A BRIEF HISTORY OF CSA
By Jack Zuckerman; CSA Historian

CSA was born in the turbulent sixties because supervisors and administrators had few rights. The many professional organizations that represented supervisors and administrators formed the Council of Supervisory Associations in 1962 to fight for collective bargaining rights with the then NYC Board of Education.

In 1968, CSA became a labor union and changed its name to the Council of Supervisors and Administrators. In 1971, CSA was granted a charter by the AFL-CIO to organize school supervisors in NYS and on the national level. We became Local 1 of the School Administrators and Supervisors organizing committee,(SASOC). In 1976, SASOC held its first convention in NYC and became the American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA). The tenth triennial was held in 2003 in Las Vegas. The New York State Federation of School Administrators (NYSFSA), including CSA, was also formed in 1976.

Today CSA has more than 6,000 active members including 400 directors of city funded Day Care Centers. More than 9,000 retirees and their spouses have already joined our CSA Retiree Chapter.

1975
Tenure for supervisors is restored by the state legislature and Governor Hugh Carey.In the fall, CSA supports the UFT's strike.

July 1976
SASOC becomes the American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA) and officially receives its charter from the AFL-CIO. Walter Degnan is re-elected President. Al Morrison becomes Executive Vice President.

August 3, 1977
Agency Shop for CSA signed by Governor Hugh Carey.

September 1, 1977
A chain reaction: Al Morrison becomes AFSA President after Walter Degnan dies suddenly. Jack Zuckerman becomes CSA President when Peter O'Brien heads to AFSA as Executive Vice President.

1977
Irwin Shanes becomes Administrator of the CSA Welfare Fund.

1978
Ted Elsberg elected CSA President and President of AFSA.

February 1, 1989
Dr. Donald Singer elected President CSA.

March 1, 2000
Dr. Donald Singer resigns and Executive Vice President Jill Levy becomes President.

February 1, 2001
Jill Levy elected President CSA.

July 1, 2002
CSA changes its name to the Council of School Supervisors & Administrators.

June, 2003
CSA, along with a handful of other plaintiffs, notches a court victory over the Bloomberg administration, and successfully blocks City Hall from doing away with Community School Districts.

December, 2003
CSA President Jill Levy is re-elected to a three-year term.

January 2004
Day Care dominates the news, with CSA officials working behind the scenes to assist Day Care Centers that are not receiving the proper funding.   Also in January - CSA Executive Vice President Ernest Logan testifies at a City Council Hearing on school safety.

February 2004
Queens lawmakers join a group of CSA members for a reception, where they get a chance to discuss issues in their schools and systemwide.

March 2004
Union leaders travel to Albany to unveil CSA's legislative agenda during two days of meetings.

April 2004
The union hosts a Spring Legislative Reception in Albany to promote its legislative agenda.

May 2004
The Retiree Chapter is officially formed after a vote by the Executive Board.

June 2004
CSA President Jill Levy hosts a news conference to denounce the public removal of 45 Principals and announce that the union will explore its legal options against the DOE.

September 2004
The union hosts a fundraiser for Presidential Candidate John Kerry and his running mate John Edwards at South Street Seaport. The event is a resounding success, with more than 100 attendees, including award-winning actress Cynthia Nixon.  Also during September, hundreds of subway cars all across the city feature CSA's first-ever subway ad, welcoming students and staff back to school.

October 2004
CSA sponsors "The Core of New York", a four-foot tall apple sculpture, during NYC's 'Big Applefest 2004'. The sculpture featured photos of nearly 400 CSA members, and was located in Rockefeller Center and later across from Radio City Music Hall.

November 2004
CSA hosts a fall legislative reception, bringing together members and more than two dozen state lawmakers to discuss the union's political agenda.

December 2004
On December 4th, the union holds its 40th Leadership Conference at the Midtown Hilton. With more than 1,450 attendees, the conference is considered one of the most successful. Honorees include: City Councilman Robert Jackson and Education Historian Diane Ravitch.

January 2005
CSA and the UFT team up to hold a public forum on overcrowding, a huge issue that has become even larger because of the small school movement. The union also put forth testimony at a hearing on the Campaign for Fiscal Equity case.

February 2005
The union, in conjuction with NYSFSA, holds a reception in Albany to push the statewide legislative agenda. Two bills - one on mandating Assistant Principals in all NYC schools, and another that would mandate professional development for school leaders - are reintroduced in both the Assembly and Senate.

March 2005
The union created a new radio ad, which aired during the last week of March, to publicly urge the mayor to adjust his priorities and respect Day Care Directors.

April 2005
The union hosts the first major Mayoral Candidates Forum of the election season. The event was also the first televised candidates event of the year. Six candidates attend - Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields (D), Former Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer (D), City Council Speaker Gifford Miller (D), Former City Council Member Thomas Ognibene (R), Investment Banker Steve Shaw (R) and New York State Congressman Anthony Weiner (D). The event focuses exclusively on education, and is broadcast on New York 1 News and WNYC Radio.

May 2005
Day Care Directors and Assistant Directors overwhelmingly voted to ratify a new contract. In all, 229 voted for the new contract, 7 voted against and 15 votes were voided. The contract offers members $1,200 upon ratification, and a 14.5% raise over the length of the deal, which expires June 30, 2006. It also adds tens of thousands of dollars a year to the CSA Day Care Welfare Fund.

June 2005
The beginning of the month marked a major milestone for the CSA Retiree Chapter, which broke the 5,000 member threshold. At the last Executive Board meeting of the school year, board members voted to merge the CSA Retiree Chapter with RSSA. In late June, the RSSA voted to merge as well.

July 2005
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit Kruger, Sanders, Levy et al. v Bloomberg have signed an agreement with the city of New York settling the claim that the city and Board of Education have violated their original agreement regarding the illegal restructuring of the Board of Education. The new settlement language reaffirms that Community School Districts and their respective Community Superintendents shall continue to exist with all the statutory powers and duties assigned them under state law.

September 2005
CSA launches a two-week television ad campaign aimed at Mayor Bloomberg. It is the third straight school year that members are beginning without a contract.

October 2005
CSA President Jill Levy appears on the premiere episode of "Working New York" The show is produced by the New York State AFL-CIO and hosted by State Federation President Denis Hughes.

March 2006
CSA declares impasse in its contract talks with the City after 23 meetings.

April 2006
In a powerful showing of strength and unity, between 1,800 and 2,000 CSA members and supporters demonstrate outside of City Hall for a new contract.

Summer 2006
The union enters into mediation over its contract for public school members.

September 2006
A record 440 members march up Fifth Avenue during the annual Labor Parade. The union also moves to fact-finding in its long-running contract dispute with the Department of Education and the City.

November 2006
Executive Vice President Ernest Logan and his slate are elected at the November 7th District Chair/Executive Board meeting. He and his slate, which included First Vice President Peter McNally and Vice President Randi Herman, faced no opposition.  

February 2007
Ernest Logan becomes President of CSA. Peter McNally becomes Executive Vice President. Dr. Randi Herman becomes First Vice President.

April 2007
The union signs a contract retroactive to July 2003 and running through March 5, 2010. The deal, which was unanimously approved by the CSA Executive Board and ratified by 93% of members, gives members a 23.16% salary increase with retroactivity, as well as a separate lump sum payment this summer and larger awards for performance. The agreement also featured bold, progressive ideas and common-sense reforms, including an Executive Principal program, a voluntary severance package for excessed members, safeguards against false allegations, a differential for hosting summer school in your building and an annual annuity payment.

January 2008
Facing tough economic times, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg called for a 2.5% cut for all city agencies for fiscal year 2008. Citing cuts made to central, the Department of Education immediately cut 1.75% from all school budgets midyear. Pulling $180 million straight from Galaxy without any prior discussion on how the cuts should be made incited unions, education based groups, advocates, elected officials, community leaders to form the Keep the Promises Coalition. The Coalition held rallies, press conferences and town hall meetings protesting the school budget cuts.