Current News

2025

 
 


             Use these links to access valuable information for BOCES retirees:



NYSUT:   For all of your union related questions.  NYSUT also provides a great deal of information about issues in general.  We periodically will send members links to interesting articles and information.

NYSTRS:  For all questions about retirement for teachers and aides.

 

                                                         :   BTAR Board


Co-President: Kevin Doherty                             kevinnos4a2@icloud.com

Co-President: Mark Berkowitz                           Cardevres@hotmail.com

Vice President: Vacant

Treasurer: Janine Laruccia                               J4fruits@aol.com

Secretary: Sue Carforo                                     scarforo@verizon.net

Member: Steve Coleman                                drscoleman@optonline.net

Member: Greg Murphy                                    gregmurphy@gmail.com

Member: Pete Buckley                                    pabuckee2@gmail.com






From the Presidents’ Desk

Stay calm or get ready to run with FREE NYSUT programs!






            *Calm App

 
        


https://memberbenefits.nysut.org/free-member-benefits/calm-app

The Calm App is a sleep and relaxation program.  You can put it on your phone for restful sounds for meditation or when trying to get to sleep.

NYSUT offers a Premium Calm Subscription free for members and up to five dependents.

Your NYSUT membership ID number is needed for redemption.




*NYSUT Digital Membership Card

            


https://www.nysut.org/news/2025/february/digital-cards

Apply for your Digital NYSUT Membership Card and never leave home without it!.




           *Nysut Runs NY

       



https://nysutrunsny.org/

Special for BTAR runners.  NYSUT information about school related runs in New York State.  From 3K’s to Marathons.

 

Glad to see you here!


Welcome to our new and more comprehensive BTAR website. While we will continue with one of our most popular features, luncheon photos, you’ll find additional members’ photos and items previously seen in the newsletter here. There will be important updates on what’s happening with the BTA and information for our members concerning our health plans, social security and retirement!  So stay tuned- we will be adding more in the future.


Finally, I would be remiss not to mention the sudden passing of our Co- President Suzanne Carlock in February.  She was an excellent teacher and later a tireless worker with the BTAR. For many of us, a friend as well. She will be sorely missed. Vice president Mark Berkowitz will take over as our Co-President.              


Co-President Kevin Doherty

Where in the World is?



Lois Baldwin


Interviewed by Greg Murphy:


I recently caught up with Lois Baldwin to find out what she has been doing since she retired as a BOCES supervisor in 2008. At that time she was in charge of several programs: the Gifted Special Ed., the Fragile and part of AIIM as well as leading several district-wide BOCES projects.   She laughingly says she hasn’t retired; she has “rewired”. 


She has worked as a professor, a consultant, an author, and a professional trainer, including a stint as the trainer of trainers for the Colorado Department of Education, since she left BOCES.  Her specialty is twice exceptional children, individuals who are gifted and have a disability.  They are the students who attended the gifted special education classes when that program existed in BOCES. 


Lois is also actively enjoying travel, the arts, and physical activity.  Although she still plays tennis, pickleball and occasionally golf, her preferred sport is hiking.  One of her goals is to hike the 100 Westchester trails (see below) and she is over halfway there.  She hikes internationally each year, having tramped across Greece, Spain, Patagonia, Croatia, and Scotland to name a few of the countries.  Last year was Iceland and this year, she and her friends are going to hike the entire 73 miles that make up the country of Liechtenstein.  One of her favorite trips was trekking up the mountain to see the wild gorillas in Rwanda.  She also enjoys the theater, the numerous NYC museums, the ballet and the philharmonic.  She says that she is blessed with a wonderful family, terrific friends, including her incredible BOCES friends, and amazing and rewarding opportunities.