Take care of end-of-school-year business

The school year may be nearly over, but you may have some important business to complete — either before you leave for the summer or before you return in the fall.

Check your Annual Professional Performance Review carefully. When you receive this rating report from your principal, make sure your attendance and Cumulative Absence Reserve (CAR) records are accurate. Report any disagreements or discrepancies to your school secretary right away. Teachers who receive a U-rating should immediately contact their UFT borough office and ask to speak to a U-rating advocate. Keep this document in a safe place for future reference.

Understand your summer paychecks. On the last day of school, you will receive four checks or, if you have direct deposit, four pay stubs, which represent the summer portion of your annual salary. (Summer pay is prorated according to how long you worked during the school year. If you have questions, contact your school payroll secretary or a payroll representative in your UFT borough office.) You will sign for your checks or pay stubs as always. If you receive paper checks, they will be postdated. Do not deposit or cash these postdated checks before the date stamped on them or you will incur fines from the Department of Education, its bank and your own bank.

Pay attention to direct deposit. If you participate in direct deposit, be careful not to change or close your current bank account until the fall. Since the city produces summer checks early in June, keeping your current account open will prevent your paycheck from going into a wrong or closed account. If you have questions, call the DOE’s direct deposit unit at 1-718-935-3545.

Keep student grades honest. Administrators have been known to try to pressure teachers regarding student grades at test and report-card time. If anyone pressures you to do anything questionable in this regard, call your UFT borough office. Also, keep in mind that, under Article 8D, a principal who changes a student’s grade in any subject area must notify teachers in writing of the reasons for such changes.

Take care of family members. If you expect to get married, have a baby, or add or drop an eligible dependent this summer, remember to file a Change of Status Form within 30 days of the event. (You can access and complete this form online on our Update My Information page.) You also may use a hard copy available from your chapter leader. In either case, filing this form will ensure that your new dependent will be covered by your Welfare Fund benefits. Please be aware that you also need to update your information with your New York City health plan by contacting HR Connect at 1-718-935-4000. With family changes, you would also be wise to review and, if appropriate, update your beneficiary forms with the Teachers’ Retirement System, the Board of Education Retirement System and any private insurance you hold.

Report any summer moves. Moving this summer? Remember to notify the DOE, the State Education Department, the UFT and the Teachers’ Retirement System about any change of address. Otherwise you may not receive mailed notices or certificates and may miss important deadlines or vital information. To notify the UFT Membership Department, send an email to membership@uft.org and include your file number and a telephone number where you can be reached.

Need help with a problem or questions? UFT borough offices will remain open this summer, Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Or call the UFT at 1-212-777-7500.