ESSAA WELCOMES NEW ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS FROM CENTRAL AND WESTERN NEW YORK

By Ed Keeler, Administrative Recruitment Programs

Since the end of the last school year, administrators from eight school districts have chosen to join ESSAA. However, it is in central and western New York where ESSAA continues to experience the greatest growth. The new units from upstate are Batavia City School District, Frankfort-Schuyler Central School District, Mohawk Central School District, Otsego Northern Catskills BOCES and the Onondaga Central School District. Each of these new administrative units had their own reasons for deciding that ESSAA was the best choice, but the desire for quality legal help was a common need.

John Brankacz, the president of the Frankfort-Schuyler Administrators Association, contacted ESSAA after the position of Director of Special Education was abolished and those duties were assigned to building administrators. He needed legal help with impact bargaining and other issues. Mr. Brankacz and the members of his unit liked what ESSAA had to offer, especially having an attorney right in central New York.

With Ronald Behe, president of the Mohawk Administrators Association, it was again personnel issues that brought him to ESSAA. His unit also realized that it was a great advantage having an attorney close by to assist with negotiations and legal concerns.

Onondaga Central School Districts administrators contacted ESSAA after hearing positive reports about ESSAA from fellow administrators in the Baldwinsville school district. The principal of Onondaga High School, William Rasbeck Jr., told me that while they had a contract with the district, they were loosely organized and not affiliated with any statewide organization. They were looking for help to strengthen their organization and contract, and ESSAA provided it.

ONC BOCES administrators were introduced to ESSAA through the efforts of the Oneonta Administrators Association. Oneonta administrators, new to ESSAA themselves, made the effort to help us set up a meeting with the ONC BOCES administrators. The administrators of ONC BOCES were neither organized nor had a contract with their district. ESSAA attorney Kevin Martin took the actions necessary to petition PERB for formal recognition of the bargaining unit. We are currently waiting for PERB to recognize their group as the bargaining unit for the ONC BOCES administrators. This decision is expected in the near future. Once recognized, Kevin will help them negotiate their first formal contract.

The executive board of ESSAA was especially pleased when Sandy Griffin, president of the Batavia Administrators Association, called to tell us that his unit had decided to affiliate with ESSAA. We are always delighted when new units join us and the addition of Batavia will help further highlight the excellent support ESSAA offers to its members in Western New York.