having a say in the workplace, if you care about retirement security, you should sign. Because those are the sticking points in the National Football League referee lockout. When NFL owners couldn’t come to terms with the referees’ union, they stopped them from doing [...]

Above is a slide show of pictures we have received from locals standing with the Chicago Teachers union: because they are fighting the corporate reform agenda that punishes teachers rather than collaborates with them, because they don’t have textbooks for kids, or air conditioning for humane learning conditions, and for so many more reasons. If [...]

Maceo Dubose Jr. emailed the news that the Guilderland Teachers Association raised over $1,000 and collected a van load of clothing and cleaning supplies. All the items were donated to the families in Rotterdam Junction through the Schalmont Teachers Association, whose president is Mary Beth Flatley. Way to go Guilderland! Roseanne Mamo called in with [...]

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 [...]

StoryCorps has undertaken a national campaign to send a message of gratitude to teachers from coast to coast. Here’s a link to their page. New York state is already orange (that should make all you  Syracuse fans happy) but there’s a lot of other Northeast and mid-Atlantic states that are not!  Anybody have a message [...]