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Frequently Asked Questions
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The UFT sends text message alerts about weather emergencies and other urgent information; reminders about rallies, other union actions and elections; updates on contract negotiations and other vital news; and invitations to important union events.
UFT text messages are occasional — we won't inundate your cell phone — and we will continue to send information to members by email.
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Simply fill out the online form at www.uft.org/text.
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We recommend you first contact your UFT borough office and speak with a UFT representative before you resign. You must give 30 calendar days notice in order to resign.
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There is no official paperwork. You must write a letter — preferably an email because that has a date stamp — to your principal stating the day your resignation will be effective, which should be 30 calendar days from the date of your letter. For example, if you wish to resign on Sept. 4, you must send your email/letter postmarked Aug. 4. Your letter should clearly state the day that your resignation is effective. Resignations cannot be made effective during a break. Be aware that you won’t...
Read More >You can apply for COBRA and pay a monthly fee to maintain your Department of Education health insurance and UFT Welfare Fund health benefits for up to 36 months.
More information can be found in this Know your benefits column on COBRA.
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You have to find a new position in order to rescind your resignation, and you must be cleared by the Department of Education’s Office of Personnel Investigation.
There is a DOE Application for Withdrawal of Resignation/Retirement, which must be filled out fully. Read this four-page document carefully for complete instructions and fill it out to rescind your resignation or retirement.
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Read More >Learn to identify the signs of bed bugs (visit the Health Department’s website or call 311 for additional information). Frequently inspect your rooms; if you see signs of bed bugs, report them immediately. If you capture a suspected specimen, submit it to the DOE Pest Management Unit following the procedures outlined in the beginning of this kit. Check your furniture frequently for bed bugs, especially chairs and couches...
Read More >Parents of students in the entire building must be notified if there is an infestation, according to state law. An infestation is identified by bed bug reproduction in a given area. A single confirmed bed bug does not constitute an infestation. A DOE Pest Management professional must inspect the school and determine whether there is an infestation. Schools are not a friendly environment for bed bugs and the chance of an infestation is low. If it is determined that your school is infested,...
Read More >The DOE Pest Management professional will inspect and, if necessary, treat the room in which the specimen was captured. In most cases, a thorough inspection and vacuuming of the room with a HEPA vacuum by the Pest Management Unit professional is the best treatment when there is not an infestation. If the Pest Management Professional determines that there is an infestation (bed bugs living and reproducing in the room), the rooms above, below and adjacent to the infested room will be inspected...
Read More >No. Bed bugs are not known to cause or transmit disease and the risk of person-to-person transference in school is very low. No child should be isolated or removed from a classroom setting. It is important to remember that bed bugs can resemble other insects and that many bed bugs submitted for identification are not, in fact, bed bugs.
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No. If it is a bed bug, it is likely that it was unknowingly brought it into the school by someone who encountered it in another place. If you have captured it, you may have already eliminated the problem. Additionally, many suspected bed bugs are not bed bugs at all. You should send the captured specimen to the DOE Pest Management Unit for identification by following the protocol described in the DOE’s Bed...
Read More >Teacher’s Choice gives UFT members buying power. It is money provided in the budget by the New York City Council that reimburses eligible UFT members up to an allotted amount for the cost of supplementary supplies and materials that you buy to help you do your job. The program was suspended during the tight 2011-2012 budgetary year in order to avoid teacher layoffs. It has been restored for the 2012-2013 school year, but at a reduced level.
Teacher’s Choice allocations are not for basic supplies; your school should provide those. If that’s not the case, talk to your chapter leader. They are for special projects or enrichment materials for your classes. Sometimes a group of UFT members pool their money to buy equipment or other more expensive purchases for a grade or department. But this is purely voluntary; the choice is yours.
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