Advocacy Day: Union Members Visit Lawmakers At State Capitol PAGES 6-7 Mar/Apr 2020 Volume 53/4, Number 6 American Federation NEWS of School Administrators, COUNCIL OF SCHOOL SUPERVISORS AND ADMINISTRATORS AFL-CIO Local 1 With Public Schools Closed Members Aid Stricken City BY CHUCK WILBANKS ents and some of the city’s highest-rank- ban on large gatherings. successfully guide their staff and parents ing politicians. “As we have already communicated through the challenges to come,” CSA’s The inevitable decision to close New That Friday before the mayor’s press to the Mayor’s Office, CSA strongly statement read. York City’s schools was announced at conference, CSA had issued a statement urges the mayor and chancellor to close Once the decision to close was made, a late afternoon press conference on calling on the mayor to recognize the our city’s schools now,” CSA said in a CSA’s officers and staff worked hard and Sunday, March 15 by a reluctant Mayor enormity of the spread of coronavi- statement to the public. “We hope that long to answer member questions and Bill de Blasio. The announcement came rus and close the schools. The mayor our Mayor and Chancellor will hear the sort out conflicting policy edicts by on the heels of a similar decision by refused through much of the weekend, collective voices of our city’s educators DOE. EAs in particular faced uncertainty Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and followed despite his own administration’s issu- and now shift to distance learning. We about having to report to offices; The pressure from CSA, the UFT, many par- ance of a declaration of emergency and are confident that our school leaders will Continued on Page 12 A New Contract! Union, New York City Ink Deal BY CHUCK WILBANKS fter months of sometimes heated haggling, a huge rally near the steps of City Hall Aand a massive letter-writing campaign by CSA’s member- ship, a new contract for CSA members is now a reality. By an overwhelming margin, members ratified the deal negotiated by CSA President Mark Cannizzaro, Executive Vice President Henry Rubio and General Counsel David Grandwetter. The contract secures a groundbreaking fam- ily leave policy, a new tenure framework, revised salary schedules and pattern raises, and a host of other important measures for our members. More than 96 percent of CHUCK WILBANKS voting members approved n All in favor say, “Aye!” Executive board members vote unanimously for the terms of their groundbreaking new contract with the city. Continued on Page 3 Memorandum School Holds Endorsements Delegation Of Summary Event To Assist For Upcoming From Croatia Agreement Puerto Rico Political Races Visits NYC 4 5 9 9 2 CSA NEWS March/April 2020 PRESIDENTíS PAGE Raises, Reversion Rights, Council of School Parental Leave, And More Supervisors & Administrators American Federation of School Administrators, AFL-CIO, Local 1 Hard-Fought Battle Ends Well. You Deserve This Win. By Mark Cannizzaro 40 Rector St., NY, NY 10006 Phone: (212) 823-2020 ever is a sense of purpose and no way that CSA and our members who Fax: (212) 962-6130 belonging as powerful in a union hope to start a family were going to take www.csa-nyc.org as when a contract is fought for no for an answer. Pregnant school leaders and won. This is such a moment and new mothers candidly described the President Nfor CSA as we stand poised to ratify a very hardships of the status quo at rallies and in Mark Cannizzaro good contract. A great one, in fact. the pages of this newspaper and helped us Executive Vice President This was hard-won. The best part was that force the city to accept the common values. Henry Rubio you stood up for and literally rallied behind CSA members are now entitled to First Vice President a relatively small segment of your brothers receive up to 25 work days of paid parental Rosemarie Sinclair and sisters who desperately needed a paid leave at 100 percent of their regular salaries Treasurer Christopher Ogno parental leave benefit. To me your solidarity without coming off payroll. Immediately is the glory of unions. Another word for it is after being hired, CSA members can choose Secretary Steffani Fanizzi empathy in an age so lacking in it. their start date for the leave, continue to Vice Presidents Every single win reflects what you’ve accrue annual and sick leave, use other Sam Akel told us matters to you. All these gains come applicable leave benefits. CSA also fought Jose Garcia thanks to your patience and support, and hard to secure a rare retroactive benefit to Ramon Gonzalez Lois Lee the single-mindedness of CSA Executive Vice members who became parents on or after Katiana Louissaint President Henry Rubio and General Counsel October 1, 2019. The emails and phone Nancy Russo, Retiree Chapter David Grandwetter, warriors at the table. calls have been joyous and occasionally Executive Director Operations There is a lot to celebrate. We will have even tearful. This is an hallelujah moment. Erminia Claudio a tenure framework that will provide concise guidelines Another matter on which feelings ran high was school General Counsel regarding tenure decisions. There will be reversion rights for safety and security. Although we supported recent changes David Grandwetter any appointed supervisor who is denied completion of proba- to the discipline code, including restorative justice and de-es- tion or discontinued. Excessed APs will get their assignment calation techniques, many of you were alarmed by the way Executive Director Field Services notifications much earlier. Principal evaluations will be more DOE had implemented these practices. You felt that training Sana Q. Nasser fair. There will be fewer meetings for principals. There will in these techniques was woefully deficient and your own Field Directors also be a differential of $15,000 per year above the maximum discretion had been allowed to erode which made it difficult Juanita Bass, James Harrigan, EA salary for the creation of the position Lead Education for you to maintain school discipline, safety and a climate of Christine Martin, Frank Patterson, Mercedes Qualls Administrator. The contract has many other achievements respect. that are too numerous to recount in this column. Moreover, 100 schools were left without APs who are nec- Assistant Field Directors essary to help keep students safe. But going forward, thanks Beshir Abdellatif, Eleanor Andrew, • • • Mildred Boyce, Laverne Burrowes, to this agreement, all principals at all levels will now have Dominic Cipollone, Peter Devlin, Kenneth ore than a few words are in order about winning the option and discretion to create an Assistant Principal Llinas, Nancy Esposito, Roberto Flores, paid parental leave, an intensely emotional issue. In for Climate, Culture and Security. The DOE has agreed that Ellie Greenberg, Ray Gregory, the past, living without it was, “just the way it was,” from now on there will be at least one AP per school. In the Joseph LaCascia, Monica McDonald, M but in the twenty-first century, it is a non-starter. There was absence of one, superintendents will have to develop a plan Dorothy Morris, Beverly Pascal-Miller, that ensures a safe environment. That’s some- Wanda Soto, Yvonne Williams thing, but I strongly recommend that if you don’t have an AP, you hire one. Meanwhile, Grievance Director Dale Kelly I assure you that CSA will continue to be vigi- lant. There is still a lot to do. Assistant Directors Carol Atkins, Robert Colon, Jermaine Garden- • • • Director of Communications s for salary increases, this new con- Craig DiFolco tract provides a raise of greater than Director of Political Affairs A7.5 percent, with compounding, over Gabe Gallucci the life of the contract, which runs retroac- Assistant Director, Political Affairs tively from April 23, 2019 to Jan. 28, 2023. Herman Merritt For decades, more equitable salaries among Assistant Director principals has been a consistent goal of this John Khani union. I couldn’t be more pleased to tell you Special Assistant to President that with this contract, elementary and mid- Gary Goldstein dle/junior high school principals will receive CSA Conference Chair Pierre Lehmuller an additional increase effective Feb. 23, 2021. (See csa-nyc.or/moa for salary details). CSA Historian Manfred Korman I will never forget that afternoon of last CSA Retiree Chapter Oct. 30, when thousands of you rallied Gayle Lockett, Chair outside City Hall for a contract that would Mark Brodsky, Director include paid parental leave and would address your growing concerns about school safety. Our brothers and sisters from the CSA NEWS United Federation of Teachers, District Editor Council 37 and the AFL-CIO New York City Chuck Wilbanks Central Labor Council showed up to sup- Design Consultant port us. Our retirees were there in force. So Michele Pacheco were many of the elected officials who have Production Assistant Christine Altman always been on our side despite recalcitrance from the city administration. The agreement we now have is the embodiment of that CSA News (004-532) is published Blue Ribbon Schools rally. Now, let’s pay attention and bear in monthly except July and August for $35 mind that these wonderful provisions need per year per member by CSA, 40 Rector n CSA President Mark Cannizzaro paid visits to two Blue Ribbon Schools in St., NY, NY 10006. Periodical postage February. Above, top, he congratulated Principal Monique Lopez-Paniagua and her to be enforced and the DOE needs to be held paid at Manhattan, NY, and additional staff, and later stopped in at PS 40M, shown above with Principal Susan Felder and accountable to implement them faithfully.