STCaucus Shares NYSUT White Paper, Slams NYSUT Lack of Transparency

NYSUT ... failed to inform the membership about its findings in the

NYSUT White Paper. (The following talking points are attached to make the dissemination of this information easier.

Talking Points). NYSUT’s lack of transparency regarding this position paper with the members of the rank and file serves only to keep membership in the dark thereby limiting membership’s ability to push back against the state tests and their onerous penalties, including but not limited to receivership.  .... STCaucus

Follow this narrative and see how important it is to watch what our leaders do not what they say. They are burying a report that would help grow the anti-testing movement.

NYSUT White Paper

The Stronger Together Caucus is disseminating NYSUT’s position paper opposing the current college and career readiness benchmarks in New York State.  The STCaucus is taking this action for two reasons:

1. NYSUT was tasked, by a unanimous vote of its delegates at the April 2015 NYSUT Representative Assembly, to produce and disseminate this position paper.
2. At this time, NYSUT’s position paper is behind a secure login on the NYSUT website which only allows delegates to access, rather than making this important information available to all members of the rank and file.  

STCaucus understands that every teacher should fully comprehend the inappropriate nature of these benchmarks and how they continue to corrupt the testing experience for our students.  For more than a year, STCaucus Leadership has made this argument central to the pushback against the inaccurate failing school/teacher narrative.  The data NYSED is utilizing to purport the benchmarking myth is deeply flawed.

The following timeline and linked documents will illuminate the importance of this narrative.

The following STCaucus letter was sent to Chancellor Tisch on December 22, 2014.  This letter was produced in response to the infamous Malatras’ letter dated December 18, 2014, in which, Governor Cuomo outlined the education agenda that became law on April 1, 2015.

Letter to Chancellor Tisch

On January 17, 2015, ST Caucus sent the following letter to the NYSUT Officers and NYSUT Board of Directors because there was no NYSUT response to the Malatras’ letter.

Letter to NYSUT

In response to NYSUT’s lack of pushback against the Governor’s narrative about failing NYS schools and teachers, STCaucus leadership brought the following Special Order of Business to the April 2015 NYSUT Representative Assembly. This Special Order of Business was passed unanimously on the floor of the RA.  

RA Resolution

Recently, NYSUT’s Research Department completed the required report and did indeed send those findings to the Regents, as the resolution required. NYSUT however failed to inform the membership about its findings.  The report is only accessible to NYSUT delegates who have access to the secure login on the NYSUT website and there has been no reference to the position paper in NYSUT’s publications or on its public website.  NYSUT’s lack of transparency regarding this position paper with the members of the rank and file serves only to keep membership in the dark thereby limiting membership’s ability to push back against the state tests and their onerous penalties, including but not limited to receivership.  

We encourage all members to read the report for the purpose of educating themselves, their colleagues and their community members.  Please use the report’s findings to inform your local school boards, parents and local papers about the inappropriate benchmarks in New York.  

NYSUT White Paper

The following talking points are attached to make the dissemination of this information easier.

Talking Points

In Solidarity,

Chair: Beth Dimino—President, Port Jefferson Station Teachers' Association
Treasurer: Beth Chetney—President, Baldwinsville Teachers’ Association
Secretary: Laura Spencer—President, Smithtown Teachers’ Association
Membership Chair: Michele Bushey—President, Saranac Teachers’ Association 
Vice-Chairs representing NYS by region 
1)   Central NY/Southern Tier: Angelee Hargreaves—President, Port Byron Teachers’ Association
2)   Capital District: Megan DeLaRosa—President, Shenendehowa Teachers’ Association
3)   North Country: Nate Hathaway—President, Malone Federation of Teachers
4)   Tarrytown/Mid-Hudson: Mike Lillis—President, Lakeland Federation of Teachers
5)   Nassau/Suffolk: Kevin Coyne—President, Brentwood Teachers’ Association
6)   NYC:  Mike Schirtzer—UFT Delegate; MORE CAUCUS
7)   Western NY (Buffalo):  Joe Karb—President, Springville Faculty Association
8)   Western NY (Rochester): Orlando Benzan—President, Brockport Teachers’ Association

STCaucus membership registration is now online at https://stcaucus.nationbuilder.com/membership