Charter News

For the first time, unionized charter school leaders participated in the UFT’s annual two-day long intensive training on how to become effective school-based union leaders. The event, which took place on Jan. 19-20 in Rye, N.Y., brought together leaders from the union’s 14 functional chapters, including charter educators from Amber Charter School, Bronx Academy of Promise Charter School, New York French American Charter School in Harlem, Green Dot New York, Merrick Academy Queens Public Charter School, New York City Charter High School for Architecture, Engineering & Construction Industries (AECI), Opportunity Charter School, and the UFT Charter School.

UFT Director of Legislation and Political Action Paul Egan organized the training, which included 340 activists from the union’s functional chapters.  On Saturday morning, UFT President Michael Mulgrew addressed the assembled crowd. He thanked them for attending and provided updates on contract negotiations and the evaluation talks with the Bloomberg administration.  After Mr. Egan and President Mulgrew provided some overall context for the training for chapter leaders, charter school teachers broke out into smaller groups for a series of workshops focused on the specific issues facing unionized charter schools.

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. Jan. 23, 2012 — Teachers at the Evergreen Charter School have won the right to organize and affiliate with New York State United Teachers, but only after a bitter fight that led to the illegal firing of an 8 ½-month pregnant special education teacher for her work organizing the union.

Evergreen’s Board of Education was forced to voluntarily recognize their teachers’ desire to organize and affiliate with NYSUT in late December, after 16 of 20 teachers at the school signed cards October 4 expressing support for forming a union. In addition, more than 65 parents signed a petition supporting formation of what is now being called the Evergreen Charter School Staff Association.

Despite the successful organizing campaign, NYSUT said the union’s work is not yet done.

 NYSUT said Evergreen Charter School administrators illegally fired special education teacher Jill Haag — then 8 ½ months pregnant – on December 2 for her work organizing the union. Haag regularly wore a lanyard stating, “Unions and Charters Working Together” and engaged parents in signing the petition in support of the teachers’ union.

PHILADELPHIA – The Alliance of Charter School Employees, Local 6056, representing the faculty and staff at Khepera Charter School, and the Khepera Charter School Board of Directors have ratified their first union contract. Khepera is an African-centered academy that hosts grades K-8 in Philadelphia’s Mount Airy neighborhood.“We’re excited to have achieved a contract that will allow us to continue to work collaboratively with our administration to strengthen our school community and realize Khepera’s mission,” said eighth-grade teacher Mama Omotayo Johnson. “We initially organized in order to bring more of the teachers’ voices into decision-making at the school, so that we can most effectively advocate for both our students’ needs, and our professional needs.”  

Children 8-17 are invited to write a 100-150 word paper explaining what the Poor People's Campaign was, how it is like the Occupy Wall Street movement, and how Dr. King's dream can be kept alive.

Just before New Year's, a fire broke out in apartment buildings adjacent to Creative Arts Charter School, one of three charter schools in the City that has organized its staff into a union. The opening of school was delayed for a day to allow for clean up.

Teachers at Creative Arts have asked for support from their colleagues in two specific ways:
  • literature for grades 1, 3, 4, & 5
  • other basic school supplies

Anything that you can contribute should be brought to UESF (2310 Mason Street) by Friday of this week. We will also collect donations at our Executive Board meeting on Wednesday, January 4th. UESF will make a $250 contribution to the effort.