The official in-house publication of the Newburgh Teachers’ Association

Vol.36 • No.2 • January • 2005

52 Pierces RoadNewburgh, New York12550 - 3259

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NewburghTeachers’Association

page 4 The NTA Pendulum • January 2005

In September of this year, the NTA outlined a number of challenges facing our teachers, our profession, and union. Having experienced the recent

local, state, and national elections, we now know that in order to have an impact on educational policies and protect past gains, we must be organized

and united.

Our next challenge is clear. We must all work together for the passage of the February 15, 2005 fifty million dollar building repair and construction

bond. “This goal can surely be met if we double our efforts from the last campaign and increase our intensity over the next two months. Clear your

calendar, ‘cause we will be calling on every member in every school, whether you live in the District or not, to make

a contribution of time and effort to get the job done,” commented NTA President Phil Cordella.

The reasons outlined by the NTA in support of the bond are:

Needed repairs to every building will finally take place.

•Two schools will be adding a total of 18 classrooms, getting us closer to the agreed upon goal of no more than 20

students in every class, in every school, on every level.

•New joint/district health and

safety guidelines have been insti-

tuted to insure the protection of staff

and students during construction

•The tax impact has been iden-

tified at approximately $6 dollars per

month per $100,000 dollars of real

assessed property value.

•The process to secure a

Project Labor Agreement guarantee-

ing local union labor has begun.

•Teachers, appointed by the

NTA, were equal partners every step of the way in the formulation of

the scope of the bond and the vision for the district four to forty years

from now. The bond is the first phase of a larger, well-thought out plan,

which makes sense for teachers and students alike.

•The NTA has been assured that the rights of our members will be

protected every step of the way.

If you have never volunteered to work for your union this is the

ideal time. Political Action Committee volunteers in every building will

be asking for assistance. Please give us any time you have. Our future

depends on it.

District Braces for Historic Bond Votein February

NTA Seeks full Membership support

Since the school year began, how teachers

are evaluated has been the topic of meetings,

workshops, and faculty room discussions. Re-

cently, the faculties of Gardnertown School, Heri-

tage JHS, NFA-at-Stewart, the Fine and Perform-

ing Arts and English Departments have viewed

power point presentations, heard lectures, and

have had an opportunity to ask questions about

the plan. NTA President Phil Cordella and NTA

Executive Counsel, Frank Colone, have repre-

sented the Union at these meetings. The District

was represented by Assistant Superintendent of

Human Resources, John Knight, and Executive

Pilot Groups focus on Teacher EvaluationsDirector of Curriculum and Instruction, Marsha

Sobel.

Since the law requires that every teacher and

teaching assistant be evaluated once a year and

non-tenured teachers twice, the new APPR is an

opportunity for our members to have input into

what that evaluation will focus on and how we’ll

be assessed. A major tenant of the plan is mutu-

ally collaborative goal setting and planning. The

overall objective of the new APPR, however, is

that all observations and evaluations “improve

the teaching standard of the Newburgh Enlarged

City School District.”

If you

have never

volunteered

to work for

your union

this is the

ideal time.

The questions have included, “What are ex-

amples of acceptable goals?; How are benchmarks

determined?; For tenured teachers who have

opted for a project in lieu of a formal classroom

observation, what are acceptable assessment mod-

els?; Must a conversation take place between the

administrator and educator in order for it to be

collaboration?; How should teachers describe how

they will obtain their goals?; and, How will ad-

ministrators evaluate a teacher when a goal is ob-

tained and how will they use that information to

give input into to the other seven criteria in the

evaluation rubric?”

The District and the NTA continually meet to

address these concerns and others and plan to dis-

tribute an APPR survey to the pilot group in the

spring.

At the Head of the Class:

LeadershipConferencea Success!This years' NTA Leadership Conference saw

nearly fifty NTA Delegates, Alternates and Re-

search Linkers hear from six different experts. The

topics ranged from grades 3-8 assessments, cer-

tification, teacher evaluation, health and safety,

our new building bond, teachers’ delegate skills

and the NYS Teacher Retirement System.

NYSUT's new Second Vice-President, Maria

Neira, kicked off the event with a key note

speech. She spoke extremely fondly of Newburgh

and pledged to support our efforts. She explained

to the crowd that part of her many responsibili-

ties was to meet regularly with the Commissioner

of Education and Board of Regents to champion

teacher causes for our state union.

Tom Beaudoin went through a laundry list

of new regulations teachers are facing. They in-

cluded certification, APPR, Initial Certificates,

Portfolio Assessments, TIPS, Mentoring, NCLB,

and Professional Development Plans.

Wendy Hord asked compelling Health and

Safety questions. She offered to come to

Newburgh to help train the newly constituted

building level health and safety committees.

Labor Relations Specialist Wally Fults used

concrete examples and contract language to help

newer delegates realize their responsibilities in

representing teachers. His overriding theme was

to stick together and to keep the union strong.

Terry Damon, with the help of Educational

Planning Committee member and former Presi-

dent, Jeff Benton, took us through the last half year

of meetings which have given rise to the February

Bond vote. After this workshop, there was no

doubt in anyone's mind that this bond must pass.

Sheila Salenger, a 12 year teacher member

of the Teacher Retirement System, had heads spin-

ning with the newly proposed retirement laws and

the need to stay on top of your own benefit pro-

file. This January and February, it is incumbent

upon every member to review their portfolio for

accuracy. Because of all the information relayed,

a strong suggestion was for the NTA to hold an in-

district retirement workshop for members locally.

The Newburgh Teachers’ AssociationOfficial Publication

New York State United TeachersAmerican Federation of Teachers

Local 2867, AFL-CIOFounding Editor: John Wolner

52 Pierces RoadNewburgh,NY 12550

1.845.562.8120(fax) 845.565.7905

(email)NTA@hvc.rr.com

EditorDesign and Production

PresidentVice-President

SecretaryTreasurer

Executive Counsel

Stacy EustanceJeff Gebhardt

Philip CordellaVicky PittmanPatricia VanDuserAngela SartoriFrank G. Colone

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page 2 The NTA Pendulum • January 2005 The NTA Pendulum • January 2005 page 3

The District’s Health and Safety committees

will be taking on a new look for the ’04 - ’05

school year. Still intact is a District-wide Central

Committee and Building Committees, but their

composition has changed.

The new configuration is an attempt to

monitor properly any new construction and re-

pairs which are anticipated when, and if, the Feb-

ruary Building and Repair Bond passes. As a re-

sult of legal language between the District and

the Union, the District was also required to reach

an agreement with the NTA to re-establish the

committees.

NTA President Phil Cordella commented on

the changes, “We really appreciated working with

the District and the various stakeholders. I know

we will build on what we had in the past and

make the new groups even more efficient and

responsive.” The new make-up of each group

was a direct result of discussions which were held

between Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Annette

Saturnellli, NTA President Phil Cordella and NTA

Executive Counsel Frank Colone. Also participat-

The NTA’s transition continues as the NTA’s

Board of Directors named New Windsor School

Head Delegate, Angela Sartori, as its new trea-

surer. Angela replaces Nikolas Karnavezos as Trea-

surer. In her letter of interest, Ms. Sartori indicated

she is “strongly committed to the Union, and has

the time and desire to do the job for which the

position calls.”

Under former NTA Treasurer Karnavezos, the

membership has enjoyed his steady and upfront

style. Karnavezos would often find himself explain-

ing to the Delegates and Alternates the ebb and

flow of the NTA’s finances. The NTA, because of

its obligation to send a portion of the dues col-

lected to its national affiliate, the American Fed-

eration of Teachers (AFT) and its statewide union,

the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) fre-

quently saw its finances rise and fall monthly as

dues came in and out. To manage its activities,

locally, the NTA keeps a share as local dues. Each

year, in April, the Delegates vote on the NTA bud-

get and the dues.

Angela Sartori is looking forward to working

with the other NTA officers, President Phil

Cordella, Vice-President Vicky Hoagland Pittman,

and Secretary Patricia Van Duser.

ing at the meetings to hash out the details were

CSEA Secretary Gail Rosencrans, and Assistant

Superintendent for School Operations, Dr. Kate

Farrell.

The District-wide Health and Safety Central

Committee will be comprised of four appointees

of the NTA and one representative each from the

Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA), the

Newburgh Supervisors and Administrators’ Asso-

ciation, Central Office, and the Board of Educa-

tion. The NTA representatives to the committee

are: Judy Leroy, (GAMS), Stacy Eustance (South

J.H.), Jeanne Daley, (NFA at Stewart), and Frank

Colone, Executive Counsel.

Each building is also required to have a four

member Health and Safety Committee. These

committees will consist of the building principal,

a CSEA representative, a parent, and the Head

Delegate or their designee.

The District and the Union have promised

ongoing training and support to assure that our

students and staff work and learn in a safe, se-

cure, and healthy environment.

Health & Safety CommitteeReorganiztion Update

TreasurerChange at the NTA

Newburgh Teachers' AssociationRecognizes Reilly Award Winners

Pictured at the Award Ceremony are (l. to r.): Jackie Borgia,Yvette Lewis, Dennis Morano, Patty VanDuser, Patricia Hunterand NTA President Philip Cordella

The 2004 William G. Reilly Profile in Unionism Awards were given at the

December meeting of the Newburgh Teachers' Association Delegate Assem-

bly.

Honored at the ceremony were Jackie Borgia from NFA, Patricia Hunter

from Heritage Junior High School, Yvette Lewis from Newburgh Free Acad-

emy, Dennis Morano a retiree from Meadow Hill, and Patricia VanDuser from

Fostertown.

The awards ceremony was the only business on the agenda and it was

held at Diana’s restaurant in New Windsor.

Over 60 people were present including retirees who had their holiday

reception earlier in the day and stayed to meet and greet the inservice mem-

bers and former colleagues.

Also joining us were our new Teaching Assistant delegates including the

Teaching Assistants Chapter Chairperson, Sheila Manning.

The following are profiles on the awardees:

www. newburghta.org

Your Benefit Trust Fund is entirely separate from your District Healthinsurance. Official notices pertaining to the Benefit Trust Fund will beprinted in The Pendulum, the official publication of Newburgh Teachers’Association, and in the Benefit Trust Fund News. It is the membersresponsibility to read both publications for Fund news and updates. Inaddition, rules for filing claims are printed on the claim form.For further information, please consult the Plan Administration,Newburgh Teachers' Association Benefit Trust Fund, 52 Pierces Road,Newburgh, N.Y. 12550. Call (845) 562-7988 or Fax (845) 565-7905.

DENNIS MORANO -Retiree

PHONEBANKS1.31 2.14-

Mon – Thurs

6:30 – 8:30 PM

NTA Board ofDirectors1.12DelegateAssembly1.19

2005BOND VOTE2.15

SubstitueTeacherChapter1.13

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*interested parties please contactPhil Cordella at the NTA Office 562-8120

NTA Seeks:

he Reilly Award was created in1990 to remember Bill Reilly byrecognizing those members each

year who have stepped forward onbehalf of their union or fellowteachers.

Bill Reilly was a true unionist. Bill loved

and understood politics. He was named to

NYSUT’s first Committee of 100 in 1974 (the

group of NYSUT leaders who go to Albany

each year to lobby on behalf of public

education). He was also the NTA’s first Sick

Leave Chairperson, and from 1978-1988 the

President of the Orange County Labor

council. For many years he served as the

NTA’s chief negotiator at contract time and

was responsible for bargaining many of the

benefits our members enjoy today.

YVETTE LEWIS•1996 - Member of the Design Team for NFA atStewart.•1997 to 1999 - Delegate at North Junior HighSchool.•2000 - Began teaching at NFA.•2001 - Member NTC Policy Board and becameNewburgh's first National Board Certified Teacher.•2002 - Member NYSUT's State Committee forthe Arts.•Currently an NFA Alternate and Facilitator forcandidates for National Board Certification. Sheis responsible for NFA's mentor pairings and runswith Geri Romano, NFA's Art Gallery.

PATRICIA VANDUSER•Patty is a founding member of the NTA's Home-work Hotline which began 1993 at the GlennHines Center and continues to this day at theNewburgh Teacher Center.•For many years Patty could be seen taking theofficial NTA photos in her duties as photographer.•She is currently an NTA officer, the NTA Secre-tary, and serves as our Special Events coordinator•She is a past NTA VOTE/COPE coordinator andwas instrumental in increasing our V/C contribu-tions to a record $33,707.00 this year.•Patty was Fostertown's Head Delegate in 1990-1991 and served five additional times in this ca-pacity.•She has also been a NTA Board of Director, onthe •Board of our Building Corporation, and aNTA Benefit Trust Fund Trustee since 2002.

•1971 - Started at West Street. School. In 1981he became the Head Delegate.•1973 - Walked picket line when the NTA wenton strike.•1981 - Moved to Meadow Hill School andtook over as Head Delegate in 1991.•An early to school, go home late-type teacher.•Mentoring teachers long before it was formal-ized, he was "Big Brother" to fellow teachers.•All business in his classroom. His class wasalways 100% in control and his open door les-sons were heard down the hall.•Since 1971 attended all Delegate Assemblies,Rallies and is a Teacher Action CommitteeMember.

PATRICIA HUNTER•Been described as "The face of our union."•A teacher at Heritage Junior High School whoseeks no personal gain or advancement and hasbeen there to answer the union's call, all for theright reasons.•Present at Board of Education meetings, Cen-tral Compacts, envelope stuffings, rallies and ral-lies.•Former NTA Board of Director who was alwayswarm hearted and prepared.•She especially encourages younger profession-als to be unionists and professionals and she hasnever sought recognition.

JACKIE BORGIA•1984 to 1988 - Joined and participated in ourNTA Substitute Teachers' Chapter.•1988 - Became an NTA member and full timeteacher.•1990 to present - Represented teachers as anNTA Alternate and Delegate at NFA. Participatedin our phone banks, marches, boycotts and ral-lies.•1999 - VOTE/COPE Chairperson.•2002 - Head Delegate at NFA.Last 5 years served on the NTA and NFA Healthand Safety Committee.