If you would like to do a professional activity that is not on the contractual list, you can propose it to your principal, whose approval is required before you undertake the activity. Also, the 2018 Contract made it possible for chapters to use the SBO process to create additional menu activities.

A school-based option is a modification of the UFT/DOE contract that has been approved by the UFT staff, principal, UFT District Rep, Superintendent, UFT President, and the Chancellor in order to improve education in the school. It provides schools the opportunity to modify certain parts of the collective-bargaining agreement to fit the particular needs of individual schools.

SBOs sunset at the end of every school, with one exception. The only SBOs that do not sunset every year are changes between seven and eight periods in elementary schools. Any modification to the contract must be voted on every school year, except as indicated above.

Yes, having a lesson plan is a professional responsibility.

An administrator may ask for a copy of your lesson plan as part of the observation cycle. Lesson Plans may not be collected in a mechanical or routinized manner.

No, your principal may suggest that elements be included but they cannot be required.

No, the format and organization, including which elements are to be included, and whether to write the plan digitally or on paper, are up to the teacher’s discretion.

No, teachers are not required to have a hard copy of their lesson plan for their administration.

A preparation period is used for unassigned work, i.e. lesson planning, grading, and preparing for classes.

Yes. Teachers can be assigned to cover one class in the fall and one class in the spring without compensation. In an emergency, teachers may be assigned a coverage during their prep, as per contractual rotation, and be compensated at the coverage rate.