Category: General

So Long John King

As has been reported everywhere, NYSED Commissioner John King is stepping down from his position so that he can accept a job as one of President Obama’s underlings at the US DOE.  This seems to be a reward for King for sticking with his reformy plans despite a wave of students, parents, educators, and common sense that opposed virtually every decision he made.

No word on who the next commissioner will be, though you can expect it will be another reformy type who will bring more of the same.  It is important to note that the problem here in New York State never was John King.  King was merely a mouthpiece for Merryl Tisch and the other plutocrats seeking to profit off of the destruction of public education.

My lasting memory of John King will bewhen he was on the receiving end of this tirade last year…

 

Ratification Vote Reminder

Just a reminder that the ratification vote for PJSTA members is this afternoon in the Comsewogue High School auditorium.  The meeting will begin promptly at 4:00 pm.  This past Monday the Comsewogue school board approved the memorandum of agreement for the contract extension.  As a point of information, here are the PJSTA’s Ratification Meeting Guidelines.

Ratification Vote

The PJSTA Representative Council has unanimously approved a contract extension. There will be a ratification vote on Monday, December 1st at Comsewogue High School at 4:00 pm. There will be building meetings this week to discuss the extension and have your questions on the following dates:
Clinton Avenue- Tuesday 8:00 AM
Terryville/JFK (at JFK)- Tuesday 3:00 PM
Comsewogue High School- Wednesday 6:45 AM
Norwood- Wednesday 3:45 PM
JFK- Thursday 7:10 AM
Boyle- Thursday 2:45 PM

If you can not make your building’s meeting please make plans to attend another building’s.

Important News Out of Locust Valley

This appears to be a pretty big story and we will follow up on it as it develops.

Via the Locust Valley Teachers Association’s president…

This year, the Locust Valley BOE decided to deny the incremental steps provided by in our contract and protected by Triborough. We have filed an Improper Practice charge, our grievance is in arbitration and we, currently, are at impasse in our negotiations.

This action, suggested by Terry O’Neill of Bond Schoenck and supported by our superintendent, Anna Hunderfund, if successful, has dire consequences for all public employees.

Howie Hawkins, Brian Jones, and Where they Stand on Public Education

Yesterday the PJSTA hosted an approximate 50 people who came out to hear gubernatorial candidate Howie Hawkins speak.  Hawkins, the Green Party candidate endorsed by the PJSTA, is the only pro-public education candidate in the election.

To see where each candidate stands on issues related to public education click here: GOVERNORS RACE SIDE BY SIDE

To listen to Hawkins and his running mate, Brian Jones, talk about the issues related to public education, check out the videos below…

Hawkins and Jones on Teacher Tenure 

Hawkins and Jones on the Triborough Amendment 

Come Meet Gubernatorial Candidate Howie Hawkins!

Gubernatorial candidate Howie Hawkins, running as the Green Party candidate, will be at Comsewogue High School next Monday, October 27th at 4:00 pm for a meet and greet.  Hawkins, who has been endorsed by the PJSTA, the BTF, and others, has an education platform that all public school students, teachers, and parents can get behind.  Please come out and meet Mr. Hawkins next Monday.  Be sure to share with your friends and family as well!

To hear a bit about where Hawkins stands on public education watch the video below…

Buffalo Teachers Federation Join PJSTA in Endorsing Howie Hawkins for Governor

Earlier this month the PJSTA became the first teachers union to endorse the Green Party’s Howie Hawkins in his bid for governor in this fall’s election.  On Thursday night we were joined by one of the state’s largest locals, the Buffalo Teachers Federation, who voted unanimously last night to endorse Hawkins and his running mate Brian Jones.

Via State of Politics…

Also last night, the Buffalo Teachers Federation voted unanimously to endorse Hawkins, according to his campaign, becoming the third teachers union to back his minor party gubernatorial bid.

In the same article we find this interesting bit about Andrew Cuomo’s Democratic primary opponent, Zephyr Teachout…

As for Teachout herself, she is still on a statewide tour promoting her new book, “Corruption in America”, and simultaneously trying to help the Senate Democrats’ in their quest to re-take the majority.

Teachout has not yet issued an endorsement in the governor’s race.

Hawkins said earlier this month that he spoke to Teachout about backing him, and she’s “open” to the idea. It’s highly unlikely she’ll support her erstwhile primary opponent, Cuomo, before the Nov. 4 election.