As a teacher, an AP and a principal, I wouldn’t have dreamed of endorsing a political candidate and I barely noticed that my unions were in the habit of doing that. I’m an educator, not a political

wonk. But that changed when I became a union leader and had to think about who would be best able to support CSA

President’s ViewpointMark Cannizzaro

Why We Endorse And How You Can Participate

Continued on Page 2

Supreme Court Rejects Janus Offspring2

Urban School Awards For Achievement5

Welcome New CSA Executive Board Members6-7

BY CRAIG DIFOLCO

In recent years, CSA has received increasing inquiries for support or advice when members needed a last will and testament, information on stu-dent loan assistance programs, and more. For many throughout our nation, the pandemic has caused people to realize the need for estate planning, a living will, health care proxy, and powers of attorney.

CSA is pleased to announce that our union has contracted with a well-established law firm, Feldman Kramer & Monaco (FKM), to offer all members new, comprehensive legal benefits regarding various non-job-re-lated legal needs, commencing on March 1, 2021.Whether you are soon starting a family, pre-paring to retire, or many years into your retirement, CSA lead-ership felt this was the right time in our union’s history to create a member benefit that provides additional legal services from a firm with a proven track record in working with public sector employees throughout the state.

Below are the major high-lights of the benefits that are now available to you and your dependents through your union. Please remember that these legal services offered by FKM are designed as a member benefit and separate and apart from the legal services that CSA provides our members regarding their work. CSA’s legal department is not party to the attorney/client relationship you may engage in with FKM; CSA will not receive any confi-dential information regarding your identity or legal issues and bears no individual or organi-zational liability for the services FKM offers. What follows is only part of the services avail-able. For a more comprehensive look at the plan, who is eligible within your family, and how to utilize these benefits, please visit csa-nyc.org/legalbenefits.

FREE CONSULTATION & 24-HOUR EMERGENCY BENEFIT A covered member or dependent may get in-office/zoom consultations for three one hour in-sessions each calendar year. In addition, a

covered individual may consult with the Legal Service Plan attorneys an unlimited number of times over the telephone. If a covered member or depen-dent is confronted with a situ-ation that requires immediate legal advice, he or she may call the emergency hotline to talk to an attorney after regular business hours.

FREE DOCUMENT REVIEW BENEFIT & FREE LEGAL LETTERS BENEFIT This benefit provides review and interpretation by an attorney of documents which directly involve the member or a covered dependent, such as guarantees, warranties, installment purchase agree-ments, loans, leases, and court papers. Your Plan attorney will also write free legal letters on your behalf to resolve legal or consumer disputes before they become lawsuits.

FREE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT BENEFIT This benefit provides a covered member and his/her spouse or registered domestic partner with the opportunity to have

a Last Will and Testament exe-cuted. Advice regarding estate planning and potential strate-gies to reduce estate taxes are included. There are additional benefits providing a covered member and his/her spouse or registered domestic partner with the opportunity to have a Health Care Proxy, a Living Will, and a Durable Power of Attorney prepared and exe-cuted.

STUDENT LOAN REDUCTION ASSISTANCE BENEFIT CSA members can speak with a Student Loan Counselor at no charge to receive a comprehensive review of their student loan issues. Based on their unique goals and circumstances, the Student Loan Counselor can analyze the available programs and design a comprehensive action plan.

SMALL CLAIMS PROTECTION BENEFIT & IDENTITY THEFT BENEFIT Attorney will provide advice regarding the filing and pur-suit of claims in Small Claims Court, including advice regard-

ing procedure and evidence preparation for Small Claims Court matters, as well as pro-vide advice regarding Identity Theft.

ELDER LAW BENEFIT & VETERANS BENEFIT Elder Law attorneys will consult with an eligible dependent to discuss asset preservation strategies. The first hour is free. Additionally, a Plan Attorney will assist a member, their spouse or domestic partner, or their parents with applying for the Veterans benefit, Aid and Attendance, which provides extra income for a veteran who requires medical care.

If you wish to consult a law-yer for benefits provided by the Legal Services Plan, the first step is to call the Legal Plan Attorney Office at 1 (800) 832-5182. Representatives of FKM are ready and willing to conduct remote seminars on their services for both in-service and retired members, and CSA will provide dates and times for these workshops in upcoming member and retiree updates.

Important New Member Benefit To Address Legal Needs Begins March 1

BY CHUCK WILBANKS

Since CSA negotiated a new family leave policy last year, more than 205 members have taken advantage of the right to receive up to 25 workdays of paid parental leave at 100 percent of their salaries. Immediately after they are hired, members can choose when to start the leave, and continue to accrue annual and sick leave.

The deal that CSA secured could not have come at a bet-ter time, as parents could bond with their new babies and also stay home to avoid exposure to COVID.

Saudia Mahamed, Manhattan Borough Office EA, gave birth to her son, Noah, on Jan. 31, 2020: It really was a godsend that I didn’t have to worry about rushing back to work after giving birth.

Policy Strengthens Families

Continued on Page 9n Anna Jackman and family: Added leave lifted a huge load of worry.

Feb. 2021Volume 56, Number 6American Federationof School Administrators,AFL-CIO Local 1

NEWSCOUNCIL OF SCHOOL SUPERVISORS AND ADMINISTRATORS

Grateful Members Laud New Paid Parental Leave

CSA Mayoral Forum Draws Candidates3

CSA NEWS2 Feb. 2021

Council of School Supervisors & Administrators

American Federation of School Administrators, AFL-CIO, Local 1

40 Rector St., NY, NY 10006 Phone: (212) 823-2020

Fax: (212) 962-6130 www.csa-nyc.org

President Mark Cannizzaro

Executive Vice President Henry Rubio

First Vice President Rosemarie Sinclair

Treasurer Christopher Ogno

Secretary Steffani Fanizzi

Vice Presidents Sam Akel, Jose Garcia, Ramon Gonzalez

Lois Lee, Katiana Louissaint Nancy Russo, Retiree Chapter

Executive Director Operations Erminia Claudio

General Counsel David Grandwetter

Executive Director Field Services Sana Q. Nasser

Field Directors James Harrigan

Reginald Landeau, Jr. Dorothy Morris Frank Patterson Mercedes Qualls

Wanda Soto

Assistant Field Directors Beshir Abdellatif, Eleanor Andrew, Millie Boyce, Dominic Cipollone,

Brian De Vale, Peter Devlin, Nancy Esposito, Roberto Flores, Ellie Greenberg,

Ray Gregory, Joseph LaCascia, Kenneth Llinas, James McKeon, Monica McDonald,

Beverly Pascal-Miller, Steven Resnick, Sandra Solis, Yvonne Williams

Grievance Director Dale Kelly

Assistant Directors Carol Atkins, Robert Colon,

Jermaine Garden

Director of Communications Craig DiFolco

Director of Political Affairs Gabe Gallucci

Assistant Director, Political Affairs Herman Merritt

Assistant Director John Khani

Special Assistant to President Gary Goldstein

CSA Conference Chair Pierre Lehmuller

CSA Historian Manfred Korman

CSA Retiree Chapter Gayle Lockett, Chair

Mark Brodsky, Director

CSA NEWSEditor

Chuck Wilbanks

Design Consultant Michele Pacheco

Production Assistant Christine Altman

CSA News (004-532) is published monthly except July and August for $35 per year per member by CSA, 40 Rector St., NY, NY 10006. Periodical postage paid at Manhattan, NY, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CSA News, 40 Rector St., NY, NY 10006.

PRESIDENT’S PAGE

members and the children you educate. Like it or not, politics and education are inextricably linked and it behooves school leaders to pay attention.

Political endorsing is the most controversial thing we do as a union. Every time CSA takes the plunge, some of our members are going to disagree. This is why we often survey you and work hard to get your input. We don’t always endorse a candidate for president, but, based on your feedback, we did so this past fall.

Along with everything else you are doing to care for students and prevent our school system from imploding, you must keep a close eye on our local elections. Who is going to rep-resent our school districts on the City Council and who is going to be our mayor? The latter is of such consequence that we held a mayoral forum on Jan. 27. Two thousand of you signed up to participate.

I was pleased to listen to the seven candidates who partici-pated. All are serious individuals who “get” public education and the role of school leaders. Now, I need you to help us figure out who to support for this inestimable job, at a time when our city is going to be emerging from the worst pandemic in 100 years and confronting a fiscal crisis on the magnitude of 1975.

Our students cannot be used as bargaining chips in this crisis. We need a mayor who recognizes that great schools begin with great leaders, and who has the utmost respect for the work that you do. The magnitude of the crisis requires us to have a strong relationship. What do we expect of our mayor?

Fiscal Acumen Hiring freezes and layoffs should be off the table. Students

can’t afford to lose an AP, a teacher, or a counselor at this moment. We need a mayor who knows where the fat is and has the courage to cut it away with a scalpel, not an axe. That candi-date must be aware of the unnecessary programs and contracts and do away with them so the funds can go directly into your schools, allowing you to deal with the educational deficits and emotional traumas your children have experienced after as much as 18 months out of school.

A Nose For Talent Inevitably, the new mayor is going to find

his or her own chancellor. When that hap-pens, the mayor has to be capable of letting the chancellor do the job. We need a true educator with the temperament of a coach, someone able to create a team with players who believe they’re all in it together, and then communicate clearly and get the most out of each player. The new chancellor must develop a plan to recruit and retain the very best among us to lead schools and districts. These positions must once again be sought-after jobs rather than viewed as punishing ones. To get there, we will need a top-to-bottom revamp-ing of a broken system and a major culture change. This is an expectation the mayor must communicate to the chancellor and, then, get out of the way.

Please start thinking about these qualities and skills and which candidate you believe possesses them, so when I send you a mayoral candidate survey, you will be able to fill it out with confidence. At the same time, don’t forget the City Council, where there will be at least 35 of 51 seats to fill. Your City Council members must fight for your schools. Typically, they will visit as often as you invite them, and most will go out of their way to support you and your kids. CSA will make the right Council endorsements if you reach out to your union representatives and tell them who is most likely to do right by your students. If you want to get more involved, and actually screen the candidates, you can join one of our Political Action Committees. As a member of a PAC, you will have a direct say.

Meanwhile, after such a difficult period, there’s reason for hope. You will soon see all your students again; that will boost your spirits. With the right people in City Hall and Tweed, we will meet the moment. A New Yorker is now the majority leader of the U.S. Senate. He is the product of our public schools and will strive to get them the federal funding they need. But not everything will come from Washington, and we need a mayor who will find savings and make sure that none of it comes off the backs of our children.

Mark Cannizzaro is president of the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators.

With The Right People, We Will ‘Meet The Moment.’ By Mark Cannizzaro

Who Will Represent Our School Districts?

• • •

• • •

BY CHUCK WILBANKS

The US Supreme Court provided a rare, welcome piece of good news for public sector unions when it declined recently to review a series of cases in which plaintiffs had sought to be reimbursed for past dues.

The cases were brought by the same anti-union forces that had orchestrated the 2018 decision in Janus v AFSCME, which held that public-sector unions can-not require non-member employees to pay agency fees meant to pay the costs of non-political union work. These latest cases involved state workers in several states who had sought to have the agency fees they had paid prior to Janus refunded ret-roactively. Lower federal courts had ruled against the plaintiffs, and by declining to review those decisions, the Supreme Court decided in favor of the union position.

“Between the 1977 Abood decision,

which upheld the right of unions to col-lect agency fees, and the 2018 Janus case, the agency fee structure was settled, good law in the public sector,” said CSA General Counsel David Grandwetter. “This recently dismissed suit was, in every way, a deriv-ative lawsuit of the Janus case and only sought to diminish unions’ finances. Plaintiffs’ legal theory was unfounded, however, as every federal district and appellate court that heard their arguments sided with the unions on the basis that unions were acting in conformance with the law at the time. As a federal appeals court explained in one of those cases, the rule of law requires that parties abide by, and be able to rely on, what the law is, as opposed to what the law may become at some point in the future. Thus, during the time Abood was still good law, unions were acting entirely lawfully in collecting agency fees from non members.”

The decision by the high court ends, for now, the assault on unions based on the Janus litigation. While CSA President Mark Cannizzaro also welcomed the rul-ing, he warned that it would be unwise to be complacent, since the same, deep-pocketed groups that designed Janus continue to scheme ways to reduce union influence and strength.

“As we know, the best way to counter those strategies are to remain involved with your union, to support your col-leagues by acting in solidarity with each other, and to uphold our collective bar-gaining agreement, all of which help your negotiating teams that represent you at the table,” he said. “In the post-Janus era, 99.9 percent of supervisors and admin-istrators in the NYCDOE have remained proud union members, which only serves to strengthen our unified voice on behalf of the children we serve.”

Good News For Unions: Supreme Court Rejects Latest Janus Litigation

Continued from Page 1

CSA NEWSFeb. 2021 3

BY CHUCK WILBANKS

On Jan. 26, CSA’s Political Action Committee held a mayoral forum that focused on the city’s educational system. City Comptroller Scott Stringer, former DeBlasio administration official Maya Wiley, former HUD Director Shaun Donovan, Citicorp investment banker Ray McGuire, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, technology entrepreneur and former presidential aspirant Andrew Yang and former New York City Department of Environmental Protection Chief Operating Officer Kathryn Garcia participated. All had already been in contact with CSA to discuss their vision for our city and our schools. Nearly 1500 CSA members watched the event, an important milestone as CSA seeks member input about which candidate mem-bers believe is most qualified to lead our city and support its school system.

Dr. David Bloomfield, professor of educational leadership, law, and policy at Brooklyn College, ably served as modera-tor. All of his questions were based on sug-gestions from CSA members. The questions ran the gamut from budgetary matters, to pensions, to early childhood education. All the candidates agreed that mayoral con-trol should stay, and that discrimination remains to be tackled, but they offered a broad array of opinions on how such issues should be tackled. Below are excerpts from each of the candidates who participated in the virtual event. A video recording of the event can be found at www.csa-nyc.org.

Maya Wiley…Education is not K through 12, it’s

not zero to three, is prenatal through career. I’m going to give mothers doulas and connect them to the educational sys-tem so they can learn brain development -- 85 percent takes place up through the early thousand days of life.

…We have to acknowledge that we’re going to have children throughout the system who are going to be at least a year behind… We have far too many students struggling to get online but we didn’t provide enough supports for our adminis-trators and principals and teachers to figure out how to deliver online learning. What I would do is partner with you to say, ‘What are those ways that you see that both solve some of the problems you had before COVID, like overcrowded classrooms and inadequate resources for social and emo-tional learning. We’re going to have kids who are also suffering from mental health issues as a result of what they’ve seen and experienced during COVID.

…I like the current school’s chancel-lor because I think he’s smart and he is committed. I think it is an unfortunate casualty of the mayor’s leadership that probably in order to restore trust and to create partnership, I might have to, yes, get a new chancellor because it is too criti-cal to set this right.

Scott StringerNobody knows the bureaucracy of the

DOE better than me. I’ve done the audits. I’ve done the investigations. I’ve called out the chancellor when he failed to listen to principals and assistant principals. I demanded to know where the missing computers were, and I demanded an explanation for the hundreds of millions

of dollars in bureaucracy that built up at the expense of our children.

…I spent a lot of time developing a plan called NYC Under Three. It would triple the number of children that would have access to affordable childcare. We would see 20,000 people, mostly women, back into the workforce, saving and adding to our city’s coffers, billions of taxes, but it would also help our children. Everybody tells you the same thing. Pre-K was a great success…but zero to three childcare is the future.

…There’s a lot of things, aspirationally, that we would all want to do. The ques-tion is who has the skills and experience to do it?

…Right now we need a mental health plan. We need a post pandemic plan. We have to recognize that the kids who are

already behind, especially kids of color are going to be way behind. We have to think about new strategies for schooling, but we’ve got to listen to the principals and the teachers. We have to invest more in social workers and guidance counselors.

…Perhaps the biggest responsibility of my job is to make sure that the principals and the administrators and assistant prin-cipals have a retirement security they can depend on. As comptroller, I have kept my solemn promise. I have hit our actuarial targets in terms of our investment to make sure that your retirement is safe. I will con-tinue to make sure that we have a pension system that is strong and that protects the people who watch out for our kids.

I see where the DOE wastes money. A chancellor gets hired and then a chan-cellor brings in his or her bureaucracy, the chancellor leaves and the new chan-cellor comes in and they bring their own bureaucracy. Suddenly, hundreds of millions of dollars is being spent on man-aging management without investing in local schools, our teachers, our principals, and our kids.

…I respect parents who do everything they can to get their kids into a specialized high school, our immigrant families. But I cannot continue to support the SHSAT test when we have no Black and brown kids getting into the specialized schools. That’s going to stop when I’m mayor. I’m going to implement the seventh-grade test, which is a test that basically rewards classroom learning, shift that to the spe-cialized schools.

Eric AdamsI’m going to bring in the room my

principals, my assistant principals, and ask them where should our dollars go? And it starts with doulas. Doulas are crucial. Preparing their children when they are carrying their children and those first days of birth… that is at the heart of my prac-tice in early childhood development.

…This is a city where we have Google investing in the Chelsea area. We have Facebook that has just moved into the Hudson Yards. We need to demand that all of our tech industry is participating in how we make remote learning in this city,

one of the best remote learning experi-ences on the globe. We need to map our city on where we are building out high-speed broadband.

…We should not balance the budget on the backs of those who educated our children and committed their lives to ensuring to do so. We need to look at our tech industries -- all of them bene-fited from COVID-19. Their profits have increased. It is time for the tech industry to pay for using our data and we should put it directly into our educational system…

Shaun DonovanI would create the most diverse set

of leaders and teachers in our system. Right now we have 42 percent teachers of color in a system that’s 85 percent kids of color. And I would make sure that we’re investing in a recovery core, an educational recovery core, putting young people, CUNY graduates to work in our schools, not only to bring teaching back, but to deal with the trauma that our kids have seen. I would invest in 150 social workers…

…We need to remove police from our schools…As we do this, we [should] remove police carefully. I would start with schools that have multiple school safety officers, and I would reinvest those sav-ings in [people] trained in child develop-ment in de-escalation…

I do support…getting rid of middle school screens.…There are the geographic screens that we have for high schools we should be getting rid of as well.

Ray McGuire[My] plan for education is cradle to

career. Pre-K is fine, but I want to start before pre-K. I want to start at zero to four and I want to make sure that we have childcare and toddler care… By the end of the third grade, every child in New York City should be able to read… I would make sure that I would create a New York City tutor Corps.

…It shouldn’t be the case that those noble servants [in CBO Early Childhood centers] who are managing our most pre-cious assets are paid at the lowest level. We need to address that.

…I want to be held accountable and I would have a chancellor who would focus solely on my priorities, which is to address the systemic inequities so that our children, especially the ones who look like me, have the same opportunity that I had through education. I wouldn’t delegate it because if you have too many people who are responsible for something, nobody is responsible for anything.

Kathryn GarciaPre-K across the board has been of

high quality and we need to replicate that for younger kids. There’s been a lot of challenges with community-based childcare, daycare, family daycare, and we need there to be a career path for those providers so that they are meeting the educational standards that we expect as people get into teaching positions.

… It doesn’t really matter whether or not the safety officers report to PD or DOE. That’s just a question of who’s signing the paycheck. I suspect that NYPD is probably better at signing the paycheck… The prin-cipal needs to guide what the school needs.

The school safety officers are technically civilians. So, there isn’t a challenge having the principal direct them.

…I would do away with the gifted and talented test for four-year olds. But I would expand gifted and talented in all of our community schools.

…I would work towards eliminating middle school screens, but I would do it through the district 15 process, which was really focused on what were parents of all different backgrounds wanting for their kid.

…One of the ways you get the resources is from the black hole that is Tweed, and you take some of the resources out of Central and put it back into principal’s hands. There are offices – like on school culture – I don’t know what they do. There are several levels of superintendents and deputy superinten-dents and new vice chancellors that have all been created.

I would get a new chancellor and I would hope that I would be able to recruit from within the world of DOE and not from someone who’s looking for a national platform…

Andrew YangWe need to be trying to prepare our

kids for the jobs that will be there for them. And not pretend frankly that a four-year college is going to be the right fit for all of them. We need to be trying to develop programs that are a better fit for our children and also a better fit for the modern economy….

You know, in your heart of hearts, that two thirds of their outcomes are determined outside of school. And a lot of that is before they even show day one for kindergarten.

…My signature proposal is a plan to alleviate extreme poverty in New York City. And we all know that those com-munities are going to be communities of color that this billion dollars that we

have pledged is going to end up prepar-ing them to be able to show up to your schools more able to learn…

.. [School safety] should be up to the principal, the administrators, and the par-ents, because there are some areas where that might be wholly appropriate and desirable and others where they would prefer another approach.

…I think it’s a mistake to get rid of a particular system of middle-school screen-ing and testing without knowing what comes next. Parents generally crave a degree of certainty and visibility.

…We need to let folks know from day one that gender is a social construct and it’s not just boys and girls. And let folks know that from kindergarten, pre-K on. Train our teachers to be able to identify and support children who may be strug-gling with their gender identity and in some form or another, and then identify individual, mentors and resources for young people who are finding themselves in this way.

Union’s Mayoral Forum Draws Candidates And (Virtual) Crowd

Wiley: I’m Going To Give Mothers Doulas

Stringer: I know the DOE because I’ve done the audits

CSA NEWS4 Feb. 2021

Educators often say that the principalship is the loneliest job in the DOE. Looking back on my ten plus years as a principal, I concur with the premise, but I also know that a competent assistant prin-

cipal can make that feeling of loneliness much less acute. My APs were always my thought partners. Many went on to become principals and superintendents. I would not have been a successful principal had it not been for the invaluable contributions of each of the APs that worked with me over the course of my tenure.

Having said all that, it is hard to imagine that there are still public schools in New York City that do not have an assistant principal. The thought of one administrator having to bear the load of an entire learning community, regardless of the size of a school’s register, is sim-ply unimaginable. As part of our last collective bargaining agreement, the DOE agreed that it is best practice to have an AP in every school. In fact, it is not only best practice but essential to a school’s success and sustainability.

Of the more than 1700 public schools in New York City, approximately six percent, or just over 100 schools, continue to operate with only the principal. If the principal is out sick, or is attending a superintendent’s meeting or a PD conference, no licensed supervisor will be pres-ent to handle an emergency.

Recently, a veteran principal was out of her building at a professional development confer-ence, something that regularly occurred over the course of her long tenure, and which the super-intendent was fully aware of. Just like every time in the past, the superintendent was notified, and a teacher was left in-charge, following the school safety plan’s chain of command. On this day, however, a high-ranking DOE official visited the school, and was advised that the principal was at a meeting. The superintendent, in a panic, immediately began inundating the principal with emails and phone calls questioning about supervisory coverage, “safety”, and then asked, “why wasn’t a request made for an absence reserve supervisor to be sent to the school?” Bewildered, the principal said, “because I never made that request in the 100 previous times where I left the building and reported it to you and you never suggested it.”

This was merely a visit and there was no imminent danger to students or staff. But what would have happened had there been a serious situation that required police, EMS, and other emergency personnel? If you are in one of these single administrator sites, can you say with certainty that your superintendent would have your back?

As part of our new collective bargaining agreement, schools that elect to not have an AP will be required to create a plan outlining how they will ensure a safe and secure school envi-ronment, a plan that must be approved by the superintendent. Our agreement also states that, “schools must be equipped to address the impor-tance of ensuring appropriate school climate, maintaining a safe and secure environment, and maintaining compliance with relevant rules and regulations.”

This new provision allows all schools, regard-less of grade level, the discretion of creating and staffing the position of assistant principal for climate, culture, and safety. We firmly believe that this option should be exercised and that every school should secure an assistant prin-cipal for climate and culture. The additional supervisory personnel would help to tighten up safety protocols at all our schools and to lighten some of the load that our principals have been enduring, which has been exacer-bated exponentially over the course of the last ten months of this pandemic. The addition of an AP for climate and culture would also be an added benefit in light of the ongoing conversa-tion that will soon have the school safety agent jurisdiction switched from NYPD to the DOE. Finally, the establishing of this AP position will also ensure that when principals need to be out of their buildings for whatever reason, there is appropriately licensed supervisory coverage available to ensure the safety and security of the learning community.

This is a good time for principals to begin reviewing their staffing needs for the upcoming school year and to decide how

best to create a position of AP for climate and culture for their schools. While budgetary short-comings may hamper a school’s ability to secure this much-needed AP, every school should carefully review their budget allocations and engage both their Borough Citywide Office and superintendent in order to secure the necessary resources to bring this possibility to realization. A principal has a lot of latitude in the decision to staff an AP for climate and culture, and we encourage every principal to take advantage of this hard-fought victory that CSA was able to secure in our last contract.

Should budgetary issues be the only thing preventing the addition of a needed AP, don’t hesitate to reach out to CSA field staff or our Grievance Department for assistance.

Dale Kelly is Grievance Director at CSA.

For Safety’s Sake, An AP In Every School

Memo From Union HQ Dale Kelly

Of NYC’s Public Schools, Only 6% Operate With Just The Principal, And That Is Too Many

N A T I O N

Education

Legislation has been proposed that would do away with the SAT or ACT requirement for apply-ing to Colorado public colleges. The bill is intended, in part, to make higher education more accessible to low-income and first-generation college applicants whose performance is not always best measured by standardized tests. If passed, the legislation would make it optional to sub-mit scores. Opponents of the legislation would prefer to see more resources directed toward K-12 schools to better prepare students for college and testing. (Chalkbeat)

COLORADO

Optional Tests

CALIFORNIA

School RenamingsSan Francisco is moving forward with a plan to rename some 44 schools that have born the names of figures such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and others. The resolution passed with a 6-1 vote and has been met with mixed reactions. Names included on the list are those that have been deter-mined to “engage in the subjuga-tion and enslavement of human beings; or who oppressed women, inhibiting societal progress; or whose actions led to genocide; or who otherwise significantly dimin-ished the opportunities . . . to life, liberty and the pursuit of happi-ness”. Schools slated for renaming have the opportunity to propose alternative names. (NPR)

While planning to reopen its schools for the first time since last spring, Chicago public schools offered families the option of opt-ing out. The Chicago district saw the majority of white students return to schools, along with 62 percent of Hispanic students and about 50 percent of Black students. Chicago has seen its sharpest decline in enrollment in two decades and reportedly more students are completely disengaging, not reporting for in-person or remote learning. (Chalkbeat)

ILLINOIS

Reopening Woes

Broken Bow Public Schools in Oklahoma informed parents recently about a new middle and high school policy. If students do not have a mask with them, they will have to pay $1 to buy one at school. Reusable masks were pro-vided when schools first opened, but supplies are depleted. If students do not have a mask or the money with them to purchase one, they will have to call a parent or guardian to bring one or a dol-lar to buy one. (CNN)

— Compiled by Christine AltmAn

OKLAHOMA

Mask Up

• • •

BY CSA STAFF

On Feb. 18, the New York City Council held a hearing about safety in New York Public Schools. The hearing focused in part on the pledge to remove school safety agents from the purview of the NYPD. Testifying for CSA was First Vice President Rosemarie Sinclair, who among many other duties has been field-

ing safety questions for our union.

In her testimony, Ms. Sinclair stressed that our members’ first priority is always the health and safety of students and staff, and noted that CSA is committed to a smooth transition. But she asked pointed questions about formal roles for prin-cipals and other administra-tors in planning, hiring and training for school safety.

And perhaps most impor-tantly, she gave voice to a concern many school lead-ers have been expressing: If it is to be the DOE that will inherit responsibility for school safety agents, that agency’s track record in this area is not a glorious one.

“What gives us any rea-son to believe the DOE is any better positioned to take this responsibility on today?” she asked.

n CSA First Vice President Rosemarie Sinclair

School Safety Agents, NYPD To DOE?Police Reforms

CSA NEWSFeb. 2021 5

BY EMMA KATE FITTES

When Alexa Sorden opened PS 359 Concourse Village Elementary in the Bronx in 2013, she faced skepticism from parents. One told her that it was the same school the city just shut

down, only with a different name. She was under pressure to prove that her approach was different, and help the students who had fallen behind.

“To see second graders who couldn’t write their names, I cried a lot that year,” Ms. Sorden said. “I couldn’t believe it.”

Seven years later, Concourse Village was recog-nized as one of the most successful urban schools in the country by the National Center for Urban School Transformation. The school will be one of two in New York City — along with PS 171 Patrick Henry Preparatory School in Harlem — highlighted in the 2020 America’s Best Urban Schools Symposium, to be held March 1-4, 2021.

Both schools were chosen because they serve children from low-income and diverse communities without selective admission, yet are among the high-est achieving schools in the state.

“These schools show us that Black students, Latinx students, and students from low-income families can achieve outstanding academic results, if we act in ways that challenge them, support them, and show that we are committed to their success,” NCUST Executive Director Joseph Johnson said in a press release.

Principal Dimitres Pantelidis attributes Patrick Henry Preparatory’s success in part to the preK-8 curriculum teachers have collaboratively built “from the ground up.” The year is structured around themes of study, which students find relatable and relevant. For example, Mr. Pantelidis said students may spend four weeks learning about chocolate — creating and marketing their own recipe, researching Nutella’s recipe change, and reading a biography on Milton S. Hershey before virtually visiting Hershey, PA.

This approach deprioritizes drills on standardized test preparation, Mr. Pantelidis said, instead making the focus preparing students for life and higher edu-

cation. Students scored well above the state average in 2018-19 with more than 70 percent of students proficient in English and math.

“I truly believe great teaching is going to contrib-ute to students being good readers and thinkers and problem solvers,” he said. “What better way than if a kid is motivated in an area of study?”

At Concourse Village Elementary, Ms. Sorden and her teachers have created a common lan-guage used across grade levels to ease the tran-

sition for students. All teachers use the same words and tactics, such as “power dollars,” which students accrue for positive behavior.

“We wanted them to fall right into place and get learning from grade one,” Ms. Sorden said.

Reading is now central to every subject and lesson. Students start annotating text in Kindergarten, draw-ing a heart next to their favorite part or a stick figure to a passage they can relate to. Next, they add an “f” for “fact” or “kd” for “key detail.” They are regularly challenged to explain where they got an idea from the text, Sordon said. In 2018-19, 73 percent of stu-dents were proficient by state standards in English.

“The habits that we really wanted them to walk away with was that idea of advocacy,” Ms. Sorden said. “I grew up in the same culture as the students that I serve. One of the things I recalled…was how often I was told to accept what was given and not ask questions. We want students to push and question.”

After Urban School Achievements, National Recognition Awarded

n Patrick Henry Preparatory Principal Dimitres Pantelidis: Keeping kids inspired with themes of study from the ground up.

n PS 359 Principal Alexa Sorden: From a closed school to an award winner in a few short years.

BY PETER MCNALLY

In the NYS Education arena, 2021 promises to be a year of big changes.

In January, the New York State Board of Regents chose Dr Lester Young to become their Chancellor, the first African American Chancellor in our state’s history. Already, the Regents under Dr Young’s lead-ership requested three waivers concerning academic for grades 3-8, Regents exams, and ESSA school accountability from the USDOE. Testing had been waived for Spring 2020.

February brought more changes. The Board of Regents had conducted two nation-wide searches for the commis-sioner position which became vacant after Dr MaryEllen Elia resigned in 2019. Three interim acting commissioners, Beth Berlin, Shannon Tahoe and Dr. Betty Rosa, served during the year and a half search. The

Board of Regents announced at their February meeting that their choice was Dr. Rosa. For the first time, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) now has a chancellor and commissioner who both were NYC principals and super-intendents. Two other former principals and superintendents, Dr. Kathleen Cashin who rep-resents Brooklyn, and Judith Chin who represents Queens, are still on the Board of Regents and bring years of experience. The Board of Regents also has two other former superinten-dents from upstate NY. Never before has the NYSED had such extensive public education leadership.

Nationally, President Biden picked a seasoned educator to become secretary of educa-tion. Miguel Cardona was a principal, superintendent and commissioner of education in Connecticut.

The NYSED chancellor, Board of Regents and com-missioner have many import-ant policy decisions to make. COVID19 has required the NYSED to make many emer-gency changes in regulations to address the drastic differences in how educational services are delivered during the pan-demic. It will be interesting to see how many of these changes wi l l become permanent changes after the pandemic. It is expected that the USDOE will grant testing waivers since administration of the tests will be an impossible task during the pandemic. This will open the door for policy changes in many areas. These topics will include the role of standard-

ized testing, the various types of testing (formative, summa-tive, project based), graduation requirements, the APPR and school accountability measures. All of these are interrelated so a game of dominoes may begin in Spring 2021.

As virtual instruction con-tinues to evolve, NYSED has received a three-year US DOE grant entit led RETHINK, which provides funding for professional development for teachers and school leaders on digital teaching and learning. The NYSED has also begun to conduct “digital equity sum-mits” to evaluate and plan how to better serve all students elec-tronically.

NYSFSA will remain actively engaged in all of the above topics.

Peter McNally is the executive director of NYSFSA. CSA President Mark Cannizzaro is NYSFSA’s president.

On State and Federal Level, Big Year AheadTeachers’

Retirement SystemJanuary 2020

Unit Values

Diversified Equity

Fund: 17.241

Balanced Fund: 17.000

International Equity Fund: 12.456

Sustainable Equity Fund: 25.162

U.S Equity Index Fund: 13.584

International Equity Index Fund: 12.493

www.trsnyc.org

• • •

CSA NEWS6 Feb. 2021

New Faces On Your Union’s 2021 Executive BoardExecutive Board members are the elected representatives who make up CSA’s legislative body.

They must vote the will of the membership that they represent, whether that’s a school district or a job title across the city. They attend general membership meetings, support and confer

with district chairs, and participate in events such as parades and rallies. They must keep their ears

The people who are already on the executive board have been a great support to me and I wanted to pay it forward and do the same for others who are coming on, especially during this difficult time. I’m one of the more senior principals in the District and I want new members to trust the union and feel sup-ported in their work. I want to tell them the union is important and that it sheds light, but also that it’s not a one-way street where the union is going to give you everything you want. It’s a conversation and you have to participate. Equity is a big part of our work – that’s a huge part of why I ran. Our union has evolved a lot during my career. I never thought I would be here: I’m grateful to be an African American and female executive board member.

Monique Mason is principal of JHS 131 Albert Einstein in the Bronx.

I’ve always been a union member and never thought of not being one. It’s an import-ant backbone for us. When I was deciding whether to run, I thought that in this climate we need to continue to strengthen our voice. How we have been treated was an eye opener – it has been going on a long time, but the pandemic made it much more transparent. So, for me, this is a good time to be a part of our collective efforts. District 11, like all districts, has had its own set of issues, but this crisis has brought us all together. We share the same concerns across all the districts.

Ms. Gutierrez is principal of PS 111 Seton Falls in the Bronx.

A member since 2005, I rec-ognize the importance of our union and I want to give back. As an EA, you can feel alone in your job. Knowing that our union is behind you is comforting. People in this position feel they can talk to me, and even before I ran for the board, EAs had been reaching out to me for counsel and I was spending a lot of time connect-ing them with CSA’s resources. I’m also president of the EAs Association, so I’m going to try and connect more EAs with that organization, amplify the net-working possibilities and tap into our own membership’s talent. People are waking up and want to be involved: A lot of EAs ran for this position, so I’m thrilled my colleagues chose me.

Nancy A.Woods is Director of Technology & Engineering, OCIPL, Office of Curriculum, Instruction & Professional Learning.

My goal is to support our members and vote on behalf of all Assistant Principals of Administration in NYC. If they have issues or need help, I will be their voice. I’ll bring their messages to the table. Our members are not alone: Our union is here representing them. As Muhammad Ali once said, “The rent we pay to live on this earth is our service to others” I will ensure that our members are fully aware of the benefits available to them through CSA. I want to make CSA the best union when it comes to protecting its mem-bers.

Mr. Smallhorne is AP Administration at the Young Adult Borough Center at Herbert H. Lehman campus in the Bronx.

As a President’s Club member since being appointed an AP in 2005, I recognize the need for union representation. With the increasing issues facing all admin-istrators, it has never been a more important time to work more actively in CSA and increase my voice. I’m humbled and proud to represent AP Administrators thoughout the city in this time of flux. It’s important to protect the rights of all and make sure there are equitable solutions created for all school communities. As our tax base decreases, it is imperative that we come together to fight for equitable funding for our schools! I look forward to talking and listening to my colleagues throughout the city on how CSA can better serve the needs of our constituency.

Mr. Reich is AP Administration at the Young Adult Borough Center at Lincoln HS in Brooklyn.

Monique MasonDistrict 8

Celina GutierrezDistrict 11

Nancy WoodsCitywide EAs

Martin SmallhorneAP Administraton

Neal ReichAP Administraton

DISTRICTS 1-6 MANHATTAN

Darlene Cameron District 1

Gary Shevell District 2

Marlon Lowe District 3

Lisette Caesar District 4

Deborah Payne District 5

Christopher Anest District 6

DISTRICTS 7-12 BRONX

Amy Andino District 7

Monique Mason District 8

Luis Torres District 9

Marybelle Ferreira District 10

Emmanuel Polanco District 10

Christopher Warnock District 11

Celina Gutierrez District 11

David Cintron District 12

DISTRICT 13-23, 32 BROOKLYN

Marian Burnbaum District 13

Liza Caraballo-Suarez District 14

Elizabeth Garraway District 15

Karen Hambright-Glover District 16

Rose Graham District 17

Carolyn James District 18

Stephaun Hill District 19

Jaynemarie Capetanakis District 20

Dominick D'angelo District 21

Salil Paingankar District 22

Ronda Phillips District 23

Gail Irizarry District 32

DISTRICTS 24-30 QUEENS

Robert Quintana District 24

Theresa Mshar District 25

Michael Ranieri District 26

Frank De Sario District 27

Jill Hoder District 28

Estelle Moore District 29

Clemente Lopes District 30

DISTRICT 31 STATEN ISLAND

Lisa Arcuri District 31

Paul Giordano District 31

DISTRICTS 75 & 79

Heather Leykam District 75

Kuvana Jones District 75

Roderick Palton District 75

Horacio Burrowes District 79

BOROUGH HIGH SCHOOLS

Bernard Ascona Manhattan High Schools

Yecencia Cardoza-Delarosa Manhattan High Schools

Juan Villar Manhattan High Schools

Full Executive Board, Council of School Supervisors and Administrators

CSA NEWSFeb. 2021 7

New Faces On Your Union’s 2021 Executive Boardto the ground on political issues and candidates. They are, ultimately, ambassadors for the union. In January, an election ushered in a small group of new executive board members. Here they discuss how they hope to serve their CSA constituencies. Also, there follows along with a full list of the current members of the board.

I am elated to join the Board. An active member of CSA for over 15 years., and seasoned leader, I have insight into what District 15 needs to make our schools opti-mal teaching and learning envi-ronments. I look forward to work-ing with CSA members on policies based on sound educational prac-tices. The pandemic has thrust us into a fight for integrity in our field and it’s more important than ever that educational leaders lead with empathy, create a nurturing work environment, foster rela-tionships built on trust, and push to realize our vision of equity and high standards. I will work closely with District 15 administrators, CSA executives, and leaders across the city to support current mem-bers and cultivate new leadership.

Ms. Garraway is principal of PS 118, The Maurice Sendak Community School, in Brooklyn.

I’m humble and grateful that my colleagues chose me to represent them across a diversity of high schools across New York City – many of them very successful schools. I’m privileged to represent them on the executive board. I’ve always been a unionist – when I was a UFT member and now as a CSA member. I’ve been in the DOE for many years and it’s crucial that we work together. We’re stronger collectively than we are individually.

Mr. Ascona is principal of Union Square Academy for Health Sciences in Manhattan.

I come from a family of union workers. I was a chapter leader and staff developer. On CSA’s Executive Board, I hope to help Bronx high schools better communicate with one another, to help build union consciousness, build solidar-ity and make us all stronger, especially when we are facing unprecedented, conflicting and often nonsensical mandates. We can come to appreciate each other more, and that can lead to thoughts and actions that can create real solidarity.

Mr. Powers is principal of Herbert H. Lehman High School in the Bronx.

I’m an elementary school principal, in my seventeenth year. I’ve been an active mem-ber of CSA since I became an administrator in 2002, and I’m a former District 19 executive board member and chair. I’ve also been an advocate, lobby-ing with CSA’s political action committee. As the current president of the New York City Elementary School Principals Association, I am able to sup-port all elementary school prin-cipals both professionally and now politically. I am grateful to all elementary school princi-pals who have entrusted in me to represent them. I look for-ward to continuing to support elementary school principals and making sure we can all support our union.

Mr. Andrews is an intervenor at CSA’s Supervisory Support Program.

Elizabeth GarrawayDistrict 15

Bernardo AsconaManhattan High Schools

John PowersBronx High Schools

George AndrewsElementary School Principals

Marie Guillaume Bronx High Schools

John Powers Bronx High Schools

Ramon Namnun Bronx High Schools

Fredrick Manning Brooklyn High Schools

Richard Forman Brooklyn High Schools

David Newman Brooklyn High Schools

Lourdes Cuesta Brooklyn High Schools

Susan Barone Staten Island High Schools

Moses Ojeda Queens High Schools

William Bassell Queens High Schools

Sadia Rodriguez-Tabone Queens High Schools

Christopher Tidridge Queens High Schools

ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE

Joseph Napolitano

Vincent Verdiglione

Joseph Simione

Patricia Gil

Alejandro Fernandez

Diana Rodriguez

Joann Bramante

Joann Nurdjaja-Acuna

PRINCIPAL ELEMENTARY

George Andrews

Anthony Cosentino

Elisa Brown

Javier Muniz

PRINCIPAL MIDDLE AND K-8

Dr. Reginald Landeau Jr.

Kenneth Zapata

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL HIGH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION

Martin Smallhorne

Neil Reich

John Moschetti

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL HIGH SCHOOL SUPERVISION

Rhonda Pekow

Jeff Engel

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL HIGH SCHOOL SPECIAL EDUCATION

Halley Tache-Hahn

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL SPECIAL SCHOOLS AND CITYWIDE

Marcia Pitt

Michael Athy Principal, HS Alternative, Adult Education

Edward Tom Principal, HS Alternative, Adult Education

Desmond Park Principal, Special Schools

EDUCATION ADMINISTRATORS, CSE CHAIRS, EARLY CHILDHOOD DIRECTORS

Jay Findling

Denise Schira

Nancy Woods

Sheila Willard

Steven Birkeland

Nickelos Grant

EDUCATION ADMINISTRATORS SUPERVISORS OF SPEECH/PSYCHOLOGY/HEARING/VISION/SOCIALWORKERS

Willam Cooper

Aminah Lucio

Full Executive Board, Council of School Supervisors and Administrators

“

”

It’s more important than ever that we lead with empathy, create a nurturing setting, and realize our vision of equity and elevated standards.

CSA NEWS8 Feb. 2021

n MICHAEL N. EDELMAN, 72, of Brooklyn, New York, died April 6 of COVID-19. Mr. Edelman taught English at Far Rockaway, Grover Cleveland, and Edward R. Murrow High Schools, and served as AP, English, at James Madison High School for about thirty years. “He was deeply committed to education, social justice and to the integra-tion of English and the arts,” said his wife, Muriel Frischer, who noted that he wrote Annenberg, Bertelsmann, and Project Arts grants which were funded to support this goal at James Madison. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his sons, Jonathan and Matthew Edelman. n SEYMOUR L. GREENSTEIN 85, died Dec. 30, in Boca Raton, Fla. Mr. Greenstein was born in Brooklyn and graduated from Tilden High School in East Flatbush. He served in the US Army, achieving the rank of corpo-ral, and earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in speech services from Brooklyn College. Mr. Greenstein began his career as a speech therapist in elementary schools and later served in intermediate schools and retired in 1990 after serving as supervisor of speech services for schools in Brooklyn, Staten Island and part of Queens. “He loved children,” said his wife, Sara. “He loved the idea of helping people.” The couple mar-ried in 1960, raised their family in Brooklyn and had recently celebrated their sixtieth anniversary. They relocated to Delray Beach, FL, after retirement. Mrs. Greenstein said her husband was a very good athlete who played tennis throughout his life. In addition to his wife, Mr. Greenstein is survived by his brother, Jerry Greenstein, two children, Amy Eisenberg and Barry Greenstein, and four grandchildren.n SONDRA HARBUS, 79, died Oct. 18. She lived in Somerset, NJ. Mrs. Harbus was born in 1941 in the Bronx and lived in Staten Island most of her life. Mrs. Harbus earned a bachelor’s degree from Hunter College and attended Kean College in New Jersey and the College of Staten Island, where she earned her master’s degree. An EA, she and her team provided placement for children living with disabilities in Staten Island. In retirement, she was an avid bridge player. She is survived by her husband Richard; her children and their spouses, Steve and Jamie, Susan and Paul; her step-children, Alexandra and Barry, and Jonathan and Elaine; her sis-ters Gaye and Iris, and eight grandchildren. n FRIEDA M. HOMER, 72, died Oct. 18. She lived in Mt. Vernon, NY. Ms. Homer was born in Manhattan to parents who sur-vived the Kovno Ghetto and later, the Death Marches toward the end of World War II, according to her husband, Rabbi Mordecai Genn. “It’s a real immigrant story” he said. “They came to the States with nothing,” he wrote. The family lived on the Lower East Side until Ms. Homer was 7 years old when they moved to the Bronx. Ms. Homer graduated from the former Theodore Roosevelt High School in that borough before earning a bachelor’s degree in math from Hunter College (Uptown), now Lehman College, in the Bronx. She earned a master’s degree in educa-tion from City College of New York, Manhattan. Ms. Homer began her career as a student teacher and a tutor of mathematics at Roosevelt. “That start…shaped the rest of my life in education,” she said upon retirement. In 1987, Ms. Homer was appointed assistant principal at Thomas Jefferson High School in Brooklyn, where she remained until she retired. According to her husband, Ms. Homer enjoyed nee-dlepoint, knitting, Broadway the-

ater, and music concerts during the 1960s and ‘70s. She and her husband traveled to Europe, Africa, China and the Middle East. “Last but not least, she was a passionate shopper,” her husband said. In addition to her husband, Ms. Homer is survived by her sister, Esther Zimmerman; an aunt, Miriam Movshovitz, and three cousins.n ARTHUR H. KETTENBEIL, 71, died Dec. 30. He lived in Las Vegas, NV. Mr. Kettenbeil retired in 2005 from Brooklyn Technical High School following a 33-year career at the school. During his tenure, he worked as an English teacher and as an Assistant Principal of Guidance. He was the advisor to the school newspaper, “The Survey,” and the advisor to the senior class. He was a former member of the board of directors of the Brooklyn Tech Alumni Foundation, and president and treasurer of the Long Island Chapter of the Brooklyn Tech Alumni Foundation. A 1967 graduate of Brooklyn Tech himself, Mr. Kettenbeil was given the Brooklyn Tech Alumni Foundation’s Tech Faculty Emeritus Award in 2013, in recog-nition of his years of service to the school. “Artie was a fiercely loyal Technite through the decades, beloved for his larger-than-life personality. We will miss him profound-ly,” read the entry, which was posted by Brooklyn Tech Alumni. Former Brooklyn Tech Principal Randy Asher, now deputy CEO of Labor Policy at the DOE, called Mr. Kettenbeil a colleague and friend. “Artie was a scholar and a gentleman, a deep voice sharing wisdom and sage advice while subtly mentoring the rest of us,” he said. “I returned to Tech as principal after Artie had retired, but he continued to support the school community through his tireless work with the Brooklyn Tech Alumni Foundation, especially the Long Island Chapter. He helped raise funds for student activities, teacher professional development, and new technology and equipment for both students and staff. He was always there to help students in need, be it a small issue or a major crisis in their life. He had the same approach to helping colleagues.” Mr. Kettenbeil is survived by his wife, Cindy, and other family members.n ESTHER M. MATELLI, 86, died July 21. She lived in Darlington, MD. Born in Baton Rouge, LA., she moved to Rockaway Beach as a child. In 1954 she married Arthur Matelli and moved to Flushing, where she raised her two children and began a successful career

as a special education teacher and super-visor. In retirement, she enjoyed traveling and playing pinochle on the beach with her friends.  She is survived by her son, Stephen Matelli of Darlington and his wife, Lillian; and granddaughter, Grace H. Matelli and many nieces, nephews and close friends.n CHARLES MILLER 90, died Oct. 8. He lived in Great Neck, NY. Dr. Miller grew up on the Lower East Side and graduated from Seward Park High School. He earned a BA from City College. Fascinated by psychol-ogy, he earned a master’s degree, then a doctorate from Yeshiva University, and also completed two post-doc training fellow-ships. Dr. Miller took a job as a psychologist in training at the Bureau of Child Guidance in the early 1950s. Dr. Miller organized the first chapter of the BCG for the UFT, and was named that chapter’s chair. At the time, said Dr. Miller’s wife, the BCG was known as the largest mental health clinic in the world. Eventually, Dr. Miller became a supervisor in the BCG and then administrator of the Queens division of the agency. He retired around 1998, said his wife. He maintained a private practice in Brooklyn until about 10 years ago, she said. Dr. Miller met his surviving wife, the former Dr. Ruth Ellen Rosenfelder, in 1974. The couple had two children. They moved to Great Neck in 1977. Dr. Miller was an avid hiker who loved the outdoors. Later in his life, he became an amateur mycologist, said his wife. “He was very interested in gardening and traveling. And he was utterly beloved by the social workers and psychologists whom he was in charge of.” In addition to his second wife, Dr. Ruth Ellen Miller, Dr. Miller is survived by the couple’s two children, Jeffrey and Elise Miller; two step-children, Michael and John Rosenfelder, and eight grandchildren — Julia, Henry and Nicholas Miller; Matthew, Elsa, Alex and Hannah Rosenfelder, and Christian Zimmerman. n PETER PAUL ROSASCHI, 89, died Dec. 8.  Born and raised in Brooklyn, he grad-uated from Midwood High School and New York University. His mother taught at Clara Barton High School in the Home Economics Department. Before embarking on his career in education, he joined the Navy, from which he retired in 1981 (from the Reserves) with the rank of commander. He began his 35-year educational career as a teacher and dean of students with a focus on children with special needs. As an AP and principal, he served in special ed programs including at PS 106 at Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital. He retired in 1990 as

Principal of PS 17, a District 75 school. Outside of his commit-ment to students, Mr. Rosaschi was dedicated to a myriad of causes. He volunteered for more than 50 years with the American Red Cross, was a life member of Monroe Ambulance Corps and YMCA, worked with the Police Athletic League and was active in veteran affairs with American Legion Post 488. American Legion Post 779 hon-ored him in their 2018 parade as Grand Marshal. In addition to his wife of 62 years, Florence Rosaschi, he is survived by his children, Ellen Linares, Nora Habig, Peter III, Daniel, Thomas, John, and Amy Pinto, as well as 23 grandchildren around the country to whom he was very close and introduced his hobby of woodworking, devising and completing many projects with them. “Pete was a true and loyal friend,” said his longtime friend and colleague, Constance Testa. “And his friends were legion.”

Send obituary notices to CSA News Editor Chuck Wilbanks at chuck@csa-nyc.org.

In Memoriam

BROOKLYN TECH ALUMNI FOUNDATIONArthur H. Kettenbeil

N A T I O N

Labor

Haverhill’s School Committee is developing a plan to help front-line workers care for their children in remote learning, by calling for them to have an opportunity to remote learn at school. Students would use their own laptops and be supervised by proctors. The program would be offered two days a week. Opponents to the plan say it will be difficult to fill the positions to supervise stu-dents and the teacher’s union has weighed in saying the proposal is “unworkable.” (The Observer)

MASSACHUSETTS

Plan For Front-Line

MINNESOTA

Worker ProtectionsA bill has been proposed that would provide meatpacking workers the right to refuse to work in unsafe conditions and would require employers to provide sick time. The meat and poultry industries endured COVID19 outbreaks that sickened hundreds of employees at processing plants during the pandemic. Legislators proposing the bill said the current protections that meatpackers have under the Packinghouse Workers Bill Of Rights in 2007 are insufficient. (MPR News)

Last minute negotiations led to an agreement to reopen Chicago public schools. A strike or lockout had been a distinct possibility. The Teachers Union fought the return to classrooms and talks had broken down, with each side accusing the other of failing to come to the bargaining table. The union contended the district had not implemented sufficient safety plans, including prioritizing teach-ers’ vaccines. (AP News)

ILLINOIS

School Reopening

Amazon may have its first unionized warehouse in the US if workers at an Alabama facil-ity vote for it. Voting began in early February. Workers talk of arduous productivity quotas and wanting more of a voice in how they work, are disciplined or fired. The 5,800 workers will vote on whether to join the retail, wholesale and department store union. Amazon is trying to delay the election to enable it to take place in person. (NPR)

ALABAMA

Union Warehouse

Many supermarket chains offer workers a financial incentive to take the COVID vaccine. Kroger pays associates who receive the full recommended doses of the vaccine a $100 payment. Those unable to take the vaccine for health or reli-gious reasons can earn the incen-tive by taking a health and safety course. Kroger has stores under sev-eral brands in 35 states. (CNN)

— Compiled by Christine AltmAn

CALIFORNIA

Vaccine Pay

CSA NEWSFeb. 2021 9

It was a huge peace of mind. It was even more important to me because I had an unexpected health situation: In my second trimester I had a regular checkup and my doctor sent me to an oncologist the next day. We had to be safe, and the surgeons didn’t want to operate during my third tri-mester, so in early October I underwent a breast duct excision. I had to take off from work for the surgery and recovery. The paid parental leave cushioned that blow, so I didn’t have to use all my sick days, and it allowed me to extend an additional four weeks. My first day back on the job was April 24, rather than the end of March. It was right after the shutdown. I was so thankful I could use the time to keep myself and my baby safe.

Anna Jackman, an EA at the Office of Equity and Access, gave birth to her son Nicholas on June 8, 2020: I was very concerned because paid parental leave wasn’t in effect yet when I got pregnant. How was I going to make this work? I knew I’d have six weeks off, but I was telling my husband that he might have to take paternity leave. The thought of leaving my baby so soon was scary. When paid parental leave came through, I called [CSA Executive Vice President] Henry Rubio and thanked him. It meant so much, especially in this pan-demic. Without it, I would have had to go off payroll or put our child in daycare. You don’t want to put them in with strangers. It was a huge source of comfort that the union advocated for us during this dan-gerous time. It took one stressor off my

back and allowed me to form a bond with my baby. I’m so grateful for the extra time I’ve been able to spend and to enjoy new mommyhood. As a new mom, you want to know you have people fighting for you, and I feel so supported by CSA.

Stefanie Ericksen, an AP at PS 397, the Spruce St. School in Manhattan, gave birth to her son Ellis on Oct. 7, 2020: For us, the family leave policy was much needed and much appreciated at a critical time. It was a huge blessing in terms

of the pandemic as well. I have a three-year old boy, Ericksen Lowery, and now Ellis is four months old. As a new mom I was try-ing to navigate Covid and keep my baby safe. Using the paid parental leave started with Monica McDonald and Steve Resnick – Steve was always there to answer any questions I had and help me with the paper-work. Monica McDonald was incredible -- she took the time to tell me all my options and rights. It made it so manageable I didn’t go on childcare leave. So directly after my maternal leave, I took paid parental leave. I chose to take them in a row, but it’s amaz-ing you can take the option to break them up or not. It’s just all around a much kinder system now for new parents.

I felt incredibly supported by my union, and incredibly lucky to be among the first group to be able to use the policy.

Hector Velazquez is principal of Eagle Academy for Young Men in the Bronx and Melissa Martinez is an

AP at MS 363 in the Bronx: I haven’t gone on paid parental leave yet – my wife Melissa is due in May – but I will tell you it’s amazing we have it. We have a two-year old and I didn’t have parental leave. It was very difficult when he was born. He was Melissa’s first child: It was challenging for her in many ways, yet I wasn’t able to stay home to support her. You go to work and that preoccupies your mind, but you also worry about how she’s doing and managing her day with a newborn. That was tough. I’m dedicated to my work and I love my school community, but I love my family as well.

I do have some anxiety – I’ve never taken leave before and I worry about the school. It’s going to be challenging to dis-connect so I’ll be staying connected any-way. But my amazing administrative team will give me the chance to stay home, con-nect with our newborn and support Melissa.

The Welfare FundGeneric Drugs, Changes In Life Status, Reimbursements

Dr. Douglas V. Hathaway

Question: I am an Assistant Principal, and recently came down with a severe

cold. My doctor prescribed an antibiotic and a decongestant. I insisted that I receive a pre-scription for a generic antibiotic, but it still cost me $35 for a week’s supply. Isn’t this a mistake?

ANSWER: First, thank you for insisting on a generic medication where possible. Generics save both you and the fund a great deal of money. Your antibiotic purchase was likely the first purchase at a local pharmacy this year. As such, it is subjected to the annual $50 per person, $150 per family deductible. Your decongestant purchase likely used the balance of the deductible, and you paid a percentage of the remaining cost for that medication. The good news is that you have now satisfied your deductible and, should you need an antibiotic later in the year, you will only pay the applica-ble co-pay percentage.

Question: I am an active Principal. I had a new child 18 months ago, and have

tried four times through my payroll secretary to add her to my health plan. I am completely frustrated and don’t know what else to do. Can you help me get my child covered?

ANSWER: This highlights something I mention at every membership meeting, both active and retiree. Whenever you have a change in life status, such as adding a depen-dent, dropping a spouse after a divorce, adding a new spouse or domestic partner, you MUST inform all parties that maintain your records. You must file paperwork with your payroll sec-retary or HR department for the City provided

health plan and contact the Welfare Fund as well. The Fund and health plans do not routinely pass personal information back and forth due to privacy regulations, so it is your responsibility to ensure all parties are notified.

With all City agencies working remotely turnaround time is lagging. It can take up to two weeks to have a submission to HR Connect accomplished. Save all emails received from HR Connect after your sub-mission in case they are needed to expedite a delayed request. We have developed relation-ships with staff at all the health plans and city agencies so that we can help expedite things when necessary, but it is still your responsibil-ity to initiate the status updates.

Question: I am a retired high school prin-cipal and covered by Medicare and GHI.

Every February I receive a check for $480 from the Welfare Fund. I do not mind receiving checks in the mail, but please refresh my mem-ory and let me know why I am getting this check.

ANSWER: My pleasure. The check you receive is to help pay for the cost of the pre-scription drug rider for those who are covered by the GHI Enhanced Medicare Part D drug plan. Prior to Medicare Part D, the Retiree Welfare Fund reimbursed prescription drug copays for all retirees after the end of the year. With implementation of Medicare Part D back in 2005 we were prohibited from doing so for those in the GHI Enhanced Part D drug plan. Had we reimbursed copays our participants would never get into the “donut hole” or cov-erage gap, and, as a result, pension deductions

for all City retirees would go up. We analyzed our reimbursements over the

previous few years and determined that $40 per month, for one family member in the GHI Enhanced Part D drug plan, would correspond to the copay reimbursements made before Part D. Since you were in the GHI Enhanced Part D plan for 12 months the previous year, you received $480.00.

If your prescription costs exceed the cover-age gap, and you actually pay more than the Out of pocket maximum (TrOOP) of $6,350 in 2020, the Retiree Welfare Fund will reimburse up to $5,000 of your additional copays, with no deductible.

For those Medicare participants in a plan other than the GHI Enhanced Part D plan we can continue to reimburse your copays. Please send us a report from the pharmacy showing what you paid as well as what the plan paid.

For those retirees not yet Medicare eligible, we continue to reimburse 80% of the copays you and your eligible dependents incur (after taking a $100 welfare fund deductible). If you are a chapter member, the chapter reimburses an additional 20 percent of what the welfare fund pays.

If you are an active in-service Department of Education participant and a spouse or domestic partner has coverage, we will reim-burse the spouse or partners copays at 100 percent, as well as dependent children who are primary under a spouse / partner due to the “birthday rule.”

Dr. Douglas V. Hathaway is CSA Welfare Fund Administrator: dhathaway@csa-nyc.org.

If you add a child, remove or add a spouse, you must inform all parties which maintainyour records

Grateful Families Laud Paid Leave Policy

n Stefanie Ericksen and her son, Ellis: Feeling incredibly supported by her union.

Continued from Page 1

n Saudia Mahamed and her son, Noah: Complications made the leave all the more valuable.

n Hector Velazquez and Melissa Martinez: A new opportunity to support family.

CSA NEWS Feb. 2021

BY LUCIE ELIO

T he CSARC is once again offering the following virtual classes and lectures to members, at no charge, except for the last three events. To register for any of the classes,

email Retireeclasses@csa-nyc.org and list the classes you would like. Please include the class or lecture’s title, your name, your email and phone number.

3/1: Intermediate Mah Jongg – Beverly Hershkowitz, 10:30; History of Staten Island – Pat Salmon, 1:00

3/2: Funny Ladies – Sal St. George, 1:00 3/3: Beginning Bridge – Michael Ebenstein,

10:30 3/4: Author Talk – Arthur Dobrin – This Red

Land, 10:30 3/8: Intermediate Mah Jongg – Beverly

Hershkowitz, 10:30; Women in Sports – Evan Weiner, 1:00

3/9: Big Apple Gangsters – Jeffrey Sussman; The Rise and Decline of the Mob in New York, 1:00

3/10: Beginning Bridge – Michael Ebenstein, 10:30; Writing & Critique – George Hopkins, 1:00

3/11: Beginning Crochet – Sharan Wilson, 10:30; Acrylic Painting – Nancy Baldwin, 1:00

3/15: Intermediate Mah Jongg – Beverly Hershkowitz, 10:30; New York on Film – Max Alvarez, 10:30; Tiffany Lamps – NYHS, 1:00

3/16: Women of New York – Art & Susan Zuckerman, 1:00

3/18: Beginning Crochet – Sharan Wilson, 10:30

3/22: Intermediate Mah Jongg – Beverly Hershkowitz, 10:30; Spanish Flu - Howard Ehrlich, 1:00

3/23: Rock & Roll Ballads Part 2 – Richard Knox, 1:00

3/24: Beginning Bridge – Michael Ebenstein, 10:30; Creative Writing – George Hopkins, 1:00

3/25: Beginning Crochet – Sharan Wilson, 10:30

3/29: Intermediate Mah Jongg – 10:30; Female Impressionist – Mary Dono, 1:00

3/31: Books & Bagels – The Woman in the White Kimono by Ana Johns, 10:30; Beginning Bridge – Michael Ebenstein, 10:30; Technology: Cool Apps for iPads/iPhones, 1:00

10

CHAIR’S MESSAGEGayle Lockett

C h a p t e r

It’s hard to believe it is almost a year since the COVID19 pan-demic started and began the closure of schools, restaurants and businesses. The good news is with

the vaccine being offered, we may be witnessing the light at the end of the tunnel. Many of our members have either made reservations for their vac-cination or have received their first shot and are waiting for the second booster shot. Some of us are having difficulty making reservations for their vaccination, but please do not

give up. How quickly our country gets back to what was normal may depend on the majority of people receiving the vaccine and until further notice, we must continue wearing masks.

In the meantime, our union continues helping our in-service and retiree members by safeguarding our benefits, answering retirees’ questions concerning welfare benefits, IRMAA eligibil-ity, and Medicare questions. The trustees for the Retiree Welfare Fund met on Feb. 2 to discuss a new benefit for CSA in-service and retiree members -- a comprehensive free legal service plan negotiated for all CSA members. (See details on page 1.) This new service is achieved by being a member of a dynamic union, CSA. It is remarkable as retirees, that we are receiving new bene-fits through our CSA Retiree Welfare Fund.

Our RC Units are continuing to meet virtually via Zoom. President Mark Cannizzaro, his schedule permitting, brings greetings and updates. Dr. Douglas Hathaway is frequently the guest speaker. RC Director Mark Brodsky and I always look for-ward to bringing greetings and updates too. We are here for you. If you have not attended a unit meeting, you may be missing out on the opportunity to directly ask questions and learn from each other. The new LI Unit Leader, Renee Shulman, held her first meeting on Jan. 25. At the joint Arizona and California Unit meeting, held by unit leaders Stephanie Thier and Carol Rainey, retirees joined us from the states of Washington, Nevada, Colorado, Utah and Oregon. Remember, it is never too late to join one or more units.

With the upcoming elections in NYC for mayor and city council members, as well as upcoming elections in other key states, our political action committee will continue holding informative and screening meetings for endorsing candi-

dates. On Jan. 26, CSA sponsored a mayoral forum, with seven candidates participating. Candidates must request that CSA interview them first and then the decision for endorsement is considered. For those who attended the forum, look for a survey in an upcoming email for your feedback. All PAC members are invited to attend PAC meetings but must register first.

Usually, a monthly RC Update and Dr. Hathaway will send an important update. Remember, it is important, if you change your email, home address or telephone number, inform the Retiree Chapter and Welfare Fund. In addition, if you change your home address, besides informing the RC and Welfare Fund, you must inform TRS, OLR and Social Security as well.

Please read the CSA and RC website especially if your CSA Newsletter is delayed in the mail.

Be well, stay safe and remain positive.

In Unity,Gayle Lockett

Upcoming Classes On Deck Via Zoom

After months of playing by the rules, and taking every precaution, I tested positive for COVID19. Please, have a festive holiday, but stay safe!

• • •

BY PATRICIA MACK

Reading is Fun and Fundamental! How often have we heard that phase? We might have just ignored the fun part, not realizing what we could have missed. Since our CSA Retiree Chapter book club started, “Books and Bagels.” I am overwhelmed in realizing the number of books we have covered. The book club experience, led and expertly facilitated by Beth Peller, has been thoroughly enjoyable! Reluctant readers should not be intimidated or discouraged. Reading is indeed fun! For now, however, we just have to BYOB (Bring Your Own Bagel). Below are titles we have covered or plan to include by June. More selections and author talks are to come.

Read Deeply With Book Club

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia OwensThe Gentleman in Moscow by Amor TowlesPachinko by Min Jin LeeThe Dutch House by Ann PatchettThe Great Alone by Kriston HannahThe Lost Girls of Paris by Pam JenoffNews of the World by Paulette JilesThe Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel WilkersonThe Lowland by Jhumba LahiriThis Redland by Arthur Dobrin (including an Author Talk)The Woman in the White Kimono by Ana Johns (March)The Vanishing Half by Brit Benett (May)

RETIREETurning A Corner?

n Brenda Steele, a Brooklyn retiree in the crochet class, learned the basic stitches in three classes, and made this baby dress.

CSA NEWSFeb. 2021

The Unit enjoyed a wonderful holi-day celebration featuring music, fun and games and a mixology demonstration. Our movie club viewed and discussed Running on Empty and Bombshell, while our book club delved into the best-selling book Caste by Isabel Wilkerson. Our next book, Lead from the Outside: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change, by Stacey Abrams will be discussed Feb. 26, from 2 pm until 3:30pm. Our unit conducted Zoom classes for beginners in January and February. Please email Wladimir.CSA@gmail.com for more information and to register. Our unit meeting on Feb. 9 featured Wendy Goidel, Elder Law Attorney, to discuss wills, trusts and Community Medicaid. We look for-ward to seeing you.

— Rosalyn allman-manning

BROOKLYN

Hello! Following a successful Zoom meeting held with the Arizona Unit and other CSA Retirees in the West, we are encouraged to do it again, perhaps quarterly. Hopefully, more members will be Zoom ready so they can partici-pate. We’re grateful for all who made it happen and send out a hearty “Thank You!” Get ready to get your ZOOM on! and, hopefully, we will be able to meet in person soon. Stay well and get vacci-nated ASAP! You can reach me at lame-sagramsey@gmail.com or 619-667-0759 (leave a message.)

— CaRol Rainey

11

IRMAA 101: For Those On Medicare

BY NORM SHERMAN 2021 Medicare Part B Deductible

& Premiums: As you start to visit your Medicare doctors in 2021, you will have to pay deductibles again since they reset January 1, 2021. The deductible for Medicare increased $5.00 from $198 to $203. (GHI remains at $50). The portion of the $203 deductible that you pay when you visit a doctor will depend on the doc-tor’s service and what Medicare allows for the service. The likelihood is that it will be less than the full amount of the deduct-ible. You will pay the amount that is left at a future doctor visit or visits. Remember, Medicare will not pay its portion of a doc-tor’s bill, which is about 80%, until you have fully met the deductible.

This year the standard Medicare Part B premium increased $3.90 from $144.60 to $148.50. But some people who enrolled in Medicare in 2020 or earlier will pay slightly less (about $145 per month) because of a hold harmless provision that doesn’t allow Social Security payments to be reduced from year to year for Medicare premiums.

If your yearly 2019 taxable income was greater than $88,000 if you filed indi-vidually or $176,000 if you filed jointly, you will also pay a surcharge known as the income-related monthly adjusted amount or IRMAA in addition to the stan-dard Medicare Part B premium.

The Good News: Both 2021 stan-dard and IRMAA amounts are still reim-bursable. The Office of Labor Relations (OLR) should reimburse you the stan-dard amount automatically in October ‘22, however, you must apply for the IRMAA reimbursement. The applica-tion should become available in January 2022 or February 2022 at the end of 2021. However, you will be able to apply for 2020 IRMAA shortly.

How To Apply for 2020 IRMAA: If you are eligible for 2020 IRMAA reim-bursement, the application will become available in the next several weeks on the CSA Welfare Fund website, www.csawf.org. When you get the applica-tion, you must check which year you are applying for reimbursement. (You can apply separately for 2017 or 2018 IRMAA reimbursements if you never did so and were eligible.) Also, it is critical that you sign the application, or else it will not be accepted.

Am I Eligible? There are 2 ways to determine 2020 IRMAA eligibility: • Your 2020 Part B premium was greater than $144.60. • Your 2018 taxable income (2020 Part B premium was based on this

amount) was greater than $85,000 if you filed individually or $170,000 if you filed jointly.

Documents Needed to Submit With Application: There are two (2) documents that must be included with the application you are submitting for reimbursement. These documents are: 1) The letter Social Security (SSA) sent you, dated November 2019, indicating how much your Medicare Part B premium was going to be in 2020. (Do not confuse this letter with the one you received this past November, which indicated your 2021 Medicare Part B premium. Put that away in a safe place. 2) The SSA-1099 let-ter you should have received in January 2021, indicating the total amount you paid for your Medicare Part B premium.

Please Note: 1. If your spouse or significant other is A) Medicare eligible, and B) a city retiree who has his/her own medical coverage, he/she must fill out and sign a separate application and sub-mit it along with the proper documents.

2. If your spouse or significant other is 1) Medicare eligible, and 2) is your depen-dent, complete the Eligible Dependent Information section on your application (one application for both of you) and sub-mit it along with your proper documents as well as your spouse’s or significant oth-er’s proper documents. This procedure is to be followed whether or not your spouse or significant other is a city retiree.

3. If you or your Medicare-eligible spouse are not yet receiving Social Security, you will not receive a 1099 form. Instead, you will have to send a copy of each month’s SSA billing statement for Medicare Part B and proof of payment for the IRMAA premium (copy of check, credit card statement, or bank statement). If you are providing a credit card or bank infor-mation black out the account information before submitting the information.

Where Should I Send the Application & Documents? Send your completed application to the CSA Retiree Welfare Fund, 40 Rector St, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10006.

The Fund will check your application to determine that you submitted the correct documents. They also will scan your documents (in case the city loses your submission) to their archives, and, log and submit them to OLR.

When Will I Receive My IRMAA Reimbursement? If all goes well, you should receive it in October 2021.

Reminders: 1) Do not submit orig-inal documents. Only copies. 2) Make a copy of your submission(s) and put it in a safe place.

MANHATTANWe continue to reach out to mem-

bers by calling to see how they are doing. Remember, you can always reach me at 917-692-2942 or shw29@verizon.net. Stay safe and stay well.

— stanley Wilson

As the weather shifts, we spend more time outdoors. Many members received their vaccines. The return to the new “normal” is a slow process. We are all eager to socialize again, see family and friends and perhaps even travel! Our joint meeting with the Pacific Coast unit was a huge success, thanks to Zoom and our RC officers. We look forward to future meet-ings with our partners from the West. Members may reach me via a new email address, sthier8@gmail.com. The email previously used will not be viewed often. And instead of the PO box previously used, future mail should be sent to: CSA SW UNIT, Stef Thier, 17850 N 68 St., Unit 3124, Phoenix, AZ 85054. Thank you for updating your records.

— stephanie thieR

SOUTHWEST

We held two general membership meetings on Zoom. In addition to intro-ducing our new Executive Board mem-bers, we were honored to hear from CSA President Mark Cannizzaro, RC Director Mark Brodsky, Chairperson Gayle Lockett, Treasurer Stanley Wilson, AFSA President Ernest Logan, and CSA Welfare Fund Administrator Douglas Hathaway. At each meeting, our unit’s treasurer, Barbara Neis, and legislative representive, Carol Ildebrando, gave information on how CSA works for retirees. As a result of our November survey, our next 2021 Zoom membership meeting will include a guest speaker to address cyber security issues. We are also planning to take a ‘Mid-Atlantic Membership Group Zoom Photo.’ Finally, as a relatively new but growing unit, any-one in Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia or Virginia are asked to invite other fellow CSA retirees in our area to join us. If you have not done so, be sure to update your contact information with our unit leader, Rajinder Kaur at rkcsa11@gmail, or (516) 343-9328.

—DebRa bRoWn

MID ATLANTIC

I sincerely hope that by now our eli-gible members were able to receive the Covid vaccinations available to them in their area. If herd immunity is achieved, we may be able to resume our regularly sched-uled in person activities next season. In the meantime, I want to thank Mark Brodsky for setting up our health and welfare meeting held on Jan. 11, as well as Mark Cannizzaro, Gayle Locket, Ernie Logan and Dr. Douglas Hathaway for addressing the membership. It was nice seeing you on Zoom. Also visit our website at: www.csa-southflorida.com for the latest newsletter, health information updates, forms and pic-tures. Stay safe and healthy!

— lois tuRetzky

LOWER HUDSON VALLEY

Warm Sarasota greetings to every-one. I hit the vaccine lottery! It’s been a challenge to secure an appointment for the vaccine, but do not give up. Put your name on every list within a comfortable driving distance. I was on three lists and out of nowhere, my phone rang! Please be patient, it seems Florida residents are in better shape than our friends up north. If you need any additional information or know of any new members who would like to join our chapter, please call me at (646) 387-2652 or email cindysal6687@gmail.com. Stay well, stay safe, wear your mask and keep your fingers crossed that you get your vaccine soon.

— CinDy salomone

SUNCOAST

I hope you’ve received the vaccine or registered to get it. Be persistent to get an appointment! Until we can safely meet in person, we will continue to meet virtually. Our next meeting is scheduled for May 4 at 11 am. Mark Brodsky will send you a Zoom link invi-tation by email so be on the lookout. Save the date. Dr. Douglas Hathaway will bring us up to date on our Welfare Fund benefits. Email me with any ques-tions you may have for Doug. Stay well, safe, active, and happy.

—luCille VeCChiaRelli

CENTRAL NEW JERSEY

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA

We mailed our newsletter in February with information on upcoming events. Our first event will feature the noted food historian Francine Segan. The vir-tual presentation will be March 11 at 10 am. Our second event, featuring Traci Reimann, Esq., elder care lawyer, will take place on April 8 at 10 am. If you’d like to attend, email me and include your email address. Until then, stay warm, safe, wear your masks and get vaccinated.

—JaniCe imunDi

RC Regional Units

PACIFIC COAST

Free Legal Plan For RetireesCSA is the union that keeps on giving.  We negotiate on your behalf whether you retired years ago or days ago. As you see from the cover of this issue, CSA leaders established a new legal services benefit for all members, with some special provisions for retirees.  This is a significant benefit and the best part is CSA picks up the tab. A frequent inquiry we get from members is whether CSA can recommend a law firm to help with elder law – a will, power of attorney, a health care proxy, etc. This is included in the new legal plan. In addition, this will also cover retirees’ parents and spouses’ parents. And, if you’re a veteran, assistance is offered when applying for the veterans benefit, aid and attendance, which provides extra income for a veteran who requires medical care. To utilize any of these benefits – contact the Legal Services Plan Attorney office at (800) 832-5182.  –Mark Brodsky

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20

21 Periodicals

US POSTAGE PAID ATBrooklyn, NY 11201and Additional Mailing Office

Council of School Supervisors & Administrators, NYCNew York State Federation of School AdministratorsLocal 1 AFSA, AFL-CIO40 Rector St., NY, NY 10006

Printed on FSC certified paper

Queens (DIST. 24-30)

Principal Lisette Caesar started recording herself reading books for stu-

dents at Mosaic Preparatory Academy before the corona-virus shuttered schools. At the time, she was undergoing chemotherapy treatment, and wanted to stay connected with her school community. “For me, it was kind of like my medicine,” Ms. Caesar said. It also helped her connect with authors over social media. Now, leading her school remotely, she is connecting authors from all over the world with students at least once

a week, with books in their hands provided by donors.

Next month, Chelsea Clinton will read students, “She Persisted in Sports.” Ms. Clinton recorded a video for the school more than a year after Caesar stood in line in a lower Manhattan book store after cancer treat-ments to meet her. “Remote learning is hard for my kids and the staff,” Caesar said. “These weekly events are fun and engage our scholars in learning about reading and writing from some of their favorite authors.”

In response to COVID-19 hardships, Principal Christine Chavez decided PS 45 The John Tyler School would end 2020 by focusing on small acts of kindness. With a guidance coun-selor, she created a 15-day Kindness Challenge, starting Nov. 30. Each day held a new challenge, such as giving a compliment, writing a thank-you note or offering to help a friend. Chavez saw more reflection and a calmer tone among students and staff, and sent each of her 104 staff members a handwritten thank you. “It’s given me a refreshed sense of appreciation for everyone I’m fortunate to be sur-rounded by every day,” she said. To keep the momentum, the school now picks a theme each month. February’s theme is perseverance. Students are encouraged to take a deep breath, cel-ebrate a success, ask a friend for help, and tell themselves, ‘you can do it.’

Staten Island (D-31)

Kindness Challenge

Bronx (DIST. 7-12) Manhattan (DIST. 1-6)

Send news about your school to Emma Kate Fittes at ekfittes93@gmail.com.

Unique Read Aloud

n Maspeth High School Assistant Principals Jesse Pachter and Stefan Singh deliver school spirit hats, shirts, and sweatshirts to the homes of teachers and staff in December after the school returned to remote learning.

PS 153 Helen Keller Principal Meghan Kelley began hosting Coffee with the Principal around five years ago in partnership with parent coor-dinator Ron Hartridge. It was an infor-mal way to welcome parents into the building. Typically, about 15-20 would show, but the event was put on the backburner when the building closed due to COVID19. Now Ms. Kelley is hosting the gatherings on Zoom. “We preach and we say that we have an open door... ‘I’m just a Zoom away,’ Kelley said. “We really wanted to live and breathe that. There’s 75 percent of kids who are not coming in. I still want those families to feel like they have access to me.”

Virtual Coffee It Is!

Borough Briefs / In The Schools Compiled by Emma Kate Fittes

n Mosaic Preparatory Academy Preschooler Melody Gutierrez holds a copy of “She Persisted in Sports.” Chelsea Clinton will read the book to students in a video recording as part of the schools ongo-ing weekly virtual author “visits.”

Assistant principals from Maspeth HS spent three days driving across the city to surprise staff with gifts. Jesse Pachter and Stefan Singh purchased school spirit hats, shirts, and sweatshirts, intending to pass them out before winter break. Plans changed when the school went remote. Singh and Pachter started showing up on doorsteps. “I thought it was something that could bring us together and make everyone feel good during these uncertain

grade senators and a vice president into student government. One student ran on a promise to create more opportunities for students to socialize virtually, since about half of the student body learns remotely. After winning their classmates’ votes, the new members had a peaceful transfer of power, said Principal Rebecca Heyward, then got to work. Overseen by school counselor Monica Reyes, they started a program called “Lunch Buddies,” an hour-long virtual hang out three times a week.

times,” Pachter said. They’re considering doing something similar for graduating seniors if the building remains closed.

To get students to participate in remote learning at IS 192 The Linden School, Principal Harriet Diaz got cre-ative, inviting 100 students with the best attendance records to a virtual dance party in December. There was a live DJ, dance competition and prizes. “They’re asking for more,” Diaz said. She may host another one, although this one will have to be larger. Now around 200 students currently have perfect attendance.

On Inauguration Day, PS 017 Henry David Thoreau welcomed two new first

School Spirit And Democracy In Action

Every other month, hair stylists and barbers set up in front of PS 197 John B. Russwurm to offer students free haircuts. It started before last year’s vir-tual graduation, a small consolation for going without an in-person ceremony. Now it’s one of many ways the school, led by Principal Natasha Spann, takes care of its families. Every morning, students are greeted with music and a little party outside. Fridays, each student receives a free meal and groceries from a local restaurant. Twice, teachers painted their cars and formed a parade. “We’re a really close community now and we intend to continue to keep it that way.”

Manhattan (DIST. 1-6)