Statement to the Board of Trustees

At the September 11, 2014 Board of Trustees meeting, Rich Wolfson addressed the Board of Trustees and commented on Contract Awards, Faculty, Staff and Managerial appointments and the escalating and seemingly excessive legal expenses that the Board approved. You can read the full text of his address here.

AFT Outreach to New Red Hawks

Even the soaring temperatures of opening day could not deter AFT Local 1904 from giving a strong showing at Red Hawk Day 2014. Amid the multitudes of new students in our community, members took shifts distributing water and college essentials (pens, pencils, rulers, and more). Supporting students with small essentials was only part of the outreach as members also made sure to spread the word on the scholarships offered by our Local and what students needed to do to apply. We'll gear up for another outreach day at Homecoming on October 18th, and all volunteers are welcome. We hope to see you there.

Due Process Challenged In NYC Lawsuits

Two Lawsuits Filed Attacking Tenure Laws Following CA Ruling

By: Joseph Christensen

Emboldened by a recent verdict in California that struck down tenure laws, two groups have filed similar suits in New York City. While the suits will likely have little direct impact on our unit members, the fact that such a pervasive trend against tenure sits in our backyard should be cause for concern. Even more troubling perhaps is the basis for the public spin continually equating teacher tenure as a life-long appointment.

Teachers have an incredibly important role in shaping the future of our society. To be effective at fostering growth and success, teachers need some stability, which tenure provides. It is not a life-long appointment, but rather due process for the possibility that an issue arises in the future. As a society, we would like to believe that a person is innocent until proven guilty with verified evidence, but removing tenure would put the jobs of many educators at the whim of the employer. Even the President of the United States is guaranteed certain job protections, with respect to due process if the President is impeached. How can we expect top results from teachers if they must cater to the personal whims of employers rather than the needs of students?

The role all teachers fulfill is a vital one for our society, and sometimes they must lead through difficult situations. Without a provided guarantee for a fair grievance process, our educational system could devolve so that the many talented, dedicated teachers would be punished for the faults of the few negative performers. We can always seek methods to improve the process, but tenure must remain to serve those who dedicate their work to teaching. 

As for the issues and problems in education overall, there are likely many areas of the system that need attention. Meaningful changes require engagement from all people involved, from teachers and administrations, to students and families. We need to find ways to improve the process to address concerns at every level and make sure everyone gets involved. The major threats to effective education are indifference and resistance to appropriate change. If we want our students to succeed, we must make productive changes as allies, not as adversaries.

Professional Staff Reappointment Workshop a Success

Professional Staff Reappointment Workshop on August 12, 2014

Jennifer Higgins led the Professional Staff Reappointment Workshop for over 20 unit members on August 12, 2014.  Members learned about how the process works, what to do and not do, and what their contractual rights are.  If you were unable to attend, contact Jennifer Higgins at jennifer.higgins@aftlocal1904.org or Susan Hagen at susan.hagen@aftlocal1904.org for more information.
You can also download AFT Local 1904's 10 Reappointment Tips by [clicking here].