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Dental Rewards and Incentive Co-Insurance 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!

Visitors since August 7, 2007:

CSTAonline.com