New York TeacherOctober 30, 2026

Volume LXVIII, Number 2

Preparing a seat at the table: Members are gearing up to make their voices heard! An all-important survey hits members' email in November as the UFT asks members to speak up about the issues most important to them. It is all part of preparing a seat at the negotiation table in advance of talks to win a new DOE-UFT contract next year aided by the important work of the union's record 750-member UFT Contract Negotiating Committee.

Cover Story

Standing union strong

“It’s going to take all hands on deck to get us from here to the finish line,” Carl Cambria, the union’s chief negotiator, told members on Sept. 17 during the first in-person meeting of the UFT Contract Negotiating Committee. Some 750 members from all divisions and titles — the union’s largest bargaining committee ever — gathered inside Shanker Hall at UFT headquarters for what is expected to be more than a year of crafting demands and negotiating to secure a new contract with the city Department of Education.

The current DOE-UFT contract expires on Nov. 28, 2027. Members volunteered to join the current negotiating committee at the end of last school year. The first meeting was held online on June 23; the Sept. 17 in-person meeting briefed committee members on the specifics of the negotiations timeline, the process of setting contract goals and the importance of building solidarity and engagement…

Latest News

Getting out the vote for change

Hundreds of UFT members picked up the phones and pounded the pavement this fall to campaign for union-endorsed candidates who support education and labor unions in advance of Nov. 3's midterm elections.

UFt members holding signs standing in front of NY City Hall

UFT joins RESPECT check lawsuit

The UFT has joined on as a defendant alongside the City Council to address the Mamdani administration's lawsuit challenging the Council's passage of the RESPECT check legislation for paraprofessionals. The UFT argues the administration has no standing to sue.

Feature Stories

On The “SEEN” With UFT

UFT members make great things happen every day in every way. From supporting community and labor by marching for a cause and providing resources to families to welcoming members and students back to school and encouraging tomorrow’s leaders, here are just a few snapshots of our members in action.

Member Spotlight

What I Do

Christina Rodriguez, Itinerant DHHES teacher

Meet Christina Rodriguez, an itinerant Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education Services teacher, and learn what drives her passion for her work supporting in self-advocacy, assistive technology and curriculum access.

Chapter Leader Shoutout

Thelma Thompson, PS 123, Manhattan

Chapter Leader Thelma Thompson of PS 123 in Manhattan is being lauded for not only diligently keeping her colleagues informed of their contractual rights, but also for tackling projects that help students thrive.

Around the UFT

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walks

Hundreds of UFT members in all five boroughs and on Long Island participated in the Strides walks on the last two Sundays in October, raising money and awareness in support of breast cancer research and the fight for a cure.

Anti-Bullying Conference

Educators across the city brought some 400 students to the UFT Middle Schools Division’s annual Anti-Bullying Conference on Oct. 15. Students learned strategies for preventing and addressing bullying to implement in their school communities.

Wear Pink Day 2026

All across the city on Oct. 14, UFT members donned pink shirts, pants, shoes and assorted flair to celebrate breast cancer survivors, pay tribute to loved ones who have died from the disease and raise awareness about the importance of early detection.

San Gennaro Night

UFT members joined the UFT Italian American Heritage Committee to mark the 100th Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy and network with colleagues over a few slices of New York pizza at the landmark Caffe Palermo, home to the “Cannoli King,” owner John DeLutro.

UFT Asian American Heritage Committee’s Moon Festival

UFT members and their families celebrate the Moon Festival with the UFT Asian American Heritage Committee, enjoying a day of crafts, food and fun.

More in Around the UFT

Your Rights and Benefits

Know Your Benefits

Health care and prescriptions

All you need to know about the high-quality health benefits and supplemental coverages you enjoy as a UFT member or retiree.

Know Your Rights

Preparation periods

Preparation periods are among the many meaningful contractual rights UFT members enjoy. Learn all you need to know about these periods of time for teachers to do unassigned professional work.

Your Well-being

Sneakers touching a yellow do not cross line

Wellness at work

Maintaining wellness at work is about more than work. Learn tips on how to set boundaries and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

You Should Know

Grants, Awards & Freebies

See our list of current opportunities for educators to receive funds and recognition for their hard work and dedication.

You Should Know

Nov. 3 is Election Day

Election Day is on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Early voting ends on Sunday, Nov. 1.  The UFT's national affiliate, the AFT, has issued endorsements for congressional candidates, while our statewide organization, NYSUT, has issued endorsements in congressional and state Senate and Assembly races. Make a plan to vote early or on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Q&A on the Issues

image promoting 2026 UFT contract campaign

Contract negotiations with the DOE

The UFT-DOE contract expires in November 2027, and UFT members are already preparing for bargaining with the city DOE, starting with the convening of the 750-member UFT Contract Negotiating Committee. Learn the answers to your questions about what contract negotiations are all about.

Secure Your Future

Save with TDA & Roth option

Learn your options for saving for your retirement with the UFT's Tax-Deferred Annuity program and/or the Roth option, and remember that it's never too early to start.

Opinions

President's Perspective

Join the fight for full class-size compliance

UFT President Michael Mulgrew extols the fact that members' hard work has resulted in the city being in 70% compliance with the state's class-size law. But he warns getting to full, 100% compliance will be difficult. He invites members to join the union's new 30 percent group to help identify next steps in the battle.

VPerspective

Stand up in unity and fight for your rights

UFT Vice President Karen Alford encourages members not to go it alone or accept disrespectful treatment at the workplace, and reminds members that being part of a union means they have a voice in the workplace and mechanisms for addressing problems that arise.

Editorials

Take the survey

The union urges its members to take the UFT's survey Nov. 2 through Nov. 10. An independent third-party will conduct the survey, which will question members about their goals, concerns and priorities as new contract negotiations approach. There is power in numbers. The more members surveyed, the stronger the union's position will be at the bargaining table. Take the survey.

Editorials

Stop the ‘trainsanity’

The UFT demands the city Department of Education put an end to the insanity of an increasingly expansive list of mandatory annual trainings. Covering everything from bloodborne pathogens to sexual harassment and diabetes, there just aren’t enough hours in the workday. The DOE must either accomodate educators' workday schedules or be prepared to compensate them. 

Editorial Cartoons

Draining public education

U.S. public education dollars under a federal school voucher scheme will be tapped out.

Comments

Teaching Resources

Learning Curve

Sample of vintage card for the UN showing flags represented as leaves around the globe

Celebrating cultural connections

This school year, the city DOE school calendar recognizes more holidays across regions and religions than ever before. Such diversity creates opportunities for educators to celebrate traditions in meaningful ways that both authentically represent cultures while also making every student feel included.

Linking to Learning

Screenshot from Google Read & Write platform

DOE-approved assistive tech

Assistive technology that supports student IEP goals falls outside the city Department of Education’s new screentime limits. Learn about DOE-approved AT programs that can help boost the academic performance and confidence of special needs students. 

Teacher to Teacher

Getting the most out of co-teaching

Co-teaching effectively can mean delivering a lesson that is better than what a single teacher could have achieved alone so it’s worth experimenting with and practicing the most effective models. 7th-grade ELA teacher Mary Samuel shares her expertise on the models she has found to be most effective. 

Building Your Career

Inside My Classroom

Early childhood civics lesson

Queens teacher Johanna McNeal shares how a crafted ballot box in her classroom can teach pre-K and kindergarten students vocabulary, math as well as the importance of voting.

New Teacher Articles

Making the most of having a mentor

First-year teachers who have not had prior teaching experience are entitled to one-to-one mentoring. Find out all you need to know about making the most of this time set aside for you to receive confidential and nonevaluative support.

New Teacher Diaries

What my District 75 class has taught me

A new District 75 teacher in Queens reveals the beauty of working in a 12:1:1 setting, and shares the importance of pivoting when needed – over forcing a lesson – to allow for structured student self-regulation like deep breathing, calming music or grounding the senses.

Retired Teachers News

RTC Chapter Leader Column

2 major wins for retirees

Two significant advances for retiree benefits came out of the October Delegate Assembly. First, UFT President Michael Mulgrew announced that a campaign to improve the annual pension cost of living adjustment (COLA) will be the primary focus of the union’s legislative agenda this year, and of our lobbying in Albany in March. Second, a resolution supporting City Council Int. 1008-2026 was placed on the DA agenda.Pension COLA

Two years ago, the Delegate Assembly overwhelmingly passed a resolution calling for a fairer pension COLA. It was an important acknowledgment that retiree interests deserve attention. Then things stalled, as the union focused on the Fix Tier 6 and paraprofessional RESPECT campaigns, both worthy efforts. Retirees were left wondering where the COLA campaign had gone. RTC delegations met repeatedly with the Teachers’ Retirement System teacher…

RTC Service

Members enjoy savings on movies and more

Through membership in the UFT, retirees have access to thousands of deals on everything from reduced-price Broadway and movie tickets to discounts on flights, hotels, cruises, flowers, meal preparation services and New York Yankees tickets.

RTC Second Act

Sharing the love of reading

Retired paraprofessional Belkis Marte shares her passion for reading children in her native Dominican Republican in one of dozens of reading nooks she’s created there since her retirement.

More in Retired Teachers Chapter News

Rolling up their sleeves for Election Day