40th Anniversary

Celebrating 40 Years of Educating Members and Impacting Classrooms

Our History

Our program was created forty years ago as a benefit for NYSUT members, thanks to the long-range vision of NYSUT Second Vice President, Antonia Cortese, and Director of Research and Educational Services, Charles Santelli, to “spotlight outstanding teachers sharing their practices.” This vision was nurtured under the guidance of NYSUT’s Project TEACH Coordinator, Roslyn Herman.

1978

An article appeared in the November 5th issue of New York Teacher inviting teachers to apply to take part in a union-sponsored professional program of teachers teaching teachers. Forty-two teachers were carefully selected from over two hundred applicants and invited to attend a week-long training over the summer in the course, Project T.E.A.C.H. (Teacher Effectiveness and Classroom Handling). Project T.E.A.C.H. was developed by Performance Learning Systems (PLS) and taught by PLS founder, Joe Hasenstab.

1979

Project T.E.A.C.H. was the Effective Teaching Program’s first graduate course with Long Island University providing the graduate credit for the course. It was offered in sites across the state in spring of 1979. 589 teachers enrolled in the course.

1980s

As new courses were trained (P.R.I.D.E., Learning Channels, Peer Coaching, Cooperative Learning, Critical Thinking, Patterns for I.D.E.A.S., Creative Conflict), course enrollments grew. SUNY Buffalo and Plattsburgh became partners with ETP, offering graduate credit for courses. Participant evaluations reflected that these courses were meeting a need for pedagogy, specifically the “how and why of teaching.” The number of trained instructors increased each year as well. Back then, participants registered directly with the instructor and instructors ordered their books directly from PLS. Until 1986, PLS was the sole provider of course content for ELT. That changed in 1986 when a partnership with Drs Roger and David Johnson brought us Cooperative Learning, and then in 1989, Creative Conflict. ETP also partnered with the American Federation of Teachers when it adapted their ER&D course, Critical Thinking.

Regional Coordinators (RC) were named to assist staff in keeping in touch with instructors and participants all across the state. RCs organized course schedules of the instructors in regions, conducted regional meetings with instructors, met with ETP staff three times per year, and worked with Teacher Center directors to set up course training.

1990s

From 1989-1991, there was a downturn. Teacher Centers lost their funding in 1990-1991 and no new courses were trained.

Following those two years was a period of recovery and growth. ETP set up a new registration system using a 1-800 line that went directly to the NYSUT office, book orders were done by ETP staff, new courses were trained, and new programs were offered. From 1992-2002, a period of 10 years, ETP’s 800 number increased six fold, from 4,000 calls to over 27,000 calls.

ETP was very particular about the courses it offered members. The criteria for choosing courses to be trained included:

• New insights on educational practices
• Effective strategies and methods
• Being research-based, robust, and rigorous
• Addressing an immediate need (e.g. implementing new standards, learning more about assessments, etc)

New partnerships meant new growth in the 1990s. ETP contracted with Skylight Publishing and Professional Development, American Guidance Service, and Outcome Associates with Charlotte Danielson. New college partners included: Adelphi University, College of St. Rose, Long Island University, Mercy College, Touro College, and Katherine Gibbs.

In 1997, NYSUT Education & Learning Trust, a 501 (c)3 non-profit public trust, was established. The advantages of becoming a Trust meant: being tax exempt, being eligible to apply for grants grants, and establishing a separate financial entity. NYSUT ELT’s original Board of Trustees included Tom Hobart, Toni Cortese, Alan Lubin, Walter Dunn, and Ivan Tiger. Chuck Santelli was the Administrator and Roslyn Brown was the Manager to the Trust.

In 1999, the SRP Advisory Committee brought to the attention of ELT that need for quality training for school-related professionals to succeed in their roles in the educational setting and to positively impact the students with whom they worked. The School-Related Professional Program was established to deliver workshops designed specifically for support staff. NYSUT staffers, Alice Brody and Margaret MacCartney, collaborated to train twenty-one SRP instructors to facilitate the Disability Awareness at the Roaring Brook Dude Ranch in Lake George.

2000s

NYSUT ELT’s umbrella of a comprehensive professional development program offered to members grew to include:

• ETP
• School-Related Professional PD program
• New Teacher program
• Mentor program
• National Board for Professional Teaching Standards program
• Peer Coaching
• Staff Development
• Parent Programs
• Online courses
• College Board Advanced Placement program
• Seminars
• Group Facilitation
• District programs

Then and today, ELT offers NYSUT members high quality, low cost, professional learning opportunities, including:

• graduate courses focused on teacher needs
• the latest in pedagogical research
• skills and strategies that work
• opportunities to network and hone professional practice
• courses and seminars that meet certification requirements
• partnerships with colleges to be used toward a master’s degree or Advanced Certificate
• cutting edge programs for all educators (teachers, guidance counselors, school-related professionals, etc)

Follow us on Facebook at NYSUT Education & Learning Trust – ELT. We will post pictures and memorabilia from past times every Thursday leading up to our 40th celebration in August 2019. We encourage you to share your memories with us. Send any pictures or messages of your time as an ETP/ELT instructor or participant to eltmail@nysutmail.org.