It only took a handful of years for five community partnerships to grow into a roster of more than 400 tools and services available to students and families at Central Valley Academy.NYSUT president Melinda Person toured the flourishing community high school in Ilion on Tuesday, alongside state legislators Sens. Shelley Mayer, Rachel May and Jim Tedisco; and Assemblymembers Marianne Buttenschon and Harry Bronson.
The tour launched NYSUT’s reinvigorated push for funding and awareness to expand the community schools model. NYSUT is asking for a $100 million investment in the coming state budget to expand the community schools model across the state. “This is an investment in our school children on the front end,” Person said. “If you want clean streets, if you want empty prisons, if you want a thriving community and public education system, you invest in community schools. Because they invest in communities and support students’ needs wherever they come from.” The crux of the community school model at Central Valley Academy is called the Hub, a physical space where students and services are linked. At the Hub, more than 600 students in the building are welcome to physical resources they might need — clean clothes, food, hygiene products — with no questions asked and no stigma attached. The Hub is also a space where students — particularly those who may lack the kind of connections found through extracurriculars or athletics — can go to be seen and heard in various student-driven “Hub Clubs.” The mood is “grab what you need and find a place to belong” said Melissa Roys, Co-Executive Director at Connected Community Schools. CCS is a network that started in Rome in 2016 with support from an American Federation of Teachers grant. It now branches across 14 districts in seven counties. Central Valley School District joined and began implementing the model in 2021. Regular interaction in the Hub can make it easier for the community school coordinators to identify students who are struggling or have additional needs at home. In the Central Valley School District, where 75 percent of students are economically disadvantaged, many of the factors impacting student learning and social climate are directly related to poverty. Community schools seek to support the full child and family by making sure they can access available services, which span across mental health counseling, financial literacy classes, gym access, doctors, dentists and housing. Emphasizing those outlying supports has affected the way educators interact with students, said Tara Vancauwenberge, president of the Central Valley Teachers Association. “In the classroom my plan of action shifted to … ‘Oh boy, let's make sure you have some breakfast. Because I’m pretty sure you haven’t had any,'” she said. The goal is to avoid “Band-Aid” fixes, and to create sustainable solutions by coordinating ancillary factors to accessing services, such as transportation for students scattered in rural areas of the Mohawk Valley. That’s what trusted CCS staff do on location, said Superintendent Jeremy Rich, which gives educators the ability to focus on their in-school roles. And when students’ needs are being met, hallways are calmer, attendance increases, and both educators and students can focus on teaching and learning. “It’s not that teachers can’t do it; it's not that our guidance counselors can’t do it,” said Rich. “But teachers — their job is teaching kids during the day. Now we have dedicated personnel helping us with that outreach, where we can pass the baton, give them the [student’s] background story, and they take it from there.”
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More immediately, Person said she would be visiting classrooms and marshalling the union’s members — and political power — to fix the state’s inequitable pension tiers, address the teacher shortage, and reform the state’s teacher evaluation system.
Internally, Person said members can expect to see NYSUT working to grow by organizing more locals in the public and private sectors, including workers at hospitals, libraries and in charter schools. “The climate for organizing is the best it has been in a long time. People see that unions give workers a voice in the workplace and help them win better wages, benefits and working conditions. We’re going to be meeting with workers who want to organize and join with us to build collective power on the job.” In her 16 years at NYSUT, Person was instrumental in creating the Member Organizing Institute, which has trained more than 500 members around the state to organize their colleagues around union values. The project was highly successful in mobilizing, engaging and retaining members following the U.S. Supreme Court’s adverse ruling in the Janus case. She also initiated the Member Action Center which connects members to their elected leaders and facilitates grassroots lobbying around key state and federal legislative issues and proposals. Person also led the creation of NYSUT’s Pipeline Project, a member-candidate program which trains and works to elect NYSUT members to elective office. Just last month, more than 75 NYSUT members won election in local school board races. Read more at nysut.cc/melindaperson. ALBANY, N.Y. – New York State United Teachers President Andy Pallotta released the following statement today in support of U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s, NY-16, plan to bring balance and flexibility into federally required standardized testing.
“As a former teacher and principal, Congressman Bowman gets it. The current high-stakes testing regime emphasizes teaching to the test and harms students by ratcheting up their stress and anxiety. The congressman’s More Teaching, Less Testing Act would provide states with much-needed flexibility to achieve something that teachers, parents and students have been demanding for years: more time in school devoted to the simple joy of learning.” New York State United Teachers is a statewide union with more than 600,000 members in education, human services and health care. NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and the AFL-CIO. ALBANY, N.Y. – New York State United Teachers President Andy Pallotta released the following statement today in support of U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s, NY-16, plan to bring balance and flexibility into federally required standardized testing.
“As a former teacher and principal, Congressman Bowman gets it. The current high-stakes testing regime emphasizes teaching to the test and harms students by ratcheting up their stress and anxiety. The congressman’s More Teaching, Less Testing Act would provide states with much-needed flexibility to achieve something that teachers, parents and students have been demanding for years: more time in school devoted to the simple joy of learning.” New York State United Teachers is a statewide union with more than 600,000 members in education, human services and health care. NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and the AFL-CIO. New York State United Teachers released the following statement today regarding the death of Tyre Nichols: Like the rest of our country, we're outraged and profoundly saddened in the wake of Tyre Nichols' violent death. Educators across New York mourn this tragedy and stand with the Nichols family as they endure this unimaginable loss. As it has been far too many times, this tragic event will make this week difficult in our schools. Given the horror and senselessness of this event, we will all struggle to provide our students with the answers and comfort they so desperately seek. NYSUT has compiled some resources for educators to help students through this trying time. For NYSUT members, our Peer Support Line is available to provide resources and assistance. Call this confidential helpline at 844-444-0152 or visit nysut.org/PeerSupport for more information. NYSUT Resources
If you’re confused about student loan forgiveness programs — or in a panic over the start-up of federal student loan payments in January — you’re not alone.
Recent court rulings could jeopardize the Biden administration’s efforts to expand student debt relief. Until resolved, these legal challenges are leaving millions of borrowers in financial limbo. To complicate matters further, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which some understood to be available only through October 31, is actually still available, albeit in a more limited fashion now that the waiver has expired. All these developments have left many educators scratching their heads and checking their bank balances. To find out more about student debt relief, sign up for one of NYSUT’s free online student loan webinars offered to members in partnership with Cambridge Credit Counseling. With a live presentation and Q&A session, a Cambridge certified student loan counselor will walk you through the latest updates and help you get on track. Attendees will also receive free access to the Cambridge Student Loan portal, along with the opportunity to schedule one-on-one counseling sessions. The next online webinar is Jan. 10 at 6 p.m. Thousands of NYSUT members have already taken advantage of this free union benefit. Through this program, counselors will help you better understand the various student loan repayment options, along with the latest twists and turns for Public Student Load Forgiveness programs. Student debt relief has always been a complex – and contentious – subject, with many contending that its complexity ends up exploiting borrowers. Unions have advocated tirelessly for simplification, reform and expansion of the loan forgiveness programs. Union leaders are committed to keeping members informed. Here are some highlights on recent developments. PSLF is still available for educators and other public service workers. This is the case even if you missed the Oct. 31 deadline to apply for the limited Public Service Loan Forgiveness waiver. Significant permanent improvements have been made to the program, so that more educators can receive the debt forgiveness they were promised. By the way, so far more than 236,000 educators and public service workers have received $14 billion in student loan forgiveness under the union-backed PSLF waiver. Payments on federal student loans are set to resume, and interest will begin to accrue again, on Jan. 1. Student loan payments have been paused since March 2020, when the CARES Act was approved due to the pandemic. Union leaders are urging (LINK) the administration to extend the freeze on payments to help borrowers who are still struggling under crushing debt. A new federal loan forgiveness program, which was announced by President Biden last fall, has been halted by a number of pending court challenges. As of last week, the U.S. Department of Education stopped accepting applications for the new program, which would provide up to $20,000 in federal student debt relief to people earning less than $125,000. So far more than 26 million student-loan borrowers have already applied for the new debt relief, with about 16 million applications already approved, Biden officials said. While the court challenges could ultimately end up before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Education Department said it will hold onto borrowers’ information so it can quickly process the relief “once we prevail in court.” As the legal appeals process proceeds, we will post updates on any new developments, including the resumption of the program. The look on her face said it all. A Clyde-Savannah special education teacher received the surprise of her life during a school-wide assembly of cheering students, appreciative colleagues and local dignitaries. Caitlin Garvey, who teaches first-, second- and third-grade special needs students at Clyde-Savannah Elementary School, was stunned earlier this month when she was presented with the prestigious Milken Educator Award, which includes a $25,000 prize. “I was flooded with emotion,” said Garvey, who started her career as a teaching assistant. “I’m not one to draw attention to myself, so to have so many people, even those I’d never met, arrange such a special event for me was just astounding.” She was further amazed this week, when the NYS Board of Regents Chancellor Lester Young opened their meeting with a special shout-out to Garvey and hailed the award as the “Oscars of Teaching.” Garvey is just the eleventh New York teacher to receive the award from the national Milken Family Foundation over the past 35 years. Part of the fun and magic of the award is the way it’s presented — sort of like how the Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol suddenly shows up at your door with balloons and roses. “Caitlin engages students through innovative methods to reach their highest potential, adapts instruction to the needs of every child, and displays exceptional leadership in the classroom, school and district," said Milken Educator Awards Vice President Stephanie Bishop, who presented the award along with Alex Trikalinos, an assistant commissioner at the New York State Education Department. Garvey leads a self-contained class with 12 special needs students, along with five paraprofessionals, using a curriculum she designed with the help of specialists in speech language pathology, assistive technology, autism and more. She creatively uses small group experiential activities, differentiation and technology to take advantage of students’ existing skills and de-emphasize barriers to learning. On average, most of her students go from being able to read a few words, to being able to read several sentences or more at a time. Garvey also works closely with families and mentors other teachers in the district on differentiation and student engagement strategies. When Garvey heard her name announced at the assembly, she said she felt a surge of pride — and vindication. “Early in my career, I faced A LOT of rejection and struggled to find my footing in the field. I graduated at a time when teaching jobs were few and far between and positions were highly competitive,” she said. “As someone with little experience, I was often overlooked; I felt like a failure.” “One summer, I decided my spirit couldn’t take anymore; I sent out my final round of applications and prepared myself to walk away. For months, no one called, and then in August, I had a voicemail offering me the opportunity to come interview in my current district,” she recalled. “I poured myself into interview prep but also kept my expectations low. And lo and behold, the principal at the time saw something in me that I almost lost. I’ve been working in Clyde-Savannah ever since.” Like so many educators, Garvey said her journey has been marked by incredible highs and lows — but this award demonstrates how important it is to never give up. “I had no idea that my work had been profound enough to reach people far beyond my classroom,” Garvey said. “That’s something that every teacher dreams to be true but rarely gets to see confirmed.” Educators have been denied raises, but they’re protesting cuts to student services too. Click here to read the rest.
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