Jan 6, 2020 | Event, Featured, Members
Our PFT Painting with a Twist party is booked and ready for members to sign up. Click here to register–enter the passcode TEACH to reserve your spot!
Painting With A Twist!
Saturday February 22nd from 11:00- 1:00 PM
BYOB—with free Mimosas and snacks provided by the PFT Social Committee.
** LIMIT OF 20 PFT ARTISTS! Register today! **
YOU CAN DO IT! Here’s what we’re painting!
What could be better than taking an art class, finishing your own original painting AND a Mimosa or two? Doing so among PFT friends after our General Membership Meeting! (or even if you can’t make the meeting for some reason).
Click here to sign up right now—space is limited to just 20 PFT artists! Enter the word TEACH as your passcode to register on the site.
If you have any questions, please click here to reach out to PFT Social Committee Chair Diane Swearingen (South Brook/E-board).
Jan 3, 2020 | Featured, Initiatives, News
Deadline for class applications is Friday, February 7!
- Reading Comprehension Instruction – 4 increment credits or 2 inservice credits – 10 classes
- Managing Student Behavior (for Professionals) – 4 increment credits or 2 inservice credits – 10 classes
- English Language Learners – 4 increment credits or 2 inservice credits – 10 classes
- Thinking Mathematics 6-8 – 4 increment credits or 2 inservice credits – 10 classes
–Click here for documented Winter ER&D Course descriptions and the downloadable application.
Or if you prefer–simply click this link to register on line right now!
NOTE: Responses must be received by Friday, February 7, 2020. You will be notified by email/text regarding acceptance into the class after February 14, 2020. (Classes are not assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.)
Jan 1, 2020 | Event, Featured, Grassroots, Initiatives, Member Profile, Members, News
ALREADY KNOW YOU WILL BE HERE? CLICK HERE TO RSVP!
General Membership Meeting
Saturday, February 22, 2020
8:30 AM – 11:30 AM!
Breakfast served. Childcare available.
At the PFT! 10 South 19 Street, Pittsburgh PA 15203
BE HERE to get INSIDE SCOOP you won’t get ANYWHERE else!
(Not in the Notes or PFT News)
- PFT Contract Negotiations Update
- Grievance Proceedings Update
- Member Pledge to Vote & Mobilize
- 2020 Primary Election Survey
PFT ELECTION YEAR! NATIONAL ELECTION YEAR! CENSUS YEAR!
FEATURING: PFT Attorney Noah Jordan
“Weingarten Rights: What you REALLY need to know!”
ALL THIS includes a tasty catered breakfast! 50/50 Raffle! RSVP Raffle! Childcare available! Plus an optional “Painting with a Twist” member social event nearby shortly after our meeting adjourns!
Doors open at 8:00 AM.
Click this link to RSVP on-line, or call 412.431.5900.
Nov 8, 2019 | Event, Featured, Grassroots, Initiatives, Member Profile, Members, News, Retirees
You can always count on PFT
members to be generous and to reach out to others who need help!
As
another successful PFT/ACLC Stuff the Bus comes to an end—just look how great
the PFT lobby looks before PFT staff loads up to take all of these beautiful
toys over to the Allegheny County Labor Council meeting tonight to STUFF THAT BUS and help
the families of union members in need!
On behalf of Darrin Kelly, the
Executive Board of the ACLC and all our union brothers and sisters—thank you
for your generosity, kindness and endless giving PFT spirit. I always expect
nothing less!
Oct 3, 2019 | Featured, Grassroots, Members, News
The Para to Sub Program is Starting Up Again this Year! Please Help to Make Sure that Administration and Everyone Follows the Rules!
We’re so happy that many of our paraprofessionals were given the opportunity to teach and to earn extra money, but we also want to make sure that teachers are not left without the supports they need and that special education federal/state laws are not being violated in any way that comes back to bite anyone.
That is why we keep pushing the rules that were so carefully vetted through the PFT and the BOE. Every PFT Building Rep has a set in her/his Binder that was distributed at the start of the year, and we have plenty more of those here at the office.
Once again, here are the rules for the Para to Sub Program below.
PARAS—REMEMBER the following about eligibility:
CERTAIN paraprofessionals (only if they are interested and willing) will be eligible to work as substitutes IF they have a degree, and IF it does not leave students and teachers without supports.
Eligible with no restrictions:
EA1s
Student Services Assistants
Eligible only within their own classroom provided students receive appropriatelevels of support (i.e. substitute paraprofessional) and legally-mandated adult-to-student ratios are maintained:
Assistant Teacher
Classroom Assistant
Educational Assistant II
Educational Assistant III
Educational Assistant IV
JROTC Noncommissioned Instructional Assistant
For example …
Special Education paraprofessionals assigned to one classroom like ES rooms, LSS rooms, AS room, or Therapeutic Rooms can only sub IN THEIR OWN CLASSROOM! AND IF there is no teacher sub available and IF they provide a para sub.
Paras, if you have a disagreement with these rules, please give us a call at 412.431.5900—don’t argue with the teacher in your room; he/she had nothing to do with the policies of the program. We can fill you in on every decision that was made because PFT staff was there through all of the intensive negotiations—412-431-5900.
Sep 29, 2019 | Featured, Grassroots, Members
We’ve been working on this off and on over the last 8 months—and are pleased with the results that give so many of our member initiatives and grassroots committees their own “home,” while moving our on-line presence to a news-driven information format designed to eventually be a one-stop PFT member resource.
Nothing will change with the site web address, (www.pft400.org is our primary domain). we’ve enhanced our calendar, and will be updating our site frequently with news you need to know or would like to share. Look for us to add an Instagram feed this year as well.
Please submit suggestions and items of potential interest through our Contact section.
Stay Connected With PFT Text Messaging and Social Media
Are you part of our text messaging service? This is different from our “one to one” service we use on occasion to communicate with our entire membership—and is a great way to get occasional news and reminders about upcoming events or critical member issues.
Simply text the phrase PFT400 to the number 69238 to join.
Currently only about half of our membership takes advantage of these vital services. One thing’s for sure—we do not overuse this great way to communicate—on average we send less than 4 texts per month. Follow us on Facebook and on Twitter.
