M-TRACT

Teacher Centers need your help!! Please click on Letter to my Legislator, click on select this letter and follow the prompts to send a letter in favor of restoring teacher center funding to your legislator. You will only need to choose your home zip code – NYSUT will do the rest.

I went to Albany this past Tuesday for my first Committee of 100. Unfortunately, the senators had been called to conference so I was only able to meet with aides. Senator Skelos did make arrangements for us to meet with his senior aide as well as a finance representative. I explained that teacher centers have been funded for the past 25 years and provide quality professional development to teachers and teacher assistants. If teacher centers are no longer funded, teachers with professional certificates will be forced to find classes once provided by teacher centers in order to fulfill their 175 hour PD requirements.

Additionally, I explained the partnerships teacher centers have forged with Intel, Verizon Thinkfinity, Dell, and higher education institutions. Partnerships with Stonybrook, Dowling, Post, Molloy and St. Johns have allowed us to bring graduate courses at discounted prices to our local locations that accommodate teacher schedules.

We are really in danger of losing our funding. The government needs to understand how vital teacher centers are to all of us. Thanks so much for your help!