Colleagues,
1) LIFO Lawsuit - Earlier this week, the Newark Teachers Union, AFT New Jersey and the American Federation of Teachers filed a motion seeking to intervene in a complaint filed by the Partnership for Educational Justice challenging New Jersey’s law that aims to protect experienced teachers. This lawsuit has been the latest in a series of corporate-led attacks around the nation on tenure protections. There is a distinct conflict of interest for the Newark Public Schools since the defendant in the case has spoken out in favor of the plaintiffs’ position on numerous occasions.
“Newark educators know the difference experience makes when it comes to providing a high-quality public education for all students,” said John M. Abeigon, president of the Newark Teachers Union. “Our schools are already stretched thin by years of underfunding and political games from Trenton. Adding instability by removing experienced teachers will only hurt our students.”
2) Contract Update –In our last negotiations session, it became clear that we needed someone from NPS’s finance office there to address some major questions our negotiations team had. The next negotiations session is scheduled for November 28, 2016.
We are compelled to move on to Phase II of our Respect the Contract (RTC) Initiative. Phase II RTC will be rolled out next week.
3) Seton Hall Informational Meeting - Seton Hall University will be holding an Open House/Information Session for our next Executive M.A. & Ed.S Degree Programs in Education Leadership, Management, and Policy on Tuesday, December 6, 2016 at 4:30pm at the NTU Offices at 1019 Broad Street, Newark. For more information, see the attached flyer.
4) Tuition Reimbursement - Our Professional Improvement Fund and Tuition Reimbursement committee members have updated the tuition reimbursement forms on our website. PLEASE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS TERRIFIC BENEFIT OF OUR CONTRACT!
5) Child Abuse Accusations – In recent months, DYFS accusations against NTU Members has been ramping up. This accusations are often used by students and parents, administrators and even other staff members to go after innocent NTU members. It is vital that you knows your rights! Please review the attached document and NEVER SPEAK TO A DYFS INVESTIGATOR WITHOUT CONSULTING THE NTU FIRST.
In Solidarity,
John M. Abeigon President & Director of Organization Newark Teachers Union Local 481 AFT, AFL-CIO | Michael Maillaro Director of Research & Communication Newark Teachers Union Local 481 AFT, AFL-CIO | Michael R. Iovino Newark Teachers Union Local 481 AFT, AFL-CIO |