Colleagues,
1) Calendar Update - On Friday, May 26th at 2 p.m. the NPS provided us with a draft of SY17/18 Calendar. NTU President John M. Abeigon and the NTU Negotiations Team had numerous concerns about the calendar. We shared those concerns on Tuesday morning in a meeting with NPS senior staff.
Today the NPS FINALLY released the calendar. While many issues we brought up have been resolved, the district has chosen to start the school year on August 28, effectively trying to turn NTU members into 11 month employees. To prevent rumor, THIS WAS NOT NEGOTIATED IN OUR NEW CONTRACT. We will NOT be made 11 month employees! Now is not the time to react out of anger or act out independently. We must be united, resolute and forceful against this attack. While creating the calendar is the NPS’s right, we are as upset as you are about the disrespectful way in which they went about it, and the conclusion they reached. Know that we are already formulating a response in consultation with our attorneys.
Meanwhile, be calm and rest assured, one way or another, we ain’t coming back!!
2) Tuition Reimbursement –If you have taken any higher education course or other eligible classes, make sure you take advantage of this important benefit!! The only way we can fight to expand these funds is if we actually use them!! ALL full-time members of the NTU bargaining unit are eligible for these funds!! Application and guidelines can be found here.
3) We reached out to NPS for an update on when various payments will be coming out. This is their response:
a) Retro Payments – We continue to push NPS to get the retro payments done as quickly as possible. At the moment, their position continues to be that both checks will be out by July 15 at the latest.
b) Stipends/ Health Benefit Waiver - June 9th is the projected payment for the stipend payment for traditional scale, the ELT [Extended Learning Time at turnaround/renew schools] payment, and the health benefit waiver.
c) Discretionary Funds - A memo went out to schools that they will get the discretionary fund checks at the school site starting on Monday, June 5th. School treasurers will then implement the standard process for reimbursement. Please review the district’s policies regarding discretionary funds!
d) Highly Effective Bonus/Performance Improvement Stipend - Bonuses and performance improvement stipend payments will be paid in August, per the usual timeline.
4) Seton Hall Informational Meeting - Seton Hall University will be holding an Open House/Information Session for their next Executive M.A. & Ed.S Degree Program in Education Leadership, Management, and Policy on Wednesday, June 7, 2017 at 4:30pm at the NTU Offices at 1019 Broad Street, Newark.