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of the Central Square Teachers' Association.
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Programs
With the cost of our Dental premiums increasing next
month, now is a good time to take advantage of the Dental Rewards and
Incentive Co-Insurance programs offered with our policy. Please mouse
click here OR click on the Union Benefits button for additional information.
Minutes
Posted
The latest CSTA Minutes
for January have been posted. Read what is new in the CSTA by clicking
here.
Also posted, the Board of Education Minutes for two
meetings in December. Please click here to read those minutes.
New Evaluation System
CSTA Members,
I began the year with the motto that we would need to "Keep Calm
and Carry On" through the many changes that we are being faced with.
The challenges that we are encountering as educators are coming from
New York State with incredible and in many ways irresponsible speed.
The Union leadership is working with the District to carefully and responsibly
move forward with the new evaluation system, encouraging each member
to be an important part of the process by asking questions and educating
ourselves, and getting involved with determining the answers.
The following graph and write-up are a segment from the building presentations.
I am also including links to the NYSUT rubric and the Ted document, along
with a practice observation I completed at the Evaluator's Academy to
give you a better idea of how this looks. The Executive Committee, the
Officers and I will continue to do what we can to keep you updated and
informed.
My best wishes to you for a Happy Holiday with your family. Thank you
for your dedication to our school district and children.
In solidarity,
Linda Meredith
CSTA President

The NYSUT rubric that we are using is aligned with the NYS Learning
Standards
Standard 1: Knowledge of Students and Student Learning and Standard 2:
Knowledge of Content and Instructional Planning are both standards that
you address with your evaluator in your pre-conference.
This is your opportunity to share information about both your students
and how you planned for your lesson. You know a great deal
about your kids; how they learn best, the specific needs of your students
with IEP's, the student who can't hear well so they're sitting up front,
the child who needs to get up and move around because he had an hour
bus ride to school, or the child whose parents are illiterate and are
unable to help their child with their homework. All of that information
you will share with your evaluator, along with how you have made modifications
to allow them to have success despite these issues.
You will also go over your lesson and how you came to this instructional
plan. It will be written to conform to the learning standards and you'll
want to share information about the background lessons that came prior to this,
so your evaluator has a good understanding of how you have moved your students
through the progression of learning, what data has brought you to that point
and how you will assess their learning to move forward. You will also
be sure to point out what modifications you have in place to meet the needs
of your diverse learners.
Standards 3, 4 and parts of 5 are for the actual observation of your
lesson.
Standard 3 is Knowledge of Instructional Planning -
This is the core of what we do every day. Is the lesson aligned
to the standards and researched based? Are the students engaged? How
do you form your questions and how are you responding to student answers?
Is there good communication of content and directions? Is there
evidence of differentiation, are there opportunities for collaboration? Are
you monitoring and adjusting using formative assessments, and changing
the pacing of the lesson if need be?
Standard 4 - Learning Environment
When I think of the Learning Environment I automatically think
of the physical environment first- the materials, the room layout, the
student groupings, and that is part of this standard but it is also more
about the interaction between the teacher and the student as well as student
to student. Are there high expectations for the kids, as well as
set routines,rules and procedures? If there are volunteers
or paraprofessionals in the room how are they managed?
Standard 5 - Assessment for Student Learning
Part of this standard is discussed during your pre-conference – How
are you using assessments to establish learning goals and inform your
instruction, what modifications have been made, are students engaging
in self-assessment and how do you analyze the assessment data can all
be discussed in the pre-conference.
As part of the observation the evaluator will be looking to see how you
have designed or selected assessments tools to measure and document growth. Do
you have grading procedures in place? Do you communicate the goals to
the students and do they know how they will be assessed? Have you
prepared your students for the testing format?
Standards 6 and 7 are the post-conference. You will be
asked to complete a reflection following your lesson to share with the
evaluator.
Standard 6 is Professional Responsibilities and Collaboration
The evaluator will be collecting evidence on your ability to collaborate
with your peers, how you follow District policies and how you communicate
with your parents.
Standard 7 is Professional Growth
For those of you who are intrinsically motivated to be the best teacher
you can be, this is what you do daily. And I dare say it is every person
sitting in this room. You reflect on your strengths and weaknesses, you
set goals for yourself and determine ways to improve, and to do that
you seek out help or feedback from peers, join in a professional book
groups or belong to a professional membership or simply work to make
the next lesson better than the last.
Introducing TED: Teacher Evaluation & Development
Every child deserves an effective teacher. And every teacher, when evaluated
for effectiveness, deserves an objective process that integrates evaluations
into ongoing professional growth. Those premises are fundamental to TED,
a system of Teacher Evaluation and Development, which was created by
six labor/management Innovation Teams across New York State to integrate
evaluations in a continuum that advances teacher practice and student
learning.
NYSUT, as a union of more than 600,000 professionals across New York
State, is proud to have initiated this groundbreaking project, one that
has given voice to teachers in shaping the standards for our profession.
Through this effective labor/management collaboration, teachers worked
side by side with principals and superintendents in developing the TED
system as an exemplar. This practitioner-led initiative came to fruition
as policymakers at the federal and state levels were continuing to debate
proposals targeting teacher effectiveness.
What TED is:
TED is an accessible and integrated strategy for teacher evaluation and
development based on research into what works to advance teacher growth
and student learning. With the goal of ensuring an effective teacher
for every learner, TED includes these essential components including teaching
standards expressed as a teacher practice rubric.
Please click here to download the an
example of a rubric with evidence.
To learn more about TED, please click here.
The NYSUT Teacher Practice Rubric
Guided by national experts, the NYSUT Teacher Practice Rubric was designed
and field-tested by practitioners from the five school/district labor
management teams working on NYSUT's Innovation Initiative project for
the last two years. NYSUT's rubric was informed by current research on
teaching standards and teacher practice rubrics from the well-known Charlotte
Danielson's Framework, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards,
and others. Pilot locals in Albany, Marlboro, North Syracuse, Hempstead
and Plattsburgh field-tested the model on a limited basis this spring
with teachers who volunteered to try it out.
The NYSUT rubric is organized to assess teacher performance with the
seven New York State Teaching Standards approved by the Regents earlier
this year. It also addresses the state's four new ratings: highly effective,
effective, developing and ineffective.
The NYSUT Teacher Practice Rubric is the only
SED-approved option that is practitioner-led and developed through
labor-management collaboration. "This
is complex work and it needs to be done right," said NYSUT Vice
President Maria Neira.
Please click here to download the NYSUT
Teacher Practice Rubric.
To read more about the NYSUT teacher evaluation rubric
please click
here.
NEW on the Website
Congratulations to the new tenure recipients. Please
click here to see
the list!
Snow Day Lottery - Click here to see who has what day in the Snow Day
Fund Raiser.
CSTA
Audit Report
from Nicole Heath, 11/7/11
Please click here to
view the 2010 - 2011 CSTA Auditors Report Letter and the corresponding
CSTA FInancial Statement.
Important
(and often overlooked) Teacher Retirement System Benefit
from Linda Meredith, 9/22/11
If you or another NYSTRS member is seriously ill, or
experiencing a potentially life threatening surgery or procedure, then
taking care of the people who survive is a concern. Understanding the
benefits available through the NYS Teacher’s Retirement System
is one part of securing the future for any beneficiaries you have. For
additional information please click here.
Upcoming
Retiree Events
by Joe Barbera - May
24, 2011
Click here for
upcoming Retiree Events information.
 |
NYSUT Member Benefits - Great Deals
for YOU!
from NYSUT
NYSUT Member Benefits Trust was established for
the purpose of endorsing and monitoring quality, competitive insurance
plans, investments and benefit programs. These programs include
discounts on travel, car rentals, mortgage services, consumer guides,
insurance and much more. These programs and services are available
to NYSUT members and agency fee payers. Some are also available
to or cover spouses/domestic partners of members, dependent children,
dependent parents and grandparents. In addition to the regular
menu of benefits, certain programs are available exclusively for
retiree members. Additional information from NYST Member Benefits
can be found by clicking
here. |
Website Highlights
NEW
==> Central Square Retired
Teachers Association Newsletter for November / December, 2012 has been posted
NEW
==> CSTA Minutes
for January have been
posted
NEW
==> Board of Education Minutes
for December have been posted
CSTA Members can have a free ad -- click
here for details!
This site
was last updated on January 16, 2012. |
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Central Square Teachers'
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