Colleagues,
Click here for PDF version of this update
Your Union in Action: what was going on at NTU this week?
1) DYFS – Attached is information on NTU’s Child Abuse Neglect Prevention and Protection Program. Please review this document! It could save your career! We have been seeing a large number of DYFS cases every week.
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2) National Walk Out - We had a lot of schools participate in the National Walk-Out on Wednesday, April 16. Attached are pictures, poems, and comments we received from our members about this wonderful event. Thank you to everyone who participated!
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3) Budget increases – Yesterday, Governor Murphy announced that Newark would be receiving a $37 million increase in state funding next year, an increase of 5%. This is a huge change in state policy. In recent years we’ve been seeing reductions to funding or flat funding which hasn’t kept up with the increased costs of running the district. In terms of dollars, Newark saw the largest increase in funding.
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4) Renew School/ EWA’s - The Election to Work Agreement at Renew/Turnaround schools are VOLUNTARY. If your administrator is trying to intimidate you into signing one, reach out to Mike Maillaro at the NTU immediately at mmaillaro@newarkteachersunion.
If you are a tenured teacher and do not sign the Election to Work Agreement, you could either stay at your school working a normal school day or be transferred to another school. That would be at the district or principal’s discretion.
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This year, the Newark Teachers Union will be awarding our first ever NTU Legacy Award to Christine "Roz" Samuels. Roz worked in Newark for 40 years and served as NTU Secretary Treasurer along with being both a Building Rep and Executive Board Member.. Roz continues to be very active in the labor movement even after she retired from the Newark Public Schools. We are very happy to be able to honor her legacy to Newark.
We are relying on your continued support and good will to continue this worthy endeavor.
Applications and purchasing information can be found below and on our website.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Johanna Rios at (973) 643-8430 or e-mail ntuscholarshipawards@gmail.com
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6) NTU Member Recognition: This year, the NTU’s Hall of Fame inductees are “THE MEMBERS OF THE NTU.” After everything we have suffered under state control, we felt strongly that it was important to take a moment and celebrate the hard work and dedication of each and every NTU Member. So go ahead and take a look around your building, who’s that member we should recognize? If you would like to nominate someone, please fill out the attached application
Completed nomination forms must be received at the NTU office by Monday, April 9, 2018.
NTU Outreach – Don’t forget to visit our website (http://newark.nj.aft.org) and follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/NewarkTeachersUnion)/ for updated information, forms, and resources!
Other Information
- The 2015-2019 NTU/NPS Contract book is now available on our website! A printed copy will be coming out in the next few weeks. We thank the hard work of our negotiations team for getting this done.
- NTUniversity: If you are interested in presenting a workshop to your fellow NTU members, please review the following requirements and draft a submission. All presenters will be given a stipend of $50.00/session
- Kudos – The NTU website is regularly updated with a wide variety of important information. If you have anything you’d like added to the website (kudos, pictures/videos from your school, etc), just send it to mmaillaro@newarkteachersunion.com.. There a lot of amazing things going on in the Newark Public Schools, and it’s important to highlight them!
- Rebuttal Tips: IMPORTANT!! It is vital that if you receive a bad evaluation or observation that you disagree with, YOU MUST WRITE A REBUTTAL! Refusing to sign your observation or evaluation is not the same as writing a rebuttal! Without a rebuttal, the record has nothing to show except that you agreed with this negative assessment of your performance. The NTU has prepared some tips on the best way to go about writing your rebuttal.
- Member Services: Members should never hesitate to communicate with us by phone, email, etc regarding any of the issues we handle at the Newark Teachers Union.
- Supplemental Fringe Benefits
- Planning for Retirement
- Pension & Buy Back Issues
- ER+D Staff Development
- AFT Membership Benefits
- FMLA and other leaves of absence
- Assistance with Evaluations and Observations
- Disciplinary Hearings
- Labor Relations & Payroll
- Legal Representation
- Workers Comp
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Call 973-643-8430 or visit our website http://newark.nj.aft.org/ to address these or any other concerns you may have.
Important dates:
- Newark Board of Education Business Meeting - Tuesday, March 13, 2018 - 5:30 p.m. - 765 Broad Street, Lower Level Conference Room
- Newark Board of Education Meeting - Tuesday, March 20 - 6:00 p.m.- Barringer High School Campus, 90 Parker Street
- In-Service Day (1:00 pm dismissal for students)
- Spring Recess – March 26-30
- NTU Executive Board Meeting – Wednesday, April 18 – 4:00 pm – 1019 Broad Street.
- NTU Building Rep Meeting – Thursday, April 19 – 4:00 pm – 1019 Broad Street.
Reminder:
· Friday, March 23, 2018 – School Open. If absent, employee must use personal day if not it’s a part of an extended or short term sick leave.
· Monday, April 2, 2018 – School Open. If absent, employee must use personal day if not it’s a part of an extended or short term sick leave.