The PJSTA Contract Extension Agreement

The PJSTA has reached an agreement with the Comsewogue School District on a contract extension.  The extension was approved unanimously at today’s Representative Counsel meeting.  The extension will be put to a ratification vote next Thursday, June 23rd at 1:00 pm in the Comsewogue High School auditorium. 

We will be holding meetings every day between now and then to answer questions from the general membership on the terms of the agreement.  Any member is welcome to attend any of the meetings.  The meeting schedule is as follows:

  • Friday, June 17th- 11:15 AM at Comsewogue High School
  • Friday, June 17th- 2:30 PM at JFK Middle School
  • Friday, June 17th- 4:00 PM at JFK Middle School
  • Monday, June 20th- 2:00 PM at Comsewogue High School
  • Tuesday, June 21st- 1:00 PM at Terryville Elementary School
  • Wednesday, June 22nd- 1:00 PM at Boyle Road Elementary School

RATIFICATION VOTE: Thursday, June 23rd, 1:00 PM at Comsewogue High School

The PJSTA is a Proud Sponsor of the Malvetti Memorial 3K

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For the fourth consecutive year the PJSTA is proud to be a sponsor for the Christopher J. Malvetti Memorial 3K Run/Walk in Port Jefferson Village.  The event, dubbed “A Run Through the Bubble”will take place on Saturday, June 18th.  The race begins promptly at 10:00 AM at the Port Jefferson firehouse located at 115 Maple Place in Port Jefferson Village.  Check-in is between 8:30 and 9:30 AM.

Entry Fees:

$20 – Pre-registration (before Thursday, June 16, 2016)
$25 – Day of race
$10 – Anyone under 12
$15 – Post-race bbq only (non-racers)

To register you can click here.

The Christopher J. Malvetti Fund is dedicated to the memory of Chris by his family, friends, fellow firefighters and co-workers. Its purpose is to honor his lifelong spirit of caring and giving to the community by awarding scholarships, grants, or donations to deserving individuals who possess similar qualities.

For more information on the race or the Malvetti Fund, head on over to their website.

UFT Election Results Coming Today

The United Federation of Teachers, the country’s largest teacher union local, has wrapped up their 2016 elections and results are due back today.  President Michael Mulgrew, who infamously threatened Common Core opponents with violence, was being opposed by opt-out activist Jia Lee.  Though a victory for Lee would seem to be a no-brainer to most outsiders, those who know the UFT’s rigged system of democracy will tell you that it is anything but.  It is expected that Mulgrew and Unity Caucus will be victorious, however the MORE Caucus, of which Lee is a member, is expecting to seriously challenge for several executive board seats.  Winning executive board seats would represent an enormous victory for MORE, the social justice caucus of the UFT.

Early election results are showing an increase in voter turnout by about 10,000 according to James Eterno at the ICE UFT Blog…

Camille Eterno and Norm Scott are reporting from the American Arbitration Association where votes are being counted in the UFT Election. Here are the latest numbers from Norm:

53,000 voted, that is up 10,000 from 2013.

Only 1000 of that increase came from retirees who in 2016 make up 46% of the voters. In 2013, retirees made up 52% of the voters.

Where did those new voters go? Mulgrew is the known commodity. The conventional wisdom guess would be the majority went to Unity but we shall see.

We will try to be back later with updated results.

Endorsed Candidates for School Board Elections

You can click here to access the list of school board candidates who have been endorsed by the teacher union locals in those districts.  This includes every local on Long Island who has shared their endorsements with us.

Additionally you can click here to see the candidates who have been endorsed by Long Island Opt-Out.

Courageous MORE Teachers Defy Gag Order

Three courageous members of the United Federation of Teachers are defying the city’s gag order on speaking out against the state tests.  Lauren Cohen, Jia Lee, and Kristin Taylor, all of whom are running for positions in the upcoming UFT election with the Movement of Rank and File Educators Caucus, spoke to NBC 4 New York and encouraged parents to opt their children out of the rigged Common Core exams that New York State students in grades 3-8 are in the midst of now.

Click here to watch the video with the three courageous teachers.

Unofficial Opt-Out Numbers From Around NYS

We will update this page throughout the day as we get unofficial opt-out numbers in from around the state.  If you know your district’s opt-out percentage please leave it in the comments, send us a tweet (@ThePJSTA), or send it via email to pjsta1vp@gmail.com and we will add them to our post here.

**Updated 4/6/16 1:42 PM**

Baldwin- 51%

Bayport-Blue Point- 72%

Bellmore- 69%

Bellmore-Merrick- 70%

Brentwood- 55%

Carle Place- 54%

Central Islip- 12%

Cold Spring Harbor- 20%

Comsewogue- 86%

Connetquot- 74%

East Hampton- 13%

East Meadow- 49%

East Islip- 72%

East Quogue- 63%

East Rockaway- 65.4%

Eastport-South Manor- 73%

Floral Park-Bellerose- 27%

Freeport- 29%

Glen Cove- 43%

Great Neck- 18%

Greenport- 65%

Hauppauge- 72%

Herricks- 15%

Hewlett-Woodmere- 60%

Hicksville- 34%

Island Trees- 55%

Jericho- 20%

Kings Park- 59%

Lawrence- 25%

Levittown- 68%

Lindenhurst- 81%

Locust Valley- 56%

Lynbrook- 62%

Malverne- 44%

Manhasset- 12%

Massapequa- 64%

Mattituck-Cutchogue- 42%

Merrick- 56%

Middle Country- 72%

Montauk- 17%

Mount Sinai- 55%

New Hyde Park-Garden City- 26%

North Babylon- 63%

North Bellmore- 68%

North Merrick- 62%

North Shore- 43%

Northport-East Northport- 69%

Oceanside- 48%

Oyster Bay-East Norwich- 40%

Oyster Ponds- 34%

Patchogue-Medford- 72%

Plainedge- 79%

Plainview-Old Bethpage- 59%

Port Jefferson- 60%

Quogue- 19%

Riverhead- 39%

Rockville Center- 60%

Rocky Point- 79%

Roosevelt- 8%

Roslyn- 47%

Shelter Island- 46%

Shoreham-Wading River- 74%

Smithtown- 59%

Southampton- 34%

Southold- 55%

Springs- 23%

Three Village- 56%

Tuckahoe- 36%

Uniondale- 47%

Valley Stream Central High School- 51%

Valley Stream #24- 56%

Valley Stream #30- 18%

Wantagh- 61%

West Babylon- 62%

West Hempstead- 32%

Westbury- 34%

Westhampton Beach- 47%

William Floyd- 40%

More to come…

A Couple of Links While We Wait for Opt-Out Numbers

As we wait to hear on opt-out numbers across the state today, a few worthwhile links to pass along.

Though their local union, the UFT, may be working against the opt-out movement in New York City, the teachers at the Earth School in Manhattan have an important message to the families they serve…

Public education is important to us. As teachers, we share a deep commitment to our school’s mission and have chosen public education because that is where our values lie. The founding teachers of our school envisioned a “dream school”: a public school to serve diverse students and families. Our participation in public education comes with responsibilities and implicit agreements–a social contract. We agree that all of society benefits when children have access to quality education. We also share the uniquely democratic hope that children who learn together will later govern together with more compassion, more social cohesion, and a greater sense of civic responsibility.

Be sure to read the full text of their letter.  It is well worth your time.

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Teachers at the Earth School

Over at Living in Dialogue, Michelle Gunderson of the Chicago Teachers Union write about her experience organizing picket lines for their one-day strike last week…

A picket line is sacred ground. As a labor organizer and teacher unionist, I do not say this lightly. Workers have fought and died on picket lines fighting for work conditions that respect the inherent dignity of human life. A picket line is hallowed ground sanctified by sacrifice.

Make sure you check out that whole post as well.

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CTU Picket Line