As I write this September newsletter to you it is only our 10th work day since we returned to school on Superintendents' Conference Day. It feels as though we never left. We have gotten right back into the swing of things and from the buildings I have been able to visit I see you working hard to do what is best for our students in Farmingdale.
In the meantime I continue to encourage you to also do your best to work within the language of the contract. The benefits, rights, and protections that we enjoy now were not because they were gifted to us. Our union and the members who worked here and went before us fought hard for them, and they can disappear quickly if we don't all do our part to make ourselves aware of them. Our new FFT contract has been posted in a secure link from the Human Resources page on the district website. Please take some time to look through Article IV Teaching Conditions especially. Not everything we do is outlined directly in the contract but we also enjoy some practices that have kept our work lives manageable.
It is sure to be a busy year for all of us. As we move through the year, and as questions arise, please don't hesitate to call or drop us a note with any concerns you may have. Above all, though, it is important to remember that we are all the union, and only by working together can we accomplish great things. I wish you all a wonderful, successful school year.
