The more you look into the Cuomo Deform Budget that Assembly Dems passed with "heavy hearts," the more you find that's disturbing.
We've already found that permanent certificate holders have lost the "permanent" status of their teaching certification since they now have to "register" every five years for their certification or risk losing their licenses.
That's an item in the budget clearly aimed at culling a few veteran teachers via technicalities.
It's also an item meant to humiliate and demoralize teachers, tying them up in unnecessary bureaucratic paperwork for no good reason.
Here's another disturbing item that looks to be put into the budget in order to humiliate, demoralize and perhaps cull a couple of teachers from their jobs:
Certificate holders shall notify the department of any change of name or mailing address within thirty days of such change. Willful failure to register or provide such notice within one hundred eighty days of such change may constitute grounds for moral character review under subdivision seven of section three hundred five of this chapter.
A moral character review because you move and don't tell NYSED about it?
Hell, I've moved three times since I got my license and I haven't told NYSED about those change of addresses.
Does this make me a candidate for a moral character review?
Does this make a suspect for something?
Does this mean I shouldn't be a teacher because I didn't think to update the sociopaths at NYSED that I was moving to another apartment because it had a little more space and a quicker commute to my job?
Who put the "moral character review for failure to update an address form" provision into the budget?
What's the rationale for that?
Seriously, we need to find out how that got into the budget, who put it there, why they put it there and what their defense for it is.
Start calling your legislators and ask them about the "Moral Character Review" provision in the budget.
Ask them if they support that and if so, why.
Heastie sucks. Sheldon Silver got jammed up miraculously right before this budget. This was a set-up! Heastie is a rookie who just got slammed.
ReplyDeleteWhen are we going to respond to all of this? That's all I care about anymore. Under the leadership of NYSUT or not, when are we going to respond!?!? If people think that the appropriate political response to this is writing an angry letter to their legislator/senator/etc, and that is it, well then perhaps the meek have already inheirited the earth, or at least teachers' jobs. This is the single most damaging piece of anti - teacher legislation ever even pondered in NYS history, let alone enacted. Letters wont fix this. Parents opting out their kids wont fix it. And as of now NYSUT has allowed Cuomo to dominate the messaging of this legislation over the past few days and get in front of "branding" it as "disruptive innovation" here in NY. Did NYSUTtotally fold up shop? Yes or no, because otherwise we as teachers here have to organize and advance outside of NYSUTs long-dead walls. Where is NYSUT? Consulting with their lawyers? This is clearly one of those rare moments that are so extreme that the response is actually clear, and NYSUT frets. No wonder we lost. Sometimes in life you need a lawyer's advice. Other times you need to call your lawyer and say, "get ready for a shitstorm, because I have to take care of some things."
ReplyDeleteWhere are the calls from my local saying we need an emergency meeting because NYSUT has plans and we need to get squared away?
Walk outs?
mass sick calls?
Strike?
Anything?
If nothing happens and soon the more likely this law is to stick. Messaging matters. Why aren't people flipping absolute $hit? If this is how its going to be, then we are more done than even I ever thought.
Nobody needs to explain to me how much NYSYT sucks and is to blame for all this, but I need to know what the response is going to be and where to F'int report to because I'm in, no matter how rough. If it ain't going to be NYSUT that's fine but don't tell me parents and opt -out will fix this for us.
I AGREE!!!!!!!
DeleteMy thoughts EXACTLY!
DeleteThis "moral charater review" seems like a fascist scheme. Is the NYSED going to interview my new neighbors if I move? Are they going to do a home inspection to see if my home is safe? Are they going to look into if I live to close to a liquor store? What exactly is the point of this???
ReplyDeleteDo cops, firefighters, etc have to do this as well or are teachers being singled out for some sick reason?
ReplyDeleteHow and where exactly are we supposed to report this change of address? I became certified in 1973. I have moved umpteen times since then. Have received additional certifications since then at newer addresses.
ReplyDeleteMoral character? Are Wall Street executives that brought the economy to it's knees reviewed for Moral Character?
Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite. The French figured it out.
And they STRIKE, too!
DeleteI need to jump into this. I am a Pro 2nd Amendment guy and after what I just read if I didn't know you people were teachers I would have thought you were talking about The New York S.A.F.E. Act. (secure ammunition and firearms enforcement act 1/2013) The Governor has chosen for political reasons to target certain groups of lawful citizens and chip away at them to eliminate those that will not fully comply. Think about that. Why would he feel the need to do this? We had what appeared to be successful closed door meetings with Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos before the budget vote only to find that we were lied to. Our Senators stabbed us in the back and allied with Cuomo. With the majority in the senate they had the power to uphold our interests. They "Chose" not to do so and a lot of good people, yes you and I were thrown under the bus. Everyone needs to contact their senator and hold their feet to the fire. Moral Character Review? Sounds like the Mental Hygiene Law that accompanies The Safe Act. Under this provision "Any" health provider is required to report a person they suspect of having emotional issues to The State Police. Law Enforcement will then confiscate any owned firearms and the reported individual will be bared from ever owning firearms again. Oh, and there is no appeals process. The decision is final. Think about the "Any Health Provider" Yes a Podiatrist can report you! Now for the good stuff. A gentleman named Donald Montgomery had this happen to him. Google his name. Mr. Montgomery went to the hospital to seek help for insomnia. The hospital "Mistakenly" reported him as mentally deficient and Mr. Montgomery's firearms were confiscated. The Problem Cuomo has is that Mr. Montgomery is a retired law enforcement officer and a U.S Navy Veteran with an unimpeachable background. Governor Cuomo and The NY State Police are the named defendants in this case. We have a mutual problem and his name is Andrew Cuomo!
ReplyDeleteWould you cite the lines in the education bill that has the moral character review and renewing language?
ReplyDeleteYes, I'd also like to know the exact citation (as a teacher, I tend to check information!).
ReplyDeleteThanks.
Bill No. S02006B, Section 1. Section 3006 d of the education law, page 112-113
DeleteLink: http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/navigate.cgi?NVDTO:
What I quoted above is underscored in the budget.
Budget says: "Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted."
In short, requiring registration every five years for permanent certification holders and forcing notification of NYSED for change of address within 30 days or subjecting teachers to a "moral character review" is "new".
Look it up yourself.
Thank you. Crazy!
ReplyDeleteI think I know at least on of the "why" answers. See section 123.2 under tenure.
ReplyDelete"shall not be removed except for any of the following causes, after a hearing, as provided by section three thousand twenty-a OR SECTION THREE THOUSAND TWENTY-B of [such law] THIS ARTICLE: (a) insubordination, immoral character or conduct unbecoming a teacher; (b) inefficiency, incompetency, physical or mental disability, or neglect of duty; (c) failure to maintain certification as required by this chapter and by the regulations of the commissioner. Each person who is not to be recom- mended for appointment on tenure, shall be so notified by the super- intendent of schools in writing not later than sixty days immediately preceding the expiration of his probationary period."
So it's another way to get rid of us.
As far as WHO put that in, I don't even know where or how to begin. Maybe by searhing older versions to see WHEN it got in and working from there?