Hugh M. Spoljaric, President
Kingston
Teachers’ Federation
NCLB AT 5
January marks the 5th anniversary of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Supported by politicos on both sides of the aisle, the executive caretaker has under funded it in public schools every year. Today, testing has taken center stage in education reform. High stakes exams, those given once a year, have sparked a flurry of test preparation activities to make sure students score well on them. In this culture of testing, more than half the students at KHS will be taking the ELA exam, mid-term exams, and prep tests during the Regent’s Week. Several months from now, results from state tests given months before will be headlines in the papers. Schools will be labeled as “good” or “failing”, sometimes due to the failure to take the test by one student.
Teachers reflect that these state tests don’t reflect the content they are expected to teach in the classroom, and the results don’t make their way back to teachers in a timely or user-friendly manner to be of help in adjusting instruction. And, many times educators haven’t had the professional development necessary to interpret the assessment data to improve learning. Even report cards have fell victim to state tests where in Kingston a new elementary report card has come under review for not translating student performance into a language that parents and teachers can understand. So, what kind of marks can we give this icon of testing?
These exams must test what the state expects teachers to teach and students to learn as part of the state standards. What is expected, what is taught, and what is assessed doesn’t always match up. Across the country, a committee of math professionals who, obviously, didn’t understand too much about their audience drove the middle school math curriculum. And, every school district was blamed for the failures. Now, the math curriculum has been revamped (back to where it was originally). Will students do better? Will it be due to content, methodology, or assessment standards? We have to take seriously what constitutes an appropriate test and the appropriate use of a test.
The greatest alignment must be in the federal commitment to fund education. The driving force may be in the next logical step; the dissolution of state testing and the beginning of federal testing. It’s what most countries do and its time may have arrived in America. Get ready.
And, that’s the Bottom Line.
KTF AFFIRMED
In his decision, Stein noted that there is no dispute that the (Kingston) contract “provided substantial savings to the District in terms of its contributions to the Fund during the life of the agreement. In fact, the District derived millions of dollars from the deal which is used to enhance the wage increases received by the teachers with a minimal impact during the life of the contract.” He added that the savings achieved by the District in terms of health care during this round of negotiations “dwarfs the savings” which would have been won were the district’s teachers covered by another plan.
The KTF was represented by NYSUT Labor Relations Specialist Fred Ott, KTF President Hugh Spoljaric, and KTF Grievance Chair
Suzanne Jordan.
Kingston Trust Fund
307 Wall Street, 3rd Floor
Kingston NY 12401
(845) 338-5422
E-Mail: KTF781@aol.com
January 2007
National Health Administrators, Inc
Medical &
Dental
Student Status
Updates Required
Parents of a dependent child over age 19
are responsible for submitting documentation of student status each
semester. It is not the Trust Fund’s
responsibility to remind parents.
A cancellation date is placed on the
computer files of August 31st for the end of the Spring semester and
December 31st for the end of the Fall semester.
The cancellation date is changed upon
receipt of the next semester documentation.
Documentation of
full-time student status can be one of the following:
1. A copy of the class registration showing #
of credits
2. A copy of the class schedule showing # of
credits
3. A copy of the tuition bill that clearly indicates
“full-time”, or the # of credits
4. A copy of the proof of payment for semester
that indicates “full-time”, or the # of credits
The Trust Office mails a letter to the parent to confirm the
documentation is received. These letters have been mailed every semester and
state the dates that are covered under the documentation. The letters also
state that the coverage cannot be extended until the new documentation is
received.
Registration for the next semester classes
often happens in April or in November, so documentation is available prior to
the cancellation dates on the computer files.
Therefore, we repeat that it is the
parent’s responsibility to obtain the documentation as soon as it is available
and send it to the Trust Office.
If a
child needs a prescription before the new documentation is received, the
prescription can be purchased. The
receipt can be submitted to Medco Health Solution for reimbursement after the
coverage has been updated.
It is also a parent’s responsibility to
contact the Trust Office and report changes in the dependent’s status
including:
·
Graduation
·
Employment
w/health benefits
·
Marriage
·
ROTC
assignment
·
Leaving
school during the semester
·
Medical
disability preventing attendance
·
Not
returning to school
Coverage does not automatically continue
for the entire year for a dependent over age 19. There are specific situations
that will cause coverage to cancel before 12/31.
Identification cards are issued by NHAI
when a dependent turns age 19. Replacement
cards must be purchased via the Trust Fund office. The ID card should be
sufficient information to waive health insurance at a college. Any additional verification can be obtained
from the Trust Office.
Members have 30
days after an event to notify the Trust. The events include: marriage, divorce, legal separation, new
baby, adoption, guardianship, a change in spouse’s employment and/or insurance
coverage. Failure to notify the plan can
delay coverage until the next Open Enrollment period in June.
January 1, 2007
NHAI Plan Modifications
Medical: The 3 new
benefit tiers pertain to how the benefits are determined by the provider’s
participation with NHAI. The tiers do not apply to any salary or
retirement tier. Benefits for provider’s contracted with NHAI are determined
under Tier 1. Benefits for provider’s
contracted with Multiplan, Inc or Three River Provider Network are determined
by Tier 2. Benefits for providers that
do not participate with any of the 3 provider networks are determined under
Tier 3.
Prescription: Co-payments for prescription drugs are
determined by these three types of drugs:
1. Generic
2. Multi-Source Brand Name
3. Single Source Brand Name
If a brand name
drug is dispensed but there are generics available, it is a Multi-Source Brand
name drug. If no generic is available, the drug is a Single Source Brand name
drug. Refer to the December Torch for
specific co-payment information.
All members should have received a letter
from Medco explaining the need for members to utilize mail order for any
maintenance drug (taken for linger then 3 months) and any exceptions that
apply.
When the Trust first began 10 years ago,
prescription costs to the Trust were $100k/month. Today, they average $130k
every two weeks or $260k/month. Per member prescription costs have doubled
since 2000, from $1,042 to $2,108.
Amendments and modifications to the plan
are guided by the fiduciary responsibility of the Trustees and the needs of our
members.
ESP DENTAL: As of January 1, ESP members will have
Dental insurance coverage through the Trust. Miriam has been working to contact
all ESP that are entitled to Dental and to have them insured with the Trust by
January 31 with coverage from January 1.
KTF HISTORY
To address our changing demographics, here are some additional items for your understanding.
MOORE DAYS SICK BANK: named after its creator, Shannings (Jerry) Moore who chaired it for 25 years. Members need to notify Glenn Gallagher as soon as they realize they have exhausted their personal allotment of days, not when they are actually out. In all cases, the district must also be notified by the member so they an grant payment for the days.
HIRING: The KTF does not represent you until the District hires you.
The district may choose to grant you all of you degrees and credits and years, or they may not. Whatever is agreed to forms the basis for your employment. All additional degrees, credits, and steps for salary enhancement must be earned subsequent to the hiring.
LETTER OF UNDERSTANDING
The KTF and the District have agreed on a Letter of Understanding regarding the need to provide timely crediting of graduate and in-service credits for salary advancement.
The District will credit all work submitted for salary advancement by the last day of the months of October, November, January, March, May, and June. All submissions shall be no later than the first day of each of the crediting months.
THINGS RETIREES WISH THEY HAD DONE!
Members of the KRTF are an active group and they will be traveling to New Jersey on January 31 for their next luncheon and outing. Contact Don Sweeney for more information.
USA Today did an opinion poll on other retirees and reported the following: 78% wished they had planned better for retirement; 42% wished they saved more money; 37% wished they opened an TSA; 33% wished they contributed more to annuities; 30% wished they invested in real estate; and 30% wished they used financial advisors.
We trust that newer educators will learn from their seniors so as not to repeat the past.