Conversation Thinking Best Practice Spring Line-Up: With New Ed. Of Retiring? Sharing For New, Updated Panel Chair Prepare Now School Leaders ELI Seminars 3 4 4 6 Feb. 2019 Volume 52, Number 6 American Federation NEWS of School Administrators, COUNCIL OF SCHOOL SUPERVISORS AND ADMINISTRATORS AFL-CIO Local 1 Staten Island: Collaborative Despite APPR Bill, Communities Partnership High-Stakes Test many extracurricular activities ‘Students learn how we’re all alike more in which students from the Woes To Continue two Staten Island schools par- than different. They become supportive, ticipate, but the partnership BY CHUCK WILBANKS is much more than a list of compassionate and will tell you nothing shared activities and classes. Will efforts to curtail standardized testing end up actually Their communities continually end up creating more of the same? has impacted their lives more.’ work together to create a culture That’s the worry after the New York State legislature voted on of inclusion, mutual respect, Jan. 23 to stop linking state math and English tests to teacher understanding and collabora- evaluations for grades 3-8. Despite the delinkage, schools will BY CRAIG DIFOLCO Deirdre DeAngelis and tion. still have to administer the math and English tests, and the new Hungerford Principal Kristin “As a longtime special educa- law leaves in place the rule that half of a teacher’s evaluation Just before the new year, NY McHugh supervised a discussion tor, I’ve always seen how inclu- will be determined by measurement of students. State Education Commissioner panel featuring teachers and sion programs for students with The Annual Professional Performance Review, or APPR, has MaryEllen Elia visited New students who have participated IEPs impact them academically, been widely reviled by educators and ultimately the citizenry Dorp High School to learn more in the inclusion program, and socially, and emotionally,” said as well. The burdens placed on students, teachers and adminis- about the school’s Collaborative the commissioner then sat in Ms. DeAngelis. “And for our trators, as well as unfair results in judging teachers and schools School Communities part- on a choir rehearsal as they students at New Dorp, they get this way, led to the rise of the opt-out movement. Widespread nership with The Richard prepared for their holiday show one of the best lessons possible protests around the state followed, mainly in the form of simple Hungerford School, a District later that week. in how we’re all more alike than refusals to take the exams. In 2015, for example, 20 percent of 75 school. New Dorp Principal The choir is only one of the Continued on Page 5 Continued on Page 9 TRANSITION CENTERS Election Results Are In Crucial New Resource CSA would like to congratulate the 2019-2022 slate of officers on their election. They will be sworn in at the next Executive Board meet- ing on February 13, 2019. They ran unopposed. For Public School CSA would also like to congratulate the new Executive Board who will likewise serve from 2019 through 2022, starting February 1. Thank you to all those who participated in the election process. We also extend our deepest thanks to everyone who served on the Executive Board for Students With IEPs the last three years. They have represented our union with commit- ment and integrity, and their leadership was fundamental to our recent BY CRAIG DIFOLCO for college, entering the workforce or growth and success. attempting to live independently. In November, the DOE opened their “These centers were essentially cre- President Vice Presidents Secretary newest Transition and College Access ated to give students with IEPs a sense Mark Cannizzaro Sam Akel Steffani Fanizzi Center (TCAC) in Queens, the fourth of transition and allow them to con- Jose Garcia such center to open since the initia- sider a number of avenues in terms Executive Vice President Ramon Gonzalez Treasurer tive was launched at the end of 2017 of that transition,” said Education Henry Rubio Lois Lee Christopher Ogno in partnership with the mayor’s office. Administrator Akile Stuart who serves Katiana Louissaint Each center serves as a central resource as an instructional lead of the Bronx First Vice President hub to support students with IEPs as center embedded at Dewitt Clinton Rosemarie Sinclair they and their families craft a plan to High School. “We’re providing a path- See List Of Executive Board Members On move from school to post-school activ- way for them to understand some of P.7 ities, whether that means preparing Continued on Page 5 Raises And Lump Sum News In February, CSA members working for the DOE will receive 25 percent of the retroactive lump-sum payment. This is in addition to the higher pay- checks you are receiving this year, courtesy of our union contract. We are also happy to remind you that a 2 percent salary increase took effect on Sept. 6, and another 4% salary increase took effect on Oct. 6, 2018. 2 CSA NEWS February 2019 PRESIDENT’S PAGE You’re Still Accountable Council of School For Decisions You Share Supervisors & Administrators American Federation of School Administrators, AFL-CIO, Local 1 Shared Decision Making For A Stronger Team By Mark Cannizzaro 40 Rector St., NY, NY 10006 Phone: (212) 823-2020 Fax: (212) 962-6130 trong school leaders know that the mid-1990s.) In this model a team www.csa-nyc.org any new program, policy or of staff members meets regularly to major organizational change is identify needs and develop solutions. President more likely to succeed when there Usually, there are protocols to ensure Mark Cannizzaro Executive Vice President is buy-in from key stakeholders. respectful dialogue, input of all mem- Henry Rubio SAlthough complete buy-ins are not always bers and to avoid personal agendas. First Vice President easy or even possible to achieve, out- Procedures are in place for the occasions Rosemarie Sinclair comes are always more appealing when when impasse is reached. Most models Treasurer Christopher Ogno those around us have been heard and call for the principal to settle an impasse Secretary kept informed of the reasons for major while others call for outside interven- Steffani Fanizzi decisions. Stakeholders want open, honest tion. In the spring 2014 issue of Principal Vice Presidents communication and the sense that a prin- Matters, Dr. David DeMatthews shares Sam Akel Jose Garcia cipal is willing to change course if some- some practical tips for principals consid- Ramon Gonzalez one comes up with a better idea. ering an SDM approach: Lois Lee Katiana Louissaint As principals, we can successfully Nancy Russo, Retiree Chapter collaborate in a variety of ways, based SDM models...have the potential Executive Director Operations on our style, preference and experience. to increase the quality of decisions Erminia Claudio Many of us use an informal process for collaboration, and create a more ethical school. However, General Counsel calling together trusted staff members based on their shared leadership and decision-making can be David Grandwetter expertise or how a particular decision might affect them. treacherous territory to navigate with numer- Other decisions might be better discussed with the entire ous pitfalls, especially for inexperienced prin- Executive Director Field Services Sana Q. Nasser staff, the School Leadership Team, or the UFT consulta- cipals. Field Directors tive committee. The informal nature of this leadership Teachers and staff must feel included but Juanita Bass, James Harrigan, style allows for the principal to decide when and with must also recognize that not all decisions Christine Martin, Frank Patterson, Mercedes Qualls whom to collaborate and, after receiving input, arrive at can or will be made through a democratic or Assistant Field Directors the most informed decision. shared process. Beshir Abdellatif, Eleanor Andrew, I remember a chaotic situation developing in the con- When teachers and staff have influence Mildred Boyce, Laverne Burrowes, gested hallways between periods when I was principal at over decisions, they are more likely to accept Dominic Cipollone, Peter Devlin, Kenneth Llinas, Nancy Esposito, Roberto Flores, I.S. 75. To improve student behavior, a team of us collab- decisions and work diligently to implement Ellie Greenberg, Ray Gregory, orated and came up with a system of scheduling students those decisions. Joseph LaCascia, Monica McDonald, in teams with subject classes in close proximity to each A Shared decision-making process may Dorothy Morris, Beverly Pascal-Miller, Wanda Soto, Yvonne Williams other to reduce their movement and anonymity in our not be appropriate if a principal feels that a overcrowded building. This common-sense solution pro- certain decision is important and cannot be Grievance Director voked some rebellion – “You can’t move me out of my altered. Dale Kelly classroom!” Several teachers had had the same classroom Prior to engaging in shared decision-mak- Assistant Directors for over twenty years. But we went forward, the chaos ing, a principal must have an awareness of Carol Atkins, Robert Colon, Jermaine Garden- ended, and everyone was pretty happy, even in their teachers’ values, commitments, areas of exper- Director of Communications new classrooms. tise and desired outcomes. Craig DiFolco Shared decision-making can deal with everything The moral of the story is to start slowly Director of Political Affairs from traffic flow to student assessment to the uses of with SDM and build capacity rather than Gabe Gallucci technology. As a rookie principal, I collaborated daily Assistant Director, Political Affairs diving into an important decision through a Herman Merritt with my seasoned and well- respected literacy coach on shared process with limited knowledge about Assistant Director curriculum, testing and staff morale. Her input and rela- what will happen. John Khani tionship with the staff helped me gain trust and navigate Special Assistant to President Gary Goldstein some potentially dangerous waters.