Horseheads Teachers' Association
Spring 2016 Newsletter
Upcoming Board of Education and Budget Workshop Meetings....it's so important!!
It's budget time! Not only are there specific community budget workshops, but budget information is also going to be presented at BOE meetings (anticipated start in March). It is vital that HTA members know what is happening and establish a presence at these meetings. This is our district and we need to stay engaged!
- March 23rd- Business Meeting/Budget Meeting, HS Multi Media Center 6 pm
- April 6th- Budget Meeting (Finalization), HS Multi Media Center 6 pm
- April 19th (Wednesday)- Business Meeting/Budget Adoption, Ridge Road ES 6 pm
- May 4th- Public Hearing on the Budget, HS Multi Media Center 6 pm
- May 16th (Tuesday)- Budget Vote/BOE election at BF, RR and HS 7 am-8 pm
------2017 HTA Elections------
HTA Elections will be held in early June for open positions on the Executive Council as well as Building Representatives. Prior to elections, all HTA members will have the opportunity to nominate any member that they would like. Open positions this year are
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Representative Assembly Delegates
The next HTA newsletter will provide candidates the opportunity to introduce themselves!
Consitutional Convention..what does that have to do with me?
Q: I read that a state constitutional convention vote takes place Nov. 7, 2017. What does this mean, and how could it impact me?
A: A constitutional convention could impact you a great deal — and likely not for the better. The state constitution protects the fundamental rights you enjoy as a New York State citizen, including guaranteed pension benefits, free public education and the right to unionize. Holding a constitutional convention, in which representatives can tweak, change or radically alter the state constitution, puts all those rights up for grabs. The New York State Constitution mandates that voters decide every 20 years whether to hold a convention. NYSUT is mobilizing to help voters understand what's on the line if a constitutional convention occurs. Voters rejected a constitutional convention in 1997 after concerned activists educated voters about the risks of opening the state constitution.
It has EVERYTHING to do with you! Please join us!
NYSED survey results for determining school accountability under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states to reconsider their accountability systems for public schools. As was required under the No Child Left Behind Act, states must use the proficiency rates of students in English language arts and mathematics and high school graduation rates to hold schools accountable for their performance. ESSA requires that schools also be held accountable for the progress that English language learners make towards acquisition of English proficiency. In addition, states must also include in their school accountability system at least one additional indicator of School Quality or Student Success.
NYSED recently conducted a survey to gather feedback from stakeholders as to what indicator(s) of school quality and/or student success should be included in the methodology to differentiate among schools and make school accountability decisions. The results of this survey are very interesting and can be accessed by clicking HERE
---- To Share or not to share? ----
The National Education Association published a great article to help you navigate or increasingly social world:
Teacher Certification Exams...changes are coming!
Adapted from the 3/17/17 NYSUT Media Release:
The Board of Regents today took steps to improve the process to obtain an initial teaching certificate in New York. The changes are based on the recommendations of a panel of education experts and public input, and maintain the state’s rigorous standards to ensure that candidates for certification are well-prepared to teach.
“The changes we advanced today strike the right balance for both teachers and students,” Board of Regents Chancellor Betty A. Rosa said. “Candidates for certification will still be required to demonstrate their teaching skills and knowledge before entering the classroom. At the same time, we are eliminating costly and unnecessary testing requirements that create unfair obstacles to certification for many applicants.”
New and revised teacher certification exams were released to the field in May 2014. One of those new exams, the edTPA, is a subject-specific, multi-measure performance assessment. At that time, the Board of Regents also established an edTPA Task Force to explore possible improvements to the edTPA going forward. The Task Force is comprised of representatives from CUNY, SUNY, the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities, the Teacher Education Advisory Group, the United University Professions, the Professional Staff Congress and New York State Education Department staff.
This change is result of the hard work of the edTPA task force, to read the summary of their recommendations, click HERE
DON'T FORGET!! Copies of the 2014-18 HTA collective bargaining agreement is available!
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