HCAVTEA

We are the Hudson County Area Vocational-Technical Education Association. We represent the teachers, education support professionals, and administrative staff members who work at the Hudson County Schools of Technology.

 

Latest from HCAVTEA

Just In! Check Out Our Election Nominees for 2022!

Please click on their names to read their bios. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT YOU CAN ONLY VOTE FOR PEOPLE IN YOUR BARGAINING UNIT:

EXECUTIVE BOARD

1. President

2a. Vice President (HT Non-Instructional)

2b. Vice President (HT Instructional)

2c. Vice President (CP/Explore Non-Instructional)

  • Scott Winter

2d. Vice President (CP/Explore Instructional)

  • Mike Grele

3. Treasurer

4. Sergeant-At-Arms

5. Public Relations Officer

6. Corresponding Secretary

7. Recording Secretary

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

8a. Representative Council (HT Non-Instructional)

8b. Representative Council (HT Instructional)

  • Tony Gongora
  • David Polito
  • Chelsea Walker

8c. Representative Council (CP Non-Instructional)

  • Frances Kearns

8d. Representative Council (CP Instructional)

  • Angela Cirillo
  • Lynn Fedele

9a. Negotiation Committee (HT Non-Instructional)

9b. Negotiation Committee (HT Instructional)

9c. Negotiation Committee (CP Non-Instructional)

9d. Negotiation Committee (CP Instructional)

Please, Take Action!

We have some good news to share with you!  On Thursday, May 19th, the Assembly Education Committee will hear A-677 — a bill that aims to eliminate edTPA! Please contact your members of the Assembly!  Take and share the take action on edTPA here: <https://www.njea.org/edtpa-2/>!

Update on S-2349: this legislation will make the NJ Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJGPA) a field test for this year only has stalled in the NJ Senate. Please contact your members of the Senate and tell them to support our students by passing S-2349.  Take and share the take action on S-2349 here<https://www.njea.org/njgpa/>!

Let’s get these bills moving and to Governor Murphy’s desk before June! Share them with your friends, colleagues, and family members!

NJEA Teacher Leadership Is More Important Than Ever!

Click on “Professional Development” tab for more details.

NJ Takes Step toward Eliminating Controversial Teacher Assessment

By Carly Sitrin

TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey is moving forward with a measure to eliminate the controversial edTPA teacher assessment, which critics say increases racial inequities in the workforce, adds a financial burden for prospective teachers, and produces unusable data about educators’ effectiveness.

The Senate Education Committee on Monday unanimously released NJ S896 (22R)<https://legislation.politicopro.com/bill/NJ_22R_S_896?source=email>, which would prevent the State Board of Education from requiring prospective teachers to complete the edTPA assessment — or any state-approved performance-based assessment — in order to become a certified teacher in New Jersey.

“There is no humanity or dignity in this type of assessment,” Efrain Monterroso, a Spanish teacher in the East Windsor Regional School District, told the committee.

Monterroso said the assessment process — a $300 endeavor that includes a detailed portfolio of lesson plans, a video recording of them teaching, an evaluation section and a lengthy self-reflection — ”does nothing to help anyone become a better teacher.”

“What it does do is add more work and stress,” Monterroso said.

He and others testifying on Monday said the high cost and significant time requirement can be a deterrent for low-income teacher candidates and those of color who are desperately needed in schools.

Monterroso said that after submitting all of the assessment elements to a third party tasked with evaluating the package, teacher candidates do not receive any feedback or suggestions of areas to improve.

“The only feedback you receive is if you have passed or failed,” he said.

Several other speakers on Monday also raised concerns with transparency around the grading process, which is handled by Pearson, a third party testing company that owns the edTPA.

“Pearson is making money off this test.” said Francine Pfeffer, associate director of government relations for the New Jersey Education Association. “They won’t report in any meaningful way who actually is scoring it.”

Sen. Mike Doherty (R-Warren) said no groups had reached out to his office offering support for the assessment or opposing the bill to eliminate it.

The NJEA supports the measure<https://www.njea.org/new-jersey-educators-call-for-the-elimination-of-edtpa/?source=email>, as does the state Association of School Administrators, New Jersey Policy Perspective, the Newark-based Education Law Center, the state School Boards Association, the state Principals and Supervisors Association, and several other advocate groups. Those groups and others issued a public letter to the Legislature and State Board of Education last week pointing out the issues with the process.

According to the letter, Delaware, Georgia, and Washington have recently eliminated edTPA as a requirement for teacher licensure and New York has begun the process of removing it as a requirement.

Pfeffer and others also said teacher candidates in New Jersey already have to undergo several other rigorous preparation programs, assessments and exams before being certified, and when employed are evaluated annually making edTPA unnecessary.

View this article online.<https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2022/03/new-jersey-takes-step-toward-eliminating-controversial-teacher-assessment-00014714?source=email>

 

Aid-NJEA-logo

AID-NJEA is a free, confidential 24-hour telephone helpline for school staff members and their families. The helpline is staffed by active and retired educators and school counselors who are trained to counsel and support their colleagues. The program provides telephone support, information and resources for school employees experiencing some distress in their work or personal lives.

Educators and school counselors are on the line from noon until 8 pm Monday through Thursday, and until 6 pm on Fridays to provide peer-to-peer support and information to callers. In addition, University Behavioral Health Care provides mental health professionals who answer the helpline during all other hours for 24/7 coverage. These mental health professionals are available to intervene as necessary and provide support to peer educators when they are taking calls. At all times, school staff will reach a live person who can provide a listening ear and assist callers with problem solving or referral.

Whether you are a new teacher, a support staff member, or a retired school employee, we have people on the line that can provide guidance and information to help. Family members experiencing personal problems can call for assistance and resources as well. AID-NJEA is a partnership between the New Jersey Education Association and Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care.

HELPLINE: 1-866-AID-NJEA (1-866-243-6532) or email AID-NJEA@ubhc.rutgers.edu

School-Related Issues, Concerns, or Possible Grievances?

Please contact any of these members in your school:

EWBC:

  • Mike Grele (Instructional Vice President): Wing C, room 408, ext. 8427 (please leave message on voicemail), mgrele@gmail.com
  • Scott Winter (Non-Instructional Vice President): Transportation trailer, ext. 6342, scjowi@yahoo.com
  • Vincent Fano, Jr. (Non-Instructional Representative): Transportation trailer, ext. 6340, vfjf@aol.com
  • Lynn Fedele (Instructional Representative): Room 206, ext. 4206, fedelelynn@gmail.com
  • Fran Kearns (Recording Secretary): Security desk, franceskearns30@gmail.com
  • Nick LaVolpe (Instructional Representative): Rooms 314/315 (HR, 1st), room 617D (2nd), rooms 314/315 (3rd & 4th), room 617D (5th, 7th-9th), ext. 8436, nlavolpe1979@gmail.com
  • Eliud Padilla (Non-Instructional Representative): epadilla223@gmail.com

EXPLORE:

  • Angela Cirillo (Instructional and Non-Instructional Representative): Room 212, ext. 3212, angelacirillo91@gmail.com

FJG:

  • Vinnie Nardiello, Jr. (Instructional Vice President): Room D-219, ext. 8239, vnardiello@gmail.com
  • Tracy Martucci-Weber (Non-Instructional Vice President): ext. 6733, tracydweber31@gmail.com
  • Manuel Fuentes (Non-Instructional Representative): bingomanny7@gmail.com
  • Felix Henriques (Non-Instructional Representative): jce3687@gmail.com
  • David Polito (Instructional Representative): Room C-318, ext. 8236, djpleets@hotmail.com
  • Chelsea Walker (Instructional Representative): Room D-321, ext. 8280, chelsealeewalker@gmail.com
  • ToniAnn Mendolla-Winter (Corresponding Secretary): Central office (also EWBC), ext. 6319, toniann13@gmail.com

Join a Committee and Let Your Service Shine!

Did you take the survey to express your interest in any of HCAVTEA’s committees? Your service can be the greatest contribution you can make to the entire membership. Please review the list below to see which committees pique your interest. Thank you for your service! 

Membership Committee: Meet with new members, disseminate membership information, and support the chair and local president in keeping member information up to date. Assist the social committee when needed. Angela Cirillo, Toni Ann Winter, Bob Dillon, and Kim Braun have already committed to this committee. A few more members, especially non-instructional staff for FJG and Instructional for CP, would be appreciated.
 
Social Committee: Plan social events, tournaments, and activities like picnics and other gatherings for our members. 
 
Philanthropic Committee: Governs union funds for scholarships and other contributions and also plans fundraisers to keep supporting our students.
 
Ad Hoc Research and Contract Committee: Investigate other districts and gather information and specific details that could prove advantageous during negotiations with administration.
 
Health and Safety Committee: Members from CP and FJG will monitor the district’s safety protocols to ensure that they are being followed and sufficient as we move forward. Members from EXPLORE have committed to this committee. 
 
Update on Vaccine and Rights of Employer to Require/Ask about the shot

For any member who has lost health benefits due to COVID or not, the COBRA premium payments from April 1st to September 30th will be paid through the American Rescue Plan (ARP).

Results of 2021 Special Election are in!  Thanks to the HCAVTEA Election Committee for its hard work!

Here are the results. Please see ALL the E-Board and Building Reps listed below on this page.

HCEA makes donation of $1,000 to local food pantry

The Hudson County Education Association donated $1,000 to the food pantry at Old Bergen Church in Jersey City on behalf of HCAVTEA and Hudson County Schools of Technology Career Development Center Association.

Relief Food Assistance Program for NJEA members

The Pandemic Relief Funds Sub-committee was created to determine how to allocate pandemic relief funds in a manner that would best serve NJEA members.  To this end, the committee has designed a Food Assistance program for members who are experiencing food insufficiency due to losing their jobs or reduced hours due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  If you know of any members to whom this would apply, please send them the attached application so that they can receive monetary assistance.

Executive Board and Building Representatives

2019-2022

Executive Board:

President- Elektra Sipars-Paslowski

Vice President – FJG Instructional  – Vincent Nardiello, Jr.

Vice President – FJG Non-Instructional – Tracy Martucci-Weber

Vice President – JCC Instructional – Mike Grele

Vice President – JCC Non-Instructional – Scott Winter

Treasurer – Frank Ashe

Sergeant-at-Arms – John Mattaliano

Recording Secretary –  Fran Kearns

Corresponding Secretary – ToniAnn Mendolla-Winter

Publicity Director – Mark Gutmann

Executive Council:

FJG Instructional Representatives – David Polito and Chelsea Walker

FJG Non-Instructional Representatives – Manuel Fuentes and Felix Henriques

JCC Instructional Representatives – Lynn Fedele and Nicholas LaVolpe

JCC Non-Instructional Representatives – Vincent Fano, Jr. and Eliud Padilla

Explore Middle School Representative – Angela Cirillo

Administrative Representative – Barbara Mendolla

  • Rob Menendez endorsed by NJEA and NEA
    NJEA PAC and NEA’s Fund for Children and Public Education have endorsed Rob Menendez for Congress in New Jersey’s 8th Congressional District.  Menendez is running to replace Rep. Albio Sires, The post Rob Menendez endorsed by NJEA and NEA appeared first on New Jersey Education Association. […]

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