Special Guest Diane Ravitch to Speak at CSA Annual Meeting. P. 10
October 2013
Volume 47, Number 2
American Federation of
School Administrators,
AFL-CIO Local 1
CSANEWS
COUNCIL OF SCHOOL SUPERVISORS AND ADMINISTRATORS
New Year, New Evaluation Systems
Will the DOE
Provide the
Proper Support?
BY ANNE SILVERSTEIN
The new school year got off to a
smooth start but it remains to be seen
if the new evaluation systems roll out
as easily.
While the new Principal evaluation
is really a version of the old Principal
Performance Review with many of the
components retooled, said CSA Executive Vice President Mark Cannizzaro,
the teacher evaluation system is all
new, quite complex and causing a lot
ANTOINETTE ISABLE-JONES
n CSA Executive Vice President Mark
Cannizzaro, left, chats with Principal
Matthew Willoughby.
CSA spends the first day
with PS/IS 276 Principal.
P. 8-9
of anxiety for CSA members who must
oversee its implementation.
Mr. Cannizzaro spent the first
morning of the school year visiting six
high schools and P 138, D-75. (Five of
ANNE SILVERSTEIN
n Above: At Brooklyn’s PS 8, Assistant Principal Robert Mikos helps parents
with questions about registration.
n Right: Students at Food and Finance High School look over class schedules on the first day of school.
Continued on page 5
Early Childhood
Education,
French-Style
3
CSA Field Teams
2013-14
6
The Mekong Delta
and Cambodia
14
Education
Administrators:
Experts Behind
the Schools
ANTOINETTE ISABLE-JONES
WITH PRIDE
Hometown Heroes
BY ANNE SILVERSTEIN AND
MARIA SMITH
BY ANNE SILVERSTEIN
N
early 700 Education Administrators belong to CSA but
unlike their colleagues with selfexplanatory titles – Principal,
Assistant Principal, Supervisor of
… – an Education Administrator’s
role is not as easily defined.
EAs are not school-based but
serve as important educational
support staff for schools and the
school system. They implement
policy, oversee grants and federal
programs, coordinate IT, design
curriculum, supervise special education and ensure compliance
among other responsibilities.
Most EAs have classroom experience and an education backContinued on page 6
Changing
of the
Guard at
the Union
MARIA SMITH
n Five CSA Principals were selected as “Hometown Heroes” by the
Daily News. They were among 11 NYC educators so honored who represent “the best and the brightest” in the words of Chancellor
Dennis Walcott. From left, Deirdre A. DeAngelis-D’Alessio, Luis
Torres, April Leong, Sandra Gittens and Brian O’Connell. CSA
President Ernest Logan stands behind them. See story on page
7
Anita Gomez-Palacio, the
longest
serving
Executive
Director in CSA’s history, retired
on Sept. 25 after 12 years of service to the union.
“I put in a lot of time to this
organization. The union means
a lot to me, and always will,” said
Ms. Gomez-Palacio.
CSA President Ernest Logan
said, “It’s hard for me to imagine
Anita not being here. Really – it’s
hard to lose your right hand.”
But he expressed full confidence
in Ms. Gomez-Palacio’s replacement, Erminia Claudio, who
recently retired as the D-31,
(Staten Island) Community
Continued on page 7
2
CSA NEWS
October 2013
PRESIDENT’S PAGE
The Worried and
Ever-Sinking 99 Percent
Council of School
Supervisors & Administrators
American Federation of School
Administrators, AFL-CIO, Local 1
40 Rector St., NY, NY 10006
Phone: (212) 823-2020
Fax: (212) 962-6130
www.csa-nyc.org
President
Ernest A. Logan
Executive Vice President
Mark Cannizzaro
First Vice President
Randi Herman, Ed.D
Secretary
Sandy DiTrapani
Treasurer
Laverne Burrowes
Vice Presidents
Rajinder Kaur
Lois Lee
Henry Rubio
Myrna Walters
Ronald Williams
Nancy Russo, Retiree Chapter
Executive Director Operations
Erminia Claudio
General Counsel
David Grandwetter
Counsel
Charity Guerra
Comptroller
Phil Fodera
Executive Director Field Services
Sana Q. Nasser
Field Directors
Juanita Bass, Stephen Bennett,
Mildred Boyce, Phyliss Bullion,
James Harrigan, Christine Martin,
Daisy O’Gorman, Mercedes Qualls
Assistant Field Directors
Mary Aloisio, Eleanor Andrew,
Joseph Costa, Rosalie David,
Charles Dluzniewski, Nancy Esposito,
Martin Fiasconaro, Aura Gangemi,
Ellie Greenberg, Ray Gregory,
Robert Jeanette, Kate Leonard,
Monica McDonald, Dorothy Morris
Shelli Sklar, Fran Walters
Grievance Director
Robert J. Reich
Assistant Directors
Carol Atkins, Robert Colon,
Jermaine Garden, Marlene Lazar, Ph.D,
Phyllis Casolaro Williams
Director of Communications
Chiara Coletti
Assistant Director
Antoinette Isable-Jones
Director of Political Affairs
Herman Merritt
Assistant Directors
Jaquelin Febrillet
John Khani
State Director, Governmental Affairs
Alithia Rodriguez-Rolon
Director of IT
Egal Sanchez
Special Assistant to President
Gary Goldstein
CSA Conference Chair
Pierre Lehmuller
CSA Historian
Manfred Korman
CSA Retiree Chapter
Gayle Lockett, Chair
Mark Brodsky, Director
Unions Must Fight for All Workers, Not Just Members By Ernest A. Logan
M
ost families of children you
educate aren’t any better off
than families I knew back
when I was last a Principal in
1997. This truth rushed in
on me last month at the AFL-CIO national
convention in L.A. Whether it was economist and Nobel Laureate Joseph Stieglitz or
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren addressing us,
part of the message was: income inequality
has soared in this country since the ’70s, no
matter how much harder the middle and
working classes are toiling. That includes you
and me, by the way, although our situations
are far better than most.
Driving home this reality was AFL-CIO
President Richard L. Trumka. He reminded us
that the wealthiest Americans have recovered, even profited from the Great Recession.
The rest have seen almost no income growth, and many are far
worse off than ever before. When you see some parents who
show up at your school, you realize they’re working multiple
jobs or living in shame with no job. You wonder if your first
obligation is to educate their children or feed them.
Resolutions put forward at the AFL-CIO convention were
intended to broaden the union tent by fighting for labor laws
that address needs of all workers, not just unionists, and to
help them organize. Not an easy lift for Mr. Trumka. Some of
these folks were concerned that if others get more, they will
get less. But apparently even more were concerned that if others slip out of the middle class, they eventually will, too. The
resolutions passed.
• • •
T
his broadening of the tent struck me as relevant to us
here in NYC where housing, education and health care
are taking a beating. For the families of the majority of
our students, it’s becoming harder to live decently here. In the
long run, it will make our jobs easier and our humanity deeper
if we help get these families under the tent of the middle class
and keep them there.
Every day, we see students slipping out from under the education tent. Poverty, unaddressed illness, lack of supervision at
home and immigration status are part of the mix. We have so
School Leadership
many kids who won’t make it to high
school graduation, let alone to college, that
they’re likely never to join the middle class.
Blessed with union protections, let’s vow
to help all of our students. We can’t fight
the battle of public education ourselves. No,
we also have to stand up for social and economic reform. We should be standing with
food-service workers and car washers as they
ask Albany to increase the minimum wage
from $7.25 to $9 an hour and we should be
standing with them in their struggle to
unionize. Big businesses would have you
believe that kids hold these jobs for extra
bucks. The fact is the average age of these
employees is 35. Many of them are the parents of the students you’re trying to educate.
• • •
A
s educators, we know a lot about this and also what
transpires when our children are with us from kindergarten through 12th grade. So I think it’s worth turning
our attention to what happens before they reach us and after
they leave us. For children in poverty, it starts with universal
pre-K. Everyone likes President Obama’s ideas for pre-K, but
they’ll remain a fantasy unless you do everything you can to
reach elected officials. As educators, you know that our poorest children reach kindergarten already struggling to catch up.
We should be standing with foodservice workers and car washers in
the fight to increase minimum wage.
Fast forward to our disadvantaged students who have a
chance to go to college. As recently as July, Congress killed
bills that would have prevented interest rates on subsidized
student loans from doubling again. Young people without
family money increasingly shy away from higher education
for fear of insurmountable debt. As their champions, we need
to put tremendous pressure on
elected officials in D.C. to at least
put a cap on federal interest rates,
and preferably to reduce them.
We have families with no rights
at all. A living wage, pre-school,
health care, affordable housing and
college aid are beyond their grasp.
They are illegal immigrants who
dare not fill out forms that allow
their children federal free lunch or
permission to get medical care in
emergencies. The time for us to rally
our communities behind immigration reform, including passage of the
Dream Act, is now.
• • •
A
CSA NEWS
Editor Anne Silverstein
Assistant Editor Maria Smith
Production Consultant Michele Pacheco
Production Assistant Christine Altman
COURTESY OF AFSA
CSA News (004-532) is published
monthly except July and August for
$35 per year per member by CSA, 40
Rector St., NY, NY 10006. Periodical
postage paid at Manhattan, NY, and
additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CSA
News, 40 Rector St., NY, NY 10006.
n CSA President Ernest Logan was a delegate at the AFL-CIO 2013 Convention in Los Angeles
Sept. 8 -11. Above, Mr. Logan addressed the Convention about Resolution 35: Reclaiming the
Promise of Public Education, which was submitted by the AFT. The resolution addressed a number
of issues including “fighting to ensure that all children have the opportunity to attend great
schools” and “advocating for a comprehensive, multi-provider system that ensures voluntary
access to high-quality, affordable early childhood education and care from birth.”
t the AFL-CIO meeting in LA, I
remembered that as educators
we serve our country by serving its children. We do it not for
money, but because we hold the kids
close to our hearts. “We are a small
part of the 150 million Americans
who work for a living,” Mr. Trumka
reminded union members. “We cannot win economic justice only for
ourselves … It would not be right
and it’s not possible. All working
people will rise together, or we will
keep falling together.”
October 2013
CSA NEWS
3
Caring for Les Bébés,
the French Way
This article originally appeared in The
New York Times on Aug. 31. It is reprinted
with The Times’ permission. Pamela
Druckerman is a journalist and author of
several books about French-style parenting
including the best-seller Bringing Up Bébé.
She lives with her husband and three children in Paris.
BY PAMELA DRUCKERMAN
ARIS – Pretty much from the
moment I got pregnant, neighbors and friends began urging me
to apply for a spot in one of
France’s state-run day care centers.
I’d just smile politely. I figured this
was another of those foreign habits –
like eating horse meat – that I’d
observe from a respectful distance. I
couldn’t fathom government employees changing my baby’s diapers. And I
couldn’t really fathom day care in general. Didn’t it cause attachment issues,
or worse? I planned to hire a nanny.
Eventually – propelled by curiosity,
a looming book deadline and the fact
that everyone else was doing it – I
applied for a spot in the “crèche”
(rhymes with “mesh”). It was a long
shot anyway; in our area, only one in
three applicants got in. I heard that it
helped to sound desperate. So once my
daughter was born – my first child –
I sent a follow-up letter with my sob
story: a full-time job, no family in
France to help out, and a five-week-old
baby who, tragically, was hearing
almost no French.
P
Three Kids in a Crèche
Strangely, this worked. She got a
spot for the fall, when she’d be 9
months old. Before long, I was dropping her off at the crèche around the
corner four days a week. To my surprise, it wasn’t a baby gulag. The people who worked there were caring and
capable. It was subsidized by the state,
with a sliding scale based on income,
so I could afford it. My daughter
seemed delighted. And I was getting
my work done. Six years later, I’ve sent
three kids through both the crèche and
France’s free universal public preschool
and come out converted.
Nowadays, when I describe this conversion to my American friends – about
how I can’t believe that in the United
States parents are practically on their
own until kids turn five – I no longer
feel like a brainwashed alien. Something is changing in America. A new
interest in early childhood is driven by
studies showing how powerfully and
permanently children’s brains are
shaped when they’re very young, and
how the enormous gap between rich
and poor children is already in place
when they start kindergarten. The latest research by academics, including
the Nobel laureate for economics James
J. Heckman, says that fixing that gap is
much easier when children are very
small. Crucially, it’s also much cheaper.
President Obama has pledged to get
all poor and low-income 4-year-olds
into prekindergarten, continuing a
trend started by states like Oklahoma
and Georgia. The city of San Antonio is
starting a much watched pre-K pro-
gram. Hillary
Rodham
Clinton
recently
announced
“Too Small to
Fail,” a project aimed at
children ages
0 to 5.
Other
countries are
focusing on
these years
too. Preschool
BENJAMIN BARDA
enrollment
now averages n Ms. Druckerman.
77 percent in
developed countries, up from about 30
percent in 1998. In Germany, where
many mothers are still expected to
fetch their children from school at
lunchtime, a new law guarantees state
day care for all children older than a
year. Even in Japan – home of the
salaryman – the prime minister just
announced plans to create more day
care so mothers could work.
A Changing Society
This isn’t the first time Americans
have urged the government to do
more. In the early 1970s a sweeping
national child care bill made it to
President Richard M. Nixon’s desk. But
he vetoed it, pushed by conservatives
who claimed that if it was too easy for
women to work, the traditional
American family was doomed.
It was doomed anyway. According
to the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development’s most
recent figures, 54 percent of American
women with children age 3 and under
are in the work force, as are 63 percent
of those with children ages 3 to 5. Over
all, 67 percent of women with children
under 15 go to work. In other words,
the dearth of decent child care isn’t
keeping mothers at home; it’s just making their lives much harder.
Uneven Quality, Top Price
Those private day care centers,
preschools and nannies that most
Americans pay for out of pocket are
among the most expensive in the
world, and their quality is uneven at
best. In all those debates about whether
women should “lean in” and how to
juggle work and small children, increasingly someone is pointing out the elephant in the room: it would all be a lot
easier if parents were getting some
help.
None of this means that Frenchstyle crèches will soon be popping up
in American cities. American solutions
will have to be home grown. Still, one
pocket of America already has a program that looks a lot like the French
crèche. Babies are accepted from 6
weeks old. Fees are subsidized, and
charged on a sliding scale. Quality is
carefully monitored. There’s usually a
big scramble to get a spot. It’s the
Department of Defense, which runs
one of the country’s largest networks of
day care centers, for the children of
American servicemen and -women. I
bet that, like me, they had no trouble
getting used to it.
Early Childhood Education
COMING
EVENTS
)
(
Events are at CSA’s Manhattan
Headquarters, 40 Rector Street
unless otherwise noted.
OCT. 8, 9 AM: ELI Board of
Directors
OCT. 8, NOON: DCC/CSA
Welfare Fund Trustees
OCT. 9, 3 PM: CSA Retiree
Welfare Fund Trustees
OCT. 10, 9 AM: Retiree
Chapter Advisory
Committee (North
Shore Towers)
OCT. 10, 4 PM: NYCESPA
Executive Board
OCT. 16, 5 PM: CSA
Executive Board
OCT. 24, 9 AM: Retiree
Chapter Executive
Board
OCT. 26, NOON: CSA Black
Caucus “Legends in
Education”
luncheon/awards
NOV. 7, 9 AM: Retiree
Chapter Advisory
Committee
NOV. 12, 5 PM: CSA
General Membership
Meeting, Terrace on
the Park, Corona
Queens. (For details,
see Page 12.)
Confirm the above meeting
times and dates with the event
coordinator before attending.
Teachers’
Retirement
System
September 2013 Unit Values
Diversified Equity
Fund: 69.543
Bond Fund: 18.444
International
Equity Fund: 9.692
Inflation Protection
Fund: 10.939
Socially Responsive
Equity Fund: 12.454
www.trsnyc.org
Moved? Tell Us!
MARIA SMITH
n CSA First Vice President Randi Herman, inset left, visited the newly renovated Polly
Dodge Early Learning Center on West 55th Street in Manhattan. Above, three-year-olds
dance to “Old McDonald Had a Farm.”
In-service members: Email
membership@csa-nyc.org
Retiree Chapter members:
Email the Retiree Chapter,
asegura@csa-nyc.org
4
CSA NEWS
October 2013
The Grievance Corner
Bob Reich
How to Correctly File When You Get Hurt on the Job
hope that no one slipped on the freshlywaxed floors when they returned to
school in September and suffered an
injury in the line of duty. I certainly hope
that none of you is ever injured as a result of
an assault in school.
Unfortunately, I am certain, that some of
you will, in fact, be injured in school, and
you need to know what to do.
Line of duty is defined as any accident or
incident that occurs while on duty. In assessing the claim, it must be determined that the
employee did not cause the accident or incident either through his/her own actions or
by being negligent. Personnel Memorandum
#4, 2002-2003, remains in effect for processing line of duty claims. The Principal has the
authority to approve a claim for 10 days or
less.
If you are injured in the line of duty you
must submit a Comprehensive Injury Report
(CIR) within 24 hours of any accident or
injury on school grounds or while on school
business.
In addition, an OP198 – the form used to
claim line of duty status – must be submitted
to the payroll secretary if you are absent as a
result of that injury. The OP198 must be submitted monthly. The Department of
Education Medical Bureau will not grant Line
of Duty Injury (LODI) if this is not submitted.
You should also submit an OP407 – the
Confidential Medical Form – in addition to
the OP198. On the OP407, your physician
can provide medical explanations of your
condition. The OP407 is submitted directly
to the Medical Bureau by you or your physician. Send this form by registered mail
return receipt or in person while obtaining a
receipt. Be certain to maintain copies of all
I
The
correct
paperwork
will help
ensure
your claim.
forms submitted.
The final form that must be submitted,
the one most misunderstood by members, is
the OP200 legal form. The form is submitted
to your payroll secretary (maintain a copy)
Line of Duty
Injuries
Personnel Memorandum #4 delineates the following conditions for an
employee to be granted LODI:
If you are denied, you have
the right to request an
arbitrator to examine you
and review your records.
“Injury in the line of duty will
be granted provided the following
has occurred: 1) The principal,
principal’s designee or responsible
supervisor has been notified of
the accident or incident; 2) the
injured employee has submitted
an application for injury in the
line of duty leave (OP198) in
accordance with Section II of this
circular; 3) the Superintendent or
designee has determined that the
causative accident or injury
occurred in the line of duty; 4) all
medical documentation requested
by the Medical Bureau has been
received; and 5) the Medical
Bureau has determined that unfitness was the direct result of the
causative accident or incident.”
with your notarized signature. Absent this
form, the DOE Medical Bureau is not
required to approve LODI. This form ensures
that if you successfully sue and receive compensation greater than your salary, the DOE
has the right to be reimbursed for the salary
you have received during your absence.
If you are absent more than 10 days due
to a LODI, you must call the Medical Bureau
Supervisor of scheduling – (718) 935 2731 –
to arrange an appointment for examination
and review. Be certain to notify CSA of the
findings received after this examination.
S
• • •
hould you be denied LODI, you have the
right to request a medical arbitration.
The cost of this arbitration is shared
equally between the DOE and the employee.
The arbitrator is both a physician and arbitrator. He/she will review your medical records
and the records submitted by the DOE, speak
to both your physician and the DOE physician again, examine you and then issue a
binding decision.
Before filing for medical arbitration, you
should meet with a CSA representative so
that the procedures can be explained in even
greater detail.
Remember, having a question about your
contractual rights, but not getting the answer
from CSA, can cost you money. It’s better to be
safe than sorry. Please contact us if you think
your rights have been abrogated.
Questions, contact Bob Reich, Director of
Grievances, at bob@csa-nyc.org.
Letters
Public Education is an
Essential Aspect of
Society’s Greater Good
To the Editor: I reread, with great interest, Representative Ted Deutch's recent
guest column in the Palm Beach Post
“State must drop school business model:”
August 9, 2013. If we were to study
the history of public education in the
United States,
going back to
Thomas Jefferson,
through Horace
Mann and John
Dewey, the arguments between
those who saw
education as a
common good not
an individual consumer
good
n Dr. Singer
remain constant.
Rep. Deutch is right on target when
he says that “There is a lot of money to
be made through a business model that
runs on bubble tests, distrust of teachers
and public tax dollars.” He further states
that “poor performance on industry to
justify privatizing schools and firing
teachers. Under the banner of accountability, we hear that unionized teachers are
lazy. If you know any teachers, you know
the overwhelming majority are passionate
professionals who care about their craft
and students.”
My wife and I spent our professional
careers as educators in the NYC school
system, and, although now retired, we
can attest to the validity of Mr. Deutch's
comments. Our children and grandchildren have continued “the family business” as educators in the public schools.
While we applaud legitimate efforts to
make our systems more accountable, we
decry the demonization of teachers and
their unions.
Mr. Deutch's column goes on to say
that, “Public officials in both parties need
to start seeing through what the school
privatizing industry is selling. Research
has consistently shown that nationally,
charter schools are not outperforming traditional public schools … public schools
would thrive if given more flexibility in
the classroom, better salaries, advanced
training for teachers, longer school days
and better support for our students struggling at home. If we want to pursue these
worthwhile investments in public education, the first step is for leaders in both
parties to start seeing through what the
school privatization industry is selling.”
Ask the Principals, teachers and other
staff members what their schools need,
and you will get legitimate, valid and
thoughtful suggestions. Spend some time
in the schools and you will begin to
appreciate their recommendations.
Public education in its evolution is
meant to be an essential aspect of society's greater good, not profit for a few.
Let's dedicate the new school year to the
advancement of the education of all children, and give our public schools the support and resources they need. Thank you
Rep. Ted Deutch.
—DONALD SINGER
Palm Beach, FL
Don Singer was President of CSA from 1989
to 2000, and Executive Vice President of the
AFSA (AFL-CIO) from 1997 to 2001
To read Rep. Ted Deutch’s column, visit
www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news/news/opinion/commentary-florida-must-cut-ties-withthe-schoool-/nZG7X/
CSA, AFSA Have Longtime
Involvement with Harkin
Bill Development
To the Editor: Pierre Lehmuller’s article
in the September 2013 CSA News,
“Dueling Agendas Create Bills with
Opposing Goals” omits reference to CSA’s
and AFSA’s long time involvement in the
development of the Harkin Bill in relation to expanding and improving support for Principals through research-based
professional development.
A one-year residency requirement
prior to appointment and a two-year
mentoring, support
and professional
development is the
core content of the
original proposal
written by Gary
Ratner, Ph.D., in
collaboration with
me while I was
both President of
CSA and AFSA and
is ongoing still.
n Ms. Levy
I am encouraging our members nationally to support
the Harkin Bill in reference to the School
Principal Recruitment and Training Act
of a revised ESEA.
Finally, congratulations on a most
complex and readable CSA News. I continue to be proud of your work.
—JILL LEVY
Lake Success, NY
Jill Levy was President of CSA from 2001 to
2007, and President of AFSA (AFL-CIO) from
2006 to 2009.
Send Letters to the Editor
to Anne Silverstein,
CSA News Editor,
40 Rector St., NY, NY 10006,
or e-mail her at anne@csa-nyc.org.
5
CSA NEWS
October 2013
ANNUAL PRINCIPAL PERFORMANCE REVIEW
N AT I O N
New Year, New Evaluations in
Effect for Teachers, Principals
Continued from Page 1
the schools were in the Park West Educational campus on West 50th Street; he also
visited LaGuardia High School. He greeted
Principals, Assistant Principals, teachers
and students as they navigated their new
schedules.
Mr. Cannizzaro spoke about the new
evaluation systems at both the first CSA
District Chair meeting of the year and the
first Executive Board meeting. He fleshed
out his remarks for the CSA News:
The goal of the new teacher evaluation
system is to identify those who need support, and put a plan in place through
which to provide that support. The system
also provides an expedited 3020a process
for teachers (as well as Principals) who do
not improve.
“It’s good in theory. Whether this system will do that remains to be seen. It is
not supposed to be a “gotcha” system,”
said Mr. Cannizzaro, “although we can
understand how those working in our
current climate might be skeptical.”
As far as implementing the teacher
evaluations, “They involve a lot of administrative prep for the Principal and
Assistant Principals, and a lot of follow up
in terms of choosing measures of student
learning and observing teacher practices,”
he said, adding, “The amount of work involved may be overwhelming.”
The Department of Education is responsible for training CSA members about
the teacher evaluations and supporting
them in the rollout, Mr. Cannizzaro said. If
The DOE is responsible
for training CSA
members about the
teacher evaluation.
members have any questions, they should
refer them to their superintendents or the
networks. If help is not forthcoming, he
said, then let the union know. (In addition,
the DOE should be preparing CSA members
for using the Common Core Standards,
which are now in effect systemwide.)
CSA members need to have had their
initial planning conference with their
teachers by Oct. 25. In those conferences,
teachers decide whether they want to have
Education
FLORIDA:
Blended Models
Some virtual education providers,
including Florida’s largest – the
state-run Florida Virtual School
(FLVS) – will move toward a blended
model that will offer opportunities
for face-to-face instruction in physical spaces. A $150,000 planning
grant will facilitate the change for
FLVS. The school will continue to
offer a full-time virtual program.
(edweek.org)
NEW YORK:
Improving Schools
PHOTOS BY ANTOINETTE ISABLE-JONES
n Above, Assistant Principal Meredith Matson, (Urban Assembly
School of Design and Construction) helps students with their programs. Left: High School of Hospitality Management Principal
Yves Mompoint Jr. gives CSA Field Director Juanita Bass a first
day hug.
four or six large group of teachers, you have to take
observations the temperature of the group, feel the enannually.
ergy in the room. You can tell if things are
The biggest prob- going well, or if you have to wait a little
lem Mr. Cannizzaro sees with the new while to let them catch their breath.”
teacher evaluations?
“Listen,” he said. “The teachers evalua“The teacher evaluations, combined tions and the Common Core are like a
with the rollout of the Common Core and journey you’re on. It can’t be that everythe Chancellor’s citywide expectations, are one is going to arrive at the same place at
an organizational challenge that cannot, the same time.”
realistically, be met in full, and I’m
concerned that some of our members may try to do it all and get less
accomplished than those who plan
a realistic approach, attempt less
and accomplish more,” Mr. Cannizzaro said.
“It’s not an easy decision to
make because the city’s expectations would lead a supervisor to believe that he or she can get this
done in a few days of training with
staff. The problem is that you have
to roll out the program while being
aware of the saturation level of the
staff in terms of information. This
is an unbelievable amount of information to absorb. How far can you
push? How much can you do in a
week or a month before there is a n Food and Finance High School Principal Roger
negative return?” he asked.
Turgeon directs a student to a classroom.
“When you roll things out to a
Syracuse has taken the adage “It
takes a village” to heart. Five years
ago, the city distinguished itself as
the first to adopt a citywide,
national education partnership
model called “Say Yes to Education”.
The program provides academic,
legal, social and health support to
families and students -- from preschool through college. It culminates in free tuition for any of the
districts 21,000 students who graduate high school and want to
attend college. (Education Week)
CALIFORNIA:
Yoga Grant
Following much debate and a lawsuit, the Encinitas Union School
District was able to accept a $1.4
million grant for the expansion of
its yoga program. A judge sided in
favor of the district, which was
sued by a group of parents who
claimed yoga instruction is based
in religion and is not, therefore,
appropriate for public schools.
The grant would increase the number of teachers from 10 to 18 and
will cover part of the cost to write
the program’s curriculum that
focuses on positive character
traits. (UTSanDiego.com)
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA:
Spending Up
The amount schools are spending
per student rose 14 percent
(adjusted for inflation) between
2000-01 and 2010-11. In 2010-11,
expenditures averaged $6,326 per
student in Utah to $18,834 per student in NY. One of the biggest culprits, reportedly, is the rising cost of
technology. “Purchased services”,
including computer software, rose
drastically between 1999 and 2010,
to an inflation-adjusted 75 percent.
(WSJ.com)
INDIANA:
Brain Training
n Day 1 of 2013-14 for Facing History High School’s Principal
Kristina Wylie. CSA Executive Vice President Mark Cannizzaro visited her school and five others in the building.
n At Manhattan Bridges High School. From left, Assistant Principal
Georges Mathieu, Principal Mirza Sanchez Medina, and Assistant Principal
George Lock. Not pictured, Assistant Principal Kathy Fine.
Schererville played host to a conference of 375 teachers from
across the nation who came to
hear Chris Biffle, one of the creators of the “Whole Brain Thinking
Process”. Teachers learned handson tools from management, to
motivation, to fostering critical
thinking skills, to the importance
of using gestures during presentations. Biffle’s methods support the
Common Core Standards.
(nwitimes.com)
— COMPILED BY
CHRISTINE ALTMAN
6
CSA NEWS
October 2013
CSA Field Teams and How to Reach Them
BY ANNE SILVERSTEIN
By the time you read this, you’ll have
been in school for more than a month, and
probably have learned the names of all
your students, new staff and many parents.
But there are a few other people you need
to know: the CSA field staff assigned to
your district.
We have a number of changes to
announce among this year’s CSA’s field
staff, so please take a good look at this page
and familiarize yourself with these people.
They are skilled administrators and supervisors who have spent years in the school
system and are well-versed in our contract.
CSA has designed specific teams to fit the
needs of schools, districts and boroughs.
CSA’s Field Directors and Assistant
Directors will be there to celebrate your successes as well as to help you deal with
stressful times. Sometimes, a community
issue can become more than a school
leader can handle alone. We’ll be there if
you need us.
One final point: If an investigator
appears in your office, you have the right
High Schools
MANHATTAN AND BRONX HIGH
SCHOOLS, DISTRICTS 7, 8, 9, AND
THE JAMES MONROE CAMPUS
LEFT: Juanita Bass, Director
(718) 687-3337, juanita@csa-nyc.org
CENTER: Bob Jeanette, Assistant
Director, rjeanette@csa-nyc.org
RIGHT: Rosalie David, Assistant
Director, rosalie@csa-nyc.org
to union representation while you speak
to him or her. Even if you are not the subject of the investigation, tell the investigator you will be happy to discuss the topic
at hand but only with a union representative. Then call the union immediately at
(212) 823-2020 and ask for a representative to accompany you when you speak to
him or her.
D-79, D-75, OACE, and Non
School-Based Administrators
QUEENS HIGH SCHOOLS,
DISTRICTS 24-26, 28-29; BRONX
HIGH SCHOOLS, DISTRICTS 1012 (NOT MONROE CAMPUS)
LEFT: Christine Martin,
Director, (347) 205-5847,
christine@csa-nyc.org
RIGHT: Nancy Esposito, Assistant
Director, nesposito@csa-nyc.org
ALL BROOKLYN HIGH SCHOOLS, ALL
STATEN ISLAND HIGH SCHOOLS, AND
QUEENS HIGH SCHOOLS, DISTRICT 27, 30
LEFT: Mercedes Qualls, Director (347) 4064956, mercedes@csa-nyc.org
CENTER: Eleanor Andrew, Assistant
Director, eleanor@csa-nyc.org
LEFT: Sana Q. Nasser, Executive Director Field Services,
(212) 823-2020, sana@csa-nyc.org
RIGHT: Ellie Greenberg, Assistant Director, ellie@csanyc.org
RIGHT: Marty Fiasconaro, Assistant Director,
martin@csa-nyc.org
Manhattan
Bronx
Brooklyn, Staten Island
Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Districts 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Districts 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 31
LEFT: Daisy O’Gorman, Director
(718) 687-3348, daisy@csa-nyc.org
CENTER: Shelli Sklar, Assistant Director, Districts
1,2,5, shelli@csa-nyc.org
RIGHT: Ray Gregory, Assistant Director, Districts
3,4,6 and Charter Schools, ray@csa-nyc.org
LEFT: Stephen Bennett, Director (347) 392-9266,
stephen@csa-nyc.org
LEFT: Jim Harrigan, Director(347) 406-4581, jim@csanyc.org
RIGHT: Aura Gangemi, Assistant Director, Districts 7 and 8,
aura@csa-nyc.org
RIGHT: Charles Dluzniewski, Assistant Director, Districts
17, 18, 31, charlie@csa-nyc.org
CENTER: Joe Costa, Assistant Director, Districts 9 and 10,
joe@csa-nyc.org
Queens
Brooklyn
Districts 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
Districts 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 23, 32
LEFT: Phyliss Bullion, Director
(718) 687-3338, phyliss@csa-nyc.org
CENTER: Mary Aloisio, Assistant Director, Districts
26, 28, 30, mary@csa-nyc.org
RIGHT: Dorothy Morris, Assistant Director, District
24, 27, 29, dorothy@csa-nyc.org
LEFT: Mildred Boyce, Director, (917) 816-0852
mboyce@csa-nyc.org
RIGHT: Kathleen Leonard, Assistant Director,
kate@csa-nyc.org
CENTER: Fran Walters, Assistant Director, Districts 20, 21,
22, fran@csa-nyc.org
Read Your Contract
We can’t say it enough. READ
YOUR CONTRACT. You can’t help
yourself, and we can’t help you,
if you don’t know your rights
and how to exercise them. The
contract is on the CSA website
at www.csa-nyc.org
Education Administrators: Experts Behind the Schools
Continued from page 1
ground, but as EAs their job is an administrative one, and what they do day-to-day
varies from title to title, of which there are
at least 70.
It’s an essential job and one that has
evolved since the days the title was first
implemented in the late 1970s. It’s been
under siege these past 12 years as well;
Under the Bloomberg administration’s
multiple reorganizations, Tweed has consistently tried to remove these positions
from the CSA collective bargaining unit,
which would make the individuals who
hold these jobs at-will employees. CSA has,
as consistently, battled back and protected
its members. In fact, CSA has seen its EA
numbers double in the past 12 years. And
with a new mayor, and thus chancellor,
set to begin in January, it’s possible the EA
role may change again.
In a series of articles to appear periodically in the CSA News, we’ll take a look at
the work of Education Administrators.
The Beginning of EAs
According to the March 22, 1980 CSA
News, the Education Administrator series
of titles was established by the Board of
Education in 1976, but was not put into
use until Chancellor Frank Macchiarola’s
tenure began in the summer of 1978.
Apparently, the goal was to create a cadre
of professional, central office administrators who were not school-based and were
non-tenured.
To put it mildly, the plan backfired.
Because of Dr. Macchiarola’s implementation of the EA series of titles, the
State Education Department conducted an
overall inquiry on the hiring practices of
the NYC Board of Education.
In March 1980, the Board of Education
rescinded most of the regulations it had
established for the EA series.
Meanwhile, CSA and the UFT had filed
a grievance charging that the Board of
Education had appointed CSA and UFT
members to the title of EAs; the Board no
longer considered that these employees
belonged in any collective bargaining unit.
In May 1980, an arbitrator determined
that all EA Instruction Specialists in Levels
II, III, IV and supervisory employees in
Level I were within CSA’s domain. All
other EAs, Level I and below, became UFT
members. CSA welcomed its members
back into the fold, and when CSA ratified
a new contract later that year, it included
a new pay schedule for its new titles and
solidified EAs rights and benefits.
In our upcoming articles, we’ll profile an
EA in special education as well as talk to EAs
in other fields.
October 2013
CSA NEWS
7
New Staff and Retirements Announced
BY ANNE SILVERSTEIN
CSA said goodbye to a number of veteran field service representatives this fall
and welcomed replacements.
Sana Q. Nasser, the newly retired
Principal of Harry Truman High School,
Bronx, has taken the helm as the Executive Director of
Field Services.
She’ll oversee
the Field Directors and the
Assistant Field
Directors who
are CSA’s reps.
(To see who your
representative is,
see the chart on
Page 6.)
Ms. Nasser
n Sana Q. Nasser is now
spent 15 years
the Executive Director
as Truman’s
Field Services.
Principal,
where she also served as the school’s
Assistant Principal. She has also served on
the CSA Executive Board and the CSA
Advisory Committee. She said, “I am very
excited to be working with the CSA family
to provide the best service possible for our
members. I wish all of our members, a
very successful school year."
She replaces Kathy Murphy who had
been serving as the interim acting
Executive Director Field Operations since
Audrey Fuentes’ departure a year ago. Ms.
Murphy had been planning to retire, but
agreed to stay on pending the selection
of a new Executive Director Field Services.
Four longtime field staff have also
retired. They are Director Steven Rosen,
and Assistant Directors Pat Glassman,
Cynthia Sanders (Early Childhood
Education) and Margaret Williams, (Early
Childhood Education).
“We want to thank these people for all
the wonderful contributions they made
during their tenure here and welcome the
new folks coming on board,” said CSA
President Ernest Logan.
Other new hires:
n Alex Castillo, the retired Principal of
MS 101, D-4, Manhattan and a former
CSA Vice President will join the Grievance
Department as a consultant. He retired
from the NYC DOE in 2009.
n Ms. Esposito retired in 2012 as an
Assistant Principal from Humanities and
Art Magnet High School, Queens. She will
be an Assistant Director in Queens High
Schools (Districts 24, 25, 26, 28 and 29)
and Bronx High Schools (Districts 10, 11
and 12, but not the James Monroe campus.)
n Jermaine Garden, who recently
retired as Principal of P.S. 160, D-28,
Queens, is now an Assistant Director
working in the Grievance Department. He
was until his retirement a CSA Vice
President. He has also served as the
President of the NYC Elementary School
Principals Association. (His retirement
Our Heroes!
Daily News Honors NYC Educators
ANNE SILVERSTEIN/INSET, MARIA SMITH
n The Hometown Heroes in Education awards were held at Manhattan’s 583 Park Avenue, a landmark
building that serves as a site of worship and an event venue. Inset, from left, CSA President Ernest
Logan, Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott and UFT President Michael Mulgrew.
BY MARIA SMITH
Five of the best and brightest of the city’s Principals were
recognized recently during a
celebrity-studded breakfast
hosted by the Daily News in
the posh Manhattan venue,
583 Park Avenue.
The first-ever “Hometown
Heroes in Education” ceremony celebrated teachers,
counselors and school leaders
who “used grit, creativity and
dedication to brighten their
students’ futures,” reported
the Daily News.
Honorees accepted plaques
and medals from sports stars
and media celebrities includ-
ing former NY Mets Manager
Bobby Valentine, 1986 World
Series Mets pitcher Bob Ojeda,
WABC news anchor Liz Cho,
daytime talk show host
Wendy Williams (via video)
and Univision anchorman
Jorge Ramos.
“It was almost impossible
to select winners from our
incredible list of nominations,” said News Editor-inChief Colin Myler. ‘’Their stories were inspiring and uplifting … New York is lucky to
have so many wonderful
teachers and educators.”
CSA’s Principals were cited
on accomplishments that
included a pet therapy pro-
gram, the introduction of yoga
classes to reduce student stress,
college tours for disadvantaged
youngsters and the reopening
of schools in communities
affected by Hurricane Sandy as
well as helping families in
need. CSA Honorees were:
n Deidre DeAngelis-D’Alessio,
New Dorp High School, Staten
Island
n Sandra Gittens, PS 102,
Manhattan,
n April Leong, Liberation
Diploma Plus High School,
Brooklyn,
n Brian O’Connell, Scholars’
Academy, and
n Queens and Luis Torres, PS
55, Bronx.
announcement is on Page 13.)
n Fran Walters, a former District Chair
of District 25, retired in 2012 as an
Assistant Principal of PS 79, D-25, Queens.
She will serve as an Assistant Director in
Brooklyn, Districts 17, 18, 20, 21, 22 and
31.
Other changes at CSA:
n Assistant Director Mildred Boyce has
been promoted to take Mr. Rosen’s place
as Field Director of Districts 13-16, 19, 23
and 32.
n Assistant Director Jim Harrigan is
now the Director of Brooklyn Districts 17,
18, 20, 21, 22 and 31.
n Assistant Director Christine Martin
is now the Director of Queens High
Schools, D-24-26, 28-29, and Bronx High
Schools, D. 7-9 and schools at the Monroe
campus.
n Early Childhood Education centers
will be represented by Field Teams based
on their location within the DOE’s community school districts.
CSA Says Goodbye
to Gomez-Palacio
n Anita Gomez-Palacio
n Erminia Claudio
Continued from Page 1
School Superintendent.
In September 2001, Ms.
Gomez-Palacio
retired
as
Principal of MS 158, the Marie
Curie School, Queens, and
immediately began working at
CSA just days before the World
Trade Center was attacked.
After CSA President Jill Levy
retired as leader of the union in
late 2006, Ms. Gomez-Palacio
remained as Executive Director
in CSA President Ernest Logan’s
administration.
During those 12 years, the
union transformed from a momand-pop shop to an organization
with more than 80 full- and
part-time employees. The major
structural changes during these
years include the establishment
of the Retiree Chapter with its
10,000 members, the establishment
of
the
Executive
Leadership Institute, CSA’s professional development branch
that has served thousands of
members since its inception, and
the move to the union’s new
headquarters at 40 Rector Street
– a floor owned by CSA.
Other highlights of those
years in which Ms. GomezPalacio was intricately involved
were the yearlong celebration in
2012 of the union’s 50 years of
service to members, the AFSA triennial conventions, CSA’s
annual meetings and the
Educational
Leadership
Conferences and the triennial
elections of the Executive Board.
When Ms. Gomez-Palacio
first came to CSA in September
2001, the Executive Director also
oversaw the field staff – CSA’s
member representatives. Under
Ms. Levy’s leadership, that field
staff doubled, and eventually a
new position was created to
oversee those field reps in early
2007.
During September, Ms.
Gomez-Palacio worked closely
with Ms. Claudio to smooth the
transition. Ms. Claudio said, “I
have been blessed with a wonderful career and am happy to
have landed here. I look forward
to working with CSA members,
many of whom were my colleagues.”
Ms. Claudio was appointed
superintendent in 2010. Prior to
that she served as principal of PS
6, Richmond Valley, for five
years. She began her career in
the classroom, as a sixth-grade
language arts teacher at Morris
Intermediate School, Brighton
Heights.
8
CSA NEWS
8:06
AM
Opening Bell Parents
escort their children to
PS/IS 276 on the first day,
Sept. 9. The school is
located in Battery Park
City, Manhattan, and has
started its sixth year.
8:24
AM
Welcome back! Principal
Terri Ruyter greets a
returning student as he
enters the building. For
most students, it seemed
a good transition from
vacation mode to back to
school.
9:07
AM
Frustration. Parents meet
with Principal Ruyter to
discuss the fact that their
children are wait-listed. Ms.
Ruyter told them their children will attend her school
until permanent placement is arranged by the
Department of Education.
A Day in the
Settling Students, Staff, Parents and a
P
S/IS 276 (K-8) Battery Park City,
Manhattan, is home to 900 students and
shares a building with P94 (about 60 special
education students). The school is five years
old and was built in response to the neighborhood’s population boom after 2002. Its Principal,
Terri Ruyter, is the school’s first and only one. The
CSA News followed “Principal Terri” on Sept. 9 to
see what a Principal’s first day is like.
7:50 to 8:30 AM
It feels like a fall morning with a cool breeze
and bright sunshine as students arrive at the
corner of Battery and First Place. Today is the
first day of school in NYC. Principal Terri is outside warmly greeting new and returning students.
“Good Morning Morgan. Did you have a
great summer?”
“Hi there, what’s your name? I’m Terri.”
It’s a constant stream of youngsters, parents,
faculty and staff. A school safety officer gently
discourages parents from walking their children
to their classrooms. There are many hugs and
kisses, farewells and in some cases serious tears.
“I don’t want to go,” wails Henry. “It’s not
like last year.” Bringing Henry and his father to
a quiet corner of the vestibule, Terri learns that
this is a new school for Henry and he doesn’t
know anyone. His older brother is going to a
new middle school.
“Wow, that’s really something,” Terri says.
“If your brother is going to a new middle
school, you can do this too.”
Henry considers this possibility. Dad looks
on encouragingly. “Yeah, I guess so.”
Everyone smiles as Henry skips off to his
new third-grade class.
8:50 AM – THE OFFICE
9:59
AM
Cafeteria: Ms. Ruyter
speaks with a school dietician regarding lunch for
kindergarteners.
There’s a large turtle in a large fish tank in
Principal Terri’s office. The turtle, Luke, senses
something is different today because he keeps
lifting his head up, looking out at the folks
coming and going.
A visibly upset father meets with Terri; his
IEP application wasn’t completed correctly and
now he doesn’t have any transportation for his
special-needs daughter. “I want her to come
here, to this school,” the father says.
Terri explains it will probably take a few days
to remedy the situation since the DOE is busy
with similar problems throughout the system.
“Is there any other way you can get her to
school?” There isn’t. He decides to visit the
Department of Education (DOE) to speak to a
contact he has. Terri supports this decision.
9:05 AM
Kids are showing up who weren’t expected.
Thirty-three kids are in one fifth-grade class.
There are 31 in a first-grade class. And, there is
wait-list at PS 89, northern Battery Park City, for
kids who are zoned for PS 276 and cannot be
accommodated.
Terri places a phone call to the DOE: “What
do I do with these kids who showed up?” The
answer is not one she wants to hear.
“I have to tell the parents to continue to
send their kids here until the DOE can determine what school they can go to full-time. It’s
not the best way to start a new year is it?”
12:07
PM
Consultation: Ms. Ruyter meets with Parent Coordinator Erica Walden and kindergarten teacher Lucas Rotman to discuss a situation requiring DOE legal advice.
October 2013
9:10 – 10:10 AM – SCHOOL TOUR
Principal Terri walks the halls of PS/IS 276
entering each classroom and saying hello to
teachers and students.
11:30
AM Kindergarten dismissa
parents were armed with cameras to reco
Classes are full. Some teachers are
introduction games. Others are explai
and requirements. Every class is color
newly decorated bulletin boards and l
materials. So far everyone is happy.
10:20 AM – BACK IN THE OF
A query comes in from a parent: Is
in the same class with another studen
Because of a squabble between two
the one parent does not want her chi
same class with the other parent’s chi
The children, however, have no su
A quick check is made.
No, the students are not in the sam
but not because of parental request.
“The teachers made the decision,”
“Parental fighting shouldn’t affect the
dren.”
10:30 AM – NETWORK CHEC
Representatives from the Network
“How is everything going Terri?”
“I need a capping request,” says Te
explaining the overcrowding and wai
“Yes, put the request in. But is ever
else okay?”
“Well I need a lot of other stuff; lik
mentary AP, and another secretary.”
“Well, what about today?”
“No, I’m good for today.”
10:45 – 11:30 AM
Parent Coordinator Erica Weldon s
from Terri to go over the morning’s ev
“We need to alert the DOE about t
crowding situation and put in a forma
about capping enrollment,” says Terri
“Should I send an email?” Erica ask
“Yes, that’s the best way.”
Terri and Erica continue to talk abo
room capping; a parent’s request for a
tour; lunch for the kindergartners wh
early on the first day of school; and u
meetings.
Throughout their meeting, Terri’s p
rings, conversations in the general offi
October 2013
CSA NEWS
9
e Life of a NYC Principal
a Turtle – It’s All Part of the Job!
STORY AND PHOTOS BY MARIA SMITH
12:40 - 1:15 PM – IN P94
OFFICE ON THE FOURTH FLOOR
(Terri has not had lunch.) Terri takes
the stairs four flights to meet with
Ronnie Shuster, Principal of P94, D-75.
They discuss the upcoming school
year and the need for a fire drill and
comprehensive safety plan due on Oct. 1.
Juggling calendars and iPads, the two
Principals decide on the coming Friday at
10 a.m. for the fire drill. “Do you think
it’s too soon?” asks Terri.
“Well, better earlier than later,”
Ronnie responds. “And the weather is
still good so we should take advantage of
it.” The deal is made.
1:20 PM – THE OFFICE
al The kindergartners complete their first day of school and plenty of
ord the moment.
playing
ining rules
rful with
learning
FFICE
s her child
nt?
o mothers,
ld in the
ild.
uch enmity.
me class
Terri says.
e chil-
CKUP
arrive.
erri
t list.
rything
ke an ele-
sits across
vents.
the overal request
i.
ks.
out classa school
ho leave
upcoming
phone
fice can be
heard, and there’s a steady stream of people in
and out of her office with memos that need
signing and deliveries.
It is never quiet.
“Terri expects us to collaborate but she collaborates too. She practices what she preaches,”
says Erica. “I wouldn’t be here if she didn’t.”
11:30 AM – 12:20 PM
KINDERGARTEN DISMISSAL
A sea of parents wait for their children,
cameras in hand to record the successful
completion of the first day of school –
ever!
“I’m over here. I’m over here
Chloe,” shouts one mom.
Chloe is too busy playing with
another girl’s hair to be interrupted.
“Wow, I can’t believe it. She doesn’t want to leave,” says Mom.
Terri looks on surrounded by little
kids; some are hugging her waist.
The sun is out and there are no tears
or tantrums.
She talks to parents, plays with babies,
helps stragglers.
At last, the parents and students leave.
“That went well. What a great day for
them.”
12:22 PM – The Office
Kindergarten teacher Lucas Rotman meets
with Terri about a student whose father handed
him a copy of a court order. The document
states that the biological mother is barred from
seeing her child without supervision and cannot take her off school grounds.
“I’ve never had anything like this happen
before,” says Lucas. “I’m not sure what to do.”
Terri calls a DOE attorney. He has her fax
him the papers and promises to call back shortly. “Who picked her up today?” asks Terri.
“Her stepmother.”
“Okay, let’s see what the lawyer says and
we’ll know what to do in the future.”
1:02
PM
The DOE attorney calls Terri back. He
Consultation Ms. Ruyter talks over the day’s attendance with
informs her that the biological mother
School Secretary Lorraine Fittipaldi. Ms. Fittipaldi is the school’s
has no legal rights to get the child from
Rock of Gibraltar, as most good school secretaries are.
school. Lucas is called into her office.
“Get to know the family including the
clown around. The younger kids line up under
grandparents. But don’t let the mother take the
their class names. It’s a controlled chaos.
child off this property,” Terri says. Lucas agrees.
Parents are beaming as they take more pic-
1:30 – 2:05 PM – WORKING WITH
THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
(Terri has still not had her lunch.) In Middle
School Assistant Principal’s Pauline David’s office:
Terri and Pauline meet for 35 minutes to discuss
instructional goals, reading resources, professional
periods, teacher meetings and evaluations, “Back to
School” meetings with parents, and school safety.
Terri gets a text halfway through the meeting. There is a leak in the cafeteria that is coming into one of the classrooms with a terrible
smell. She texts back: “CALL CUSTODIAN ASAP.”
Moving the
Mascot
Luke, the 30-year-old turtle who was adopted by
the school from a faculty
member, prepares to
move from his summer
home in the Principal’s
office to his fall home in
the science lab.
tures. “Parents, meet your kids by the correct
sign,” Terri implores. They listen…sort of.
But everyone is so happy that the first day
has come and gone and there’s time to exhale.
3 – 6 PM – FINISHING UP
Although most kids have left (except for the
after-school students), Terri’s day continues. She
meets with two teachers about their goals for
the upcoming year and what they want to
achieve with their students.
Parents of a special needs child spend a long
time with Terri. They discuss what they can do
to help their daughter who needs a lot of support. They’re not yet sure if PS 276 is the best
setting for her.
“I’m here to support you in whatever you
decide,” she tells them. After replying to emails
and texts, Terri decides it’s probably time to go
home. “I guess I’ll get some takeout or it’s pasta
again,” she says matter-of-factly.
It’s been a long day but a good one.
As far as first days go, this has been pretty
okay. Yes, it’s been good.”
2:10 PM – LUNCH
Terri finally sits down to lunch. It’s homemade pasta salad. As she eats, she answers
emails and peruses material left on her desk.
Her secretary, Lorraine Fittipaldi, comes in with
the day’s attendance sheet and they review it
together. The parent coordinator, Erica, informs
her that the custodial staff is working on the
leak. She sets up a meeting with a new parent
to discuss the curriculum.
2:40 PM – DISMISSAL
The buses are ready and waiting. The afternoon is warm. Sweaters and jackets worn in the
morning are now slung around students’ shoulders as they exit the building.
The middle school kids saunter off like oldtimers, grouping together at the next corner to
2:40
PM Day is done Ms. Ruyter speaks with
a fifth-grader’s mother as the first day of school ends.
10
CSA NEWS
SAVE THE DATE
CSA Annual Meeting
Set for Nov. 12
The CSA Constitution calls for an annual meeting for the union
President to report to the membership. This year, the meeting will
be held at Terrace on the Park, 52-11 111th St., Corona, Queens,
from 5 to 8 p.m.
In addition to the meeting, we have scheduled some special
events including a book signing with Diane Ravitch. The noted educational historian and author will give short remarks and sign her
new book,“Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement
and the Danger to America’s Public Schools.”
We will also have a moment in which we give special recognition
to our Assistant Principals, Supervisors of ..., and Education
Administrators.
Prior to the meeting, which begins at 6 p.m., we’ll offer light
n Diane Ravitch
refreshments and time to visit our exhibitors. After the meeting, we’ll
host a cocktail reception and a light buffet. To register, visit the CSA website. Questions?
Contact Conference Chairman Pierre Lehmuller at pierre@csa-nyc.org.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Drug Coverage and Medicare
BY DOUGLAS V. HATHAWAY
Read this carefully and keep it where you can
find it. This notice has information for CSA inservice members concerning their prescription drug
plan with the CSA Welfare Fund in relation to
Medicare Part D. This information does not pertain to retirees.
nderstanding your options for prescription
drug coverage through Medicare can help you
decide whether to enroll in a Medicare drug
program. If you are considering enrollment, compare your
current coverage, including which drugs are covered at
what cost, with the coverage and costs of the plans offering Medicare prescription drug coverage in your area. At
the end of this article, we’ll tell you where you can find
information to make informed decisions about your prescription drug coverage.
There are two things you need to know about your
current coverage and Medicare’s prescription drug coverage:
1. Medicare prescription drug coverage became available in 2006 to everyone with Medicare. You can get this
coverage if you join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan
or join a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO)
that offers prescription drug coverage. All Medicare drug
plans provide at least a standard level of coverage set by
Medicare. Some plans may also offer more coverage for a
higher monthly premium.
2. The CSA Welfare Fund has determined that the prescription drug coverage it offers is (on average for all inservice plan participants) expected to pay out as much
as the standard Medicare prescription drug coverage will
pay and is therefore considered “creditable coverage.”
Creditable coverage means you do not have to switch
plans to enroll in a Medicare drug plan to avoid penalties for late enrollment.
U
If you decide to join a Medicare drug plan and drop
your current CSA Welfare Fund, you and your dependents can get Welfare Fund coverage back at a later date
should you want to.
Understand the Risks
If you, as an in-service CSA member, drop or lose your
current coverage with the CSA Welfare Fund and don’t
join a Medicare drug plan within 63 continuous days after
your current coverage ends, you may pay a higher premium – a penalty – to join a Medicare drug plan later.
If you go 63 continuous days or more without creditable prescription drug coverage, your monthly premium
will rise by at least 1 percent of the Medicare-baseline
beneficiary premium per month for every month you did
not have that coverage. For example, if you go 19 months
without creditable coverage, your premium may be at
least 19 percent higher than the Medicare-base beneficiary premium for the rest of your life. You may also have
to wait until the next October to join.
For More Information
Medicare offers detailed information about its plans
in its Medicare & You handbook. You get a copy of this
handbook in the mail every year from Medicare; it is also
available for download on the Medicare website. Medicare
prescription drug plans may also contact you directly.
For more information about Medicare prescription
drug plans:
• Visit www.medicare.gov
• Call your State Health Insurance Assistance Program
(see the inside back cover of the Medicare & You handbook for the telephone number) for personalized help,
• Call (1-800) MEDICARE. TTY users should call (1-877)
486-2048.
For people with limited income, extra help paying for
Medicare prescription drug coverage is available. For information, visit Social Security at www.socialsecurity.gov, or
call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).
Enrolling in a Medicare plan
You may enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan
when you first become eligible for Medicare as well as
every year from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. If you lose your current creditable coverage prescription drug plan through
no fault of your own, you become eligible for a two-month
Special Enrollment Period to join a Medicare drug plan.
Impact on Welfare Fund benefits
NOTE: If you enroll in one of the drug plans approved
by Medicare, you may have to provide a copy of this article to prove that you are not required to pay a higher premium. You will receive this notice annually and at other
times in the future such as before the next period you
may enroll in Medicare prescription drug coverage or if
this coverage through the CSA Welfare Fund changes.
You also may request a copy.
If you, as an in-service CSA member, decide to join a
Medicare drug plan, your current CSA Welfare Fund coverage will not be affected.
Questions? Contact Welfare Fund Administrator
Douglas Hathaway at dhathaway@csawf.org
October 2013
The Welfare
Fund
Dr. Douglas
V. Hathaway
Reciprocity Works
for CSA and UFT
uestion: I am a new Assistant
Principal. I recently received
a bill from the UFT Welfare
Fund for prescription drugs I
purchased on Sept. 5. Can
you help me with this?
ANSWER: Sure we can help. After
you change positions, the Department
of Education takes a few weeks (fingers
crossed!) to switch your records from a
teacher payroll line to a supervisory
one. We receive a report from the DOE
at September’s end that we use to
determine eligibility.
We have an agreement with the
UFT Welfare Fund to reimburse
expenses incurred by our members
in the transition from UFT to CSA.
Send us a copy of the UFT letter
and we will pay the UFT the
amount we would have sent to you
for your medications. We will send
you a copy of the check we send to
the UFT. Then you are responsible
for paying the UFT the difference
between the amount they billed
and the amount we paid. This
reciprocal agreement works for
dental procedures as well as for the
(rare) case when a supervisor
reverts to a teaching position. Then
we bill the UFT for any benefits you
used before the UFT restored your coverage.
Q
The two
unions
work
together
to cover
you during
transitions.
UESTION: I am a retiree in the SIDS dental plan. I am
moving to Arizona in the winter. Are there any SIDS
dentists there?
ANSWER: Unfortunately, we do not have SIDS participating dentists in Arizona. You may remain in SIDS and receive
reimbursement according to our schedule of allowances,
which means you are responsible for charges beyond the
amount reimbursed. If your spouse is a retiree with dental
coverage, you may coordinate benefits and receive “double”
reimbursements, which will help cut your out-of-pocket costs.
As an alternative, you might want to consider the Delta
Dental HMO. You select a primary dentist from Delta’s list,
but your out-of-pocket costs, particularly for major procedures such as crowns and root canals will likely cost less than
with the SIDS plan.
You may also want to consider joining the Careington discount dental program available to retirees. (We just sent a
mailing about this plan.) Careington has more than 60,000
dentists around the nation who have agreed to charge
reduced fees to participants. For example, a simple crown
costs $600 at a Careington provider. Once you pay the
provider $600, you submit the bill to SIDS for reimbursement.
Rather than paying the full cost of the crown, often over
$1,000, your costs will be greatly reduced. For under $50 per
person (the initial enrollment fee), this is a cost-effective way
to reduce dental costs.
Q
UESTION: I retired as an Education Administration on
June 30, 2010. I get prescriptions through Express
Scripts. At one of your pre-retirement workshops, you
said I should send the quarterly reports I receive from Express
Scripts to the Welfare Fund for reimbursement. I just received
my first report. What do I do now?
ANSWER: Thanks for attending the workshop, and
remembering that the Fund reimburses prescription drug copayments. Due to the volume of claims and paperwork, we
ask that you wait until you receive the last report for the year
covering October, November, and December.
Please make copies of your reports - the four quarters – and
send them to the CSA Retiree Welfare Fund, 40 Rector St.,
12th Floor, New York, NY 10006-1729.
We process them as they are received, and usually start
reimbursements in mid-March, with all reimbursements
made by the end of April.
Q
October 2013
CSA NEWS
CSA Members Receive Awards
for Educational Leadership
League of Puerto Rican Women
The NY League of Puerto Rican Women held its
College Awards Gala Dinner Dance at the Marina Del
Rey on Aug. 22 and among the honorees was CSA
Executive Board member Denise Schira, Deputy
Network Leader Safety,
Suspension,
Youth
Development, CFN 534.
Latino Caucus
Scholarship
Gala
n Denise Schira
The CSA Latino
Caucus honored Assistant Principal Grace
Fernandez during its
annual scholarship gala
on May 30 at the
Astoria World Manor.
Ms. Fernandez has spent the last 35 years working
in District 32. She held a number of positions prior
to her promotion in 2007 as the Assistant Principal
of PS 106. Also honored was Angelica Infante, CEO,
DOE’s Office of English Language Learners/Division
of Students with Disabilities and ELLS.
Black Caucus Honors School Leaders
The CSA Black Caucus will honor “Legendary
School Leaders” on Oct. 26. The honorees are CSA
President Ernest Logan, Dr. Sheilah Bobo, Principal
Assigned, CSA Field Director Mildred Boyce and the
late Frank N. Mickens, the retired Principal of Boys
and Girls High School, Brooklyn.
The luncheon is at noon at the Restoration
Corporation's Skylight Gallery, 1360 Fulton St.,
Brooklyn. Tickets are $45 in advance, $55 at the door.
Call Victor Gathers for more information at (917)
324-3891.
Honors and Awards
Good Citizens Receive Notice
JOSEPH LA CACIA
n The Association of Assistant Principals’ Award and Scholarship Dinner was held on June 3 at Rosie
O’Grady’s on Seventh Avenue, Manhattan. Fifteen students received the Martin Safran Citizenship Award.
Three students received the Stewart Weiner Scholarship: Budd Brown, the son of Jennifer Shirley, AP at MS
226; Daniel Scott, the son of Carol Brown-Scott, AP at PS 273; and Zanaiya Fairclough-Leslie, the daughter
of Sylvia Fairclough-Leslie, AP at PS 268. The awards and scholarships are named for two Assistant
Principals, who passed away and who exemplified the characteristics of the ideal Assistant Principal.
ABENY Honors Educator
11
Legislative
Agenda
Herman
Merritt
Citizens Decision
Casts Pall on NYC
L
ast month's primary was the
first municipal election held
since the U.S. Supreme Court
struck down restrictions on
union’s and corporation’s political
participation (Citizens United vs.
Federal Election Commission).
Previously, these types of
organizations were prohibited from
independent expenditures influencing an election during a specific
period before an election. The ruling said that the prohibition
denied these entities freedom of
speech. Now unions and corporations are free to spend as
much money as they please as
long as they do not coordinate
operations with the candidate.
In NYC, we have a
Campaign Finance Board to
regulate political campaigns.
The regulations say that campaigns cannot spend more than
$167,000 on a campaign. This
is an effort to level the playing
field. This year, many groups
have reported using independent expenditures to influence
an election. One group, Jobs for
New York, spent over $4 million to influence City Council
elections. In one Brooklyn district, a candidate spent $26,000
on the campaign while Jobs for
New York spent over $100,000, over 400 percent more
than the candidate.
Many people are appalled because they feel that special interest groups are working around a law that was
supposed to ensure that people could compete equally.
This will be debated in the coming months as we look at
our democracy and how to make it function for all. Is it
fair for big pockets to dump money into elections to
influence local elections? Should there be a limit for
unions and corporations to spend on these elections?
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said, "What the
Supreme Court did in Citizens United is to tell billionaires
like the Koch brothers and Sheldon Adelson, ‘You own
and control Wall Street. You own and control coal companies. You own and control oil companies. Now, for a very
small percentage of your wealth, we're going to give you
the opportunity to own and control the United States
government. That is the essence of what Citizens United
is all about. That is why this disastrous decision must be
reversed."
CSA has
endorsed
Bill
de Blasio
for mayor
in the
general
election
on Nov. 5.
• • •
D
ANITA GOMEZ-PALACIO
n The Association of Black Educators of New York presented its Educator of the Year award to Rahesha
Amon-Harrison, Principal of Fredrick Douglass Academy, D-9, Bronx, at its 38th Annual Scholarship and
Awards Luncheon. The event took place on June 15 at Antun’s in Queens Village. Above, from left, Dr. Nora
Barnes, Principal, PS 250, Brooklyn; Shirley A. Rose, ABENY President; and Ms. Amon-Harrison.
id you vote? I recently attended a meeting where CSA
was praised by legislators who said that they know
highly informed CSA members vote at a higher percentage than the general population. Last month, only 22
percent of eligible voters voted. In a city of eight million
residents, approximately 700,000 people went to the
polls. (Editor’s Note: Following Bill Thompson’s concession to mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio for the
Democratic nomination, the CSA Executive Board has
endorsed Mr. de Blasio for mayor of New York City. The
general election will be held on Nov. 5.)
That means, not only can CSA members have a disproportionate effect of the results by using our large voting
bloc, we can advocate for democracy by making sure that
our students are well versed in civics. We have to ensure
that the students have a student government and understand that voting is a regular part of their life.
Elected officials must be brought into the schools and
students must be taken to City Hall to see government in
action. Statistics show that our state ranks 47th in voter
turnout nationally. We must do something to reverse this
trend. I think that the key is in our hands.
12
CSA NEWS
October 2013
In Memoriam
n JANICE WILLIAMS BOSTON, 62, a retired
Assistant Principal, died on Dec. 11, 2012.
She served more than 34 years in the city’s
schools including positions at MS 143 and
MS 118. She retired as an AP at MS 254 in
2011.
n TINA CACOMANOLIS, 64, a retired elementary school Principal, died on June 17. Prior
to her retirement in 2003, she served as the
school leader at PS 69, D-30, Queens. In a
1996 Associated Press story, Ms.
Cacomanolis said about her school, “We celebrate diversity here. The idea is that we can
all learn from each other, and that there is
only one race -- I hate to sound like a cliche
here -- which is the human race." She was
also an active member of the NYC
Elementary School Principals Association.
Donations in her memory may be made to
the Ronald McDonald House, Greek
Division, 405 E. 73rd St, NY, NY 10021.
n DR. LUIS A. CARTAGENA, 76, passed away
in his sleep after a long illness on July 21 at
his home in Scarsdale. Before he retired in
1993, he was the Principal of P.S. 25, D-7,
Bronx, for 22 years.
P.S. 25 was the first
totally bilingual (English/Spanish) elementary school in
the northeastern
United States. He
served as an examination assistant at
the Board of Examiners and served
as an adjunct pron Dr. Cartagena
fessor at various colleges. He was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from the Iowa State University.
Dr. Cartagena’s dedication to the arts was
recognized by numerous Spanish literature
organizations. A published author, he wrote
two poetry books in Spanish entitled:
Noventa Desvelos Y Un Largo Amanecer in
2010 and Morad a Al Silencio in 2011.
Funeral services were held in the Bronx and
in Caguas, Puerto Rico.
n ROBERT CARTER, 90, died on March 5. He
retired in 1986 as the supervising Principal
in District 14 after serving as a Principal in
that district. His wife, Frances, died in 1997.
n DR. NELLIE DUNCAN, 88, the retired
Superintendent of District 23, died on June
26. A graduate of Penn State University, she
earned a bachelor’s degree in education,
graduating magna cum laude. In 1948, she
received a master’s
of science in reading
remediation from
Teachers College. In
1968 she was a
member of the first
cohort of black and
Hispanic teachers to
participate in the
Ford
Foundation
Fellowship Program,
which allowed her
n Dr. Nellie Duncan
to attend Fordham
University
and
receive a graduate degree in instructional
administration. She later earned her doctorate in education administration from Nova
Southeastern University in 1975. Dr. Duncan
began teaching in Pennsylvania in 1946, and
moved to the NYC public schools in 1950.
After teaching and coordinating reading
programs, she became the Assistant
Principal at P.S. 306, D-19, in 1966. Later, she
became acting Principal of this school and
Principal of the new P.S. 345, also in District
19. In 1970, and later, from 1977 through
1981, Dr. Duncan, served as superintendent
of D-23. After she retired, she served on the
Board of Trustees of the AARP Andrus
Foundation. From 1988 through 1996, Dr.
Duncan, at the Chancellor’s request, developed and coordinated the Assistant
Principal Internship Program. She worked
with more than 400 educators from underrepresented groups, preparing them for
leadership positions. Her husband of 46
years, Bob, died in 1997. Condolences may
be sent to the family at Dr. Duncan’s daughter’s home: Robin Duncan Brooks, 183-04
Camden Ave., St. Albans, NY 11412.
n LORRAINE FEINMAN, 84, a former early
childhood education supervisor in District
32, Brooklyn, passed away on June 9. She
was a graduate of Brooklyn College and
began her career as a kindergarten teacher.
After retiring in 1986, Mrs. Feinman moved
to Lauderhill, Fl. She was an active member
of the Brandeis University National
Committee. She was also involved in the
planning and development of study groups
for the Potpourri Program and led the aqua
aerobics group in her condominium complex. Her husband, Morton, a retired
Principal, died in 2003. She is survived by
two sons, Edward and Jesse, and a daughter,
Carol Gutierrez. Condolences may be sent to
her at: 1665 Coleman St., Brooklyn, NY
11234.
n JOSEPH D. FRISCIA, a former Principal,
passed away on July 27. Mr. Friscia served in
the school system from 1947 until 1991,
serving his entire career in Brooklyn. He
began his career as a Spanish teacher at
Boy's High School. He then moved to PS 132
in 1949 where he was a fifth-grade teacher
and then to PS 147 where he was an art
teacher for a brief time. In 1964, he was promoted to Assistant Principal and appointed
to PS 297; Mr. Friscia became the school's
Principal in 1972 and served in that capacity
for 19 years. He was a kind, caring and compassionate man whose door was always
open to teachers, parents and children. His
sister, Angie, survives him. Condolences may
be sent to her and the family at his niece’s
home: Barbara Milau, 55 Tulip Ave., Bldg.1,
Apt. 1, Floral Park, NY 11001.
n TANYA KAUFMAN, 69, died in her
Manhattan home on July 11 after a courageous struggle with cancer. Ms. Kaufman
had a successful career with the
Department of Education. She was the
Principal of PS 183, Manhattan, a Deputy
Superintendent, District 2, and a Local
Instructional Superintendent, Region 9. Ms.
Kaufman also was an adjunct education
professor at Hunter College and co-founded
and taught graduate classes in the Aspiring
Leaders Program, a collaboration between
District 2 and Baruch College. After retiring
in 2004, she continued to volunteer in the
community. Donations in her name can be
made to the Brooke Jackman Foundation, a
special fund that provides programs to
enhance the literacy and self-esteem of disadvantaged children and their families.
brookejackmanfoundation.org.
n MARC ROSENBERG, 58, the former
Principal of IS 250, D-25, Queens, died on
Aug. 20 after battling pancreatic cancer for
six months. Mr. Rosenberg received his
bachelor’s degree from Boston College and
his master’s degree from Queens College. He
began his education career in 1979 as a
resource room teacher at PS 193, Queens,
where he became an Assistant Principal.
After 17 years at PS 193, he was appointed
Principal of Robert F. Kennedy Middle
School/I.S. 250 and remained there for 15
years before retiring in 2011. He is survived
by his three children; Jessica, Lauren and
Philip. Condolences may be sent to his sister-in-law, Judi Sedlitz at 1902 Leslie Lane,
Merrick, NY 11566.
n VIVIAN SALIT, 84, the founding leader of
the CSA Arizona Regional Unit (Retiree
Chapter), died on Aug. 22. A graduate of
Julia Richmond High School, Manhattan, she
studied chemistry
at the University of
California,
San
Diego, and finished
her
degree
at
Brooklyn College
cum laude. Ms. Salit
became a citywide
leader for the Girl
Scouts, and began
teaching in 1965.
She became responn Vivian Salit
sible for districtwide
specialized
reading programs, and, as the Director, oversaw all aspects of federally-funded programs for District 10, Bronx. She received her
master’s degree from Lehman College in
1972 and her doctoral degree from Yeshiva
University in 1981. She and her husband
moved to Phoenix when they retired in
1994/95. Ms. Salit was an active member of
Hadassah as well as her community. In addition to serving as the founding leader of the
Arizona Regional Unit, she also served as its
treasurer in more recent years. Seymour, her
husband of more than 60 years, died in
2010. Condolences may be sent to the family at the home of daughter Meryl Salit, 511 E.
Tuckey Lane, Phoenix, AZ 85012. Donations
may be made to the Beatitudes Campus
Health Care Center, 1610 West Glendale
Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85021, where Vivian
received care in her final months.
n MARLENE ROBERTA (HORNICK) SIMON,
67, a former Supervisor of Special
Education, passed away July 3, in
Henderson, NV. Raised in Brooklyn and
Laurelton, Ms. Simon married her husband,
Stanley, immediately after graduating
Queens College with a major in education.
She taught for a year at P.S. 62, Queens but
left the school system to raise her children
and attend graduate school. She received
her master’s degree in special education
from C.W. Post. Ms.
Simon returned to
work as a special
education teacher,
becoming a supervisor in District 29,
Queens. She retired
in 1991. Her husband, Stanley Simon, served as a
Principal and an
Assistant Principal
n Marlene Simon
in
District
27,
Queens, prior to his
retirement. The Simons also provided scholarships to underprivileged children to
attend summer camp for many years in the
name of CSA and in memory of deceased
CSA members. The couple moved to
California in 1995 and then to Henderson,
NV in 2010. Condolences may be sent to Mr.
Simon at 2353 Orangeburg Pl., Henderson,
NV 89044. Donations in Ms. Simon’s memory
may be made to World Ort, at www.ort.org.
n AARON N. SLOTKIN, 97, a founder of CSA
and a former High School Chairman, died
Nov. 16, 2012. He was the first editor of the
CSA News, a strong unionist, and “a gentleman and a scholar,” said Irwin Shanes,
another founder of the union and longtime
former Welfare Fund Administrator. “He had
a fine character,” Mr. Shanes said. Mr. Slotkin
retired in 1978 from the Board of Education.
He also served on the Executive Board of the
Retired School Supervisors Association and
then the Retiree Chapter when it was
formed. His wife, Sarah, died in 1998. He is
survived by his son, Mark Slotkin; a daughter, Deborah Orin-Eilbeck, died in 2007.
n Aaron Slotkin and his daughter, Deborah.
n GLORIA WHITNEY, 76, wife of retired
Principal Henry Whitney, died on July 9. Born
in Des Moines, IA, Mrs. Whitney attended
Mercy College for Nursing and met her husband while he was studying at Iowa State.
Upon graduation, the couple married and
moved to Brooklyn when Mr. Whitney
played basketball for the NY Nets in 196869. (He played for four professional teams
including the Carolina Cougars and the
Houston Mavericks.) After his sports career,
Mr. Whitney became a teacher, eventually
retiring as principal of IS 49, Brooklyn. Mrs.
Whitney utilized her nursing skills working
with recovering drug addicts in various
medical clinics throughout Queens.
Condolences may be sent to Mr. Whitney
and the family at 11496 199th St., St. Albans,
NY 11412. Donations in Mrs. Whitney’s name
may be made to the American Cancer
Society.
n JULES ZIMMERMAN,PhD., 80, died on June
25. He worked in the NYC school system for
43 years before retiring in 2001 as an
Assistant Principal. Dr. Zimmerman also
served as the President of the High School
Association for Assistant Principals – Supervision for many years. Dr. Zimmerman began
his career teaching mathematics at a
Brooklyn junior high school. He transferred
to John Adams High School, Queens, as a
social studies teacher and eventually
became the department chairman. Dr.
Zimmerman obtained both his undergraduate and master’s degree from Brooklyn
College. He received his doctorate in
Russian history from City College. He also
taught education and history as an adjunct
professor at York College and Queens
College. Condolences may be sent to his
wife, Ruth, at 79-51 265th Street, Floral Park,
NY 11004.
Obituary information may be sent to Anne Silverstein, CSA News Editor, at 40 Rector St.,
NY, NY 10006. You may also email the information to her at anne@csa-nyc.org.
Obituaries are printed as space permits. Generally, we include a short bio including education, NYC school system career, and work or volunteer work in retirement. We also will
include an address to which condolences may be sent, or where memorial donations may
be sent.
CSA NEWS
October 2013
13
Travel Desk
N AT I O N
Labor
GARY GOLDSTEIN
Dreaming of a Trip to India
MICHIGAN:
Students & Retirees
Initially a summer employment
program, Student Corps has
evolved into a mentoring program
that, to date, has paired 110
Detroit high school students with
60 GM retirees. The Corps is comprised of 11 teams that tackle various projects in the community –
from cleaning up abandoned
properties to food distribution at
local community centers. In addition to receiving financial compensation, students are developing life skills, contacts and strong
resumes. (Education Week)
MASSACHUSETTS:
Unionizing Efforts
ELEANOR GOLDSTEIN
n The Travel Desk visited Cambodia and Vietnam in August. (Story, Page 14.) Above, the Silver Pagoda at the Royal Palace, Phnom Penh.
Adjunct Action, a project of the
Service Employees International
Union, has made some inroads
into organizing non-tenure-track
professors at private colleges in
the northeast. In response to their
efforts at Northeastern University,
where an organizing committee
has been formed, a memo was
sent by the University indicating,
in part, its concern about the
impact of a union on the “collaborative culture of the university”. (In
These Times)
Gems of Southeast Asia
July Summer Sail
CALIFORNIA:
Jan 3-19, 2014
July 13-25, 2014
Sail the Celebrity Millennium on a new itinerary to the
Islands of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand with pre- and
post-visits to Singapore. Very limited space. Rates have
dropped dramatically. Call for details.
Join us on the brand-new Regal Princess as we sail from
Venice and visit Dubrovnik, Athens, Ephesus, Mykonos,
Naples (for Sorrento and Capri), Toulon, France and disembark in Barcelona. Pre- and post-stays available.
Please call for rates.
Labor Complaints
Presidents’ Week Sailaway
Feb 15-22, 2014
Sail Celebrity’s The Reflection, from Fort Lauderdale to San
Juan, St. Thomas and St. Martin. Airfare to Florida included
in rates
Rates: inside, $1,443.60 per person, double occupancy;
window, $1,573.60; balcony, $1,648.60; balcony with
concierge, $1,723.60; balcony aqua class, $1,873.60; sky
suite, $2,723.60.
Heart of Southern France
May 14-25, 2014/three days in Paris!
Sail on the Saone and the Rhone aboard Viking River
Cruises’ Hermod from May 18-25. Explore Burgundy,
Provence, Vienne, Arle and Avignon. Includes three nights in
Paris. Leave NYC on May 14, arrive in Paris on May 15, board
our ship on May 18. We return home May 25. Limited space
remains.
Rates: Standard, $3,759.50 per person, double occupancy; French balcony, $4,359.50; verandah, $4,859.50 to
$5,159.50. Rates include meals, wine and tours while
onboard. Singles, suites and insurance upon request. Airfare
not included in these rates. Can’t stay away that long?
Eliminate Paris and save $749 per person.
Alaska/Canadian Rockies Land Tour and
Ocean Cruise
Aug. 12-24, 2014
Fly JFK to Calgary for a deluxe six-night tour of the
Rockies, Calgary, Banff, Jasper and the Ice Fields. The final leg
includes a first-class rail sleeper car with dinner from Jasper
to Vancouver. We’ll stay overnight in Vancouver and then
transfer to the Century for a seven-day Alaskan cruise.
Rates: begin at $4,667.33 (double) including land tour,
cruise, taxes and air. Reduced rates right now for sky suites
and concierge balconies.
Mysteries of India
Nov. 6–20, 2014
Collette Vacations has put together an all-inclusive program for us. Depart NY on Nov. 6 and return Nov. 20. Visit
Delhi, Udaipur, Jaipur, Ranthambore (game drive), Agra (Taj
Mahal), Jhansi, Orchha, Khajuraho, Varanasi (River Ganges)
and return home from Delhi. Fifteen-day land tour includes
26 meals, all airfares, taxes, sightseeing and hotels.
EARLY BIRD RATE : (Up to May 6, 2014) is $5,299 per
person for a double; $6,599 (single rate) Optional insurance
available.
For more information or for brochures, email Gary Goldstein at ggoldstein@csa-nyc.org or call him (732) 786-0314.
Unfair labor practice complaints
were filed by the Los Angeles
teachers’ union for 12 teachers
who were reportedly improperly
reassigned. The union asserts that
the action against the teachers
was a result of their union activity
-- such as filing grievances on
behalf of other teachers following
the appointment of a new principal and raising concerns about a
reorganization plan. The complaint was filed with the Public
Employment Relations Board.
(Huffington Post)
WASHINGTON:
ILWU Disaffiliates
The International Longshore and
Warehouse Union (ILWU), representing some 60,000 members, has
disaffiliated from the AFL-CIO. The
ILWU severed ties just prior to the
AFL-CIO’s national convention in
Los Angeles, the country’s largest
port with strong ILWU representation. A number of issues led to the
break but “the ongoing struggle to
maintain its longstanding contract
standards – and jurisdiction – for
3,000 longshore workers who handle grain” proved to be too much.
(Labor Notes)
PENNSYLVANIA:
Notebook
AAP Schedules
Annual Conference
The Association of Assistant Principals
will hold its 71st Annual Education
Conference on Nov. 16 at the NY Airport
LaGuardia Marriott. Visit the AAP’s website
for registration forms at www.aap.org. For
more information, contact John Oricchio
at aaptreasurer1@verizon.net.
Retirement
Jermaine J. Garden, the longtime
Principal of P.S. 160, D-28, Queens
retired on Sept. 9 after 34 years of service in the NYC public school system. He
started his career as a science teacher at
JHS 57, D-16, Brooklyn and spent the
last 12 years as the Principal of P.S. 160.
Mr. Garden has been a teacher, coordinator, dean and Assistant Principal.
An active union member, he last
served as a Vice President on the CSA
advisory committee. Prior to that, he
served on the Executive Board, finance
committee, scholarship committee and
as a trustee for the CSA Welfare Fund
(in-service members.) Mr. Garden is also
an active member of NYCESPA. He has
served as a delegate, Vice President and
President (2008-2010). Mr. Garden will
now serve as an Assistant Director
Grievance. Part of his responsibilities
will be as a liaison between the field and
the office. (See story, Page 7.)
His retirement celebration took place
on Sept. 26 at the Chateau Briand, Carle
Place, NY.
Funding Battle
The Philadelphia Federation of
Teachers made significant concessions in an effort to move negotiations forward and open schools
on solid footing. Mayor Michael
Nutter reportedly refused the
union’s efforts at compromise,
continuing his call for deep salary
cuts, changes in seniority and
work rules. (aft.org)
— COMPILED BY
CHRISTINE ALTMAN
14
CSA NEWS / Retiree Chapter
October 2013
RETIREE
CHAIR’S MESSAGE
Gayle Lockett
Time to Jump on de
Blasio’s Bandwagon
espite a lot of effort, CSA-endorsed
candidate William Thompson did
not win his bid for the mayoralty.
But our work is not yet done. It is
now time to put all our efforts into getting the Democratic candidate Bill de
Blasio elected. The union has endorsed
him in the general election, and we certainly hope that all those who voted for
Mr. Thompson will now throw their support to Mr. de Blasio. As the progressive
candidate, Mr. de Blasio has promised to
help children of all ages, and has shown
a special interest in pre-school children
and their education.
I want to thank the CSA retirees who
volunteered their precious time making
phone calls from CSA headquarters for
several weeks this summer. Now, once
more, we will be asking for volunteers to
“man” the phones to ensure we get Mr.
de Blasio into City Hall so that we have a
candidate who has promised to honor all
contract benefits.
In other business:
n On Nov. 12, the Retiree Chapter
will hold its general membership meeting
at Terrace on the Park from 3-5 p.m.
(Light refreshments will be served.) Come
meet your officers and learn about your Retiree Chapter programs and services.
After our meeting, please stay for CSA’s general membership
meeting. That event begins at 5 p.m., with coffee and refreshments. After the meeting, a light buffet will be offered.
Registration for both meetings is online on the CSA website,
www.csa-nyc.org. (For more information about the CSA membership
meeting, see Page 10.)
n Medicare Part B standard reimbursements were sent out in
August. If you paid more than the standard reimbursement, you
may be entitled to IRMAA (Income Related Monthly
Adjustment Amount) reimbursement. This year’s form is on the
CSA Welfare Fund website at www.csawf.org. You will be
required to submit the necessary Social Security Administration
(SSA) letter and Form SSA-1099. For more information call the
Retiree Chapter.
n This is the time of the year when many of our Regional
Units will have their first meetings of the 2013-14 school year.
Meeting dates and Regional Unit leaders are listed on the Retiree
Chapter pages at the CSA website www.csa-nyc.org.
You may join as many Regional Units as you wish to,
(although you may only vote in central union elections once.)
Most units charge annual dues of around $15.
If you would like to become a member of a Regional Unit,
but do not have access to email, please contact us at (212) 8232020. We’ll get your name to the appropriate person.
n If you know any recently retired CSA members who have
not joined our Chapter or a Reginal Unit, I urge you to invite
and encourage them to join. Membership brings with it a host
of benefits including our Educational/Cultural program and a
continued subscription to the CSA News. Retirement should
allow us more time for socializing, networking and exploring.
The Retiree Chapter provides an easy way to do all three!
I look forward to greeting you at the Regional Unit meetings
this fall and at the general membership meeting on Nov. 12.
D
Come join
our
phone
bank to
ensure de
Blasio’s
election.
Chapter
A TRIP TO SOUTHEAST ASIA
Helping Hands as We
Go With River’s Flow
this nation.
After the
Viking Indochina left us in
Phnom Penh,
we were treated
to
rickshaw
rides – carts
with bicycles –
while touring
the city. We
visited the Royal Palace and
the National
Museum
of
Cambodia,
which houses
many of the
nation’s
art
treasures.
But, as with
most nations,
ELEANOR GOLDSTEIN
there is a dark
n Silks and cottons are often still woven by hand in Vietnam and Cambodia.
side as well.
This amazing
trip brought us
BY DEE-DEE GOIDEL
to several of the most emotionally unsettling
The August CSA Travel Desk saw 22 CSA places I have ever visited including the “S-21” –
members and relatives travel to Ho Chi Minh the former Khmer Rouge prison and torture
City, Vietnam, sail up the Mekong River to chambers – as well as the Cambodian killing
fields. As we walked amid these fields, where the
Cambodia, and then fly to Hanoi.
In those two weeks, some of us had experi- Khmer Rouge executed many of its prisoners
ences that deeply affected us; the vast array of and buried them in mass graves, we were silent,
sights and sounds had a huge impact on me, almost holding our collective breath.
After seven days on the river, we disembarked
especially seeing the people of Vietnam 40 years
after the end of our military involvement there at Siem Reap where we spent three nights at a
hotel and spa for a little pampering while we
and the killing fields of Cambodia.
Landing in Ho Chi Minh City, one is imme- anticipated exploring the crown jewel of Khmer
diately aware of the frenetic lifestyle of the city’s architecture – the 12th century Angkor Wat, a
people. It seems as if everyone drives a motor- UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temple lived
cycle or motorbike, which creates havoc espe- up to its billing. The delicate artistry and beaucially since there are no traffic lights or traffic tiful proportions of the layout is a feast for the
eyes. While some of the structure is in ruins,
agents. Cross a street at your own peril!
But from the deprivation of the hardline com- enough remains for the visitor to appreciate the
munism that once ruled the day, we found a glory of the place. Some of us climbed to the
market economy – trade and optimism were
observable in equal parts as the urban Vietnamese
seek a more westernized approach to life.
In contrast, as we cruised (Viking River
Cruises) on the Mekong River we saw villagers
living the way generations of Vietnamese have
lived – in thatched-roof cottages amid mud fields
and marshes. They spend long hours toiling in
the fields, picking crops by hand (racing to beat
the monsoon season) or weaving cotton or silk top of the site, with the younger members of
our group helping the older ones. We also
on old-fashioned looms.
Lee, our tour guide, was caring and knowl- explored the fortified city of Angkor Thom,
edgeable. He grew up on a farm on the Mekong which houses many monuments that were once
River Delta. He told us that he was fortunate to used in public ceremonies.
We flew to Hanoi, the 1,000-year-old capital
attend school, ultimately attending a university.
He told us that the Vietnamese value education, of Vietnam. Passing through French colonial
but not all children can attend because of dis- landmarks, we came to a jarring site – the nototances to schools; those who do have some edu- rious “Hanoi Hilton,” where American POWs
were imprisoned during the Vietnam war.
cation teach the others.
Lasting memory: The smiling children we
Along the river, the soil is a rich clay color,
and one of the country’s industries is brick and met along the river wanting to practice English.
tile production. However, brick is made with “Hello, what’s your name?” they asked us as we
primitive equipment, by hand, as is so much in strolled along the marshes.
We held our collective
breath as we walked amid
the ‘killing fields.’
October 2013
Shanes Resigns Role
and Russo Becomes VP
BY CSA STAFF
Irwin Shanes, the Special Vice
President Retirees of CSA, has
resigned as of Aug. 1. He also stepped
down from the Retiree Chapter Executive Board.
Mr. Shanes
is one of the
founders of
the
union,
and the former Welfare
F u n d
Administrator.
He also served
as the first
Chair of the
n Mr. Shanes
R e t i r e e
Chapter at its founding in 2004.
“I have been honored to serve my
colleagues and friends for so many
years. The union has been a second
home to me,” said Mr. Shanes. “I
thank everyone I’ve met through
CSA for giving me the opportunity
to serve so many. It has been my
pleasure.”
Nancy Russo, who retired in June
as the Assistant Principal of the
Bronx Adult Learning Center and as
a Vice President of the
union,
has
been
appointed to the
Special Vice
President - Retirees position
by CSA President Ernest Logan.
“Nancy
n Ms. Russo
has been a
valued member of the Advisory
Committee for many years,” said Mr.
Logan. “I am happy to announce
that she will maintain her relationship with the union in this new position.”
RC Regional Units
LONG ISLAND
PALM BEACH
The first General Membership Meeting
is on Oct. 28. Our guest speaker is State
Sen. Carl Marcellino. He has been a member of the NYS Senate since 1995. Before
that, he was a science teacher and administrator for 20 years in the NYC school system. He will report on events in Albany
that affects us as seniors, educators, and
NYS residents. Last, but not least, upon
hearing of the retirement of Irwin Shanes,
our Executive Board unanimously voted
to give him a lifetime membership in the
Long Island Unit.
— VICTOR RAVENS
The Unit has two events planned for
October: the Medicare and Health Benefits
workshop on Oct. 16 at the South County
Civic Center, 16711 Jog Rd., Delray Beach
from 10 a.m. to noon, and a luncheon at
the Indian Springs Country Club in
Boynton Beach on Oct. 30. Contact
Norman Sherman at (561) 638-6439. In
addition, a registration form was provided
to Unit members in our August newsletter. If you need another form, I can mail
or e-mail it to you. Contact me at gcleflt@aol.com or (561) 964-8865.
— LOIS TURETZKY, ED.D
MANHATTAN
ARIZONA
The Manhattan Regional Unit will
hold its next meeting on Oct. 18 at 1 p.m.
at the Manhattan Comprehensive Night
and Day School, 240 Second Ave. The
topic is Getting to Know Your Legislators.
We’ll be inviting lawmakers to speak.
Also, by this time, all Unit members
should have received information about
the Unit’s fall trips. Please send your information to Irma Schonhaut, Apt. 19S, 305
E. 24th St., NY, NY, if you plan to attend.
— STANLEY WILSON
The Arizona Unit is grieving the loss
of our most beloved past Leader, Vivian
Salit. (Obituary, Page 12.) Vivian worked
hard to form a socially cohesive group of
Arizona retirees and spouses who enjoy
our pleasant, informative meetings,
luncheons and tours. We are grateful for
the help provided the family by CSA. We
plan to have a memorial at our next
Luncheon/Conference on Nov. 6 at the
Holiday Inn in Casa Grande,AZ.
— MAISHE LEVITAN
NEW JERSEY
Members
in the News
Neal Aronin, the former Assistant
Principal of John Bowne High School,
Queens, recently gave the CSA News
an update on his life. Busy doesn’t
describe his life! He is a black belt in
Daito-ryu Aiki Jiu Jitsu Kodo Kai, a
model for print and commercials, and
a teacher at Brooklyn College in the
Department of Kinesiology for the past
10 years. He lives in Plainview, NY,
with his wife, Shelley, of 46 years.
On June 8, to honor her grandfather, the late Aaron Stern, Charlotte
Samuels swam the Manhattan Island
Marathon Swim – 28.5 miles. Ms.
Samuels, 15, swam to honor Mr. Stern,
a former officer of the Retiree Chapter
and an
active
member
of CSA,
who died
of acute
myeloid
leukemia
in 2010.
She raised
money by
swimming
and has
donated it
to the
Leukemia
and
n Charlotte Samuels
ELEANOR GOLDSTEIN
n The NJ Unit visited the Sterling Hill Mining Museum in Ogdensburg, NJ. Above: Unit
members listen to the tour guide as they tour the mine shaft.
n Neal Aronin: black belt in martial arts.
Lymphoma Society and to Swim Free,
which provides water safety instruction and swim lessons to inner city
children. She has swum a number of
marathon swims, the latest one in
August – 17 miles from Sandy Hook,
NJ to Manhattan.
Send contributions to Bold Faces to the
CSA News, 40 Rector St., NY, NY 10006,
or email Anne Silverstein at anne@csanyc.org.
This report is from Gary Goldstein,
a member of the Unit and the special
assistant to the CSA President: On Aug.
5, 24 hearty explorers from our Unit
left Monmouth County by private
coach to visit the Sterling Hill Mining
Museum in Ogdensburg, NJ. The trip,
about two hours each way, provided
for camaraderie and an opportunity
to share memories, old and more
recent. Upon arrival we went to the
Zobel Exhibit Hall packed with thou-
SAVE THE DATE!
The annual RC General
Membership
meeting will be held
prior to CSA’s annual
meeting
on Nov. 12.
sands of minerals specimens, fossils
and mining-related items. Our guide,
an experienced miner who served in
every capacity possible, led us down
the shaft to view the Rainbow Tunnel,
the Lamp Room, and the Warren
Museum of Fluorescence containing
displays of over 700 specimens of outstanding fluorescent minerals with an
invitation to take one as a souvenir.
Kudos to Robin Small for her skilled
organization in planning the venture.
PACIFIC COAST
QUEENS
We’ll meet on Nov. 7 at Carrows
Restaurant, 23952 Avenue de la Carlota,
Laguna Hills at 11 a.m. CSA Executive Vice
President Mark Cannizzaro will speak.
— HERBERT ROSS AND CAROL RAINEY
On Oct. 18, we’ll lunch at the wellknown “Zum Stammtisch” restaurant in
Glendale, Queens, where they serve
Bavarian food. The luncheon will consist
of goulash soup or a selection of German
salads with a Bavarian sausage platter,
Jaegerschnitzel, sauerbraten, chicken
Riesling, flounder or salmon steak. The
cost to Unit members/spouses is $39;
guests, $43. We’ll also hold luncheons in
November and December. Last, please
reserve your spot at our annual luncheon
meeting at Terrace On The Park on Oct.
22. City Councilman Mark Weprin,
Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan and state
Sen. James Sanders Jr. will participate in
a political forum moderated by Dee-Dee
Goidel.As always, you can contact me
with questions at: stermanlen@aol.com.
— LEN STERMAN
ROCKLAND ORANGE BERGEN
CORRECTION
Due to an incorrect address submitted to the CSA News, we gave the
wrong zip code for Len Sterman’s
address. To RSVP for Dee-Dee Goidel’s
retirement party on Nov. 22 at Towers
on the Green at North Shore Towers,
please send a check for $65, made
payable to the CSA Retiree Chapter, to:
Len Sterman, 77-15 251 St., Bellerose,
NY 11426. Please include your dinner
choice of prime rib, filet of salmon or
chicken marsala.
15
CSA NEWS / Retiree Chapter
The Unit will hold its fall meeting on
Oct. 22 at the Nanuet Public Library,
149 Church St., Nanuet, NY. The meeting begins with a continental breakfast at
10:30 a.m. Our guest speaker is RC
Outreach Coordinator Felice Hannah, an
expert on Medicare and Social Security.
She will focus on a topic that most of us
do not like to think about – long term
care and surviving your spouse. A question-and-answer period will follow
— BART BOOKMAN
OCTOBER 2013
Council of School Supervisors & Administrators, NYC
New York State Federation of School Administrators
Local 1 AFSA, AFL-CIO
40 Rector St., NY, NY 10006
Periodicals
US POSTAGE PAID AT
Brooklyn, NY 11201
and Additional Mailing Office
Printed on FSC certified paper
Borough Briefs / In The Schools
Brooklyn
Compiled by
Maria Smith
(DIST. 13-23,32)
Community Welcomes New School Building
E
n Principal Heather Foster-Mann, Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott and students.
Manhattan
MARIA SMITH
lected officials, the schools
chancellor, parents, staff, and
students welcomed the reopening
of PS 133, the William A. Butler
school, rebuilt on its original site,
during a red-ribbon cutting ceremony on Aug. 28 just in time for
the new academic year.
The school, which is home to
935 students in grades pre-K
through fifth grade, stood at the
corner of 610 Baltic Street and
Fourth Avenue in Park Slope, for
years before being completely
demolished and rebuilt. The project, overseen by the School
Construction Authority, took four
years to complete.
“All children deserve to be
educated in an environment that
will foster a warm, and inviting
learning experience,” said
Principal Heather Foster-Mann.
“We are delighted to be able to
continue the great work of our
students and staff in a beautiful
new building and in comfortable
surroundings where the old
school building was located. This
is a great new building for our students and staff.”
n The old school’s edifice is part of the
new building.
The new PS 133 boasts bright
colors throughout the 5-story
school and is now fully air-conditioned and accessible for students
with disabilities. There are 39
standard and six special education
classrooms. High-tech science
labs, a gleaming stainless steel
kitchen, an inviting library and
state-of-the-art medical suite are
among the many improvements
to the facility.
And, in homage to the original
PS 133, the original edifice is part
of the building, welcoming all
into the brand new auditorium.
Sing-Bock: We Are Proud to Call
Our New Building Home
(D. 1-6)
MARIA SMITH
n Principal Ronnie Shuster and Principal Nancy Sing-Bock help some of their students cut the
ribbon at their new school.
For more than 100 years, PS 51
served the infamous Hell’s Kitchen area
well. A neighborhood icon, the building was historic but falling apart.
And, although plans were devised to
build a new school as far back as 1973,
recessions, gentrification and other circumstances, held off this project until
recently.
The long delay, however, may have
paid off.
The new PS 51 on West 44th Street
boasts not one but two indoor gyms
and an outside basketball court. It has
state-of-the-art science and computer
labs, two rooftop playgrounds, and a
school-based health clinic.
After several years of upheaval in
which the entire school – faculty, staff,
and kids – moved not once but twice to
interim spaces, PS 51 is open and ready
for business.
“For years, my mantra has been
‘Hang in there!’” said Principal Nancy
Sing Bock. “This is a beautiful building
that we are proud to call home.”
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was
held at the school on Sept. 18.