News

Dear Colleagues,

We have been getting mixed reports about the distribution of discretionary funds.  Please reach out to Mike Maillaro at mmaillaro@newarkteachersunion.com if you have not yet received your funds.

In addition, it is vital ensure that “unexpended amounts” are distributed in accordance with the contract as quoted below.

Please direct your administrators’ attention to the underlined section below should they have an issue with the process.

The Newark Public Schools and the Union agree to continue the teachers’ discretionary fund. Ninety dollars ($90) per teacher shall be made available

Colleagues,

The NPS has announced their intention to change over from the State Health Benefits plan to a “NPS only plan” through AETNA for all Newark Public School Employees.  The district claims that this change will allow them to save $9.8 million over the next 16 months. While we hesitate to trust any claim made by the district, if this is accurate, it would free up money that could prevent layoffs, etc, and this savings could mean members would be contributing less per month to their health benefits.  

Our biggest concern at the moment is that this change could mean your current doctor(s)

Colleagues,

The NTU met with the district this week to discuss layoffs.  In the district’s initial plan (which has not yet been approved by Civil Service), they will be looking to layoff 23 NTU members in the following positions: 

• Keyboarding Clerk 1 – 10
• Keyboarding Clerk 2 – 7
• Keyboarding Clerk 2 Bilingual - 2
• Keyboarding Clerk 3 – 4

All layoffs will be done by seniority and will go into effect on July 22.  The district’s plan has not yet been approved by Civil Service; that will take up to a month.  These numbers could change depending on how many staff retires this year.  The district expects

John M. Abeigon's speech at NPS Advisory Board meeting, April 26, 2016.

Possible Issues with SY 14/15 mSGP Scoring.

Given the requirements of AcheiveNJ, districts may find that some educators should have received mSGP scores but didn’t, while others who were not expected to receive them did. In addition, some of the mSGP scores received may be incorrect due to errors in district data submission. Each of these cases is addressed in this attachment.    
http://www.state.nj.us/education/AchieveNJ/resources/1415mSGPdataprocedures.pdf
 

Questions? Please e-mail educatorevaluation@doe.state.nj.us, or call the AchieveNJ Help Line at 609-777-3788.

4/26 SAVE THE DATE NEXT NPS ADVISORY BOARD MEETING

NTU wants what students need...We want a Contract Now!

Date: 04/26/2016
Time: 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Location: George W. Carver

✓ Cerf needs to start negotiating and stop dictating
✓ Get the lead out
✓ Hands off our Fringe Benefits Fund
✓ Stop all future cuts
✓ Reduce class size & return all aides and clerks
✓ Less testing
✓ Fill in this blank & wear your school colors

Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.— Frederick Douglass

John M Abeigon
President
Newark Teachers Union

From April 26 to April 30, the Friends of the Westfield Memorial Library will be offering any teacher with proof of employment "buy 1, get 1 free" on regularly priced books during its annual used book, dvd and cd sale. The book sale financially supports the Library and such expensive Friends’ activities as the Children's Programs and the Museum Guest Passes.  Regular prices are $2 for hard backs; $1.50 for trade paperbacks and $.50 for paperbacks. On April 29, all items will be half-price and on April 30 $5 buys a supermarket bag full of items, with each additional bag only $3. Past sales have

Colleagues,

Please post the attached flyer in your school!

Next Wednesday, the NTU and AFT will be having a meeting at Malcolm X. Shabazz High School to discuss Community Schools.

We invite anyone interested to know more about Community Schools to join us! It is important that NTU members and the community be involved in this process!

Malcolm X. Shabazz High School

80 Johnson Ave

Newark, NJ, 07108

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

4:15 PM

Mike Maillaro

Director of Research and Communication

Newark Teachers Union

John M. Abeigon's speech at NPS Advisory Board meeting, March 16, 2016.