17 February 2019

• TAKE A LOOK AT TEACHING: Black and Puerto Rican Caucus panel highlights teacher recruitment and diversity

  Increasing teacher recruitment and diversity was the focus of “Seizing the Opportunity to Diversify New York’s Teacher Workforce,” a four-member panel discussion between educators, administrators and audience members at the 2019 conference of the NYS Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators in Albany in February.

  Participants stressed the importance of students having diverse classroom teachers, something that all agreed inspires students of color to greater achievement.

  “A more diverse teaching force enhances both our community and our students,” said Assemblymember Alicia Hyndman, who

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• Albany teacher travels to El Paso for 'Teach-In for Freedom'

  For Zeovadis Tavarez-Polanco, a fifth-grade bilingual teacher in Albany, speaking out for refugee and immigrant children is a human rights issue — not a political one.

  Tavarez-Polanco, a member of Albany Public School TA, will be joining teachers from across the country this weekend for a "Teach-In for Freedom" in El Paso. The Teachers Against Child Detention group’s aim is to draw attention to the plight of thousands of migrant children being held in detention by the U.S. government and to call for their release.

  “The emotional and mental damage for these children is irreparable. It’s nothing short of child abuse,” Tavarez-Polanco said. “They’re being mistreated and traumatized

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• NYSUT to take part in caucus weekend panel on diversifying the teaching workforce

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  ALBANY, N.Y. Feb. 15, 2019 — New York State United Teachers will take part in a panel discussion about diversifying the teaching workforce as part of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus Weekend on Saturday, Feb. 16.

  The panel — sponsored by Assemblymember Alicia Hyndman and titled “Seizing Opportunity to Diversify New York’s Teacher Workforce” — will focus on the programs and models designed to diversify this workforce and how New York can implement them statewide. The panelists are:

  • Jessica Elliot, a high school social studies teacher and member of the Syracuse Teachers Association and NYSUT
  • Sterling Roberson,

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• With Collegiate Scholars of Tomorrow program, UUP member Christopher Ellis puts young students on the path to college

  By day, Christopher Ellis works in a busy office building on a bustling block in downtown Albany, where he oversees adult learning centers for New York’s state and city colleges.

  By night, by weekend, and by evasive minutes and hours here and there, he directs a new program — Collegiate Scholars of Tomorrow — that puts hope and college money into NY 529 College Savings Program bank accounts for third graders across the city.

• TAKE ACTION: Urge lawmakers to support Special Act Schools

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  Don't leave students with disabilities behind.

  Many years of stagnant funding and increasing costs have endangered the future of Special Act schools, 853 Schools, 4201 Schools that serve the blind and deaf, and public 4410 Programs. In fact, several Special Act school districts have been forced to close and others continue to face serious financial challenges. Funding for these programs should be increased to support the actual needs of the students!

  Take action now at the NYSUT Member Action Center to ask lawmakers to finally provide financial stability to the critical institutions that serve students with disabilities!

  In

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