Current News
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
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
<a href="https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/top-view-transport-map_3798065.htm#fromView=search&page=1&position=0&uuid=66e8d38d-b850-4131-9359-54d90c46737a&query=where+in+the+world+is">Image by macrovector on Freepik</a>
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.
