A Message from UFT president Michael Mulgrew

When it comes to education, study after study shows, with the exception of parents, the most important factor in a child's success in school is that child's teacher.

That's why all of us at your union, the United Federation of Teachers, want to help you become the best teacher you can be. This new teacher handbook is just one part of that commitment. With topics ranging from your salary to your professional growth to where to go for help, this handbook will provide answers to many of your questions, information about enhancing you professional and economical status, and help in making sense of what can often be a complex system. I'm sure you'll find it useful.

On a personal note, this is an exciting time for me and the union I head. It's exciting for the UFT because we are celebrating our 50th anniversary as a force for educators, parents and students in this city. It's exciting for me because I am taking on a new and challenging job as the new president of your union. So I have a special feeling for this year's group of new teachers, many of whom, like me, came from other careers because we realized the education of our children is one of the most important work adults can do.

I became an active member of the UFT as a classroom teacher and it was one of the best decisions I made. I urge you too to become involved with your union. Reach out to your UFT chapter leader, the person at your school who represents you. Become a member of our new teacher committee or one of the many other professional committees we sponsor. Get useful information to help you in your classroom by coming to our weekend and after school workshops and forums. Help us with our efforts to ensure our schools and students receive the resources to which they are entitled by, for example, volunteering at phone banks. We rely on you and all the other new teachers to make our next fifty years even better for educators and the students they teach.

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