Unionists focus on education reform

Professional Development Plan assures teachers get the training they need

April 8, 2005

PICTURED: Martin Daly of New Rochelle FUSE talks about concerns facing unions across the state during pre-RA sessions at the Local and Retiree Council Presidents' Conference.

With some guidance from NYSUT, local leaders focused Thursday on the role of unions in the wide-ranging state and national educational reforms under way in New York's classrooms.

With federal testing of grades 3-8 coming in 2006 and State Ed reforming middle-level education and math and English Language Arts at all levels, locals need to use every tool their statewide union has won for them to help members help their students, said Chuck Santelli, NYSUT's director of policy and program development.

Participants were reminded that a majority of the group that creates a district's Professional Development Plan must be teachers selected by their local unions.

Done properly - and by the statutory deadline of June 30 - the PDP can help assure that teachers get the professional training they need to prepare for testing that begins in 2006 under the No Child Left Behind Act.

When the NCLB testing begins, the total number of tests given to grades 3-8 students in New York will double to more than 3.4 million, participants learned.

"We're not afraid of tests," said Stanley McDonald, president of South Lewis TA in the North Country. "What bothers us is how we're going to get kids ready when we don't have the materials we need for ourselves."

Teachers appointed by the local union must make up a majority of the district shared decision-making team. NYSUT efforts helped ensure that districts looking to change their middle-level program under the new state guidelines must involve the SDM team in their application to State Ed.