NTU Updates

Colleagues,

1)  Observations – IMPORTANT!  If you receive an Ineffective or Partial Effective on your observation, YOU SHOULD WRITE A REBUTTAL.  Without a rebuttal, the record has nothing to show except that you agreed with this negative observation.   And these observations can have a dramatic impact on your salary or tenure rights.  Please review these Rebuttal tips attached.

2)  Mid-Year Evaluation -  Under TeachNJ, Mid-Year Evaluations are only required for teachers on Corrective Action Plans (teachers who received an ineffective or partially effective on their end of the year evaluation).  

Colleagues,

1) Schedule - Just a reminder that in our new contract, NTU members now have 5 personal days. Also remember that only 3 of these 5 personal days roll over as sick days if they are unused by the end of the school year.  

·       Wednesday, November 22 – School Open. 1 PM Closing. If absent, employee must use a personal day. You can only use a sick day if it’s a part of an extended or short term sick leave.

·       Thursday - Friday, November 23-24 – Thanksgiving. School Closed.  

·       Monday, November 27 - School Open.   If absent, employee must use a personal day. You can only use

1) Newark Public Schools Workers Vote to Join Teachers Union  - 189 unaffiliated NPS staff have voted to join the Newark Teachers Union!  On Oct 31, the Public Employee Relations Commission certified the vote and rejected Newark Public Schools arguments against recognizing the new members’ right to join a union.  This is a huge victory and we will be meeting with this staff next week to discuss next steps.

2)  NTU LGBTQIA Meet and Greet - School districts nationwide are facing increased concerns over giving voice, protection, and resources to their LGBTQIA students, and staff. The Newark

Colleagues,

1) Local Control Update: The NTU and our community partners posted an Op-Ed piece on NJ Spotlight about the return to local control. It is a great read about the concerns as we move forward.  Returning to local control was a huge victory, but that doesn’t mean we can all rest on our laurels. The district and the NTU will be going through a huge transition in the upcoming months. More information to come.

2) Arbitration Award Update: A lot of people have asked when the arbitration awards will be paid out. Typically in these cases, the district has 90 days to confirm the decision. Our

The NTU Executive Board is revamping our Social Justice and Community Engagement Committee and WE NEED YOUR HELP!

At this meeting, we want to discuss your concerns, hear your ideas, and show you how to get involved!

Join NTU Vice Presidents Chris Canik and Yvette Jordan in developing an action plan for the 2017-2018 school year and beyond!

Monday, October 30, 2017 4:00 PM—5:30 PM

Newark Teachers Union

1019 Broad Street, Newarlk NJ

Parking Available behind building

All NTU Members are invited to attend!

Please see attached flyer!

Colleagues,

1) We are looking for Building Reps! Without a NTU Building Rep in YOUR school you lose a valuable voice that will advocate for you, defend your contract, and keep you informed in your building. A NTU Rep will help assure YOU and your contract are defended each and every day. Learn how you can help be a part of securing your and your co-workers' voices!

Our Rep Support Committee has scheduled two meetings for next week.

• Wednesday October 25, 2017 @ Oliver Street School (4 PM—5:30 PM)
• Thursday, October 26. 2017 @ Barringer High School (4 PM—5:30 PM)

If your school is without an NTU

1) Revised Tuition Reimbursement Forms – Because of changes we negotiated in our contract, we have made revisions to the Tuition Reimbursement Forms. Please use this version moving forward! Thank you!

2) Open enrollment - Open Enrollment 2018 is effective now through Tuesday, October 31, 2017.  The elections you make during Open Enrollment will remain in effect from January 1, 2018 until December 31, 2018.   Now is the time to make any changes you need to your health benefits and to make sure everybody is covered in your family.

It’s also the time to sign up for the Flexible Spending Plans.  

Colleagues,

1) Kudos – The new NTU website is regularly updated with a wide variety of important information, including a calendar of events, and how to’s for topics like FMLA’s.  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!

2) Pre-K to 8 Prep Period Survey – In order to monitor implementation of the new contract settlement, we ask that all Pre-K to 8^th grade teachers fill out this

Colleagues,

1) NTU Calendar Books – This is the question we get most at the NTU this time of year “Where is my Calendar book?” The 2017-2018 calendar book is currently at the printer and we hope to have it out to the membership in the next week or so.

2) NTU Contract Books – We are working with NPS on finalizing the new Contract Books. We hope to have a digital version on the website next week and the print copy available soon after.

3) NTUniversity: The NTU is in the process of developing a calendar of workshops for members and we are requesting proposals. If you are interested in presenting to