All five HCT Executive Board members attended the NYSUT Representative Assembly Friday, April 30th and Saturday, May 1st. The virtual conference drew 2,670 delegates and 513 alternates from unions all across the state to hear lawmakers, honor teachers and locals, and vote on NYSUT's legislative agenda for 2022. NYSUT president Andy Pallotta gaveled in the session Friday night with the idea that teachers help strengthen US democracy with our important work. He discussed the myriad ways teachers rose to the challenge of the pandemic and always tried to do what was best for our students.

Pallotta emphasized NYSUT's role in advocating for its members during this difficult year. "Despite the disruption of the pandemic, NYSUT gained some big wins this year, and one of the biggest was advocating for and achieving priority vaccinations status for members of the union," he said. He went on to discuss a post pandemic future in education. "Moving forward — things have to change,” he said. "The state should not require districts to offer remote learning; teachers should not be expected to teach in-person and remote students simultaneously; and parents should know their rights, as NYSUT’s ad campaign says, to opt their children out from invalid state standardized testing. For more on the RA, click here.

As the end of this challenging school year approaches, I invite you to join me in an important political action to directly benefit our Hicksville community. Passing the school budget is one of the best ways to ensure success for Hicksville’s schools. It funds crucial projects and programs that benefit all students. As a union, we can help. We can use a virtual phone banking system to call fellow NYSUT members living in Hicksville and encourage them to support the budget. The system is open now until election day and provides all the information you need, including a script. Make 1 call or 100 calls; every call is important and greatly appreciated.

As an incentive, HCT will award $25 gift cards to two members who have made the most calls by election day. Please see the login information below for details.

In solidarity,

Brian Vollmer

PAC Chairperson

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Join ED and at-large directors from across Nassau and Suffolk counties for a Long Island Regional Civil and Human Rights meeting. This program is part of NYSUT’s “Many Threads, One Fabric” initiative promoting racial justice.

Hicksville High School's Courtney Wall is gearing up for a virtual run and auction to raise funds for a special charity, The Hance Family Foundation. Founded in 2009, the foundation honors the lives of Emma, Alyson and Katie Hance, who died in a tragic car accident at the ages of 8,7, and 5. The foundation provides unique self-esteem programs to children worldwide, one of which has been taught in almost all 9 Hicksville schools. The flagship program, Beautiful Me, is an educationally based self-esteem program that has been presented free of charge to over 80,000 females worldwide, as part of their suite of programs called Self-Esteem Rising.

The annual Hance Family Funday and 5k/1mile run/walk is the largest of all of the Hance Family Foundation fundraisers. In addition to teaching Beautiful Me to groups, classes and camps, Wall volunteers at the organization's toy drives, Family Funday, and co-chairs its annual golf invitational. She also delivers materials to trained teachers who present the popular programs. Of her involvement with the foundation, Wall says, "It is amazing to see how Beautiful Me truly impacts females so quickly from the moment they start a session. I have been lucky to find a foundation and programs that not only positively impacts the participants, but also those who volunteer to teach or volunteer to help with events and day to day operations." For more information, or to volunteer, click here.

Imposters nationwide have been filing claims for unemployment benefits using personally identifiable information (PII) stolen from unsuspecting individuals. According to Attorney Jacqueline Kagan, from the Department of Labor, completing the online reporting form is the most efficient way to report ID theft. Employees might still receive correspondence. This may even include a bank card. Those letters can be ignored, and the bank card can be shredded. After reporting the fraud, read about the many options you have to create additional layers of security.

Under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, FEMA is providing financial assistance of up to $9,000 for COVID-19 related funeral expenses incurred after January 20, 2020. Read more information here.

WHEN: May 26, 2021

School-related COVID questions should be directed to Gail Hunker.